Ranting About Yesterday and Today

This week, my employer has been the "host organization" for our industry's largest annual professional conference.  While it's been great to actually get to attend one of these events (tickets are upwards of $700 for 3 days, plus travel, meals, etc., so it isn't something I'd be able to attend if it weren't happening in our city and if we weren't hosting), it's been a little stressful.

I spent the full day Wednesday at the conference site, walking around, checking out the vendors, making sure my intern was set up with our volunteer coordinator, etc.  Nothing too crazy.  Well, according to my pedometer, I walked over 3 miles inside.  That's kind of crazy.

Yesterday, though...  I needed to be there by 11am for a seminar.  Naturally, I received a panicky email from a coworker about needing to finalize some foreign transfers.  I was promised they'd be ready for review by 8am, 8:30 at the latest.  

So, stupid me, I arrive at the office for 8am and... wait... and... wait... and... wait.  

Naturally they weren't ready until 9:45am.  Yeah.  At least I was able to use the lag time in between to finalize a few reports for my boss, so I wasn't just sitting around.  Apparently the traffic gods were on my side because I managed to get over to the convention center (about 4 or 5 miles away) and find parking (not always a "given") in about 25 minutes.  Whoo-hoo!  I then spent the rest of the day attending seminars and getting to know people.

Then I get home, which is when I remembered that Friday (today) is the last day of school and that DD#4 probably needed a thank you gift and note for her teacher.  So, we ran out, bought a box of gourmet chocolates (her teacher is a HUGE choco-holic), treated ourselves to ice cream for dessert, went back home, made a card (and DD#4 included a very nice letter of appreciation), and I was ready to crash. 

About 8pm, I remembered DD#3 is supposed to attend a Science Olympiad team dinner Friday (today) and she promised to bring brownies.  Of course, I remembered that DH promised that he would make them with her after school and, well, that totally didn't happen.  So, last night, when I should have been preparing for the last day of conference today, I baked 2 batches of homemade brownies.  And made a pitcher of homemade lemonade because DD#4 asked for some.  (I mean, at this point, why not?  It's not like I was getting to do anything for myself, right?  lol)

Today, though... today was supposed to be the "easy" day.  I needed to be at conference (final day) at 8:45am.  But DD#2 needed to be dropped off for work on my way.  Okay, not too bad, as I wasn't running too late.  Hit a bit of traffic.  Not too bad, it gave me a chance to mentally prepare (today's seminar was totally about my field of work and promised to be good.)  I get into the convention center about 20 minutes early and the security guard wants to talk about how awesome this event has been and how much he loves my employer organization. Nice to hear but I need to get to session, dude, please wrap it up.  (My mom raised me to be too polite to just cut him off.)  Finally I manage to get to the conference room exactly on time.  Whoo-hoo!  Then I spent the next hour and a half, listening to the presented proceed to rip apart the major parts of my job.  I mean, she literally said that it's a no longer necessary part of finance for non-profits and that it's a waste of time and money.  WTF?!?  I didn't walk out because, well, I was hoping she was going to change her tone a bit.  But nope.  Just more talk about how it's a totally outdated model.  (Which it isn't, BTW.  In fact, it's pretty common at all levels of non-profit organizations.)

I finished up that seminar and came back to the office.  After filling in my boss with the update that our work is for nothing (and her having the same WTF reaction I did), I decided that today was not going to be my most productive day and that I should plan on just cleaning up my office, answering emails for the past week, and that's about it.

In the meantime, to the seminar presenter who so thoroughly crapped on my work for the past (almost) 5 years... bite me.  My particular area is something that is very much needed, it's not a waste of resources to allocate funds to this area, and we (actually accountants and finance personnel) probably know it better than a consultant who's never worked in our field. 

Oh, and her calling fundraising "sales just tarted up with cheap lipstick and perfume" generated a ton of laughs from our philanthropy department.  I think they dislike her almost as much as I do.

There... rant off.

Have a good rest of Friday, everyone!

