The panini grill...

got a workout tonight making veggie burgers!  Fresh lettuce and tomato, fresh sourdough rolls from Publix, a slice of American cheese and a grilled veggie burger.  Aggie even liked it!  I wasn't sure she would - it's been a while since I've had one - but I think she was just relieved that it wasn't pasta for dinner again.  I'll admit I love a bargain and the Morningstar Farms veggie burgers were on sale - so we also have tomato and basil burgers for next week.  Peach ice cream for dessert  - and another episode of Midsomer Murders.  I am happy with the little things in life.

Truth in advertising...

Chicken McBites iz way better than Chicken McNuggitz.

Jes sayin'...

Things are looking up...

or at least getting my messy house in order before tax season is coming along.  My blogging friend, Linda, painted me this coffee picture a long time ago - and I framed it a couple of months later - and I finally found the perfect spot for it.  Isn't it cute?  I think of her every time I turn on the teapot.

Today my friends, Tom & Al, came by and put up my little shelf in the kitchen and re-arranged the advertising signs to accommodate the new addition.  I wanted a space to store some spices I use all the time as well as my jar of bread machine yeast.

So after I tidied up the kitchen counter and washed the jars and generally cleaned up my mess from all the Christmas baking and other disasters, I made a nice loaf of bread.

Aggie and I sampled the crust.  Looks like we're having grilled muenster cheese for dinner...

Not a great photo - I'll probably have to take one with the flash after dark - but the guys also put up the curtain rod for my new office valance.  It's sort of a sage green and beige stripe; the rod is aluminum that looks like bronze and the finials sort of go with the finials on the lamps.

And they made all this home improvement work look so easy!

 Much better!

And I was so excited about the window valance and the shelf, I forgot to feed them cake!

It's Aggie's fault - she didn't remind me.

Odds, ends and resolutions...

are the topic of the day and they have absolutely nothing to do with this photo of my Christmas Day quiche.  It was just pretty good and I took a photo of it and then didn't blog about it.  It was just a simple pie with eggs, milk, bacon and some chopped-up sliced swiss cheese which was all I happened to have in the refrigerator.  Oh, and a pre-made pie crust.  Not bad for a quickie dinner.

I am not much on resolutions because I never keep them.  For instance, one of my resolutions last year was to blog every day.  That did not happen, although I had good intentions.  That may well mean that I am on the road to hell, but I hope not.  The really odd thing that I noticed was that in 2009, when I first started blogging, I wrote 129 posts.  In 2010, I wrote 329 posts and in 2011 - 229 posts.  Since I'm a numbers sort of person, this really struck me as odd (get it - they're all odd).  Also, 229 is a prime number; the other two are not.  I struggled with forcing myself to catch up on all the half-written posts for 2011 during the month of December - but I decided to let that goal of 365 blog posts for the year go.  Which, in light of my OCD tendencies, is a really good thing.

So anyway, the resolutions.  And I think these might be easier than I think: a) no more take-out food.  It's much cheaper to cook and eat at home - and there's no tip required.  Yes, I'm cheap and I've decided to extend my frugality to my weekly grocery bill once again.  I was doing great at that and I've fallen off the sale items & coupons only wagon.  Resolution 2: I'm planning to avoid WalMart this year.  I think I can find the things I buy there (generic Tylenol, wipes, soda) just as cheap at the grocery or Target.  Every time I go to WalMart, I have a too-many-people freak-out and I spend the two following days with flu-like symptoms from all the germ-ridden people there.  It could just be in my head, but I don't think so.  And finally, D: I'm going to try and like wine.  I'm not planning on becoming a wino by any means.  It's just that I've read that wine is actually good for the digestive system and has other beneficial properties.  It makes me sleepy, so that's a plus - I'll just have to remember to drink it at night.  I've tried for years to be sophisticated enough to have a glass of wine with dinner to no avail.  I'd usually dump out the rest of the glass and make the next pot roast or chicken with the rest of the bottle.  Since I'm not cooking meat any more and only cooking for me, it looks like I'll be forced to actually drink the wine.  And with the money I'll be saving on the grocery bill, I can buy wine.  I'll let you all know how that goes.

As usual, Aggie and Peter have no resolutions.

They may be on to something there.

Stay-cation book one...

is the next book in Alexander McCall Smith's Corduroy Mansions series: A Conspiracy of Friends.  It is the continuing story of Pimlico terrier Freddie de la Hay and his owner - along with the other quirky residents of Corduroy Mansions and the surrounding area.  I'm about a third of the way through it and once again, McCall Smith does not disappoint.

It makes me want to live in a place like that!

