Whatever, Bob, Just Crash it!

Fall 2010

2010-11-01T14:38:00.005-04:00

Our little man turned 1 on Oct 19. I can't believe how it feels like forever ago that we brought him home and tried to figure out how in the world to set up a pack-and-play in the middle of the night. It feels like yesterday, though, that I left him at school for the first time. A lot happens in that first year of life. Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

We did not go trick-or-treat-ing this year, but we did get G a costume. We also had pumpkins on our front porch. Luckily, they are mobile and can hang in the front yard. This is one of those posts that's really just some pictures. Happy Halloween 2010!

Happy Birthday, America!

2010-07-08T10:50:00.005-04:00

The 4th of July is a great holiday: food, family, fireworks! :) What's not to love? We indulged in all of them. I baked a red, white and blue dessert. This is my buttermilk pie, topped with whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries. It tasted as good as it looks, if I do say so, myself. My dad, who is always very sensible about eating, even indulged in seconds!! I was so proud.

We also took a trip to the local pool, where G took in all the sights and sounds there were to offer, and I assure you there were plenty. He did not cry and seemed to enjoy it. You can barely see in the next picture, but he did sport his red, white and blue to say Happy Birthday to our country. He is learning how to use a sippy cup. Still working on it, but he's getting better at it.

My parents came to celebrate, and G really enjoyed having them here. My dad and Travis spent the better part of the 4th making some improvements to our master bathroom. We now have some beautiful faucets rather than the less-beautiful ones that were there, and some gorgeous light fixtures that offer much more light. The holiday was wrapped up with some HUGE fireworks right in our front yard. The whole street was out there celebrating, with the possible exception of a little boy worn out. Happy Birthday, America!

Meeting the Firemen

2010-05-24T09:51:00.001-04:00

Travis has been ~~eyeing~~ wanting a gas stove. I pointed out that we don’t even know if we have a gas connection to the stove. So yesterday we leaned the stove forward to try and get a peek. We could not see one, so we deemed it a lost cause. Then, upon leaning the stove back down to where it usually sits, a hissing noise began. Chaos ensued. Travis smelled it, we determined it was gas, I threw the cat into the sunporch and closed the door, grabbed G to take him outside, grabbed the phone and dialed 911, handed the phone to Travis who told them where to come and why.

Funny thing, if you call 911, they do come. We actually did call them back and told them Travis was able to turn the gas off outside at the meter, and they said they would cancel the call. But they showed up anyway, which, let’s face it, gives us better peace of mind. The fireman and Travis went inside, opened up the windows (we’d already opened the doors) and we were cleared to go back indoors by the time they left. While they were doing that I had called the gas company, since even if we stopped the leak by turning off the source, we would eventually have to turn it back on.

As it turned out, we do, definitely, have a gas connection at the back of the stove. It’s down at the ground/floor level, and it was uncapped with only a turn valve on it. When we leaned the stove back down, we inadvertently hit the valve and turned it on. The gas man came and capped the valve, Travis vacuumed behind the stove, I cleaned the sides of it, and G got some outside in the grass time as well as his afternoon nap. Oh! And we let Otto back out of the sunporch. He was grateful – it gets warm out there. All in all, a fine afternoon, with just a glimpse of chaos.

My Project

2010-04-26T10:16:00.010-04:00

So I decided I wanted to sew our own wearable blanket. I say our because I would make it, G would wear it. I bought all the stuff, went back and forth to the store a few times until I got all the correct necessities, got out my grandmother's old sewing machine, called to see about taking it in for a tune-up (this is scheduled for "later" on the calendar), practiced on some fabric scraps, sewed a preliminary project (a fabric panel book - which he loves!!) to get used to sewing again, and voila! Got started on my project.

Step 1 - draw a pattern on some old tissue you have left from a Crate and Barrel wrapping kit.

Step 2 - Pin said pattern to your fabric of choice. Best to pin to it folded in half so you only have to cut once. Cut out the fabric so you have two identical panels.

Step 3 - Sew. Here is a shot of the zipper, as well as an action shot of stitching the sides together.

Step 4 - Well, step 4 should be finishing everything up, but I haven't yet finished up around the neck and arm holes. That will be completed some time this week or next weekend. So in this case, step 4 is, drum roll please, have adorable baby model said wearable blanket!! Ta-da!

An actual food post

2010-04-26T09:56:00.003-04:00

So there's a new - new to me at least - woman on the food network and she has "bean night" at her house. Once a week, they have dinner with beans as the primary source of protein, rather than meat. Saves on money and calories. So last night was bean night at our house. I don't believe once a week would fly at our particular abode, but once in a while works out.

Enter the charred chile rellenos - and add some black beans! Voila, a delicious - and dare I say pretty - bean night entree! I served this alongside some Mexican brown rice. Probably too many starches on this plate, but it was tasty and filling. Not your typical battered, cheese-filled chile relleno, but this one is hearty, heart-friendly, and quite tasty if I do say so.

Where do you eat?

2010-04-25T22:47:00.002-04:00

In a chair, of course! I hope to have more posts soon. Get excited.

So cute!!

2010-01-13T12:19:00.002-05:00

So this is in no way food-related, but how cute is he? Sometimes people say, "he's so cute I could just eat him up!" Therefore, I found this an appropriate post. :) And it had been too long...

Yummm!!!

2009-09-08T22:44:00.002-04:00

Found another picture, so here you go! This was a healthy night. We had buffalo chicken strips presented in a salad nicoise style. I don't know what else to say - it was delicious! Great meal for those hot summer nights.

I don't bake...

2009-09-08T22:27:00.005-04:00

I know, I know, you all thought I gave up on the food blog. Surprise!

