Egg Burrito In A Bag, With Olive

Flickr

Right, so this was the result. The bags came out of the saucepans full of boiling water, and were distributed via a pair of tongs and some scissors, because the bags tended to melt at the top if they came into contact with the hot edge of the pans. Melissa’s and Gloria’s bags were completely fused at the top and my mother-in-law was struggling to separate them until the scissors were brought to the table. She noted as how it would be more convenient if they had sat next to each other… but soon enough the Siamese twin bag omelets were successfully separated.

It wasn’t bad – it needed more seasoning. I didn’t use enough of the “extra ingredients” because there were a number of people behind me in the line to load up the bags. If I do it some time, I’d use bags designed for boiling, too – these were ordinary quart Ziploc bags. Also, I’d have salsa, ham cubes, crumbled ham, and chunks of breakfast sausage.

This would be an awesome thing for a camping breakfast, though, assuming you could pack in enough eggs and keep them fresh.

Basically, you get your pans of water boiling as you prepare all the ingredients for jazzing up your bag omelets, such as white onion, green onion, grated cheeses, diced tomatoes, diced red and/or green peppers, and herbs and spices. Then you line up, put your empty bag in a bowl to contain it, crack at least 2 eggs into the bag, moosh the contents until well mixed, and then add all the extras. Moosh gently again to mix, then squeeze out the remaining air in the bag before sealing the top. I don’t know if you’d leave an opening for steam to escape or not.

Place bags in boiling water and boil until egg “burritos” are done. Today they timed it for 13 minutes but let them go an extra 2 minutes, and mine was perfectly cooked. It would take a lot longer at a higher altitude, though.

Via: Flickr Title: 09-08-07_1258.jpg By: GinnyRED57
Originally uploaded: 8 Sep ’07, 1.00pm CDT PST

Simply Recipes: Chicken Curry in a Hurry Recipe

This looks good – we would try it with the yogurt and without the cilantro, as my husband David can't have the sour cream and doesn't like the taste of cilantro. 

Simply Recipes: Chicken Curry in a Hurry Recipe

If you want to use yogurt instead of sour cream, just make sure that the yogurt sauce never simmers. If it does, it will curdle.

1 Tbsp corn, grapeseed, or olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder, or to taste
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)*
1 cup sour cream
Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

Sweetness and Light and Distress and Diarrhea

A passing reference to maltodextrin, a sugar-based sweetener, on BoingBoing turned on the little lightbulb what hovers over my brain, and I Googled around to find this:

Sugar substitutes and the potential danger of Splenda

Saccharin, the first widely available chemical sweetener, is hardly mentioned any more. Better-tasting NutraSweet took its place in almost every diet soda, but saccharin is still an ingredient in some prepared foods, gum, and over-the-counter medicines. Remember those carcinogen warnings on the side of products that contained saccharin? They no longer appear because industry testing showed that saccharin only caused bladder cancer in rats.

Most researchers agree that in sufficient doses, saccharin is carcinogenic in humans. The question is, how do you know how much artificial sweeteners your individual body can tolerate? That being said, some practitioners think saccharin in moderation is the best choice if you must have an artificially sweetened beverage or food product. It’s been around a relatively long time and seems to cause fewer problems than aspartame.

I don’t argue with this recommendation, but I encourage you to find out as much as you can about any chemical before you ingest it. Artificial sweeteners are body toxins. They are never a good idea for pregnant women, children or teenagers — despite the reduced sugar content — because of possible irreversible cell damage. If you decide it’s worth the risks, then go ahead, but pay attention to your body and your cravings. Once you start tracking your response to artificial sweeteners, it may surprise you.

On Saturday, my husband David's parents invited the whole family to their place for lunch. It wasn't a Seder for Passover – that doesn't start until Tuesday. It was just comfort food. As always when we arrive, David's mom offered us soft drinks. And I asked for "anything with real sugar and no caffeine." This prompted a discussion of the various kinds of soft drinks and the artificial sweeteners that make them go, comparing them to "real sugar" soft drinks, and whether Dr Pepper has caffeine. Turns out it does, at least in Illinois, but I still prefer soft drinks with sugar, for very good reasons of my own.

