KITCHEN: Avocado Stuffed Eggs

Avocado Stuffed Eggs

I know some of you are still in the throws of winter, but I am one of the fortunate that are experiencing "spring-like" days.  These Avocado Stuffed Eggs remind me of Spring.  (Since these are "green" you might serve these for St. Patty's Day...or instead of the crumbled bacon you could use those tiny little bits of ham and call them Green Eggs and Ham!

Simple Prep....1/2 avocado for 2 whole eggs.

Avocado Stuffed Eggs for 2
2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
1/2 medium avocado
lightly salt (celery salt works well)
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground mustard powder
1 tsp KAL nutritional yeast flakes
2-3 shakes from liquid smoke
                                                     Raw Pepitas (shelled Pumpkin Seeds)
                                                     Pre-cooked crumbled bacon

mash the egg yolks, avocado, and seasonings

Place the egg yolks, half an avocado, salt and pepper (to taste), onion powder, mustard powder (also known as mustard flour--some of these are mild and some are a little hotter--use sparingly--taste as you go), nutritional yeast flakes, a few shakes from the liquid smoke--again...sparingly.  You should taste as you go...you may want to increase the avocado a little...since some are meatier than others.  We like lots of course ground pepper in this, but you can't really see that in the photos.  Thoroughly mash together until smooth.  Spread the mixture flat to the bottom of the bowl.  Using a small spatula, draw lines dividing equally into four portions.  That makes it easier to figure out how much stuffing for each egg half.  Once stuffed, liberally sprinkle with pepitas and crumbled bacon.  Serve on a bed of fresh spinach.  It's fun to experiment with the various flavors and seasonings...we have used a little sour cream in the mix...leaving out the yeast flakes and liquid smoke.  Why not try a variation using fresh basil?  Avocado Stuffed Eggs are nice for appetizers, but would also make a nice fancy breakfast with toast or English muffin.

Avocado and egg: a good combo!

Kitchen: Sausage Pasta

Sausage Pasta: quick and easy

This is one of my recipes that I make that is part comfort food, and part "heat and eat".  
It is exquisitely easy and can be varied to suit your lifestyle.


Generally, I serve this with ditalini pasta, but in this case I happened to use orecchiette. 
I also like to grate a little medium cheddar and throw a few sliced olives on top.  

This is not a good recipe if someone can't tolerate whole seeds due to dental issues.  Using ground spices doesn't work well with this recipe.

I started making this in the early 1980's.  


Sausage Pasta

Start heating the water for the pasta.  (Follow the directions on the package for the amount of water and the time to cook)

Sauce:

1 pkg of Hillshire Farms Beef Smoked Sausage, sliced
brown the slices, and if you want to reduce calories (and unfortunately--the taste) remove the fat from the pan...otherwise, leave the fat in for more flavor.

Add:
2 TB dried minced onion 
(you can use 1 small to medium fresh onion if you want, but that would take more time and the flavor isn't as good, in this case.)
1 TB whole yellow mustard seed  (ground mustard really doesn't work here)
1/2 tsp whole celery seed (don't substitute celery salt, it will be too salty and taste too much like celery)  The idea is that you want the whole seeds flavor to "pop"...but not cover the other flavors.
2-3 15 oz.cans plain tomato sauce (OR puree OR crushed)  or a combination of them.


That's it...just allow the dried onions and the seeds to absorb the liquid from the tomatoes on low heat for about 20 minutes.  You are only trying to soften the seeds and allow the flavors to meld.  


(Optionally...you may wish to add a tsp of sugar (to cut the acidity)  and a bit of EVOO just prior to serving.  Serve over the drained cooked pasta and top with grated medium cheddar cheese and black olives.)

Substitutions:
Use the Chicken or Turkey versions of the sausage, or leave out the meat if you are so inclined...use any type of pasta, whether whole wheat, rice, corn, or quinoa.  You might like to try it over the strands of Vegetable Spaghetti squash.

Usually it takes about 30 minutes to prepare start to finish.  Add a green garden salad to complete the meal.

Home: Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?