So this is my new favorite pie! Warm Apple-Buttermilk Custard Pie - I made it for Travis's and Neil's birthday celebration. I had to halve the recipe, so I have made it again. This time I will take it to work with me. I don't even know that my colleagues deserve it, but maybe karma will smile on me. Oh! And in the interest of this being my healthier blog, this recipe comes from Cooking Light. ;)

Need Recipes!!

2009-05-23T15:29:00.002-04:00

Yum yum yum yum yum!! Earlier today a couple of friends and I went to pick our own strawberries. Now I have pounds of strawberries in a bucket in the kitchen and have no idea what to make with them. Looks like I will be browsing recipes for a couple of days. If you have any you would like to suggest, send away!

Burger of the Sea

2009-02-09T10:49:00.006-05:00

Mmmmm. This is my all time favorite way to prepare salmon at our house. Before you give me more credit than is due, we bought these burger patties already frozen. They cook from frozen in a matter of minutes, have terrific flavor, remain moist, and are delicious! When I first bought salmon burger patties, I wondered how you're supposed to serve them. Somehow, ketchup and mustard sounded like it would not taste quite the same on salmon as it does on beef. I prefer them with a leaf of lettuce, a grilled pineapple ring and grilled red onion slice. If you need ideas, there are several listed online. Many people like these with a tartar sauce, but I have to say I think my way is best. Bon apetit!

Breaking our fast

2008-11-16T21:43:00.003-05:00

This morning we made french toast out of some leftover bread boules we had purchased for potato soup. Delicious! We hhad some leftover pineapple rings, so I threw them in the oven with some brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Served over the french toast as a warm and syrupy topping, it was perfect for a lazy Sunday morning.

Oooh oooh witchy woman

2008-10-25T17:36:00.002-04:00

Halloween party tonight. They seem to be early this year - I think so that people will still be able to go trick-or-treating with little ones. That's all I can figure out, because all the people I know going to parties are going this weekend. Anywho, so we're going to ours tonight. We had originally RSVPd no to this occasion as we hoped to go for a weekend getaway somewhere. That didn't work out, so off we go to our party. What does one take to a Halloween party? Witches hats, of course!

Pete Zaaaah

2008-10-25T17:21:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I don't know what to make for dinner and we're at the store when struck by inspiration. Last night was that sort of night. As we headed home after running some errands, we stopped at the grocery store to figure out what might be served for dinner. Publix makes a really good fresh pizza dough, so we decided on that.

I seemed to recall as I got the dough all spread out far enough to handle toppings that the stone said not to use anything else. Wow was I wrong... Last night was my first official temper-tantrum thrown because of pizza. It looks beautiful, tasted really good, had a cheese-stuffed crust, but left the bottom crust all over the stone. Lucky for us, Travis is able to bring me to a reasonable perspective most of the time. We were able to eat our pizza, salad and beverages without too much more frustration.

MIA?

2008-10-15T20:53:00.004-04:00

I bet all of you, my loyal readers, yeah, that makes both of you...anyway, I bet both of you thought I was gone, done for, kaput. Alas, no. What I would like to say is that summer got terribly busy, full of living, taking fantastic vacations, having raucous wild outings with friends. The vacations happened, but really nothing else from that. My job, combined with the later departure time via the vanpool, resulted in my having less time and creativity to cook adventurous (or even mundane) recipes. This past weekend, the cooking savant (really Amanda??) returned.

I have been on a quest. Well, less of a quest, more of a something-I-think-I want-to-do-if-I-ever-get-around-to-it-maybe. I had tried the Thai Express from R Thomas' Deluxe Grill, and it is built on a newly famed "grain," quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). Quinoa hales from Andes regions of South America and is comprised of about 12-18% protein. Because of this, it has found its way into the health food world of USA. And this being my healthier blog and all, it was only a matter of time before it found its way here.

Enter quinoa as a base under Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew. YUM!!! This was an excellent dish. Not only did the squash call up flavors of fall, but the colors burst forth from the bowls like the perfect foliage viewing of an October weekend. This was truly delicious. The following night, we indulged again on leftovers, this time adding a lamb chop which had been morseled appropriately. However you choose to doctor it - or not - I cannot recommend highly enough that you try making this stew. It's so easy that it almost feels like cheating. Bon apetit!

Stock Photos

2008-07-28T10:43:00.003-04:00

YUMMY!!! This is the cereal I bought this weekend and LOVE! I tried it this morning, and I described it as "a children's cereal for grown ups!" It even turns your milk pink! It's so tasty. And at least moderately healthy.

Another one to note is the one Travis picked out. Caramel is often too sweet for me, but this is very similar to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but again, healthier.

"Diet Food"

2008-07-21T21:03:00.002-04:00

Poor me. Poor Travis. We're losing weight. That means we're eating healthier food, trying new recipes, basically everything that's right up my alley. As well, it means we're accounting for everything we eat. So here's a look at our "diet food." Doesn't it look just like torture? A bowl-sized mug of chili, topped with cool sour cream, accompanied by two "open-faced quesadillas." Mmm, gooey cheese, home-grown tomatoes, avocado, and some jalapenos for that kick! Yummy AND diet-approved.

Throwback Food

2008-07-21T20:49:00.004-04:00

What's the first food that comes to mind when I say I made a throwback dish? I don't mean like a fish - one that is too small, you have to throw it back - I mean a throwback to the older days. This one is often scorned for being something people don't like, but I found it to be quite yummy. That's right, I made tuna casserole. We "gourmeted" it up relatively well, considering what we had to work with. I made a breadcrumb topping out of some leftover, drying out pita bread triangles (make it sound appetizing, don't I?). I "shredded" some Velveeta cheese to sprinkle on top. Those of you who know Velveeta know that I cut it into sticks and then placed them around where I wanted them. Velveeta neither shreds nor sprinkles. I also topped it with some paprika, as casseroles are supposed to have that particular color on top. Ultimately, it was yummy, and I felt like my grandparents would have been proud. Why not whip up a casserole, or whatever it was you thought of, for dinner soon?

