A Little Comfort Goes A Long Way

As a child, I didn't like meatloaf. I can't even begin to tell you my reasoning behind this. In fact, I did quite well to avoid it after telling my mother it was, 'disgusting' - all the way into my early 20's in fact. Finally I decided I would give it another chance.

First it was a traditional ground beef meatloaf. While it was tasty, not having a food processor, or perhaps just the skills to more finely chop the vegetables, definitely affected the texture. Wanting to find a different recipe, one that was a little bit more healthy but wasn't lacking in taste. This is when I came across this recipe from Jenni-O. While you don't get quite that same flavor as ground beef, giving it a little bit of extra spices really brings out a flavor with the turkey that makes this really good.

Winger's Roadhouse is pushing forward with its whole reason for asking for my review, pushing their Comfort Food to new levels. Melba's Meatloaf is the perfect, "take me back to Grandma's" recipe - and it's actually from one of our own's Grandmothers (or did they say their Grandma's Grandma, I can't quite remember?). This meatloaf is juicy, moist and flavorful. The sauce on top is not your average cup of ketchup. I was fortunate enough to be there the day they were 'messing' with the original glaze, and after we had to try numerous trials (atop a bite of meatloaf of course), the chef definitely hit it on the head. For an alternate, already made glaze, I tried my meatloaf with a little bit of Winger's Original Amazing Sauce, and I was pleasantly surprised in how good it tasted. I hear people buy this sauce by the case, so I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised.

To me, a good meatloaf stands on its own and does not really need a side. But if you just need a little side, garlic mashed potatoes are always good (that's what Winger's Roadhouse lets all of the juice soak into - yummy!). Garlic roasted brussels sprouts are also a tasty, healthy side option, as are any sauteed or steamed veggie.

Either way you do it, finding some time to make this comfort food staple is a great mood booster or family gathering meal. Heck, perhaps it will even become the weekly favorite that guarantees everyone in the family, and maybe even some friends that have gotten wind of this amazing dish, will join for the meatloaf feast!

The Taste of Love

"I don't like food, I LOVE it! If I don't love it, I don't swallow" ~ Anton Ego (Ratatouille)

Strawberries are red

Blueberries are blue

dip them in chocolate

what a perfect Fondue!

Sorry, but with it being Valentine's day week, I just had to! For most, love and food go hand in hand. Of course, with over 189 million long stem roses and 35 million heart shaped chocolate boxes being sold in the United States alone (according to SheKnows), how could love not be in the air? All facts and joking aside, Valentine's day truly is a day to celebrate. But before I share some of my favorite love recipes, let me give you a little history on why the actual Valentine's Day is pretty neat. 

According to the History Channel and History.com, the month of February has been celebrated as a month of love for quite some time. In the Catholic Church (where we get our Saints), three Valentine or Valentinus are recognized as martyrs (people who were killed for their faith or beliefs). One legend goes like this (read the whole history article here):

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. 

Harsh! Although I must say it would be easier on the heart to not have a soldier bound to someone - of course, distance is said to make the heart grow fonder!

Another of the Valentine legends also includes the 'possible' first ever Valentine card - of sorts. 

According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. 

(A fun little video thanks to Russell Nold!)

All of this is thought to have happened around A.D. 270! So love has been shared this month for a LONG time! Of course, breaking away from the Christian version of St. Valentine, there is also the theory that the Catholic church chose to celebrate the death and burial of St. Valentine during February to steer attention away from the Pagan holiday of Lupercalia, which celebrated the ides of February. The Pagan's celebrated this month as a month of fertility, dedicating it to Faunus, the God of Agriculture, as well as Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. 

Either way, love was the over-arching idea for this month of February, and since the death of St. Valentine, notes and tokens of love have been shared throughout the world. 

