So uninspired....

I'm the most uninspired cook in the world right now. I wanted to make a lovely supper for my family, but we were puttering in what we call a 'garden' (sand pit) and trying to decide what to do with all our dead grass. We thought to ask our neighbors if we could see theirs because its a 'desert' garden and is purported to be quite nice (it is...). They are so organized and design-savvy compared to us... So, by the time we got home with a donated sofa, the name of a house painter, and a renewed sense of purpose to make our bizarre, enormous, concrete bunker-by-the-highway a home, I was too cranky and too tired to prepare anything more taxing than mac 'n cheese.
We had broiled beefsteak- salt, pepper, splash of red wine, herbs de Provence & olive oil.
Mac & Cheese- from a box even, I am pathetic.
Platter of chopped raw veg.
So extremely pathetic.

I did make a decent salad.
Boston lettuce
Goat cheese
Raisins
Pear
Cashew
Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I picture of lettuce- click on it to see the names of each. lame picture for a lame supper for a lame post...

Stop the Insanity!

I'm trying to diet a little. I've gained a couple of pounds since coming back to the US, I think its because the food in Dubai is so much richer and possibly more satisfying that you end up eating less. I know there isnt any reduced fat yogurt in Dubai, of course its not all yogurt weight. It's buy one get one free. That just kills me. Especially keebler cookies...check out their amazing website...

Today for lunch I had a spinach cobb salad.
It was spinach, cucumbers, tomato, a bit of avocado, a bit of cheddar cheese, and a shredded slice of ham and topped it with 2 tsp. of basil vinaigrette dressing.
For the avocado and cheese I read somewhere that a piece of cheese the size of your thumb is a serving (NOT 1/2 the brick, evidently...)

It was tasty and sort of satisfying. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

Attack of the killer cucumber...

Today Mrs. Joy presented me with these amazing cucumbers. The one on the top is a whopping 10" long and weighs 5lbs. They may be a mutation with a melon, but we arent sure.

The one I'm taking home will be chopped up with plain yogurt, dill salt and garlic powder. I'll let it sit for an hour or two and feed it to my dinner guests. Pretty sure the munchkins wont eat this.

Ancient and Surly

When the mercury rises above 85, and especially when the humidity is high, my parents morph from reasonably normal 60 year-olds into ancient and surly people who are almost impossible to please.

Here is a lovely summer supper I prepared for them because my mom was actually too incapacitated to wash lettuce... I just hope they dont move to Florida, they will disappear in a swamp one day while searching for their car keys...

Above, clockwise from 12:oo:

garden salad of bibb lettuce, blue cheese, cherry tomato and artichoke hearts.

tuna salad, I personally enjoy VERY MUCH a mayonnaise SOAKED tuna that is almost a spread, I did add pepper and some celery, but not of my own volition.

A plate of carrot, pepper, avocado and green beans for the kids

Breadrolls from this bakery which, to be honest, I'm not wild about, but my kids and parents adore.

fruit salad of blueberries, strawberries, cherries, manadarin oranges and apple (kind of a scrounge from their fridge)

A caprese salad which I have actually heard referred to as a 'capricious salad'. G-- I love Rhode Island! PS Do not buy 'fresh' mozzarella if it has to travel more than 10 miles to get to you, it will taste like rubber- just use the semi-dry kind.

Center: a large bowl of kidney beans dressed with Extra Virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and a tiny shake of garlic powder.

I hope the humidity breaks because I'm supposed to go back there today. Heaven forfend they actually drove the 40min to my house where it is always 10 degrees cooler...

Its too darn hot...

On the 4th day of over 90 degree heat and (we're in CT, not Florida here people...) I am fully grumpy and fully done with cooking of anykind.

Salads, salads are key

Grate 4 carrots, add some golden raisins, some pepita, some toasted sesame seeds in a bowl. Add one tsp olive oil, 1 tsp rice wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp ginger. Stir, let sit for about an hour in fridge

Slice an avocado, sprinkle with lemon, salt and pepper. Serve on toast

Buy a chicken from the supermarket, shred the breasts off the bone, add 2 tbsp of this restaurant's salad dressing (worth the trip- even if you are in Arkansas) and a tbsp of dijon mustard. Serve on the toast with the avocado...

Cube a cucumber. Add plain yogurt, salt, pepper and some dill weed. Refridgerate. eat.

Make a fruit salad.

Serve it to your children for a poolside picnic. Let the ants clean it up.

Lame Mom dinner

Its been a long workweek for me so tonight was my favorite lame-o mom dinner.

One supermarket rotisserie chicken
One loaf of french bread with butter
One package of string beans
One mixed carrot and raisin salad.

I'll give you the recipe for the carrot and raisin salad since its the only thing I actually did...

4 carrots- shredded
1 apple- chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
sprinkle powdered ginger
Also good to add sunflower seeds or pepita for crunch...
Tasty salad.

Mr. Muffin Puff Cake has announced his intention to vegetarianism... perhaps things will get more interesting in my blog as we explore this...