How Cute?

2008-07-15T22:19:00.003-04:00

How cute are these? I read this recipe and decided it was a great way to use the cherry tomato bounty. Want to make them? Scalp a cherry tomato, scrape out insides, place a jalapeno slice in the bottom of the tomato, place 1/8th of a piece of string cheese in on top of jalapeno. Serve. Very "adorable" food. Enjoy!

Happy Belated!

2008-07-13T12:47:00.005-04:00

Happy belated birthday to me! Okay, so it's nearly August and the birthday focus will switch to Travis, not me. But somehow these just didn't make it on. Travis made me a bundt cake. Tasty lemony with a glaze. Yummy!

Just a treat

2008-07-13T12:30:00.009-04:00

It was about 8:30pm and the outside looked golden yellow. One of those weird-weather nights. We decided to step outside and take a gander. Aside from just looking eerily yellow, here is what we found. Wanted to share with you all! It was obviously much prettier in real life, but here's an idea of it.

Cooking Tofu-ray

2008-07-13T12:22:00.005-04:00

My foray into tofu! I had never cooked tofu before, and my prior experience with it wasn't so great. If you asked me, tofu reminded me of scrambled eggs - which I like, but not with soy sauce. So what would make me try out a recipe with it? Yeah, I don't know either, but I liked it!

According to the recipe, the key was that I first pressed the tofu, removing extra liquid, and then roasted it in the oven with soy sauce. Whatever the reason, it was tasty. It had good texture, too. Good enough that I've purchased more and will try something new!

Bounty

2008-07-13T12:02:00.003-04:00

My cousin recently posted a blog entry about their harvest. Competitive by nature, I must share this - a picture of our bountiful harvest collected this weekend. Time for a salad or some more kebabs!

Comfort Food

2008-07-13T11:54:00.004-04:00

Depending who you ask, typical responses to comfort food often include mashed potatoes, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (mine), and who knows, maybe a hot fudge brownie Sunday. On this particular evening, all that was going to fix what ailed me was wings and french fries. Thus, I give you wings and fries.
The photo doesn't look nearly as good as they tasted. Something about the buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing probably doesn't come across in the picture. I was particularly proud of us, though. Wings are typically fried, then doused in a butter-based sauce. Ours were baked at a high temperature, and the sauce was straight from the bottle, with nothing added. The fries were also baked in the oven, and topped with a garlic mixture, adding flavor but little in the way of calories and fat. Getting the hang of this healthier thing more and more each day...

Excuses, excuses

2008-07-13T11:41:00.007-04:00

Sometimes an excuse is just an explanation. But when the explanation is the same time and time again, it sounds much more like an excuse. My excuse, again, is that I lost the USB cable. Travis went up to get me the other one today - that I didn't know was there - but I have yet to locate the one I was using before. Ah, well, c'est la vie.

Lotsa new foods to tell you about. I think I might just post some pretty pictures and let you look and drool. I may caption them, tell you stuff. Too many stories make for too long of a blog post, so I think I will just post a barrage of them today. Enjoy!

This plus this plus this equals this.

Popeye's chicken

2008-05-12T21:52:00.004-04:00

I made this up and it turned out really tasty. It so happened on this night that I had these things on hand and a hankering for something of this variety.

When was the last time you had spinach and artichoke dip? We don't ever order it out as an appetizer, but I have very fond memories of my high school friends getting together and making it as an activity. Meredith's recipe is the best, and this was very similar.

I put roasted garlic and herb marinated chicken breasts on top of a bag of spinach. Then the tops were smothered with some quick, light artichoke dip - artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, a bit of parmesan, a squirt of lemon juice, and just a dash of cayenne pepper. Baked on 350 for an hour, it was yummy yummy yummy!

Burger and fries? Nope!

2008-05-06T22:48:00.003-04:00

Okay, these were awesome!!! Amazing awesome. The kind of awesome you don't think you can make at home. This is the dinner you want to go out and order at the diner. I was at work, discussing with a co-worker what to make for dinner. I was thinking what should I make that's healthy. My colleague said, well, what do you feel like? I answered honestly: a big, fat, juicy burger and onion rings! Naturally, I figured this was out as an option, considering the health aspects of that meal. However, we already had some turkey burger patties frozen at home, so that was easy. And there had been a recipe I wanted to make - oven baked onion rings. Take a look, YUM!!

And then there were thai...?

2008-04-27T20:47:00.004-04:00

We love Thai food. It is delicious, different, exciting to the taste buds. Ordinarily we get it from our favorite little dive, Dan Thai, a few minutes up the road. It is unpretentious, has delicious food, quick and polite service, and is reasonably priced. However, sometimes at the end of the day, we just want to stay home. On those nights, Thai food seems an impossibility.

Alas! As you can see here, we have a delicious plate of Pad Thai. Neil made some over the holidays and Travis helped out - in part to learn how. We tried it at home. I can honestly say there are few things more offensive to the nose than fish sauce heating on a stove, but our food turned out pretty well. It didn't taste quite like Dan Thai, but I was quite impressed with our adventurous cooking spirit, as well as our culinary outcome.

I must admit, it has been some time since I was on my Ellie Krieger cookbook craze, much to the chagrin of my health. However, one of the first recipes I noted in there excited me greatly. As you know, I am trying to incorporate more fish recipes into my repertoire. Thai-style halibut with coconut-curry broth hit the Asian and fish spots equally and delightfully.

Mmmmmm! I'd like to encourage all of you to try making your favorites that you only order out. Think how nice it would be to dig into a fresh, hot plate/bowl of your favorite restaurant order, even on those rainy, stormy, traffic-filled nights.

April Fools!

