Ginger, Marianne, or Gilligan?

Out for coffee with friends the other day, I ran smack dab into a generation gap. We went to an upscale Scandinavian bakery in our area. It's a great place to get a pitcher size mug of your favorite Joe and to practice resisting temptation. The bakery is amazing.

I was the first to arrive, so a snagged a table and got in line. I struck up a conversation with the women in line with me, I knew one of them from Young One's preschool. We were discussing the tempting line of heart shaped cookies in the case, each flavored lemon, strawberry, or ginger. My acquaintance mentioned how much she loved ginger. As we approached the front of the line, I quipped that I always wanted to be Ginger, but I was usually Gilligan most days. We all laughed.

The young girl working the espresso machine with the odd piercing on her upper cheek (ouch) wanted in on the fun. We told her we felt her cookies should be named after the Island's occupants. "You mean Lost," she asked. "No, Gilligan's," I informed her. Blank stare. Blink. "Is that near Fiji?"

Ugh. I think that officially means I've crossed that invisible line between the generations. Not only am I unable to understand the intricacies of video games and iPods when Young One waxes on about them, but I'm now unable to communicate with the 20 somethings.

This recipe is from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I adore her. Never trust a skinny cook, I've always said. Ina makes absolutely delicious food with a focus on simplicity and fine ingredients. Her recipes aren't all Weight Watchers friendly, but this one is. You must have at least two of her cookbooks, really worth the investment. Or if you're strapped, hit the library.


Honey, I Love Ya, Chicken
aka I Always Wanted to be Ginger Chicken
or I'm more like Gilligan Chicken
You can make this with boneless skinless pieces or a whole cut up chicken. Points will vary depending on what pieces you use. I like to use skinless chicken thighs. They're cheap and they come in at about 3.5 WW Points per thigh. Serve with Jasmine rice, mixed salad tossed with sesame ginger dressing, and steamed Asian veggies.

8 pieces of chicken
1/2 cup honey
2 TB minced garlic
2 heaping TB minced fresh ginger--I used minced ginger in a jar found in the Asian foods section (don't use Marianne or Gilligan)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup green onions, chopped (optional)
sesame seeds (optional--will increase Point value)

Mix honey, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Pour over skinless chicken pieces. Allow to marinate in refrigerator at least eight hours. Turn several times while marinating. Bake at 350, covered for 30 minutes, uncovered for 30 minutes. Watch closely, basting several times while cooking. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds (you can add the green onions to the marinade if you wish).

I OD'd on Gravy

We had a delightful Thanksgiving. My brother hosted and it was so delicious, BUT we love our own leftovers, so I ended up making the dinner for our little family on Friday. OK, so we love the idea of our own leftovers until we spend three days eating turkey! I made our meal as Weight Watchers friendly as I could and turkey IS one of the most weight loss friendly foods there is, but, I still OD'd on gravy. I'm sure there are healthier versions of gravy out there, but I only know how to make it as my Grandma taught me--with the pan drippings. Oh well, 'tis the season and I refuse to miss out.

We at turkey almost all weekend. Young One still took sandwiches for lunch today. He could probably eat it every day, he just loves it so much. I'm done, though.

I worked out hard this am (penance?) and am getting back on track. Hence, this tried and true mac and cheese for dinner. I'm looking forward to vegetables (Campbells Green Bean Casserole cannot be considered a vegetable). I'm looking forward to salad. I'm looking forward to a meal that doesn't put me in a turkey induced coma after consuming it. I'm not looking forward to my weigh in on Friday. I skipped last week. I know, I know, not healthy, I should have just faced it, but quite honestly, in all the craziness of taking care of my mom, I forgot!

Still busy taking care of my mom, so this quick recipe fits right in with my day. I hope you enjoy!

