Planning for the Unknown

My husband is finishing up his last year of law school and is applying for jobs in the military with JAG. 

I grew up in a military town and met lots of military kids as they started another new school and tried to meet new friends. I wondered what it would be like moving from place to place and meeting friends as an adult. Because I was a teen in a military town my experiences with the military involved me avoiding airmen like the plague. These underdeveloped airmen with overdeveloped egos would move into town and use the sensible local girls for target practice. They looked at all the local girls as if we had bulls eyes on our foreheads and the chase ensued. They wanted a girlfriend, a wife or someone to pass the time. It was a bit of a shock when my 30 something year old husband declared joining the military after law school was what he really wanted to do with his law degree. I couldn't picture him as the 21 year old neanderthal that would swoop in and run off with the sensible southern girl tossed over his shoulder. I admit, I freaked out. Military? Him? Wait...what? 

I did what I do best, I researched and asked questions. I talked to my friends in the military, my friends that were swooped off their feet by 21 year old airmen and are happy military wives today and I spent weeks reading blogs and researching bases. After my initial hesitation I am now completely on board with it. He did his internship with the Air Force and loved it. I could see it cement in his brain and anything that gets him this excited gets my seal of approval. How did I not see the perfect fit before? Ah, that's right, I was biased.

The application and selection process is more competitive than ever and I hear there is about a 5% acceptance rate. Hubs is a smart cookie. He's in the top 11% of his class, an editor of Law Review, on Moot Court and a long list of other things that boggle my brain to keep up with. I can't imagine him ever being an ambulance chaser or just doing something for the income. I really do think he'll make a great judge someday as he's probably the most levelheaded and fair person I know. He's started the interview process and I'm as anxious as he is to get the results. 

Since I'm a planner I've been doing lots of research on what will happen if he does go this route. Don't laugh, may as well do something with the nervous energy (other than the laundry piled up from my trip last week). There may be lots of moves...lots and lots of moves. I've already started a spreadsheet. My sister-in-law, Mary Beth, laughed and said it's my OCD kicking in. I say if there is a chance you may have to stop, drop and move to parts unknown with very little notice, you'd better start running some scenarios in your head (or spreadsheet) or it will be your own fault if you crack and get tossed into a rubber room. We have pets, a full house of furniture and have been married for going on nine years. We're established. We've got lots of stuff that needs to be sorted, donated, packed, moved, transferred to family, etc. It's not like we live in a one bedroom with a milk crate for a coffee table. I'm a very good consumer and the contents of our home are proof. 

I'm a housewife, albeit not a great one, but if I can't do anything to help with school at least I can start worrying about the little things that need consideration. Who knew some moves involving pets need micro-chipping and rabies records for 6 months prior to the move? Seriously. My pets aren't micro-chipped. It's not an enormous hassle to get them micro-chipped the next time they're in for their shots. If I get it done now I won't be wishing for a wormhole later to get those six months of records I'll need to have. No harm and no foul if he ends up doing something else post-law school. I'll just have iron clad vet records and a few spreadsheets to delete.

There are so many amazing blogs out there by military members, military wives and I wondered how they managed to do it before the internet and the sharing of ideas on blogs and message boards. Just reading the blogs has made me more comfortable with the possibilities. 

Sweet Potato Bar (Build-Your-Own Sweet Potato) for Thanksgiving

I've recently started trying different ways to eat sweet potatoes. These have always been on my most hated foods list. After trying them a few different ways I finally discovered that it isn't the sweet potato that I dislike but the too-sweet additions. I just don't care for sweet vegetables and adding marshmallows and syrup just takes it to a new level of nasty. I prefer to add savory flavors to my sweet potatoes and I've found bleu cheese crumbles, butter, salt and pepper to be the winner so far.

Thanksgiving is coming up and I wanted to serve sweet potatoes now that I actually like them. Since my dinner guest probably prefer the traditional gooey casserole to my Bleu Cheese Sweet Potatoes I thought I'd create a Build-Your-Own Sweet Potato Bar. I'm going to bake my sweet potatoes in the crock pot (anything to free more oven and stove space). I'll serve them on a platter and use a condiment server to put a collection of toppings.

These are the toppings I think I'll use:

1. Marshmallows, maybe toss them under a broiler to brown up
2. Maple syrup
3. Bleu Cheese
4. Bacon Crumbles
5. Brown Sugar

The more I think about this plan the bigger fan I become. Leftovers will be easier to manage since I'm only dealing with the baked potatoes. I don't want to waste food and I really don't want to add something like a sweet potato casserole to the menu if I won't touch it or the left overs.