2008-04-04T08:19:00.008-04:00

I love April Fools day. It is a "holiday" right up my alley. I enjoy making others laugh, and enjoy a good prank. This year I ended up making two different kitchen specialties for the day.

I came up with the perfect April Fools prank this year. I really think it's perfect. For those of you looking for something to do next year, try this. Just beware the repercussions. I have been threatened that I will pay. I can't hold my breath the entire time, and I'm hoping these people forget, but you never know. Lucky for me, I'm just as quick to laugh at a joke played on me as on the next guy.While the texture of my chocolate chunk cookies wasn't quite the norm, they looked appetizing enough. These cookies were left in the break area at my job with an encouraging note which read, "Chocolate Chunk Cookies - Help Yourself!" I'm a little sorry to tell on them, but the men were the easiest targets here. Evidently, they cannot turn down chocolate any more easily than women can, they just prefer it delivered in baked goods. One additional caveat, they prefer those goods be baked with sugar, and that the chocolate not be unsweetened baker's chocolate. Poor guys...I missed the memo that day. ;)

Additionally, we attended a game night the Saturday prior to April Fools day. The idea was to take an April Fools day inspired food of some sort. I have never had more fun assembling food. These are also by far the most adorable food I have ever created. Behold, my mini-burgers.

My burgers have buns of vanilla wafers, and grasshopper cookie meat patties. There is lettuce made from green coconut, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard icing, tomatoes and pickles made of candy fruit slices, and the best little touch, cheese slices which were really squares of yellow fruit rolls. Served with shoestring potatoes, you've got an entire combo meal.

Breakfast in bed?

2008-03-27T09:51:00.004-04:00

Ordinarily, this blog references what we eat for dinner. Today, the focus will shift a bit. I recently bought a new cookbook (Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave) and it's inspired me. This is a great thing, as I love feeling inspired. It's so....what's the word....inspiring!

Some of you may know that Travis usually brings me coffee to my bedside. Awwww. Yes, it's a sweet gesture of love. And occasionally, I get the whole shebang - breakfast in bed. However, when there's not time for a full breakfast, the norm is to grab a granola bar and maybe a piece of fruit, my coffee in a to-go mug, and head out the door at a rapid clip. Therefore, when we saw the recipe to make our own energy bars, there was natural appeal.

Ok, I wish I had taken a picture of all the ingredients out on the countertop. As my friend pointed out, we may have ended up with $40 energy bars. After an extensive trip to the grocery store, we had all the many delicious ingredients to make these. Chock full of dried fruits, nuts, wheat flour and wheat germ (stay tuned for wheat germ-covered, oven-fried chicken!), here is the finished product.A pyrex full of delicious energy. That's what that is... However, as with most energy bars, one should not just sit down with the entire pan. They should be cut and doled out in appropriate portions. Which is precisely what we did. Oh, I am a bit required to point out Otto's cameo appearance here. Apologies to those whom this bothers. What can I say - he, too, enjoys breakfast in bed!

I meant it!

2008-03-20T22:29:00.006-04:00

So several of you have pestered me, though none more fabulously than Laura, to post additional blog entries. If you're one of these people, you know that my standard response is something to the effect of having several pictures stored up, but haven't gotten around to downloading them, etc. Well, I meant it. And tonight I just downloaded sixteen photos - all were of food. Now, I will admit that some are repeats, or shots of different parts of the meal, but there you have it - I meant it. There really were pictures I'd saved up to share with you.

With sixteen different pictures to choose from, representing eight different meals, it was hard to know which one to start with. I wanted to show you what we had tonight, primarily because it turned out so deliciously, but I chose this one for the lighting:If you read this blog, you'll know that part of it is me enjoying new recipes, and that part is about eating a bit more healthfully (is that a word?). I struggle with fish. I don't much recall eating it when I was little, and not only because I plugged my nose and yelled, "Eww!" I don't really remember Mom cooking much seafood. It is a major food area that I missed in growing up and learning food preparation and cooking. This is an entirely new thing for me. That said, I am determined to like fish and to learn how to prepare it a minimum of seven ways that I enjoy.

This picture shows a successful attempt at that. This was orange roughy baked in the oven with a bit of white wine (Ok, it called for an amount I poured in, and I swear the fish could have swum again in it; perhaps more poached than baked), some chicken broth, spices and tomatoes. It was quite lovely, and the beans accompanied it so well - lending both beauty to the plate, as well as a source of vitamins and fiber. (Back to the health bit, see?) Also, that bread was multi-grained and had flax seed in it. They're shiny. Did you know that? Eating shiny things is weird to me.

Ah, but I digress. It is time for me to tell on my wonderful husband. I like to impress people, I know that comes as a shock to you. So when I'm not touting my own abilities in the kitchen, I'm asking him to do so, or at least to reassure me that there is cause to do so. So here it is, my favorite part of this meal. I asked Travis how he liked it. His response? "Well, it's not steak. But for eating healthy, it's good." I find hope in this statement. Healthy is looking plausible. I anticipate many more healthy forays into the world of swimming food - and not swimming in butter.

Happy Birthday!

2008-02-11T20:57:00.002-05:00

For those of you who do not know it, Christmas is always extra-special at my parents' house because there is also a birthday party for my oldest niece. This year's birthday theme was the Aristocats. There was pink and purple everywhere, a cake topped with cat candles and a tiara, little girls playing a dancing game based on hot potato, and for an activity, we decorated gingerbread houses. They were made of gingerbread graham crackers and held together with powdered sugar icing. There were plenty of candies and icing for decorating. Everyone had a very good time. Watch this short video for a quick taste of the event.

