Day 95: Swordfish And Shrimp

Menu:

Italian Swordfish JC

Shrimp w/Cocktail Sauce ME

Baked Sweet Potato ME

It's New Year's Eve and Michael and I are going out tonight. I won't be making dinner so I made us a Julia Child lunch. The swordfish is actually baked for 8 minutes at 400 degrees in an olive oil ladened pan. The Italian seasonings give it that extra little kick. A very good and moist way to make this type of fish.

The shrimp were huge. I bought them fully cooked and we left them that way. I served them with cocktail sauce that I did make myself. I splashed lime juice over the shrimp just before dipping them in the sauce. Nothing goes better with seafood than a sweet potato smothered in butter and brown sugar. This was an easy meal to make but a delicious one!

Facts: Day 95 of 100 (Five more to go!)

Pounds Lost: 8 pounds (Yep, it's finally coming off)

Pounds Gained: None now.

Happiness Level 100% (I'm 100 % on all levels)

Day 94: Roast Chicken

Menu:

Poulet Roti JC
(Roast Chicken)

Mashed Potatoes ME

Gravy JC

Salad ME

This is the basic roast chicken recipe from the Julia Child Cookbook. I made a stuffing to go with it. The seasonings for the chicken is subtle and gives the chicken a really good flavor. I made the stuffing out of whole grain bread pieces, chicken livers, carrots, onions and seasonings. I put lemon juice over all.

The mashed potatoes aren't anything fancy. Just something I've always made and decided to make them with this meal. I did make the gravy from the saute pan drippings that I used to do the onions and carrots for the dressing.

It seems nowadays we can never get enough vegetables. I put a green leaf lettuce down and then just sliced tomatoes and sprinkled feta cheese over it. My goal is to try to eat more veggies and fruits from now on. I can feel myself getting bigger just from the bread and potatoes from tonight's dinner. ugh! Sure did taste good though.

Facts:
Day 94 of 100: (Just about done...yay!)

Pounds Lost: I probably gained after eating this!
Pounds Gained: Don't know
Happiness Level: 100% (Thanks for calling me Rebecca...it made my day. Love you baby girl.)
Missing My Kids: 100%
Cooking Enjoyment: 100%
Eating Enjoyment: 100%
Meal Presentation: 100%

Day 93: Back In The Kitchen Again

Menu:

Saut'e De Boeuf A La Parisienne JC
(Beef Saut'e w/Cream and Mushroom Sauce)

Asperges JC
(Asparagus w/Lemon and Herbs)

Brown Rice ME

My wonderful and sweet husband just finished the last small details of my new kitchen floor. We had no idea the project would take this long. It has been a true labor of love. Michael did a beautiful job and I absolutely love the new look it gives the kitchen. I had to give Michael space and not rush him because he likes to do a really good job when he takes on a challenge. It paid off, because I couldn't be more pleased with the patience, time and love he poured into this project.

By the same token I was anxious to get back to my cooking. Michael's favorite thing in the world is ribeye steak. So, to show my appreciation for his hard work, I made him a Julia style steak dinner tonight. I made a rich, creamy mushroom wine sauce. Then, I cut the ribeye into the instructed pieces as directed in the recipe. I browned the pieces on all sides and then cooked it longer in the mushroom wine sauce. It was delicious. We have been eating out and doing quick meals lately. I can't tell you how much we have missed this fine dining.

The asparagus had a totally different taste than what I usually make. I used herbs, lemon zest and wine for the marinade. Then the recipe called for the asparagus to be peeled, which allowed the marinade to simmer deep within the vegetable. Very good. I love asparagus anyway but I really liked this for a change a pace.

The brown rice was a substitute for the mashed potatoes that I would have preferred to make. My doctor ran tests to see why I wasn't dropping pounds even though I wasn't eating much. We realized I'm not losing weight because I cannot eat carbs. Since backing off of the carbs the weight is FINALLY dropping. Potatoes taste much better than rice any day of the week. But, if it means I can finally get this weight off then I'll be happy to change the way I eat. I have seven days left and it has been quite an undertaking. I'll miss the rich flavors but will be glad to get my weight back to normal.