It's a Good Day for a Hot Sandwich

Temperatures are still in the upper 80's but I've been jonesin' for a hot sandwich. Not being a meat eater I am usually limited to some sort of grilled veggie sandwich or grilled cheese. Those are great but I wanted something different and unlike what I'm stuck ordering when I go out for sandwiches.

It just so happened that I picked up a wonderful Hot Green Tomato Relish by Slice of Georgia last week. They had a booth set up in the Artists Market at Atlantic Station where they were offering samples and selling jars of jellies, jams, salsas, pie fillings, pickles and relishes. I picked up jars of the Hot Green Tomato Relish, the Green Tomato Relish (mild) and a jar of Peach Salsa.

The Hot Green Tomato Relish is really unlike anything I've tried on the market. I thought the milder version tasted almost like a Chow-Chow. It's packed with flavor and I can't wait to try it on other foods. When I tried the hot relish on a chip at their booth it started off a bit sweet and flavorful but the heat really sneaks up on you at the end. I used about 2 tablespoons on my sandwich and it wasn't too spicy at all. This really goes well on a sandwich and I didn't get that spice shock when I tasted it alone.

Tofurkey and Tomato Relish Sandwich

• Hoagie Roll, cut in half and pick some of the bread from the center
• 2 slices of smoked provolone cheese
• 1/2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• Slice of Georgia Hot Green Tomato Relish
• 5-10 Smoked Tofurkey slices

Cut the roll in half and pick some of the bread from the center to give you more room for filling. I mixed up a little Cabernet Sauvinon vinegar that I had on hand with olive oil and drizzled it over the insides of the bread. Add your sliced cheese, the your relish and put the Tofurkey on last. 

Close your sandwich and wrap it in foil. Put it on middle rack and heat at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Here's the link for Slice of Georgia and a listing of upcoming festival and event appearances. They also have a Pdf catalog here. I'm hoping to catch them at another festival to pick up some of their vidalia onion products and dips for use around the holidays. I thought it would be a nice treat to serve out of town folks and I may even do a goodie bag for some hostess gifts for holiday parties. 

Pumpkin Butter Recipe

Even though it's still in the 90's in Atlanta, I'm so excited about fall. This summer has been brutal and it's the first year I've really tried to limit my sun exposure. I'm looking forward to cooler weather where I can cover up and the skinny chicks near me will have to cover up too.

I found some Peach Butter and Pumpkin Butter at my local farmer's market. While I was in there I Googled some recipes and grabbed the ingredients to make my own pumpkin butter. There are several markets around that sell local produce but there is one that's probably the size of a Super Wal-Mart with nothing but food. It's a great place to buy produce, cheeses, and there's an enormous meat counter if you're into that kind of thing. I found canned organic there as well as some of the bulk spices I'd need for the recipe. I'll just hang onto the jar of pumpkin butter I picked up for when I run out of the homemade goodness.

If you have a farmer's market or any market that sells bulk, you should take a few extra minutes to peruse the spice aisle. I've found spices for a fraction of the cost of the grocery stores. You can see some of the prices in my picture below. Granted, I don't know what I'll do with a half pound of ground cloves. For $2, I can think of something.

Yesterday I attempted my first batch of homemade pumpkin butter. I can tell this is something I'll make again this fall. By last night I had already gifted two jars of it. I used my big Williams-Sonoma Spoonula for this job and it worked perfectly. By using the spoonula and the slow cooker, it was a fairly small kitchen production. I love one pot masterpieces! I also recipes for stove top that takes about 30-45 minutes. I may try that next time. I'm also going to try making a similar version with orange zest. I'll let you know.

Pumpkin Butter

• 3 Cans of Pumpkin Puree...not Pumpkin Pie filling. The filling already has spices and other stuff added. I used organic.
• 1 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed. (Option: Use 1/2 cup of maple syrup and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar.)
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. 
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• A big pinch of salt
• A big pinch or 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
• A big pinch or 1/8 teaspoon of allspice

Stir all of the ingredients into a slow cooker set on low heat. Because you are cooking it down you'll abandon the rule of leaving the lid alone. Stir at least once every 30 minutes to an hour the first 4 hours. The last 2 hours, leave the lid 1/4 to 1/2 off and stir every 20 minutes or so. It's important to keep the sides scraped down to prevent burning. By stirring so often you'll keep it reducing instead of allowing the top to dry and it to stay too wet underneath. Total cook time in slow cooker: 6 hours. 

I found these cute Ball jars in Target. It filled all 4 and I had enough left over to fill a small Rubbermaid container. I like the jars for sharing. I may transfer one to another Rubbermaid for freezing. I'll hang onto the jars for when I try to learn to can.