Back on Track Mac

Makes 8 servings at 5 WW Points per serving. My version is probably even lower since I use high fiber, Ronzoni macaroni. Young One hates the breadcrumbs on top, so I try to leave a portion uncovered. The breadcrumbs do help keep the macaroni from drying out on top.

12 oz uncooked Ronzoni macaroni, elbow-type
1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
8 oz low-fat cheddar or colby cheese, shredded
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp dried bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain and transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside.
Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges (known as scalding). Reduce heat to low, add cheese and simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 3-quart casserole dish.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta.
Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

The Five

Sight


Time of My Life by Allison Win Scotch


I heard about this book over at Booking Mama, so I put it on my library request list. I guess I was ahead of the herd, because this book arrived very quickly. It now has many more requests, so it must be getting good reviews on the net.


When I picked it up, I thought I was just going to breeze through another Chick Lit read, but this book had so much more to it. The premise is, what would you do if you could go back in time and live your life over again. Would you make the same choices? What would happen if you picked another person to marry? These are the questions facing heroine Jillian. She seems to have everything. A beautiful suburban home, a wonderful husband, and an adorable daughter. She's bored and unhappy, though. Her husband works long hours, their marriage is strained, she's tired of the relentlessness of motherhood, and her high standards and drive for perfection is driving her crazy. Hearing that an old boyfriend is getting married, she wonders what life would have been life if she wouldn't have let that one get away.


Magically whisked back in time, Jillian faces her past life with new eyes. Her choices ultimately lead her right back to where she was, but with some fantastic changes. Yes, I saw it coming, yes, it was relatively predictable, but this book got me thinking about some really serious things. Would I do it over again if I had the chance? And what would I change?


I highly recommend.



Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer


I love local authors. Julie is practically a neighbor, living just a community away from me.


Every once in a while, I need to read a thriller. A quick mystery, something that makes me want to race to the end of the book while savoring every page. This is that book.


Riley Spartz is an investigative reporter for a local television station. She recently had a horrific loss and is just easing herself back into work. While doing a story about a homicide, she begins to piece together the evidence of a serial killer. Once a year, on the same date for many years, women named Susan have been murdered. Riley begins to investigate, building a story with many twists and turns. Her news director isn't supportive of the story and forces her to investigate a pet cremation scandal, that makes an interesting side story.


I loved the inside view of an investigative reporter. The challenges they face are unique; Riley's story is extremely personal. In November, as the deadly anniversary approaches, sweeps means if it bleeds, it leads. As the book comes to it's climactic conclusion, I found myself wishing for more.

It's a page turner. I loved the local references. Loved the story. I look forward to more from Ms. Kramer.


Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray

This is what happens when I wander the aisles of my library (like a kid in a candy store). I bring home stacks of books that sound tempting at a glance. When I get home, I'm always amazed at what I've found. I absolutely adored this book. Maybe it's because it was set, once again, in my hometown Minneapolis, but references to our city were few and far between (or nonexistent). I think it was the title that grabbed me.

Ruth is a busy wife and mother who loves to bake. No, that's not quite right. She's found something meditative about baking. It's her "happy place" when things are falling apart around her. She finds comfort in the exact measurements, the science of baking if you will. She gets lost in recipes and loves to tweak them to perfection. She's doing a lot of baking lately. Both parents have moved in with her, her teenage daughter has honed her hormone driven angst to exquisite perfection, and her husband has lost his job. The story follows the family through some interesting and enlightening weeks.

A must read. I loved it--especially on the eve of my mom's surgery. I could totally relate!



Sound

Funhouse Pink

I adore Pink. I always have. I like strong women with even stronger voices (both musically and personally). Pink says what she thinks and her music is absolutely brilliant. Raw and edgy one minute, provocative the next, she hooked me on the first track. You can hear the emotion surrounding her recent split from her husband. I'd hate to be that guy (or anyone that did her wrong). Pink is one of the most talented artists of our time. Once again, she preaches and I am the choir.

(Please don't censor artists. Purchase the "explicit" version.)

