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Then I don’t know what is.
I know I haven’t posted anything in awhile. And while I’m kind of sorry about that, I also really enjoyed the downtime.
I took some time to take photos just for fun. And because I wasn’t trying to get any kind of photo in particular, it helped me improve my skills a little.
Hellooooooo F stop!
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
And to be quite honest with you, I was feeling a bit uninspired in the kitchen. I know, right? Kind of lame for a food blogger to stop having fun in the kitchen.
I don’t want to post fluff just so I can say I posted something. I write when I’m inspired. Or when I’ve had a success.
Or an epic failure.
And there were so many other things happening in my life–all for the good!–that what we were eating for dinner just kind of went on the back burner. (Kitchen pun! It’s ok, I know I’m hilarious.)
But let’s get back to that gorgeous photo at the top.
Dude, we got a new oven!
It bakes! (And doesn’t take 40 minutes to preheat)
It cooks! (Well, I guess technically I cook, but that’s beside the point)
I’m in love.
Between the new oven and my dreamboat, I’m kind of in heaven. And! I’m ready to get back in the kitchen.
Watch out world!
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you My KitchenAid Stand Mixer:
(The folks at KitchenAid have no idea I exist, and I’m not getting paid or perked in any way. I’m just seriously in love with my mixer, and my amazing husband who gave it to me. This is a total gush post.)
Remember last Christmas when I yelled at family? This year was stunned silence. Speechless awe.
Yeah, Nick gets me. He knows what’s what.
And this mixer is what, let me tell you!
‘Cause it has attachments, you see.
Like pasta rollers.
And my talented husband knows how to work that roller.
Sure, the filling tasted amazing. And balsamic brown butter sauce is epic. But paper thin pasta rolled to perfection just can’t be beaten. Or competed with, really.
And making cookies with this mixer? No sweat.
Literally! I don’t have to mix the chocolate chips in by hand anymore!
You know how some people choose a certain car or shoe designer to fall head over heels for?
For me, it’s this mixer. And I anticipate we’ll spend many happy years together.
Now it just needs a name…
You put away the decorations. Take down the lights.
Pack up the tree shaped cookie cutters,
and tuck away the red sprinkles.
It’s kind of sad.
More than kind of.
Just taking down all the Christmas lights leaves me feeling a bit dim.
It’s important to find something warm and comforting to look forward to.
Something to make your spirits bright, even as you stack the last of the storage boxes in the garage.
Knowing that dinner’s waiting in the crock pot when you get home is pretty darn comforting.
I know, I know. “Pork roast? Come on, Jo; two weeks ago I was gorging myself on honey glazed ham and pierogies.
Roast is so…not festive.”
I hear ya! I do. But I think what I need now is comfort food. And the added luxury of not having to come up with a full dinner menu is so nice. It makes the transition out of the holiday mindset just a little easier.
So. Merry…happy…Thursday.
Pork Roast in the Crockpot
Serves 4 with leftovers
I have to admit, I did not use a recipe or write down what I was throwing into the crockpot, so this is an estimation to the best of my memory. Feel free to add or subtract whatever spices you prefer.
2 pound pork shoulder (or other cut of meat suitable for roast)
1 quart beef or vegetable stock (enough to cover the meat in the crockpot)
1 medium onion, sliced into big chunks
1 or 2 large turnips, sliced into half-rounds
6-8 red potatoes, cut into evenly sized chunks
1 bay leaf
1-2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
Rosemary, basil, salt, pepper, oregeno and thyme to taste
Pour the stock into your crockpot and add all the seasonings. Stir gently to combine. (If you like a thicker, more gravy-like sauce at the end, add 2-3 tbsp of cornstarch to the stock with the rest of the seasonings.)
Cut the pork in half, or smaller, to ensure that it’s covered almost completely in the stock. Then add the vegetables on top of the roast.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours. You just need to make sure the internal temperature of the pork reaches 160F.
