Foodmomiac

In the groove, out of the groove

Well, I was going at a good clip for a bit there. Sorry for the brief absence. I'm here.

Last night, Michael and I went out to a concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music. It's such a wonderful venue. It's tiny and intimate, and after the show, you can meet the artists. Of course, I never meet them myself. I'm too shy about stuff like that. It's strange. I could get up on stage in front of hundreds of people without breaking a sweat, but the thought of meeting a singer I admire in a one-on-one situation practically gives me hives.

We saw John Gorka and Alice Peacock. Two acts. Both terrific. It's amazing how much my mind travels while watching a great performance. I was thinking about all of the blog posts in my head and had I had my laptop open, (how rude would THAT have been?), I could have hammered out 5 of them. Of course, today I'm at a complete blank again, but I'm trying to get over my writers block by just writing anything at all.

Yesterday was actually pretty good day all around (despite the vicious hangover I was fighting, thanks to one too many beers on Friday night with my favorite Chicago blogger, Sassafrass herself.) The kids had ice skating lessons in the morning, and then we tried a new (to us) German restaurant. Oh my goodness. We found a GEM. It's called Laschet's Inn, and I'll eventually write it up for Chicagomomiac. So, so good.
After lunch, Dylan and I went to Kohl's for a major shopping spree. She really shot up over the summer, and we had discovered that virtually none of her fall clothes were fitting her. I have to say, Kohl's kicks butt for girl clothing, especially girls like mine, who want everything to be teal and brown and covered in peace signs.

Today was another good weekend day, with lots of cooking, relaxing and some more ice skating (open skate for the whole family).

Reminder: I'm still raising money for Healthy Schools Campaign. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, including Rebecca, Moppy and Poppy (my in-laws) and Beth. If YOU'D like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps. Seriously, every bit. If every reader donates $1, I can easily get to my goal. Thank you!

The "Smoky Eye" Story (or "Why I Love My Husband, Reason #467)

We were sitting side by side on chaise lounges on Waikiki Beach on day 2 or 3 of our vacation to Hawaii. I could feel Michael staring at my face, and I was wondering what the deal was. Did I have a zit? A random black hair growing out of my chin? Grey hairs? I tensed, waiting for it.

"You should do a smoky eye."

"WHAT?"

"A smoky eye. I love how that looks. Why don't you ever do a smoky eye?"

"Because I don't know how."

"Where do you learn?"

"I don't know. Sephora?"

"OK, let's go to Sephora."

Two nights later, I found myself in the Sephora at the Ala Moana shopping center in Honolulu. I am incredibly shy in situations like these, and just walked around browsing, hoping a salesperson would mysteriously appear and intuitively sense my need for a smoky eye. Yeah, that didn't happen. And that's when Michael took over.

He walked over to a salesperson and asked her if she could show me how to do a smoky eye. I think she was shocked. I'm assuming that not many men approach her with that request. She proceeded to teach me all of the smoky eye basics. It was AWESOME.

Amazingly, while she was applying my makeup, she asked if Michael and I were newlyweds! I don't know if it was the glow from being childless for a week, or his concern with my makeup situation, or the residual joy that was eminating from us following our superb meal at the Side Street Inn, but she truly thought we were on our honeymoon.

I've been wearing the smoky eye ever since and am loving it. Next step? The cat eye.

Here is a small reminder that I'm posting every day(ish) for a month to raise money for Healthy Schools Campaign. Thank you so much to Ann for her generous donation today. If YOU'D like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps. Seriously, every bit. If every reader donates $1, I can easily get to my goal. Thank you!

I Swear I Haven't Been Slacking!

Yes, I did skip my post on Sunday. Let's blame it on Rosh Hashanah. However, I have tried to make up for it by posting on both of my poorly neglected other blogs.

Read all about Obama's favorite lunch over at Travelmomiac and learn about a terrific photography deal for Chicago parents over at Chicagomomiac.

Back in the Foodmomiac household, we are back in one house. The Michigan cottage is now closed up for the winter and our belongings were hauled home on Sunday. It's amazing how much one can accumulate over the course of a summer, and in our case, most of that stuff was located in the kitchen. We had beer from New Holland, spices from Saugatuck Spice Merchant, McClure's pickles and jellies from American Spoon and a bags of product plus a giant jug 'o syrup from the Farmer's Market.

