"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

Aside from being one of my kids’ favorite books, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs , by Judi and Ron Barrett (1978) has also inspired the love of all things meatball in my family. Let’s just take a minute to discuss the spaghetti and/or meatball experience from my youth. Our spaghetti never included meatballs. Generally we had a sort of ragu type sauce with browned ground beef and some seasonings stirred together with Prego brand spaghetti sauce (Ragu brand was too watery, if I remember correctly). As a child, I wasn’t a big lover of spaghetti sauce, preferring my noodles plain. In time, however, I managed to ladle a bit of the sauce onto my noodles. It was not my favorite meal in the world. Strange, I know. Especially after seeing how ravenously my own children devour this staple meal. Who knows why…maybe I was just picky or maybe my mom ate too much of it while I was merely a bun in the oven (she has confessed this was her main craving with me!). Meatballs, on the other hand, were a family favorite. They never came in the Italian variety, though. We made barbecue meatballs–meatballs covered in BBQ sauce and baked, served over egg noodles most of the time. I used to make up a bunch of these and stick them in the freezer when we were newlyweds. But after a…

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"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

Giada’s Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad

Do you ever see a recipe on a cooking show and just have to make it immediately? I had to make this salad. I’ve been thinking about it all week (there I go again, being obsessive about food…)…but you know what I mean right? I know a lot of you are not in grilling weather right now, and to be honest with you it is cold, dreary and rainy here in FL right now. But that wasn’t going to stop me, I grilled these babies indoors… if you don’t have a grill pan, it is so worth the investment, I use mine all the time. (Zebra Eggplant from the Lake Mary Farmer’s Market …aren’t they pretty?…) I have been craving really fresh and healthy food lately…I think having hamburgers and pulled pork in the same week does that to you…I’ll have to plan better next time. This salad definitely hit the spot. The flavor combination could not get any better…grilled eggplant, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and basil…simply dressed in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. So good. Thank you Giada. Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian 3 tablespoons olive oil 7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons chopped mint (I left this out) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, …

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Giada’s Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad

Promote Your Blog Using Twitter

Great cooks know that sharing food together is one of the best community building activities you can do. So for food bloggers it’s only natural that you should seek out conversations and relationship in places where you can share your recipes with others. In this episode of Great Cooks Radio, Jill and I talk about how to use Twitter to build relationship and promote your blog at the same time. We would love to hear your ideas about this topic. Follow us on Twitter and let’s continue the conversation. You can find us on Twitter using JillMcKeever or CharlesMcKeever In the next episode we’ll talk about using StumbleUpon to promote your blog, so be sure to check out that show too. Show Notes: Be sure to check out Ben Herrera’s blog, What’s Cooking . Ben used eBay to research photography and lighting solutions . He does a great job with all his photography and he didn’t have to spend a lot of money to get a nice setup for taking his photos. Also, be sure to check out the Great Cooks Blogroll to find more great food blogs. Signup to be included in the Great Cooks Twitter feed . Or you can follow Great Cooks on Twitter to stay on top of what’s happening with all the Great Cooks Blogroll Member Blogs.

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Promote Your Blog Using Twitter

Daring Bakers Tuiles

The daring Baker Challenge this month was Tuiles. Something light and fun. We were to pick one of three recipes and bake them, shape them, and pair them. I thought I would be so clever and make the savory batch and pair it with a salad to stay with my new healthy living plan. Well… It was a good plan but not a very wise one. I made my batch which included a whole stick of butter

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Daring Bakers Tuiles

Mongolian Beef

It’s been fun experimenting with Asian cooking lately. I have been intimidated by it for so long, yet it is one of our favorite foods so I would so love to be able to eat it more often without feeling guilty about getting take out all the time. I recently found this recipe on Joelen’s Culinary Adventures . This blog is full of good stuff, there is so much to read and look through, I just love it!! Joelen’s Mongolian Beef recipe is so easy to make…I had a lean sirloin steak in the freezer and sliced it up very thin. I served it with stir fried broccoli and snap peas and brown rice. This meal was perfect for a weeknight and made plenty for leftovers for lunch the next day. Mongolian Beef Recipe from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures 2 bunches green onion, cut in 1 inch pieces 1 lb lean beef, sliced thin salt & pepper to taste 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 onion, diced 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup oyster sauce 1/4 cup soy sauce Season sliced beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Sprinkle cornstarch over beef and toss to coat. Set aside. In hot pan saute garlic and onion in