Scent

Toasted Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread. My favorite bread. About 1 WW Point per slice, it's my go to breakfast when my brain is still foggy. If you're not familiar with Food for Life Baking Company, you must try their products! This is what bread should be: hearty, healthy, and delicious.

When Young One was really little, he visited a friends house and had lunch there. At that point in his life, he had never had white bread. That's what he was served for lunch. I laughed so hard when he came home and said, "Something was wrong with their bread. It was all white and mushy." Ha!

Taste

We eat a lot of salmon at our house. It's one thing that Young One will eat without questioning it or examining it closely to see if there are hidden foods that he hates. I just stocked up on whole fillets for $4 a pound which is such a fantastic deal here in our landlocked state!

Maple Soy Salmon

About 4 WW Points per serving, serves 6.

One whole fillet of salmon

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 TB soy sauce

as much garlic as you can stand

freshly ground black pepper

In a large, shallow baking dish, place salmon, skin side down. Mix all marinade ingredients and brush on salmon. Let marinate as long as you can in the refrigerator. I didn't have much time (an hour) and it was still delicious. Ginger and sesame oil would be good additions. Line another pan with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Remove fish from marinade and place on foil. Brush with some of the remaining marinade and toss the rest. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

I served with broccoli couscous (don't get excited it was just a box), winter squash drizzled with honey, and steamed veggies. Yum.

Touch

My new keyboard. Thank you Dell. My old laptop keyboard was losing keys rapidly. I think this is my third keyboard on this baby!

Smashed Taters

I'm so sympathizing with my neighbor. She and I (and her husband and I) have been debating election issues since Sarah Palin was announced as the Republican VP candidate. Poor M, she came over wearing a Palin supporter t-shirt just as I had received word of the Obama Waffles. And, just when I was PMS-ing to the max. She got an earful and the intense debates began from that point forward.

So, I was thinking about what she should do with all her pent up angst about Obama's election. I cheerily told her, "It's going to be fine," but I'm sure my euphoric bliss didn't really communicate just how sorry I was for her.

When Bush won again four years ago, I had also just lost my dad. Needless to say, it was a sad time in my life AND I was grieving for my dad too. With all that going on, I baked a heck of a lot of bread. I needed to knead and muscle and make something submit to all my anger and sadness. Bread was a good victim.

For my neighbor, though? I suggested Smashed Potatoes. Nope, not mashed potatoes. These are smashed and you can take a lot of satisfaction in doing so.

Yes, I'm a liberal, but I'm not without sympathy. McCain's last speech was heartfelt and classy--a side of him that I wish we would have seen more of AND the side of him that made me respect him in the first place. (Don't get me started on Palin. I'm still detoxing.)

Here you go. Smashed potatoes. They're a great side dish and you could top them like potato skins for a fantastic appetizer.

Both parties agree, smashing root vegetables is highly enjoyable.

Smashed Potatoes

Please figure Weight Watchers Points as you would red potatoes. Be sure to include any oil or toppings that you use.

small red potatoes--as many as your family will eat

sea salt

freshly cracked black pepperyour favorite herbs: rosemary, thyme, and/or marjoram are good-- herbs are optional

olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

Scrub potatoes. Cut any that are large in size, so that all are relatively the same size. Cook in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Drain completely. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or brushed with olive oil, place potatoes so that there's room for smashing between them. Smash each with a potato masher or a fork keeping them just rustically smashed, not mashed! Spray potatoes with nonstick cooking spray if you're watching your calories or drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with your favorite herbs and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 25 minutes or until edges and tops are crispy.

You may top with bacon bits and cheese and serve with sour cream if you want to go completely potato gaga.

Attacked by Mutant Green Onions from Mars

Before

After. Yum. I served with drop biscuits.

