The Power Of Food

Today I took my son to a Birthday party for one of his friends. It was that awesome kind of party where you could take your child, drop them off, and come back to pick them up after three hours. Perfection! This was going to be a great day!  I came back a little early, and walked into a house of wild six year olds running circles around the house.

Everyone was having fun, and the party was a huge success. When I walked back to the kitchen, though, I looked over at the table, and there was one little boy crying...actually, he was even a little hysterical. I wondered what was wrong, and went over to find out. At first, he could hardly talk, because he was crying so hard. In between sobs, he was saying that he was allergic to eggs, and he couldn't eat dairy. He started listing off  other the things he was unable to eat. I put my hand on his back, and tried my best to calm him down.

"You must be very hungry,"I said. "I am," he said. "I couldn't eat anything," he said dramatically. "I couldn't eat cake, and everybody was eating without me! It made me feel completely left out, like nobody liked me." He started crying harder. "Well, there must be something you can eat, right?" I said. I started listing things, and he refused all of my suggestions.  Finally, I asked him what he could eat, since he had so many restrictions. He thought for a minute, and his face brightened. "I remember coming over here a long time ago, and I got to eat something really good, but they are probably out of them." "What was it?" I asked." "The last time I was here, I got to eat crackers and peanut butter, but I am sure they don't have them anymore!" Knowing my friend Linda, who was the mother of the Birthday boy, I immediately knew that she would be fully stocked in that department, as I always go to her house when I run out of snacks.  And, sure enough, we found peanut butter and pretzels, which he was equally excited about.

Why do I tell this story? Well, I think I was so impacted by the fact that there are so many people with food sensitivities out there. I have always imagined how challenging it must be on a certain level when someone is unable to eat anything they want without experiencing consequences. It is frustrating, because you have to find other alternatives. Today I was really struck with how it impacts people on such a deep emotional level as well. When this little boy said that he actually felt left out, like the other kids didn't like him because he couldn't participate in eating the same foods, I wanted to cry with him.

Last night, I found out that a friend who has watched Justin (my son), was in the middle of having surgery for what she thought was an ulcer. It turned out to be stage one stomach cancer. Now, she will be unable to eat meat, gluten or dairy. I really feel a tug to help out if I can. She is so young; just trying to get through college. I hadn't planned on focusing on people with food sensitivities in my cooking, because I am worried about the liability involved.  However, it seems that there are so many people out there with special diets. Maybe I will have to look into that.

Food is such a way of connecting, however the opposite can also be true, when you are left out due to dietary restrictions.

Another Recipe For The Notebook

Since today was for baking, it seemed like a good idea to make something for lunch. Otherwise, the diet wasn't looking too balanced.  I found this lovely recipe for a thai chicken soup that absolutely hit the spot.

This soup was delicious, and was an excellent accompaniment to the freshly baked bread! As I am adding recipes to my collection, it can be challenging to branch out of my comfort zone, since most of my recipes are Italian. This was a fun new experiment.

Today we had a spontaneous visit from our friends, Kristen and Marissa, and they gave it their approval! So, this one will go down in the book to make again, in my kitchen or your's!

Thanks for visiting!








Onceuponachef.com

Bread And Biscotti

This morning I woke up with the idea of doing some baking. Something healthy, and something sweet would make for a good balance.  I would keep the healthy item, freeze it, and have it on hand for the week to serve with meals.

As for the sweet treat, I would enjoy the satisfaction of making it, and then gift it to people, so I am not tempted to eat all of it in one sitting.  What could be sweeter than some soft double chocolate biscotti?

I am excited to make this honey whole wheat bread, because I love anything that has to do with dough, and the aroma of freshly baked bread is hard to beat. As with many things, trying to keep the ingredient list as short as possible is key, and this delicious bread only calls for seven, most of which are already in my pantry! I make this bread often, because I prefer to use whole wheat flour to white, and the honey adds a touch of sweetness,  without using white sugar.

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Instead of the hard almond biscotti, today calls for a softer, sweeter variety. These cookies have more of a soft, fudge-like consistency. So, now enough writing. It's time to preheat the oven!

I'm going to double both batches, so let me know if you're up for a sample!

What's For Dinner Tonight?

Today I stumbled across something truly wonderful, and it was a great success!  For years, I have made a traditional bolognese sauce as one of my "go to" recipes. I decided to try something new for my repertoire, as I need to start building a portfolio.

This thing of beauty is summed up in one word. "Genovese." The recipe is one of the simplest things I have ever made, but the flavors were so rich and delicious, making this another recipe that I will fix often.

It only has five common ingredients; Lots of onions, carrots, celery, a big slab of beef and enough olive oil to caramelize the onions in. You can also add wine or broth, but I made it without this time. I wasn't sure what to expect, until it sat simmering on the stove for one hour, then two, and finally reached seven. The flavors all merged together as time went on. All I could think about was consuming this beautiful sauce, and for me the question was what to put it on.

