Day 85: Glazed Oranges

Menu:
Sausage Gravy ME
Biscuits ME
Glazed Oranges JC

Making the glazed oranges was a nice change. It was easy to make, except for all that peeling and paring. My glaze seemed to want to pass the oranges by but some of it did stick and I tried it and it is good. I probably wouldn't make it again because it is a sticky mess to to have to clean up. With this fairly easy dessert and the simple dinner I made, I felt like I almost had the night off from cooking.

Day 84: Dinner Supreme

Menu:
Supremes De Volaille A Brun JC
(Chicken Breasts Sauteed in Butter)

Brown Deglazing Sauce w/Wine JC

Steamed Sweet Corn ME

Mashed Sweet Potatoes ME

Cinnamon Muffins ME

Seeing as how Michael and I both are done with seafood for a while, we decided to have chicken tonight. I have never sauteed the breasts before but will now be preparing them this way a lot more often. The flavor is excellent and is very juicy and moist. I also made the Julia Child deglazing sauce to go over them. The flavor was exquisite, restaurant quality. I've already boxed up the leftovers for Michael's lunch for the next two days.

I do love regular potatoes...you can tell by my meat and potato way of eating that I am a meat and potato kind of cook. Still, I do like sweet potatoes for something different once in a while. Tonight after they were baked I pulled the peel away and then mashed them with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. This gave the sweet potatoes a pumpkin pie type consistency and flavor.

I try to make a wide range of vegetables every week. Tonight I thought it would be a good night to make corn. With it being yellow it lacks pizazz on a plate. But with the brownish chicken breasts and the orange sweet potatoes, the corn looked colorful. I made the muffins this morning to go with our poached eggs. I usually try to leave bread out of my dinner, but who can resist a muffin?

Facts:
Day 84 of 100 (365 days, that's funny.)

Pounds Lost: Scales are still put away.
Pounds Gained: It was Thanksgiving a few days ago, so I'm sure I'd be disappointed.
Happiness Level: 100%
Missing My Kids: 100%
Cooking Enjoyment: 100%
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (Juicy)
Meal Presentation: 100% (Pic looks yummy.)

The Live Lobster

Rebecca and I made a live lobster recipe tonight. Brian had to help us prepare get the lobster under control. Rebecca and I were a little afraid of the claws annnnd, well the movement. We got it all seasoned and ready for the oven. I taught Rebecca how to use a chopping knife. She went to town chopping green onions and such for the recipe. So once the lobster was done she chopped it and we made a fantastic dip. We are getting ready to kick back relax, watch a movie and enjoy some wine, cheese, crackers and of course the lobster dip.

Rebecca's Thanksgiving Turkey and Pie

My daughter made dinner for 7 people on Thanksgiving. She has gotten so much more confident with her cooking. We were all very impressed with how the turkey tasted. I have to say it was a beautiful bird by the time Rebecca was done with it. I still have not mastered baking a pumpkin pie and have it come out with no splitting or cracking. Rebecca's pumpkin pie was perfect! I think I need to take lessons from her. Rebecca my dear, Julia Child would be so very proud of you. I know I am.

My husband and I are having a terrific time in Texas. The plan tonight is for Rebecca and I to make Hors d'œuvre with a live lobster. I'll blog about that because we are using a new Julia Child recipe. Should be interesting because the lobster looks a little cranky and Michael has already given him a name. I'm not sure I can make a snack out of something that Michael is treating like a pet.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving Day and hope your shopping was bargain filled today.

Day 83: Steaming Mussels

Menu:
Moules JC
(Mussels In Wine Sauce)

Sweet Potato ME

Oyster Dressing ME

Salad ME

Canapes w/Crap Dip

While I have eaten mussels before at Asian Restaurants I have never prepared them. The recipe from Julia's cookbook suggested steaming them in wine sauce. I used vermouth and chopped the herbs fresh. And of course I added butter, lots of butter. We both enjoyed them and couldn't believe how much better it is to eat them freshly prepared. I served them with the oyster dressing that we had yesterday and a salad. I had crab dip from the baked potatoes leftover. I made canpaes and we spread the dip on that. Which by the way I will be making canapes with that crab dip at our next get together. A very simple appetizer but one that you can't leave alone. You just keep wanting to eat more. It's just cream cheese, minced green onions, chopped crab meat and a bit of lemon juice.

We are done with seafood now for a good while. I had the leftovers from yesterday and the mussels and needed to use all that up . It is gone now and we are back to land animals. If fish and seafood really is brain food than I'd say Michael and I both should be quite smart by now. We have no dessert because I think I may be seeing some leeway with my weight loss issue. I do some serious cajun dancing after each meal and am finally seeing some results. I am starting to curve where I should be curving not where I shouldn't . It's big curves but curves none the less.

