Filed under: Thinking Out Loud
I was prepared to make Baked Huevos Rancheros tonight, but ditched at the last minute. (See all my ingredients on the counter? I was going to make guacamole too, which J. wound up doing when he got home.)
But, there’s no way the kids would have eaten it — probably not even the rice I was going to make on the side (rice is very hit or miss for my boys, mostly miss). Renee and I wound up being the only adults that would be eating, and it’s a big recipe: a dozen eggs, and a pound of cheese! After a rough afternoon with assorted tantrums, I didn’t have it in me to deal with the outcry from boys who want to eat yogurt for every meal. We ordered pizza instead, and dinner was peaceful. But now I’ve got to fit this meal in some other time.
October 22, 2009
I am always interested in processed foods that use whole, recognizable ingredients and avoid artificial flavoring. This new line of refrigerated cookie dough from Pillsbury promises “simple, wholesome ingredients you and your family know and love.” I was surprised to see wheat flour is the first ingredient! There’s no trans fat, and no high fructose corn syrup. The package makes 12 cookies, and it was on sale at my grocery store for $2.50 — I had a coupon that brought it to $1.50 per package.
Unfortunately, the cookies weren’t particularly tasty. I thought they had a prominent artificial butter flavor, even though they are all-natural. And the chocolate chips had none of the silky, gooey goodness that I want in a warm cookie. They baked up flat and looked like something that came from a factory, not my own oven.
For me, these are a skip. I make my own break-and-bake cookies by freezing homemade cookie dough in measured balls — just plop them on a cookie sheet straight from the freezer and bake. I suppose if you made cookies from store-bought refrigerated dough often, it would be nice to rely on a product that was made from pronounceable ingredients. But for the rare times I buy break-and-bake cookies, I won’t worry too much about them being healthier, too.
Edited 10/21 to add: As I look around online I see that lots of food bloggers received a package from Pillsbury in exchange for a review of these cookies. I didn’t! (I would let you know if I had.) I just stumbled upon the coupon and felt like trying them.
October 20, 2009
Cravings Eats & Treats, at 549 North State Rd. in Briarcliff Manor, NY, was just opened by my friend Erica a couple of weeks ago, and already G. is hooked on the frozen yogurt. In fact, I’m sure it’s the yogurt that had everyone buzzing about Cravings before it even opened. Aside from baked goods, sandwiches, salads, and soups, they also offer up to 6 flavors of Frogurt at a time, including the elusive slightly-sour, slightly-sweet “plain” — the same kind Bloomingdale’s serves. A small yogurt, which is more than just a kid-sized portion, starts at $3, with a long list of toppings (melba sauce, M&Ms, dried cranberries, etc.) for 50 cents each or fresh fruit for a dollar.
I’m most interested in going back for the Hale and Hearty Soup — Cravings offers three kinds a day. The Sweet Corn Chowder (gluten free, surprisingly) smelled delicious, and I like that the soups are all-natural, with ingredients I’d use in my own kitchen. A 12 oz. portion starts at $3.95, going up to $9.50 for a quart.
There were a number of guys buying salads to go the last time I was in the store. You build your own, starting with a choice of iceberg, romaine, spinach or mixed greens. Then top it with everything from hearts of palm (a favorite of mine) to mushrooms to roasted red peppers. A small salad, which includes 2 toppings plus dressing, starts at $6.95. You can add some protein on top if you’d like: roasted turkey, chicken, and tuna are available. Unique sandwiches, like a Greek salad in a pita, and paninis round out the light meal offerings.
Don’t forget the bakery — I can give you a rundown though I haven’t sampled any of it yet. Cravings has muffins, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, scones, and more. Plus, they do special orders and seasonal items — they had honey cake for Rosh Hashanah, for example.
I like the vibe of this place, shabby chic but with crisp, clean edges. You’re instantly comfortable when you step inside:
That’s my little guy eating Frogurt at the back of the store (vanilla with rainbow sprinkles). You can see that in addition to all their food offerings, Cravings is something of a gift shop as well. What caught my eye were a range of cute baking kits from Sassafras. I’d never seen them before and thought they’d make an original birthday gift.
Cravings is really a take away cafe, although there are a couple of benches with small tables. They’re right across the street from Terra Rustica, and on the way to Club Fit — I expect they’ll get plenty of business from people going to and from the gym. You can reach Cravings Eats & Treats at 914-944-4622.
September 21, 2009
It’s Sunday night, and my thoughts automatically turn to meal planning for the week. I sat down with my calendar and looked over the next few weeks, and made an executive decision to put my formal meal planning on hiatus until we get back into a more regular schedule in September. With our scheduled summer activities over and some travel on the horizon, I’m going to play dinner by ear.
I’ll still be cooking and posting, but in the meantime be sure to check out two of my new favorite blogs:
Savory But Sweet, written by a blogger I’ve known for years and years through many different blogs of both hers and mine. Cristen, a self-described cheese addict, writes about eating out and cooking in Queens and the surrounding area, always with good humor.
Follow My Bliss is Jen’s blog, and her site description only partly sums it up: “I eat something sweet every day and I write about it!” Jen is an open, engaging writer whose “bliss” is to one day open her own bakery. She is well on her way, and I love that she is letting her readers in on the journey.
August 16, 2009
As I mentioned in my Peachy White Sangria post, I was at a farewell party Tuesday night for our friend Karen, who is moving out of town. (Boo! But yay for a reason to have a party!) Merrie hosted the gathering, and everyone knows when they go to Merrie’s for a party (or really, anytime) they’re going to be well-fed. We each brought a contribution to the meal, but on the whole Merrie outdid herself with a variety of foods, with lots of different complimentary flavors and nothing that was too heavy — that’s important when you’re trying to sample a lot of different dishes!