But I digress. Some background music:

The day after we returned from vacation, I settled down with that most comforting of comfort foods, a bowl of cereal and milk.Specifically, Honey Nut Cheerios, which I had purchased the night before in a whirlwind, jet-lagged provisioning frenzy because we got home late in the evening and had no food in the house. Soon after, my Lazy Saturday relax-o-thon was disrupted by some very uncomfortable symptoms, something I'll just call "distress" and leave it at that, m'kay? M'kay.

There was a certain…redolance of parfum de Cheerios, however. When I haven't had Cheerios in a long time, the first time or two I seem to be a little over-sensitive to something in them. It sometimes happens with other cereals, like Basic 4, that have some sort of malty-nutty-sweet flavor

I have a few minor food allergies, but none of the "biggies:" I'm not allergic to nuts so far as I know, but I had some pretty nasty reactions to saccharine when I was a teenager. Mom unfortunately discovered this: when she tried to get me to use Sugar Twin on my Cheerios (the old-school, unsweetened kind), because she was afraid I'd become a diabetic or something. I broke out in an agonizing, horrible, itchy rash all over my body. Woops! We figured out pretty quickly what the culprit was, because the only major change in my life was the Sugar Twin stuff. I was quite happy to be allergic to the most common sweetener then on the market, because I didn't like the taste of the fake stuff and preferred sugar to almost any other sweetener (love honey, too).

In college, I had another allergic reaction when friends convinced me to try Diet Dr Pepper. Currently, it's sweetened with Aspartame, but in the late 70's? I can't remember for sure, but it wasn't saccharine and I thought it was worth the risk. It tasted pretty good, so I started drinking more of it, and within a couple of days, I realized I was starting to break out with an itchy rash anywhere that my skin was warmer and sweatier. Lovely! So, no diet sodas at all for me in college.

I've had aspartame in some foods – yogurts and the like – but don't really like risking an outbreak, so I rarely indulge (!) in artificially sweetened yogurts or chewing gums.

The really annoying and possibly health-threatening thing is that artificial sweeteners are showing up more and more often in more and more unusual and unexpected places, like medications, condiments, and many kinds of packaged foods. And I was not pleased to read that saccharine was quietly reintroduced a few years back, while all this time I thought it had been permanently banned because it was thought to be a carcinogen. Silly me! Those powerful sweetener manufacturers were able to convince Congress that saccharine was no biggie, so hurray! We can have as much as we want! Bladder cancer for everybody!

Many of these "hidden sweeteners" are also derived from corn, and although I don't think I'm allergic to corn in its simpler forms (corn chips, tortillas, straight off the cob, etc.) it's possible that cutting down on corn syrups and related sweeteners would be a good thing. My friend Steve is convinced that corn syrup is the root of all health evils, and who knows?

 

It’s Chicken Soup Night

Chicken Soup Recipe You Can Make at Home

  1 tablespoons olive oil
  1 whole chicken, breasts removed and reserved
  2 onions
  2 quarts boiling water
  Salt
  2 bay leaves
  1 large carrot
  1 celery stalk
  1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
  Ground pepper

Time for some chicken soup. The slight sore throat I had last weekend has gone, but left behind a runny nose, a cough, and sneezy sniffles. Meh. 

This particular recipe is one we've made before  – this time we made matzo balls to go along with it. They were okay – to my mind, fairly firm and they soaked up the chicken soup really well after they boiled for 20 minutes in water. The first few got all gummy on my hands, and we had some frozen chicken fat in a container handy (ready to receive the latest contribution of schmaltz from the current batch) so I scraped some of the frozen fat off with a knife and greased my hands up to roll them out. It seemed like the ones I rolled out after that had a smoother surface and a more intense chicken flavor in the center, almost as if when they were dunked in the soup, the chicken essence got forced farther into the dumpling by the hot soup.