Homemade Brownies (2 ways)

Looking for a way to treat your kids as they finish up the school year?  Heck, looking for a way to treat yourself?  How about brownies?  No, not that stuff that you buy from a bakery or that you make from a box of who knows what.  Real, homemade brownies.  Here are 2 different recipes that turn out the most fabulous little treats you'll eat this week.  So, whether you like cake-like or fudgy brownies, MDG has you covered.

HOMEMADE BROWNIES (original - more cake-like)
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
Mix sugar, cocoa, eggs and vanilla; gradually add flour and salt. When that is mixed, blend in butter. Spread in a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

HOMEMADE BROWNIES (revised - more fudgy)
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 C Hershey's chocolate syrup
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
Mix sugar, cocoa, eggs and vanilla; gradually add flour and salt. When that is mixed, blend in butter. Spread in a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

Both are awesomely good!

Knock-off Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake

Someone shared a knock-off recipe of the lemon pound cake from Starbucks. As that's my favorite thing on their entire menu (drinks included), I just had to share!

Pound cake ingredients:
1-1⁄2 C flour
1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, room temp
1 C sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
1⁄3 C lemon juice
1⁄2 C oil

Icing ingredients:
1 C powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1⁄2 tsp. lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add eggs, vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon juice with a mixer until blended.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Add oil and mix well.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in pan on a rack.

Making the icing: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk and lemon extract with a mixer until smooth.

When loaf is cooled, remove from pan and frost top with icing. When icing has set, slice loaf into slices (should get about 8 good slices).

Salsa Fresca!

This weekend, one of our local grocery stores had a HUGE sale on fresh tomatoes. So we made SALSA FRESCA! (Which I then spent pretty much all weekend eating.)

12 plum tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C lightly packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves, coarsely chopped
1-3/4 tsp. coarse salt
2 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar

Stir together tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour or two. Enjoy!

I'm BACK!

After forgoing my blog for a Facebook group, I've decided that I'd rather be here.  I may not get as many readers here but I don't really care.  I like the flexibility of a blog.

In the time since I last wrote, DD#1 decided to change majors... and moved back home.  DD#2 graduated high school and... decided to not go away for her freshman year of college.  So, yes, both of my college-age kids are back home.  :\  DD#3 joined her middle school's Science Olympiad team... and they went to Nationals (came in 23rd) this month.  And DD#4 may be ADHD... just like everyone else in our family.  (No big shock there.)  DH is still the same goofy, happy guy he's always been.

And me, well, I rejoined Weight Watchers and lost 50 lbs. in less than 10 months... and kept it off for almost a year.  *fingers crossed*

Actually I can't afford to gain the weight back.  I gave away all my old clothes and I've spent WAY too much money on my new, cute wardrobe.

Anyway, I'm back and am still cooking, cleaning, and trying to keep my sanity.  Well, whatever little bit of sanity I ever had but still, I'm not really ready to give it up.  lol

Look for lots of food posts.  Since I'm on Weight Watchers, I've become obsessed with finding healthier alternatives to my beloved fatty, highly caloric foods.

Oh well, gotta get some sleep.

M

Quick Update: One Day I'll Learn to Relax on Saturdays

Today was spent running around, hitting two different grocery stores to get our weekly shopping done.  Oh, did I mention I did this with the two youngest in tow?  Yeah...  Thankfully my sister was able to go with us and that helped keep the "Oh Mommy I've GOTTA have this!" whines to a minimum.  In fact, the only things they asked for (and I caved in on) were bananas, Greek yogurt, and organic bunny-shaped pretzels.  Not too bad, if you ask me.  It could have been much worse (thank you, Whole Foods, for NOT having huge candy displays at the cash registers!)