Here is a small reminder that I'm posting every day(ish) for a month to raise money for Healthy Schools Campaign. I was thrilled to get a donation over the weekend from my old friend Jen, the world's greatest college roommate. If YOU'D like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps. Seriously, every bit. If every reader donates $1, I can easily get to my goal. Thank you!

An Old Fashioned Pig Roast

Over the course of the summer, we have developed quite the Saturday routine for our weekends in Michigan. We wake up whenever we wake up, and then spend an hour or two just lazing around. We drink a bunch of coffee, watch some TV, the kids eat cereal, etc. Once we motivate, we drive 20 minutes north to Holland for their awesome farmers' market. Following the market, we hit the New Holland Brewing Company for lunch and then we head back to the cottage.

Today started off as one of those typical Saturdays. We hit the market (and MAN, late September markets in Michigan have quite the bounty), and then we drove over to the Brewing Company. It was 11:30, so we figured we've have an early lunch. But, then we saw a giant tent in the parking lot and the contraption you see above. It was Autumnfest, and two pigs had been roasting since midnight last night. We were told they wouldn't be ready until 2, so we made an executive decision to get the kids some appetizers and delay lunch. How could we pass on the above?

In actuality, the pigs weren't ready until after 3, but they were well worth the wait. Juicy and tender, with an amazing flavor. They were served with the best baked beans we had ever tasted, corn bread with honey butter and grilled corn with spiced butter. Each plate was chock full of fresh food and was only $8. What a deal and what a great way to end our summer here.

Here is a small reminder that I'm posting every day for a month to raise money for Healthy Schools Campaign. Once again, I had no donations today. If you'd like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps. Seriously, every bit. If every reader donates $1, I can easily get to my goal. Thank you!

Max's Doppelganger

This picture looks exactly like Max. But it's my brother. Crazy, right?

I said I'd post old 80s pictures of myself, and I figure that includes my nuclear family, so above you get Uncle Dave. I have some even more embarrassing ones (think Bill Cosby sweaters and poofy hair), but my scanner is acting up, so it will take some finagling.

We are in Michigan for our last weekend at the cottage. It's a bittersweet feeling. I will miss our favorite dinner place, the Holland Farmers Market, Chicken Scratch Farm, the quietness. But, I also am happy to start being present in Chicago. Fall is my favorite time of year and a great time to be at home. It's time to get the chimney cleaned, the firewood ordered, the stove going full steam ahead.

Here is a small reminder that I'm posting every day for a month to raise money for Healthy Schools Campaign. We're continuing to plug away, but I had no donations today, and would love some more! If you'd like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps.

A Great and Healthy Recipe: Butternut Squash and Kale Risotto

I was really excited about tonight's recipe. It's from The Gastrokid Cookbook. The concept of the book is awesome. All of the recipes are created to be kid-friendly, but it's not your usual chicken nuggets and mac n' cheese. This recipe was ideal because it used two of the veggies I bought at Sunday's Farmer's Market - butternut squash and lacinato kale. The original recipe includes pancetta, but we decided not to include it, as part of our effort to be healthier.

Dylan loved the risotto, but Max wouldn't take one bite (even after I removed the kale). One day I'll make a healthy dinner that both kids eat. Oh well - he ate a piece of last night's lasagna (the one that DYLAN hated). I personally thought this dish was fantastic and can't wait to have leftovers for lunch.

The recipe is below, but let me first remind you that I'm posting every day for a month to raise money for Healthy Schools Campaign. Thank you so much to Kim for her generous donation. We're continuing to plug away. If you'd like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps.

Butternut Squash and Kale Risotto (adapted from The Gastrokid Cookbook)

6 cups chicken stock
extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh kale, stemmed and chopped (if you use lacinato or dino kale like we did, cook it a bit longer)
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed (Trader Joe's sells it pre-cubed if you are short on time)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Heat the chicken stock in a small saucepan and keep warm on a low burner.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add a splash of oil and the kale. Saute for about five minutes (or longer if using lacinato). Remove the kale from the pan and put it aside.

