Summer Storms
99/100

I'm sitting here waiting for my ride up to the lake to see my dad. There is an extreme summer storm happening. Full on lightning, thunder, pouring down rain.

I love Ohio summer storms. On the radar? This one is *red* it is that heavy and strong. The lightning flashes through the house and the thunder shakes the windows. It's a sexy storm. *smile*

We'll see how well the video loads. 

I don't know if you can see it, but there is actual hail in the video and photo.

Already the storm is almost over. Serious but brief. It's amazing how some things in life are also serious but brief. It's mostly been a good day today... minus a few rough moments. :). It was C's last day of radiation that was really good. (happy dance)

Mads and I made crock pot lasagna. C said she wanted Mads to create a cookbook of recipes she can make for her and her dad and brother. So Mads has a 3ring binder full of paper for her to write down recipes and keep together. Crock Pot Lasagna is the first one she wrote in her new book.  It was fun, and   cool because I never write these things down I can ask her when I get old how I made things! *hahaaha* The lasagna turned out awesome and now she can make it herself. :) 

Recipe and photo... :)

Another good moment was enjoying breakfast with a high school friend that I haven't seen in 25 years. It was really lovely, unfair that she looks the same and I have aged, but hey... ;). I think what I got out of our conversation is that we have both grown up in such a strong way and that the storms I experienced in high school? Were the same storms everyone else went through. We were all in our uncomfortable, unsure, awkward space thinking we were hanging out there alone. I see the students in my high school today doing their own struggling and I see the eternalness of the tempest that is ages 12 - 19. I have a lot of empathy for myself when I was that age. And honestly, I'm really sorry I missed my 25th reunion. As anxious as perhaps I might have been going? I am going to do my best to manage to make it to the 30th.  As Traci said,  "We're all adults now, right?"   :)

So as the storm fades and that storm-colored yellow/gray sky starts to clear a bit, I find myself oddly calm. The furiousness of the storm has been a mini emotional release. I'm meeting Mads, her brother and her dad at Great Wolf Lodge next week. I'm looking forward to playing in the water and getting out from the heat. Because like the weather, things hit the boiling point today and having vented the steam, I'm looking forward to the calm and the visit with my dad.

Peace,

MaryKate

The closer the cow, the tastier the meat...

59/100

Today I made a fantastic brisket. Wow that was an amazingly boring sentence. However, the brisket is fantastic, boring sentence aside. It is a thing of beauty. I love meat. Sometimes I feel bad about that. I feel like if I were more responsible about the planet I wouldn't eat meat. And I try to cut back on my meat eating, but it is so good. Right now, in my fridge, I have lamb, organic grass fed ground beef, brisket and chicken breasts. That's a lot of meat for one person. I think that comes from growing up cooking for a family. I miss that. A lot. So if I invite you to dinner... COME for crying out loud. It isn't work for me and it makes me all happy to have someone to cook for that appreciates my cooking. I've lived with people who haven't appreciated my cooking *chuckle* I stopped cooking. Which is a shame. Because I truly love to cook.

Back in college, I used to be a vegetarian. I was relatively happy as a vegetarian, although I did eat fish, eggs and cheese. I don't eat cheese now, as it makes my stomach hurt. And really? I remember the day I decided not to be a vegetarian. I was going to Mexico, knew it would be difficult to be a vegetarian there and decided to go to Burger King. This was 20 years ago mind you. I loved that burger. It had been over 2 years since I had eaten red meat. My body was miserable later, but I remember thinking, my god I love meat.

Having made this brisket, I realize the importance of good quality meat. It is worth the extra money for organic beef. Whole Foods shows the farm where the meat is raised and harvested. I feel good about buying my meat there. Having bought cheap meat at Costco before, now I look at that long cooler full of meat that is stretched out across three isles and I know I don't want to participate in that sort of factory beef. If I am going to eat meat, the least I can do is buy sustainable beef. I'd love to buy a side of beef from a local farmer, but it costs around $600 and I can't afford that right now. Eventually! In the meantime, I buy from farmer's markets, Central Market and Whole  Foods (called Whole Paycheck by those in the know). Maybe I am just buying my meat there to make myself feel less guilty, but I really believe their meat is better. There is a small butcher shop near where I live, I keep thinking I will go and check it out but haven't yet. I tried the butcher that promotes local beef, but I wasn't impressed with their meat.

In the end? I believe in being more organic, eating food that is grown within 100 miles of my home and supporting local farmers who are growing fruit, vegetables and raising chickens and selling eggs. The food tastes better and I feel better supporting my local community. I admit I still buy tomatoes out of season, even though they have absolutely NO taste. I still buy bananas. I still buy other vegetables out of season... but when possible, I choose local and I choose organic.

Next year? I want to have a garden. I have plenty of space for one... I just wish I was better at tending and managing a garden... well... next year is the year I find out. I'm starting with strawberries and going from there! I plan on canning my food, I've gotten quite good at it, and having fresh veggies into the winter next year. We'll see how that goes, but I'm already reading about it! Plus I know a great lawn guy who is fantastic with plants... He doesn't have to know yet that he'll be helping me! *lol*

Peace,

Marykate

Ribeye... seared and rare...
on the BGE (big green egg)
20.5/100

Start with a good bone in ribeye. Let it set out for an hour to warm up to room temperature. I used Dizzy Pig Cow Lick. I love this seasoning, but it is one of their only ones not to include sugar. I am not a sugar-on-my-meat fan, so this one is awesome! (I wish now I had used some olive oil before I put the seasoning on, it would have made more crispy edges, but it's good to know for next time!) Let the seasoning sit on the meat for at least an hour:

I lit the grill about 15 minutes before I was ready to grill the steak:

