Cookbook Cleanup Book 16 - In My Mother's Kitchen

In My Mother's Kitchen by Trish Magwood is the 16th book in this here Cookbook Cleanup.  I bought it on a whim from the sale table at Chapters and as soon as I opened it I was both intimidated and in love with it.

This book has it all - lovely photos, not a lot of chatter, and wonderful recipes.

We tried 8 recipes from the book and I wanted to go on and on, there is so much good stuff in here.

Breakfasts, soups, salads, pastas, main dishes, desserts.  

I started out with 2 dessert recipes - first, Mardi's Shortbread, a good basic recipe that made a ton of delicious cookies.

I also made the Strawberry Angel Dessert - an angel food cake/jello combo that the book says is soooooo good - it was easy enough but none of us were super big fans of the soggy cake.  I was going to take some to work to share but I didn't have enough whipped cream to cover the whole cake and it looked absolutely hideous.  Not one for us.

We tried 3 chicken recipes - Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce, which we all loved, Korean Chicken Thighs, also delicious, and Jamaican Shediac Cape Curry - more labour intensive than marinating and grilling the first 2 recipes, but also a real winner.

The Friday Night Burgers were fine, we didn't find them super flavorful, but they were fine.

Next was the Soy and Honey Sweet Potatos.  

Please enjoy this photo of me using the wrong sized bowl for my potatos.

And here they are on my plate.  I used a combo of sweet and regular potatos because that's what I had.  The Mister and I both loved these, me the most.  The kids were meh on them, but I belive we've already established they can't be trusted.

Lastly I made the chocolate chip cookies because when I was writing out this review I realized I hadn't made the chocolate chip cookie recipe in the book and I couldn't review until we'd tried them.

My verdict is that I truly love this book.  There is so much variety and interesting things just waiting to be tried.  There are definitely a few more chicken recipes I was to try and a maple pork tenderloin, and too many others to be named here.  If you see this book - GET IT!

Cookbook Cleanup results so far - Bookshelf - 9  Donated - 7

Cherry Sourdough Muffins

The Mister has been baking bread for a while now so he's not a new pandemic bread baker (not that there's anything wrong with that) but he has become a basic bitch in that he's jumped on the pandemic sourdough bread train (not that there's anything wrong with that either.)

His first sourdough starter ended with the starters death around day 6 or 7.  He complained, read some more recipes, decided what needed to be changed, and his next starter has been alive for a few weeks now.  He's made some very delicious bread with the starter and I'm eating way too much of it but it's so good I can't stop.  Will my clothes ever fit again?  Yo, I don't know.

Somewhere last week I came across an article about what to do with your sourdough starter or starter discard, and this muffin recipe leapt out at me.  Sourdough muffins! 

Recipe: King Arthur's Blueberry Sourdough Muffins 

I don't have any frozen blueberries but I do have some frozen cherries, so I cut them up a bit before adding them to the batter.  I also used 1/2 cup cornmeal and 1 1/2 cups of flour in hopes that the kids would like them.

I got 12 regular sized muffins and 12 mini muffins out of the batch.  The temperature seemed way too high to me and the muffins were browning very quickly so I turned it down to 350 which seemed much more reasonable.

It's a light tasting muffin, not too sweet - which I like.  You can't taste the starter, but I don't think that matters.  I LOVED the cherries in it!
If you've jumped on the sourdough train too - a very good train to be on - you might want to give these a try.

Better Homes & Gardens Soups & Stews magazine

The Fam gave me this magazine for Christmas or Valentines, and normally I'm not a fan of these special magazines that cost so much (12.99!) BUT this one is a real winner.  We've tried 7 recipes so far and are just getting started.

The first one I made was the Bolognese Soup.  This recipe alone was worth the price of the magazine.  So good.

We made the Creamy Thai Sweet Potato Soup in the crock pot, and served it with Pesto Foldover Sticks.

Red Wine Oven Stew with Cheesy Potatos was a Sunday Dinner winner.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup was my second top pick, after the Bolognese soup.  Omit the croutons and it is a super soup (heeeeee).