I do so love eleven year old boys. Their comments and conversations can either tear my heart out or force me to call upon my inner Gandhi to keep from laughing out loud. We've been enjoying the last of the garden's fresh harvest. Picked and refrigerated a week or so ago, I was staring at the crisper drawer full of leeks wondering just what I should do with them. Young One, called by the sound of the refrigerator cracking open (I think it's instinctual at this age), peered in and said, "Looks like we were attacked by Mutant Green Onions from Mars." He then grabbed something and disappeared. Thankfully he did because I almost fell on the floor laughing.

My boy is quite serious. He isn't one to waste words on frivolity. He's a lot of fun, don't get the wrong opinion, but he isn't going to be the class clown or need to be the center of attention. He's just like his dad that way and I love them so much for that. They both do good things and are successful, but don't need a lot of applause for their efforts. It's really very refreshing in this day and age of praising people beyond reality. The great thing about this personality trait is that when they do say something funny or profound or whatever, it's really funny or profound or whatever! Love it!

What did I do with all those Mutant Green Onions from Mars? Well, Potato Leek Soup, of course! With onions and leeks from the garden, I felt like I was this earthy, provider, Mother Earth sort of mom. It was delicious. Now, I'm going to try to share the recipe. To me, soup is always quite organic. There isn't really a recipe or, more specifically, a recipe is loosely followed. Soup in restaurants is used to use up leftovers (so is Brunch, but that's a whole other story!). So, I was using up leftovers and my overabundant supply of garden leeks. Using what you have and finding ingredients locally (like my backyard) isn't really necessary, but it's part of my plan to clean out the cupboards, fridge, and freezer.

Add what you have to jazz up this soup. The basic recipe is delicious, but it could be more of a vegetable chowder if you have more to add. Long simmering of the potatoes makes for a creamy texture.

Mutant Green Onions from Mars Soup

I know it's not the most appetizing name for this delicious soup, but I can't help myself in naming it this! Please forgive me. Serves at least eight with approximately 2 Weight Watchers Points per serving.


3 cloves garlic, Use about a Tablespoon or as much as you can stand
2 small shallots
14 oz canned carrots, one whole can UNDRAINED. You can use fresh too.
3 cups leeks, About 3 large or several small, cleaned and chopped
1 pound potatoes
8 cups water
3 tbsp Home Again Chicken base, no msg
2 cups fat-free skim milk
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt, TO TASTE!!! chicken base can be salty, do not add unless you've tasted
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
Garnish with chopped chives if you wish

Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add garlic, shallots, and leaks. Cook until softened. Add potatoes, undrained carrots, water, chicken base, and thyme. Simmer for about an hour. Add milk and pepper. Simmer for another hour. Potatoes will start to break up. Taste and salt if desired. You may leave this as a rustic soup or blend it with an immersion blender or in batches in your blender. I like it rustic style. I would imagine you could add clams to this to make a great chowder. Or corn and chicken. It's a great soup on it's own, but could be altered to suit what's in your cupboards and what your taste preferences are.

I'm a Little Bit Crunchy

I was called a tree-hugger recently and secretly, I was a little pleased, but also I found it pretty funny. I'm not a typical tree-hugger. I live in the 'burbs. I don't wear clothing made of hemp or attend protests. I'm not Vegan and I don't drive a hybrid. Yes, stereotypes these are, but I think the name tree hugger in itself is a stereotype. We've just got to think of a better name. Hugging trees can lead to bark scratches on your face; a look I find rather unpleasant.

I was raised to respect our environment. That phrase, "Take only pictures, leave only footprints" was family law, but we didn't use that cutesy phrase. My dad would have choked on it. Hey, I choke on it, but if it works, so be it.

I've been known to delve into other people's garbage to take out recyclables. I limit my carbon footprint (another little catch phrase that I think is stupid). I don't buy bottled water. I've been bringing my own shopping bags to the market for years (thankfully, people rarely stare now!) I don't use my car very much and when I do, I combine trips as much as possible.

