A Lot of Food for One Single Gal

This weekend was a treat. Literally. I got together with 11 of my fellow bloggin' buds this past Saturday for a Freeze-O-Rama fun time! (click the icon to see the whole crew)

You may be asking - as all of my friends and family have already done - what the heck is a Freeze-O-Rama?   A genius idea if you ask me.  Twelve of us got together to cook masses of food.  We were tasked to cook enough food for twelve other people and then share with everyone at the end.  I decided to cook a dish I fell in love with this summer.  Kale Pesto Pasta.  I got the recipe from my friend, Jaimie, (the amazing cook) after I asked her to find an easy kale recipe for me. I had the leafy vegetable coming out of my ears after growing it in the garden this summer. Anyway...back to Saturday.

Because the stovetop was full most of the day, I decided to cook my entire dish in an electric skillet.  At first I didn't think this could be done, but don't be fooled folks..it can! and it was!

 I first had to cook down the Kale.

Gotta have garlic!

Walnuts - lightly toasted in the skillet.

Then, I blended the kale, walnuts, salt, garlic and parmesan cheese (sort of looked like the rumen of the fistulated cow I saw in my animal science class)  sorry if you lost your appetite...

Then it was noodle cookin' time!  That's right - in a skillet!  Eight boxes in a row.

Finally, I divided it all up into 12 portions!

Even though I don't have an immediate family to feed as most of my fellow bloggers do, I still received all the food from everyone else.  It sort of felt like Thanksgiving!  Take a look...

Now that's a lot of food for one freezer!!!!

My solution...feed the family I do have in Indy.  Aunt Mary, friend Linda, and sister Haley!

I took the food over to Mary's house, and we filled our bellies with fresh shepherds pie, sausage cornbread bake, hamburger soup, kale pesto, and pumpkin muffins.  The funny thing is..this didn't even seem to make a dent.  I was thankful they helped me and happy to share!  As for the rest of the food...

  Anyone want to come over for dinner?

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Here is the full recipe:


Pesto
¼- ½ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ -2 teaspoons salt
½ pound lacinato kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped (1 medium bunch should do)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Ground black pepper to taste
Whole grain pasta of choice
Add chicken if desired


Toast chopped walnuts in a dry, heavy skillet (such as cast iron) over high heat, stirring constantly until they start to brown and become fragrant. Alternatively, place on a baking sheet and toast at 325 degrees. Keep an eye on nuts – they burn quickly and will get bitter!

Bring about two quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, then add kale. Cook, uncovered, until tender (10 minutes) Remove from pot and drain.

In a blender or food processor, add garlic, walnuts and drained kale and whiz until well combined. Pour in oil in a steady stream, and pulse until combined. Add ½ teaspoon salt, pulse, then taste. Add remaining ½ teaspoon of salt if necessary.

Spoon pesto into a bowl and stir in cheese and pepper.

For ½ pound pasta, use 2-3 tablespoons pesto. Keeps really well in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

Freeze already-made pasta dishes in glass or plastic baking dishes and cover with aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
Makes about one cup of pesto.

Deep fried goodness - Just can't get enough

Last night was a treat!  Literally. After a lovely dinner at my friend's, Jaimie and Shauna's, new apartment, conversation led to the State Fair - partly because it has been consuming my life for the past few months.  And partly because the fabulous fair food is always a good topic of conversation. The deep fried cookie dough, we agreed, was amazing.  Feeling inspired and thanks to recent technology, Shauna's boyfriend, Will, looked up a recipe for deep fried cookie dough on his cellular.  We already had the cookie dough - so we needed the "deep fried."  Flour? check. Sugar? check. One large egg? check. Baking Soda? check. Club soda? hmmm... Will this work...

Sure! We had all the ingredients, so we were off.  Since I was the only one who grew up with a deep fryer in the group, it felt a little like home.  Every Sunday growing up, we would cut biscuits into fours, throw them in the fry daddy, and smother them in powdered sugar.  I miss those little doughnuts...So this literally made my night!