The White Chicken Chili was pretty good, of course the kids hated it, so there were a lot of leftovers.  Also hated by the kids but enjoyed by the adults was the Red Beans and Rice Soup with Cajun Chicken.  At least that one they picked the chicken and sausage out while telling me how much they didn't like it.

Book Club - Untamed by Glennon Doyle

2020-14

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I am sad for her,  but I am thrilled for me.  In our four minutes together she has asked me about the three subjects I know best: drinking, writing and shame.  This is my jam.  I've got this.  Hot damn.

....I resurrect myself every day, in every moment that I allow myself to feel and become.  It's my daily reminder to let myself burn to ashes and rise, new.

"I guess women have to almost die before we give ourselves permission to live how we want."  

"What is better: uncomfortable truth or comfortable lies?"

First a bunch of jumbled thoughts and then stuff I cooked last week

We are still here, still doing ok.  I hope you are too.

We started homeschooling this week, which is a lot of work.  For me.  More than I expected, and I did not find a good balance this week between doing my own work and dealing with the kids.

If I still drank, I would have had many many large drinks this week.

We don't get out for as many walks as I'd hoped, between me trying to get in a full days work at my desk in the basement and the quite uncooperative weather.  We had a beautiful weekend a few weekends back that made met think Spring had arrived, but since then Mother Nature has treated us to a long spell of cold temperatures, cloudy days, SO MUCH WIND, and then yesterday a full on snowstorm that deposited quite a bit of snow on our driveway. 

We ignored it, but it isn't melting and I feel like we are going to have to shovel but shoveling in April seems so wrong.

I am eating way too much food, especially early in the morning before anyone gets up.  I guess I am looking for comfort somewhere since there seems to be very little in the world right now.  I watch and read too much news and get myself upset and worried and head for the kitchen.  I'm putting on more weight which upsets me but at the same time I can't seem to muster up too much emotion to care.  I feel numb, I guess?  Every day I tell myself today is a new day but I fall into the same patterns as the days before.  Perhaps today will be different?

I just wrote out a post for the last book I finished reading - Untamed by Glennon Doyle, and one line I wrote is :

....I resurrect myself every day, in every moment that I allow myself to feel and become.  It's my daily reminder to let myself burn to ashes and rise, new.

So maybe today can be different.

Hmmmm, what else.  We've been watching a lot of movies lately, especially the Jumanji's - both the original with Robin Williams and the remake, and last night we watched the new one, the third one I guess it is.  I didn't get to hear or see a lot of it as the kids talk and fight and stand in front of me to stare at me, but what I did see what pretty cute and we laughed and I got teary at the end, and I'll have to watch it again to see what else I missed.

I have not been watching any shows for me lately - once I get The Girl to bed I try to stay away for a bit to do one last ill-advised scroll through the social medias before I get all bummed out and try to sleep, BUT 2 shows that I started and want to get back to are Anne With An E  - we tried to watch this with the kids but The Girl isn't old enough to be interested and it didn't have enough guns or action scenes for The Boy and Wynona Earp, which I started watching in February when I got a gross stomach bug and was awake all night so I watched a bunch of episodes all night and Tim Rozon is deeeeeeeelightful to listen to (and look at).

ANYHOW

I started following Ina Garten on Instagram last week and she posted a link to her Weeknight Bolognese sauce which I had all the ingredients for (except the wine) and it was very delicious and 3 out of 4 of us liked it and the little one ate all of her noodles that didn't have any sauce touching them.

I have not had rice balls since I posted this THIRTEEN YEARS AGO so it was time! 

I made leftover cheesy bacon rice croquettes with leftover ham instead of bacon and knew why I hadn't made them since having kids - neither kid liked them.  The Mister and I did, and they were super easy, but it might be another 13 years before I get to make them again.

 

We love Coolio's cookbook, and especially his banana bread, but this is the first time I've made it into muffins.  So good.  And peeking from the back there is Spicy Applesauce Cake from Homesick Texan.  It was AMAZING.  I omitted the chile powder and the nuts and everyone was crazy for it.  A good Sunday Dinner dessert.