One of the great 'tokens of love' in my mind, is the creation of a good meal for those you care about. Putting time into a meal, making sure it is perfect for your significant other, takes your heart and places it on the plate, within each stir and each spice. For the significant other in my life, the perfect meal is savory crepes. Joined with a good bottle of red wine (we are partial to cabernets) and followed up with a dark chocolate fondue, this meal is sure to make him smile from ear to ear. Here is my recipe, given to me by my mother, as well as my favorite things to put inside!

Basic Crepe Recipe

2 cups flour

1 cup milk

5tbs melted butter (non salted)

3 eggs

1/4 cup white sugar

Pinch of salt

Dash of lemon juice

*Mix all ingredients until well blended. Heat a large frying pan slightly buttered, on medium heat. Pour some batter in, spreading it around until there is a thin layer covering the pan (be sure there is enough room to flip!). Once you have flipped it, let it cook for just a moment, then add your favorite savory ingredients. Here is what I use:

Chicken Breast (grilled or pan-seared earlier)

Spinach

Sauteed red onions

Gruyere cheese (place thin slices of this down first to let it melt a bit)

A nice drizzle of basalmic vinegar

Fold your crepe and be sure to serve hot! Delicious!!!

Chocolate fondue is quite simple. Even if you don't have an authentic pot, using a microwave safe bowl and finding a way to elevate it and place a tea light underneath, will give you the same result. Use whatever fruit you like for dipping (and marshmallows as well of course!) and the following for the chocolate:

Pour 4-6oz (or so) of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with a bit of heavy cream poured over it. Microwave for 1minute and take out to stir. If it still needs more time, microwave in 30second intervals, stirring each time before the next round. With a tea light placed an inch or two below the bowl, your chocolate should stay warm enough to stay melted. Using skewers of your choice, stab, dip, eat! (This is the fun time to feed each other as well). 

Well there you have it, a little history and a Valentine's meal made out of love. Hope your Valentine's day is a fun one regardless of how you celebrate!

Happy Cooking!

Grammy Goodies

This Sunday the birds will be out-sung by the best in the music business as the Grammy's take center stage. While I'm not sure of anyone who has 'Grammy parties' (I've heard of over-the-top Oscar parties), I thought I would share some gluttonous favorites from some stars that have been nominated for this years awards. I have found (and tested) recipes, and will give the little changes I recommend for each as we go. I couldn't pick all of those stellar musicians nominated, so I decided to go with some of my most (and even a least) favorites.

Drumroll please. . . . and the winner is -

Beyonce Knoweles (nominated for best traditional R&B album) - Beyonce claims her gluttonous guilty fair is Popeye's restaurant (I'm with you Beyonce, I can't help but get a bite of Cajun lovin' when I see one!). Make your own Popeye's right at home with my homemade chicken fingers found in my quick bites section. Just be sure to add some cayenne pepper (to your taste) to get that soulful touch!

Usher (nominated for best R&B album) - now here is a man who has made me (and countless other women) swoon with his smile and suave dance moves. Let me melt your heart a little more ladies by telling you that his favorite meal is mom's home cooked spaghetti. Usher, I will be your spaghetti mamma any day.
While making truly homemade pasta is a labor of love, I promise it is well worth it. With a food processor and a pasta maker (or the pasta fixture for your standing mixer), as well as time to dedicate to it, you can have delicious (really, it is so much better than store bought) pasta to go with your mom's best red meat sauce. For the pasta you will need:

2c. cake flour
1c. all purpose flour
*you can use all all purpose, or put in whole wheat, I have just found this combination to mix and hold the best
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4c. olive oil (I always use extra virgin)
pinch of salt

Place all in your food processor and turn on. If you feel the dough is to dry, drizzle in some water, but be sure to eyeball it so you dont get too mushy. Once the dough comes together, bring it out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 8-10minutes. Next, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 20minutes. Once this time has passed, you are ready to roll and go!

Michael Buble (best traditional pop vocal album) - Oh Michael. Being a lover of Jazz and smooth, seductive voices, Michael makes me melt every time I hear him. 'Everything' makes my heart flutter every time. Michael's date food of choice is a good ol' hamburger (it's what he would pick on his ideal date). For your own delicious burger, find some great lean ground meat (92% or higher) and mash in some pressed garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, onion and diced mushrooms, form a patty and grill to your perfection! Top with your favorite toppings (I like avocado, bacon and tomato personally) and enjoy!

