Intuitive Cooking -- Who Knew?


A while back my daughter, faced with meal planning for the week, make the statement  that she wished she could just cook -- no recipes, no cookbook, just go to the store, buy what appeals to her and make a meal.  Sounds reasonable to me.  She and I have pretty much the same attitude toward cooking -- a necessary evil and the more  involved it becomes the more evil it becomes. I have two shelves in my library devoted to all manner of cookbook and I never open them.  The only one I have studied at length is Mark Bittman's  How to Cook Everything.

So, I was sitting here today watching Martha Stewart make vegetable stock and I started thinking about what my daughter had said.  That led me to think about my mother who was a fantastic cook and we didn't have a cookbook in  the house.  She would go to the grocery store -- ONE grocery store -- not a day's worth of gadding about with grocery ads in her hand, no gourmet shops, no farmers markets. She went once every two weeks and picked up milk at the convenience store in between.   Her idea of meal planning for a week was seven meats, seven starches, two veggies per night and an occasional dessert.  Then there were the staples -- bread, milk, butter, blah blah blah -- you get the picture.  Same thing each week regular as clock work but she worked magic with those basic ingredients.  At the beginning of the week, usually a Sunday we had a big meal -- roast, potatoes, carrots, etc and leftovers the next day.  As the week would wind down to Saturday we would have what she called our "poor" meal -- usually beans and cornbread or soup or stew and she always had a cake or pie.  Didn't sound too poor to me!  And.....she never used a recipe or a cookbook.  There wasn't one in the house.  She said she remembered how they made some things  in Home Ec in junior high school which was great for Floating Island but she just seemed to have an intuitive knack for cooking, seasoning, and getting everything on the table at the same time -- all done.

So, when I started searching the internet for "intuitive cooking" it dawned on me that that was what my mother did before it became a "style" or "technique".  Then I realized why my daughter gets slightly exasperated with me when she asks me how I cook something -- I simply can't tell her.  She wants numbers, people, in  cups and teaspoons.  I don't cook like that.  I have told her that she needs to decide to cook something, look up how to do it and then, just do it.  The simpler the better.  Learn to make a great salad, roast a chicken, a pork loin -- all simple and good. I no longer cook large roasts because it is just too much for us and Hubs really doesn't care for leftovers -- something I just can't change his mind on.  So, instead, I braise really lean stew meat with onions and garlic, let it cook for a while and voila! beef we can cut with a fork.  My daughter even likes it and she was the only child vegetarian I knew in the 80's. 

So, as I read several blogs on the subject of intuitive cooking -- the rules for intuitive cooking and even recipes for intuitive cooking (????), I realized I had a few of my own so here goes:

Buy the best you can afford to buy keeping all the food groups in mind.  Realize that  shopping at the overpriced, gourmet store doesn't necessarily mean better.

If fresh isn't so fresh, buy frozen.  It works.

Start simple -- learn to roast a whole chicken really well.  It isn't hard and you have lots of meat left over for all sorts of chicken-y things -- like chicken salad.

When you have that done, move on to beef.  Salt and pepper is the best seasoning for beef.

Remember to keep your plate balanced with protein, starch and veggies -- be colorful.  Protein doesn't necessarily mean meat.

Make a simple vinegar dressing and  experiment with herbs and seasoning.

Learn to love olive oil.

Frying isn't your friend but steaming and sauteing is.

Onions, celery, parsley, garlic are basics -- like white underwear.  ALWAYS have it on hand.  Always. You can buy frozen chopped onions or you can do your own -- they freeze very well.

Keeping your junior high school home ec class in mind (oh,  they don't have that anymore, do they?) Well, anyway remember balance and portion control.

Have fun -- cook what appeals to you -- what you like.  You are doing the cooking for you --- do what you want.

None of these rules apply to baking.  However, I don't bake so who cares.

My daughter has perfected a few dishes and is more and more willing to try new things even though she still wants a recipe and that is ok.  At some point, she will discover that she has just gone in and cooked a meal without thinking about it and she will be pleased.

My goal --  to stock my freezer with homemade stock.  I love stock. Now I am hungry for chicken soup.  Damn.

Musing Monday -- February 18, 2013


Tell us what you are reading right now -- what you think of it so far, why you chose it, what you are (or aren't) enjoying about it.

I am currently reading Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini.  It is the second book in the Elm Creek Quilts series.  My daughter purchased the first book in the series for me and she brought me this one yesterday.  I am reading it now because I just finished The Quilter's Apprentice, wasn't ready for it to end so I am ready to jump into this one. 

