Hola and a whole MESS of Scones, from England.

So, This week Ike had his first school project due. He is in Kindergarten. When we were in kindergarten we didn't have homework, and we for sure did not have any major projects due, but these are different times I am told.

So he had to research his "cultural heritage." Can you say "mutt?", yeah, I knew you could.

We do know for sure that my father's side of the family came over on the Mayflower and one of the ships shortly thereafter (our descendant from the Mayflower was Richard Warren and his daughter Elizabeth is my great-great-great, keep on going, great grandmother. She married a Richard Church who came over several boats later and "Voila!"--- a dumbass family of hillbillies is descended out of England (oh, be proud Brits, be proud).

On my mother's side we knew that her dad claimed some Scotts-Irish heritage (last name Moore-- sounds like Scottish or Irish to us) and so-- I like to claim those sides now that we have a red-head. Did you know btw- that Scottland has more red-heads than any other part of the world? Yup! So says culture grams, which brings me back to Isaac's project.

Because we (ike too) have been to England, we decided to go that route for this project. Could have gone to the Young's German side, but no- we went to jolly old England...

On Monday we had to work at home in the evening on facts about England (or the UK? I'm still not sure what the assignment was)... and then Ike had to work at school several days this week so that he could give a verbal report today to the whole kindergarten class and several amused parents. Intense project for kindergarten in my opinion.

Isaac did a great job speaking, in fact, the video is at the end of this post-- but -- there are two things to note about this fun-for-all (sarcasm) project:

1) I have not been home all week and had NO IDEA what he was going to say or what our responsibility was

and

2) My spouse wasn't sure what the details were- but we knew I was supposed to bring scones. Cause he's signed me up to bring them.

So-- last night we made scones. Not thousands, but a big batch. A pod of scones? a herd of scones? a colony of scones? A murder of scones? well it was a whole MESS of scones. And they turned out great. I used an Ina Garten recipe that you can find here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cranberry-orange-scones-recipe/index.html

and I used zante currants instead of cranberries cause that's what we had. They were delicious..

But back to point number 1. Isaac hadn't told us what he was going to say, and last night I found out that he thought the name of the country was London. Really.

I don't even know how that could be since he'd spent at least 3 DAYS working on this!!! But- sure 'nuff, I spent last night teaching him to either claim England or the UK and stop saying he was from the country of London. We were both confused by the end of it and I had no idea what he might say today.

So this morning- -he gets up in front of the 3 kindergarten classes and he is the first of the Europe II group to speak, and he does a FANTASTIC job speaking.

He knew it was England, he described that they eat fish and chips and haggis, and the little foodie even remembered what haggis is (thank God we didn't sign me up to make that!!!! YUCK!)

He did a great job with one funny little exception. When he had to tell people what language people speak in England, he told everyone English... AND... wait for it..... wait for it.... Spanish. He then told everyone that in England they say Hola, and he made them repeat it.

"hola friends!", from the English. That's right- that's what my kid knows for sure.

Later I get to the "Cultural Heritage Luncheon" and find that one of the other mothers of one of the other 3 kids who claimed English heritage had also made scones. ugh.

She also happened to be ACTUALLY English. For Real. Born in London. Had the most beautiful accent and everything. For as insecure as I am - this was a moment for me.

I was like one of those knock-off Coach bags standing next to the real thing.

I was feeling pretty low at that point- what with the real british scones and her kid having told us all that the British say "Hello" and all--

until she told me two things that made my whole day--

First of all: She used a mix to make her scones that she bought at the grocery store. Yup. she bought a mix at safeway and she thought mine were better (love)... and she then won me over completely by saying we both should of just saved ourselves the work and bought a tin of biscuits (cookies ya'll) anyway.

Secondly-- Isaac had apparently gone up to her and told her that London was the capital and she said "I know I was born there"- and he said "great". I apologized to her for his weirdness and for the whole "hola" thing- and she said-- "no worries". Apparently all week her daughter has been telling the whole class that SHE had met the Queen of England and the queen had given her a bracelet.

Turns out that had happened this summer -- at a Maryland Renaissance Faire. :)

Her mother could NOT convince her that she hadn't met the actual queen. (again- LOVE!)

We commiserated on the brains of 6 year-olds and how lame both of our scones looked next to the Somosas, Fried Mangos, Swiss Chocolates and Sushi-- from the "cool cultures" and we called it a day.

So-- I'm going to go have myself some tea (no joke) and watch me some Dora the Explorer. Maybe she can teach me some more words to use the next time we are in England.

Hola friends!

Here's the video if you have a moment and want to see for yourself...

Lasagna, to eat it or wear it, either is joy (apparently)

So,  a few days ago we made a staple for both Scott and I when we were growing up: Lasagna.  Funny enough our moms had totally different approaches (this was the only thing my mom did that was sort of serious cooking-- she took loads of time to make a sauce from scratch and this was  a lovely little short cutted meal for my m-i-l who actually didn't even cook the noodles in her version!)-- both versions are delicious.  For some reason- Scott and I don't make either of them.  We have our own variation that we've come to love.  And so has Max as the picture shows....