Carley Rae Jepson (best pop solo) - OK, this is one of my not-so favorites but she likes pizza and I love making homemade pizza. I'll admit that I cheat with the dough, I just can't seem to master that. Whole Foods makes a fantastic whole wheat dough. I roll that out and make one of two pizzas: Margarita or BBQ chicken. That means all you need are some fresh basil leaves, big slices of beef tomatoes and sliced fresh mozzarella. For BBQ you need some strips of chicken, diced red onion, cilantro and BBQ with some shredded mozzarella sprinkled on top. Bon Appetito!

Taylor Swift (record of the year) - I just had to end with this All-American Sweetheart. What would a sweetheart want for some sweet indulgence some some sweet cinnamon rolls or cookie dough (no baked cookies, just the dough). This recipe is one I have not gotten to try (my weekends and week days are chock full currently), but as soon as my life gets a little less crazy, I will be making these. I'm curious to see what the 'secret ingredient' really does. Check out the recipe for amazing cinnamon rolls here.  My go-to recipe for cookies (or just cookie dough, which I definitely eat plenty of while I make them), is from my Chocolate Snowball cookbook from the fantastic Deer Valley resort Pastry Chef Letty Flatt. The only change (really addition) I make is adding a pinch of cinnamon. Just barely detectable, but enough to just give it a small spice. Here's Letty's traditional recipe.

Happy Cooking!

Food to Rival the Favorites!

In this week leading up to the super bowl, rivalry seems to be the top of everyone's conversations. Of course, how can it not be when there are two brothers going against each other for the title of Super Bowl® Champions!?

I mean, even if you are not into football, it has got to be pretty neat to have the chance to watch this. Just to make it to NFL coaching status has to take something special (not to mention an insane amount of work). But to have two siblings not only make it to a professional sports level, but to be the HEAD COACHES of the Super Bowl® teams is just AWESOME!

If you want to know some other great sports siblings (think the Williams sisters and, of course, the Mannings), check out this article on the greatest sports siblings.

When it comes to food, however, there is one food that has no sibling rivalry, it just takes the cake as the master of Super Bowl® foods. According to delish.com, approximately 1.25 BILLION chicken wings are consumed on this special Sunday alone! There is only one issue I take with the average with though - fried and fatty overload! I have already given you my recipe for delicious baked chicken fingers (can be done with the bone in style as well), but what about some other Sunday snacks that are both crowd pleasers and healthy eats as well?

Of course, there is always the staple veggie and dip tray that seems obligated to show up at every party where food is involved. This time, bring it with hummus (my personal favorite is roasted garlic hummus) in place of the ranch. Vegetables are unlimited in the sense of how many you can eat, and while you can eat too much hummus, it's really not that bad to overindulge in this one!

Another great snack that is quite delicious (if I say so myself), are roasted chickpeas. Check out this recipe by The Food Network for a quick and easy bowl full of spicy fun!

Now let's have a little food fun before we get to dessert! In honor of the rivalry in this game, how about having a pizza making contest? Done in pairs (or couples, depending on your party type), get yourself some multi-grain pizza dough from Whole Foods and tell your guests to bring their own favorite pizza toppings. Spend the pre-game time spinning out the dough and making your ultimate pizza, bake, eat, compare. Perhaps the winner(s) could win a favorite big brew, or a nice wine (or any other prize of your choice)?

Now for my favorite part of any meal - dessert! Fortunately, chocolate continues to get a good rep, especially the darker kind. Take the fruit of your choice, skewer a couple pieces with a toothpick, dip in  melted semi-sweet (or darker, your choice) chocolate, set on a cookie tray covered in wax paper, place in the fridge until the chocolate sets, then Enjoy!

These are just some ideas for a great game day. Have fun, eat and let the rivalry to rival all rivalries begin!

