I am an ardent Obama supporter this election season. I have done my research on the candidate and his record and am thoroughly impressed with his vision for America. That is unless I am with my younger brother. I tend to be in the non-committed camp when in his presence. I'm really not as divided over who I support as that might sound, you see I have an ardent Republican in my favorite, youngest sibling, and I walk a fine line to keep the rhetoric and angry words that often go with politics to a minimum.
He is in most ways a conservative, and I am most certainly a liberal in most of the issues I have voted for and supported over the past ten years. But I'll be honest with you...I value my brother and friend and have never been one who enjoys the political fights and those, "I'm right and you're wrong!" attitudes that often prevail with those I know during presidential election years. My brother can be as stubborn as I am in his hopes for our country and I have decided that I need to leave politics out of our relationship.
Who he is came from many things he's experienced in his life. He is retired Army, and I admire his loyalty to the things he feels strongly about and that stick-to-it-tiveness that makes him someone you really want in your corner in times of trouble. In other words, I consider him an honorable man, and though I disagree with his choice of candidates I need to honor him for who he is in my life.
In these times of political malice that seems to pervade our culture during the presidential elections I see a need for civility - especially with family! Our hard thought out choices for any office don't need to be sabotaged to make anyone feel comfortable.
There is an old proverb that we need to understand with greater clarity during these times of political strife. "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still."
So this election season, (and probably many, many more!) I will honor the man who is my friend and brother. I can remain true to who I am without having to persuade him to think exactly as I do on anything, political or otherwise.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Flavors of Change
I am contemplating the changing of a recipe to fit how I feel today! I enjoy the Italian version of that marinara sauce, but I'm up for something new. Now you're going to walk with me through this new version I'm stepping out of my personal Italian food comfort zone! But I have to admit I like Mexican and Hispanic cooking. I am just beginning to explore this ethnic cooking.
Now don't get me wrong, I have been a lover of this type of cooking but haven't explored it for myself because I am really intimidated by the jalapeno. I've tasted this hot pepper in dishes that have burned my mouth for days (Which was awful because there were literally no other flavors!)!
So, how can I enjoy the flavors but not have them overpowering? That's the fun of creating or changing recipes, and we all do it! How many of us get a recipe and eliminate or change a recipe because an ingredient isn't available, or our families don't like it? I know I have over the years, and when something worked it gave me the guts to try it again.
I know when I heard that all those top chefs were creating new recipes almost daily I got a bit intimidated at first but slowly I came to realize that I'd been doing that on a small scale almost daily for my own family. Sometimes it can turn into a wonderful meal, which is always a great thing! Don't get me wrong though, I've had my share of failures since I don't know all the spices and their characteristics well. I can remember my sons shoveling dinner in with comments in between bites of, "Please do not make this again - it's awful!" (You have to understand, my boys while growing ate anything, but were very vocal about what they liked!) It didn't stop me though and I kept trying and learning as I add more herbs and spices to my own personal spice palette.
Like a painter, You can use these spices to add layers of flavors that become the meals I serve, and I love the process of creating a tasty meal. You know...I have one in my mind right now with that marina sauce. But I really have to try it out on my family first!
Now don't get me wrong, I have been a lover of this type of cooking but haven't explored it for myself because I am really intimidated by the jalapeno. I've tasted this hot pepper in dishes that have burned my mouth for days (Which was awful because there were literally no other flavors!)!
So, how can I enjoy the flavors but not have them overpowering? That's the fun of creating or changing recipes, and we all do it! How many of us get a recipe and eliminate or change a recipe because an ingredient isn't available, or our families don't like it? I know I have over the years, and when something worked it gave me the guts to try it again.
I know when I heard that all those top chefs were creating new recipes almost daily I got a bit intimidated at first but slowly I came to realize that I'd been doing that on a small scale almost daily for my own family. Sometimes it can turn into a wonderful meal, which is always a great thing! Don't get me wrong though, I've had my share of failures since I don't know all the spices and their characteristics well. I can remember my sons shoveling dinner in with comments in between bites of, "Please do not make this again - it's awful!" (You have to understand, my boys while growing ate anything, but were very vocal about what they liked!) It didn't stop me though and I kept trying and learning as I add more herbs and spices to my own personal spice palette.