Facts:

Day 83 of 100 (I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. No way I'd do 365 days at this point)

Pounds Lost: 5 (Yep, I pulled the scales out)
Pounds Gained: 0 (I just want to leave off where I started when I reach day 100.)
Happiness Level: 100% (Seafood does make you feel healthy and happy... and hungry two hours later.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (I'll get a holiday fix so I'm happy and thankful for that can't wait to see you guys)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (Very easy to steam mussels)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (Discovered that we are big fans of mussels)
Meal Presentation: 100% (They photographed well, just not on the black plate had to use green)

Day 82: The Captain's Seafood Platter

Menu:

Homard A L'Americaine
(Lobster Tail Simmered w/Wine, Garlic and Herbs) JC

Grilled Vegetable Salad ME

Twice Baked Potato w/Crab Dip ME

Oyster Dressing ME

I attempted Lobster tail today. I would have done a whole Lobster but didn't know where to buy one and secondly, just the tail was $25.00 so I thought I'd just go with that for now. I kind of did a fridge and freezer cleaning for this meal. I had so much seafood on hand that I decided to just make a meal of it. If you don't mind the cost Lobster is actually fairly easy to make and very good. I did substitute some of the Julia veggies and went with more of an herb bouquet. I'd probably make lobster again. But, not for a while because after last night and tonight we need a seafood break.

I made the filling that actually goes in Crab Rangoon for the potato topping. If you want the recipe just let me know. It is very addictive though. You will find yourself just wanting to eat the filing by itself. I also rolled the hot baked potato in butter then lemon juice and then in sea salt before busting it and slathering it with butter inside. I salt and peppered it and then added the crab filling.

The oyster dressing reciple I had made a few weeks back and had some bread pieces left. And so I thawed the bread crumbs and made it again. This time I put hot peppers in it to give it a little kick. It had so much kick I got hives on my face for a little while after handling the peppers. While I had the lobster going, the oyster dressing in the oven and potatoes on their second bake, there just seemed to be something missing.

I got all the salad foods out, carrots, tomato, cucumber, lettuce and Swiss cheese. While fridge cleaning today I noticed I needed to use up mushrooms, shrimp and asparagus. So I put some butter in my saute pan and a little olive oil and kind of stir fried all that up until it was ready to be layed out over the salad. Just before adding it to the salad I did what I thought Julia might do and I made a beautiful wine sauce for it and then put it on the salad. Delicious. We had so much food that we put the leftovers in containers for lunch tomorrow. I"m stuffed.

Facts:
Day 82 of 100 (18 more to go...and I can start cooking quick and easy meals)

Po#@!....What scales???
Happiness Level 100% (Will be seeing my baby girl in a few and I can't wait)
The rest is 100 percent. The presentation is even 100%. Once I get the photos to upload you'll see what I mean. The seafood was gorgeous!

Day 81: The Oval Poached Egg

Menu:
Oeufs Poch'es JC
(Poached Eggs)

Ham Slices PE

Sauteed Mushrooms w/Wine JC

Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Michael Made These From A Krusteaz Box)

My attempt at making aspic didn't happen today. It just seemed too difficult. I'll have to try it another day. There was another recipe that has been intimidating me though, poached eggs. I've made this type of eggs before in a stove top poacher and even a microwave poacher. I thought both were just wonderful. And then, I made poached eggs the Julia way. Michael and I both sat there wide eyed with that first bite in our mouths. It just sort of melted away. We were in awe of a Julia poached egg. I will never again use my poachers. Julia's recipe has you to crack the egg and let the yolk and white fall as close to the water surface as possible. It took me a few tries to get this technique down because I kept thinking I was going to burn my fingers on the boiling water. But after dropping 3 eggs, I finally got the fourth one right on the surface. They boiled for 4 minutes very gently and then I removed them and had to place them in cold water to remove the vinegar that had been added to the boiling water. I have to say every bit of this was worth it. And I really appreciated this way of making poached eggs at cleanup time. The stove top poacher is a bear to clean. The pan with boiling water was a breeze.

I had left over ham in the freezer from ham and bean night a week or so ago. It is nearly impossible to buy a hunk of ham that hasn't been presliced. I did find a hunk but it was huge so I had to chop it up into small hunks. I pulled one of those from the freezer today and we ended up having ham and eggs and sauteed mushroom with a muffin compliments of Michael. This was an easy dinner to make and I'm ecstatic that I pretty much conquered the French poached egg. The one egg with the little wispy things, that's the first one I dropped and I hesitated and it made it a bit messy. But I did get better with each egg.