After about 10 minutes I closed the lid and let it start to really heat up

I let the grill get even hotter, then put the steak on

mmm already looking good! Closed the lid and let side A cook for 2 minutes. (I'll probably go 2min 30 seconds next time)

Oh yeah looking even better! Turn over to side B and grill (would do 2min 30 seconds next time). Then turn the ribeye back to side A at a 90 angle to create crossmarks on the meat. I closed the grill lid, closed the vent on the top and on the bottom and let the meat cook back on side A for another 2 minutes (again I'd add 30 more seconds next time for a true medium rare)

I removed the stead and covered it on the plate with aluminum foil to let the juices return to the meat. In the meantime, I threw some olive oil, onions and Dizzy Spice Cow Lick onto some aluminum foil and put it on the grill for the 10 minutes while the grill was 'cooling down' (I was reducing the heat so put on a pork should that will need to cook for about 20 hours)

All grilled up and no where to go... oh wait, yes there is!!!!! *lol*

and the final result!

It looks more medium than it was. It turned out to be pretty perfectly rare if you are a rare meat eater. The center was warmish and red/blue. Like I said, next time for my tastes I'll add 30 seconds each round and a little olive oil, but the steak was DELICIOUS and so were the mushrooms/onions!

Chicken on the Egg

12.5/100

Quick recipe post... it isn't full of photos, but just in case you want to grill chicken on the egg... It just turned out so moist, flavorful and perfectly done I wanted to share what I did! I often dread boneless skinless breasts on the grill because usually? Someone has cooked the dickens out of the chickens (wow...that is so corny but I couldn't help it). However, the egg held in the moisture and even though I could have taken it off the grill earlier, it was still super moist and slightly smoky.

I started with organic chicken skinless/boneless breasts and lit the Big Green Egg...

It was just me, so I made two. I rubbed them with dry spice (Dizzy Pig Tsunami Spice) and let them set while I let the grill warm up...

Took a while for me to get the grill going and solid at around 350. It went up as high as 400 and at times hovered at 300... Eventually it settled in at around 360 or so... It's a vague science... I'm learning! *laughter*

I put a small amount of oil in pie pan where the chicken was waiting to be grilled. I just put the oil over the rub. Also? I used saffola oil - high smoking temp. and is extremely stable at high heats.

I placed the chicken directly on the grill and DID NOT TOUCH THEM for 15 minutes. When I went to turn them? They didn't stick and turned perfectly. They were registering about 100 - 115 degrees... I cooked them until they reached 170 - 180 and took them off the grill and let them sit for about 5 minutes.

The juices were clear and they looked beauteous!

I then sliced one and took a bite. It was delish! Absolutely moist, cooked fully (I could have taken it off the grill a few minutes earlier) and the outside was slightly smokey with grill marks as a nice added bonus. I didn't, however, like the rub I used. It was high in sugar and while it formed a nice crispy outside coating? It was really too sweet for me... I'll be giving this Dizzy Pig away and seek something else I like better for the chicken. HOWEVER I have to say I LOVE some of their other spice rubs... I will be buying more of the ones I like and featuring them later, but this one was just too sugary for me! 

Here it is sliced and ready to eat! Which I did. I am saving one of the breasts... if it makes it to Monday without being eaten? I see a bento box in its future!

*laughter*

Peace,

MaryKate

Recipe Time - Fish en Papillote

6/100


I ate dinner out last night with a wonderful friend and my sister. I found it really difficult to eat well, to know what was in the food and to be healthy. So, tonight I had some friends over and made Fish en Papillote. This blog is photo heavy, but worth it I think :)

To make this you'll need:

Parchment paper
Fillet of Sole (I used 8 to make 4 pouches)
8 crab legs
8 shrimp
Earth balance spread (I used the non-soy kind but butter is fine)
2 lemons
sliced shallots
Mrs. Dash garlic blend
One jar of Trader Joe's grilled peppers (you can use any brand or grill your own peppers)
white wine (I used an ohio blend of Haut Sauterne)
Marinated artichoke hearts
Asparagus (the thinner the better)
parsley

I cleaned the crab legs and saved the shell (I boiled it to make crab bisque later!) and cleaned the shrimp (mine was already cooked - I just pulled off the shells and added it to the water with the crab shells)

I tore a sheet of parchment paper (I just guessed on the size...)

Here you see all the items ready for me to use:

Place the fish in the center of the parchment

Melt 1/2 stick of margarine (or about 1/3 cup) and add 1T of lemon a little salt and pepper and 1/4c of white wine. Place 2 shrimp, crab, shallots, and two slices of pepper on top of the fish. Put 1T of sauce over top and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash. Place asparagus, 2-3 marinated artichoke hearts and parsley around the fish.

Place a second piece of fish on top and put another Tablespoon of the butter/wine mixture on top, 1T of butter on top of the asparagus, a couple more slices of the pepper. Sprinkle more Mrs. Dash on the fish and slice some lemon and place it on the fish. You may want to crack some pepper and a little salt over top.

Fold the parchment diagonally over the fish and start to fold the corners over top of each other (almost like rolling the parchment:

Keep folding the edges around until you get to the end. I just folded the end under the pocket.

Okay, do the other packets just the same:

Heat the oven to 375F and put the packages on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes until the packets puff up and turn a little bit brown. I also made wild rice with a little chicken broth to eat along with the packets.

And this is the final product! It was so wonderfully tasty and not very high in calories. It was easy to monitor how much salt and other ingredients went into the dinner.

I added a wonderful glass of wine to the dinner (the same I used in the fish) and we ate every bit of it up! The rice soaking up the broth from the packet was pretty amazing!

So happy birthday Quynh! I enjoyed making a healthy dish in order to celebrate! 

Peace,

MaryKate