So then we came home and I spend the rest of the afternoon "prepping".  I don't know if anyone else does this but I find it makes my life a little easier during the week.  I start off by rinsing all the fresh fruit and vegetables.  Then I assemble bags of pre-cut salad greens (I store them in the reusable produce bags found in the $1 bins at Target) for quick weeknight salads, hull the strawberries and pop the grapes off the stems and put them in kid-friendly plastic boxes (they're plastic and look like the cardboard strawberry containers at the farmer's market, again from the $1 bins at Target), separate the broccoli crowns into good size pieces and store them in reusable produce bags, etc.  I find that, by doing all this right when I get home, that:

1. I actually use all the produce I buy because I've taken away the "oh but I still have to clean, chop, etc. before using it" excuse.
2. The kids actually eat the easy to access fruits and veggies, and they don't ask for junk food.  Seriously, this happens in our house!  All they might ask for is a small container of ranch dressing for dipping the celery, carrots, or broccoli.  Love this!

After that, DD#3 and I decided to make oatmeal/peanut butter energy balls (see recipe below.)  It takes about 5 minutes to prepare them and the kids LOVE them!  They're all natural and are comprised of things we usually have on hand, so they're convenient.  Plus they're healthy enough that they can be a quick morning breakfast on hectic school mornings.  (Our kids go back on August 21st this year, so I'm already in "back to school" mode.)  They're so good that the kids don't even realize they're healthy and good for them.

Well now I'm going to relax a bit, grab a couple of strawberries, and get ready for tonight's dinner (meatloaf, macaroni & alfredo cheese side dish from Whole Foods - a nice grown-up take on macaroni & cheese, and a big salad.)

Hope everyone's having a great day!

Mary

RECIPE:  Oatmeal/Peanut Butter Energy Balls
1 C dry oatmeal
1/2 C peanut butter (you could substitute sunflower butter, if there's an issue with nut allergies in your home)
1/2 C ground flax seed
1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C raisins or dried cranberries (or you can mix them, if you like)
1/3 C honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup because I just bought a couple of bottles from the kids' summer camp, where they make their own syrup - super awesome stuff!)
1 tsp. vanilla (optional, but I do tend to use it)
2/3 C toasted coconut flakes (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Put the bowl in the refrigerator until chilled and firm.  When firm, take out and roll the mixture into 1" to 1 1/2" balls, and enjoy!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. I Am My Mother After All.

It’s official.  I have become my mother.  I’m not sure how (or even when) it happened but it happened.  I’ve turned into my mother.  Now don’t get me wrong.  My mother was an awesome, amazing woman who lived through so much that I sometimes shake my head that she even lived as long as she did (my mother passed in 2001 at the age of 68.)  However, my mother was your typical Irish/Italian woman.  She was the one who yelled if you didn’t eat enough.  She yelled if you ate too much.  She complained if I had my hair in my face but, when I would cut it short, she would say “It looked better longer.”  Always with the contradictions.  The main thing about my mother, though, was food.  She was ALWAYS cooking.  Granted, I come from a blended family and am the youngest of 8 children, so there was a time where it would be only natural for my mother to be cooking all day.  But, even after everyone moved out, she still did so.  And still cooked in the same, absurd amount (enough to feed a small army.)

Yesterday was Independence Day here in the US and where was I?  In the kitchen, at the stove, just like her.  And that was where I spent most of my day, just like her.  Baking two batches of buttermilk biscuits (the first batch didn’t rise enough and definitely weren’t flaky enough for me to be happy, so I had to make a second batch), making potato salad, baked beans (well, doctoring up a can of Bush’s baked beans but I like theirs and, well, I didn’t feel like making them from scratch), corn on the cob, corn/pepper relish (which I made and canned last weekend) and fried chicken.  Keep in mind, I’m using a modified version of my mother’s recipe, which is a "little piece of heaven" on a plate.  Actually, it’s more like a "little heart attack waiting to happen" on a plate.  (The stuff is fried in lard.)  And, by the time it was done, I made enough food to feed at least a dozen people… and there were only the six of us, and two of us are under 10 years old.

I know by today’s standards, I have a large family.  Not too many families are having four (or more) kids.  But I know I’m not alone in this.  Every mother I talk to does the same thing.  We cook like there’s no tomorrow.  Why?  Granted, I like having leftovers and homemade always tastes better than buying it pre-made or getting takeout.  But why do I feel this need to constantly feed people?  Am I going to be like my mom and continue going at this level even when my kids start moving away from home.  DD#1 is moving to college 500 miles from home next month.  What about next year when DD#2 leaves for college? Am I going to keep cooking for six (or more) people at every meal, even though I can’t just pack it up and ship it to them at school?  Like I said, I like having leftovers but, in 15 years, am I going to want to eat leftover fried chicken and potato salad for lunch every day for a week?