Hospitality

2008-02-11T20:49:00.001-05:00

When Mom and Dad arrived, Dad and Travis took the luggage upstairs. Life proceeded, we had dinner, talked, caught up. Eventually, hot tea, a little reading, some conversation all lead to sleepy parents. Dad was going to go up first, but after much prodding and pleading, Mom went up with Dad. Below, you'll see why it was so important that Mom get to go up with Dad, at least to turn on the lights before turning down the bed. Hopefully, this will be a touch of hospitality not quickly forgotten!

Long Overdue

2008-02-11T19:50:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry for my absence since November. I have no excuses, plenty of stories, and some pictures to accompany them. I'll start with Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope you can see that we had lots of delicious foods. This is the Salvadorian turkey, the Asiago sweet potato gratin, and a delicious fall salad with pears, pecans and feta. Neil's blue corn stuffing with chorizo accompanied all of this on our gorgeous table. See?
This was the first time I got to use our fine china given to us primarily as wedding gifts. It made the table look absolutely gorgeous. And I feel a little silly saying it, but I actually felt like a grown up. I would also like to say that in those glasses was our faux champagne that turned out pretty good. There were mixed reviews, but I liked it, and it looked pretty and was festive.

Then it was time to eat... and eat we did!

Doh! I forgot the dessert. How could I forget the delicious desserts? Neil slaved all day on our persimmon pudding. He steamed it in a very old fashioned way. If anyone can find an old-fashioned pudding mold - complete with the steaming cap thingy - I know he'd love to try again. It turned out very moist, and the rum-soaked berries completed it perfectly!! Mom and I made the pie - while considerably less effort was involved, it was also quite delicious.

Slacking!

2007-11-14T16:55:00.000-05:00

I have been majorly slacking! Can I blame the fact that I'm hosting Thanksgiving for my parents and brother? That's not why, though. How about that I went to visit my adorable Volpe nieces while they stayed with their grandparents? I'm choosing that. Not much to anybody's surprise, eating at the Metcalf house continues. See? Note those beautiful vegetables. There was yellow saffron rice served as well, but honestly, the picture is just dull. I can just about promise there will be pictures from Thanksgiving - keep the anticipation alive! And just so you know, we're shaking things up. Not untraditional, but not traditional either. There will be turkey, but it will be Salvadorian turkey. There will be stuffing, but blue corn stuffing with chorizo (thanks to Neil). I hope the pictures will leave you drooling. Until then, be thankful for your blessings, and tell the people you love that you do.

Squashsagna?

2007-10-21T18:01:00.000-04:00

Ode to the spaghetti squash. Where would our dinner have been the other night without it? Nowhere. This is our squashsagna. A layered dish, baked in the oven until the cheese is properly melty and all of the flavors have married, squashsagna is an excellent option for those seeking a low-carb lifestyle. Not why we did it, however. We just thought it looked good and presented a fun cooking adventure. Behold - squashsagna!

Baked with oozy layers of ricotta mixture, sweet and savory tomato sauce, marinated artichoke hearts and "noodles," squashsagna proved to be a delicious alternative to traditional lasagna. Now how could you avoid taking these leftovers for lunch the next day? I'll tell you - don't. Don't avoid it. Squashsagna was even better the following day. I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into some tomorrow for lunch, as well. Squash on, my friends, squash on.

South of the Sea

2007-10-09T17:00:00.001-04:00

Border, sea, whatever. Here are some lovely taco pictures. Fish - healthier than beef. Well, I suppose that's debatable. In this instance it was. These were fresh/frozen haddock fillets. They made for delicious tacos because, as Travis put it, it tastes like whatever you put on it. In this case, that meant it tasted like guacamole, homemade salsa and a corn tortilla. Yummy!

Benvenuto a la Pizzeria Metcalfezzo

2007-09-20T10:10:00.000-04:00

Ok, I don't know how to Italianize the name Metcalf. So there you have it - that's what I came up with. Look at our pretty pizza!!! We used fresh (non-shredded) mozarella, roma tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, baby bellas (there are times I think that's cute, and times I think it's cuteSY), and just a smidge of bell peppers and onions to make it yummy. Here's the pretty part,

the picture. I would like to say more so that this actually qualifies as a blog entry, and not something I should just have put on kodakgallery or flickr. However, today my brain must be on vacation, because I've got nuthin! Happy Pizza! Oh, p.s. No meat - all veggies. Again with the healthy.

Proud as a Red Pepper

2007-09-18T11:21:00.000-04:00

I am SO proud of this. Last night, dinner was Italian. While out shopping the other day, I found some really fun pasta - yes, fun pasta. I have seen multi-colored pasta at the grocery store, but it typically comes in three colors. Check out this pasta! Now that is multi-colored pasta. As you can see in the photo, I also bought some lovely roasted red peppers. I have heard people suggest doing the roasting yourself, but I have to tell ya, for a dollar a piece, it's worth it to me to have somebody else roast them, peel them, put them in a pretty jar, and allow me to bring them home that way. Have you SEEN the recent price for raw red peppers? Yep, definitely worth it. See how pretty they turned out? All I had to do was cut them up prior to being cooked, then toss them in the blender. What compelled me to make this, you might ask? Well, I know good flavor, and have good taste in food, of course. ;) Actually, I have had some delicious roasted red pepper sauces out at restaurants before, and deemed them utterly difficult to find. Ergo, I decided to make it instead. If you can't find what you want by going out, what sense does it make to go? While the finished product doesn't look as pretty as it did in real life, I hope you can imagine the yummy smells and flavors of a creamy, cheesey, fat free half-and-half-y sauce. Sidenote: fat free half and half is healthy. See how that works?

Okay, so you can't just serve pasta at my house. I mean, you can, but it will be frowned upon unless you put some ground beef in that sauce. Man cannot live by bread, nor by pasta, alone. Just ask mine.... Added to the meal were some yummy, simple chicken breasts flavored with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning. I was sad to note that the red pasta actually faded a great deal, but the taste made up for any shortcomings of color. In the interest of health, I must inform you that this meal should be served with a salad, and a smaller portion of pasta. That didn't happen last night, however. What can I say, I'm not perfect. I cannot recommend highly enough this yummy, yummy sauce. Since I can't, I'll instead tell you that I plan to make it again, two batches this time, freeze some for when I want it again, and have a super quick option on hand. Make it!