The Kickball Experiment

I haven't played kickball since I was about ten years old. We had a huge backyard and the kids from next door would come over and we'd play some serious kickball. I was never an athletic child. It's possible I may be the clumsiest human on earth. So why do I look back on this sport with such fond memories?


My friend Julie posted something on Facebook about an adult kickball league playing in Piedmont Park this fall. I can't explain the excitement I felt. I signed up immediately. We'll play in Piedmont Park and then meet for adult beverages and conversation at a nearby restaurant.

It turns out there are all sorts of teams and they let you know which ones are more sporty or competitive and which ones are more social and good times. I picked a social team.

I'm really excited to do something this fall with new people and do it at one of my favorite parks. Part of the registration money goes back to the park so that's even better.

If you'd like to try your kickball skills there's a website for the World Adult Kickball Association. You can see if there's a league near you. I'm looking forward to channeling my inner child. Tell me this doesn't look fun!



I know they're coming up with theme nights and I can't want to see what everyone wears. I'll post more pictures of my own once the season starts.

Peach Butter and Pumpkin Butter!

I found some Peach Butter in the Dekalb Farmer's Market yesterday. It's by Braswell's and made nearby in Statesboro, Ga. This stuff is amazing. It also comes in a cute little jar that I plan to re-use.

I try to save glass jars when I can and use them instead of my plastic storage containers when sending leftovers home with friends. This little glass will make a nice addition to my already cluttered glassware cabinet.

This morning I made my Oatmeal and instead of adding cinnamon and bananas I added a big tablespoon of peach butter. It was so good I'm rethinking my plans for dinner and trying to think of ways to add more of this deliciousness into my day.

If you'd like to order the Peach Butter, Braswell's has an online store full of goodies. Here is the PEACH BUTTER link. Georgia is the Peach State so you know the Peach Butter will be amazing.

I think I'll make some tea and add a teaspoon of the peach butter to sweeten it up. Don't fret, peach butter isn't actually butter, it's pureed peaches cooked down with sugar and seasoning until the flavor is concentrated. This is so smooth I think it will mix nicely.

Besides, playing tea mixologist for the rest of the day will give me something to do while I try my hand at making Pumpkin Butter in my crockpot. (I hear it is also good in coffee and just like having your own Starbucks in your kitchen.)

The house is starting to smell pumpkiny good. It takes several hours. I'll keep you posted and if it works out I'll post the recipe. My kitchen is too small and my patience too short to attempt using fresh pumpkins. I grabbed three cans of organic pumpkin puree while I was in the farmer's market and I'm using it instead. I'm all about the short cut.

Soup Nazi Time

There are a few things I cook really well. Considering a few years ago I used my oven to store gift wrap and bows, saying that is a huge accomplishment. Soup has become one of my specialty items and I have so much fun creating new ones. This summer I was on a bit of a squash kick. I made about five different kinds of squash soups and even tried a gazpacho. Now that summer is winding down I'm making some vegetable soup with some finds from the farmer's market. Today I used some silver queen corn, tomatoes, green beans and some shelled beans the market was offering. I tossed in a few things from the fridge and voila...SOUP!

   
It's still in the upper 80's during the day, but the evenings are cooling off nicely. The cooler it gets the more soup I make.

What do I do with it all?

My husband is an anti-vegetable kind of guy. He'll eat potatoes...maybe a green bean or two every few months and he'll have a standard side salad. My friends seem to benefit the most from my soup making. I love sharing it.

I would love to learn how to can and preserve the soup for the pantry so I can save more of it from myself. I'd love to try my hand and making pickles and pickling various vegetables that are suddenly more popular when pickled (okra and asparagus come to mind). It would be great to eat those summer farmer's market vegetables year round. It would also make it easier to justify buying a bigger haul from the local stands.

Sadly, I'm discovering that canning is a dying art form. When society started eating crap and stopped growing food, no one bothered to learn how to can. I remember my neighbors and some of my older aunts canning a few times a year. These canned goods practically turned into currency later on. I remember my father doing favors for the elderly neighbor to score some of her canned cherry peppers.

There is a ton of information on canning online. It just isn't the same. I wish I lived closer to my aunts and some of my older cousins who still can from time to time. I want to be able to learn a skill from an older person and then teach it to someone else.