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Mongolian Beef

Beef Tongue, Chili, and Pumpkin Muffins

This was a weekend for cooking. It was cold outside and warm in the kitch en. Since we are getting a side of beef soon, I have to use the other meat I have in the freezer. I decided to make chili and cook a beef tongue. I put that on my Facebook the other day, and it sparked some conversation in the lunchroom on Monday. Most people think beef tongue is gross, and I have to say that the thought is kind of icky. You have to look past the name and just try it. Beef tongue is actually very good. I took several pictures of the tongue from its raw state to its final cooked state. I must say that I really enjoyed the tongue sandwiches that I made for Hubby and me. I used Cibatta bread, Dijon mustard, spinach, and salt. That’s it. Hubby laughed as I prepared the sandwiches for their picture debut, saying that when he grew up all they did was slap tongue and salt between bread and eat. He really enjoyed the sandwiches too. Both boys tried the tongue and they really liked it….really! I was quite surprised. They have the strangest taste in food. The like tongue, pesto, shrimp, steak, pork steak, and of course spagh etti. They aren’t that fond of veggies – it’s l ike pulling teeth sometimes, and the little one doesn’t like apples. But overall they aren’t too bad about food. At least they try things without too much trouble. I also made and canned chili . I often make a large batch of chili to can so that I have it one hand when I want it. On Sunday I made the chili, knowing full well that I didn’t have beans. I said to myself, “Self, you need to get beans on the way home from school tomor row to add to the chili.” And I remembered that. My little one and I ran to the store before we picked up the older one at the skating rink –roller. Anyway, after I got the kids home, I had to get them dinner, get myself dinner and meet a friend. So…….I forgot the beans. The little one looked at me yesterday and said, with his finger pointing at me. “Mommy, don’t forget the beans again, they are the best…

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Beef Tongue, Chili, and Pumpkin Muffins

BBQ Chili

Sometimes I see a recipe and it doesn’t do much for me. Then I can see it again, and I cant wait to make it. CRAZY! Case in point, I’ve been seeing chili recipes all over the blogosphere. I guess I’m just not in the chili mood because it didn’t strike a cord with me. Then I saw a recipe for BBQ chili and I just couldn’t get to the store quick enough. The original recipe called for a soy crumble. I substituted ground turkey. And I recommend using baked tortilla chips as a spoon. Yea! I’m submitting this to Lori at The Recipe Girl. She is hosting the The Ultimate Super Bowl Party Recipe Smack Down. Bloggers can submit Super Bowl recipe favorites, and the winner (selected randomly) will receive a $250 gift card to Sam’s Club. Another healthy recipe to keep us on track this new year. GO US! I’m down 7 pounds. How about you? BBQ CHILI 1 pound ground turkey 1 Cans kidney, beans rinsed and drained 2 Cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 Can white beans 1 LG onion, chopped 1 Gr. pepper, chopped 1 1/2 TBS chili powder 1/2 TBS cumin 1 Can diced tomatoes with green chilies 1/2 c chicken broth 1 1/2 C. frozen corn 1 Cup BBQ sauce Brown turkey and drain. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes. I put it in a crock pot for about 3 hours on high. Serve with cilantro, cheese, sour cream, and chips. Want more healthy choices? Try these: Refried Bean Soup Maple

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BBQ Chili

Quaker’s "True Delights"

