Ode to Adipose

Well, I've purposely avoided all the New Year's resolution hoopla by, you know, just not blogging at all.

Personally, I'm not a fan of resolutions because I tend to get carried away, and before you know it I've come up with so many resolutions that if I actually followed through on a third of them I would be completely unrecognizable to myself and all who know, er, knew me.

And then I usually end up making some sort of chocolate cake and further validating my belief that New Year's resolutions are not part of my personal mission statement.

And speaking of chocolate cake...

I just finished a book titled Why Women Need Fat by Dr. William D. Lassek and Dr. Stephen J.C. Gaulin. I have to tell you, this is the kind of book I can get behind. It has a very clear and encouraging title, and it has a picture of a very appetizing chocolate dessert.

And then? It tells us that by eating said chocolate and other various fats, we can look like Jessica Alba.

Well, sort of.

The basic premise is this- that when the food industry started using cheap hydrogenated oils we started getting fatter. Then they give pages and pages of fascinating studies on everything from why the Europeans and Japanese are smaller and healthier than us to why men find Playboy models attractive (and incidentally, it's not for the two reasons you think. Ahem.) to how important waist size is to our health.

And then- they tell us to use heavy cream, and butter, and eggs, and all the things that the mean old diet books of yore have told us to avoid.

And you know what? It makes total sense.

And you know what else? I've followed the guidelines for two weeks and I have lost five pounds. Eating cream cheese, and Gouda, and cream, and cheese, and red meat, and cream cheese. Did I say cream cheese? I'm absolutely serious.

So, you should click on over to BlogHer and check out more reviews on the book, and then maybe you ought to run out and get the book. I've never been happier losing weight.

Ask Coach. He's a believer. A stunned believer, but a believer all the same.

See Y'all!

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

One

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter's shop until He was thirty. Then, for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never had a family or owned a home.

He never set foot inside a big city.

He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place He was born.

He never wrote a book or held an office. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness.

While he was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to His enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial.

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had-- His coat.

When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.

Two thousand years have come and gone, and today He is the central figure for much of the human race.

All the armies that have ever marched and all the navies that have ever sailed and all parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that have ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this

One. Solitary. Life.

Merry Christmas!

**Reprinted from a Christmas program. Author unknown, but it's not me.

See Y'all!
 

Sunday Supper: Revival Edition

I just broke a fingernail into the quick and tripped over the computer cord which would normally render me useless for the rest of the evening, but I've decided to persevere.

I am one day of grading exams away from total liberation and full-on holiday jubilation!

So, tomorrow I'll layer on the polar fleece, sit myself next to the Christmas tree with a box full of exams and threaten to shoot anyone who talks to me with the Red Rider BB Gun.

Oh yes, we absolutely have one, and don't think I won't use it. Just ask the dang rabbits that ate my tomatoes this summer. And the moles. And the owls. And the foxes. And the coyotes. And the possum. And the annoying little black dog that runs through here every morning.

I have lovingly named the summer of 2011 The Summer of the Wild.

Aaaaaah summer. When my yard looked like this...

And we ate things that were growing on a vine mere minutes before they were in our mouths. I'm already dreaming of Summer 2012; I'm also planning a garden expansion; Coach will be thrilled.

Speaking of summer, late in the summer Coach and I went to see his college roommate, B. Mac, at the Tomato Fest in Nashville.  He was cooking Jambalaya, and his parents were here from New Orleans.  The first time I met his momma I fell in love with her, and honestly, that is why I wanted to go; I'm not big on trying new foods. So we went.

Coach offered me a bite of the jambalaya.  I didn't want to be rude, so I partook.

Y'all.  Y'ALL.  It changed my life.

I told him we needed to do a video cooking segment for the blog, but he has three kids, a wife, a job, a dog, and an impressive addiction to LSU athletics.  So, obviously he's having a big year, and I've been swamped with Momsense here which has prevented any Creole cinematography.

So, instead, we went to their house the very next day, kept all three kids from napping and forced B. Mac to write the recipe down while he tried to eat his lunch.  I'm not even kidding.

Now, I need to tell you a few things.  Apparently B. Mac and his momma make two different types of Jambalaya.  B. Mac makes the hoity-toity Creole kind with tomatoes and butter, which from what I understand, is very controversial to the Cajuns, who make a more countrified type of cuisine. 

And Cajun is how Mrs. Bonnie makes her Jambalaya. (I have her recipe too.  I need to ask her if it's okay to make it public- if it is, I'll post it.)  Rumor has it that sausage is also a controversial ingredient- and some use seafood.

I don't care if they put dirt in it, this stuff is a game changer.  Anyway, I made a slight tweak in B. Mac's recipe, and I feel like I need to confess that now in case his head blows off when he reads this.  (I'm not a Louisiana native and certainly not well-schooled in NOLA cuisine.)  His recipe calls for 1 pound of "ham seasoning" cut up, but I used bacon. 