Facts:
Day 81 of 100 (19 more to go and 365 days isn't even remotely in my future.)

Pounds Lost: No Comment
Pounds Gained: No Comment
The rest is definitely 100% (Even food presentation is 100%)

Day 80: Twenty More To Go. Woo Hoo

Menu:
Lobster Souffl'e JC
Asparagus Souffl'e JC
Sauce B'echamel JC
Cucumber and Tomato salad PE
Strawberry/Banana Tart JC

Tonight was a lot of work. For some reason I got the crazy idea that it would be fabulous to make a lobster souffl'e. While it did taste absolutely wonderful and Michael wanted to be sure there was enough for his lunch on Monday, it was a lot of work. I thought it would be wise to add the asparagus souffl'e to the menu because it would go well with the fancy lobster souffl'e. Again, like I have mentioned before Julia recommends making one of her recipes per day. There is a reason for that. Her recipes are laborious and difficult. I think after today I get that!!! I also think I won't be doing two in one day ever again. It takes a lot for me to learn a lesson in life but once I grasp it I got it for life. ONE RECIPE PER DAy...got it.

As if the two souffl'es were not enough, I thought making a Sauce B'echamel would be clever since it is recommended that you serve it with the Asparagus Souffl'e. When you have two Julia recipes going, even the simple B'echamel Sauce (white sauce) is enough to send you over the edge. But it turned out perfectly and was glad I made it because it did go well with the asparagus dish. Yep, Julia highly recommends that you heed her warning and just make one recipe per day. And my dear readers that is for good reason.

I tried to take photos as I went along because I love using those copper molds. After making the asparagus souffl'e in one of the molds, the arched fish mold, I ended up throwing it away. This is the second time I have used it and the food refuses to be flipped from it and put on a warming platter. It is also very difficult to clean and so Michael and I both agreed that it was best to just throw that copper mold away. Before throwing it out, I did manage to get the asparagus souffl'e from it and put in a tart pan and added more shredded swiss cheese to the top and then broiled it just long enough to get the cheese melted and bubbly. It somehow turned out looking like something someone would want to eat.

The lobster souffl'e on the other hand, was a bit more work. Even though I didn't dare try to unmold it, It was a more difficult recipe altogether. I have made a fish souffle before since doing this project. I simply poached the fish and it was ready to be part of the souffl'e. But, the lobster was a lot more effort because I had to crack it out of the shell. And, a bit pricey but worth every penny because it made the souffl'e really really good.

I made the asparagus souffl'e first and kept it on a warmer and then I made the lobster recipe. Since I was getting kind of overwhelmed I thought sliced cucumbers and tomatoes were the perfect sidedish or salad, if you will. It was perfect actually, it kept the meal from getting too heavy and it added color to the meal. Okay, the truth is, it was easier than trying to come up with something that required effort.

Now, for to go eat the rest of that tart I made a few days ago. nyum, nyum, nyum.

Facts:
Day 80 of 100 (365 days, Nope.)

Pounds Lost: I have no idea.
Pounds Gained: Couldn't tell ya.
Happiness Level: 100% (Saw three friends today who are all great ladies and it made my day.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Going to see my baby girl in a few days and getting a package ready to be sent to Brandon. Love them both and miss them terribly.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (I have to say I do enjoy making souffl'es, they're kinda fun.)
Meal Presentation: 50% (I didn't photograph the food on our plates because souffl'e isn't pretty once you scoop it from the mold.)

Day 79: Pepper Steaks

Menu:
Steak au Poivre JC
(Pepper Steak w/ Brandy Sauce)

Fried Potatoes ME

Sauteed Mushrooms ME

A slice of strawberry/banana tart JC

This meal was not as difficult as some of the Julia recipes. I prepared the steak and made the brandy sauce. I baked the potatoes and then sliced them thick and fried them. I had some leftover mushrooms from the Prince Albert meal, so I sauteed them. When everything for the meal was all cooked I made the sauce and then added the meat, potatoes and mushrooms to the sauce and let it all warm through and worked the sauce over all. Julia's sauces are to die for. Every wine sauce or any type of her sauces that I have made so far have been well worth the expense of the ingredients.

There is plenty of the tart left and since I didn't make an overabundance of food tonight and we ate lightly...I think we both deserve a piece of tart.

