Merry Christmas!

My poor blog has been sorely neglected, but I fully resolve to remedy that in the new year.   I fully intend to really hit the healthy meals hard, and I plan to share as many with you as I possibly can!  (And I have a few completely non-healthy things that I’m taking pictures of that I want to share, too!)

See you next year–if not sooner!

What We’ve Been Reduced To

Yes people, that is a fried bologna sandwich. (Albeit a blurry one, but still.)

Things have gone from bad to worse at Chez Shaye.  I finally have a computer AND internet access–all at the same time!  But several things happened that threw me for a loop toward the end of the school year, and it seems that any sort of organization has gone out the window since my husband and son have been home from school for the summer.

I fried up a mess of baloney (and yes, we determined that the plural must be a “mess of baloney”), today for lunch.  I realized that we’ve truly hit the abyss if we’re eating fried bologna.  Granted, it was a staple when I was growing up.  As a matter of fact, I don’t know many kids who grew up in our area who didn’t get a fried bologna sandwich occasionally for lunch over the summer.  When I was working in purchasing at Delco Remy, I remember walking down into the plant to get a fried bologna sandwich and a can of Coke for $1.00.  The factory guys would bring in electric skillets and they kept refrigerators filled with pop that we could get for a quarter a can.

So, this is my lame-o attempt to get back into the blogging habit.  I bring you–The Fried Bologna Sandwich!

Fried Bologna (Baloney) Sandwiches
Servings (Totally depends on how much you make and how much meat you put on your sandwich.)
WW Points (Let’s just not even go there.)

Any random amount of semi-thick sliced bologna

Bread (We always had white bread as a kid, but I refuse to buy it now so whole grain is pictures above)

1. Peel the red plastic stuff off the edges of the bologna if you’re using deli bologna.  (Trust me, fancy deli bologna is not required.  Plain old Oscar Meyer was featured on my childhood sandwiches.)
2. Make a cut about halfway to the center of the bologna so it won’t curl while you fry it.
3. Throw it in the pan, without layering, and let it brown a little.
4. Flip it over and let it brown a little on the other side.
5. Take it out and throw it on bread with whatever toppings your little heart desires.  (Ketchup was de rigeur in our house.)
6. Eat.

Now that I have shamed myself with this nasty concoction, I promise you that I’ll work on a menu, grocery list, AND some better inspiration for healthy meals.

Wow, I suck at posting

When I started this blog, I had such great aspirations.  I also had easy access to the internet.  Then my laptop refused to connect to the internet.  Then we got another computer for me to work on upstairs, and it has stopped booting up for some reason.  That leaves me back on the basement computer.  I hate the basement computer.

Because of my hatred for the basement computer, I rarely spend the time to type out recipes or deal with photos to post.  I feel really guilty about that.  Right now I’m in the process of getting a bunch of stuff cleared out of my house that has needed to go since before we even moved in here.  After that, I’m going to sit down with both computers upstairs and see if I can come up with a solution.

In the meantime, I have every intention of posting at least once a week.  (But you know what they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions.)  

Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful…

…or because I can’t seem to write a blog post!

It’s been a crazy week at Chez Shaye!  My lovely new computer got sick, so I’m back to the crappy computer in the basement until I can seek treatment.  I managed to schedule dental work, jury duty, and a gyno appointment for this week–on top of being called to help out in the cafeteria of the private school where my son used to go. (What can I say, I’m a sucker for a request to volunteer.)

Anyway, all that to say that I don’t actually have the records of what we’ve been eating–nor have I really cooked.  You wouldn’t believe the crap I’ve subjected my family to this week.  While we’ve only resorted to the dreaded fast food once, and that was for Wendy’s baked potatoes and salads, we’ve been eating all kinds of processed crap this week.  Plus, my lunches have been provided by the court so I’ve been stuck eating stuff like grilled cheese sandwiches and iceburg salads.  (We gave up meat for Lent again.)  I swear I can feel myself gaining weight by the minute, and I ‘m also swearing to myself that it’s healthy eating for us as soon as I can make a grocery list and get to the store!