Aggie wasn't happy with the dinner offering tonight: oven roasted green beans with a little olive oil, kosher salt and Mrs. Dash.  Still a little crunchy and very tasty.  She ate some, but she wasn't happy.

My morning adventure...

to the bank and WalMart wasn't so bad today - maybe people are finished with their holiday shopping.  I hated to go, but I needed some gold & silver metallic pens for my card project - mine had all dried up since the last time I dug them out of the drawer.  While I was there, I got two nice, fresh everything bagels for brunch.  They smell heavenly!  And don't you love how the lid for the cream cheese container makes a perfect little plate?

I know - I'm thrilled by the little things.

Aggie is making-the-cute-face to ensure that she gets a bite.  Or two.

Peter is even interested in seeing what I've got here.  Of course, he'll just make that open-mouth, I-think-it-stinks face that cats make when they don't like something.  I can't imagine him wanting a bite of bagel.

I don't think he's Jewish, but you never know.

A stressless dinner...

with my friend who normally has me bat crap crazy after an hour - and I have lived to tell the tale.  Will wonders never cease?  This afternoon, Heather called just as I was leaving to go see my tortilleria client.  "Let's eat at Applebee's," she suggested and headed into a ten minute explanation of the limited window of availability in her schedule that evening.  I felt the stress creeping up on me; when you call and invite someone to dinner, do you start the conversation with I have about an hour and fifteen minutes free and expect your friend to agree to rushing through what should be a leisurely meal and uplifting conversation?  Stop, I said to myself, you're expecting a barking dog to behave like something other than a barking dog.  You might recall that I had previously decided to cancel my subscription to this particular acquaintance - more issues than a magazine rack.  Trying to gracefully decline, I explained that I had to see my client (who has legitimate scheduling problems because he is a full time firefighter as well as owning a business that is open seven days a week, twelve hours a day) and that I wasn't sure how long I would be there.  "That's okay, " she said, "I'll go on ahead to the restaurant and you can call me when you leave your client.  I have to be at a meeting at 7:10."  Who parcels out their time in ten-minute increments?  I guess I've gotten used to setting my own hours and knowing better than to cram too much into one day.  I told her I'd call her when I was on my way, secretly hoping it would be just too late to meet for dinner.  Yes, I know.  I'm passive-aggressive.  I had a nice visit with my client, did some paperwork for him, entered some information in his sales tax spreadsheet in ten minutes that would have take him an hour (poor guy!) and by the time we finished up, it was nearly six.  Yes! I thought - I can get out of going to dinner.  I called my friend and she gleefully announced that she was waiting at Applebee's and asked, "What do you want to drink?"  Crap, I thought, I am just not in the mood for this.  My client laughed at the look on my face when I hung up the phone.  "Just go eat dinner and think about the fact that you didn't have to cook it," he reminded me.  And so down the road I went, saying a fervent prayer for patience.  As I parked in front of the the restaurant, I could see Heather waving at me from a table on the patio.  It was a cool, breezy evening; the fresh air will be nice, I told myself.  As I sat down, she looked at her watch and announced, "It's 6:15 - if I leave here by 7:05 I should get there on time."  I exhaled and silently asked for more patience.  The waitress came and took our order and scurried away after being reminded that we were on a tight schedule.  I took Julio's advice and ordered my favorite: Santa Fe Chicken salad.  It's just dinner, I told myself, I have to eat anyway.  Little by little, in the cool evening air, I felt myself start to relax.  We didn't chat about anything in particular; I told her about a little Christmas project I was planning and she offered to contribute.  She told me about leaving a client off her schedule and not realizing it until the next day.  "But I didn't stress out about it," she said.  Which, if you knew Heather, is a serious accomplishment for her.  We ate our dinners and I was amazed to realize that I didn't feel stressed out at all - not like our usual conversations.  Then it hit me - we hadn't talked about taxes or anything of a financial nature - nothing that I had to explain in any detail - which I suddenly understood is just as stressful for my friend as it is for me.  Promptly at seven, Heather declared that she had to get going.  I looked around for our waitress and since my client had inexplicably decided to pay me fifty dollars extra for the month, I decided to pay for dinner.  Heather dashed off to make it to her meeting on time and I asked God to forgive me for my crabby mood.  I finished my tea and signed the check, grateful for a stress-free dinner with my friend and thankful that I hadn't cancelled my subscription.  And I even shared my little windfall with the waitress in the form of a bigger tip than usual.  It is Christmas time after all.