Facts:
Day 79 of 100 (365 days, no way. I'm ready to venture into a new project when my 100 days are up.)
Pounds Lost: I still can't bear to step on the scales.
Pounds Gained: I'm hoping it's lots and lots, but I'd be happy with just a few.
Happiness Level: 100% (Pray for our troops and their safety.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (See you soon Rebecca)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (Easy and delicious meal, those are my favorites.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (It will be even more fun when I get that piece of tart here shortly.)
Meal Presentation: 80% (Plate looked a little bare but my hips will thank me later.)

Day 78: Hexagon Tart

Menu:

Prince Albert Beef Stew JC & ME
Tarte Aux Fraises JC
Fresh Strawberry Tart (I added a few bananas)
Cornbread ME
Homemade Lemonade ME

Last night we had Filet De Boeuf Braise Prince Albert. So I took that and the sauce I made to go with it and chopped the beef up and simmered it in the sauce. It made a fancy beef stew. The rice was something that Michael wanted, I can take or leave rice and much prefer potatoes. But rice was a nice change. I jazzed it up just a bit with seasonings and butter. We had some cornbread leftover from another meal otherwise we would not have had bread due to my endeavors to lose some weight. I bought a bag of lemons and went to the grocery store a few days later and picked up another bag forgetting that I had just bought some. I do go through a lot of lemons but I didn't need 30 of them in one week, they tend to brown quickly if they sit for too many days. I grabbed several of them and used my new manual juice squeezer and we had fresh squeezed lemonade. It reminded me a lot of Penn Station's lemonade. I also realize now that fresh is so much better than the frozen concentrate. I never bother with the powdered kind.

I had pastry dough from a few days ago. I kept abandoning the tart recipe. Well, today I rolled out the sugar crust dough and layed it out in my new, new to me hexagon shaped pie pan. I bought that at an antique store in Brown County, Indiana last month. I baked the crust and made a jelly based glaze while it was baking. I brushed the glaze onto the baked crust and then proceeded to make my custard filling. Once the filling was made I poured it into the crust and then layed out the strawberries and bananas on top. I probably over did it with the jelly glaze over the custard and fruit but that syrup cognac sugar sweetened melted jelly is way too good to waste.

We haven't tried the custard filled strawberry tart yet. We are going to let our tummies rest and then kick back and watch Glee and enjoy our tart. That sugar crust makes the whole tart worth eating. I normally don't care to eat the crust of any pie or tart but this sugar cookie type crust is really good. I've mentioned it before and am a huge fan of Julia's sugar crust.

Facts:
Day 78 of 100 (365 days, Nope I'm ready to be done with all this cooking, had I known Julie Powell was a sham I would have never ventured into this project. I do have loads and loads of respect for Julia Child now. I think she was a fabulous lady and a tremendous chef.)

Pounds Lost: I think I may have lost a pound the waist of pants were a tad bit looser today.
Pounds Gained: I have no idea. I don't want to know anymore.
Happiness Level: 100% (No scales=Happiness)
The rest is 100% excpet for food presentation. That beef chopped up like that wasn't too attractive. It tasted good though.

Day 77: Prince Albert Filet

Menu:

Filet De Boeuf Brais'e Prince Albert JC
(Braised Filet of Beef Stuffed w/Foie Gras (which is pate) and Truffles)

Marinade, for Filet of Beef JC

Greek Spinach Pie (Olga's Restaurant Recipe)

Fried Eggplant ME

It took 5 hours but I finally got the stuffed beef in the oven and baked. I put pate and truffles in with the other ingredients for the stuffing. It gives the beef an earthy flavor. Truffles are a flavor all it's own. I got a feeling it is one of those things that you either really like it or you don't like it all. I loved it! I spent a good portion of my day chopping up vegetables. In total I spent 9 hours in the kitchen. The one thing that has come from me cooking these French recipes, I can chop with a big knife now very quickly and accurately. I've never used the butcher knives and such because I always feared losing a finger. But cooking with the Julia cookbook, you nearly have to get used to chopping vegetables this way.

I love Greek food, I think I've mentioned that before. I bought the phyllo leaves awhile back and had them in the freezer. I finally picked up the rest of the ingredients today so that I could make a spinach pie. If you really like it and want to make it at home, the Olga's recipe is by far the best one and the easiest as far as spinach pie recipes go. Working with the phyllo leaves takes patience. This is not a quick and easy recipe. Once you have it all put together it bakes for an hour. Phyllo leaves may be called phyllo dough too.

Since I have made about every type of potato recipe one can imagine, I decided to skip the potatoes tonight and make eggplant in it's stead. I battered and fried it in olive oil. I would tell you how great it tasted but anyone who eats anything battered and fried knows that just about anything tastes great when you slather it in egg and flour and then drop it in hot oil or grease. It's just wonderful, absolutely wonderful!