I started it last night when I went to bed so I haven't gotten too far but it takes up where the first one left off and it has drawn me in immediately.  Even though I haven't read enough to say whether there are things I won't like, I really doubt it.  I really enjoy these sorts of books and I like reading series so I am sure it will be very enjoyable.  I will review when I am done.

Book Reviews -- 2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge


The last couple of weeks have been good reading weeks for me.  The books I completed were completely different in nature but they were both quick reads and page turners for different reasons.

The first book is "The Quilter's Apprentice" by Jennifer Chiaverini.  This book was a gift from my daughter and, let's just say she knows me  well.  While I have heard of Chiaverini through quilting sources, I had not read her books and I have to say that I was definitely missing out.  The book is about two young people, Sarah and Matt McClure, making a new start  in a new place -- a small college town in Pennsylvania.  Matt is a landscape architect and has landed a job at Elm Creek Manor, the family home of aging Sylvia Compson.  Sarah, looking for a change in career and unable to make any acceptable connections, accepted a position as personal assistant to the testy Mrs. Compson -- her job being to help Mrs. C prep the manor for sale.  Without saying too much, let me just assure you that there are relationships formed, relationships mended, realizations, new starts for everyone all around and a very happy ending.  This is a feel good book.  There are conflicts but not horrible conflicts.  There is sadness but not so sad that there is no comfort.  For a quilter, this book is a little bit of heaven.  I mean, what is not to love about a small, picturesque town with a quaint quilt store.  As I read along I caught myself doing the rocking stitch in the air -- I guess once it is part of you, you never really quit.  It really made me want to try to do some hand quilting again, I will just have to go slow so the hands don't hurt so much.  I can hardly wait to start the next book in the series.  Thank you, daughter!

The second book I read was "Wench" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.  This is a work of fiction based on a real place -- the Tawawa Resort in Xenia, Ohio. The resort opened in 1852 and closed in 1855 due to declining business resulting from  the displeasure of the  northern white patrons with the southern white patrons and their slave entourages.  The property changed hands and became the Ohio African University in 1856.  Enrollment decreased during the Civil War and the university eventually closed. in 1863 the property was purchased by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and became Wilberforce University which continues to be the nation's oldest African University.  It is believed that many of the first students were the children of the slave women and their white owners.

As I said previously, this is a work of fiction detailing the summer vacations of four slave mistresses and their white masters.  The strength of this book, in my opinion, is the characterization.  When this book first caught my eye I shied away from it because of the subject matter.  I couldn't imagine a book about slavery being "entertaining" and I certainly wouldn't use that word to describe this book.  As I began, I felt bad reading about these women in their deplorable situations -- some true slaves, some in love with their masters, some whose masters loved them -- but then I realized that these women wanted me to read about them, to "know" them, to see that these women were women like any other with the strength, knowledge and abilities to get them through -- just like all women of the ages.  One of the most compelling  themes is the need, desire and endurance of relationships between these women.  I am not talking about romantic relationships but rather the relationships that uphold us all through birth, death, joy, sorrow and loss.  Slaves were viewed as being pretty much inhuman and this book dispells that notion by showing how these women dealt with the "stuff" of life, how their strengths, frailties, and faith were no different than any woman -- then or now.

I was afraid that the graphic nature of this book would be more than  I could  handle.  I do read for pleasure and I couldn't imagine reading about cruelties toward these women being pleasurable and it wasn't but there was only enough of these scenes to move the story along-- it wasn't overdone for shock value.  It was a compelling book and these women drew me in.  I found myself thinking about how I would react in each of their situations and which one I identified with most.

With all of this said, it was a page turner, it was enlightening and it did have a happy ending -- a couple of them actually.

I would recommend this to anybody interested in history.  If you are looking for something light and airy -- pass this one by.

Super Bowl Sunday

Well, not for me.  I am not a professional sports fan so I am reading my way through this game although my husband is watching it.  I am yearning for "Downtown Abbey" but it will have to wait a bit.

 "What am I reading", you might ask.  I am reading through my blog list which I try to do every day.  I have a very nice variety of blogs that I enjoy reading that cover a variety of subjects.  I get such pleasure and inspiration from these blogs and feel that I have actually made friends with many of the authors.  I start my day out reading a specific few and, as I sit with my cuppa and my computer in the early morning, I feel like I am having a nice visit with a friend.  Reading blogs is such a different experience from social networking (i.e. Facebook) -- much more rewarding and a lot less manic (read "political").