While I haven't officially...

jumped on the Nutella bandwagon, I did finally break down and buy a jar just to see what all the hoopla is about.  And for nearly five dollars, I thought to myself, it had better be good.  Aggie and I are peanut butter devotees (Peter Pan with honey, thank you!) and while we are always game to try something new, I wasn't too sure about the hazelnut flavor.  And then there's the chocolate factor for Miss Aggie, who is, contrary to her long-held belief, of the canine persuasion.  Our opinion: not great on bread.  At all.  Not bad on an apple.  Pretty good on an apple, actually.  But that doesn't mean I'm going to make a habit of eating it regularly.  It's altogether too, um - Canadian to suit me.  Weird in a an oddly attractive way.  Weird in an I-could-get-used-to-this sort of way.  Weird in a $21.95 for this book in the US and $29.95 in Canada sort of way.  Nope - when this jar of Nutella is empty, we're going back to good old American, plain brown, what-we're-used-to, $2.99 every day peanut butter.  I don't care what Aggie says.

A lunchtime adventure...

with Tom & Al on the spur of the moment today - we visited Jose's Real Cuban Food, one of our local restaurants that was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins & Dives.

We arrived at about 12:45 and the restaurant was busy with the lunch crowd.  After being greeted with a sample of the pulled pork (Lechon Asado), which is the house specialty, and menus to peruse - we waited about about ten minutes for a table.  The place is small - and with its cramped seating - even with stools at the counter, it certainly meets the criteria of a dive.  But in a good way.

Tom ordered the Ropa Vieja - shredded beef brisket in tomato sauce, black beans & rice and a side of plantanitos.  Al & I opted for the traditional Cuban sandwich; his with black beans & rice, mine with plantanitos.  The half-Cuban was pretty big - what most restaurants would consider a whole sandwich.  Al gave the beans & rice his nod of approval and the plantanitos were good - but I did find myself wishing they were tostones instead.  The Cubans were perfectly pressed and filled with shredded pork, ham, pickles and cheese.  Tom gave his meal and "eh" and while the plantanitos & rice were good, he was not as thrilled with his entree.  The meat had apparently not been trimmed at all, either before cooking or after and the effect was less than appetizing.  He got his caffeine fix for the day with a cup of cafe con leche - no complaints about that!  When we left, Tom & Al both said that they preferred the Cuban food at a little place in Cape Coral; I am a long-time fan of the Columbia in Ybor City - not just for their amazing salad, but they also make a mean Cuban sandwich.  All in all, lunch was good - but not amazing, as one might expect it to be for having been featured on a network food show.  If you have a hankering for paella and $165, you can take seven of your friends out for a nice meal - provided you give at least three hours notice.  Aggie was extremely happy with the leftover half of a very large half a sandwich and two plantanitos I brought home and she gives the pork two paws up.

Just in case...

you were considering ever eating a pastry with powdered sugar on it anywhere in the vicinity of your keyboard, it's not a great idea.  As you can see here.  But the raspberry filled doughnut holes from Publix were great.

And yes, Aggie, that's lunch.

Oh, Julia...

you know I adore you and all of your recipes - well, mainly your potage parmentier - but this one was a stinker.  I'm sorry, but your famous Cherry Clafouti tastes like a cyanide-flavored crap pancake.  Maybe it's because the cherries weren't French, or because I used almond extract instead of Amaretto, I don't know.  I might just be a crappy cook - but I don't think so.  I may not be Julia Child, but I'm certainly not without culinary skills.  And because I love you, Julia, I will give this another try - maybe with peaches or plums - and without the almond flavoring.

I dutifully ate it for dinner, so as not to waste a perfectly good two cups of fresh pitted cherries, but I didn't enjoy it.  Not one bit.  And neither did Aggie.  Just saying.

Baked zucchini...

tastes so much better when you order it as an appetizer in a restaurant and they bring it to your table all crispy and steaming hot.  I decided to try making it at home for dinner - zucchini was on sale - and I was not altogether thrilled with the results.  I sliced the zucchini and threw it into a ziploc bag with some olive oil and some italian-seasoned bread crumbs.  After I had the slices pretty well coated with crumbs and olive oil, I spread them out on a foil-lined baking pan, tossed on some grated parmesan cheese and baked them for about forty minutes at 350 degrees.

They sure look a whole lot better than they tasted.  I mean, the zucchini was edible, but something wasn't right.  I need to try again with a little more salt and cheese in the seasoning, I think.  Any suggestions?

Three things...

First, we are happy to announce the Peter the Mediocre has been promoted to Peter the Very, Very Good.  He is still working on the title of Peter the Great and we will notify you when he achieves that goal.