Add another splash of olive oil to the pan and toss in the squash. Season with salt and pepper and saute for about five minutes. Add the rice and saute for another minute. Turn up the heat just a bit and add the wine. Cook, stirring constantly until the wine is absorbed. Add two ladles of stock. Cook, stirring constantly until the stock is absorbed. Add another two ladles of stock and repeat the above. Continue doing this until the squash is softened (but not dissolved) and the rice is al dente. This can take 15-30 minutes. For us, it was a good 25 minutes.

Once the risotto is ready, add one more ladle of stock and the kale. Mix to combine, and add the grated cheese.

Serve in bowls with additional cheese on the side. Enjoy!

(serves 4)

A New Recipe: Vegetarian Greek Lasagna

On Sunday morning, I drove to the Logan Square Farmers Market, and I bought three giant bags of gorgeous produce. Anything that looked great made its way into my tote bags. One of the farmers actually told me that I needed a sherpa. It was awesome.

When I got home, our Internet was down, so I had to get old school and look through my cookbooks for some recipes. I found some dinner ideas, picked up the rest of the ingredients at Trader Joe's, and was all set for the week ahead.

On Monday we had vegetarian congee made in the crockpot. Congee is a Chinese rice porridge. When made with chicken stock, it is amazing. Comforting, rich, delicious. Sadly, I used vegetarian stock instead. We are trying to avoid meat during the week, but next time I make congee, I think we'll make an exception and use the poultry stock. Congee made with veggie stock was vile.

Yesterday, the plain was to make a butternut squash and kale risotto. But, then I remembered that we had the kids' open school night and then a haircut appointment. We had frozen pizza (and I'll make the risotto tomorrow - the recipe looks really promising!).

Tonight, Greek Lasagna was on the menu. However, Michael developed a nasty flu/virus, so I had to cover for him in a three hour client meeting off-site. What to do? What to do? I decided to delegate. I left the recipe and the ingredients out on the counter and asked our new nanny Sammy to prepare the lasagna with the kids. It was delicious. Michael ventured out of his sick bed to eat three pieces, Max ate up with gusto, and I enjoyed it as well. The only naysayer was Dylie. She has just never liked lasagna of any variety, and this was no exception. (She prepared a Trader Joe's Green Curry for herself in the microwave).

The recipe is below, but let me first remind you that I'm posting every day for a month to raise money for Healthy Schools Campaign. Thank you so much to Lauren, Mir and Mamacita for their generous donations. We are off to a great start! If you'd like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps.

Greek Lasagna (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

Tomato Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried marjoram (we omitted this, you could subtitute oregano if you like)
5 cups undrained canned whole tomatoes (we used 5 cups of Michael's dads homemade tomato puree)
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives (we used less, because we didn't have that much around)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (we used 1.5 tablespoons of dried)

1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch rounds
olive oil for brushing
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups cottage cheese
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (we omitted this)
3 cups grated feta cheese (we used slightly less because we didn't have enough)
12 uncooked lasagna noodles

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions. Saute for about five minutes. Add the garlic and majorum and cook for another few minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover the pot and bring it all to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the olives, salt, pepper and dill (you can wait until the end to add the dill if you want maximum flavor).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the sauce continues to cook, lightly oil a baking sheet and cover it with the eggplant slices. Brush each slice with olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven and then turn it down to 350 degrees.

While the eggplant cooks and the sauce simmers, mix together the eggs, cottage cheese, fennel and 1 cup of the feta. Set this aside.

Lightly oil a large Pyrex baking dish (or other lasagna pan). Spread on two cups of the tomato sauce. Top this with one layer of noodles and then another cup of sauce. Layer on all of the eggplant, one cup of feta, another layer of noodles and another cup of sauce. Add the cottage cheese mixture, another layer of noodles, the remaining sauce and the last of the feta.

Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with some crusty bread and/or a green salad.

Healthy Schools Campaign - Help Me Help the Kids!