Until then, I’ll try my best to come up with a snapshot of something I’ve already made and post it yet this weekend.  I promise!

The Whole-Wheat Pita Experiment

First, let me state for the record that PITA in internet parlance has its very own meaning.   That meaning of PITA does NOT apply to pita bread.  They are actually very easy to make!

So, with that out of the way, on with the show…

Today, my part of central Indiana has yet to reach temps above zero.  Right now, it’s the warmest it’s been all day at 0;  but we still have a wind chill of  -16.  I think that would make it the perfect day to warm the oven up to 400°, and then keep opening and closing the oven door every three minutes.  Am I right?

I’ve never made pita before, but I’ve seen it done on the net.  I found several recipes that looked good, but none were whole wheat.  I took it upon myself to try to convert one to whole wheat since I’m trying really hard to avoid white flour.  (This recipe is loosely based on one I found on The Fresh Loaf.)

The original recipe said to roll them 1/4″ thick.  They were ok, but seemed too bready.  The next few, I rolled much thinner.  The last two I forgot about, and they wound up quite crispy.  Oops.

The first few I rolled kind of thick. A few of them had the one big puff that you fill in store-bought pita. Even the puffy ones seemed too bready.

This was the first batch of thinner ones. They turned out puffy, but not one big puff that you can fill.

This is how they turn out when you roll them thin, then forget to set the timer. I wasn't too worried, they'll be perfect pita chips to use with hummous.

So here’s how it goes…

Whole-Wheat Pita Bread
Makes 8 – 4 points each

2 tsp. active dry yeast  (I buy in bulk so I just measure.  It’s a little less than a packet, if that’s what you use.)

1-1/2 c. water (Approx 110° F.)

1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1-1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tbs. vital wheat gluten (Or you could just use 3 c. bread or AP flour and skip the gluten.)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar or honey (I used sugar because it s easier to measure.  Might try honey next to compare taste.)

2 Tbs. olive oil (You don’t need anything fancy like evoo, but it works fine.)

1. Put the warm water in the bowl to your mixer, add the yeast, and stir to dissolve.  Let it sit while you measure everything else. (Use a regular bowl if you don’t have a stand mixer.)
2. Measure the flours, gluten, salt & sugar into a medium sized mixing bowl, and stir well to combine.
3. Add the oil to the water/yeast mixture, then add the flour mixture.
4. Stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a ball.  (If you have flour that won’t incorporate into the dough, add a little more water.)
5. Put the dough hook attachment onto your stand mixer, and let it go to town on the dough for about 10 minutes on low.  (If it wraps itself around the hook and makes an unmoving blob– stop the mixer, take it off the hook, and start it up again.)
6. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead it by hand; but don’t complain to me about your arms hurting.  I’m just going to tell you to buy a stand mixer.)
   
7. In the meantime, wipe the flour out of your medium sized mixing bowl and either oil it or spray it; put the dough in; then either turn the dough over in the oil or spray the top.
8. Put a damp towel over the top of the bowl, and put in a warm place for an hour until the dough doubles.
9. When it’s done rising, take it out and divide it into eight equal pieces.  (I just used a knife.  It cuts really easily.) Roll the eight pieces into balls, then put your damp towel over the little balls and let it rest for 20 more minutes.
10. Preheat your oven to 400° F at some point during this process, and throw in a baking stone or an upside down baking sheet so it will be nice and warm when you get to it.  (If it’s 0° outside, like it is here, you can start the preheating process when you first get up in the morning.)
11. Roll each piece out very thinly–maybe 1/8″ to 1/4″, depending on what you like.  (I tried both and liked thinner better with this recipe.)
12. Throw as many pieces that will fit onto your hot stone or sheet in the oven. (I did two at a time.)
13. Let them bake for 3 minutes, then take them out and throw more in.  (If you want them crispy–like to eat with hummous, leave them in for a few minutes more.)
14. Take them out and enjoy.  (I’m planning hummous, falafel, and gyros–but my son tried them dipped in Cherry 7-up and said that’s good, too.)
15. If you don’t immediately enjoy, keep them in an air-tight container.  They’ll stay fresh for a little while.