From top left and clockwise, Merrie made: Whole wheat panko-crusted chicken breasts that were marinated in Soy Vay (there was another batch done in a honey mustard marinade); Merrie’s Margarita Shrimp (recipe follows); a spinach, sliced strawberries, and goat cheese salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar; pasta salad with sun-dried peppers; a cumin-heavy bean salad; and some aloo gobi that Suzanne brought from Bollywood Bistro in Pleasantville. In the center of it all is Black Bean Confetti Salad. I should add that this meal came after an appetizer course and before fruit salad, cookie cake and a frozen yogurt cake from Purple Monkey. Clearly, no one went home hungry.
The stand-outs to me were the spinach, strawberry, and goat cheese salad, which is drizzled with balsamic vinegar (no oil). This is one of those recipes where the end result is so much more than just the flavors of the four ingredients thrown together. It’s creamy, sweet, and just a tiny bit bitter and acidic, all in the right proportions.
The other dish everyone raved about was Merrie’s Margarita Shrimp, which is like a red onion, mango, and avocado salsa tossed with tequila-marinated shrimp and in a tequila-based dressing. I would cook this at home without the shrimp, as a vegetable side to a barbecue. You could sub in chicken instead, also. I’m not usually a fan of mango (I can’t even stand the texture of it in order to cut one up for J., who loves them), but even I adored this salad. Here are Merrie’s instructions:
Merrie’s Margarita Shrimp
Marinate frozen shrimp in tequila (big pour), lime juice (one lime squeezed), olive oil (1 turn), and a pinch of salt. Let sit in the fridge for 3 hours or freeze for another time.
In a large bowl, combine: 2 diced mangoes, 2 diced avocados, half a diced Bermuda onion, a handful of cilantro (chopped) and the juice of one more lime.
Saute shrimp in marinade until shrimp are fully cooked and the liquid boils. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and add to the mango mixture. Add 3 spoonfuls of the boiled marinade and 1 turn of olive oil and salt and pepper.
Mix well and chill. Listen to “Margaritaville” (or 80′s music) as you eat and enjoy!
August 7, 2009
J. discovered that our fruit snacks du jour match the colors in our tablecloth exactly. Now the boys like to “hide” them on the lines and try to convince me I forgot to give them a snack.
June 17, 2009
A. has a small garden outside his kindergarten classroom, planted with radishes and peas and tended to by his class. Today he brought home the first harvest — one perfect radish. He’s so pleased with it that he didn’t want to cut it up tonight. We’ll admire it for another day, and then I’m betting I can get him to take a bite…
June 15, 2009
Sometimes I make dinners that I am 99.99% certain the boys will not eat, just to put something different in front of them. Of course, it’s not like I’m hoping to make hot dog lovers out of them, but Hebrew National was on a 2-for-1 sale at the supermarket, and I figured I’d give them a try. It would make life easier at birthday parties, barbecues, and so on where it’s often assumed all kids eat hot dogs. Neither of my boys has ever deigned to try one, though, and tonight was no different.
For fun, I cut the hot dogs into a “no kid can say no!” shape — an octopus. I had turnips to use from my farm share, so I boiled them and then mashed them with some salt and olive oil, plus farm share scallions. A couple of cloves made up the octopus’ eyes, and dinner was served.
I got a lot of laughs out of both boys, and G. said “But what is it MADE of, Mommy?!” As J. noted, that is the eternal question about hot dogs, isn’t it?
June 15, 2009
- Another “we deliver” farm share serving Westchester county, aptly named Farm Share. The veggies are certified organic, and tomorrow is the last day to sign up for a spring/summer share.
- Need more than just your organic veggies? I came across an ad for Greater Organic Foods recently, which basically acts like a Whole Foods-type personal shopper, delivering groceries to your door in BPA-free packaging. (Man, I am a sucker for a beautifully designed Web site!) It’s not a service I’m in the market for, but I like looking through their suggested menus anyway.
- Table Local Market in Bedford Hills, NY is on my short list of places I want to try to both shop and eat. Table is built as a year-round farmer’s market, featuring bread, cheese, meat, prepared foods and of course, fruit and vegetables from local producers. The NY Times recently wrote them up, too: “A Farm Market in a Store.” I plan to drag some friends up there with me this summer.
June 11, 2009
Last night I made Baked Ziti, at G.’s request. He always says he is fond of this dish, but the last time I made it when he asked he didn’t eat any. That was a couple of months ago, so when he forlornly noted yesterday that I never make “make ziti” anymore, I promised I’d make that night for dinner. And I did.
First, the promise of the Baked Ziti at home was enough to get him out of his favorite friend’s house, where they had been hiding to prevent me from bringing the playdate to an end. Then, as we sat down to eat, the lovefest started. After the second compliment, I grabbed a pen and paper to chronicle the rare gushing over my cooking:
- “Mmmmm, this is delicioso!”
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“Yummy yummy in my tummy!”
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“This is so good I could eat it for dessert.”
- “After this can I have more ‘make ziti’?”
- “I’m so glad you bought ‘make ziti’ Mommy.”
And in between all that commentary on my cooking, he threw in a bunch of “I love you, Mom”s for good measure. Now I have to toe the fine line between making it too often so that he might reject it, and just often enough so that it remains a favorite treat.
June 4, 2009
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I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 