Why I Married My Husband

2007-09-05T20:19:00.000-04:00

I honestly married Travis because he treats me like I want to be treated, has the gentlest, most beautiful green eyes, and we have fun together. However, as I recently told him, perhaps these should be on the list. I love his ribs - and not for tickling!

Travis must have paid attention in biology, because puts his heart into his ribs. After boiling them so they'll fall off the bone, he dry rubs them and puts them on the grill. Then the last fifteen minutes are spent on the grill while perfectly cooking the sauce onto the meat for that just-right sticky consistency. That's right, these are dry rubbed AND sauced ribs. If you're ever in town, call for dinner plans. You might get this lucky!

This isn't necessarily a post about our healthier living. However just to let you know, we did balance it out with some vegetables. You can't have ribs without the fixin's. This was a true floss meal.

Asian Invasion

2007-09-05T19:55:00.000-04:00

Apparently I was on an Asian kick for a while, so after I made the lettuce wraps, I did a makeover meal. Makeover meals are what I call it when you use the leftovers to make something new. So check these out - I made eggrolls! After a crazy search for the wrappers in the store - I kid you not, the checkout girl asked "What are those?" when I asked if they carried eggroll wrappers - I went home and wrapped up the rest of the meat, some vermicelli noodles, some asian broccoli slaw, and created a yummy dipping sauce. I was very proud of them, and they made an excellent dinner while I listened to Travis' most crazy day ever in the world of interview-land. p.s. These were baked - healthy.

Happy Birthday, Travis!

2007-08-26T07:26:00.000-04:00

Well, it was a success! Travis didn't suspect his surprise party at all, and we had a wonderful time. I wanted to take a picture of my food - even though I'm against that still - because they put a lot into presentation. Also, I had sushi! I had fun trying out new things, even if I learned what I didn't like so much. If you should ever make it to Geisha House, try the Marilyn Monroll - that was my favorite. Some fun names, which should tip you off that this is not your average sushi house, were as follows: Cowboy roll, Dynamite roll, Heaven, Frightened Geisha, and as you read, Marilyn Monroll.

Musical Tomatoes

2007-08-23T21:08:00.000-04:00

I have just realized what I signed on for. This would be simple and fun if I didn't occasionally - nay, oft - make "regular" things for dinner. Example: this evening consisted of already marinated chicken breasts - I'm talking I bought them that way - baked in the oven and served with broccoli and Velveeta shells and cheese, a personal request made by Travis. I can't take a picture of that and put it on here. That would just be...ridiculous, for lack of a better word. Even, perhaps, redundant, as you all gazed upon what you similarly served on your dining room tables across the country. I guess it is a good thing that I have some old pictures saved up. Just another example of something not entirely thought out by me... Another thing: what do I do if I see a great movie? Can I blog about that, even if it's neither "No Reservations" nor "Ratatouille," thereby having nothing to do with cooking or food? I suppose that remains to be seen. Onward to the symphony of vegetables below.

One of our favorite salads this summer consists simply of tomatoes and avocados, sliced, served on a plate, with a bit of salt and pepper. However, this one was all the more gorgeous, as we had been to the little farmer's market the Saturday before. See our beautiful yellow pear tomatoes? They were even sweeter than the accompanying grape tomatoes, if you can believe it. Combined with the creamy, almost melty texture of the avocado, and the zing of salt, it made a perfectly blended harmony in our mouths.

Journey to the Orient

2007-08-22T21:59:00.001-04:00

The thing is, we've been trying to get healthier. That means trying to fit in more trips to the gym, more activity (less TV), eating more vegetables with each meal, and making-over recipes so they fall under the "healthier" category. Sidenote: healthier means more healthy. Ergo, roasted peanuts are healthiER than beer nuts. I have been having a lot of fun trying out new recipes, some things that we have wanted to make, some I just stumble upon, and some I make up because they sound good.

Enter the asian lettuce wraps. Everyone knows how yummy they are at PF Changs, and they seem healthy - they are wrapped up in lettuce, after all. Also, we had been wanting to do something with vermicelli noodles. These are FUN! You should try them - in something, it doesn't have to be these. Anyway, we made these with ground turkey - see, healthier! - and we omitted the pickled ginger. Grocery lists don't always get filled in as thoroughly as they should.

**I have included the link to the recipe I found - Click the title bar.**

Turning over a new leaf

2007-08-22T21:26:00.000-04:00

So nobody has blogged on here (by the way, I love when new verbs are created because of the internet) in a VERY long time... so I'm reviving it. However, it is going to have a theme. I like to cook. I am not the best cook in the family, or in the world, maybe not even in this house - but I enjoy it. So this will now focus on some of my food adventures. The kind in the kitchen, not eating out. I like reading those, but I don't want to have to take a camera every time I go out to eat. Who does that? Anywho... let's begin with the 4th of July when I thought that there ought to be more than one berry atop a shortcake. After all, the colors are red, white and BLUE! Behold, the power of blueberries. Here's my lovely Patriotic Shortcake. So that's rather basic, really. I even bought the little pre-made sponge cakes with the dip in the middle. You could call that assembling, rather than cooking. However, I did macerate the berries. Macerate - sounds official, huh. That's why I had to include it.

Smile!

2006-02-09T13:29:00.000-05:00

Um, I don't even know... Need some gift ideas for birthday presents? An alternative method of popping the question? Surprise her with diamonds like these, perhaps. Ha ha ha!!!

Great SuperBowl Alternatives!