There's so much more to canning than what can be pulled from YouTube or local farmer co-op websites. There's a lot of skill involved. Canning isn't just something you can try doing. It really takes an investment of time and money in addition to the fact you can actually kill people (or make them VERY sick) if you don't do it right. The goods aren't very expensive but there are some specialty items that are essential that probably can't be used for much else. The technique is the tricky part. You have to follow very specific instructions based on the acid content of what your preserving. Some things require being boiled in a water bath and other items require a pressure cooker. I know what you're thinking! Who the heck uses a pressure cooker in midtown Atlanta? I've been around few pressure cookers in my life. My mother would chase me out of the kitchen when she was using it in case it exploded. So now I am pondering buying one (who the heck knows where to find one around here) and jumping into this canning project. I'll keep you posted.

Oats and More Oats

Who ever thought I could have fun with oatmeal? I've been jazzing up the usual oatmeal lately and I'm so please without how it turned out. Now I have so many oatmeal ideas I just want to eat different oatmeal recipes all day.

It started off with discovering a box of Trader Joe's Whole Grain Instant Oatmeal with Cranberries in my pantry. The bag of steel cut oats was looming on the top shelf but I was hungry and wanted to eat soon.

Yesterday I mixed the oatmeal packet with water and added a bit almond butter. After heating I added some sliced banana. I didn't miss the packet of sweetener I usually add to oatmeal.

Slightly Jazzed Up Oatmeal

1 Packet Trader Joe's Whole Grain Instant Oatmeal with Cranberries
1/2 water
1 tsp Almond Butter
1/2 small banana chopped

Yesterday I picked up a few healthy items at Publix. In fact, by the time I checked out I was feeling like a bit of hippie health freak. I can't say it was a bad feeling. I had a cart full of stuff I usually never buy. I'm excited to start adding them into the foods I already make to improve the nutritional value.

I started my mad scientist additions with my oatmeal for this morning's breakfast. It was so good!

I made the oatmeal like yesterday's but I used vanilla soy milk instead of water. I also added a teaspoon of milk and egg protein powder (which I already had on hand). Now for the really fun stuff...I bought the Publix Greenwise Whole Flax Seeds from the dried fruit and nut section. I also picked up a container of wheat germ. I added a bit of both along with the usual sliced banana and tad of almond butter. It was thick, rich, nutty and sweet. Again, I didn't miss the missing sweetener packet. It was also very filling. According to the calorie counter on My Fitness Pal it totaled up to about 306 calories.

Jazzy Nutty Oatmeal

1 Packet Trader Joe's Whole Grain Instant Oatmeal with Cranberries
1/2 c Vanilla Soy Milk
1 tsp Almond Butter
1 tsp. MLO Milk and Egg Protein Powder
1 tsp. Publix Whole Flax Seeds
1 tsp. Wheat Germ
1/2 small banana chopped

Combine all of the ingredients except for the banana and zap for 1 minute in the microwave. Stir and add on any additional time if needed. I noticed the soymilk didn't absorb as fast as water and I cooked it for 1:20. Add chopped banana and enjoy.

This afternoon I discovered another blogger at Eating Bird Food who loves oatmeal and I'm excited to try her overnight oats recipe.

She also adds in Chia seeds. I've seen them have never tried them. I suspect they will be in my next hippie shopping basket full of stuff.

I'll try to post pictures. I just get so hungry the food is gone before I think to take a photo.

Non-Dairy Cole Slaw

This is a quick and easy cole slaw recipe. It's super fast and cheap to make. This cole slaw travels much safer than the mayo (dairy) containing recipes. This makes a great side dish and won't add many calories to the meal. It's great to mix up Sunday evening and have for sides for the rest of the week. I like the cole slaw mix with the red cabbage and carrots mixed in but get what you like.

"In its raw state, cabbage contains iron, calcium, and potassium. High marks are given for its vitamin C content. Cabbage is also high in vitamins B1, B2, and B3. Lengthy cooking tends to lower the nutritional value considerably. "

Prep time: Less than 5 min.
Cook time: None

2-3 tbsp on Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tbsp of champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2c fresh dill-roll it up and rough chop it
1 bag of pre-shredded cole slaw mix from produce section
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Optional: 1/2 tsp celery seeds

Add oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and dill to bowl. Dump the cabbage on top and toss with your hands to distribute the dill and liquid.

Cover tightly and refridgerate. Can be served immediately but flavors are better after a little time.

Ma Po Tofu with Faux Sausage

Ma Po Tofu with Faux Sausage

This recipe has been simplified for American cooking. (The original had some pretty obscure ingredients.) I've also made it (semi) vegetarian (oyster sauce has oyster extract). It's really hearty and has great flavor. It's spicy!