I am the type of person who will check out my receipts, no matter where I am shopping.  If I find a mistake (whether to my favor or not) I stand in line (isn't there always a line??) at customer service and right the situation.

Who would think this would be the center of my dilema?

Here is a case in point.  I was shopping at a local thrift store when I stumbled upon several items I was very thrilled to find.  One happened to be a plastic bag stuffed with figural glass ornaments from West Germany in shapes I had not come across before.  They were in the bag with some regular nondescript glass balls...and several of the figural balls were already broken.  I was trying to get them to the front without any more damage when I stumbled upon an item of cookware I was very interested in.  It happened to be a Le Creuset dutch oven in light blue AND it was in decent condition.  Upon checking the price I found the lid  priced at $2 and the pot itself had a price tag reading $7.  I scarfed that off the shelf in a hurry!! I didn't have a cart or a basket and I still had the ornaments and a few other items in my arms, but I wasn't done shopping.  I headed to the cashier deciding I would pay for the items I had found already, take them to the car, and return to my shopping.  I knew that the cashiers often were not careful with ornaments and I was concentrating on trying to keep them out of her reach, but she grabbed the bag and another one of the good ones broke...grrrrrrr!  (It was still a great deal even if only one survived.)  I really wasn't paying attention to the total  since I was consumed with protecting the ornaments.   When I looked at the receipt there was an item listed for what I thought was the pot...but, as it turned out--the cashiers are urged to subtotal frequently so buyers won't be surprised at the final total.  It was not the item, it was a SUBTOTAL.   I realized that I hadn't been charged for the pot, after all, but the lid only.  

Here is where I was wondering what I should do.  I knew I had done nothing wrong, but how does one prove that.  I also knew that the store had plenty of surveillance cameras, but no sound.  I wasn't sure if the tape would make it look like I was trying to distract the cashier away from the pot and that they might feel that I had tried to get away with something and then felt guilty about it.  I went back to the store, trying to catch one of the managers I had dealt with in the past who sort of knew me.  I missed him three times.  Finally, I was able to track him down and explained that I had purchased something, but had not been charged the correct price, and that I was more than willing to pay the full amount.  

He immediately asked my permission to take the receipt and check the video from that transaction.  I told him I had no problem whatsoever with that.  (But secretly, I did have a little problem...I was seemingly overly concerned about the ornaments and that could be misconstrued as distracting the cashier.)  

I had a sudden wash of fear come over me...thinking that the manager might call the police in on this.  He was gone a long time, and I was really beginning to doubt whether I had made the right decision.  When he returned he stated that it didn't appear to him that I had done anything wrong, and that the cashier was new and did not know that some pots and lids are priced separately and some are priced together.  He told me I was fine to leave if I wanted to.  He thanked me for my honesty, told me I had renewed his faith in mankind and that I should consider the error a Christmas present.  I still felt like he was trying to entrap me...so I insisted on paying the money I owed. 

Instead of feeling good about it, I felt like I had opened myself for ridicule.  I knew, though, that every time I wanted to make a nice soup or stew in my fabulous light blue dutch oven, I would feel like I had stolen it--even if it is was not my intention and not my fault.

 
Most people I have related this story to have said that I shouldn't have bothered with it at all, and others have said when it was offered for me not to pay the full amount, they would have taken that deal and left.  How would you have handled it??

Recognizing the Problem Really is the First Step!

I am not so much interested in sweeping changes and "resolutions" as I am in making things better and less time consuming.  I am looking around me and finding that I spend way too much time looking for things...so my organizational skills for "stuff" needs help.  

I remember reading in one of the Little House on the Prairie series (perhaps it was the The Long Winter) about the snow that would fall through the roof and onto their beds during the winter...and wondering WHY? they didn't seem to try to repair the roof when the weather got better.  It was almost as if this problem was something that they must live with in perpetuity!  It seems that I have glazed over many of my problem areas--they are much like McGee's closet...my kitchen and pantry areas...open a cupboard door and stuff comes spilling out all over the place!!  

It is one of my husband's pet peeves...(although he can see it in me...he is "blind" to his own, similar situations in the sheds!!)  