2006-02-03T17:46:00.000-05:00

Not into football? No worries there are lots of alternatives to sitting on the couch and watching the games.

Here are a couple of my favorite lists:

CNN's list: Game? What game? I'm watching puppies

SF Gate's list: There Are Lots of Super Bowl Alternatives

Go Seahawks!

Defend your friends!

2006-01-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Who says you can't be friends with people (or animals) different from you? These two have clearly negated that concept... So to those of you thinking you are too different to befriend somebody at the office, at the gym, on the playground, let Gohan and Aochan inspire you to go for it! :)

$pend less for better quality!

2006-01-09T14:55:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately for my mid-section, I do enjoy the occasional (or frequent) visit to Starbucks. As I've been trying to be more concious about the empty calories that I consume, I've experimented a little with what I'll order when I'm there. Fewer mochas, more lattés with no sugar. I have found, to my surprise, that I actually enjoy the flavor of coffee sweetened only by the milk present.

With all of my seeking new things to try, I found this article to be quite interesting. Who knew you could $pend LESS money to get a higher quality, more enjoyable product?? Certainly not me. I will have to check out the short cappuccino on my next visit.

Do you like what you got for x-mas?

2005-12-24T12:47:00.000-05:00

Monitor Mods for the Indoor Enthusiast

2005-12-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

This posting is for indoor enthusiasts and cubicle marathoners.

The other day I decided to make some modifications to my work space so I did the following things and I have been pretty happy with the changes since.

My eyes are less tired at the end of the day, they aren’t red during the day, and I am seeing a decrease in the number of headaches I have at the end of the day (very subjective measures – I know).

So what is it that I did?

- Increased my monitors refresh rate to 100Hz
- Installed ClearType
- Extended desktop by implementing a second monitor

Bad hat hair?

2005-11-18T13:26:00.000-05:00

With the cold weather coming on, people will be donning more hats to keep warm. Do you have a problem keeping your hair looking good after removing a hat? See how this man prevents such a thing from occurring.

What a dummy!!

2005-11-07T14:01:00.000-05:00

Ha ha ha!! Well, I think this one speaks for itself. But man, what a dummy!!

TGIF?

2005-10-28T12:48:00.000-04:00

Today is a Friday....AND I took off work....AND had a promising interview. So why does it feel like a sucky Monday that is the beginning of a bad week? I will don my favorite outfit combinations (it is fortunate that they rather go well together) and try to make the best of a bad mood. To all - enjoy your Halloween, give out some candy, set your clocks back, grab an extra hour of sleep and try to have as few days like this as possible!

I gotta be me!

2005-10-10T11:07:00.000-04:00

I don't know that I actually want to switch places in life with any of these people, but there are definitely reasons to envy them - primarily money and prestige. For now I'll just stick with being myself - but maybe this will encourage me toward further self-improvement efforts.

Private Beta Products - Nirvana or Nearvana

2005-09-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

It appears to be 'private beta' nirvana out there on the information-super-highway.

Yahoo!'s New Mail Beta and social networking internet browser from Flock are trying to capitalize on an idea that worked great for Google's G-Mail. The 'Private Beta' is a trendy way of getting the buzz and build-up rolling before people can actually download and use these products.

I am salivating just like the rest of you are… Nirvana or Nearvana, we’ll all get the chance to try out these hyped products, shortly.

New Gas Prices

2005-09-07T10:48:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed gas prices of late are ridiculously high. Not that they're going to change much until people opt for alternative transportation. Anyway, recently I saw a new sign for gas prices. Thought it was all too appropriate to share.

HurricaneHelp

2005-09-02T23:53:00.000-04:00

As part of the relief effort, Earthlink has launched http://katrina.earthlink.net to help people who have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina find and connect to their family and friends.

Killing Time

2005-08-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

So I read the other day that one of the irritating things people do on blogs is not write enough information/long enough paragraphs. But frequently, there isn't really more to say on the topics I choose, so....I suppose I don't have a response to that complaint.

Today, like most days, I find that my job is not keeping me busy enough. A common problem on Fridays, as there is very little work to do, and I've already spent the week trying to find more to do. So I'm caught up already. Therefore, I find myself finding ways to kill time. It does not help that many of my usual fellow time-killers are not online with me today.

Anyway, when I get REALLY desperate for something to do, I go to www.bored.com. It's full of junk that is only for killing time. Today I stumbled onto a fun website full of useless facts. Useless, yes, but entertaining? You bet! So read and enjoy!! Someone should print this off for the ultimate bathroom reader.

Technorati is on the Block

2005-08-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

The news of the day is Technorati is about to be bought by a large search engine company. There's a lot of speculation as to which one is trying to purchase them. Today, one thing is for sure everyone is talking about it. The source of all the speculation stems from a post by B.L. Ochman "Technorati About to Be Sold." Ochman claims to have heard the news from a VC he knows.

I read an entry yesterday on Scoble's blog about consolidation in the blog space: "Blogging as a business." Seems Robert knew what he was talking about - not that I doubted him.

Once blogs captured the attention of the mass-media it was a matter of time before they started making advertising money and that is what will bring in the acquisitionist. You see Google and Yahoo! can't have anyone horning in on their advertising dollar market share.

That is my take on this speculative secondhand information.

Doggie Day Camp (cute picture)

2005-08-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

A group of dogs is taken to a day camp near Bogota in a bus in this photo taken on June 30, 2005. The Transmiperro system (Transport my Dog) is a day camp for dogs, where a colourful bus takes them to a camp in the village of Cajic, 30 km (19 miles) north of Bogot, where the animals are trained and enjoy games and activities. Each pet owner pays between $34 and $106 per month depending on the program the dog is enrolled in. The dogs are returned home, exhausted, at the end of the day. Picture taken on June 30, 2005. To match feature Colombia-dogs REUTERS/Jose Miguel Gomez

Picking Abe Lincoln's Nose

2005-08-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Apparently lichens (boogers?) were invading the Presidents noses after not having been wiped in years. One would think that perhaps that would happen. Fortunately, all of the gentlemen displayed on the Mount Rushmore Monument are finally clear of 65 years' worth of dirt. Nice to finally have a bath, I'd imagine. And could someone get these men a tissue?!