Everything below her eyes:  her own terrible eating produced those results-- her forehead, well, that was her father's work... he felt like she might as well go all out (why should just her forehead be clean?)

This is our lasagna... it was even better than it looks and fed us for 3 meals

Ingredients:
Lasagna Noodles
Large jar of  spaghetti sauce (or- make your own)
Ricotta (16 oz) -- half that if you want a smaller lasagna, we have a LARGE dish there...
Mozzarella (16 oz) -- half that if  you want a smaller lasagna
Parmesan (1 cup or so)

1 small Zucchini (sliced thinly)
1 Small yellow squash (sliced thinly)
1 jar or mushrooms or a cup of cooked mushrooms
1 egg

we sometimes throw in leftover sausage or chicken if we have it, but we also like it just vegetarian

Cook the noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile- mix together the ricotta, all but a handful of the mozzarella, egg and 2/3 of the Parmesan--- Plus any seasoning you like (we throw in some Italian seasoning, some salt, and pepper and sometimes a little onion powder).

Preheat oven to 375.
I like to oil the pan with olive oil...
(ours is a 13x9 inch deep stone lasagna pan- a glass or metal pan would work too)

When the noodles are cooked and cool enough to handle begin to layer.  I pour in a little sauce on the bottom, then 3-4 noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture then 1/2 the veggies then 1/3 of the sauce.  Then one more time-- noodles, the rest of the cheese mixture (still reserving that initial 1/3 of the parm and  handful of mozz)....then the rest of the veggies, 1/3 of the sauce, then a final layer of noodles.  Top the lasagna with the remaining sauce and the leftover cheeses.  Bake covered with aluminum foil for 35 minutes - then remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes uncovered.  Cheesy, bubbling, and good.

Serve with fresh bread, European butter and a nice glass of something red.  enjoy!

A little late night project...

So--- tomorrow night Scott and I are going (sans children) to a friend's house for dinner in PA.  And it promises to be a rousing good time.  Four women who are highly opinionated- strong willed- VERY funny-- great friends and all around- great to be with girls... and Scott.
Too cool isn't it?
Wish you could be there?
It gets better.
We are meeting in order to have a lovely dinner and time together and to do some planning to introduce our little country church to the very beginning of a conversation about LGBTQ issues and the church.  Just a toe in the water mind you- but the start of some good things, which will include some faith-filled conversations that are LOONNNGGGG overdue.  Especially for a congregation with so many L,G and T people in our midst or in close relationship to our members.
These are good times.
Plus- we are doing this whole event with WINE and bread (beer bread no less) and pasta.  and Scott and I made brownies, plus, even now at 11:13 pm-- we are making FLAN.

Such good things to come.  I will try to post pictures of the event (if we take any) and or the flan in the future-- but in the meantime.  Here's my pre-event prep for our meeting:

I like to be prepared...

Here's scott's:







Yep-- we are different personalities oh yes we are!
I'm thinking Scott should write for the after event blog post.
Don't you think so too?
Can't wait till tomorrow.  Too fun!

When You Can't Get to Biscuitville

So, let me confess. I have never been to a Biscuitville.  But according to their website  http://www.biscuitville.com/   and the rumors from my North Carolina friends- and well- their name- they have biscuits!  Real southern biscuits.  I imagine them in my head as buttery, soft, deliciousness.  I imagine them as a base for gravy, as a start for a sandwich with good cheddar cheese, as a breakfast slathered with good strawberry or apricot jam.  In my head- they are iconic.  (ok north carolinians!  next time I'm there- we're having a meet up at Biscuitville!)

That said, I can't wait to go south to get me a biscuit- so I found a recipe for Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits from one of my favorite food network chefs, Ina Garten, and last week we tried them.  They were good.  Not quite as buttery and soft as I'd like, but hearty and delicious for sure.  They would have been great with chipped beef gravy poured over them. Maybe we'll do that next time.  For now- here they are as a starchy side on their own.

Ina Garten's Recipe for these cheddar biscuits can be found at

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/buttermilk-cheddar-biscuits-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 cold extra-large egg
• 1 cup grated extra-sharpor sharp Cheddar
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
• Grey or sea salt on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.

Place 2 Cups of flour, baking pwdr and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.  With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.Combine the buttermilk and egg and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.  Mmmmmmm... cheddary bicuity good.

Brined Fried Chicken

We have been tinkering with this recipe for over a year now.  The impetus for the whole "make fried chicken at home" thing is that the best fried chicken I'd ever had we found at Annie Bailey's (an irish pub in Lancaster) and it is a sweet tea brined, pecan encrusted, piece of deliciousness.  It is one of my favorite foods for sure, but it's a $15 plate of chicken and potatoes and I became convinced Scott and I could do this cheaper and just as well at home.  Eating at home is much easier than trying to eat a nice meal while our kids are talking loudly and falling off of the very high table stools at Annie Bailey's (no need for someone to die while trying to get a good piece of fried chicken).

