Miss Chatelaine

I just subscribed to a year of Chatelaine magazine. Well, truth be told, it is on my To Do List. I have been intending to subscribe for at least 6 months now. It seems to take me a little while to
get my chores done. I'm good at reading mags, just not subscribing to them in a timely fashion. We can't all be perfect now can we?

My Chatelaine love has been my dirty little secret for some time now. I always thought it was a fairly lame magazine. Too boring and too mainstream for me. I was always an avid reader of Bitch and Bust magazine, but since kids I haven't had the brain power to get through an article without losing track of what they are talking about. Of course, it's possible that's due to my early onset of Alzheimer's. It's not an official diagnosis but I'm expecting one any day now, I just keep forgetting to call my doctor.

One of my best friends was over the other day. She's a very hip lady. I was passing on some of my books and magazines to her. She very politely declined the Chatelaine. She was surprised by my love and as an awkward amends she told me she had just gotten her 70 year old mother a subscription. It didn't make me feel like a very cool cat. It was either that or my lame use of forties jazz slang.

These are the things I love about Chateleine magazine and am not afraid to admit; 1) the recipes that I will never try 2) the workouts that I love to plan for but never do 3) the book suggestions that I will never remember when I'm at a bookstore. So in summary, it is plainly obvious to me and all my readers that the boring and mainstream Chatelaine magazine is a perfect match for me.

I am thinking of legally changing my name from Alysa to Miss Chatelaine. Please address me as such when I see you next.

Gluten and Dairy Free Quiche with my friend Bacon and my acquaintance Broccoli
(I was unable to come up with a catchier name)

8 eggs, beaten
1 cup of plain soy milk
5-7 new potatoes
3 or more slices of bacon, diced and fried until slightly crispy
1 head of broccoli, cut into fine pieces
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl combine eggs and soy milk. Set aside. Slice potatoes an 1/8 thick and boil until 3/4 cooked. Grease an 8"x 8" pan, and throw all the ingredients in it. Bake at 375 F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Candied Bacon

Yet another post about bacon. There are some peanuts in there for a little variation. I had some friends over the other weekend for dinner and my friend Joel brought candied bacon and peanuts. It was delicious. I know I've said it before but is there anything bacon can't do?

As a complete aside, I need to brag about my afternoon. I haven't had much babysitting lately so I've been feeling a little burned out on the parenting side. Nothing to worry about, it's just that I haven't been as fresh as I could be in that department. My mom took my girls and the dog out, and Jess was downtown. I had a list of chores to do but decided to first lie down on my couch and enjoy a silent house for a few minutes. I think you know where this is going...I had a nap! Holy cow it's been a long time. It was awesome!

Perhaps even better than the candied bacon.

Candied Bacon and Peanuts

When I asked Joel how he pulled off his bacon delight, this was his response. It was concise and to the point, kind of like bacon itself. Rumour has it that Joel is part man, part bacon.

Just kinda winged it.

THICK (old fashioned) bacon from Loblaws in toaster oven for about 20 minutes at 350 meanwhile melted brown sugar in a pot and added some maple syrup. Finished the bacon in the pot - just a minute. Took em out and threw a bunch of peanuts on lower heat for about 3 minutes. Chop bacon, mix and cool in fridge.

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.

Felicitation!

I turn 39 this week. Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to me. Once I get started it's hard to stop with that song. I'm happy to be another year older. I have a lot to be happy for. My one sadness is that my dad won't be celebrating with me this year. But I know that he is out there somewhere sending me his love. I have a loving family, lots of wonderful friends and a fairly sunny disposition. Plus I look exactly my age. Not one day over. Not one. So really there is not much to complain about. I got pretty lucky with my life so far.

My goal this 39th year is to be healthy and strong. Let me rephrase, be healthy and strong with a reasonable amount of wine and ice cream mixed in. No need to get pious in my old age.

Another reason to celebrate is that it's been a year since Annie and I started our blog. So allow me this "Yeah Blog! We rock!". And thanks to everyone who reads us. I hope you've enjoyed it so far.