Michael went back for seconds, that's when I know the meal was superb. It always makes me happy to see him go back for seconds, he couldn't possibly give me a bigger compliment. Dixie got some of the pate with her dinner tonight so she was a happy, happy girl too.

This recipe called for truffles. While truffles are extremely difficult to find, they are also very expensive. But, I went on a hunt for them anyway. I couldn't find the actual truffles but I did find white truffle oil. The store worker that walked me over to the aisle was amazed I was asking for that because he has never known it to sell. Well, right when we were standing there talking about it, a young man came up and grabbed a bottle off of the shelf. The store worker looked at me in shock. I asked him if he was Julia Child cooking and he said yes. I told him I was too. We both agreed that if you are going to cook her recipes you need plenty of butter, heavy cream, truffles, wine and bacon fat. We both were in a hurry to get back to our cooking so I didn't have time to see what recipe he was making. It did my heart good to see a person in their twenties actually making a Julia Child recipe. If his recipe called for truffles it was probably a challenging recipe. I'm impressed.

Facts:
Day 77 of 100 (365 days Absolutely not!)

Pounds Lost: I hate the scales. I'm not even going to get on them at the doctor's office anymore.
Pounds Gained: I've banned scales from my life, permanently.
Happines Level: 100% (Now that I no longer have a contraption in my life that tracks my weight, I am exceedingly happy. Happier than I have ever been.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Keep Brandon and all the troops in your prayers.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (It was a lot of work but I enjoyed.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (Just ask pudgy Mike, it really was good.)
Meal Presentation: 100% (The black plate looks better in photos.)

Day 76: Mixed Berry Clafouti

Menu:

We did go out to eat last night. I didn't get a chance to cook because we were held up through most of the evening. I was anxious to get back home and finish a tart I had started. The crust has to refrigerate for several hours. I instead decided to let the crust chill on, while I made a flan. Julia calls it a clafouti. I've made an apple flan earlier in this cooking project. But the mixed berry recipe caught my eye since I had lots of fresh berries. I buy blackberries, blueberries and strawberries frequently to eat for breakfast. This is a perfect quick and easy recipe to make. It does however take one hour to bake. The prep part is easy you just throw all the ingredients into a blender and then prep your baking dish and that's it. You could probably serve this clafouti for breakfast but it's also sweet enough to be a dessert. The apple flan I made was a big hit. The mixed berry one is every bit as good and more colorful.

Now to go finish the cream cheese tart.

Facts:
Day 76 of 100 (76 days of French cooking, I've learned a lot but not doing 365 days.)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs.
Pounds Gained: 0 lbs. (Right where I started and can't seem to move past it.)
Happiness Level: 50% (Not having a good day so far.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (I get to see Joey next week...'cause it's a holiday!)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (This recipe is far easier than most, takes a while to bake though.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (This kind of resembles a cobbler but it's fluffier.)
Meal Presentation: 100% (Oh this dish was gorgeous!)

Day 75: Little Puffy Potato Spheres

Menu:

Salmon w/lime and ginger

Gnocchi Gratin'es au Fromage
(Gnocchi Baked w/cheese)

Asparagus w/wine sauce

Cornbread

I just keep trying to find fun things to do with potatoes. I had no clue what gnocchi was and no clue that it was made with potatoes. So I was pretty excited when I stumbled across it in the Julia Child cookbook. This recipe was fun to make and fairly easy too. After I made the gnocchi I went to another recipe of Julia's and added the cheese and butter and baked it. Michael and I both liked it and it is something different for a potato dish. Gnocchi is like little potato puffs. Very good!

I've been making this salmon recipe for years. You just broil it, squeeze a lime down over it and then sprinkle ground ginger over it. Fresh salmon is very good for you and one of my favorite fish dishes. Salmon is suppose to be a great defense against cancers and it holds other health properties as well. It's brain food too! Be sure to eat your salmon.

Asparagus is something I make frequently in the spring but decided to buy a bunch today for this meal. Michelle who used to be my great and wonderful neighbor suggested wrapping it in bacon. While I got a phone call in the middle of my food prep this evening, I did not get to finish my asparagus as I had planned. I did make the bacon and then I sauteed the asparagus in the bacon grease with a bit of butter added. I then drained off the butter and grease and removed the asparagus and made a wine sauce and then added the asparagus back to the sauce. I served the bacon on the side with the asparagus. It was really good with the bacon-y flavor added to it.

I made a pan of cornbread to go with our lunch today. We had plenty left and with the bacon influence it went well with our dinner. If you are looking for something different try making gnocchi. It really is kind of easy and well worth it.