As I mentioned yesterday, I have pledged to raise $1,000 to support Cooking Up Change, the annual benefit for the Healthy Schools Campaign. I've been on the board of HSC since December, and with each month, I become more and more impressed with what they do for children in this city (and increasingly throughout the country).

As I continue to post every day for a month, I'll share more little tidbits about the various HSC projects, but let's start with their value statement:

The Healthy Schools Campaign envisions a society in which: 

• Every student, faculty and staff member, regardless of race or socioeconomic background, has equal access to a healthy school environment.
• Schools serve as leaders making the critical connection between learning and health.
• Students have fewer risks of disease, lead healthier adult lives, act as stewards of the environment and achieve their highest potential.

Want to help support this campaign? Every little bit helps, and I will match all donations (to a maximum of $500). That means we only need $500 from my readers!

Click here to donate.

(P.S. to my Chicago readers: Want to come to the benefit? Let me know and I'll send you a formal invitation.)

Why, Hello There

Um, yeah. It's been awhile.

I do have a fabulous excuse, though. Michael and I had planned for awhile to take a vacation the week leading up to Labor Day. His parents offered to take the kids in Toledo, and we were going to be frugal and just hang out at the Michigan cottage (we have it through the end of this month).

But, as you all know, the weather this summer has been abysmal nearly everywhere, and Michigan was certainly no exception. About three days before our vacation was set to begin, we looked at the weather forecast and saw that our week off promised more cold temperatures and rain. We just couldn't bear it. So, we cashed in the Amex membership miles that we have been saving for fifteen years and we booked a trip to Hawaii. Just the two of us. Because we were using the equivalent of Monopoly money, we were extravagant. We did first class seats on the plane and a five star hotel (the absolutely amazing Royal Hawaiian).

The above picture is from one of my favorite beaches. I love the old pilings that remained in the ocean. They added such a cool dimension to my photographs.

My plan is to post small snippets about the trip on Travelmomiac, and then link to them from here, so stay tuned.

OH, and I have a challenge in mind for myself as well. I want to post more, but I need some motivation. I also need to raise $1,000 for Healthy Schools Campaign (I'm on the board and committed to raising the money to support their annual fundraiser). I'm thinking of doing it like a walk-a-thon, but with posting. I'll commit to posting every day for a month, and maybe you guys can do a small donation? What do you think? I'll be sure to tell you more about HSC, and I'll even take post requests (recipes, meal plans, funny pictures of me with 80s hair, you name it.) Tell me what you think.

Dishes I'd Like to Make: Late August

I'm not sure if this will gain traction (I've given up guessing what topics stick with me), but I'm playing around with this new feature: Dishes I'd Like to Make. When I read newspapers, blogs and magazines, I find tons of dishes I want to try. Then, when I'm at the farmers market, I get fabulous ingredients, but have no idea what to make with them. By organizing this category by month/season, I'm being kind of selfish, but also helpful (I hope). If you go shopping at the market in a certain season, you can go to one of my posts from that season, and find some great recipes for the ingredients.

I just flipped through my August Bon Appetit and Gourmet, and here are the recipes on my radar:

Fresh Peach Bellini Jelly
Roasted Peaches with Amaretti Crumble
Peach and Pecan Upside Down Cake
Chinese Egg Noodles with Smoked Duck and Snow Peas
Meze Platter with Hummus, Shrimp Salad, and Cucumber Salad
Summer Tomato and Bell Pepper Soup
Chicken, Green Bean, Corn, and Farro Salad with Goat Cheese
Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Garlic Chives
Grilled Turkey Burgers with Cheddar and Smoky Aioli (I love the concept of adding aioli to the turkey meat)
Grilled Clams with Lemon-Ginger Butter and Grilled Baguette
Mozzarella Arrabbiata Salsa (no-cook pasta sauce)
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Tomates a la Creme
Baked Tomatoes with Hazelnut Bread Crumbs
Pickled Baby Squash
Chive Shortcakes with Smoky Corn and Okra Stew
Melon Coolers
Corn on the Cob with Mint-Feta Butter
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Peperonata
Peaches Under Meringue
Garlic Tomato Sauce (Recipe not available online)
Tomato and Corn Pie
Stone Fruit Tea Cake
Plum Kuchen