Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Foodie

New year, old me, and I'm doing OK.
Marin Birds Salad Plate
I never tasted a Cronut, but I did imagine one in my mind.  It was yummy even there.

Quinoa is OK, and some recipes can make it quite tasty, but I hope it isn't part of my last meal.

My mother made me sit at the table until I ate my kale.  I would be there for hours because I could not get the dog to eat it.

Today, people take pictures of their food.  I have made food that has looked fantastic, but has tasted awful. A brussel sprouts casserole comes to mind.  My husband told me that the vegetable made even the bacon in it taste bad.  On the other hand, I have prepared some pretty good dishes that were not visionary masterpieces.

It is winter.  It is cold. There is snow on the ground.  I need to bake.  There will be sugar consumed.  It is not healthy.  Nobody lives forever.






58 comments:

  1. Oh, I hear you! Some green foods look better is foodie photos, but it ends there.

    Cookies? Brownies? Oh, that sounds wonderful.

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    1. I am eating a warm cookie now. I could not wait till it cooled down and hardened. On a day like this, I have no resistance.

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  2. I've never heard of a cronut, interesting, I will google it, I bake, I love to bake, but I only bake sweet sweet stuff at Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter, the rest of the year its just our bread, or muffins, mostly, somethings I have cooked look like heck but taste good and vice versa, as long as it tastes good, thats all that matters, I take terrible photos and really admire all the beautiful food photos, I just don't like when they put 10 photos of the same food at different angles, if they do ,, I'm gone,

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    1. A cronut originated in a bakery in NYC. It is a croissant-doughnut pastry. I found the recipe on line, but there is a lot of time waiting for it to rise and by its instructions, I assume there will be quite a mess for me to clean up when it is done. I have no patience, so I made some easy-peasy cookies and brownies.

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  3. Some of my friends post pictures of their food on Facebook. I can't think why!
    Quinoa tastes of nothing but Mrs Bazza uses it and it's OK with the right flavouring. However in cold weather we need comfort food. I vote for chocolate and beer!
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s fabulous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. Yes, it is OK with the right flavoring. I wonder if it would go with chocolate?

      I love your new picture.

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  4. I tried quinoa in a salad last Christmas and was VERY disappointed. As you say, okay but wouldn't want it as my last meal LOL. This taking pictures of food thing is an interesting fad. It makes me wonder, will it now be rude to eat at someone's house without photographing the food and posting it on Facebook?

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    1. The questions we must ask ourselves today. I am sure Miss Manners would never approve of taking pictures of a host's dinner and posting it for the world to see. On the other hand, it is OK if you are under 40.

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  5. Comfort food for me please....beans and bacon and meatloaf and macaroni and cheese....

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    1. Try Martha Stewart's or Ina Garten's 3 cheese Mac & Cheese. Simply scrumptious, although it might clog up and artery or two.

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  6. I had a cronut just before christmas....it was huge and had a lemony cream inside, odd but delicious. Try kale with a lemon and tahini yogurt sauce (moderated from Nigel Slater) it elevates any greens ....Happy new year!!

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    1. Lemony cream you say. Hmm, I did not read that part. Maybe it will be my weekend treat. If so, I will take a picture and post - or not.

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  7. Quinoa is a species of goosefoot, which would stop most guys right there, but I happen to really like it. First time I've come out publicly and admitted it. As for plate snapshots, the more photogenic dishes aren't always better-tasting.

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    1. Geo, I looked up goosefoot and it looks like a weed that grows in my gardens. However, I will look further into it. I did learn about that grain about five years ago from my daughter who lives a little down the coast from you. Now it is all the rage, at least, on cooking shows.

      Real men from California eat Quinoa.

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  8. Definitely baking weather right now.

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    1. Your recipe for banana bread will be used this week. They said this cold will last till the weekend and then only heat up a wee bit.

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  9. I like a no regrets woman. Eat up and carry on.

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  10. Oops! I eat and like all that you mention! lol Oh! Well! We each have our own individual tastes and preference. Actually, there's little in the food department that I don't like; even all the stuff "they" say is bad for us. I rarely eat fast food/take-away (or take-in), though.

    I eat a lot of salads and loads of fresh fruit...I love my fruit. And I love grilled salmon...stop me now before I get on a roll...and I don't mean a bread roll...I love fresh bread rolls, too! :)

    I hope 2015 treats you well, Arleen. Happy New Year. :)

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    1. I will eat most things except kale - no matter how it is prepared. Right now, I need comfort food to get me through the winter. I will get healthy in the spring and diet with what is green. Now is cheese and chocolate time.

      I hope that 2015 will be good to you, Lee.

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  11. If I am forced to eat Brussel Sprouts (or liver) it feels like I am living forever. Happy baking...

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    1. My mother served us liver when I was a child. That was the beginning of my rebellion.

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  12. I don't bake for the very reason you mentioned, sugar will be consumed. I avoid sugar and white flour. You are right, some delicious food might not shine in a photo whereas other food that looks lovely in a photo might taste awful.

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    1. I go through periods where I swear off sugar laced food. It is a difficult hour. Good for you, Terra, you are a stronger person than I.

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  13. I don't cook very often because I'm not good at following directions. Like the recipe might say to bring something to a slow boil, and I'm too lazy to do that. Or I'll try to replace one ingredient for anther if I don't have the correct one on hand, which doesn't always work. Once in awhile I do a pretty good job though! Recently I made a lasagna that was excellent!