We rolled the cookie dough into balls and threw them in the freezer.

  

 We made the batter. 

Heated up the oil on the stove to 350 degrees.  Good thing we had a meat temperature checker!

 

 Into the pan they go!

Look at that oil!!

Top off with powdered sugar. Deep fried goodness. They actually tasted just like Fair!

Some candid photos!

The aftermath....a little gross...but soo worth it!

The recipe:

For the dough, use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and roll into balls.

Batter - we did half this recipe and it made about 16 balls.
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg (or 1/4 cup pasteurized eggs)
1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda, plus more if needed
Vegetable oil, for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the egg and half the seltzer and whisk well to combine. Add more seltzer as needed until the batter is thick and the consistency of heavy cream.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F. Dip the chilled dough balls in the batter and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry a few at a time, turning them over from time to time, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve while still warm.

Happy cooking!!

Slow Food - Africa Style

First off, it's great to be back Blogging again - I feel like it's been ages since I've written, and man what an exciting past couple of weeks.  My goal is to describe different aspects of my African Adventure in my next few posts...so I'm starting today.  So much to report.... here we go....

So....I've heard quite a bit of talk lately about the slow food movement and the importance of growing your own food and eating local, yada yada, which I think is all fine and dandy if someone chooses to do that. I cultivate a lovely garden myself and you really can't beat fresh lettuce or tomatoes you've had a part in growing.  It's the closest thing I have to kids right now.  (Clapping! Something I can take care of all by myself!)  Apparently this is a new concept to many people - but I, like many of my neighbors and relatives back home, did grow up eating from a garden and collecting eggs and it was just a way of life.  Seems this "new concept" has really taken off again...haha.  People have really discovered something that is going to change the world...right?!   Growing up this way, I understand the work that goes into eating from a garden (and a chicken coop) and I also understand why many people don't have the time, patience or resources to do it anymore.  It's hard work, folks. I'm thankful for my ability to grow my own food, but I'm also very thankful for our food system, the choices we have, and the knowledge we have to make the choices we want.  This became even more evident after my trip to Africa...Let me describe one very fun full-day event...

A family my sister got to know during her time there invited us over to prepare and eat a meal with them.  This was so nice of them to offer, so we kept our bellies empty and our minds open.  Let me preface by saying that the whole process of preparing the meal and eating took about 7 hours.  We started at 4 p.m. and finished eating at 11 p.m.  It was honestly one of the most memorable parts of my trip.  Africans are currently living the slow food movement -- growing majority of their diet and buying minimal ingredients to accompany.  The foods are limited and include flour, rice, kale, beans, corn, fresh fruits, eggs, cabbage and chicken (on special occasions). Some special food is grown occasionally, but the above list about covers it...hence our dinner on this night!  ok..now for the pictures...

Here is the hen that gave its life so we could be nourished. Haley bought this hen alive for $7.  Yes, chickens are very expensive to buy and eat in Africa, and they don't come shrink wrapped. Their eggs are a valuable nutrition source too.

If you want chicken, you have to kill it yourself.....as you can see, slow food is not easy.  Not gonna lie, my heart was racing at this point.  I'm not a heartless person at all and love animals, but I believe some animals are God's food sources for man's nourishment.  There is a certain sense of respect you gain when you kill your own food.

De-feathering.  Notice the women are doing the work and the boys were behind the camera.  I tell ya...

Nangella helped me butcher and keep the edible parts of the coo coo (chicken in swahilli).  This included the head, feet, back and eggs.  It is considered rude if the woman of the house is not allowed the honor of cooking for her guests and her family. Before this point, we had to wait for Nangella to arrive before cutting up the chicken.

Ready to be cooked over the fire!

Haley rolling and preparing dough for Chapatis.  These are an african favorite made with flour, water and oil. Chapatis are considered to be a special treat due to the use of vegetable oil, which is very expensive.

Chapatis cooking after being rolled out.