Like a painter, You can use these spices to add layers of flavors that become the meals I serve, and I love the process of creating a tasty meal. You know...I have one in my mind right now with that marina sauce. But I really have to try it out on my family first!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Great Simple Meal
Well, the falling apart of America has begun with our life. I have no job, and my husband has been cut back to 36 hours. We're retooling our budget and wondering where we go from here. If you think this financial mess is not going to affect you - think again. This will be affecting everyone, and I know that it will be getting worse before it gets better.
So how can we save money and stay afloat at the same time? Start in the kitchen and keep what you buy to the bare minimum. Casseroles don't mean tasteless meals, but it does take creativity. Start with good basic recipes that you can make work in various ways. A great example is to have a good basic red sauce to use for both Mexican and Italian meals.
Hamburger can be a friend for these type of meals, but what can jazz it up is more a combination of meats. I use a little bit of ground breakfast sausage added to the ground beef to add another layer of flavor. Start with a pound of lean ground beef and add 1/4 pound of the breakfast sausage. Before sauteing the mixture, mix it together well, I use my hands and usually add my spices and seasoning here since I don't lose any as I sprinkle all over the stove by doing this.
So what do you want to make? How about a basic pasta meal? Begin with frying and draining the meat. put the meat in a bowl with one layer of paper towing under it to get the rest of the grease out of your meal early. Cut your basics finely for the base of the sauce, that will be one small onion and 3 cloves garlic. Get a pan over a medium high heat until the oil is is rippling, Add one tablespoon of light olive oil and the diced onion for about 3 to five minutes - don't burn it! Add the garlic just until you smell it. Add a drip more of oil and a palm full of dried Italian seasoning (about a heaping tablespoon) and a half a palm of dried basil a to the oil mix it around until you really smell the herbs bloom. Add a 28 ounces can of good crushed tomatoes to the mix and stir well. Turn it down and let it come to a simmer. This should never be over cooked! I usually only bring it back to the simmer, cover it and simmer for another 20 minutes.
This is a basic mix that can be used in a lasagna or a pasta dish. I love to add sauteed zucchini and summer squash or almost any veggie to the sauce with cooked penne pasta or linguine and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. It's really a fast meal if you prep the ingredients and can be a tasty meal. Just add your favorite bread, and voila - a family meal with little effort.
Get the best ingredients you can afford since it makes the flavor great, and remember, it usually tastes even better the second time around. Leftovers rock!
So how can we save money and stay afloat at the same time? Start in the kitchen and keep what you buy to the bare minimum. Casseroles don't mean tasteless meals, but it does take creativity. Start with good basic recipes that you can make work in various ways. A great example is to have a good basic red sauce to use for both Mexican and Italian meals.
Hamburger can be a friend for these type of meals, but what can jazz it up is more a combination of meats. I use a little bit of ground breakfast sausage added to the ground beef to add another layer of flavor. Start with a pound of lean ground beef and add 1/4 pound of the breakfast sausage. Before sauteing the mixture, mix it together well, I use my hands and usually add my spices and seasoning here since I don't lose any as I sprinkle all over the stove by doing this.
So what do you want to make? How about a basic pasta meal? Begin with frying and draining the meat. put the meat in a bowl with one layer of paper towing under it to get the rest of the grease out of your meal early. Cut your basics finely for the base of the sauce, that will be one small onion and 3 cloves garlic. Get a pan over a medium high heat until the oil is is rippling, Add one tablespoon of light olive oil and the diced onion for about 3 to five minutes - don't burn it! Add the garlic just until you smell it. Add a drip more of oil and a palm full of dried Italian seasoning (about a heaping tablespoon) and a half a palm of dried basil a to the oil mix it around until you really smell the herbs bloom. Add a 28 ounces can of good crushed tomatoes to the mix and stir well. Turn it down and let it come to a simmer. This should never be over cooked! I usually only bring it back to the simmer, cover it and simmer for another 20 minutes.
This is a basic mix that can be used in a lasagna or a pasta dish. I love to add sauteed zucchini and summer squash or almost any veggie to the sauce with cooked penne pasta or linguine and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. It's really a fast meal if you prep the ingredients and can be a tasty meal. Just add your favorite bread, and voila - a family meal with little effort.
Get the best ingredients you can afford since it makes the flavor great, and remember, it usually tastes even better the second time around. Leftovers rock!
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