I do everything I can to make sure that my son's world will be better than my own. It's the tree-hugger name that I don't like. It lends this sort of us versus them feeling. It labels like minded people with something that isn't very well received by other folks. In fact, it's getting just as big of a rap as liberal now is. I think there's got to be another title that isn't quite as polarizing. I'm a wordie. I love to play with words and I can't for the life of me come up with another title. What I want is a word that means, I'm not an extremist, I'm just doing the best I can to limit my impact on the world without being political, vegetarian, a hippie, a Birkenstock wearing mom who makes her kid eat Kefir and Tofu, or a radical. Environmentalist is a whole mouthful and doesn't quite hit it.

If anyone can think of a word for those of us who don't quite fit into the tree hugger mold, let me know. I, for once, am speechless.

Crunchy Granola

Finally, a lighter version of granola, which those of us who are watching what we eat know can be a major diet breaker. Granola, so called health-food, is typically full of fat and calories. This granola recipe still provides high flavored crunch with less fat and calories and comes in at 3 Weight Watchers Points per serving.


3 cup(s) rolled oats
3 cup(s) ready-to-eat puffed rice cereal
1 cup(s) Perky's Nutty Rice Cereal (in your Natural foods section) or Post Grape-Nuts
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Syrup:
2/3 cup(s) unpacked brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup(s) water
1 TB real almond extract
1 TB real vanilla extract

After baking:
1 cup(s) raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries

Place brown sugar, cinnamon, and water in a saucepan, heat over medium high heat until almost boiling. While heating, place oats, cereals, and nuts in a large, greased baking pan. Mix to combine dry ingredients. Once almost boiling, remove syrup from heat and stir in flavoring extracts. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and granola well to combine. Press with back of spoon to form some granola clumps (the technical term for this is smooshing). Bake at 300 degrees stirring often until toasted, about 30 -40 minutes. Cool on wax paper. Stir in raisins and dried cherries.

I like to bag this recipe in individual 1/2 cup servings to keep portion control easy. Young One loves to take this to school as a snack. It's wonderful as a stand alone snack and great with yogurt or fresh fruit and yogurt.

Dear Diary

I had a bright red diary with a gold lock on it. Maybe it was green and I wanted a red one. I think Anne Frank's diary was red. Yep, I'm now officially old enough to not remember what color my childhood diary was. It's in a box of memories somewhere in the house. I really need to go look for it again. I do know for sure it had a gold lock on it. I kept the key in my desk drawer. Probably not the most brilliant of hiding places, especially having two older brothers who were quite savvy at figuring out my hiding places. I wonder if they read it. Hmmm. I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that.

It was a great diary. I tried to keep it updated as often as I could, but I wasn't really good at it. Those times that I did sit down with it were usually filled with angst. Somebody had done me wrong or some pre-teen boy wouldn't pay attention to me. It's pretty much a record of my woes. I didn't often turn to it in times of celebration.

Throughout my diary, I tried out different handwriting. Sometimes I dotted my i's with circles, sometimes hearts, sometimes, in a fit of creativity, I made smiley faces. I practiced my latest crush's last name as my married name. Mrs. Michael Jackson was repeated a few times along with some blurbs about how much our age difference wouldn't have mattered. Every once in a while, I put PhD at the end of my name.

Does anyone actually write a diary anymore? Do they even sell these little books with the locks? I ask because when I found my childhood diary in my thirties, I was almost more interested in my handwriting, the color of the pen that I chose, the stickers and scribblings in the margins as I talked on the phone-- all of these things that can't be seen in blogging. Will today's teenagers be without these historical documents from which they can later, analyze these years of their lives? Will they have any little snippets of their handwriting or their doodling?