You can never go wrong with bacon.  I don't think. 

My personal belief is that any dish that combines two different types of smoked pork product is blessed by the Lord Himself, but just in case I broke some Cajun cooking law, I wanted to take responsibility so that B. Mac's street cred isn't questioned because of my naivete.

Another disclaimer-  This recipe will make enough Jambalaya to feed the LSU football team.  Seriously, our family of five eats it for dinner and we put away two LARGE Rubbermaid containers full.  You could easily cut it in two and still feed 6-8 people easily.  I make the full batch because we have a 15-year-old and Coach. 

B Mac's Jambalaya
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces
2 pounds andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 pound bacon diced (this is a deviation from B Mac. He says use "ham seasoning")
1 large onion, diced
6 ribs celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2-3 bay leaves
4 cups white rice

In a LARGE stockpot (at least 7 quarts), cook bacon until done. Remove bacon, but leave drippings. Add sausage and brown in batches. Don't crowd the sausage. (I don't know why it matters, but B. Mac and Julia Child agree on this one, so it must be important.) Remove and brown all sausage. Repeat process with chicken.

When all meat is browned and set aside, add the butter to the drippings. Then add the onion, pepper, and celery and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes.

Add the tomatoes, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. TASTE. Add more seasoning as you see fit. I always see fit with the cayenne.

Add the bay leaves and chicken stock and return to a boil. Pour in UNCOOKED rice and return to boil.

Then add meat back in, stir thoroughly, and lower heat to a simmer. Let simmer 20-25 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove the bay leaves.

Now, go make yourself some and eat until your sick! 

See Y'all!

Time For a Sea Change

I love to read. There was a time I would read anything I could get my hands on. My mom would tell you that she spent the better part of my 19th summer worried about me because I chose to read The Autobiography of Henry VIII for fun. It was longer than War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, and my mom would swear it was longer than the Bible.  I don't really know, but I've read those three from cover to cover as well.

The last few years I've been devoted to chick lit. It's entertaining and light, but not anything that will give the  medulla oblongata any sort of meaningful workout.

Enter Sea Change by Jeremy Page. I read it. It's not chick lit. It's not funny. It's not light. But, it was intriguing and haunting and terrifying at times.  Page reminds you constantly that "life has an elegance about it sometimes, of moments playing out you never thought would."  It's those moments that he writes about: the string of moments in your life that seem surreal and distant, the moments that make you, the moments that ultimately break you.

Guy has lost his daughter in a freak tragedy which subsequently causes his divorce from his wife Judy. Unable to deal with the loss, Guy lives on a barge in the North Sea where he spends his days passing time and his nights creating the life he lost in a journal. It's a fascinating concept. He just writes the life he imagines he would have had. He is paralyzed by his grief and his past, and you honestly feel like you will drown in a sea of grief with him. Just as the writing becomes unbearable, Page throws you a life preserver- a love interest, a storm, something to bring you back to the light, and then he you are forced to dive into the grief again.

Sea Change is not uplifting, but it's not hopeless. It's not entertaining, but it's mesmerizing. Just as grief is surprising with its many ironies, so is this novel. Page has been able to freeze pivotal moments in the grieving process and drive readers to compassion. 

So, if you're looking for light-hearted holiday entertainment, this isn't your book. But, if you're ready for an honest and introspective story about a man who loves and loses his family, this one's for you.

If you want to read more about Jeremy Page and Sea Change, go here. There are discussions, reviews, and summaries for you.

"I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own."

See Y'all!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

The mall halls are decked, the movies are playing, and the music has started. 

It's officially holiday season. 

Yesterday I ordered a fresh turkey from a farm in East Tennessee because Coach wanted to have our very own Thanksgiving here which will include all the kids helping with the cooking, china, silver, manners, and maybe even shoes.  It has Griswold written all over it.

Of course, all of this will take place on Thanksgiving Eve because we both have humongous family celebrations on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving will begin with all 5 of us running the Turkey Trot 5K to help Graceworks before we eat a celebratory Krispy Kreme and race home to dress for the day's festivities. 

And you know what?  I can totally relax then because the Christmas Card is complete!  It will be addressed, stamped, and mailed Wednesday afternoon, so those babies will start arriving first thing Friday morning!

And then....

IT'S ON!!!

In the meantime, here's a preview.  I feel very old.  VERY OLD.  The kids were not amused at our idea, but we didin't let that stop us.  Some friends of ours did this last year, and I cried when I opened it, so we hijacked their idea (Thank You Reynolds Family!). 

I'm climbing back on the blog horse this week.  I have a book review coming, some recipes, and maybe an adventure or two!

Bright Merry Cheer Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly's collection of Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

See Y'all!

A Little Love

Y'all. Y'ALL. Life. Has. Spiraled. OUT. OF. CONTROL. School started 9 weeks ago, and we've been on a death march from day 1. I'm hoping it will slow down a bit. But, I haven't been totally devoid of joy.