Epicurious has a recipe for brined fried chicken, but the first time we tried to make it we were worried it was undercooked and so we let it go long enough that the breading burned.  Over time we figured out that we could make it with chicken tenders if we adapted it (less salt, less time to brine) and then it was easier to make sure it was cooked enough on the inside yet only golden on the outside... So we make ours without skin, without bones and yet with all the key ingredients (salt and sugar) it is so, so good.

 Here's our version.

The ingredients that make this dish so finger lickin good.

Brine:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 teaspoon Black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 or 2 bay leaves

For the Chicken:

1 package of chicken tenders (or chicken breasts no bones, no skin)

3 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups of flour

1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

2-3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper

1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper  

Oil for frying 

For brine:


Pour 4 cups cold water into a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, and coriander seeds. Allow to cool completely.

For fried chicken:
1. Put the chicken in a glass baking dish and pour the brine over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

2. Remove the chicken from the brine, remove any peppercorns stuck to the chicken, and let the chicken dry slightly on a wire rack while preparing the buttermilk and flour.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk with 1 tablespoon of the salt. In another large bowl, stir together the flour with the remaining salt and spices.

4. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Transfer to the buttermilk, gently shaking the bowl to coat the chicken. Transfer the chicken back to the flour, being careful not to scrape off the batter. Gently shake the bowl to coat the chicken with flour, then transfer the pieces to a wire rack, again being careful not to scrape off the batter. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken and let dry on the wire rack for 30 minutes.

5. Pour the oil into a 5-quart pot and heat it to a temperature of 350°F. Cook over medium heat. The oil will cool to about 300°F after adding the chicken; this is the correct heat for cooking the chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then turn the chicken over and cook for an additional 3-6 minutes. If the chicken gets too dark, lower the heat. Drain on a wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken. Serve hot or cold.






One final note-- if you're going to use a lot of oil 
to fry some chicken, 
it only makes sense to thinly slice up a potato or two 
to throw into that oil and the end- and turn into chips.
There were only a few, but they were really really good.  
They were crisp and much tastier than anything coming from a bag 
(sorry Martin's, but even you can't beat Scott's).
Happy frying folks! Enjoy the snow (if ya got it)...

Great foods, lots of cooking, no pictures to be found...

So, I don't like putting posts up without pictures, so here are a few gratuitous shot of family to  make up for my lack of food photos.

Over the last week I have cooked and baked and been generally speaking- happier than I've been in ages. Since May really.

I've also been sick, with a nasty cold that abated just for Christmas eve and then crept back so that on Monday and Tuesday all I could do was sleep and blow my nose....
 This means we've made soup.  Lots of soup.  Saturday we had Chili (not quite soup, but same theory)... Monday we had tomato soup.  Tuesday - I was so sick, I have no idea if we even ate anything.  But last night I felt a little better and got up and made my mom's Potato soup and the kids gobbled it up-- so did we.

Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes
Half gallon of milk ( i used some mild but also threw in a cup of heavy cream cause we had some leftover)
Half a stick of butter
Flour
celery salt, pepper and salt to taste


Basically, I hard boil 4 eggs.  Cut them into pieces and set aside.
Peel and Dice the potatoes.  Boil until soft (this takes very little time if you have them cut into bite size pieces).  Drain the potatoes, in the bottom of the pot, make a little roux by melting the butter and adding few tablespoons of flour.  Whisk that together and cook until the flour starts to brown a little and is less raw...( or my mom likes her soup fairly thin, so she skips this and just whisks a raw egg into the milk instead-- this too is a thickener, but less so than a roux).   After the roux is ready, pour in the milk, add the potatoes back in, add the egg and season with celery salt and pepper (potentially a little more butter if you like).

We eat it with a ton of saltine crackers, a dash or two of hot sauce-- or tonight we had some bacon and cheese we threw in when we reheated it.  It was delicious last night and tonight.  Soup make me feel better. :)  Simple but delicious...

Hope ya'll have a healthy and peacefilled new year.

Not a food post

So-- tonight I realized that i have two polity classes, two worship classes, two MS classes and loads of papers standing between me and the end of the semester.  But-- that sounds way better than my life sounded back in September.
And-- tonight my hubby suggested that we should go see the National Christmas Tree (and all it's little tree friends-- apparently there's 50+)... which is pretty exciting, because it reminds me that we do live near DC now.  Why I can't seem to remember this most days- is- well, clearly related to my not being there much.  But this will not last forever.  And-- this will be our first Christmas spent at our DC house and thanks to a fantastic sister-in-law, and great in-laws all around-- I will get to be in Derwood and really enjoy Christmas day.  I am very, very excited about this.

Finally-- tonight Ike got to go to Barnes and Noble and sing with a bunch of other 6year olds.  He's a little performer that's for sure.... And he loves a Christmas song.  As a whole, having him and Max in our world makes everything so much brighter - especially the holidays.

Christmas 2007, just before a little sister arrived

Hope to have a post of some deliciousness again soon-- but in the meantime... enjoy your advent friends! Till next time...
J