Then we milked a cow for the milk to use with tea for dessert. Each family owned a couple cows for milk.

 My version of bull riding - african style.

Haley cut down some bananas from their trees in the back yard.

Our stove.  My chicken is in that pot. We constantly fed and blew the fire to maintain a strong flame.  There's no leaving this oven!

A top view of Sarah in the kitchen.  She is working the Ugali, which is a flour and water mixture.  You also see rice and kale here.  The cooking process reminded me of camping, but much more complex.

We all sat down to eat together.  In reality, it was really dark in here.  They lit the table with a lantern.  We couldn't really see what we were eating, but MAN WAS IT YUMMY!

Chicken, Chapati, Ugali and Rice

The cooks.  Nothing like dirty feet after a long day of cooking and eating.

During our time cooking and talking, I learned so much about living, preparing food, and eating the African way.  This was a great experience I was glad to have been a part of. I'm not going to lie, eating this way is a lot of work that I prob would not want to do every day, but was definitely well worth it in the end.  The companionship we gained while preparing the meal together and then sharing it as family and friends could not be beat.   Now that I'm back in America, I'm secretly glad I don't have to kill my own chicken to eat it and I'm glad I'm not confined to the few staple foods I grow myself.  Let's see, that would mean my diet would consist of tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, kale, and onions....I'd be getting really creative real fast!  As for those people who want to grow and eat all their own food...all I have to say is...Good luck!!  

Some may complain..others will improvise

The run tonight was going to be perfect. Jaimie was free to run. The weather was PERFECT all day. Three miles was the simple goal.  One mile in. The storm clouds roll in.  The drops fall.  They fall harder. We laughed, took some pictures (yes since blogging, I have been Nerdo with a camera) and finished our run despite the rain. We were thankful we started when it was sunny.  We probably would have never taken the first step if it were storming, which means we wouldn't have had that great talk tonight...it was a much-needed one too! 

Storm's-a-comin!

And it's here!

After the run, I was starving and excited to get home and make a nice supper (yes I call it supper, not dinner. In my book, "dinner" means "supper where you have to dress up"). 

Let me preface supper real quick.  My refigerator may not be stocked at all times (hardly ever), but if nothing else, I am guaranteed to have spaghetti sauce in that fridge.  And if it's not in the fridge, there is a spare jar in the cabinet. Guaranteed. period. exclamation point. Spaghetti is one of my favorites, because it's so EASY, hence why I stock up every time I go to Aldis. 

Well, don't you just hate when you start cooking part of the meal, run to get that special ingredient and then realize it is nowhere to be found? Well, that happened to me tonight.  No spaghetti sauce. Rats! And the noodles were half done.  What to do, what to do? I could make butter noodles...nahhh...so I dug around. Thank goodness for 6-month-old past purchases!  In my pantry I found diced tomatoes...hmmm.  I also had chopped onions left over from pizza night....and...the chef hat goes on.  I started cooking the tomatoes, added the onion, some garlic, italian seasoning, hot sauce and basil...

...completed it with parm cheese.....and Walaaah!

I'm going to toot my own horn a little bit, since you can't taste this for yourself -  man it was GOOD!

Cooking off the cuff and impressing myself once again.

"Beware of those who stand aloof

And greet each venture with reproof

The world would stop if things were run

By men who say, "It can't be done."

now...on to this mini marathon in 5 days.... :(

Two women and a charcoal grill

Dad was heading out for the night, leaving mom and I to cook together and eat a yummy dinner together. Our goal - beef kabobs on the grill. Mom and I are very capable women, so we could handle it.

Dad, anticipating a wrong move, kindly pulled the grill out of the garage, filled it with charcoal, set out the lighter fluid, and gave us strict grill instructions before driving away for his stag party.

Why do men think we women are incapable of grilling? I just don’t get it. I always hear men saying things like, “Yeah, I can grill a meaaann steak” or “Grilling is the man’s job, ho ho ho,” or “You gotta have that charcoal juuust right.” Ok, boys, just so you know – we know your secrets. And today, I’m going to reveal them to all my fellow women followers. Listen up girls, because this man-only knowledge is rarely revealed and it’s also quite technical...