Sniffle and Slurp

The CDC has claimed this flu season as one of the worst in recent decades. The CDC also states that, from December 3 to January 12, more than 5,643 were recorded form the flu and pneumonia (most commonly caused by the flu).

While the most obvious thing to help prevent becoming infected this year is to get a flu vaccine (if you haven't already that is), eating right to prevent, or eating to heal, are also great ways to give your body what it needs to fend those flu foes.

Chicken soup has always been the advertised go-to meal for anyone afflicted with a cold of any type, and whether Campbell's coined the phrase, or it just came out of a wise mother's mouth, Chicken Soup really is good for the soul and heart! Trade your chicken for turkey, keeping the rest of the traditional ingredients, and you will really have a soup with saving power (better on the fat end while still giving you plenty of protein power). One of my favorites is Dr. Oz's family Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, which you can find here.

(Not quite as brothy, but equally as delicious and nutritious, check out this recipe off of Deer Valley's Turkey Chili from The Reluctant Gourmet!)

Aside from Chicken Noodle Soup, WebMD has some other things they recommend you do to help prevent the flu from attacking you (or to help you get over it):

• Try for 50g of protein a day - not only is it a necessary element of any diet, protein also gives you a boost with vitamins B6 and B12 (really good for women)
• Find ways to put Selenium and Zinc in your diet, which helps promote a stronger immune system. These can be found in things such as beans, nuts, red meats and poultry
• Get your greens! Glutathione, a major power booster in nutrition, can be found in foods such as kale, collard greens, broccoli and cabbage. Green is always a go for a healthy body
• Eat a variety of foods! Just like exercise, your body needs different foods to store all of the different nutrients it needs. Mix it up, match it up - do whatever you need to do to eat something new!
• Real food wins! When it comes to choosing between supplements and fruits and veggies, the latter come out on top every time. While getting that multi vitamin in daily or adding in that fish oil and Ecenesia can help keep your immune system strong, WebMD prefers that you focus on getting your daily servings of fruits and veggies in first before you worry too much about pounding the pills
• Don't concentrate on concentrate - Orange Juice is an obvious one with its high vitamin C (another good cold remedy), and Orange Juice with lots of pulp is even better. Instead of going for store bought, I suggest you take the time to smash and squeeze out the real stuff at home. The taste is out-of-this-world better!

Read more about what to eat during flu season with WebMD

One favorite thing I discovered while perusing WebMD's site was the encouragement of popsicles when you are sick. Now of course I am not talking about creamies, but more the whole fruit popsicles (Breyers® Pomegranate Popsicles are my personal favorite with or without a cold). Other foods they suggest are: turkey sandwiches, vegetable juice, chicken soup (just thought I'd mention it again, really get the point across), garlic, ginger, hot tea (any type will help), bananas, toast (great for an upset tummy), and meal replacement drinks (if you haven't been able to eat much, these are good to at least make sure you are getting the nutrients you need). 

Getting sick is never fun. I've already been sick twice this year (which never happens) at with both of my jobs, there never seems to be a day that somebody is not sick, sniffling or coughing constantly. Living in a mountain town, the cold just makes being sick that much more miserable. One thing that makes me feel much better and keeps me warm and happy (and very healthy) is this fantastic soup I found on an equally fantastic blog called Two Peas and Their Pod. Her roasted tomato basil soup is so good, I really think I could eat it every day. I try to make a batch every other week so I don't have to go too long without it. Check out the recipe on her blog, or go to my quick bits and find it there. 

Keep the kleenex close and the flu at bay this year and be sure to keep your life and plate colorful and nutritious! And if you still haven't gotten that flu shot, call your doctor and see if they have any left - it's a small pinch that really might be worth your life this year. 

A Dining Dillema

Almost two months since my last post! There is so much to write about, where do I start?