Second, I gave in to the chocolate calling my name at the grocery store this morning.  I made brownies yesterday afternoon and somehow, for a cook that normally underbakes everything, I burned the damn things!  They were palatable when they were warm, but they are terrible cold.  The rest of the batch may become a brownie trifle - they are in the freezer waiting for culinary inspiration to strike.

And finally, have I mentioned how much I love Etsy?  I've discovered all sorts of vintage stuff that I never knew I'd ever be able to find anywhere.  This cookbook is just like the one my mom had - published in 1933 by General Electric.  It's called All About Home Baking - and full of great old-time recipes for things like Lady Baltimore Cake and Clever Judy Frosting.  Fun!  I also found this vintage cookie press (same Etsy seller - saved on shipping!) with a dozen different discs.  Tim had gotten me one at a yard sale several years ago and the press was lost in the move - all I could find were the discs in their wooden holder, which were of absolutely no use to me - so I donated them to Goodwill.  And lo and behold, the day I found this cookbook - I found the cookie press too!  I was extremely pleased with my under $20 find - and a good dose of nostalgia, too.  Have I mentioned how much I love Etsy?

I am crazy for white pizza...

and I only wish I could make one that looks even this good.  I tried tonight: homemade pizza dough, fresh spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella and some lovely ricotta cheese.  Baked it on my pizza stone and I was so excited that it actually turned out okay, I started eating and forgot to take a picture of it!  This looks a bit like mine - but I didn't use any bacon.  My crust, however, left something to be desired.  You see, I've been spoiled by the pizza crust from Pizza Pros.  Yes, they deliver.  And their crust is heavenly - they could put old shoes on the pizza and it would still be wonderful because their crust is not of this earth.  It's not just me; Ariela thinks so, too.  She took some leftover pizza home one day and shared with the kids.  Maria said, and I quote, "Mom, this is not just any pizza."  If I could just figure out their recipe - it's not that I plan to open a pizzeria - I just want my homemade pizza to be as heavenly as theirs.  Someday...

A sweet spot of tea...

I'll have to say I've become quite fond of those little Lipton Tea to Go packets.  I have found that when I make a big pot of iced tea, brewed or otherwise, it goes bad before I drink it all.  I discovered these when my friend Kathy in Utah sent me a book and used tea packets as packing.  I loved the citrus flavor as well as the honey & lemon - but I'll have to say I thought she was trying to kill me with mango.  Yuck!  But I overcame my momentary aversion to tea and the next time I went shopping, I bought more citrus flavor and tried the raspberry, too.  Excellent - and just enough refreshing tea for one serving.  No more nasty old tea in the refrigerator!  I know the individual servings probably cost a little bit more, but they're less wasteful in the long run.  The other benefit is that I'm drinking more tea and less soda - that has to be a good thing!

Cravings are weird...

aren't they?  I was lazy all weekend and didn't go to the store, so I had no hot dog buns for our annual Fourth of July hot dog fest.  Well, that and I haven't eaten anything but my own cooking since Wednesday and my stomach has been a bit upset.  I ate white rice yesterday for dinner hoping to settle whatever bad cooking I had unwittingly inflicted upon myself.  Anyhow, I've been reading all day yesterday and today and when I looked up at the clock and saw that it was after six, I decided I'd better eat something.  And what popped into my head?  Scrambled eggs.  Now I haven't eaten eggs as a meal for several years - ever since I freaked out on seeing a blood spot inside a perfectly good egg.  No more eggs for me.  I mean, I bake with them and I make boiled eggs for egg salad from time to time - but no eggs, scrambled, fried, poached or otherwise for a long time now.  Yuck, I thought to myself, scrambled eggs. Why am I craving scrambled eggs all of a sudden?  But somewhere between the sofa and the kitchen (about ten feet!) I changed my mind and whipped some up.  They weren't too bad and Aggie seemed happy enough with dinner.  I hadn't advertised the hot dogs too much anyway - so she won't notice that it's actually the fifth of July when we have them for dinner tomorrow.  I think I may just be over my egg thing.  Finally.

Finally, Chinese delivery...

in our area!  I think Aggie is just as excited as I am - steamed dumplings and fried rice.  Yum!  They're about two blocks away in the same shopping plaza as Publix - the New Garden.  Everything we have had from there is excellent - even the egg rolls, and I am not an egg roll person.  The egg foo yong is light and crispy and the lo mein is full of all kinds of great vegetables.  They even have mei fun - the thin rice noodles!  Aggie likes the bourbon chicken and Peter gives the crab rangoon a hearty Maiou!  Funny what people food animals really like...  One of these days I'm going to try the wonton soup - I keep meaning to order it, but the dumplings always seem to win out.  非常良好的食物