Well, if you made it to the end of this your rewards are my thanks and all these delicious recipes you should try.  And also this thought that we should all keep with us today, and maybe all of the days - 

my favorites in march

So, March really blew up didn't it?

I hope you are safe and well, and staying as positive and calm as you can.  

It is hard some days.

Here's a list of things I enjoyed in March, one of the longest, strangest, upsetting months in the history of the world.

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by the book podcast - a quasi self help/info podcast where the 2 hosts choose a self help book to live by and share the results on the show.  Very fun, occasionally sad and startling.  For someone who has a ton of self help books lying around but never finds the time to read them, I like this one.

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hula seventy - a magical spot. The author finished up a year of daily lists late last year, and February 1st of this year began a year of daily small stories.  This blog has buoyed my spirits more than once the past few weeks.

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Carbs, but especially fresh bread baked by The Mister.  

The Mister is coping with all these goings on by baking a lot of bread.  

I am coping by eating a lot of bread.  

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Disneyland rides on Youtube.

Our family is a big fan of Disneyland, and watching youtube videos of their rides (as well as Harry Potter land and Universal Studios) has brought some fun and laughs to some of our nights.

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Hearts and Rainbows

A big big thank you to all the heathcare, first responders, city and provincial workers, store employees and all who are putting themselves out there to provide services for the world.  

You are truly the best.

Have you made Dalgona Coffee yet?

One of the "perks" to have youngish kids is we have no social life outside the house, so staying inside on weekends isn't too much work for us.  I was surfing the internet one weekend night and I read an article about this iced coffee recipe from South Korea that uses just 3 ingredients to make a delicious and funky looking iced coffee.

I did some googling and went with this version, the main difference from other versions being using hot water instead of ice water.

It is super simple - you mix 2 tablespoons each of instant coffee granules, sugar and hot water in a bowl and either whisk by hand or beat with a mixer until it becomes much lighter and thick and billowy.

You pour a cup of milk into a tall glass, add a couple of ice cubes, and spoon the thick coffee mixture on top.  Take a couple of artful shots of the drink (not cruddy ones like mine) and then mix the coffee cream into the milk and drink.

This is SO GOOD and SO EASY and provides a few minutes of fun and then a delicious drink - even the kids liked it, as seen above as The Girl chugged some down.

I could definitely see making this in the summer and it'll be way cheaper and lower in sugar and fat than buying an iced coffee out.

Book Club - Dear Girls by Ali Wong

2020-13

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I also understood why my mom wasn't into processing her feelings, and how she was taught to just get over tragedy.  To survive, she had to belive things like depression and alergies were a choice.  In a culture entrenched in wartime, those who chose to be unhappy or to refuse gluten didn't last long.  

My dad would sometimes say things to my mom like, "Devil, get away, for I am God's property!"

Book Club - In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond by John Zada

2020-12

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As we drift into the head of the inlet with sights set on the distant shore, a firm resolve takes hold of me.

I start making plans for my return.

"This is our backyard.  We know it better than anyone else.  That should be proof enough."

"But your word alone won't convince others." I say.

"That's all right, we're not trying to convince anybody."

"The Great Bear Rainforest, this whole coast, is the Noble Beyond.  This is the land of serendipity, man.  The ultimate landscape of myth, magic and metaphor."

Book Club - The Coven of Mystics by Ted Naifer

2020-11

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The forest stirred suddenly, and Courtney felt an awful thrill tickle her spine.

Something was coming.

Courtney wished for some days afterward she hadn't asked.  It seemed there were some things she didn't need to know after all.

Book Club - Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

2020-10

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"But I don't know if she has it in her anymore to be a part of anyone's happiness."

Have been home for three hours.  Already miss you.  This is some bullshit.

You're brave.  I could use some of that.

Book Club - Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

2020-9

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If I had died today, what would my eulogy say?

"You always say such lovely things to me, Red.  Do you say them to yourself?"

