My Cool Tool

I'm not really a gadget person. I do admit to having a few multi-taskers in my house. One of my newest is this grater. I found it on Etsy. Have I told you how addicted I am to Etsy? Handmade stuff, reasonably priced, created by people just like you and me sold in one big marketplace. How great it that?

I'm always searching the pottery on Etsy. I literally could buy thousands and thousands of dollars worth. I have a pottery addiction almost as bad as my chocolate addiction. I came across this great grater made by H Stoneware a few weeks ago and I was intrigued. I use a lot of ginger in my cooking. It's one of my most favorite flavors next to maple...and mocha....and coconut....and caramel....ok I have lots of favorite flavors, but ginger really is one of them. So I see this grater and it says:

It grates Ginger, garlic, hard cheese, lemon and orange zest, even nutmeg.
I hand throw each one so one of a kind.
Comes is a variety of colors.
email me for colors!

So I did. I chose the blue/black combo as you can see. The price - $10. Reasonable I thought. Now the question was, would it actually work? I had teriyaki salmon on the menu and it calls for lots of grated ginger, so this was a perfect opportunity to test it out.

See all those little "teeth"??



They really do work. I peeled some ginger, rubbed it across the surface of the grater, and withing a few seconds my ginger was down to a little bitty nub! I was thrilled. No more scraping my knuckles across the microplane grater. Hallelujah! This thing really works! So I tried it with some aged Pecorino - worked perfectly! How cool that my new little gadget not only looks good, but it actually does what it's supposed to.

Nana

As we grow old, the beauty steals inward.
- Bronson Alcott

Nana (my Grandmother, Gram to me but Nana to the boys, her great-grandchildren) turned 85 Saturday. Our birthdays are exactly a week and 40 years apart. Looking back now, it seems strange that she was a grandmother at 40. I’m 45 and my kids are barely teenagers, but back then things were different, she was different. Nana has Alzheimer’s. It started about a year before my Grandfather died. At first it was little things, not remembering what entrance she used when she went to the mall, leaving food in the oven or microwave, adding or leaving out ingredients in recipes, just little ordinary things that happen to us regular folks all the time, but Nana’s forgetfulness worsened. By the time my grandfather passed away she was in the beginning stages of the disease and has gotten progressively worse since. That first year after he died was hell for all of us. She was combative, she was mean, she swore!! This woman who I had never heard utter a nasty word in her life started speaking like a sailor. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I would scold her for her swearing, all the while trying not to laugh while I did it.



That first year was hell for all of us. Watching this woman that we all loved just fall to pieces was unbearable at times. She moved into assisted living into a lock down unit. She hated it. She cursed when we would visit. She wanted to go home. She would ask about her washer and dryer of all things. Every time we’d visit she’s say “how is my washer and dryer?” and my mother would tell her they were fine. Sounds crazy right but that’s the way her brain worked. You begin to wonder if there is anything left of the person that this disease took from you.



I had only one moment with her in the past 5 years that she was my Gram again. We were sitting in her room about a month after she moved into the facility and we were talking about nothing in particular and she was chatting away and then suddenly her face just changed. I can’t explain it, but I could see in her eyes she was back and she looked at me and said, “Don’t you think for a minute that I don’t know I’m going crazy”. That was it. As fast as she came back, she was gone again and she’s never returned. So that was our moment. The last of my Gram that I will keep locked away inside me forever. Sometimes I see this quiet desperation in her eyes and I wonder if she is having a moment of clarity and is horrified at what she’s become. Cruel as it sounds, I hope the moments of clarity are few and far between, because she would be just as shocked at who she is now as we are.



I tell my boys about her before the disease, how she was an expert seamstress and sewed almost all of my clothes when I was younger. She even made all the girls in the neighborhood that I grew up in matching bikinis one year. Oh were we thrilled. It was 1974 and we all had bathing suits made out of material that looked like bandanas. We were totally cool. She crocheted and knitted too. Every woman we knew had one of her beautiful knitted purses. She was a great cook, soup being one of her specialties and every Easter she would make ham & cheese pies and rice pies. She was married to a man who loved her so deeply that even without knowing them; you could just look at them and see it. If you show her a picture of my Grandfather now, she will tell you she has no idea who “that man” is. Thank goodness he isn’t here to see that. It would have crushed him.