One more note, my cousin Diane has this blog and her 17 year old daughter Haley (my second cousin) wrote a post about what high school is really like. Check it out, she did a great job.

I've never made the recipe below. All seafood is Jess' domain. This one is delicious and I request it at every special occasion. I'll be having it this week.

Grilled Sea Scallops with Green Onion Relish and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
from Bobby Flay's Grill It!

20 sea scallops, muscle removed
1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp olive oil
8 ounces bacon, diced
2 green onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 shallots, finely diced
1/4 apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in pan. Add bacon and cook until crisp about 8-10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a bowl and mix with green onions. With bacon fat in pan, increase heat under pan. Add shallots and cook until soft. Add vinegar and sugar, bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in mustard and thyme, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat your grill to high. Brush scallops on both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place scallops on teh grill and grill until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to platter, drizzle with warm bacon vinaigrette and top each scallop with some green onion relish.

Halloween

I made a risotto the other night and it got eaten so fast that I didn't have a chance to photograph it. So you are stuck with a picture of me and my daughter. I'm the non feline.

I've always loved Halloween. My mom used to make all my costumes. When I was six, I was Wonder Woman. I thought I was pretty hot stuff in my costume. I spent the night wielding my super powers, flying around in my invisible plane and collecting as much candy as possible.

We used to live across the street from a girl named Michelle. Her house wasn't the most kid friendly house on the street, but that was no reason to avoid them on Halloween night. You have to optimize your opportunities when you only have one block to work. I pranced up to their door and yelled "Trick or treat". Michelle's mom opened the door and asked me what I had dressed up as for Halloween. "Wonder Woman" I replied proudly. "No" she responded surly "You are Woner Woman". And then she tossed me a Tootsie Roll. Deflated I looked down at my shirt to see that she was right. I was Woner Woman. My mom had forgotten the D.

So I went home and ate my whole bag of candy. No just joking. I wasn't that traumatized by it. I just like that story and it gives me warm thoughts of past Halloweens. I do like a poorly executed homemade costume. I always give those kids extra candy.

Mushroom, Bacon, and Walnut Risotto
from The Mediterrasian Way

6 tbsp olive oil
2 onions finely chopped
4 slices of bacon, diced
2 cups arborio rice
2 cups white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cooked onions until softened. Add bacon and cook 2 minutes. Add rice, mushrooms, garlic, and walnuts for 1 minute. Add stock, wine, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. When done, stir in cheese and serve.
This is the easiest risotto ever.

My Favorite Slab

I love bacon. Is there anything it can't do? Well it won't make you skinny, that's for damn sure. Bacon and peanut butter sammies, bacon and maple syrup, bacon in my grilled cheese, bacon in my mushroom risotto, really it partners well with anything. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if it were socially acceptable I'd marry a pound of bacon. Not the all fat crap you get from Maple Leaf and all the other big boys but the thickly sliced kind you find down at the market.

I used to be a vegetarian. That may be hard to believe from some of my recent statements, but it's true. When I went off to university I wasn't living high on the hog. I was pretty broke, and it turns out that meat costs a pretty penny. I started making lots of veggie dishes and soon enough I wasn't that interested in meats of any kind. When I did splurge and eat meat, it always made me feel a little ill.

Then along came Jess. When we started dating over a decade ago, he was very committed to wining and dining me several times a week. He made it his personal mission to free me from the chains of vegetarianism. It was all subtle pressure. Every dinner he'd order a meaty appetizer, at home he'd be making tasty looking hoagies, and at brunch he would he would opt for the bacon and sausage. Well what is a girl to do? There is only so many times I can look an enoki beef roll or some crispy bacon in the eye before I succumb. And now look at me, I crumble at the faint whiff of bacon frying. So let's raise a glass to meaty delights and bacon in any form. Here's one of my tastiest bacon combinations.

Bacon Nuggets

12 dates
12 half inch wedges of parmesan cheese
6 slices of bacon

Cut bacon slices in half. Roll one date and one parmesan wedge in a half slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Repeat. Place rolls on a tray and bake in oven at 425 F for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.