One particularly picky teacher of Young One's once commented on his handwriting and that it wasn't his best work. Seems to me he was in first grade. My answer to her, "Well, he's only 6, so I think he has time to perfect it. AND who cares? These kids aren't going to write anyway." I admit, it was the mother lion in me responding to a person who felt she needed to find SOMETHING to pick on (and she WAS a pain in the arse teacher)--but, really. These kids aren't going to write. How many of us hand write anything anymore? In another generation, they'll probably have implantable keyboards on their knees.

I remember one particularly angst-ridden entry in my diary just as clear as it was yesterday. It was all about my Home-Ec teacher and how she criticized my Balloon Rolls. It got me thinking, just what the heck were balloon rolls. Oh yes, a delectable concoction comprised of refrigerator biscuits (those bizarre creations found in tubes), marshmallows, and cinnamon and sugar. I think she was upset with me because I didn't grease my pan and the roll's caramel center leaked and burnt, leaving permanent stains on the pans. We had a horrible nickname for her that I won't repeat here, but it was dead on! Poor teachers who have names that rhyme with bodily functions. She also criticized my sewing--apparently, you have to trim all the loose threads inside your horridly put together duffel bag that you're never going to use anyway because it's so hideous. Once again, I'm rambling.

I'm sharing the recipe for Balloon Rolls here. They're not complicated or gourmet cuisine, but they're easy enough that your kids can put them together and taste like a treat that took much longer to make. They're fun to make at a cabin or on a sleepy Sunday morning. And I bet you could make them in a Dutch oven over a campfire. Who doesn't love cinnamon, sugar, butter, and hydrogenated oils? I make Young One open the biscuit tube--the anticipation of the pop just pushes me over the edge.

Balloon Rolls

Serves 10 at 3 WW Points each. The marshmallows disappear making a caramel-like center.

3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated biscuits
10 large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter melted


Combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Flatten biscuits. Roll marshmallows in butter and then in cinnamon-sugar. place one marshmallow on top of each biscuit; wrap biscuit around marshmallows and pinch seams. Place seam side down on greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I dip in more cinnamon and sugar once they're just warm to the touch (painting with melted butter to make it stick).

Dill Pickles-- A Victorious Review

Remember when Young One convinced me, on Meet Your Teacher Day no less, to make homemade dill pickles? Well, I promised that if they were a successful endeavor that I would share the recipe.

I think I've been wary to try making them since trying a bad batch that my mom made. Her pickles didn't stay crisp one time she canned them. I thought, for sure, that they were more difficult to make than they were.

Mine are wonderful! And really so very easy. The author of the recipe recommends letting them sit 8 weeks before sampling, but we could only stand to wait 4 weeks. They taste like Milwaukee Dills or Gedney Baby Dills. Yum! And pickles are a zero Point food!

There really is something very satisfying about canning. It's thrifty, that's for sure, but what I love best about it is looking at those rows of jars when your job is done. They're so beautiful (oh, bear with me!) and it looks like you just did something very homey and old fashioned for your family. I hope I get the chance to do some more this fall!

Dilled Green Beans is another great recipe to can. Delicious pickled green beans are a great treat to put on your relish trays during the holidays. I bet you could just sub whole green beans in the recipe below and they'd be delicious. Process time would be less.

Give it a try, this recipe is fool proof. Don't skip a step. I found it on All Recipes and want to give credit where it is due. Thank you Sharon Howard. You're brilliant.

Delicious Dill Pickles

"This recipe for Kosher style dills was given to me 25 years ago by a farmers wife who grew cucumbers and it has never let me down. The two things I have found critical to crisp dill pickles are soaking the cukes in ice water for at least 2 hours and ensuring the brine is at a full boil when poured over the dills."

8 pounds 3 to 4 inch long
pickling cucumbers
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and
halved
8 sprigs fresh dill weed (a small little section of dill, not a whole head)
8 heads fresh dill weed (a big whole, top of the dill plant)


Wash cucumbers, and place in the sink with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize 8 (1 quart ) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.

In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue.

Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath. Process quart jars for 15 minutes. NO LONGER than that! Jars will snap sealed as they cool if they don't in the water bath.

Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place.

I Really Need to Lighten Up

So, I'm not going to talk about politics today. I'm not even going to listen to or watch anything having to do with politics. I won't talk about the economy, McCain's or Biden's ages, or the war in Iraq.

Instead I'm just going to smile, change the channel or station, or pop my iPod on. I'm going to go for a walk, enjoy the sunshine (if it's out!), and play with my dogs. I want to talk to a friend about our kids and Paris Hilton and the PTA. I think I may bake a cake or some cookies. I feel the need to knead bread. I want to do something that's positive and happy and homey.

I think we're all in a negative mindset and if you're like me, it's been bringing you down. Let's take a break, shall we? Just for a day.

Bipartisan Brown Bread

A sweet brown bread that would do Boston proud! Serves 12 at 3 WW Points per serving

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups buttermilk

You can add raisins if you wish, but they will increase the Point value. Dates might be nice too.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and brown sugar. Mix in molasses and buttermilk until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for one hour, or until done. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, and then remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.
In my pre-WW days I would have served this with honey butter. I need to figure out a way to lighten that treat up!

Mom, When Can We Have Salmon?

This is our very favorite salmon recipe. I always make at least 3 of the marinades. One to use and two to freeze for future meals.

This recipe serves four and I could only calculate the points using all of the ingredients. Obviously, you aren't going to eat all of the marinade and leaving out the oil will decrease the Points value tremendously. Rough estimate: approximately 5 Points per serving.

Gary's Salmon

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons vegetable oil-- I leave this out
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon green onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
4 salmon steaks (1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil-- I usually just spray the fillets with nonstick spray

DIRECTIONS
In a shallow glass baking dish, combine soy sauce, orange juice concentrate, oil, ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, green onion, garlic, and ginger. Place salmon in marinade, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
Remove salmon from marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Brush or spray salmon with olive oil. Cook on grill for 5 to 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Turn salmon once, and brush with boiled marinade halfway through cooking time.

You can broil this too if the snow's too deep to get to the grill (and yes, I've had this happen).

We Couldn't Wait for Peach Season

I love my Grandma. Nope, it's deeper than that, everyone says they love their grandma. I adore her. She and I are really good friends. I think it started when Grandpa died. Grandma was completely lost. She didn't know what to do with herself. To sum it up, she died when he did and it took a while for her to learn how to be without him. She had been married since she was fifteen years old. She and Grandpa were the epitome of a long lasting love. It's just too bad that it didn't last as long as it should have.

Anyway, I don't want to get into the sadness of the story. I want to talk more about Grandma and my relationship. Because she was all alone, she was with our family all the time. We saw her several times a week, I stayed with her when my parents took much needed vacations, and best of all, she traveled with us. I clearly remember the first trip we took with Grandma. Grandpa had been gone just a short time and she was still fragile and shell shocked. Grandma was having trouble sleeping and nothing seemed to help. So, to assist her in trying to get some shut eye, my mom had purchased a six pack of wine coolers. There Grandma and I were, roommates in a Best Western, she sipping wine coolers while we watched Risky Business together. I suppose other grandchildren would have been mortified, but Grandma and I laughed through the whole movie. I don't know if it was the wine coolers, but she doesn't remember this evening. It's burned in my memory and makes me smile every time I think about it. And I can't look at Tom Cruise without laughing.

Throughout my time with her, Grandma has shared stories about growing up in the Depression. The last time we were chatting, I mentioned to her that I had a bowl of fresh peaches on the counter that I was going to grill for dessert. She thought that sounded intriguing, then she got quiet, and she said, "We couldn't wait for peach season." I was sure that she would then launch into a story about how they didn't have the wonderful produce availability that we're fortunate to have, that they would eat peaches while the juice ran down their chins, that Great-grandma would can peaches for the winter... I waited for a quaint little story that I could file away as another pleasant memory.