David says they were just okay, but they weren't bouncy enough like his Bubbe used to make. They're supposed to be dense enough to cause a risk of injury to the instep if dropped on the floor.  

It's pretty good stuff, Maynard. We served up big bowls, after a brief hot-soup-related incident in the kitchen (David survived). And then we served up a couple more big bowls. And then I had one more, because the flavor was so good. About halfway through the second bowl, my sinuses started to drain. Damn good stuff, Maynard.  

Bourdain Sticks The Food Network Between The Ribs

ruhlman.com: Guest Blogging: A Bourdain Throwdown

This guest-blog rant by Anthony Bourdain of "No Reservations" is so good, I had to quote the whole thing.  

Via Simply Recipes 

I actually WATCH Food Network now and again, more often than not drawn in by the progressive horrors on screen. I find myself riveted by its awfulness, like watching a multi-car accident in slow motion. Mesmerized at the ascent of the Ready-Made bobblehead personalities, and the not-so-subtle shunting aside of the Old School chefs, I find myself de-constructing the not-terrible shows, imagining behind the scenes struggles and frustrations, and obsessing unhealthily on the Truly Awful ones. Screaming out loud at Sandra Lee in disbelief as she massacres another dish, then sits grinning, her face stretched into a terrifying rictus of faux cheer for the final triumphant presentation. I mourn for Mario..and Alton…Bobby and yes–even Emeril, nobly holding the fort while the TV empire he helped build crumbles like undercooked Bundt cake into a goo of Cheez Wiz around him.

Some thoughts on the Newer, Younger, More Male-Oriented, More Dumb-Ass Food Network:

ALTON BROWN: How did Alton slip inside the wire–and stay there all these years? He must have something on them. He’s smart. You actually learn something from his commentary. And I’ll admit it: I watch and enjoy Iron Chef America-in all its cheesy glory. Absolutely SHOCKED and thrilled when guys like Homaru Cantu show up as contestants–and delighted when Mario wins–again and again, forestalling his secretly long-planned execution. His commentary is mostly good. And that collar-bone snapping fall off the motorcycle on Feasting On Asphalt? Good television!

EMERIL: I’m actually grateful when I channel surf across his show. He’s STILL there–the original Behemoth. And I STILL find him unwatchable. As much mileage as I’ve gotten over the years, making fun of Emeril; he deserves a lot more respect than I’ve given him. He does run a very successful and very decent restaurant group. He is–in fact–a really nice guy. And-as much as I hate the show– compared to the current crop of culinary non-entities, he looks like Escoffier. He will probably be the last of the Real Chefs. I’m sure they’re growing future replacement options in petrie dishes somewhere, conducting Top Secret focus groups at suburban malls with their latest Bright Young Hopeful. I’m just glad he’s still there–a rebuke to the geniuses who brought us such Great Ideas as Dweezil and Lisa.

BOBBY FLAY: They seem to have noticed Bobby’s strong “negatives” among some viewer responses during focus groups–and decided to respond by subjecting poor Bobby to THROWDOWN; the object of which is to allow every web-fingered geek with a backyard grill–or half-mad muffin maker to proclaim, “I beat Bobby Flay at makin’ barbeque!” at the heart-warming end of show–before returning to tend their meth labs.. I watched poor Bobby battle to a draw recently in some bogus Southwestern “Chili Face-Off.” Now…does ANYONE actually believe that Bobby Flay can’t make a better chili than a supermarket ground beef bearing amateur? I don’t. It’s a cruel exercise in humiliation. A variation on “Dunk Bozo” or “Shoot The Geek,” at the carnival. And whatever I might have thought of Flay’s previous TV efforts, I find the network’s misuse of one of their founding chefs to be nauseatingly cynical. The conspiratorial-minded might be tempted to suspect this as yet another part of the Secret Plan to rid themselves of the annoyingly big ticket chefs–by driving Bobby to quit–or insane with misery. He may not be Mr. Cuddlesworth, but he’s a successful businessman and a good chef–and he doesn’t, after all, need this shit.