I am also reading a couple of new books.  One I am enjoying a great deal, the other, not so much.  "The Quilter's Apprentice" by Jennifer Chiaverini was a gift to me from my daughter.  She certainly knows me well and knew that I would enjoy getting into this series.  What's not to love?  I mean, quilting, a beautiful old mansion in Pennsylvania, a woman trying to "find herself", an older woman looking to/needing to connect -- I love books involving the human condition and this is brimming with that.  Throw in a quaint quilt shop (would love to own one!) and I am in reading heaven.  This book is a page turner and even though I am only about half done, I would definitely recommend.

The second book that I am reading --or trying to -- is one that caught my eye months ago but I was hesitant to acquire it so I waited until I found it on the discount shelf at the bookstore before I bought it and I am glad I waited.  It is "Wench" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez and, while it has my interest, I am afraid it is going to be a lot more graphic than I like.  I am sure it involves the human condition as it concerns a posh vacation spot where wealthy plantation owners would frequent with their slave mistresses.  I am not sure I am going to get very far into this book as I don't think I will be able to handle the subject matter.  I will see and let you know.  I don't usually give up on books but I do read for pleasure and I am not sure this is going to be pleasurable.

I am finishing up some cross stitch Christmas ornaments that I started a while back.  They were supposed to be done for Christmas but I got sick and, well, it just didn't happen.  Oh well, there is always next year!  I especially enjoy doing the ornies from Little House Needleworks because they are challenging enough but quick enough to almost qualify as instant gratification -- providing you don't get sick!  These are the ones I am currently working on.

 

I had planned a flat finish for these but I really enjoy a pillow-type finish with ribbons and things so I think that is what I will do -- maybe with a velvet backing.  I have a lot of time to figure it out!

It has been a quiet weekend.  My knee and foot are killing me so I haven't been up and around very much.  I already have arthritis (first diagnosed at 34 years old! A couple of years ago) and then I twisted it badly trying to get up off the floor while babysitting.  I am ok once I am down but if I have to do much getting up and down, I am done.  So, between that and the plantar faciitis in my right heel, I am fairly useless.  In spite of that, and the headache I can't get rid of, I did do laundry today and rearrange my kitchen counters and swap some flour/sugar into new canisters. I wasn't entirely idle but I did do a bit of resting as I went.  All of this knee/foot pain is really tiring and I missed church today because I just wasn't moving around very well and, honestly, exhausted.  It took me all day to get any energy and it didn't last long.  I sound like an ancient, old crone but I am not -- however, I think my knees are at least twenty five years older than the rest of me.  Ouch.

On that note, I am back to my book.  I will review it later on.

2013 Reading Challenge

I just finished the second book for my 2013 Reading Challenge hosted by Good Reads.  The book is "Birmingham Rose" by Annie Murray, a British author new to me.  First off, let me say that this book would make a wonderful movie!

This novel, for me, was a page turner.  It began in 1931 in Birmingham, England and revolves around the Lucas family.  They were a poor family living in a poor area and sharing all the problems of a family in those conditions.  The main character is Rose -- the eldest daughter  of the Lucas family who dreams of "getting out" and strives to do just that.  In the process she endures a personal attack, an unwanted pregnancy that  ends tragically, the loss of her mother, the remains of her family pretty much falling apart.  After the start of World War II, she joins the British military and ends up in Italy where she falls in love with a person that was destined to be linked to something else -- the Catholic Church.  After the war, Rose returns to Birmingham, has a less than wonderful marriage, a child and a dream.

Yes, the dream comes true in the end but I have given you enough information.  I am not sure if the book is available in the US as I borrowed it from a British friend.  It is a definite recommend, however.

Finally--A Finish

I finally finished "The Bobbsey Twins" for my first book in the 2013 Pre-1960 Classic Childrens Book Reading Challenge (http://turningthepagesx.blogspot.com.).  The book is 65 pages in length and published in 1902.  The books depicts daily events of the Bobbsey family over the course of a year.  The language is a bit stilted and formal but, aside from that, the childrens adventures were no different than those of children at any time.  It was interesting to see what life was generally like the year my grandmother was born.  I have to say that it seems like the children in the book werent quite as protected as the children of today.  A definite recommend.

Musing Mondays  21 January 2013


Musing Mondays is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading.  Each week you are asked to answer one of three questions.  This week I will be writing about what I am reading and my opinions of it.  It will be a long post as I am currently reading three things at once -- a virtually unheard of thing for me.  So, here goes.