Facts:
Day 75 of 100 (365 days, I feel so duped by Julie Powell that I'm good to just do 100.)

Pounds Lost: (I hope it's lots and lots!)
Pounds Gained: (I'm not sure because I refuse to get on the scale, jeans are fitting better though.)
Happiness Level: 100% (I love my kids and I have a great life, I'd feel guilty not being happy.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Keep Brandon in your prayers. Call your mom Rebecca.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (This meal was fun to make...try the gnocchi, it's fun.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (I love the gnocchi and we had some lemon tart leftover. What a meal.)
Meal Presentation: 100% (Looked as good as Cracker Barrel or any down home place.)

Day 74: Lemons Galore

Menu:

Michael and I went out to eat so I didn't have to make dinner but I did make:

Tarte Au Citron Et Aux Amandes
(Lemon and Almond Tart- cold)

I've been on a lemon kick lately starting with the lemon curd this past week. This tart was really good. Michael and I both liked it a lot. It's hard not to like a dessert. I'm getting pretty good at making the sugar crust too. I've been learning a few techniques along the way. I've been rolling my dough between two sheets of waxed paper. I'm surprised Julia never tried this and recommended it. It is so much easier to roll out and much easier to pick up and lay across the pie pan or tart pan. I'd definitely make the lemon tart again. It would be perfect for a summertime barbecue. I'm off to go watch a DVD movie with my hubby and will be trying to conjure up all my will power to stay away from the tart. I may end up freezing it. Oh who am I kidding, I'd it eat frozen!

Facts:
Day 74 of 100 (This project is grueling for me, I never stick with anything. 365 days would be torture.)

Pounds Gained: I sure hope it's still 5.
Pounds Lost: It'd be great if it was 6 or 7 (I'm staying off of the scales for a while.)
The rest is 100% especially the missing my kids part.

Day 73: What A Difference A Sauce Makes

Menu:

Sauce Creme a la Moutarde JC

Foie De Veau Saute JC

Tiny Baby Peas ME

Lemon Muffin w/Lemon Curd ME

Rather than take vitamins, I try to eat whatever I feel my body needs. I have been feeling kind of tired and less energetic so for dinner tonight I made calf liver which is loaded with iron. I used the Julia recipe that I have actually made before and then continued on with a new sauce. The sauce contained beef stock, cream, mustard and of course butter. It gave the beef a totally different flavor. It really is good, once you get past the thought of it being an organ.

I don't eat peas, never have. Tonight I ate peas. The little La Sueur Peas aren't too bad. I'm still in shock that I ate them though. I've never eaten peas in my life! I did saute them and season them just a little.

Fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes...I've made them over and over through the years. Whenever, I'm looking for something different I peel, and cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks and then boil them. Once they are tender I drain them and then add butter, a half of a lemon's juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Something very different for a potato side dish.

Yes, I did indeed make those lemon muffins with the lemon curd. DEEE-LISH-US! Michael had one with dinner, I already had one this morning so I didn't eat one with my meal tonight, wanted to though. But, I gotta get this weight under control. I've never had lemon curd but have become a huge fan. It's very easy to make and well worth the trouble. And when you put it on a muffin or cookie or whatever, be sure to put lots and lots, you'll be glad you did. I warmed up the muffin and warmed up the lemon curd, a little slice of heaven served that way.

Day 73 of 100 (365 days isn't realistic is it Julie P?)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs (I had Michael weigh himself to make sure the scales aren't messed up.)
Pounds Gained: 0 lbs (The scales are just fine, I'm just stuck.)
The rest is 100% even the picture turned out nice.

Getting Organized The Julia Way

Here are a few things I have done to start getting myself more organized so I can be more efficient when I cook. The spice rack in the drawer was not a planned thing. I was out shopping and had to get a few spices when I first started the Julia cooking. I stumbled across this spice rack that goes in a drawer. After years of fumbling in my kitchen cabinet for a particular spice and knocking half of them onto the counter trying to get the one I need, this spice rack seemed like the perfect solution. I came home pulled the dish towels out of the drawer and put the spice rack in. I put a 4 ft. x 7 in. hanging shoe organizer in the mudroom right off of the kitchen. I organized my towels and washcloths for the kitchen in that. It hangs on the wire rack that runs the length of the room above my washer and dryer.

The egg and dart shelf was just another one of my eclectic finds. I love all things that are different. I don't care so much about the era or the history or if it matches really well, if I like it I buy it and then try and make it work somehow. There are a few spices that weren't included in the spice rack so this shelf was handy in getting those organized and easy to grab. Plus, the shelf is absolutely adorable. I love the egg and dart pattern but I also love the color. I have a border in my kitchen and the shelf helps pull the golden brownish yellow pear color out that one might not notice otherwise.