MARIO!
Oh, Mario! Oh great one! They shut down Molto Mario–only the smartest and best of the stand-up cooking shows. Is there any more egregiously under-used, criminally mishandled, dismissively treated chef on television? Relegated to the circus of Iron Chef America, where–like a great, toothless lion, fouling his cage, he hangs on–and on–a major draw (and often the only reason to watch the show). How I would like to see him unchained, free to make the television shows he’s capable of, the Real Mario–in all his Rabelasian brilliance. How I would love to hear the snapping bones of his cruel FN ringmasters, crunching between his mighty jaws! Let us see the cloven hooves beneath those cheery clogs! Let Mario be Mario!

THAT ACE OF CAKES GUY: Hey…He’s got talent! And..he seems to be a trained chef! And he’s really making food–and selling it in a real business! I think…I like it! If I have one reservation, it’s that I have no idea if the stuff actually TASTES good. It LOOKS really creative and quirky–and I’m interested but…I mean…it’s like construction going on over there from what we’re told and shown. One suspects that the producers don’t want to waste valuable time talking about anything so technical as food–on “Food” Network. I mean…what’s in those cakes, beneath the icing and marzipan and fondant? That said, it’s the only “kicky, new, cutting edge, in-your-face” hopeful they’ve managed to trot out of any quality in memory. Hope it lasts. Wait till they try and put the poor bastard on a pony–or do a “Tailgate Special” with the usual suspects. Or a “Thanksgiving Special” where he has to sit down with the bobbleheads and pretend to like it. On balance, it’s still probably the best new project they’ve come up with in a long, long time.

GIADA: What’s going on here!? Giada can actually cook! She was robbed in her bout versus Rachael Ray on ICA. ROBBED! And Food Net seems more interested in her enormous head (big head equals big ratings. Really!) and her cleavage–than the fact that she’s likeable, knows what she’s doing in an Italian kitchen–and makes food you’d actually want to eat. The new high concept Weekend Getaway show is a horrible, tired re-cap of the cheap-ass “Best Of” and “40 Dollar a Day” formula. Send host to empty restaurant. Watch them make crappy food for her. Have her take a few lonely, awkward stabs at the plate, then feign enjoyment with appropriately orgasmic eye-closing and moaning..Before spitting it out and rushing to the trailer. Send her to Italy and let her cook. She’s good at it.

RACHAEL: Complain all you want. It’s like railing against the pounding surf. She only grows stronger and more powerful. Her ear-shattering tones louder and louder. We KNOW she can’t cook. She shrewdly tells us so. So…what is she selling us? Really? She’s selling us satisfaction, the smug reassurance that mediocrity is quite enough. She’s a friendly, familiar face who appears regularly on our screens to tell us that “Even your dumb, lazy ass can cook this!” Wallowing in your own crapulence on your Cheeto-littered couch you watch her and think, “Hell…I could do that. I ain’t gonna…but I could–if I wanted! Now where’s my damn jug a Diet Pepsi?” Where the saintly Julia Child sought to raise expectations, to enlighten us, make us better–teach us–and in fact, did, Rachael uses her strange and terrible powers to narcotize her public with her hypnotic mantra of Yummo and Evoo and Sammys. “You’re doing just fine. You don’t even have to chop an onion–you can buy it already chopped. Aspire to nothing…Just sit there. Have another Triscuit…Sleep….sleep….”

PAULA DEEN: I’m reluctant to bash what seems to be a nice old lady. Even if her supporting cast is beginning to look like the Hills Have Eyes–and her food a True Buffet of Horrors. A recent Hawaii show was indistinguishable from an early John Waters film. And the food on a par with the last scene of Pink Flamingos. But I’d like to see her mad. Like her look-alike, Divine in the classic, “Female Trouble.“ Paula Deen on a Baltimore Killing Spree would be something to see. Let her get Rachael in a headlock–and it’s all over.