So on her birthday a little part of me mourned for a person who is not dead. Who is here among the living but is not really living at all and what saddens me more than anything is that my kids will never really know her, the beautiful, kind, and sweet lady that she was. The talented, patient, loving person I grew up with. The real Nana that would have loved to have been all that and more to them.

Back to Basics - Meatloaf

What food evokes more comforting memories than meatloaf? Definitely a dish that the men always seems to love, and one the ladies like a whole bunch too. In an effort to continue to get back to basic, may I present meatloaf. Plain and simple. A great dish to make if you are a seasoned pro or just starting out in the kitchen. This recipe was adapted from a Barefoot Contessa turkey meatloaf recipe. Over the years I kinda took out a little of this and added in a little of that. It's a staple recipe in this house. Meatloaf for dinner and meatloaf sandwiches for lunch the next day. As Ina always say, what's better than that?

You can use turkey or ground beef in this recipe. Since I got a sweet deal on ground beef this past week and totally stocked up on it, I'm going with the beef. This is equally as delicious with ground turkey.

Lisa's Meatloaf
adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten
Printable recipe
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth (or stock)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
ketchup for top

Preheat the oven to 325. In a medium pan over medium low heat cook the onions with the olive oil until they are translucent (about 8 - 10 minutes). Don't let them get brown. Add salt and pepper and the thyme.

Add the Worcestershire, chicken broth and tomato paste. Mix well. Allow mixture to cool until it's at room temp.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef or turkey, eggs, breadcrumbs, and onion mixture. Mix well, yes with your hands. I personally think mixing a big bowl of meat only pales in comparison to playing in the mud, or sand. I like it. Once it is mixed well shape it into a rectangular loaf and place it on an ungreased sheet pan lined with parchment. Spread enough ketchup over the top to cover it. Spread evenly.

Bake for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 and loaf is cooked through. You can also put a pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf to keep the top from cracking but a cracked top never bothered me any.

Serve hot, room temp or in a sandwich!

The giveaway winner is......

The random number generator has spoken (my son Evan hit the button to choose the number) and the winner is..........Bunny from Bunny's Warm Oven!!! How appropriate that bunny won the bunny! Thanks to all who stopped by to enter.

Congratulations Bunny!

Carnitas

I had seen a slow cooker recipe on Dinners for a Year and Beyond for pork shoulder (or pork butt, same difference) made in the crock pot that sounded oh so good. "I have to remember this" I said to myself. A few days later I got my reminder from the grocery store's sales flyer. Pork Shoulder was on sale for $1 a pound. I ran and bought a nice 6 and half pounder. I trimmed it of any excessive fat then salted it well. Don't be skimpy on the salt. Pack it on good. Then put on my spice rub and let it sit in the fridge for 2 days.

Fast forward a few days later.....pork is ready for cooking. I had every intention of putting it in the crock pot like Amy did, but somehow it never managed to end up there. I got out my dutch oven, threw in a couple of onions, one orange sliced into about 4 big pieces, 4 cloves of garlic and 1 bottle of beer. I set the oven to 325 and let it cook for 5 hours. When I took the cover off the pork was literally falling off the bone. Once it was cool enough, I shredded it and laid it out a big sheet pan. Don't throw out that delicious juice at the bottom of that pot. Use a mesh strainer and get every last drop of those beautiful pork drippings. Pour about a cup over the pork and then put it in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour. Let the pork get nice and crunchy and crispy and beautiful. I love you pork.

I don't know what is was, but this was the best pulled pork I have ever made. I think it might have been the two days sitting in the fridge heavily seasoned, or the addition of the orange, which I have never done before, but will definitely be doing again and again.

We ate ours wrapped in warm tortillas with all our favorite fillings. Top this with whatever you love.

