I don't even like Jay Leno, and I normally don't like the Mariah Carey diva-esque types, but there is something vulnerable yet powerful about feline beauty Leona Lewis. Oh and she has a great vocal range too. I guess being in a romantic good place makes one like these sorts of songs too....
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
to all my Peeps (a quickie)
I have to admit that spring is my favorite time of year. It encompasses March Madness, Easter, and my birthday all in the opening weeks. Everything is melting, and the flowers are starting to sprout. Most importantly, however, is the appearance of Peeps. I have loved them since I was a child, and love every flavor, color, and shape. I even love Peep themed items.
For interesting Peep facts, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peeps
And have a Happy Easter
Saturday, March 08, 2008
a make up: pierogies
I am Italian, and a mix of things on my father's side, including German and Welsh. SLH is Polish and Slovak. We have a tendency to eat Italian food, as well as whatever suits my fancy out of my myriad of cookbooks, food blogs, and pure fancy. I admit that we never make German food because I am not that into sauages, and I honestly do not know much about Polish food, or Slovak food. When Martha had a recipe for all nationalities of dumplings in her February issue, a little lightbulb went off in my head that perhaps SLH and I could make pierogis to celebrate his Polish heritage. Although Martha makes everything seem easy, I guess I did not appreciate the vastness of the task we were going to undertake. Additionally, it was not bright to plan this task for a work night, especially a night where I went to basic training in the morning. Maybe Mrs. T is onto something here. Her pierogis are ready in 5 minutes, and only cost $2 a box. Of course, then I would not have had the chance to see SLH in an apron, his little nimble fingers deftly plying the dough. 
I have a feeling this scored points with SLH's Polish mother as well.
Martha's recipe, according to my mom's Slovak neighbor, is pretty standard. Having never made this, I was not entirely sure what the dough would look like. I am used to homemade pasta dough, which is less sticky. I think my dough was a little off, so I added more flour than Martha called for. I made both the dough, and boiled all the potatoes before SLH arrived home from work. He then cut the onions, and mashed up the filling. I then rolled out the dough, and he cut the circles. We both took turns making and filling pierogis. We also sauteed the precious onions in tons of butter for the most traditional of toppings. (Martha suggested covering them with applesauce, but that sounded gross to us).
Martha's recipe for Pierogi from Feb 2008 issue
makes 32
dough:
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk, more if needed
filling:
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled (about 8)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chicken stock
pepper to taste
To make the dough, whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, and add egg and milk. Using your hands, gently draw egg mixture into flour mixture. Continue to work until dough comes together to form a ball. (She says to add more milk if it is crumbly. Mine was too sticky so I added flour). Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 1 hour.
Meanwhile, you should be carmelizing onions if you want them to put on top. We did not follow Martha's recipe.
For the filling, you boil the peeled potatoes, about 17 to 20 minutes. Drain, and then put them back into the pot so they can dry off a bit. Martha recommends a food mill or a ricer. We had neither, and just used an old fashioned masher to try to make the potato the right texture. Also, we included finely minced onion in our filling, about half a cup to the 8 potatoes, as we remembered a good onion taste to the filling of our childhood church lady pierogis. To the mashed up potato and onion, you add the chicken stock, and some pepper. We also included some grated cheddar cheese.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Martha used a 2 3/4 inch cutter, but we found this made pretty small dumplings. We used a 3 5/8 inch one. They looked more like Mrs. T. Spoon filling into a dough round, about 1 tablespoon, and press closed, forcing the air out. We used a little water on the edges to seal them closed. Repeat what seems like a never-ending amount of times.
To cook, add dumplings to boiling water. Martha's smaller sized ones recommend a 4 minute cooking time. Our bigger ones took about 8 minutes. Drain, and cover with butter and sauteed onions.
I have to admit that this is a terrible picture. One of the food blogs I read, Peabody, has such great food photography. She would probably comment that this is all blah colored brown food, much in need of a green vegetable. I definitely agree, but after making all those pierogis, on a work night, and sitting down to dinner around 10:00p.m., we were happy to be eating anything !
After Pierogi Fest 2008 my mom told me about a church in my hometown that was featured on the news. I am sure this was on the news as it is still Lent, and I am from a very very Catholic hometown. Anyway, they showed 20 older ladies who worked at a local church, and were making pierogi for their church's sale that week. Twenty ladies made 8000 pierogis in one day. They used an assembly line system, 350 pounds of potatoes, and very nimble fingers. They put us to shame!