First, find yourself a nice charcoal grill

Second, open the lighter fluid (this is a CRUCIAL step – some men can’t even figure this out)

Third, pour lighter fluid on the charcoal (no rhyme of reason. The more fluid the bigger the flame)

Fourth, light the charcoal with a match

Fifth, wait until it turns white (we do know what white looks like guys)

Sixth, lay the food (usually prepared and seasoned by the wife, girlfriend or butcher) on the grill. And yes, it will be OK if you open the lid a time or two to check on it while it's cooking.  This does not ruin the meat.

Seventh, when it's done cooking, take the food off the grill

Eighth, eat the food

Mom and I figured out these secrets without a hitch and lemme tell ya, these were the meanest kabobs I’ve ever had! Try for yourself:

Sweet Soy Marinade

Soy Sauce – 1/3 cup
Granulated Sugar – 2 tbsp

Cooking oil – 2 tbsp

Worcestershire sauce – 1tbsp

Garlic clove, minced - 1

Red wine vinegar – 1 ½ tbsp

Pepper – 1/8 tsp

Beef steak cut into cubes.

Use the veggies you like best. We used: Zucchini, red onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and red peppers.

Combine the first 7 ingredients. This makes around ½ cup of marinade for the meat. Soak meat for around 30 min. (We did 6 hours for ultimate yumminess!)

Throw ‘em on a skewer, throw ‘em on the grill, brush the remaining marinade on the skewers and enjoy!

....It is pretty close to rocket science, but I think we ladies can handle it.

Ginger Tea with a Side of Pizza

I've often felt lucky to have such good peeps in my life.  Since moving to Indy, I've been fortunate to keep friends I had made over the years and also make new ones as I rumble along.  I will be blogging about them often, so let me introduce a few before I talk about tea and pizza.

Meet Adrienne (or Adrin)

Brown haired blue-eyed, thigh dancing, strassenfest-loving, fiber-craving, long-time-going-to-bed-getting-readier, fellow-beer-drinking, health nut who always makes sure I eat a good breakfast--and if I only eat fruit and yogurt--that's not good enough!  How long have we been friends: 15 years

Meet Jaimie (you met her earlier)

Blonde haired, blue-eyed, God-loving, allergy-prone, creative detail-oriented, iphone-loving, monkey-face making, heckofanAmazing cook and tax whiz who will do anything for anyone and  always go out of her way to serve others. How long have we been friends: 1 year, 8 months.

Meet Shauna (or Bacon bit)

Blonde hair, brown eyed,  family-loving, witty-pun-making, bottled-water-drinking, church-going, long-distance-running, swim-lesson-teaching, Saturday-grocery-store-shopping, hopeless romantic who loves to parallel park...My one goal is to see her tipsy at least one time in my life. 

How long have we been friends: 2 years 

Thursday was our monthly pizza-making girls night.  A night where we make homemade pizzas, drink bottled water, drink wine, drink tea and then pee like racehorses.

Lemme tell you more about this tea.  It is utterly amazing! and I recommend you make it right away and never look back, because it's the best thing since barbq sauce.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey

the juice of 1 lemon or lime

inch of ginger grated (i like to put it in a garlic press)

Mix together in a pot and heat on stove for about 7-10 minutes.  Add water to dilute.

Drink it without diluting and it coats the throat if you have a sore one.

This is also a great cure for an oncoming cold.  Why?

Well, you probably know that lemon is high in Vitamin C. It is also full of phytochemicals. These are plant constituents that help boost the immune system and much more. Ginger and honey are also well documented to help the immune system. (I wish I could admit that these fun facts came off the top of my head, but no, I found them using Google, another good friend.) Adrin however, would probably know these off the top of her head.

Thursday evening we tried lime instead of lemon and prob talked about how good it was for 15 minutes.  Yes, we lead an exciting life.