Hibernating...

Apparently, it's supposed to snow.
Nothing like what Jessica is currently experiencing, but, for us here in East Tennessee, this could be a big deal. It could also just be a weekend of really cold rain. But anyway, we're all getting our ducks in a row, just in case.

For me, this does not mean milk, eggs, and bread. (As my husband pointed out, why milk, eggs, and bread? Are we all having French toast?) For me, this means figuring out what I'm going to spend my Saturday cooking, since, when I'm snowed in, that is absolutely what I want to do. Okay, so it's what I do on a random Tuesday, also, but it's *really* what I do on snow days.

Thanks to a few posts from the Daring Baker's Challenges (of which I do not participate in, but read about anyway), we have a winner:
Nanaimo Bars.
Because they look good. Because, technically, they are no-bake, and that means I can bake some french bread loaves at the same time, if I be so inclined. And because they, like the artic mass of air that I hope is going to batter this gulf moisture into falling as snow, they come from Canada.

So, cross your fingers for snow for us here in K-town, for more breaks in the weather for poor Jess, and for a picture post on Sunday, right here, of my very own Nanaimo Bars. :)
See you then...

A long overdue food post...

Man, it's been too long. It's long past time for more on my favorite topic. Food. Sustenance. Eatin'. So, without further ado, here's a couple things I'm loving lately...

• Greek Yogurt.

I hate yogurt. I try, every now and then, to like it. I know it's good for me. I know it's an excellent, healthy snack with pro-biotics and all kinds of good stuff. I KNOW. Yes, I tried that brand. Yes, I tried that flavor. IT'S ALL GROSS. (okay, once I ate some yogurt I liked, but I was in Hawaii, and it was mixed with tropical fruit granola and served in a fresh papaya. And I was in HAWAII.) So, as I'm attempting to get as healthy as possible this year, the prospect of eating yogurt just didn't seem viable. But I heard good things from foodies about greek yogurt, and I've used plain greek yogurt as a sub for sour cream before. So, I decided to give it a shot. And I totally love it. LOVE IT. Throw in some grape-nuts and fresh blueberries, and I'm all over it. Thank you, greek yogurt, for making it possible for me to eat your cultured goodness. Now I just have to wean myself down to the low-fat version...

• Kale Chips

Y'all. Kale chips. Who knew? Again with the healthy foods--Kale, a good for you, dark, leafy green. That I cannot cook without it tasting bitter. Blech. But, magic happens in a low oven. Torn kale leaves, a little olive oil and salt, and 25 minutes at 250 degrees. Crispy roasted greens, you guys. I love 'em. Okay, so it took some getting used to for Matt, he didn't love it at first, but this is the same person who took one bite of my amazing homemade baklava and tossed it aside, saying only, "...it's....juicy..." He's coming around.

• Savory Turnovers

We've been rockin' these things for dinner of late. Fancy homemade Hot Pockets. With Matt having to rush off to class four nights a week, these have become amazingly convenient for me to get on the table. Inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe, I've been playing around with fillings and plain old boxed Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. Sausage and mushroom filling flavored with onion and thyme was a hit. Tonight we had chicken and mushroom with cream cheese and chives. Throw a filling together, roll out the pastry, and they bake in less than half an hour. If you do it right, you can even eat with your hands. I've been trying to round out the meal with a salad, but they make a pretty nice meal by themselves.

So, how 'bout y'all? What have you been making lately?

Digging out...

To describe how I've been feeling the last week as "under the weather" cannot even begin to cover it. To paraphrase a line from Friends, there was the weather, 50 feet of crap, and then me. Even today, I feel a little weak, but tomorrow, Scarlett, is another day, and the first real day of 2010 for Matt and I. He starts his second semester of Law School, I start back to work, and the new routine begins.

I love beginnings. Even when they're no big deal, like tomorrow will end up being. Probably because, as I've admitted before, I love routines, too. And any "start" implies a new regularity, and new something to decode, decipher, and settle into. For me, setting up a routine is like solving a puzzle, or creating a recipe. And the result is something like "The Exact Right Day", or "The Ideal Week", or, you know, (fingers crossed) "The Best Year Yet." As generally easy going as I am, altering my routine, screwing up my schedule, or just plain ol' changing plans can really make me pissy (just ask my poor, long-suffering husband). So, for me, the ideal time for change is the beginning. It's not an inconvenience to be born, hey, it's just part of the alchemy.

Clearly, then, I love the New Year.

I don't get sad at the passing of another year. I don't look backward in mourning. I admit to being reflective, yes, but not with the hint of melancholy that seems to be infused in most people, I guess. The truth is, I love a clean slate. And absolutely EVERY body understands about clean slates come January. I don't even get sad that the holidays have ended. I'm usually ready. And something about the blank canvass that is my home, stripped of all the holly and twinkle lights, is reassuring, comforting even. A nice, simple environment, from which to contemplate, and to plan.

I have lots of plans for 2010. Or, more exactly, I have lots of seeds that I hope will bloom into plans. Lots of beginnings. Lots of places to start. Could there be anything more exciting than that?