Ingredients

* 1 (1 lb) package reduced-fat firm tofu, cut into 6 slices for draining
* 1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup vegetable broth
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
* 1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
* 1-2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (I use 1 1/2 since I add red pepper)
* 1 package/tube of Gimme Lean or other vegetarian bulk "sausage"
* 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger or 1 tablespoon diced fresh ginger
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 cups cooked brown rice, while it's still hot
* 3-4 dashes of cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
* 1/3 cup green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels, cover with additional paper towels. Place a dinner plate on top of covered tofu; let stand 30 minutes. Remove plate, discard paper towels. Cut tofu slices into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Combine broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili garlic sauce, stirring with a whisk.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add faux sausage; cook 3-4 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Add red pepper to spice up sausage if vegetarian brand isn't spicy enough. Add tofu; cook 4 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
4. Add cooked rice to pan and stir to coat. Sprinkle with onions and serve with chopsticks.

Tip: To make for meat eaters you can replace veggie sausage with extra spicy pork sausage. You may want to reduce the cayenne pepper.

Shopping tip: Oyster sauce and the chili-garlic sauce can be found in the Asian food aisle. The chili-garlic sauce is in a plastic jar with a green lid. It has a serious kick. It also goes great on fried rice and eggs.The vegetarian sausage is usually near the meat substitutes and tofu.

Very important: Drain your tofu and chop it up before you start cooking. This cooks very quickly and you'll burn the faux sausage if you chop as you cook.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I put this together with stuff I had around the house. Each pepper is enough for one person. It cures my Italian cravings without all those nasty pasta calories. The dish is low fat and lower in calories than the meaty option. With all the other seasonings you don't miss the beef. You can probably make the mix a day before and refrigerate. Since you are really just heating things through there is very little chance for error. If you have picky non-veg eaters you can probably make this with beef. It's ok to eyeball the quantities to get the consistency and taste you want...that's what I do. It's hard to goof this up.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 medium onion
2 bell peppers (get the wide and squatty ones and look for ones that will sit upright
1 bag of 90 second brown rice or 1-1/2c of cooked brown rice
1/2 bag of Boca (fake ground beef) crumbles
1/2c diced baby bella mushrooms
2 c Marinara Sauce (eyeball it)
1 tsp Italian seasoning, adding extra oregano and basil is optional
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp chopped or 1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash peppers. Cut the tops out to create a bowl. Rinse out any loose seeds and use your fingers to pull out any white pith. Boil a pot of water and par boil the peppers for about 3-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move them around if the water doesn't cover the entire pepper. Take them out, and turn upside down on a clean towel to cool. Dice onions and saute in a saucepan at medium heat until the onions are soft. Add spices except for garlic. Stir to combine. Add in crumbles and stir through to heat. Add rice and make sure rice is distributed and not clumpy. Add garlic, diced mushrooms and stir through. Add parsley and 1/2-3/4 c of the marinara sauce to the mix. The mix should hold together and be thick. It's cooked so it's safe to taste. Add spices to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cook while you prep peppers.

Scoop the mixture into the pepper bowl and compress with a spoon.

Add EVOO to the bottom of a bake pan to prevent sticking. Sit the peppers upright in the pan. Spoon the rest of the marinara sauce over the stuffed peppers.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 until the peppers are cooked.

Tips/suggestions: For kids, you can also hide other diced veggies by adding to the mix to conceal them. To hide the mushrooms you can saute those with the onion. Adding them later gives nice texture.

One pepper is a filling meal. Cut in two to serve as a side dish or look for small peppers. Because there is no meat it travels and re-heats well.

Low Calorie Omelets

So this is a take on the South Beach omelet. I've never made that one before but my former boss did. I've jazzed this one up a bit but the cooking is similar...

Behold! A super hi-tech frying pan. 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray PAM in a muffin pan that holds 12 muffins. Yes, muffin pan, no lie.

1 pint Egg Beaters
1/4 c Soy chorizo
1/4 c diced portabella mushrooms
1/4 c chopped bell peppers
1/4 c chopped green onion (1-2 stalks)
1/4 c low calorie shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste, go easy, the chorizo has lots of flavor
Paprika (optional)






Spray a saute pan with PAM and add the soy chorizo (I like Trader' Joe's). Brown the chorizo over medium heat for 5-7 minuets until you see little brown pieces starting to form.

In a bowl, add all the other ingredients, stir to mix and add to the muffin pan using a 1/4 cup measuring spoon.

The veggies before adding eggs

Veggies with browned soy chorizo and Egg Beaters

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg sets.

Makes 12 1/4 c omelettes. 93 calories per serving (according to My Fitness Pal).

I put the extras in a zip top bag and have two each morning for breakfast with a 100 calorie English muffin.

                                            

                                               I like a little smoked paprika on each one. Makes it festive!