Trying to do a better job planning Pesach this year. This year I turned to Excel and typed up my proposed menus including every breakfast and every snack that I need to serve. I had already poured over many cookbooks to decide which recipes would be made Pesach 2013, and which would have to wait around for a different year. I then entered EVERY ingredient into the spreadsheet. I then took the grocery list to Stop and Shop yesterday and the Butcherie today. I have prepped a couple of spaces in the kitchen for the food. A couple of spaces in the fridge and freezer.
Bought a few new things this year, and one of our old favorites:
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Macaroni and Cheese - Comfort Food
It is winter, and one of my favorite dishes for a cold Sunday evening is Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Don't worry about points or calories. This is a diet buster of a dish.
6 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
3 cups of milk (no fat is fine)
2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 t. salt
1/2 lb shredded swiss cheese
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
6 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
3 cups of milk (no fat is fine)
2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 t. salt
1/2 lb shredded swiss cheese
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb raw macaroni
cornflake crumbs
Melt butter on stove in large pot. Stir in flour gradually. Remove from stove. Add milk, stirring constantly and blend well. Return to the stove and heat on medium heat. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts and mixture thickens.
Cook macaroni as directed on package.
Put macaroni in buttered 9 x 13 pan. Cover with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with cornflake crumbs. Bake 350 for one hour.
cornflake crumbs
Melt butter on stove in large pot. Stir in flour gradually. Remove from stove. Add milk, stirring constantly and blend well. Return to the stove and heat on medium heat. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts and mixture thickens.
Cook macaroni as directed on package.
Put macaroni in buttered 9 x 13 pan. Cover with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with cornflake crumbs. Bake 350 for one hour.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Lemon Scones
A few years back, I blogged about the delicious lemon scones from Panini's. I never published the recipe!
Lemon Scones
4 cup flour
2 T sugar
1.5 t baking powder
.5 t. kosher salt
1 T grated lemon zest
1/4 lb unsalted butter, cut into slices
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I use milk with a bit of lemon juice)
Pam up two cookie sheets.
Preheat oven to 350
Place flour, sugar, baking powder and kosher salt in food processor with steel blade. Pulse to combine.
Add zest and butter and pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal.
Gradually add buttermilk and pulse until incorporated.
Place lumps onto sheets.
Put in over 35 min. (In my oven, I switch the pans halfway through not only top and bottom, but turn them 180 degrees also)
Set aside to cool.
Icing
1/4 lemon juice and about 2 c powdered sugar. Put juice in bowl and add powdered sugar until icing forms.
When scones are cool drizzle icing on top.
Lemon Scones
4 cup flour
2 T sugar
1.5 t baking powder
.5 t. kosher salt
1 T grated lemon zest
1/4 lb unsalted butter, cut into slices
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I use milk with a bit of lemon juice)
Pam up two cookie sheets.
Preheat oven to 350
Place flour, sugar, baking powder and kosher salt in food processor with steel blade. Pulse to combine.
Add zest and butter and pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal.
Gradually add buttermilk and pulse until incorporated.
Place lumps onto sheets.
Put in over 35 min. (In my oven, I switch the pans halfway through not only top and bottom, but turn them 180 degrees also)
Set aside to cool.
Icing
1/4 lemon juice and about 2 c powdered sugar. Put juice in bowl and add powdered sugar until icing forms.
When scones are cool drizzle icing on top.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Blizzicane
I don't know about you, but this blizzard wiped me out. Now I keep hearing about this mythical 100 year storm. Somehow, I have lived through a bunch of them. Of course in 1978 I was a little kid, and it was a winter wonderland, until I lost my red boot in the snow. And I didn't need to shovel.
WBZ in Boston claims that the worst snow was February 17, 2003. Yup, I was around. Mark was about 9 months old. He had a nice LL Bean sled, that I pulled around like I was a horse! The kid loved it. Then the second storm is THE BLIZZARD . . . .
The third storm happened in 1969, and I wasn't there! Not invented yet!
The fourth was the April 1, 1997 storm, and I remember that one really well. Adam and I were engaged and we were supposed to drive to Philly that day for his great uncle's funeral. The rest of the family made it. Adam shoveled out in Somerville, and I was at my parents house in Marblehead.
And then number five was this one. The storm that Naomi got stuck in the snow. The storm that required three shovelings in one day, and we are not done. The storm that caused school to be canceled on Friday, EVERYTHING to shut down on Saturday and who knows what for Sunday (No Hebrew School and No tennis).
I remember the Perfect Storm.
I remember in October 1996 the Boston Floods. . . . Kenmore station was flooded. I also remember the rains of 2010, and the rainy season of 2006 - the year Naomi was born. Of course I remember Irene and Sandy of the most recent past.
The 100 year storm happens much more often.
As a side note, I am so happy this storm didn't happen one year ago, since we had a HOLE in the side of the house and roof for our addition!
WBZ in Boston claims that the worst snow was February 17, 2003. Yup, I was around. Mark was about 9 months old. He had a nice LL Bean sled, that I pulled around like I was a horse! The kid loved it. Then the second storm is THE BLIZZARD . . . .
The third storm happened in 1969, and I wasn't there! Not invented yet!
The fourth was the April 1, 1997 storm, and I remember that one really well. Adam and I were engaged and we were supposed to drive to Philly that day for his great uncle's funeral. The rest of the family made it. Adam shoveled out in Somerville, and I was at my parents house in Marblehead.
And then number five was this one. The storm that Naomi got stuck in the snow. The storm that required three shovelings in one day, and we are not done. The storm that caused school to be canceled on Friday, EVERYTHING to shut down on Saturday and who knows what for Sunday (No Hebrew School and No tennis).