Nope, that's not what I got. Grandma sighed deeply and then she said, "We just loved to take those peach wrappers into the outhouse. By peach season, we had used up all of the non-shiny pages of the Sears catalogue." It was silent for another moment and then, we laughed so hard that I had to hang up, wipe my tears, take a breath and call her back.

I guess I can file that one under, just one more way that Grandma taught me to be thrifty. But, no, I'm not going there Grandma. Better yet, it's one more way that Grandma has taught me that I have it much better than she did back in the day. In her honor, I'd like to share this recipe with you.

Grilled Peaches

One peach per person

nonstick cooking spray

Two squares of Hershey's or Dove chocolate per person

A smidgen of light butter, maybe a 1/4 tsp per peach half-- you could use Butter Buds

I hope this makes sense. I'm highly caffeinated due to a new coffeemaker that I just love and my mind is racing faster than my fingers.

Preheat your grill over medium high heat. Make sure that your grill grates are very clean. Inside the house, prep your peaches. Wash, dry, cut in half, and remove pits. Place on a plate, cut side up, and spray lightly with nonstick spray. (Don't do this near the grill, the aerosol oil near an open flame is just an invitation for a disaster.) Place place peaches cut side down and grill for four minutes. Turn cut side up and grill another four minutes. Place a smidgen of butter and one square of chocolate in each peach half. Shut the grill cover and shut the grill off. Let stand for one minute. Serve as is, one whole peach per person, or with some low calorie vanilla bean ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Lunchbox Blues

It's difficult to be in grade school, I really have to agree with my young one on this. I remember the challenges of trying to fit in, do what's right, and at the same time try to be a cool kid. I remember the mean girls, the teacher with the Kleenex up her polyester sleeve who had a tendency to read outloud far too quietly to keep us awake, and the smell of lunch wafting down the hallway, long long before it was time to eat.

We're going through a difficult time in our house. Summer hasn't been long enough, but between our busy schedule and his friend's filled calendars, he's been missing his school friends. I'm trying to balance this topsy turvy time of year the best I can. There's a great deal of joy to be found with recent purchases of new "school" shoes, new pencils, and the obligatory new backpack (this one on wheels!). And we all know, there's nothing like the smell of a new crayon box, even though, I've been informed, that they use markers in fourth grade. Hey, I deserve a new box of crayons every year, don't I?

Anyway, I'm getting off the subject a bit. Along with trying to present school in the best light and balancing the dreaded return with the thought of making it a really great year, we've taken a look at the proposed school lunch menu for September. And I have to say, after a summer of making really healthy choices, it's got me a little down. It's also sparked some interesting conversations around the house about just what would be a healthy hot lunch at school, how some menu choices just fall very short of what they should be, and how what we put in our bodies ultimately fuels our minds. Ok, that's getting a little "let's all join hands and sing" for me, but you understand where I'm going.

For the most part, school lunch fails to meet our parenting ideals of what kids should really have for lunch. It's colorless, salty, and filled with far too many prepackaged foods. So, we've decided in our home to try using school hot lunch less and less and try taking lunch along more and more. I have visions of packing individual containers of fresh sugarsnap peas, yogurt, and lentils, but the reality is, it may take some time for young one to get used to this.

There are expensive options out there for laptop style lunchboxes, but I really don't think it's necessary to spend a fortune on small plastic containers. We'll use what we have here and send them in an insulated bag that he's had for a while. We've got a great Thermos for hot and/or cold stuff. My goal is to use only reusable containers and to concentrate on packing great lunches that will rank high on the lunch trading scale of deliciousness (and Lord help me if he does figure out he can trade for nuggets or fries!).

I'm looking forward to trying this. I understand it will be a bit of an investment in time and I'd gladly welcome any suggested menus. There are some great websites out there outlining kid friendly fare, but I'd like to hear from people who've made it work and what they're serving.

Thanks,
Elizabeth