Facts:
Day 93 of 100 (365 would take me eons)

Pounds Lost: 8 (Since the break from the rich food and watching carbs, the weight is dropping.)
Pounds Gained: NONE now.
Happiness Level: 100% (Michael takes good care of me and I have two great kids what more could a mother want?)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Love you both.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (Feels good to be cooking again in my own kitchen.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (Michael went back for seconds...that always means it was superb.)
Meal Presentation: 100% (Photo wasn't the best but in real life it was...pretty.)

Day: Waiting...

While I am waiting to get my kitchen back, I thought I would share a photo with you. My husband is laying a kitchen floor for me. He thought he would have it finished in the week that I was in Indiana. That didn't happen. Turns out gluing down hardwood is a lot of work. Laying out the pieces is a puzzle and mystery. And scraping up the old floor was a bear.

I have some mobility in my hand. I can type as long as I don't type too much. The splint is incredibly annoying. Falling has become routine for me. Now, when I sit in a chair I use a little more caution. Can't wait to get my last bit of cooking done. It has been nice not eating so much cream and butter but the food does taste good.

Day 92: Fancy Chicken Dinner w/ Relatives

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

Mashed Potatoes ME

Corn (My Sister

Baked Beans ME

If you want the most tender and juicy chicken, try this "Supreme De Volaille A Blanc" Julia recipe. It is one of her more easier and less time consuming main dishes. The sauce gives it a rich flavor but it isn't real heavy. My sister and I put together the side dishes. We had my niece her boyfriend and my great-niece eating with us. My brother-in-law is a big fan of Julia food. I made Beouf Bourguignon for my relatives last week and he absolutely loved that. Michael was disappointed that he didn't get any. He said on my 100th day I have to make that for him. I sure missed him on this trip. He stayed behind and worked on my "Julia Child" inspired kitchen. The floor is looking beautiful.

I fell out of my chair Sunday when we sat down to eat this chicken dinner. I Didn't think much about it but my hand continued to swell over the next two days. I already had a doctor's appt set up for today for routine check-up stuff. I held my hand up and asked him if he thought it was broken and he felt around on it and said more than likely. I got an x-ray and we will now go from there. I can't use it until it is decided what will be done about it. I wanted to get this blog in before I officially stop using it. I'm just not seeing me not using my hand but we will see how it goes.

Facts:
Day 92 of 100 (Have you ever seen anyone take so long to do a 100 day project!)

Pounds Lost: (I just got weighed at the doctor and it's terrible)
Pounds Gained: (Ugh! Not going to think about it.)
Happiness Level: 100% (Gotta keep on the sunnyside.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Can't wait to see them again.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (I love cooking for people.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (Possibly the best chicken recipe.)
Meal Presentation: 100% (This is a shared pic.)

Repeat Dinner

Menu:
Salad ME
Rolls ME
Boeuf Bourguignon JC
Home Fries ME
Chocolate Almond Cake JC

I made two Julia dishes that I have made before. It is one of my favorites and I wanted to share it with my sister and her husband. I invited my cousin and his son to join us. Everyone liked the boeuf bourguignon. The cake did not puff up again this time. But it tasted really good better than the one I made two days ago. So, I put frosting on it and we had that for dessert. My cousin said it tasted like a Texas Sheet Cake. Now I know why there is a Texas Sheet Cake. Someone in Texas tried to make a chocolate almond cake and it didn't turn out. Hence, the name Texas Sheet Cake.

I marinated and roasted the salad ingredients and then just before I served it, I added feta cheese. It makes the veggies much more intense and flavorful if you marinate and roast it. I won't be able to make a new dish for a few more days because I will be busy helping my friend bake cakes tomorrow. This will be a labor of love and would much rather be doing this to help a dear, dear friend. Everyone have a good weekend and I'll catch hopefully on Sunday with a new recipe.

Day 91: Last Night's Flop

I made a Chocolate Almond Cake last night and it didn't turn out. Again, it was my fault! I forgot to beat the yolks into the butter and sugar. I had the cake all ready to go into the oven and there sat the egg yolks. Geez. Me and instructions. I just completely overlooked the part where it said to add the yolks. I gently stirred them in anyway and went ahead and baked it. I broke a piece off after it came out of the oven and it tastes really really good. It just didn't get fluffy and creamy in the center. It looked like, yep you guessed it...a brownie. I'm staying with my sister and using her kitchen. I' m going to attempt another one tonight because I really want to make this cake and make it right. It would be an excellent cake if I could FOCUS.