One of the “true delights” of this lucrative food writing career is product review. This time I received a sneak-peek installment of Quaker’s new “True Delights” granola bars. So let’s start with the product description. “An amalgam of real fruit, whole nuts, dark chocolate, and honey-drizzled oats…” Okay, let’s stop right there. The word “amalgam” just isn’t working for me. But then again, I am prejudiced against dental terms at this particular time in my life. “Real fruit”–good. “Whole nuts”–double good. “Dark chocolate”–well, dark chocolate will get me to eat just about anything (but I’m drawing the line at chocolate covered insects). “Honey-drizzled oats”–okay, let’s just check the listed ingredients…wait a minute. The number one ingredient is rolled oats. Is honey next? No, oh, look there, corn syrup…other things….brown sugar….oh, there’s the honey way down the list. But, I guess “corn-syrup drizzled oats” doesn’t sell. The final description alludes to the bars as “guiltless indulgence.” All the bars contain 140 calories, with fat contents ranging from 3.5 to 5 grams per bar. Three grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 8-10 grams of sugars, a wee bit of iron and nothing in the vitamins category. All contain some artificial flavors and also whey, ruling them out for those with dairy allergies. So, a bit of nutrition there, but the amount of sweeteners used is hardly “guiltless”! And I’d like to know what “oligofructose” and “invert sugar” are. Moving on, the packaging is a matte chocolately burnt umber probably trying to appeal to the “green” crowd who don’t like shiny wrappers. Illustrations of the various fruit/nut/chocolate combos decorate the…

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Quaker’s "True Delights"

Healthy Maple and Brown Sugar Magic Muffins

First off, I would like to thank Carla from Chocolate Moosey. She helped me with my new blog design. What do you think? Looks pretty nice if I do say so myself. A big hug and many thanks to you Carla! You rock! And now, I’ll tell ya about my Magic Muffins. My sister-in-law’s son got married many years ago. For the reception, the bride wanted simple and elegant. They were married in a church and then the reception followed at one of our local parks. They had an assortment of different cheeses and crackers along with a beautiful spray of fresh fruit. The bride also requested Malt O Meal Muffins. I thought she was crazy. Malt O Meal? The recipe is on the side of the cereal box and when I tried them, I found out she wasn’t crazy. They were delicious. I’ve made these many times over the …

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Healthy Maple and Brown Sugar Magic Muffins

Shepherd’s Pie Makes Me Cry

In classic Julie Jams fashion yesterday, I totally overdid it. Seeing as it was a holiday yesterday, the whole family piled into the uber-awesome minivan and drove up to the Cascade foothills to do a little hiking. I mean, it’s January in Washington State…a perfect time for a family hike. The temperature was hovering near 40 degrees with fog blanketing the valleys. Beyond the fog, however, was a beautiful (if not cold) sun! Let’s throw on the shorts, wool socks, polar fleece and go outdoors! Tiger Mountain trails turned out to be a great kid hiking playground! With such fun trail names like “Swamp Monster Trail”, “Big Tree Trail”, “Wetlands Trail”, and “Bus Trail” (leading past the rusty carcass of an old bus in the woods riddled with bullet holes), the kids were kept entertained…only peering over their shoulder now and again to check if the swamp monster was following us. The trails were fairly easy, most were paths through the woods–the bus trail was even wheelchair accessible! But, 3 miles of forest trail trekking with an infant in the backpack, an almost-4 year old begging for snacks, and a kindergartener who just knew “we should have turned right back there”, wore us out! Naturally, I’d planned something new and complicated for dinner. Something sure to cause grumbling and marital strife, with a side of yelling at the kids to “get out of the kitchen and will you stop making that noise!!”. Shepherd’s Pie didn’t seem all that complicated from my mental recipe run-through. Ground meat, chopped veg, mashed potato topping…then bake. But I’d chosen a fancy Shepherd’s Pie (oxymoron anyone???). Ground lamb instead of beef. All veg chopped in 1/3 inch dice. Thyme leaves here, sprig there. Saute this, then wipe out that. Potatoes boiled in salted garlic water. Combined with a preheated milk/cream/butter/oil/thyme/bay leaf concoction which was supposed to be poured through a fine strainer into the riced-potatoes. Yeah, I like to follow a recipe the first time through, but there were some amendments going on. And I kept losing my place in the recipe because it was printed microscopically small…

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Shepherd’s Pie Makes Me Cry

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