SANDRA LEE
: Pure evil. This frightening Hell Spawn of Kathie Lee and Betty Crocker seems on a mission to kill her fans, one meal at a time. She Must Be Stopped. Her death-dealing can-opening ways will cut a swath of destruction through the world if not contained. I would likely be arrested if I suggested on television that any children watching should promptly go to a wooded area with a gun and harm themselves. What’s the difference between that and Sandra suggesting we fill our mouths with Ritz Crackers, jam a can of Cheez Wiz in after and press hard? None that I can see. This is simply irresponsible programming. Its only possible use might be as a psychological warfare strategy against the resurgent Taliban–or dangerous insurgent groups. A large-racked blonde repeatedly urging Afghans and angry Iraqis to stuff themseles with fatty, processed American foods might be just the weapon we need to win the war on terror.

AND FINALLY: Some IRON CHEF AMERICA match-ups I’d REALLY like to see:

  • Mario Batali (with one arm tied behind his back–and drunk) vs. Regina Schrambling
  • Michael Ruhlman, swacked on Ripple, vs. John Mariani– in a Charcuterie Challenge
  • Grant Achatz vs. That Guy In Australia Who Ripped off his recipes as his own
  • Marco Pierre White vs. Gordon Ramsay
  • Charlie Trotter vs. Martin Picard (Chicken Livers vs. Foie Gras)
  • Chris Cosentino, Fergus Henderson, Martin Picard vs. Alain Passard, Roxanne Klein and Charlie Trotter (Cooked vs. Raw Challenge)
  • Martha Stewart vs. Rachael Ray (bare knuckle cage match)
  • Ducasse vs. Robuchon
  • “Mikey” from Top Chef vs. Sandra Lee

Video Gold!

 

Ah, Tony. That was a rant worth savoring. If only I weren't allergic to smoke, I'd be lighting two cigarettes and passing one over.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd actually pay good money to see Martha and Rachel Ray in a cage fight, tied together with a teatowel and desperately trying to reach the single, Emeril-autographed boning knife stuck in the sands so soon to be stained red with the juices of what passes for their lifes' blood.

I confess that I used to watch RR's shows at first because I suck as a cook (and not in a good way) and some of her time-saving methods seemed reasonable for someone like me that has no time to screw around planning menus, shopping anywhere other than the local megamart, and needs to throw something together fast. But then I got really, really tired of the litany of things fetched from the fridge and pantry: "My mayonnaise, my canned tomato sauce, my garbage bowl."

It was the garbage bowl that finally did it for me.

As for this Sandra Lee who seems to be Evil In Con Carnate, never heard of her, but she's way more creative than you give her credit for. I had a look around her site, crossed myself, and backed away slowly.

She doesn't just open up a can of something and dump it into her carefully designed tablescapes – sometimes, she opens up a box. Of Kraft's Macaroni and Cheese!! MMMMMmmm!

 

Craving Fry Sauce

Hires:Product » Hamburger and Fry Sauce Two Pack
Arctic Circle: Original Fry Sauce 

cnr_frysauce.jpgThere are few things less healthy to eat, and few things more satisfying, than fries with fry sauce. It's kind of a Utah thing – it was written up during the Olympics, it showed up on pins and posters, but still a locally acquired taste.

It's not just ketchup mixed with mayonnaise; there's a bit more kick to it than that. When I was growing up in Utah, there were several local burger eateries, and Mom and I went to them all in turn.  We often went to Dee's, which was… just okay. My uncle Charlie had done some photography for their local ads for them, and  used to tell stories about how they had to engineer their flagship burger to look appetizing on camera. This affected our perception of Dee's, and it wasn't our first choice, but it was our cheapest choice other than McDonald's. For some reason, it was the favorite of one of our neighbors, who we often took along for jaunts (maybe she liked the price? ). So that's where we went, most often to the one in Sugar House. I can't remember what's there now, since the area has undergone a major gentrifying makeover. 