I have a picture of the flat cake and will post it after I cook today.

Day 90 Cherries Basking In Cognac

Menu:

Potage Parmentier JC
(Potato Soup)

Roast Duck JC (Leftover)

Canton aux Cerises JC
Roast Duck w/Cherries)

Green Beans Sauteed w/Bacon ME

Chocolate Chip Muffins ME

Tonight the duck tasted better than it did last night. I took all the meat and lightly and slowly sauteed it in butter and port wine. I then added sauteed sliced onions. The orange sauce we had with it last night was good but I saw a cherry sauce recipe that looked much better. I soaked the cherries in lemon juice, sugar and cognac for 30 minutes and then served it with the duck. Very good.

The potato soup I had made before. It is a favorite of Michael's. I go easy on the puree-ing because he likes it thick and so do I. This time I added some bacon pieces to it to give it even more flavor. It is such a thick hearty soup with a ton of flavor and perfect for winter. The green beans were cooked and simmered and seasoned with a bit of bacon fat and seasonings. Michael is not a fan of green beans but eats them when I add lots of flavor to them.

The muffins are a huge cheat. I must confess. I love those Andy Griffith muffin mixes. For the price you can't beat 'em. The lemon flavor being my favorite but tonight with the cherries I thought the chocolate chip would be good. And they were! It was fun playing around with the recipes tonight but I'm so ready to get back to my cooking but with a bit of Julia's influence. She is wearing me out with these laborous meals. I do believe I just have 10 more days of cooking. WooHoooooooooo!

Facts:
Day 90 of 100 (I'm so close and wouldn't dare rope myself into 265 more days when I can stop in 10.)

Pounds...whatever!
Happiness Level: 100%
Missing My Kids: 100% (Keep the troops in your prayers)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100%
Eating Enjoyment: 100%
Meal Presentation: 100% (Beautiful Cherries, indeed.)

Day 89: Roasted Duck

Menu:
Caneton Roti JC
(Roasted Duck)

Wild Rice ME

Cranberry Relish ME

Mushroom Stuffing ME

Baked Sweet Potato ME

My duck finally thawed today. I followed Julia's instructions to a tee and it turned out beautifully. While I do like turkey and chicken much better, the duck with the sauce over it wasn't bad at all. I just needed the sauce. The duck has a different flavor and I'm sure one has to acquire a taste for it. I'm simply not used to eating duck. I'd absolutely make it again though. The sauce was outstanding. It had a beef stock base with port wine and butter. I made it even more tasty by boiling down the beef stock with the orange sauce that came with the duck. Delicious.

The dressing I just made up as I went along. It was very moist and the mushrooms were still plump and flavorful when I pulled it out of the oven. The sweet potatoes always give a lot of color to the plate. Plus, I love the sweet brown sugar and cinnamon flavor with a meal like this. Also, since I don't generally eat bread this tastes much like a big ol' cinnamon bun. When I saw that the bird had turned out so nicely, I decided to put it on a platter I thought it would have a better presentation stuffed and with the rice around it. I've been buying organic long grain lately and like it much better. I just needed one more thing to make this meal have pizazz.

The cranberry relish was easy to make. I added roughly minced pecans to it just for the crunch. Before I placed it on the platter I put green leaf lettuce down and then put the relish on top. The bright color from the oranges was the perfect finishing touch. I put the platter of food in the middle of the table and Michael and I enjoyed it immensely. I'm extremely pleased with the way this meal turned out. I'm now enjoying a nice glass of port wine and ready to relax for the evening.

Facts:
Day 89 of 100 (I'm oh so close and oh so not doing 365 days.)

Pounds Lost: I'm just stuck. in 11 days I'm starting a raw food diet of sorts...maybe.
Pounds Gained: I'm just really really stuck. Fit For Life will fix that.
Happiness Level: 100% (Life is good, most days)
Missing My Kids: 100%
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (Concise instructions were helpful.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (It was like a big dag gum feast.)
Meal Presentation: 100% (Probably the prettiest meal I have made so far.)