Annie Murray is a British author that is new to me.  My daughter's mother in law brought this book with her during a recent visit and left it behind for me to enjoy.  As is a usual occurrence when I try to read more than one book at a time, one takes over and the others sit around waiting for me.  Well, this is the one that has grabbed my attention at the moment.  It is a story about Rose, a little girl growing up in an unsavory area of Birmingham, England.  It depicts her living conditions in a very graphic manner, sometimes a little too graphic for me.  Her story progresses as she gets her first job which she is thrilled about so that she can help her family, her attack by her boss and the subsequent tragedy resulting from that and, her new life in the British army during World War II.  That is where I am now, about half way through the book and,  at this point, it seems that her tragic life is somewhat behind her and things are looking up a bit despite it being in the middle of the war with the very soul being bombed out of Britain.  I have left off where she has left boot camp and is being transferred to another base.  I am pretty sure her misery is not behind her but maybe it won't be as bad as what she left behind.  I will let you know.

The next book I am reading is the first Bobbsey Twins book by Laura Lee Hope.  I downloaded it to my Nook -- I would love to have the lovely first edition pictured above and I even  went to my local antique mall to look for it -- they have a huge children's section -- but couldn't find it.  I am reading this in participation of the children's book challenge I have joined -- each book has to be at least 60 pages and this one is 65 and for the life of me I can't get through it.  Shouldn't 65 pages only take about an hour or so?  Not in my world, I guess.  Anyway, I am enjoying the book and honestly, except for a bit of word usage, you wouldn't readily realize that his book was written in 1902, the year of my grandmother's birth -- it seems much more contemporary than that which contributes to the enjoyment of reading it.  I have to say that the dialogue of Dinah, the family cook, is  stereotypical and definitely NOT politically correct and is, actually, a bit difficult to understand. I don't find it particularly offensive, just typical of the time and when I read it I see Hattie McDaniel who was always one of my favorite actresses.  I am enjoying the book as it takes me through the daily life of the Bobbsey family.  Being interested in family history and knowing when the book was written, I like to think about my grandmother as I am reading it and learning about life during what was her childhood.  By the way, this isn't my first Bobbsey Twin book as these books were a staple on my bookshelf -- my mother bought many of them and I inherited a few from JLSHall (did you know that?).  The ones in my personal library tell a bit about MY childhood as well as JLSHall and I would play "library" and we make checkout card packets and stapled them into the books and they are still there.  Really?  How many kids today play library?  Well, we did only have three tv channels at the time.

The third book I am reading is "And Furthermore" by Judi Dench about Judi Dench.  I am a huge fan of this actress and I have loved reading about her career and her life.  However, most of all, I like looking at the photos and there are many.  This is one of those books I can pick up and read a bit and put it down -- not like  a novel where you have to keep going -- it is much more relaxed.  I have been interested in reading some biographies lately and this is my first.  My next will be about Coco Chanel.  You would think with my interest in these very stylish ladies I would have more style! Hmmm.  I need to think about that.

Anyway, that is what is on my reading table and Nook this week.  Hopefully by next week the list will have changed.  I am a slow reader but this is ridiculous.

What Do I Do Of A Morning?

Do you ever wonder about other's days?  How they begin, I mean.  I am certain we all do  pretty much the same thing -- go to work, take care of kids, grocery shop, yard work, etc., but the morning time holds a special sort of personal private time.

My mornings used to begin with a lot of activity -- out of bed, grab a cuppa, haul kids to school, haul laundry to the washer, haul groceries into the house -- my younger years involved a good deal of hauling, it seems.  Now, not so much.

I begin my days very early these days.  I am generally out of bed by 5:30 a.m. even though I could squeeze in an extra fifteen minutes of snoozing and still get to my appointed destination on time.  However, I have learned that it isn't a good idea to drive while still dozy.  It is much better to give myself the extra time to completely wake up.  How do I do this?

I dress immediately out of bed.  I have very short hair so a quick run of the fingers through it generally does the trick.  I often forego the makeup -- just a bit of moisturizer if I feel much like a mummy emerging from the crypt.  Into the kitchen I go -- the kettle is on, the computer is booting up and I am settling on whatever I am going to eat.  Most times it is cereal but lately I have been having a love affair with frozen waffles.  Yep, the kind in the yellow box, probably chock full of no-no's but at 5:30 a.m. they seem very much like a yes-yes to me.