Yum!

I have a scheduled date to get my wireless back!!!

I have been neglecting you horribly, but I had a somewhat good reason.  My poor laptop hasn’t been connected to the internet since October.  I can use the family computer in the dungeon, but all of my recipes, editing software, etc. is on my laptop.

I have missed you OH so much, and have an appointment to have everything fixed on January 3rd.  In the mean time, I’m cooking things and remembering to take pictures of them and I’ll try to be a posting fool once everything’s back up and running.

Love to all,
Shaye

Tagged for a Meme (Sure it was almost two months ago, but it still counts!)

Back in August, Teresa from I’m Running to Eat tagged me for two different memes. Strangely enough, I have been thinking about the song one every single time I listen to the car radio. I should have been thinking about the other one, because it’s harder.

For the first one, I’m supposed to: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your summer (or whatever season). Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs.

Here are the first ones that come to mind:
1. “Radio Ga Ga” by Queen. I heard it the other day and it’s been stuck in my head ever since!
2. “Fill Her Up” by Sting. Last month, I watched a DVD that Sting recorded on 9/11, and that song is on there. (Also stuck in my head.)
3. The theme from “Heroes”. We bought the second season of Heroes a few weeks ago, and when we all got sick we decided to watch it all, starting with the first season. I don’t know if it counts, but I’ve heard it a lot lately.
4. “Small Enough” by Nichole Nordeman. I’ve been threatening to sing this one in church for a while, but haven’t done it yet. I love it and sing it a lot in the car.
5. “Into Temptation” by Crowded House. I still love their whole “Temple of Low Men” album, but this one is a favorite.
6. “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS. I saw the video on Pop Up Video the other day, and remembered how much I loved that song.
7. “Wishful Thinking” by The Ditty Bops. That song is just so much fun that you can’t help but be happy when you hear it.
The second tag is to post some random things about myself.

Tag Rules:Link to the person who tagged you.Post the rules on the blog.Write six random things about yourself.Tag six people at the end of your post.Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.Let the tagger know when your entry is up….and here are 6 random things about myself:

1. I’m left handed.
2. When I was a kid, my dad made me wooden stilts and I spent hours teaching myself how to walk on them–but I can’t walk in heels without looking like a toddler.
3. I never learned to walk in heels because I’m 5′ 9 1/2″, and was frequently taller than my boyfriends.
4. For years I’ve been thinking about going back to school to get my masters in dietetics.
5. I was born in Muncie, Indiana.
6. Throughout my life, I’ve had somewhere around 15 cats; but Linus is my first dog.

Ok, so now it’s my turn to tag other people-

Elle’s New England Kitchen
Canarygirl
Noble Pig
Velvet Lava
Renae du Jour

And there you have it!

Very Good Taste Omnivore’s Hundred–the Shaye edition

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten. (Google all the items you’ve never heard of. -S)
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone (It’s endangered. -S)
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin (Only if taking Kaopectate counts. -S)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Not too bad for a girl who lives in the boondocks!

(Thanks to Canarygirl for the link.)

I am not dead!

But I am very sorry that I’ve neglected you for oh so long.  I feel terrible about it.

Things got really busy during late August.  I had to throw together an impromptu family reunion, then I had to do Simon’s birthday party, then school started and I’ve been volunteering and substitute teaching, plus we’ve been dealing with some fertility things. I just got overwhelmed.  THEN, to top it all off, my wireless router died.  This means that I no longer have internet access on my laptop.  (You might as well cut off my left arm!)  Steve is promising me that we’ll get a new router as soon as he has a free minute, so I’ll hopefully be back to somewhat normal very soon.

In the meantime, I’m charging my camera battery so I can take pictures and post the yummy fall weather foods that I’m working on!  Hopefully I’ll be able to post them in the next few days.