Day 88: Casserole Julia Style

Menu:

Roti de Porc Grand' Mere JC
(Casserole-roasted Pork w/Potatoes and Onions)

Fried Cinnamon Apples ME

Candied Carrots ME

Chocolate Souffle JC

The pork dish may not have photographed oh so well, but it did taste good. The recipe called for the potatoes to be mashed into the white wine and boiled down. Then the potatoes were to be used displayed around the pork. It made for an unattractive dish just served up on the plates. The potaoes being mashed inot the wine did make them very flavorful. I made candied carrots just for color and whenever I make a pork roast or roast beef I like fried cinnamon apples with it.

The souffle, Lordy the souffle. My Facebook pal Bambi gave me words of encouragement this morning and I just had to conquer the chocolate souffle. I worked with it until I did get it to pouf over the edges of the souffle dish. Now that I have it somewhat mastered I'm ready to make another one someday soon. I'm going to tackle a duck tomorrow.

Facts:
Day 88 of 100 (Can't believe I'm getting so close to 100. I wouldn't think of 365 days.)

Pounds Lost: Didn't check
Pounds Gained: Don't know but I did exercise...work with me here.
Missing My Kids: 100% (more than anyone could ever know.)
Happiness Level: 100% (It sure does take a lot of effort though.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (I'm quite pleased with my souffle.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (Mmmm, mmmm)
Meal Presentation: 100% (The souffle was a little glowy in the pic but it looked beautiful in real life.)

Day 87: Chocolate Souffle...NOT!

Menu:
Chocolate Souffle JC

Chocolate Cream JC (Made yesterday)

Well what a disaster my souffle turned out to be. I did not follow the instructions properly with the egg whites. Those are definitely the pouf in a souffle. I made the salmon souffle a few weeks back and got a bit of a pouf. I got nothing with this souffle. It tasted okay but I also wrecked the cream sauce it was suppose to be a lot fluffier too. I'm just a cooking disaster today. Michael must have realized that when he walked in the door. He asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner since I made a dessert.

Tomorrow, I'm going to try my hand at a pork recipe. Thursday is a bit exciting because I'm planning to roast a duck. I'm going to really focus on the recipe and the instructions. Julia says in her cookbook, if you follow her instructions the recipe will come out perfectly because each recipe is foolproof. I must be a fool. Because I don't seem to be able to follow instructions. I am going to try the chocolate souffle again though. It doesn't take long to make it. It just takes total concentration. Julia explains in her book, "My Life In France" how she was more of a scientific cook but the booted author from the second volume was a romantic cook. I must be somewhere in between.

Facts:
Day 87 of 100 (I so am not doing 365 days, I can't wait to get back to just throwing my dinners together.)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs. (It's the port wine, I'm convinced.)
Pounds Gained: 0 lbs. (I'm starting a whole new regimen in 13 days.)
Missing My Kids: 100% (Loved seeing Joey over Thanksgiving.)
Happiness Level: 100% (No souffle is gonna ruin my day.)
Cooking Enjoyment: 30% (I did not enjoy this disaster one bit.)
Eating Enjoyment 50% (Michael liked it, prolly to be nice, I didn't like it because I ruined it.)
Meal Presentation: 10% (A flop.)

Day 86: Chocolate Sauce

Menu:
Chef Salad ME
Spinach Pie ME
Chocolate Sauce JC

Today was a busy day for me which didn't leave me much time for cooking. I had to quickly chop up some raw vegetables for dinner for our chef salad. We also had some leftover spinach pie that I had in the freezer. I wanted to get in a Julia recipe so I opted for the chocolate sauce. I'm going to make another Julia recipe tomorrow so that we can use the sauce with it. I did taste it and it is very smooth. I'll photograph the sauce with the chocolate souffle tomorrow. I'm tired and off to bed.

Facts:
Day 86 of 100 (365 days, laughable)

Pounds Lost: 5 lbs. (I had to see what Thanksgiving did to me.)
Pounds Gained: 0 (I'm still holding steady.)
Happiness Level: 100%
Missing My Kids: You betcha!
Cooking Enjoyment: 100% (Easiest recipe so far.)
Eating Enjoyment: 100% (What I got to taste of it.)
Meal Presentation: The sauce looks like chocolate sauce.

I'll have pics tomorrow.