Coach has been dustbusting with a vengeance this season as he has taken a new job as a defensive coordinator. It's becoming more and more difficult for me to fake any sort of football knowledge. He uses words like Wildcat, and Defensive Line. I tell him that I know First Down, Off-Sides, and Touchdown Tennessee! He tries to hide his disgust as he suggests that I enroll in a Football 101 course, but I don't need a class to enjoy this....

We're enjoying a very fruitful season at our little school. We have a new head coach, and he has injected a little life into the program. It's one of the joys of my week to see my boys enjoy lavish success. And while we're on the subject of football and lavishness...

Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. I do love this man's pants. And I'm going to see them this weekend up close and in person. There will be pictures.

 I've also been having an affair with Pinterest. You want to follow me? I'd love it. I'm addicted. And I have a burning desire to redecorate my house.

Speaking of love affairs. Have you made Ree's Cajun Chicken Pasta yet? No? Do it now. RIGHT NOW. You won't be sorry. I changed things up a bit and added a couple of handfuls of parmesan cheese to the sauce. My family devoured it like unmannerly wolves.

And my last love for today is this book- Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons. I can't tell you how much I'm loving it. Get yourself a copy, grab some tea, and go sit out in the fall weather and enjoy a fiction blessing.

And I also had one of the most pleasurable afternoons of the fall yesterday at the auto repair shop.  I'll tell you about it soon.  I'm thinking about going back today just for the ambience.  You think I'm kidding.  I'm absolutely not.  In the meantime, you all enjoy the fall temperatures (unless you're not having fall temperatures, and in that case, I am so sorry, because OH MY WORD the weather here is FABULOUS!!!)

See Y'all,

Sunday Supper: Best Darned Edition

Like I said earlier, I spent the majority of my summer doing exactly what I planned  on doing.  That NEVER happens.  Now, I had also planned on blogging regularly and finishing a novel, and neither of those tasks were completed, but at least I made a stab at it.

You might not know this about me, but follow-through is not exactly my strong suit; I lose interest in things pretty quickly.  I have managed to stick with parenting for almost 15 years, which is a record for me and stick-with-it-ness.  I guess we can chalk that up to the fact that there's no real way not to follow through on that task without going to jail. 

So the parenting gig has been good for me.

The cooking gig has been good for me too.  Well, for my taste-buds, not so much for my hind-end.  I did a lot of cooking and canning and kitchen-related minutiae over the summer, and I managed to perfect some things.

And so, I'll start sharing. 

Best Darned Barbecue Sauce
You'll never buy another bottle of sauce as long as you live.  Not. Even. Kidding.

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1/4 whole Onion, Diced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons (additional) Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Distilled Vinegar (less To Taste)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 cup Molasses
1 Small Can of Chipotle Adobo Sauce (the adobo sauce chipotle peppers are packed in- just pull the peppers out, but for the love of all that is holy, do NOT lick your fingers. Trust me.)
Dash Of Salt

Heat canola oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for five minutes, stirring, being careful not to burn them. Reduce heat to low. Add all remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes.


Best Darned Cookie:  Lemon White Chocolate Chip
If you need a wedding/baby shower cookie, this is your girl.  If you just need a good cookie, this is still your girl.

2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 cup Butter-Flavored Crisco
1-½ cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Zest of One Lemon
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream (up To 4 Tablespoons)
1 ½ cup White Chocolate Chips
Optional: Raw Sugar or Colored Sprinkles, For Sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Add enough of the cream to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet. Mix in chocolate chips. Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with raw sugar or colored sprinkles.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.


Best Darned Cookie #2:  Rolo Cookies
I found this one on Tasty Kitchen, and modified it a bit.  AC practiced her baking and her fractions by baking these babies.  You're welcome.

1 cup Sugar, Plus Extra To Roll Cookies In
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Butter Or Margarine
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 whole Eggs
2-½ cups Flour
¾ cups Unsweetened Cocoa
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
36 Rolos- unwrapped of course

Beat sugars and butter together until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour, cocoa, and soda. Mix well. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Shape 1 tablespoon of dough around 1 Rolo (unwrapped, of course), covering it completely. Roll each ball in white granulated sugar.

Place the balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375ºF for 8–10 minutes.


There's more where these came from, and I'll share over the next few weeks.  I'm in a jambalaya coma right now.  Coach's college roommate, a native of Louisiana, gave me a Creole recipe.  I'm a little green on the whole Creole/Cajun thing, but I'm fascinated.  Apparently there is a whole controversy over using sausage or not, using butter or not, and using tomatoes or not.  And since I do love a good food-related fuss, I do see a cook-off in our future.  Anyway, more on the jambalaya later. 

In the meantime, go barbecue some chicken legs and eat some cookies.  You'll thank me later. 

See Y'all!