But the better burger, and also a pretty awesome frozen lime concoction, was found at the Arctic Circle (always pronounced "Artic" Circle). They had this stuff to put on the fries that was really, really good, and they put it on the burgers too. The burgers themselves compared to a Big Mac, really, but the sauce elevated them to "better than McDonalds" status.

There are a still a few local burger places in the Salt Lake area – one of them famous for incredible milkshakes,iceberg.jpg the Iceberg Drive-in. It was located pretty far from home, as we reckoned it, but not far at all by my adult standards. The location I remember best was just down the street from the hospital where Mom landed in June -and several family members decamped for a break and a creamy, frosted treat there. They had really good onion rings, and of course the shakes were incredible and super-thick. Just click on the thumbnail and have a good look at the shakes -yes, the ice cream is towering above the rim of the cup – and the thick hand-cut onion rings. And that bun, with an honestly grilled burger peeking modestly out, promises a big mouthful of mmmphfalicious juicy beef. They have their own "homemade fry sauce" as well.

But the best of the locals, and the place Mom and I went as a special treat, was the Hires drive-in downtown. Even when I was getting over a really nasty stomach bug, I wanted Hires. More recently, when Timmy and I were starting to clear the decks in Mom's house and get things organized so they could be given away to family or donated, we wanted a big nasty Hires and a frosty mug one day instead of lighter fare. 

Let there be no mistake: Hires' burgers are awesome, their root beer (served in a frosty mug!) is awesome.FrySauce_sm.jpg Everything on the menu is fresh, the buns are baked to their own recipe, the meat is top shelf. But the fries and onion rings postively sing when dipped in fry sauce. This is a burger to make you go "Mmmmmmm," whether you're sitting inside getting table service, or out in your car listening to your radio while waiting for the carhop to bring you a tray of frosty mugs and big, juicy burgers wrapped in paper marked D + O (for "double with onions" ) in black marker. And the fries, of course. With extra fry sauce dripping on the upholstery…that's the best. Even better if you're driving a rental car, as you'll never get the smell out and you'll find yourself getting unaccountable cravings when the weather warms up.

I've been there a couple of times in the last year, and the fry sauce there was better, to my mind, than what I remembered of Arctic, sorry, Artic Circle's. It sticks to the fries (and your ribs and arteries) and is completely addictive. It's all comfort food, even if it does pack on the pounds if you don't ration your visits. 

Now that I'm on a much more healthy food-and-fitness kick, fry sauce is pretty much out of the question. And besides which, it's all the way back in Utah, so I'm safe enough, or would be if it weren't for teh evul Internets.

Er… two pack? Hmm.

via OneUtah 

Brr. Brr. Brr. Yum. Yum. Yum.

January 30

Each dawn is a new beginning.

Breakfast: small bowl of muesli and dried cranberries, milk
Snack: Energy Rx juice drink product whatchamajigger. Hey, it’s mango juice AND caffeine! I read the ingredients!
Lunch: Slimfast, granola bar, 1 piece string cheese (I hate how the cafeteria closes before I can even get there)
Dinner: Shrimp fried rice (veggies and egg also, leftovers for lunch tomorrow)
Workout: 25 minutes on recumbent bike at lunch

I didn’t work out yesterday at all – still too sore from my last session with the trainer. I did, however, get in and ride a recumbent bike today during my lunch hour. I was kind of stumped at the end of last week when I couldn’t remember if I’d worked out 3 times or 4 times, so I’ll try to keep better track. I’ve notice a very definite improvement in how I feel, and my general sense of well-being has returned after a very long absence (I haven’t felt like this in years, since the last time I went on a
fitness kick). Also: a few pounds have been lost, and I can actually look at my silhouette in the mirror without wincing and rolling my eyes. It helps to have bought some jeans recently that are the best fitting ones I’ve had in a long, long, LONG time. I actually enjoy wearing them, instead of feeling like I’m being throttled amidships. It helps that they have a generous helping of Lycra.