Recently, my husband and I took a trip to sunny* California. What follows are a few photos of our favorite meals.
Balsamic Portabello Burger and Beer Tasting, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco
Veggie Crepe, Streetcar Cafe, San Francisco
Grilled Edamame and Flaming Sushi! Shimizu, Oakland
Avocado Chicken Salad, Bagel Sandwich, Very Verde Green Juice and Fruit Cup, Abbot’s Habit, Santa Monica
Gorgeous Latte, Intelligentsia, Venice
Omusubi, Sunny Blue, Santa Monica. This was by far our favorite meal. We even tried to recreate it at home. I’ll share more about that experience soon!
Shabu Shabu, California Shabu Shabu, Santa Monica. This was my least favorite, but I’m convinced I was doing it wrong. Everyone else loved it.
Chocolate Fleur De Sel Tarte, Miette, Ferry Building, San Francisco
Tofu Clay Pot, Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant, China Town San Francisco
We ended up walking between 5 and 10 miles every day taking in the sites and the food. I’m certain there are many amazing things we missed, but man did we have fun! I guess we’ll have to go back soon 
*I’m sure that San Francisco is generally a sunny, warm place, but when we were there, I froze! Like, had to buy a coat and why did I only bring sandals froze. Santa Monica and Venice Beach were much more to my taste.
We’ve had a long spring this year. A long wet spring.
Great for the grass and my water bill, not so great for morale.
So I’m overjoyed about 80+ degree weather. It’s seriously my favorite time of year. I may have mentioned it once or twice. (Or everyday of my life.)
But even though I’m seriously a happy camper, turning on the oven when it’s 85F in my kitchen is just asking for trouble. And melted popsicles.
So what’s a Jo to do? Make a giant salad! With chicken! And vegetables! And no oven!
Summer Survival Salad
Serves 4-6
4 unfrozen chicken breasts (I like boneless and skinless, but use what you’ve got)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, sliced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1-2 cups sugar snap peas (you can leave them whole, but I cut them in half for easier eating)
your favorite mix of lettuce
Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes, up to a day, in your favorite Italian salad dressing or vinaigrette (I’ll give you my favorite recipe at the bottom).
Grill the chicken (outside! not in your kitchen!) until fully cooked, adding more marinade each time you turn the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest covered in tin foil before you slice it into strips.
In the meantime, assemble your salad. I like to do it in layers, ’cause it’s more fun that way. Then plate and serve.
See? No melted popsicles.
Start with lettuce.
Add bell peppers.
Another layer of lettuce and then cucumbers.
Another layer of lettuce and then tomatoes and sugar snap peas.
All plated and ready to eat!
My favorite salad dressing/chicken marinade
from Emeril Lagasse
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 clove pressed garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
Add all ingredients into a lidded container. Shake or whisk until everything is combined. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
What are your favorite summer survival foods?
There’s this thing that happens to me when the sun shines.
Suddenly, things that were so stressful and worrisome become not such a big deal.
Where I would have found myself saying no before, I now find myself enthusiastically saying yes.
I find that making dinner can wait, because there’s something amazing happening in the back yard.
Dinner planning is a little more exciting when I think about picking vegetables from my garden in a few weeks/months.
Last summer’s basil
I get excited about being outside again, and I don’t even have to be bribed!
When these guys start talking about sleeping in a tent, I don’t shudder like I would have even two weeks ago.
And even though there have been a few setbacks,
Snow. Again.
I think it’s safe to say, I’m seeing the signs that winter is over.
Finally.
I had some recipe failures recently.
It happens sometimes. No big deal!
Unless it happens three times in a row. In a row!
The first failure was still edible. Really spicy, but that can be ok.
The second two?
I need to talk about it. Can I vent? Thanks.
Look at how pretty these were! All plump and soft. Sure they looked great, but the flavor? After two days of sitting on the counter uneaten, I threw them in the trash. Something was off. Very, very off.
