Joy

I believe in finding the joy in small things, tender mercies from the Lord. One such mercy is the bush of flowers that I get to pass every morning on my way to work. This particular cluster of flowers said good morning to me for my first two months. They were gone when I returned from Poland, so this is in honor of their memory. Pardon me while I spread some joy :-)

I Need Flavor Now Part II

Here’s how to put a little zing into your BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) diet (when you're not feeling well). For dinner after being too daring with your food: raspberry jello with fresh mint leaves on top or cherry jello with key lime pie yogurt stirred in. For breakfast on the go: toast two pieces of white wonderbread, put some quality honey in the middle, and enjoy as you start walking to the subway stop. For a nice morning snack: put pretzels in cinnamon applesauce. Remember, Chocolate is NOT your friend right now, stay away stay away stay away…

What Zucchini Does When You Aren't Looking

"I always knew... it was gonna be the [zucchini]!" A month ago I planted three zucchini seeds. They took well to the soil and grew into some nice little zucchini bushes:

Then I went to Poland for two weeks. When I returned I found that they had exploded in size. Observe:

My little sister and I have a favorite SNL skit that is about a man who is very afraid of plants. The best way to explain this is to show you:


And so you see the inspiration for the added security measures I took against my zucchini plants.

I know I am not the first to accomplish such a feat, but this day shall ever be remembered as... the day I blogged about googly eyes. Just remember...

the eyes are the windows to your face

so make 'em smile!

"I Need Flavor Now!"

So here's the deal. When you spend two weeks in a European country eating heavy food and working insane hours only to return with jetlag and a very angry tummy, you turn into me right now. After three days on the BRAT (bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast) diet, I was becoming desperate to eat something with flavor [have I mentioned I have Belgian chocolate in my refrigerator?]. So I went foraging in my cupboards and lo and behold, there it was -- a pack of raspberry Jello calling my name.

Later that day I decided I should try freezing and drying some of my herbs to keep the crowded plants healthy and useful over the winter. As soon as I reached my designated chair of jello enjoyment a culinary voice inside my head told me mint would go great in that! So here you go -- the tastiest dinner I have yet discovered for the times in your life when pepto bismol is your only comfort.

The Perfect Mousse

Welcome to the second attempt by my mother and I to make chocolate mousse cake. HUGE SECRET: timing is critical on this one. You've got to have everything ready to mix in when it needs to be mixed in. Granted, it's still all chocolate, sugar, and cream. But the texture will be off. So on the second round we got it right, and it was basically amazing. Try it!

12 oz chocolate wafers, crushed (or chocolate graham crackers)
4 eggs, ,separated
1/2 C butter, melted (this is important)
1 tsp vanilla
1-16 oz pkg semisweet chips
4 C whipping cream (don't you dare use Cool Whip!)
2 eggs
10 T powdered sugar
Chocolate curls, to garnish (we used leftover mini semisweet chips

Combine wafers and butter. Press on bottom and sides of greased springform pan. Chill. Melt chocolate chips in double boiler (or microwave). Add whole eggs. Mix well. Add yolks. Mix well. Add vanilla. Beat 2 cups cream until soft peaks form (there's a fine line here). Add 6 tablespoons powdered sugar and beat until stiff. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold whipped cream and whites into chocolate mixture until well blended. Pour into crust. Chill overnight. May be frozen at this point. Whip remaining 2 cups cream and 4 tablespoons sugar until stiff. Loosen crust from sides of pan with knife. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Garnish. Compliments to Sis. P from Montgomery Ward.

My choice of happiness: serve with vanilla ice cream, fresh berries, and mint leaves fresh from the garden!

Blog Title and Address

The web address for this blog is multicultural. If you can figure out which cultures are included and its hodge-podge meaning, I will send you some Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste.

The title for this blog comes from my favorite comic. Instead of offering a bribe for investigative cleverness, I'll give you a few clues in advance: think of an animal that serenades you in rumbling rhythms when content, now think of one who loves Italian food. Ok I'm really bad at this game because I'm dying to get a picture on this blog. Tada...



If you can catch the literary devices employed by the words in the title fitting with the blog content, despite it being from a completely different context, please impress me. I dare you.

Welcome to My Food and Gardening Blog

I am a structured adventurer. I love trying new recipes, as well as old family favorites. My favorite thing is to cook something new with friends, as well as to make something amazing for other people to enjoy. I also love gardening, which was how my mother and I bonded a lot during my Middle School years in Cincinnati. Now that I have a beautiful kitchen and a cute little backyard, both of these passions have room to grow.

I call my adventures structured because I rarely start by straight innovation. I learn the current best approach (oh no, I'm starting to talk like a P&G Proctoid!) and then see how I can make it suit my needs and adjust from there. For example, I will begin by learning the original recipe of a favorite pasta dish. Through doing so I discover the basic principles that lead to the tastes and textures I most enjoy. The next time I need some cooking therapy I apply those basic principles to make something new from scratch. Like any experiment, the desired result is not always guaranteed :-).

[I sometimes worry about some point in the future when I have children who will ask me a 2-yr old question and I give them a B.S. Chemical Engineering-level answer. I also worry about the time when my children will ask me a B.S. Chemical Engineering - level question and I will only be able to give them a 2-yr old answer. Never fear, my children will be balancing equations at age 5.]

And now for a Twist in the Plot!

I recently adopted an infant herb garden. I say infant because I got out of Provo and into Cincinnati too late to start from seeds. Ok, yes, I cheated and bought some small herb plants. But I am a firm believer that regardless of whether you were at the very beginning of something or not, it's all about how you sustain and develop that thing. :-) More details to come -- but needless to say, having fresh herbs readily available have greatly increased my capacity to experiment with deliciousness. AND as a matter of update, I planted some zucchini squash and columbine seeds my mother sent me in the mail and they are both growing! Excitement to follow.