Stretch denim. What a wonderful invention. Why did I wait so long to try it?

It’s gotten cold, so after about a week of comments along the line of “Huh! It’s finally winter!” everyone in at work has switched from grousing about how mild the winter was and how there wasn’t enough snow, to grousing about how frigid and dry the air is, and how it’s snowing “again.” Remember, this is Chicagoland; even though the weather is not that terrible, it has to be more terrible and more dramatic than anywhere else. Even places that have been experiencing truly awful weather.

David and I have both been eating a lot better – more importantly, I now reach for a piece of fruit as a snack and make a point of eating SOMEthing before leaving the house in the morning. Still relying too much on “convenience” foods, but I’m trying to be aware of the ingredients before buying them.

We made some pretty awesome cheeseless lasagna last week, and on a whim, I decided to make a full recipe off the back of the box (jazzed up, of course). We had leftovers a couple of times for
lunch, and one other evening meal. Yes, the old standby, leftovers. What a concept. I remember when Mom, or moms in general, made the same thing for dinner for every night of the week. As in “Monday: Pork chops and applesauce. Tuesday: Pot roast. Wednesday: macaroni and cheese. Thursday: Beef Mac Apple Surprise.”

We’re not so much about the meal planning here, but have started to get the Big Idea about menu planning. Some things go really well together: nicely baked salmon filets with olive oil and a few herbs, some mushroom risotto, and salad. Now we’ll have to find something else to go with the lasagna, which was a spur of the moment thing that took 2 nights to actually get around to making.

Note to self, however – never use that Gia Russa Whole Wheat Lasagna, 9-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12) stuff again. I think the box it came in would have more flavor.

Perhaps it would have tasted better if we had boiled it in spite of the package directions? Or perhaps if we boiled the box?

For the rest of it, I substituted 2 kinds of soy cheese (a grated mozzarella type, and a grated mix of “romano” and “parmesan”). Also substituted a small amount of silken tofu for the ricotta. However, we had ground beef and spinach in there too – the point was to make a lasagna that David could enjoy (he can’t eat cheese without problems, even with Lactaid). And danged if it didn’t taste very much like a “real” lasagna – the only difference being that the soy cheeses don’t melt right. The recipe from the
box called for less sauce than I used – I ended up using 2 cans of Contadina tomato sauce, plus a dab more sauce from another can. Next time: mix up some Contadina tomato paste in with the cans of sauce for more flavor. And if we make it with a ground meat again, definitely the seasoned ground turkey that Dom’s carries, and definitely chop up the spinach like I did, but add it AFTER all the meat is browned, but before spooning the “cheese” and meat into the pan. Nutmeg added to the spinach again, too
– I used maybe a quarter teaspoon. And also next time: boil up the noodles and lay them out right.

Getting Fitter

I’m at the end of my third week of the 6-week fitness deal I got through work,and it’s quite evident that it’s starting to pay off. I’ve lost a few pounds, but more importantly, I’ve gained muscle mass, or at least muscle tone.

Last week’s tally: I was somewhat slack at the beginning of the week, especially when I missed my original personal trainer session. But I picked up and got in Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday morning, had a trainer session that day, and yesterday morning.

Plus, today David and I got in to Bally’s, and I did a little on the elliptical machine, and then got into the pool and paddled around because my legs and arms were still a little sore. And when I looked at myself in the mirror in my workout clothes, I could see a difference, and I can definitely feel it.

On the food front, we’ve been eating much more sensibly, and eating a lot less fat. I’ve pretty much cut out sweet drinks and a lot of sugar (reserving a couple of kinds of sweet granola-like cereals and oat bars).

All the extra fiber is making my colon feel like it’s pumping iron, too. It certainly adds an extra spice of danger! excitement! Thrills! to bathroom breaks.