With limited storage areas and a propensity towards acquiring cooking and baking utensils--things I do actually use--when I can get to them or find them--it becomes increasingly difficult to make my kitchen area "tidy" and "useful".

I seem to get "used to" these situations, instead of trying to accommodate for them.  

Case in point--my husband went to the cupboard to get a plate--with limited storage area, I stacked some bowls on top of the plates--making it difficult, though not impossible, to get the plate.  He had "strong words" for me.  I had just ignored the inconvenience, while my husband thought malicious thoughts every time he had to endure opening the cupboard.

A trip to the store and I secured a simple wire rack that would make another level on the shelf...it was a very simple "fix".  Somehow, I had blinded myself to the idea that there could and should be a "fix" out there.  (My "fix" was always...someday I will have the kitchen I want and need...but someday is sooo far away.)  

Dr. Phil (and others) tout "...you can't fix what you don't acknowledge"...and so I am acknowledging that I will be able to see what the problems are and find ways to improve or solve the situation.  

"Stuff" should never have that much control over us...and one easy way to see all the faults that you are missing is to take a camera to it...still or video.  Somehow, looking at things through a camera lens can make you keenly aware of visual problems.  It doesn't take care of things like needless extra steps you take.  

A place for everything and everything in it's place...that is on my "To Do" list, but I refuse to make it a resolution, for that would probably be the kiss of death for accomplishment for me. 

Christmas Mourning

No, that is not a spelling error.  This year many friends (myself included) are spending their first Christmas without a beloved someone; their child, their fathers, their mothers, their husbands...
Everyone grieves in their own way...some fill their time with helping others, some are so stricken that they can hardly get up in the morning.  
Those of us who are several years into the mourning are still facing a few tears, even now.  For me, the loss of my father is the grief that so easily besets me.  Although he passed away more than a decade ago, I still find myself in tears...not for extensive periods of time, but just a few minutes when I recall some pleasant memory--of which I have many.
One way we remember family members is to prepare one of their favorite foods.  For my dad, he always wanted us to make "Elf Cakes" (his name for a soft oatmeal cookie) especially at Christmas.  I couldn't bear the thought of making them for at least three years after he passed away...and the first time I brought out the recipe and made them I sobbed the whole way through the process.  I can make them now, without tears, and when I eat them, I think of my dad with every bite and what wonderful times we shared.  Fishing, collecting wild edibles, teaching classes about wild edibles at the library or to Scout troupes, gardening, making "lemon fudge"--a culinary failure of the highest degree, but brought us months of laughter over it.  
My dad often asked me to prepare a sandwich for him when I was a teen.  He would say something like--"Make me a ham sandwich?"  And my response was always "Poof! You are a ham sandwich!", while making "magic" motions in the air.  (Then I would play the part of the dutiful daughter and prepare the sandwich for him--and we always laughed about it.)
My grandfather was the person who would make penuche fudge (made with brown sugar), so when I make that I fondly remember him standing in the kitchen at the stove, stirring and stirring.  (I don't need the calories, so I don't make it often, but I really think I can remember him better while delighting in this confection.)
My husband's grandmother made Tallarini (her version of it) and whenever we eat that, it is a family thing.  
Recipes are a nice way to remember loved ones.  Sometimes we don't even have to prepare the recipe, but everyone in the family HAS the recipe for Aunt Mildred's Vinegar candy.  
My brother, still living, has a recipe that is assigned to him...Fresh Orange Cake.  Whenever I make that, I think of him.  
Your recipe cards or books may hold a treasure trove of memories.  It is a good way to keep that person "alive" to those who come after...children and grandchildren and great grandchildren are likely to pay more attention to Grandpa's recipe for penuche than just some random recipe.  
We seem to have lost our own family histories...reviving and passing on family recipes is a fun way to tell family stories and keep our history alive.  

Home: No More Santa Clause!