And then, there is the peg board. What a truly clever way to make your kitchen utensils accessible. I was forever digging in drawers trying to find a certain spatula or spoon. Out of all the great ideas Julia and her husband came up with, I like this one the best. It isn't the most attractive way to organize your kitchen gadgets but it is the most useful. I have the board hanging inside the pantry door rather than on a wall. The door is just right by the stove making it handy. I keep the door open while I am cooking and then when I'm done cooking I can shut the door and all the clutter is hidden. I'm absolutely not into clutter. But this is a serviceable clutter and it is organized in a fashion that it makes it purposeful so I can live with that clutter.

After several weeks of bringing home floor samples and deciding what would look best, we did ordered the new floor and it will be here in about a week or so. Michael is going to install that all by himself. I love that he is so handy. We currently have a very unattractive white vinyl floor that we let a floor store owner talk us into buying. He ensured me that carpeting and flooring should be neutral and not really noticeable at all. We should have never listened to him. We have detested the carpet and flooring in our entire house since the day it was installed. I'm not into clutter and I'm also not into neutral...anything. I love color and things that are distressed and decor that makes people feel relaxed in my home. White floors and beige carpet is not relaxing or much of anything, really. It's just there.

Day 72: Cooking With Capers

Menu:
Poulet Poele A L'Estragon JC
(Roasted Whole Chicken w/Tarragon)

Sauce Piquante JC
(Brown Sauce w/Pickles and Capers)

Baked Beans ME

The next time you make a whole chicken I highly recommend that you make this sauce to go over it. It was absolutely delicious. Michael just kept eating it. I wanted to keep eating to because I am so hungry. But I want to lose some weight...which of course doesn't seem to want to lose me. The sauce was fairly easy to make especially if you have made any kind of gravy through the years. Basically, the same concept but rather than let it get thick you want it to run somewhat thin and get a clear dark brown. We had never had capers before and I haven't researched it yet to find out exactly what that is. I really can't say much about them one way or the other. I even singled one out on my fork and ate just the caper to see if I was missing something. They are rather innocuous my guess is maybe that is why you don't hear much about them these days.

I kept the meal very simple with baked beans and mashed potatoes. I was going to make muffins or zucchini bread and some lemon curd to go on them. But I am determined to lose weight. So, I'll make the muffins or bread tomorrow when I'm not feeling so adamant about this weight loss thing.

I'm a huge fan of this Sauce Piquante. I'll be making it next time we have company. As far as my research into Julie Powell, the more I read her book the more I say....bring it! I seriously doubt she made a single recipe except for maybe the potato soup. I'd challenge her any day and in her own kitchen. She did not make those recipes!

Facts:
Day 72 of 100 (I'm actually doing the cooking so I'm not doing the 365 days)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs. (Grrrrrrrr!)
Pounds Gained: 0 lbs. (I'm right where I started from day 1)
I'm happy with life and happy with this meal...100% to all the rest!

Day 71: Ribs And Salad And Such

Menu:

Garden Salad w/Fruit

BBQ Ribs ME

Gratin de Pommes de Terre Provencal JC
(Scalloped Potatoes)

Steamed Broccoli ME

Now that I'm more than half way finished with this blog, I'm just now getting organized with it. But the real goal for me will be to see it through to completion. Rarely do I stick with something to the end. Last night before I went to bed I wrote out the menu for the week. That in itself makes it easier come time to grocery shop and cook. This morning I got up and went through my entire blog meals and checked off each recipe in my cookbooks (Vol. I and II). It would have been way smarter to check them as I went along. But I kept thinking I would remember all that I have made as I go along. Don't know why I thought I could remember something like that, I hardly ever do. Just going through and marking off what I have already made will make it easier to pick out fresh recipes. I had a difficult time last night flipping through and trying to remember which recipes I have made and which ones I have not. There is a lot to be said for being organized.

I put some country ribs in the slow cooker and then let them simmer in bbq sauce all day. I wanted to work on my Julia inspired kitchen so I didn't want a lot of my day spent cooking. I've made several potato recipes before but today I made a basic Julia scalloped potato dish. It was very creamy and we both liked it. I think I prefer cooking my potatoes just a tad longer than Julia though. The broccoli was easy. I steamed, buttered, seasoned and then put some parmesan cheese on it just before serving.