Cool!!

2005-07-27T12:33:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm not a crazy Star Wars fan who dresses up and stands in line at midnight or anything, but I have enjoyed the movies... that reminds me, I haven't seen the latest one. Hmm....gotta get on that. Anyway, check this out!! Now you can truly let the force be with you...

Yahoo buys Konfabulator!

2005-07-25T12:11:00.000-04:00

Konfabulator is a cool desktop widget application that I tried out a few months ago--my trial period ended and I was sad to give it up. Sir, Cheapo, didn't want to fork over the $20 bucks to pay for it.

I think this is a great oppertunity for Yahoo! to get onto the desktop like Google has done with its desktop search application.

Friend Check!

2005-07-22T14:33:00.000-04:00

We all need to do a little spring cleaning once in a while. Our closets get full of clothes we never wear anymore, our cabinets are stuffed with tupperware that lack bottoms or tops. Sometimes we even need to do a friend inventory. While I don't recommend killing off all of your relationships, there are occasions when friends may be a misnomer. Take a look and double check your stash. Maybe it's time for a friend makeover. So go ahead and ask your new yoga buddy to go shopping with you for the perfect shoes. It might be just what you both need!

Ads threaten to ruin Tivo's best feature.

2005-07-18T16:45:00.000-04:00

Well, Tivo, which has long been admired for its ability to remove commericals from TV viewing, is looking into adding icons for the advertisers.

Hey, Tivo, if I wanted to see ads I wouldn't have bought a recording device that allows me to skip/remove them.

I mean, I love a good TV commercial as much as the next guy but when they threaten to ruin one of Tivo's best features they've gone too far.

Oh, yeah, this is just my opinion.

The Laws of Identity

2005-07-15T14:01:00.000-04:00

While doing some research for my day job I watched this interview of Kim Cameron on his white paper "The Laws of Identity."

I was truly inspired by Kim's ideas... As he said in his interview this is a historic undertaking. I wish him well in his endeavor to convince the Internet--at large--to adopt his idea of a universal Metasystem to manage our online identities.

3 steps.....or 10,000 - Who's Counting?

2005-07-14T14:33:00.000-04:00

Well, great news!! Herein lie 3 ways to change your life, and make a big impact. In a mere 10,000 steps a day, you can walk your way to your daily exercise quotient. A great way to keep track is by getting a small pedometer. About 2/3 of the way down this article, there are also links to de-stress and how to go about slimming your waistline. With the epidemic of obesity in this country, we should all take note. If you take nothing else from this post, remember this - Practice Laughing!! Enjoy!

Never register again!

2005-07-06T17:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, this may be the coolest website ever. Basically, you may never have to register for a site again! Check out www.bugmenot.com where you can get already registered user IDs and passwords. I've used it twice already and am getting GREAT information - with less junk mail!

Mentally speaking....who are you??

2005-07-05T15:11:00.000-04:00

Ever wondered about whether your brain has more male or female traits? Yeah, it's interesting, but I've got other things on my mind...like my brand new insidetv magazine!! However, if you have some extra time on your hands, this is a very interesting quiz. Enjoy!

Are You an Online Knucklehead?

2005-07-01T14:19:00.000-04:00

Netiquette Lesson #1:

"There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world.
We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts:
what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it."
- Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) American Educator

If you're a Knucklehead keep reading

Gossip!!

2005-07-01T11:27:00.000-04:00

It's July - official kick-off of summer. I feel the need to dish the dirt on the stars. Let's start with this season's most irritating couple!! But surf around. You can learn a lot....not too many SAT word opportunities, though.

Things happening on the job at EarthLink

2005-07-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

New EarthLink Toolbar for Firefox
EarthLink puts spammer behind bars

Xbox on your TV? Maybe...

2005-06-30T16:54:00.000-04:00

Microsoft may license Xbox software

That means I should keep waiting to purchase a gaming console. I'd like to say I knew this might happen, but I can't.

I love Paris in the Springtime....

2005-06-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

Evidently Tori Spelling doesn't like the words to that song. She has created a new t-shirt stating her true feelings on Paris Hilton, or more aptly, her feelings about Tinkerbell. Her bulldog could certainly give Tinkerbell a run for her money...and that's a lot of bank!

Now Catch THIS!

2005-06-30T15:07:00.000-04:00

Ever wanted to catch the one that was outta there? Read these tips on how to take home a homer!

No Fish Tale: Thais Catch 646-Pound Fish

2005-06-30T11:02:00.000-04:00

That's a big fish.

Looking for cheaper gas?

2005-06-28T14:12:00.000-04:00

Traditional gasoline is more expensive than ever before so you might be interested to learn that unleaded gasoline might NOT be your only choice.

Interest Rises in Ethanol-Heavy E85

You can save some serious money using this alternative.

Why the title?

2005-06-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our new blog, Whatever Bob, Crash it! Perhaps you've seen the commercial on tv, if not, enjoy! You will love these kids...totally from the Bronx. Just don't let them near your cars!

Tuesday Morning Humor

2005-06-28T11:27:00.000-04:00

Interesting Tuesday news: Opie and Anthony are discussing the BTK killer. Bob calls with a comment to make. Go ahead Bob.

"I just wanted to call and say that I know the history of psychiatry, and all this guy needs is some vitamins and a good excercise regimen."

Welcome!

2005-06-27T17:35:00.000-04:00

This is a test entry.