A wonderful wooden Santa Knodder from Poland

One might wonder why an avid Santa Clause collector, such as myself, would be pleading for no more Santa Clause?  
I am so very fond of Santa--as a "character"--just like Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit.  
Today just happens to be St. Nicholas Day.  St. Nicholas is the foundation of Santa Clause, after all.  If you have ever read Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge (or viewed one of the movies based on the story) there is a fine representation of the place that St. Nicholas plays as a courier of what is to come.  Good children were rewarded and the "naughty" children had a chance to mend their ways.  In Holland, an older family member or elder member of the community, who knows the children, or are advised by the parents of the child's behavior "plays" the part of St. Nicholas and will offer comments on each child's behavior by name--"naughty or nice".  Candy or cane!
Germany seems to get the proper perspective of how to handle Santa Clause; that St. Nicholas is like an advance man, coming to bring evidences of what is to come...from the the "Christkind" or "Christkindel"--the Christ Child.  Here is where we derive Kris Kringle...a corruption of Christkindel.  There is no ONE version of St. Nicholas, or Kris Kringle, or Santa Clause, or Sinter Klauss, but most agree it stems from the real personage of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra.  I hear all the time about how we are not supposed to ruin the illusion of Santa Clause for the little ones, but I am opposed to the whole idea of telling our children to "believe" in something that doesn't exist...like the Easter Bunny.  Why choose to adopt that scenario, when it is much more relevant to explore the many stories surrounding the real person.  You don't have to give up "Santa", in order to do so.  We didn't.  We still have Santa's--I have them in all sorts of mediums.  But, should Santa be the giver of gifts??  Wouldn't it be more appropriate to let St. Nicholas have his day, but the focus of Christmas actually be the gifts from the Christ Child??  Actually, I can even make an argument to do away with both customs, but I realize they are customs and traditions and not really something Biblically based.  
There are many places on the web that will tell you the wonders of the "true" St. Nicholas, and these stories (for most are embellished and have been traded with other stories and customs) are quite interesting and can be used to teach morals.  Every country and region has their own version of Santa...but there is one story that doesn't change and is true--and that is the relation of the Christ, the Saviour's Birth.  So, I say Happy St. Nicholas Day!  but, let's not fuse and confuse the made up cute stories with the wonders of real life.
My youngest sister is totally of the opposite thought--she presents the idea that holding fantasy as reality is very appropriate and can support a child through difficult times.  I guess we will just have to disagree on this one.  I think she feels that when she actually found out that the "good deeds" were actually performed by our parents, that that increased her fondness and affection for our parents--that they would go to all that trouble in order to make things special for her.
 I still feel it sets up a disconnect between truth, and fiction.  I am not asking people to give up stories like Peter Pan or Pinocchio...fantasy is a wonderful thing...and I ask that parents are careful to keep truth and explore fantasy.  
I will encourage  readers to investigate the history of St. Nicholas.  Of course, there are stories I wouldn't share with little ones--about how children were cut up into pieces and thrown into a pot--and St. Nicholas called them forth from the pot and they came out whole...this one is a bit gruesome and scary.  There are many others.

Kitchen: Kale and White Bean Soup

Kale and White Bean Soup...good on a chilly day! recipe below

What I love about making soups and stews is that although there may be general guidelines, it's fairly hard to make a "bad" soup.  What you have on hand, and what you like a lot of or less of, probably won't ruin your soup.  I am not so crazy about carrots...raw--they taste like poison to me!  I can only tolerate them if they are cooked to the point of being able to mash them like a potato.  I am very fond of celery, and onions are alright, too. 
                                                        Mirepoix