For some reason salads seem to be my specialty. I can throw together a salad effortlessly but when it comes to cooking, it takes a lot of effort for me to focus. This was a great salad for fall or actually anytime but with the apples it's nice for fall. I tore up a handful per plate of a green leafy lettuce and lightly sprayed it down with a vinaigrette dressing. Then I chopped up an apple, celery and a boiled egg and put that on the lettuce. I added green olives and just before I served it I sprinkled it with some grated cheddar cheese. This makes the most refreshing salad especially if your barbeque sauce is a spicy. Once you have the salad made you can add pecans or grapes or both!

The last four days I was hardly home and didn't get much if any Julia recipes made. The weather was amazing for November and I just had to be out there in it. Michael and I hiked, and visited a winery. I got out with friends and just had a great time and kept extremely busy and didn't overeat at all. I was sure I lost some pounds this past week. I was nearly positive that I would get up this morning and weigh myself and be real surprised at how much I had lost.

Facts:
Day 71 of 100 (365 days is nearly impossible)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs. (Yep, 5! I didn't lose one single pound with all that hiking and careful eating.)
Pounds Gained: 0 lbs. (Right where I started and stuck there.)
Happiness Level: 100% (I have to say this cooking project has cured my empty nester blues.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Please keep our troops in your prayers and know that because of them we can all sleep sound in our beds each night.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (Today's meal was easy but most are not.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (I stop when I am full, maybe I should stop sooner.)
Meal Presentation: 100% (BBQ always looks delicious.)

Day 70: Last Night's Meal

Menu:

Filets De Poisson Poches Au Vin Blanc JC
(Fish Filets Poached in White Wine)

Sauce a la Creme JC
(Fresh Cream Sauce)

Risotto JC

Last night I was so tired and glad to have the cauliflower ready to go and the leftover risotto. I did make Tuna in wine sauce. It was a mostly leftovers night. It all tasted really good. Julia's recipes have a way of tasting even better after having been in the fridge overnight. In some recipes she even recommends that you leave it go in the fridge to get the flavors going through the food. While it was all good, I was just too tired to eat it. I can't say I've ever in my life remember being too tired to eat. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. But I sure made up for it this morning. I got up and made french toast for breakfast with the rest of the upside down apple tart on the side. It was a really good because I was really hungry.

Facts:
Day 70 of 100 (365 days, 100 days are wearing me out)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs. (What's the deal with this five pounds.)
Pounds Gained: 0 lbs. (I'm right where I started from day one.)
Happiness Level: 100% (Got some cookie off to Brandon and some fun things to Joey this week.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Can't wait to see Rebecca!)
Cooking Enjoyment: !00% (Just had to make the tuna...leftovers are great.)
Eating Enjoyment: ?? (Sleeping was more important to me for some reason.)
Meal Presentation: 75% (Not much effort went into putting it on the plate.)

Day 69: Brussels Sprouts

Menu:

Brussels Sprouts w/cream sauce and cheese

Michael and I went out to eat tonight but I had blanched the Brussels Sprouts yesterday and they were ready to be prepared for this evening's dish. I made the dish and we will try them tomorrow with our dinner. Please keep the troops in your prayers as they protect and serve our country.

Day 64: Quail Of A Pilaf

Menu:

Quail JC
Oyster Dressing ME
Beets ME
Yams Me
Risotto-Pilaf-Pilau JC
(Braised Rice)

Tonight's dinner was so very easy to cook. I already had the plates made up from the meal yesterday so all I had to do was pull the plates out of the refrigerator. I just made the rice as a side dish and dinner was done. The braised rice was rather easy to make, comparatively. I would definitely make it again. The way Julia's recipe has you make the rice, gives it a very different flavor. She has various choices for the liquid and I chose the vermouth option. Very good.

I've become a huge fan of quail. After eating it two days in a row it has become a favorite. I've had pheasant before years ago and don't remember too much about it. I probably liked it okay enough. There aren't too many things I won't eat. I'm not really sure what the difference is between pheasant and quail. I do know quail is very small.

After reading just the first few chapters of "Julie and Julia" I can tell you she in no way made those recipes. I'm also pretty sure Julia Child did not meet with her because Julia knew full well that the book is a sham. Julia was a very clever woman all her life. I'm sure she saw right through the deception. The book should be under the fiction genre. She was broke and the groceries are very costly for this project. I'm anxious to see what the next chapter holds.

Facts:
Day 64 of 100 (365 days, well sure I'll do 365 too if I can make the whole thing up.)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs.
Pounds Gained: 0
Happiness Level: 100%
Missing My Kids: 100% (Making cookies for Brandon this Friday)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (Love leftover night)
Eating Enjoyment: 100%
Meal Presentation: 100% (I love quail...yummy)