Here are some serving suggestions:

Shredded lettuce
Spinach
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Black beans
Fresh salsa
Green chilies
Salas verde
Olives
Onions
Avocado
Peppers
sour cream
refried beans
Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Spring/Birthday Giveaway

Spring, spring, spring! Although, not my favorite of the seasons (that would be autumn), you are a welcome sign after a long New England winter. This past weekend I dug in the dirt and got my hands dirty, used muscles that have laid dormant since last spring (those raking muscles sure do ache the next day), basked in the sunshine, planted seedlings, looked through seed catalogs and dreamt, made lists of all the veggies I want to plant, and mapped out my garden plans for 2009. Hopefully it will be a very fruitful and vegiful year!

Today is my birthday and I can't think of a better way to celebrate it than to have a giveaway. I'm one of those people who really, truly loves to give more than receive, so give I shall. Over the past few weeks I've been shopping for all things springy. I came up with few gifts, some for the kitchen and some just for fun. Here's what's up for grabs:

This cute rustic wooden bunny:

He's got ridiculously cute ears that even wiggle. You could hang him on your door, or a garden fence, or even your mailbox.

I’m also giving away these adorable salt & pepper shakers. One bunny and one chick. How cute would they look on your Easter table?



Haven’t had enough cuteness?? How about this set of 6 muffin pots. That’s what I call them anyway. I use them for so many things…..I make desserts in them, put salt or pepper in them or use them as dippin' bowls. I've made mini breads in them, pudding, cupcakes, the possibilities are endless. I just love them.

Last but not least I have this cookbook complied by a local company in Rhode Island. I bought 2 copies last year knowing I would give one away as a gift. It’s like one of those church cookbooks where you find all the best tried and true recipes. Those kinds of cookbooks are my favorites! It’s packed full of great recipes.

How do I win all these spectacular prizes you ask? All you have to do is leave a comment. Well what on earth would I say to get myself entered?

Here let me give you a question.

What’s your favorite vegetable to eat straight outta the garden?

A big fat juicy tomato? Some rhubarb with a little sugar sprinkled on it? (that was always my favorite) or is it fresh berries straight off the vine? Whatever it is, let me know in your comment and your entered….that’s it.

Enter once only please, don’t be a comment hog or I’ll kick your keister out, and I so don’t want to do that, but I will if I have too!

Deadline for entries is Friday, March 27th at midnight, EST.

Please leave an email address for contact if you don't have a blog.

Giveaway is open to everyone whether you're in the USA or Zimbabwe...I'll ship anywhere.

Winner will be picked using the random number generator.

Oh yeah and one more thing that I can't stress enough....grow something! Make 2009 the year that you start that garden you always talked about. It's easier than you think. No matter where you live, or how small your space, you can plant, grow and eat something good!

Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats

We finally got a Trader Joe’s last year! Hooray! Those of you with a Trader Joe’s near by know what I’m talkin’ about. For years and years I would hear about TJ’s on message boards and blogs and see some of the wonderful products they carried and wished and hoped that one would open someday in Rhode Island and low and behold, my wish came true. Last fall TJ’s opened it’s newest store, 10 minutes from my house. 10 minutes! How glorious! I already have products that have become favorites for me…the Haricots Verts (french-style green beans), frozen artichoke hearts, goddess dressing, the sopressata’s ($3.99 each!), chocolate covered espresso beans, all the frozen fruits, the cheeses, the nuts, I could go on and on.

One of my most favorite things is the Quick Cook Steel Cuts Oats. If you like regular rolled oats in the little brown packages, I strongly urge you to try steel cut oats. Nuttier than instant oatmeal and packed with way more flavor, they are far superior to instant oatmeal in my opinion. I’ve eaten other brands and really enjoyed them, but most of those have much longer cooking times and just weren’t feasible for me on hectic mornings. TJ’s oats are ready in less than 8 minutes and one serving is the perfect amount for breakfast. I like mine with a little maple syrup and some walnuts, some fresh berries and almonds, or some home made granola and diced bananas. The topping possibilities are endless so I always feel like I’m having something new for breakfast, even though there are mornings that I wish I was eating a big ole cinnamon bun smothered in frosting, but we just can’t do that now can we?? Dammit.



Thank you for listening to my pleas and opening a store in Rhode Island Trader Joe people, now I have to get to work on those Ikea people.