nummies in my tummy.

nummies in my tummy.

So Ben's taking a nap, and I just heard TWO absurd things. You see, when you're around a child all day, sometimes it's very important to break down the logic, so they understand. While Ben is a smarty pants, sometimes the "why" questions never stop, even when I feel like I have *adequately* explained myself. But, these two absurd things I just heard on a Today Show food segment, are so funny and illogical (if you really think about it) that I am almost positive that I wouldn't be able to break it down to Ben. (Note to the Today show producers: I really do understand what chef so-and-so is saying, but really just find it funny to hear out loud.)

Absurd Statement 1: Good fish – SHOULD NEVER – smell like fish. So while I know what he means, if you really think about it….shouldn't we really be afraid if the fish doesn't smell like fish?

Absurd Statement 2: Ann Curry talks about how all these chef concoctions look small on the plate, but she begins to explain/agree with chef so-and-so, that truly good food only requires a small portion, because if it is truly tasty and yummy, then it leaves you feeling like you just had enough. Ha! I don't know about you, but when I like something…I keep eating it.

A few examples:
ice cream
tacos (had 4.5 tacos last night)
chips and salsa (there was a Mexican restaurant I used to go to where I would only eat chips and salsa, and then have dessert (chocolate chimichangas). Those were good too.
two words: pi zza. (going to have that tonight at Wendy's and carve pumpkins.)
Wanted to share some of my food faves and weekly staples.
Note: I had written this food portion earlier, and then added this little witty intro to it. (even though I *am* *so* witty - I can't be witty at all the right times...-very much kidding)

Salsa – given to me by Shannon Dawson.
This is, by far, the best salsa recipe I have received to date.

26 oz can whole tomatoes
1 green peper
1 red pepper
1 jalapeno – she used the canned jalapeno, but a fresh one was easier for me.
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin or chipotle chili powder
Blend in blender and enjoy.

I love this so much that I have made it almost weekly.

Carrot cake.

2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 C veg oil
3 C shredded carrots (people will know you made it by your orange fingers from all the carrot shredding...my least fun part)

Combine dry ingredients
Add in wet ingredients
Add in carrots
Bake at 350 degrees
2 round pans 30-35 mins
12x9 rectangle 35-40 mins

Cream cheese frosting
6 oz cream cheese - softened
½ stick butter - softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
Mix well, add powdered sugar until it's frosting consistency – about 1.5 – 2 C

Salad made easy.

Something I usually dread doing weekly is making salad. Mostly, I dread it because I don't really eat it and it is for Rob along with Ben who loves the tomatoes and cucumbers. He seriously is a rabbit. When I was first married, I was good about buying fresh romaine – the unbagged kind – but then out of convenience, I started buying the ready lettuce in a bag. After visiting my aunt and uncle in Phoenix, I have since gone back to fresh romaine, because of a trick my Aunt Amy showed me. I thought this might be useful to others who might also dread preparing fresh lettuce – especially romaine. Or maybe not, and I'm just lazy.

The spin cycle! (and yes, I have a salad spinner.) This is another tip that my aunt told me about that she got off the Food Network. That channel is great. After washing your lettuce, place it in a pillow case and put it in your washing machine and use the spin cycle. It works great, and it's sometimes easier when you have so much lettuce that you can't fit it all in your salad spinner.

Cutting Romaine. The main reason I hated chopping it was that the pieces were so big. The little trick I learned was to fold the leaf in half lengthwise, and cut out the spine. (I keep a few and put it back in the salad, because I like that part.) But with the lettuce leaf you take a bunch of spineless lettuce pieces, roll them all up together, and make one cut vertically and 3 or 4 horizontally, and it makes the perfect bite-sized pieces!

Happy eating and feasting as we swing into the holiday season that is very conducive to doing just that! :)