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    1. I made a Vegan lasagna recently. Looked good, very colorful, and tasted OK. I was hungry in an hour. I bet yours was better.

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  14. Is the mention of Cro-nut a reference to me? I gave my two fussy-eater grandsons some Kale this last summer, and AMAZINGLY they both loved it!

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    1. Well, it is partially named for a French pastry. We should ask Lady M about that.

      The key woud in your last sentence is AMAZINGLY..

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  15. This weather calls for soup and homemade bread. I thinks that's what's for dinner tomorrow!

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  16. I think Quinoa is like rice, pasta, and cous cous. They taste of nothing much and certainly are not palatable on their own.
    It's the sauces and accompaniments we put with the or over them that make them tasty.
    They are excellent for bulking out meals though.

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    1. I have served the red or black quinoa in some nice dishes. It looks pretty and bulks up the meal nicely.

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  17. I need to bake, too. The aroma of fresh baked goodies makes even ten degrees not so bad. My resolution for 2015 is to stop thinking I need to eat kale. I do not like kale and I don't care how healthy it is.

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  18. Carol, that is the best resolution I have heard. I bet it won't be hard to keep.

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  19. It's been below zero around here, and I just told my son it's comfort food weather. Reluctantly, he ate some of my veal parmesan, but would've preferred quinoa instead. I'm always in the mood for a warm cookie. Stay warm, and enjoy your treats responsibly, Arleen!

    Julie

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    1. The younger ones move faster and retain body heat. I am on a slower track and require Mac and Cheese and a just baked cookie. I will eat the quinoa in the spring.

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  20. Hello Arleen,

    Positively everything we cook not only looks terrible but tastes pretty dismal too. As for photographing the results....well, that would just add insult to injury!

    However, we do love to eat and should love to live close enough to be able to pop in after one of your big bake-ins. Gosh, our mouths are watering at the thought of the delicious aromas......

    Winter definitely brings a need for comfort food although we have to confess to a love of 'Nursery Puddings' at any time of the year. A steamed sponge pudding.....how we should love it right now!

    Whatever, keep warm and safe. We wish you all peace and joy in 2015. Thank you for the kind comment which you left for us.

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance,
      Seeing "Hattatt" back on my dashboard warmed my heart.

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  21. What a fun post! I tried quinoa once, and wasn't at all impressed with it. Same for brown rice. They may be good FOR us, but I'm all about the taste. I do love kale, though. We ate it frequently when I was a kid, and I've always liked it. What took me forever to eat as a kid were some of the other veggies my mother served. Cheap cheap disgusting canned veggies we got from the union when my father was on strike. The mushy salty peas were the worst, followed closely by the lumpy yukky hominy and asparagus that was so tough, no one could chew it. All the fresh veggies, I loved, and still do.

    This is definitely soup weather. Even here. That's what's on our menu for tonight, but those cookies sure sound good. Smarticus has diabetes, so I don't bake like I used to, but maybe a litttttttle bit of cookies wouldn't hurt...

    Happy weekend!

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    1. I remember those mushy vegetables also. We had mostly fresh vegetables, but my mother cooked them to death. What was in the can also sat on the stove way too long. The only way we got them crisp was if they were raw.

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  22. I sometimes think the health nuts are really just so miserable they try to ruin things for everyone else. No health nuts in my house. Food is to be enjoyed. Like you said, no one lives forever and it's better to be happy while we're here. :)

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  23. I do try to eat somewhat healthy, but I think that life should be enjoyed and sometimes sugar must be had.

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  24. I eat a healthy diet.With my type 1 diabetes, I better. But I do have a love for chocolate, so I eat it. Often. Great post, I have never tried those healthy things you mention, oatmeal every day is as far as I go.

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    1. None of us can eat like we used to and one has to eat well to feel good. However, every now and then......

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  25. You, my dear, are a wise woman.
    Who would want to live forever. Quality, not quantity is what matters.
    And a bit of self-indulgence during this interminable month is a good thing.

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    1. I agree 100% with you Friko. I will diet and exercise in the spring.

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  26. All that can be said for quinoa is that it's healthy! And, yes, I'm with you on the pleasure of baking throughout these cold, dispiriting winter months. A warm, sweet-smelling kitchen is the place to be. I try to cut down on the sugar in some recipes by using substitutes such as date syrup. (But nothing beats a walnut brownie heavy on the chocolate!)

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  27. Quinoa is healthy and I enjoy it if made in a dish with other ingredients. By itself, it is just blah.

    Now you have me thinking about making brownies.

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  28. I think Brussels Sprouts will make anything taste bad, including bacon! They taste like battery acid to me.

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  29. Thanks for the good laugh. I'm with you on the kale. When I was a kid we had to eat the number of brussels sprouts as our age. Despite the horror, I actually like sprouts now. I roast them, much yummier than steamed or boiled. Keep the little suckers in the oven until the outsides start to char.

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  30. zMy then 5 yr. old gr-daughter said, after a bite of Brussel sprouts: " I don't know what poop tastes like, but I'm pretty sure it would taste like this."

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  31. Unfortunately the little café two blocks from us that served cronuts (except that the name was copyrighted so they called them something else) has closed. I'll have to settle for beignets.

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  32. My thought is that if you covered your beignet with lots of lemon curd, you might get the taste of a Cronut.

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