Please Accept my Ravioli

It's been pointed out to me that I've been, well, a little absent as of late. I'm still interested, but it's complicated. It's not you, it's me. Maybe we should just be friends. Oh forget everything I've just said. I could never break up with you. I've got a long list of of perfectly good reasons why my blog has been on the back burner. If you have had a good amount of whining in your day, you may want to skip this post.

Here we go and it's not in order of importance. Jess is on a dairy, sugar, gluten and booze free diet (a.k.a. the no fun diet) that has put a dent in my love of cooking; we got a dog; the laundry keeps piling up; I had to paint my toenails; Easter; I hosted my mom's birthday; I'm always tired and I don't have Mono; I discovered Boardwalk Empire; I haven't talked to Heather in like forever; chocolate comas; I am now watching Shameless; I'm trying to start a new business; Jess was away for two weekends in a row; I still have three kids.

Really it's a wonder I get anything done. So please change your inner voice from saying "Holy cow she hasn't posted in so long" to "Gee that was worth waiting for", then we will all get along better. We don't need to break up, we can still be part time lovers. That last sentence must be read to the tune of "Part Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder.

Butternut and Apple Ravioli

1 butternut squash, roasted
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated
Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups of all purpose flour
5 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
juice of 2 lemons
4 - 8 slices of cooked bacon, diced
fresh basil, chopped (optional)

Put flour in a bowl, beat eggs and add to bowl along with salt. Use your hands to mix and form dough. If the dough isn't smooth enough add a little water, only a teaspoon at a time. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes and then let rest covered in the bowl for 20 minutes.
Take about a golf ball size of dough from the mound. Flatten it and roll it out with as little flour as possible. Try and roll it as thin as possible. Repeat until all your dough is rolled out. Use a cookie cutter or a water glass to cut out your pasta shapes. Place a teaspoon of squash, salt and pepper, and a dab of apple in the center of half your pasta shapes.
In a separate bowl, beat an egg. With your finger, spread a little of this egg on the outside of of each filled pasta. Place the top pasta on the filled pasta and press gently but firmly on the edge to seal the ravioli.
Sauce
Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Add lemon juice, bacon and salt and pepper.

Place ravioli in boiling water for 4-5 minutes before tossing in sauce. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Juicing.

Well it's official. I'm a bonafide health nut. I started juicing. I should put on a sweatband, and start drinking raw eggs for breakfast. I've always been health conscious but it's probably more for vanity reasons as opposed to real health concerns. If I were a slim, high metabolism, I can eat whatever I like and still look fabulous kind of gal I'm not sure I would ever get off the couch. I would fill my bedroom full of Cracker Jacks and eat my way out of bed every morning. I would use ice cream as a milk substitute for my cereal. At lunch I would use slabs of chocolate instead of bread for my ham and cheese sandwiches. I think you get the picture.

But alas, I am not that girl. So here I am juicing. And I wouldn't swap my fresh juice for any skinny girl genes. That was a lie.

I do like my juice. My buddy Neil gave me a comprehensive tutorial on the machine and a few recipes. He also lent me his juicer which is great. I've already mailed my letter to Santa with my request. I sure hope he gets it in time.

I'm brand spanking new to this juicing thing so if you have any recipes or tips please send them to me.

Green Elixir

3 green apples

2 whole lemons

3 celery stalks

1 cup torn romaine lettuce

2 cups chopped and densely packed dark greens (kale, collards or parsley)

Wash all of your produce. Quarter you apples. Turn your juicer on and start shoving it in. Enjoy and feel virtuous for being so healthy.
This will yield a larger batch of juice then one sitting - store in vacuum sealed thermos for next day or freeze it.

It's Party Time

I love a good party as much as the next guy. Not so much when it's my kid's birthday party. I always get a little stressed about them. I tend to counter that stress by spending too much money for someone to come entertain the mob. When did child parties become such a booming business? And who would be crazy enough to be in that business?

In the past few years, I've tried to spend less and go back to the parties of my generation. I don't remember ever being entertained at a birthday party. I would be dropped off, and then proceed to eat as much junk food without throwing up until my mom came back. Maybe that's why I was a fat kid? I just put that together now.

October is busy. Two of my kids have birthdays this month. I rented a bouncy castle for my six year old and it was a hit. That's my plan for every future birthday until they are twenty. After the kids went home, Jess and I went in and had a bounce off. I've never jumped so high in my life. The only downside was I almost peed my pants. But what the hell, it's a rental.

For loot bags, Reya's friends got homemade chocolate covered apples for their parting gift. It was cheap and delicious. Next time I would skip the shredded coconut, the kids just wanted the chocolate. Really you could skip the apple as well, but the presentation isn't as nice.

Chocolate Apples

6 apples, chilled
6 popsicle sticks
1 lb of semi sweet chocolate
1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut

Twist the stems off the apples, and insert a popsicle stick in the base of the apple. Heat chocolate until melted in a double boiler over medium heat. Dip apples in chocolate, and use a spoon to pour chocolate in hard to reach places. Once covered, sprinkle with coconut. Place on a plate covered with parchment paper and let set in the fridge.