For the majority of December, I was fortunate enough to explore Germany (the Berlin area) while being a part of a beautiful wedding for a friend of mine. The area and the people were wonderful, and the food - oh the food! Now perhaps after making a stink about our GMO'd food I already had it in my head that their food would taste a bit superior, but it just seemed so much more than that.

Most mornings we would head down to a lovely little restaurant called Cafe Eterna. Almost before even sitting, we were sure to order a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Now, when you ask for fresh squeezed orange juice in the United States, you have to just trust that they are actually "fresh squeezing" it in the back (at least at most places). But here you watched them squeeze it. It was so fresh, so amazing - I could have drank a gallon of it and still asked for more!

Even walking around their larger grocery stores you saw more fresh food than you ever would in the United States. You still had a butchers section where you got your fresh cut meats. Packaged ones could still be found, but the ratio was completely opposite than in our grocery stores. Seeing and tasting so much fresh food was so nice, so delicious! But the biggest difference I tasted was not in the food itself, but rather in the taste and feel of the atmosphere and the people around us as we dined.

In the United States we seem to be so busy with everything in our lives that we pay very little attention to almost anything around us. As a server in a restaurant, nothing would drive me crazier than a family coming in for a nice dinner only to watch the kids play on their iPads the entire time while mom and dad send emails or text others. So much for a nice family night. We also seem to expect everything to happen faster, everything to-go.

I remember my first time at a coffee shop in Italy - I went up to the counter and asked for my latte. Being accustomed to our coffee shops, I waited patiently to the side for my coffee to come up. The lady behind the counter kept staring at me and finally said, "what are you doing?". I told her I was waiting for my coffee. With a smirk, (you know it if you've been to Europe, the 'oh, an American' one), she said, "go sit down". I'm sure I came off as completely impatient and ignorant of the people and feeling around me. You do not go into a coffee shop when you are in a hurry. You go into a coffee shop to sit and enjoy your coffee and watch as the morning unfolds. At least, that's what you do around Europe.

Dining in Europe is an experience. You go into a restaurant not expecting that you will come out for AT LEAST two hours. You are not there to get in and get out, and your servers are not there to rush you through your meal either. If you want that, go to McDonald's or Burger King (but even there you will not find a drive through, and most people will be sitting enjoying their meal). To have to "wait" for at least 40minutes to get your food is completely reasonable - and why shouldn't it be? If you are making something from scratch at home, how often can you have it ready within 40 minutes? My guess is not often. But my guess is not many of us take the time to make a meal like that anymore. It's all about the 20 minute hamburger helper, the microwave meal. But is quicker better?

Actually sitting and enjoying my food and the people around me I discovered two things: 1) You learn so much more about your friends and the people around you when you are 'forced' to sit and listen to them. 2) You learn to listen to your body and whether it is full or ready for more when you take longer to eat.

Ok, so the second one is something we have all probably heard of a lot, but how many of us actually do it. Hardly any I would imagine. Instead, we hurry through our lunch so we can get back to work, we eat breakfast in the car so you can get to the office before anyone else, you go through the drive through or pick up take out on your way home because you are just 'too busy' to bother with making a meal.

Did you know that in Germany, Monday is like an extra Sunday for many places? Most shops and restaurants (even in big cities like Berlin) are closed. and in Italy, lunch breaks are a minimum of 1 hour (but really more like 2 hours) where the shops close to enjoy a nice big lunch. My first couple days experience this was a little stressful, I will admit. There were things I wanted to do, places I wanted to go! Then, I sat back and realized that there was no need for that. I realized that I was being 'that' American and that I needed to learn to enjoy life the way they did (of course then I come back to the USA and just get frustrated at the far too fast pace of life).

Now I know this is not the norm for everywhere or everyone, but as a culture it is how we are and how we expect things to be. Already cooking a lot at home, I feel I have been better at not letting myself be in such a hurry, but I definitely catch myself more often than I would like. I consciously work on trying to make sure I am taking the time to pay attention to what I am cooking, who is around, and just enjoying the entire process. And that is something I challenge you all to do! You will be amazed at how your body, mind and spirit will respond!