I remember the Perfect Storm.
I remember in October 1996 the Boston Floods. . . . Kenmore station was flooded. I also remember the rains of 2010, and the rainy season of 2006 - the year Naomi was born. Of course I remember Irene and Sandy of the most recent past.
The 100 year storm happens much more often.
As a side note, I am so happy this storm didn't happen one year ago, since we had a HOLE in the side of the house and roof for our addition!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Happy Anniversary!
One year ago, on Superbowl Sunday I cooked my last dinner in our old kitchen! About a year ago, we had made so many decisions about cabinets, knobs, appliances, granite, flooring, lights, tile, kitchen sinks, windows, doors, air conditioners and so many other things.
One year ago we said goodbye to white cabinets and blue counter tops.
We said goodbye to a junk drawer that never opened.
We said goodbye to our back pantry that was falling apart.
We said goodbye to the red door that was hard to open.
We said goodbye to the old kitchen.
We said HELLO to a temporary sink in the living room.
We said HELLO to two kids living in one small bedroom.
We said HELLO to our new temporary kitchen in the dining room. Where we ate waffles once a week.
We used the bread machine alot.
And then on Mother's Day 2012, a beautiful kitchen was presented.
One year ago we said goodbye to white cabinets and blue counter tops.
We said goodbye to a junk drawer that never opened.
We said goodbye to our back pantry that was falling apart.
We said goodbye to the red door that was hard to open.
We said goodbye to the old kitchen.
We said HELLO to a temporary sink in the living room.
We said HELLO to two kids living in one small bedroom.
We said HELLO to our new temporary kitchen in the dining room. Where we ate waffles once a week.
We used the bread machine alot.
And then on Mother's Day 2012, a beautiful kitchen was presented.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Music
This year, Mark, tried out for All City Band and All City chorus. He made both! Excellent! This is in addition to Fifth Grade Band and Fifth Grade Chorus from his elementary school. Last Wednesday he was in an All City Chorus performance. His chorus of fifth and sixth graders, performed and also the 7-9th grade All City Chorus sang at the same event. Then the finale was done together. It was a great night of song.
The chorus director is very specific about clothing - she provides the white shirts, and the kids must have plain black pants, black socks and black shoes (no sneakers). She is providing not only a great musical experience, but also the whole thing about looking the part. She is very precise and direct. So far, so good.
Then on Thursday we had the Elementary School band, orchestra and chorus concert. I loved watching and listening to the kids play the instruments. This is voluntary. The kids were great. Then all the fifth graders sang in the chorus. Another great night. It is hard to imagine that this is Mark's last year in elementary school. Tears were shed. But we have one more Fifth grade concert before he leaves the school.
Then today was the MLK celebration. Another All City Chorus performance, along with the Newton North Jubilee singers, who were amazing and the LOVE TONES from Myrtle Street Church. And a few speeches, and then this marks the end of the musical week - at least performance wise. Because right now Mark is having his trombone lesson.
The chorus director is very specific about clothing - she provides the white shirts, and the kids must have plain black pants, black socks and black shoes (no sneakers). She is providing not only a great musical experience, but also the whole thing about looking the part. She is very precise and direct. So far, so good.
Then on Thursday we had the Elementary School band, orchestra and chorus concert. I loved watching and listening to the kids play the instruments. This is voluntary. The kids were great. Then all the fifth graders sang in the chorus. Another great night. It is hard to imagine that this is Mark's last year in elementary school. Tears were shed. But we have one more Fifth grade concert before he leaves the school.
Then today was the MLK celebration. Another All City Chorus performance, along with the Newton North Jubilee singers, who were amazing and the LOVE TONES from Myrtle Street Church. And a few speeches, and then this marks the end of the musical week - at least performance wise. Because right now Mark is having his trombone lesson.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Cooking this week
The other night I made an amazing eggplant Parmesan from my Betty Crocker cookbook that we got when we got engaged. The dish was terrific. So terrific that even child #1 liked it. Amazing. I don't make it often because it takes a long time to prepare, but I was very happy with the outcome.
The next night I made the Tart and Tangy Beans from the original Moosewood book. It says serves 6-8 . . . . I did not like it, nor did child #1 or child #2. Luckily Adam liked it. And he is eating it and eating it. No one wants to help him out.
Tonight, I decided to make cheese blintzes (crepes). Child #1 was asked to help me, and he lived up to the expectation. We made the cheese filling, and then we made the batter for the crepe. And then we made each crepe. And he helped with the stove top. He was able to run the spatula along the edge of the crepe, and when it was done, he would have me flip it out of the pan. We made almost 20!
The crepes are cooking right now, and I know they will be great. I made them from the Temple Beth El cookbook. (Yes, Temple Beth El in Swampscott is no longer there, but the cookbook lives on. Actually my mom has the original blue one. . . . I have the one from the 90's).
Can't wait for DINNER TIME!
The next night I made the Tart and Tangy Beans from the original Moosewood book. It says serves 6-8 . . . . I did not like it, nor did child #1 or child #2. Luckily Adam liked it. And he is eating it and eating it. No one wants to help him out.
Tonight, I decided to make cheese blintzes (crepes). Child #1 was asked to help me, and he lived up to the expectation. We made the cheese filling, and then we made the batter for the crepe. And then we made each crepe. And he helped with the stove top. He was able to run the spatula along the edge of the crepe, and when it was done, he would have me flip it out of the pan. We made almost 20!
The crepes are cooking right now, and I know they will be great. I made them from the Temple Beth El cookbook. (Yes, Temple Beth El in Swampscott is no longer there, but the cookbook lives on. Actually my mom has the original blue one. . . . I have the one from the 90's).
Can't wait for DINNER TIME!
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