Then I sit and delve into my guilty pleasure -- blog reading.  I love, absolutely love, reading blogs.  However, it does produce a good amount of blog envy because I don't have particularly clever posts, I don't live in a particularly photogenic place, I don't have over the top adorable pets -- you see where I am going here.  My posts pale in comparison to the ones I read.  I tried very hard to participate in Jane's  weekly post of photos of our changing gardens but after the first several months I realized that mine doesn't change.  Ever.  I used to  have lovely little bunnies that visited every evening and then they tore down the vacant lot behind me and built a condo so no more little bunnies.  Now, all there is to see in my garden is the same ol', same ol' and, if you venture into the side yard -- a good deal of dead grass.  I guess I should say dormant  grass -- hopefully it is just sleeping and not dead.

So, I sit for about a half hour in the morning and just indulge in blog reading.  I read the blog lists of MY blog list.  There are some very clever writers out there and some very talented photographers, as well. The book reviews I read are always enlightening.   I get inspiration for needle crafts and quilts from these blogs.  This morning I was teased with the idea of making holiday greeting cards for next year.

However, now it is time for me to get busy on some projects of my own.  Photos to follow,  hopefully.  Maybe one day my little blog will grow up to be an interesting blog as well. I think, in order for that to happen, it is going to have to become independent of ME!

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Hair -- Again

Ah, yes, the ever present quest for the perfect haircut.  I have had short hair since I was 15 years old.  I won't go into  how long that has been -- it isn't important.  However, when I initially cut my hair at 15, I cut it from shoulder length, lank, unhealthy,  abused, teenage hair.  I loved the short hair and only grew it out once, when I was expecting my son.  Those prenatal vitamins are powerful things!  For the majority of the time since the 15 year old haircut, I have cut my own hair.  Sometimes it was good, sometimes not so much -- not a lot different than salon cuts.  However, I got tired of having to clean up the mess in the bathroom and decided to find a salon and have been going ever since.  That was about 10 years ago.  I have been through a lot of styles in that 10 years and have sort of settled on a pixie.

HOWEVER.....

It looks great for the first week.  By the second week it is getting a bit raggedy.  By week three it is out of control and by week four it doesn't even resemble the original cut.  I really need it cut again after week 2.  At $50 a pop that really seems like an overkill.

So, I am sitting here listening to the media reports on the flu and wondering if I could go back and cut my hair myself again.  Since we are in the middle of a flu epidemic I am not crazy about going to the beauty shop as I have to go on a Saturday and it is usually very crowded.

I am also trying to figure out if I could cut it myself so it doesn't grow out so wonky.  As I am running my fingers through my hair I am realizing that one side is really longer than the other.  Maybe I should grow it out long and pin it up?

How about that news story this morning about the woman who gave up makeup for a year.  She went to a barbershop for a haircut.

I don't know but the idea of $100 a month to get my haircut like a guy isn't making me feel too  good or too smart.  Must be another way.

Thoughts?

Keep Austin Texas Weird


Ok, the popular slogan of our capital city should actually read "Keep Texas Weird" -- I mean this is the nicest sort of way, in regard to the weather.

Over Christmas we had all manner of weather changes from spring-like temps to snow -- some of it in a matter of hours. This week has been equally strange.  Early in the week we had monsoon like rain.  We have been assured we needed it and we did need it but it sort of came from nowhere and made the usual disaster out of the traffic.  Yesterday it was like early summer and today it is dense fog, cold temps and the possibility of rain, possibly "wintery mix".  Trust me, there is  no idea of packing up seasonal clothes around here -- it can change seasons in a matter of minutes.

I don't even need to mention the pollen count.  I am walking proof that the pollen is alive and well and thrives in all sorts of weather conditions.

As for my day, it will involve laundry, working on my family tree and my least favorite activity -- grocery shopping.  Yay.

Well, hello Wednesday --

It has been a rainy day.  I am tired and I almost didn't realize it was Wednesday!  But, it is so it is time for another offering from Miz B at Should Be Reading.  Each Wednesday it is time to answer three questions so here I go --

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading "And Furthermore" -- Judi Dench, "Birmingham Rose" --Annie Murray, and "The Bobbsey Twins" by Laura Lee Hope.

What did you recently finish reading?

I think it was "The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters but, you know what, I don't remember -- the holidays have happened since then!

What do you think you will read next?

Not sure -- I might be up for another in the Aunt Dimity series -- I am half way through the series and haven't read one in a while so I am thinking that might be good.