I have a feeling this scored points with SLH's Polish mother as well.Martha's recipe, according to my mom's Slovak neighbor, is pretty standard. Having never made this, I was not entirely sure what the dough would look like. I am used to homemade pasta dough, which is less sticky. I think my dough was a little off, so I added more flour than Martha called for. I made both the dough, and boiled all the potatoes before SLH arrived home from work. He then cut the onions, and mashed up the filling. I then rolled out the dough, and he cut the circles. We both took turns making and filling pierogis. We also sauteed the precious onions in tons of butter for the most traditional of toppings. (Martha suggested covering them with applesauce, but that sounded gross to us).
Martha's recipe for Pierogi from Feb 2008 issue
makes 32
dough:
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk, more if needed
filling:
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled (about 8)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chicken stock
pepper to taste
To make the dough, whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, and add egg and milk. Using your hands, gently draw egg mixture into flour mixture. Continue to work until dough comes together to form a ball. (She says to add more milk if it is crumbly. Mine was too sticky so I added flour). Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 1 hour.
Meanwhile, you should be carmelizing onions if you want them to put on top. We did not follow Martha's recipe.
For the filling, you boil the peeled potatoes, about 17 to 20 minutes. Drain, and then put them back into the pot so they can dry off a bit. Martha recommends a food mill or a ricer. We had neither, and just used an old fashioned masher to try to make the potato the right texture. Also, we included finely minced onion in our filling, about half a cup to the 8 potatoes, as we remembered a good onion taste to the filling of our childhood church lady pierogis. To the mashed up potato and onion, you add the chicken stock, and some pepper. We also included some grated cheddar cheese.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Martha used a 2 3/4 inch cutter, but we found this made pretty small dumplings. We used a 3 5/8 inch one. They looked more like Mrs. T. Spoon filling into a dough round, about 1 tablespoon, and press closed, forcing the air out. We used a little water on the edges to seal them closed. Repeat what seems like a never-ending amount of times.
To cook, add dumplings to boiling water. Martha's smaller sized ones recommend a 4 minute cooking time. Our bigger ones took about 8 minutes. Drain, and cover with butter and sauteed onions.
I have to admit that this is a terrible picture. One of the food blogs I read, Peabody, has such great food photography. She would probably comment that this is all blah colored brown food, much in need of a green vegetable. I definitely agree, but after making all those pierogis, on a work night, and sitting down to dinner around 10:00p.m., we were happy to be eating anything !
After Pierogi Fest 2008 my mom told me about a church in my hometown that was featured on the news. I am sure this was on the news as it is still Lent, and I am from a very very Catholic hometown. Anyway, they showed 20 older ladies who worked at a local church, and were making pierogi for their church's sale that week. Twenty ladies made 8000 pierogis in one day. They used an assembly line system, 350 pounds of potatoes, and very nimble fingers. They put us to shame!
blizzard
I grew up in northern Ohio, where the words "lake effect snow" ruled my school aged years. I was frequently glued to the radio (am I dating myself here? yes, my school age years were pre-internet) waiting to hear that my prayers were answered, and "Youngstown Public and Parochial Schools" were closed. This did not happen a lot. Being from the snow belt, school did not close for 3-4 inches, like it does here in Cincinnati. Yes, us northerners are better equipped with snow plows and salt, but we are also made of heartier stock. I walked in my little plaid skirt, rain or shine, unless there was the rumored 8 inches of snow. (The word on the grade school street was that the school would not close unless there was 8 inches, the temperature was zero or below, or we had ice.) I will say there were many a cold snowy day that we still had school despite all of my prayers.
The best "snow day" ever was in third grade, when the pipes at my grade school froze up, thus cracking all of the tile floors. We got to be off a whole week. It was awesome.
Anyway, the weather gods had been predicting major snow storms here in southern Ohio all winter, with little to show for their predictions. I would frequently go to bed, just like 20 tyears before, saying a final prayer that the snow would come, and close everything. I guess I didn't want to accept that adults did not get snow days, and even if they did, the government rarely closes, so I would have to go to work.
This time I didn't even pray...and the snow came, and kept coming, and is still coming now. While the 10 inches we have here wouldn't be quite as incapacitating up north, its still a lot of snow. Everything is closed...all malls, most churches, pretty much everything that there is to do. I must admit that I'm kind of happy. I am sad that my run got cancelled, but forced relaxation is nice. SLH and I spent a quiet day together, watching basketball, making pancakes, listening to music and planning our vacation. See, adults should get snow days more often. They're good for the soul....
(and they give me time to update my blog!)
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