Miscellanea

So it’s fairly early on a Saturday morning, and I’m the first one up.  Of course the first thing I did was to try to catch up on reading some of my favorite blogs that I’ve been too busy to read lately.  (I’ll be sad when school starts back up because I’ll be lonely and I’ll miss my boys, but my consolation is that I’ll have a lot more time for keeping up with my blog reading!)

My first random thought involves this blog.  I’m kind of a newcomer to the whole food blogging thing, so I’m always trying to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing.  For instance, have you ever noticed that I comment on your blog all the time, but I don’t have you on my blogroll?  And a lot of the people I *do* have on my blogroll haven’t updated their blogs in months?  That, my friends, is a pretty good indication that I can’t remember how to update my blogroll.  I’m sure I could figure it out if I played around for a while, but that would cut into my precious blog reading time.  (Heck, I just figured out how to set up a reader so I no longer have to go through my bookmarks and click on each blog that I like.)  I promise that as soon as the boys are back in school, I’ll figure it out and fix it.  I’m also trying to figure out how to better organize my recipes on here so you can find them if you ever come back and want one.  That would be yet another one of those things that will require me to spend quality time poking around the WordPress site, which isn’t my favorite thing to do when I have internet time.

A few days ago, Cathy at Noble Pig wrote a post asking What Bothers You Most About Certain Blogs? Some of the comments she got were fascinating.  It also makes me feel a little better about my blog.  I don’t have any obnoxious music that starts playing as soon as you open my site.  It isn’t cluttered with all kinds of extra stuff.  I tell little anecdotes about my life, but if you want the long (TMI) versions you have to go to my non-food blog.  I try to post decent pictures with each of my recipes, and I try to post any extra instructions I can think of for the benefit of the people who don’t cook as much.  I don’t scream at my kids across the lawn, and I don’t leave my dog out to bark all night.  (Wait, that’s MY pet peeve about my neighbors.  Sorry.)  I do tend to rant occasionally about things like stupid people and processed food, but I try to keep it under control.  I’ll also concede that I probably use parenthesis and italics too much, but I like them and it’s my blog.    (Oh, and I use cheesy winky-faced emoticons.  At LEAST I don’t use things like lol…much.)

Did I tell you that I’ve been teaching Simon about non sequiturs?

Speaking of Simon, I’ve also been thinking a lot about upcoming school lunches.  (If you lived through the whole lunch box thing on my non-food blog last year, I’m truly sorry.  Let’s just chalk it up to the fact that I was going through a lot of stress right then.)    I’ve been the worst June-Cleaver-wannabee ever this summer.  My poor child has been forced to live on whole lot of the foods he’s able to make for breakfast and lunch.  (That includes sandwiches, cold cereal, and fresh fruit.)  One one hand, I don’t feel too guilty about it because I don’t cook breakfast for people who don’t get out of bed before 9:30.  On the other hand I feel guilty because summer is almost over and all of my grand ideas of having all kinds of great snacks on hand are out the window.  EXCEPT, for that lovely do-over we like to call the beginning of the school year!  It’s like New Year’s resolutions, only different!  And I’m much better at school-year resolutions because I actually have more free time after school starts to lovingly prepare these wonderful snacks and foods that my beloved child will consume for breakfast and lunch!  I’ve already been practicing while they’ve been at Music, Arts & Drama Camp this week.  We’ve suddenly been getting oatmeal for breakfast, and there are suddenly extra things like boiled eggs and string cheese in the fridge to grab when you want a snack!  I also pulled out the yogurt maker, and I’ve pulled out some higher protein muffin recipes to try out.  I still don’t think I’ll be one of those bento lunch making moms, but my hope is that his lunches don’t deteriorate into all pb&j all the time by the end of the year like they did last year…and the year before.

Also, Simon’s birthday is this week, so his party is next weekend.  He requested the banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, so I’ll actually take a real picture this time!  I might even replace the cupcake drawing I made with a picture of the real thing!