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi.  How are you?  I hope you are ok.  I hope you're doing your best and taking care.  Drink lots of water but cut yourself some slack if you, like me, have eaten more than one cookie before breakfast this week.  Wash your hands lots and look in the cupboard to see if you have any lotion to combat lizard skin hands.  Be kind when you are out at the store.  Let seniors go ahead of you.  Help others find what they need.  Don't take more than you need.

Try not to worry too much about what you can't control.  Don't spend too much time on social media.  Listen to music.  Read books.  Make art.  Move your body.

Make these cookies!

Joy The Baker calls these The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie, and I think she's right.

Delicious!

Something I Like - Instagram Dance Parties

For the past few days at 2 pm (pacific) Mark Kanemura aka @mkik808 on Instagram has been holding virtual dance parties on his Instagram Live.

I've been following him for a while now - he is a fun and positive person on Instagram and has does the best dance and costume posts.

Now with all the craziness and indoor times, his dance parties are something we all look forward to every afternoon.  The Girl dresses up and we all sing and dance and huff and puff.

Check out @mkik808 on Instagram!

Cookbook Cleanup Book 15 - It's All Easy

Next up is It's All Easy by Gwyneth Paltrow.  This is her 3rd book, and the one I have cooked the least out of.  This is one of those books that I would love to really love and cook out of lots, but my children would never allow it.  But we are working on it, and them, and we tried 5 recipes.

First was Shrimp Stir-Fry, (with some alterations to the sauce) with shrimp and snow peas.  It was easy to make and very good.

Next was Turkey Meat Loaf which again, with a few modifications - was really really good.  I would definitely make it again.

From the breakfast section we tried Breakfast Crepes (aka pancakes) which again, were easy to make and very good.  The kids loved them.

I put the Chicken Enchiladas on the menu one night, but when the night came they seemed like too much work, so instead we made the sauce - left out the spice for the kdis - and served the sauce with ground beef for tacos.  It was good; The Boy was crazy about it and finished off the leftovers for lunch the next day.

I love chia pudding, so I tried the Ginger Chia Pudding with ginger and coconut water.  Easy to make and delicious.

We enjoyed everything we tried and nothing was difficult or complicated.

There's definitely more dishes I want to try - Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken, Noodle Pot Soup, Chicken Salad Nori Wrap, Chocolate Mousse (made with avocado and almond butter), Balsamic Macerated Berries with Cashew Cream, and many more.

This is a good book with some interesting ingredients and lots of nice photos.

It stays.

Cookbook Cleanup results so far - Bookshelf - 8  Donated - 7

Snapshot - Sunday activities

staying home, avoiding contact, baking cookies and bread, drawing, always doing laundry, 

reading books, making soup, fortnight on xbox, looking for leprechauns, 

youtube dance parties, lego, sitting in the sun.

Book Club - The Night Things by Ted Naifeh

2020-8

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"There are worse things than solitude." She thought to herself.

After all, what was more likely?  That the world was filled with complete doofuses?  Or that there might be something wrong with her?

butternut squash orzo

I made this squash orzo risotto one Sunday last month and it was so delicious and pretty that I wanted to try to get a good photo - and the sun was so strong so I took the dish out to the back porch in the sunshine, snapped a couple of pictures that I didn't crop the rugs bits out of, and stood and enjoyed the warm February air.

Spring is almost here, and I can't wait!

Snapshot - Bacon and Tomato Jam

Bacon and tomato jam, brie on a toasted bun.  Happy place.

Book Club - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

2020-7

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In the months to come, Luca will sometimes wish he hadn't squandered these early days of grief.  He'll wish he'd let it pierce and demolish him more.  Because, as the forgetting part takes anchor and stays, it will feel like a treachery. 

Luca can smell the wood of the fire, the cocoa and cinnamon of the chilate, and that's how he knows Rebecca is magical, because she can transport him a thousand miles away into her own mountain homestead just by the sound of her voice.

That night Luca sleeps the best kind of sleep, he sleeps without dreaming.