The recipe called for long ziti or rigatoni, but, somehow I felt this sauce needed to land on a pile of soft, buttery polenta. So, that is what I did.  I was glad I went with my instinct, as the textures and tastes came together to form a magnificent pair! Unfortunately, when I made my polenta, as tasty as it was, it was not picture worthy, so I decided to use this picture from the internet.

You get the idea, though. The beef simmers for so long at low heat that it literally falls apart, and the mirepoix flavors it perfectly, with the only missing ingredient being freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese...oh, and don't forget a nice crusty piece of bread to soak up the rest of the sauce! This practice is called  "(Fare la scarpetta)" in Italian.  There isn't a literal translation in English, but it means "licking your plate clean with the bottom of your shoe." The shoe, in this case is a piece of bread. :)

Let me know if I can cook up some of this sauce for dinner at your house, or better yet, come to mine, and we'll eat it together!

Business Boutique

I have always enjoyed cooking and baking. My free time usually consists of looking for new recipes

to try out, and doing my best to create delicious meals that are also healthy. 

For the last six years, I have enjoyed staying home with my son, Justin, but I felt like this year, it was time for a change, since he had just started school.

Back in April, my husband and I started doing Financial Peace University, which is an excellent course on managing money, and getting out of debt by Dave Ramsey. One day while I was on his website, I came across a beautiful book called Business Boutique, by Christy Wright. Basically, this is a book for women about doing what you love for a living, and not just a hobby. It walks you through the steps to starting your own business.

As I read this book, my wheels started turning. I show my love for people through feeding them. Inviting people into my home, and preparing  home cooked meals gives me great pleasure. I spent two years in Italy as a teenager, and was greatly impacted by the way meals were not just about eating quickly to fill the void, rather food was artfully prepared, paired with multiple courses, and enjoyed for an entire afternoon or evening. Food brought everyone together. I love recreating that experience when I have friends over.

In a busy world, these experiences can't happen everyday, However, I would love to make eating tasty meals for people in their homes more attainable. Today it is difficult to eat healthy, well balanced food when you don't have time to do everything that cooking entails. For that reason, people tend to eat out more, which not only causes them to spend money, but they don't always make the best choices  at restaurants.

I started thinking about ways I could make life easier for people by preparing their weekly menus, grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up so that people who truly don't enjoy doing these things, or don't have time for all of it can do what they were meant to do. I got a little giddy when I thought about it.

I am so thankful for this new season in my life, and if you are reading this, and there is something in you that wants to pursue a passion for what truly makes you come alive, I highly recommend this book!

James 1:5-8

James 1:5-8

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.  But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.  Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do."

These are powerful words for the doubter.  My faith is tested with regards to parenting, finances, health, and many other things.  Recently, I have experienced anxiety because of my doubting.  I like to flip things around, and see what the opposite is of someone who doubts.  If a person with divided loyalty is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind, someone who doesn't doubt is like a sunny beach on a quiet day.  Such people should expect to receive something from the Lord. They are 100% loyal to God, and are stable in everything they do. (My paraphrase)

It is helpful for me to see this picture, because that is what I want my life to look like.  The enemy of our souls wants for us to walk in anxiety.  He wants us to doubt God's word is true, and he wants us to question God's promises for our lives.

Thank you, God that you give wisdom GENEROUSLY,  without finding fault.  Thank you that you want us to walk in peace as your dearly loved children.

Skip the salad, let's go for dessert!

Lately, I have been inspired to do lots of baking.  Eventually I would like to post some pictures of what I have made.  My favorite dessert has been the nutella tart.  My Italian friend Patrizia and I made one together, and since then I have made at least four or five. I got a mediocre picture of one, but would rather post a prettier photo in the future.  I just have to wait for an occasion to make another. Actually, I will post a photo of one I made, but it got a little dark...working on the whole perfectionism thing I mentioned in another post. So, here it is :)

The down side of when I bake is I usually end up eating way too much if I have leftovers, so I made a deal with myself that I have to lose 5 pounds before making another dessert...or not :)I have gotten enough recipes from my Italian friends to write a cookbook, and can't wait to try some of them out.  The recipes include yogurt cake, Italian carrot cake, which is not nearly as sweet as the American version, a gorgeous apple cake, and a fruit tart with a creamy custard. I also sampled a Chiffon Cake with Balsamic Berry Sauce at Metropolitan Market which was divine!  The interesting thing was they used duck eggs, and it resulted in a very moist, rich texture. I can't wait to make that one. 

Baking with friends is one of my favorite things to do, besides eating with friends.  I have a tradition at Christmas time of baking with my friend, Carrera.  She works magic in the kitchen while I relax and listen to country music with a Christmas twang.  Or is it Christmas music with a country twang...either way, it's great fun.

Well, I am gaining another five pounds by sitting here thinking about desserts, so I will work in some other photos soon!  Buon appetito, and good night