Maybe I’ve inherited the “show ‘em you love ‘em by feeding ‘em” gene from Mom.  In high school and college, all my friends loved coming to my house because my mom would feed them like no one’s business.  (She’d also kick their butts playing “quarters” but that’s a different post all together.)  Perhaps I’ll do the same with my kids’ friends.  I’ve already had one of my daughter’s friends ask if I can send her care packages when she leaves home.  And maybe one of my kids will inherit this gene from me, and the legacy of taking care of the ones you love with food will continue.  In the meantime, I’ll just keep feeding my family and friends (as an expression of love), one piece of juicy southern fried chicken at a time.  Pass the biscuits, please.

I "relish" the days where not everything is "jam"med (and yes, I suck at puns)

In addition to cooking a few meals for next week, I spent part of the day making a half batch of strawberry jam and a full batch of corn/pepper relish.  For those that don't know, I love to can homemade goodies, for use during the non-peak growing seasons.  There's nothing as awesome as a smear of homemade jam on a hot biscuit in the middle of December.  And the relish is just as good as a side dish at a picnic as it is spooned onto a hot dog (in place of a traditional dill pickle relish.)  So, I thought I'd share these two recipes with you.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

STRAWBERRY JAM (modified recipe from Martha Stewart Living)
4 lbs. strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and cut into 1" pieces
5 C granulated sugar
*Note:  You can choose to add 2 Tbsp. pectin if you so wish.  This recipe will set correctly with or without it.

Put a small plate or saucer in the freezer.  Place berries in a non-reactive 10-quart stockpot over medium-high heat.  Using a wooden spoon, mix in 1/4 C sugar with the berries.  Cook, stirring, until berries are juicy (5 - 6 minutes.)  Stir in a third of the remaining sugar and pectin (if using) until dissolved.  Repeat until all the sugar has been added and dissolved, about 7 minutes total.

Bring mixture to a full boil and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.  Continue boiling and use a stainless-steel spoon to remove the pink foam from surface of berry mixture.  Boil until most of the liquid is absorbed, mixture thickens, and temperature registers 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer (about 30 minutes.)  If you don't have a thermometer, you can perform a "gel" test (place a spoonful of the jam on the chilled plate and return to the freezer for a minute or two.  Remove plate from freezer and gently press the jam with your finger.  It should wrinkle slightly.

After jam passes the gel test (or hits 220 degrees), remove from heat.  Pour warm jam into 10 half-pint jars and:
to refrigerate - seal, label, and refrigerate for up to 4 months
to can - process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, cool, label, and store
Makes 10 half-pints of jam


CORN/PEPPER RELISH (from Karen Solomon, blogger for Williams-Sonoma and author of several amazing cookbooks - seriously, Google her.  You won't be disappointed!)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 3/4 C diced sweet red bell peppers (3 or 4 peppers)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
4 C fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 3/4 C diced red onion (1 very large onion)
1 1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

In a large skilled over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Add the peppers and salt, and saute, stirring often, until the peppers soften and begin to caramelize (about 12 minutes.)  Add the corn, stirring to combine, and cook the vegetables until the corn is hot (3 - 4 more minutes.)  Turn off the heat and add the onion to the pan; stir well.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, and turmeric, and stir just until the sugar dissolves (about 2 minutes.)

Pack the vegetables into 3 clean 1-pint jars, and pour the warm brine over the vegetables to cover completely, discarding any unused brine.  To can the relish for longer storage, process the jars for canning (10 minutes, hot water bath canning method.)  Otherwise, cover tightly and let the relish sit at room temperature for a day before moving it to the refrigerator.  Refrigerated, this will keep for up to 6 months.  Canned, it will keep for up to 1 year.  Makes three 1-pint jars.