• onions (or leeks)
• carrots
• celery

Mirepoix is the French term for this combination of vegetables.  Usually these are cooked and then the solids are strained and the resulting liquid is used as a stock.  However, since these three items are also the base for many recipes...why not make a large soup pot of this mixture and freeze it in meal sized portions to prepare a nutritious soup in a heartbeat?  You are controlling the salts, sugars, and other ingredients used so commonly in most canned soups available.  You can save money by tossing leftovers into your freezer until you have enough "tidbits" to throw a soup together or you can just save steps by keeping the mirepoix ready to go.  There are no hard and fast rules to this.  If you like your veggies on the small side, cut them small...if you prefer chunkier bits..cut them larger.  Try to cut the pieces about the same size so they will cook evenly, though.  The trick is to gauge how long to cook, and then cooling the mixture rapidly to prevent over-done veggies.  With a little practice, you will find your magic numbers.  I usually begin with a large stock pot, and heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in the pan...to which I add the onions (or leeks) and slightly brown.  Then the carrots and celery go in for a quick stir, until they are ever so slightly browned.  We are looking for a little boost in flavor, and I think this does a good job of it.  Have at the ready some warm broth or plain water...and if you don't feel like warming it first...don't.  It just lets you control the "done-ness" of the veggies a little more if you are adding the cooking liquid already warmed.  (Be prepared for splattering and steam.)  Test the veggies frequently with a fork...you don't want it to be all the way cooked...'cause then you will certainly have mush.  When the pieces are just barely starting to cook, turn off the stove and remove from heat.  If you are able, set the pan in an ice bath to quickly lower the temperature and stop the cooking.  When cool, ladle the mirepoix mixture into freezer safe containers or even plastic freezer bags.  The freezer bags may be laid out on a baking sheet to keep it flat...once frozen the bags can easily be stacked.  Label the contents and date it.  Then when the mood strikes, you can pull it out and add some rice or noodles or potatoes, or what have you.  The other day, I had some leftover brown rice and  leftover chicken in the freezer, along with the soup mix...didn't take very long before we had some lovely chicken rice soup.  We could also have chosen to use noodles or potatoes instead.  Designate a special plastic container or large plastic bag to place the smaller bits you are saving for soups so they won't get lost in the freezer.  Make sure you note whether you used onions or leeks, as some recipes work better than others with each choice, and if you used broth or water.

  Kale and White Bean Soup

• 1/2 pound pork roast or boneless country style pork ribs.  Remove as much of the fat as possible, and discard.  Cut meat into small cubes.  
• season meat with celery seed, dry mustard (powder), OR whole mustard seed), onion powder and garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Place a little olive oil in the soup pot to heat, add the small cubes of meat and stir while browning, being careful not to burn. If you do find it starts to burn, add a little water and lower the temperature. Since this is pork, I usually cook the meat through before proceeding.  Add the seasonings...start out with 1/4 tsp of celery seed and 1/2 tsp of dry mustard powder, onion powder, and garlic powder...I use a little more, but you have to season to taste. You can add salt and pepper to the meat if you wish or if you are eliminating salt--leave it out altogether.  Cover the meat with water and simmer for at least half an hour to make a seasoned "pork" stock, but don't throw out the meat!  Add the vegetables, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, sliced
• (OR--1 package of mirepoix (onions, carrot and celery cooked in water) from the freezer--place in pot with a little water and heat 'til thawed.)
• 1 medium bunch of kale, de-ribbed and cut or torn in small pieces
•  1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (I use precooked organic Great Northern beans.)

I prefer to wash the kale and remove the leafy part from the stalk/stem and then tear into pieces...although you could remove the stem and roll the leaf and slice through chiffonade style.
If you already have leftover pork roast, the soup will take only as long as it takes to get the kale into the pot and cook.  When the kale is done, serve with Arizona Cheese Curds in the soup and vegetable crackers!

I keep the leek based mirepoix on the ready for quick  
        Potato Leek with Cheese Soup.

• 1 package of leek based mirepoix
• 6 medium potatoes, cubed or roughly chopped
• water to cover and an inch above that
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn (peas if you like, too)
• celery seed and dried parsley to taste
• 2-4 TB already cooked bacon bits

Cook until potatoes are done, but not mushy.

• 1/2 to 1 cup of milk

bring to boil and thicken

• thicken with cornstarch, or other thickening agents according to the package.

This also tastes really good with the Arizona Cheddar Cheese Curds...which are white, not yellow.

The mirepoix can be added to 

• rice
• stir-fried noodles
• black-eyed peas
• lentil or pea soup
• stews
• ground beef and mushrooms
• black beans and red rice with sausage

Use your imagination!!