I didn’t even take pictures of the next failure. I should have, just so you could see what I had done. I was so ashamed!
Have you ever made muffins that totally collapsed on themselves and tasted like a puddle of mushy goo? I hadn’t until last week. Bottoms burnt, insides mush, flavor unpalatable. In. The. Trash.
Man, was I a wreck! I have some thoughts on what went wrong, but I have never thrown that much food away at once. The hippie in me was totally devastated. The baker in me was pissed. And my belly was totally sad.
I had to do some immediate comfort/ego boosting baking. So I made these amazing muffins (and added chocolate chips, naturally) and these:
Don’t worry, that post is coming soon!
So, what about that delicious looking photo at the top? Yeah, that didn’t turn out as expected, but at least it didn’t end up in the trash!
Can I tell you a secret?
Chipotle powder is a great substitute for Ancho chile powder. AS LONG AS YOU REDUCE THE AMOUNT!
I know that now.
I was loosely following this recipe, but clearly I need to work on it a little more before I post it. I’m going to think of my mistakes as public service announcements. The more I learn, the more I can share. And then you won’t end up like me: a sad and hungry hippie baker.
Happy baking!
Missoula loves to celebrate. Especially when it comes to beer.
So twice a year we have a Brew Fest to celebrate all the local and regional brews we have access to.
Unfortunately, I don’t like beer.
At all.
This wouldn’t be so bad if my husband weren’t a home brewer.
I like sangria. And wine soaked fruit when the sangria runs out.
Even still, I’d never miss a Brew Fest.
I like going for the people,
the food,
Alligator(!) bites, grit cakes, and beignets.
and the opportunity to bring the family.
And when the news crews show up,
you know you’re in for a good time.
Thanks Missoula! Can’t wait for the summer Brew Fest!
And the winner is…
Susan Scalise!! Her favorite kind of cookie is homemade peanut butter cookies.
Congratulations Susan! Please email me your address at mommajo28 {at} gmail {dot} com
Thank you to everyone who entered, and Happy New Year everyone!
I’m so excited to announce that for my very first giveaway, someone is going to get this fabulous OXO “Be A Good Cookie” spatula!
Look at how adorable this is:
After using it I can legitimately say that this is my new favorite spatula. Because the silicone edges are flexible, I can use it to scrape down the sides of mixing bowls,
but it’s sturdy enough to handle even the thickest of cookies.
More importantly, though, this spatula is on a mission. OXO is helping two of their very own raise awareness and funds for kids’ cancer research. In their own words:
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by two OXOnians (OXO employees), Gretchen and Larry Witt who were inspired by their son Liam’s battle with pediatric cancer. All forms of pediatric cancer combined claim the lives of more children in the United States than any other disease – more than asthma, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and AIDS combined.
They were shocked to learn that the main reason over 25% of kids diagnosed with cancer do not survive is because of a lack of effective therapies. And the reason for the lack of effective therapies was simple: lack of funding.
This year, we are thrilled to announce a formal partnership with this organization so close to our hearts, one that will enable us to play an even larger role in the movement to find a cure for pediatric cancer. In 2011, on top of our personal efforts to support this worthy cause, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Please visit the Good Cookies site for more information and ways to help. It can be as easy as buying a spatula for your own kitchen, or as involved as hosting a bake sale. Your involvement is up to you, and you can make a difference!
Entering the giveaway is simple.
- Leave a comment telling me your favorite kind of cookie
- Tweet or post this giveaway to Facebook, and then tell me about it in the comments for an extra entry
- The deadline to enter is Friday, December 30th
The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Saturday, December 31st. United States entrants only, and unfortunately no PO Boxes.
**Disclosure: I was given two Good Cookie spatulas by OXO–one to keep and one to give away. They also provided postage to mail the prize to the winner of the giveaway. What I decided to say about their product was completely up to me and unprompted by OXO. I am not getting paid to use or endorse any products.
