The Pillow Show

I have a confession to make: I have an obsession with pillows. I prefer to sleep with 3 pillows, but I can make do with 2 if I must. If I'm spending the night somewhere and I don't have 2 pillows, I will roll up whatever clothing I was wearing that day and use it in place of the missing pillow. I absolutely cannot stand to have my knees touching while I sleep, so not having a substitute

pillow is not an option.

I know I have issues, but I'm willing to accept them and move on.

This strange obsession flows over to the part of my brain that loves to decorate. On each bedroom of my house, I feel the need to have a "Pillow Show". I realize that this pillow show is really only put on for me to see, but I feel that each bed must have multiple pillows to decorate it. Have you ever seen a bed with just the obligatory 2 pillows, and thought, "that is a beautiful and decorative presentation!" No, of course you haven't! Multiple pillows are essential to achieving this statement. My own personal bed currently has 11 pillows decorating it. And that is after downsizing! I used to have 13! Well, technically I still do have 13, but 2 are hidden and used for actual sleeping on. I realize that taking 11 pillows off the bed each night, and replacing all 11 again each morning is time consuming. It takes approximately 1 minute to remove the pillows at night, and about 2 minutes to replace in the morning (it takes more time to strategically place them in the correct places than it does to take them off the bed, even though after taking them off, I do neatly line them up at the foot of the bed in the same order that they are laid out on the bed). Yes, I already said that I realize I have issues.

So, I spend 3 minutes a day on the pillow procedure. That breaks down to 21 minutes a week, 1092 minutes a year, or 18.2 hours. So, close to 1 day out of my year is devoted to arranging pillows. But in my mind, it is time well spent.

Presenting, The Pillow Show:

My Bedroom Pillow Show

Bedroom #2 Pillow Show

Bedroom #3 Pillow Show

The End.

The Sweetest Husband Ever

Today I was awakened by my sweet husband Scott. I opened my eyes to see him standing next to the bed, holding a tray of breakfast he'd made me! He made his own creation- a poached egg smothered in taco meat, salsa, cheese, and hot sauce, on a piece of toast. I know, it sounds weird, but it was so delicious! It reminded me of Huevos Rancheros, plus meat. He had sliced up a tomato and had it plated next to the toast, with parsley flakes sprinkled on top. He also made coffee, and had poured me a cup in my new pumpkin coffee mug. The tray that he brought the plate up on was a Halloween tray... so adorable! He knows me so well and exactly the things that I like! I have the sweetest husband in the whole world!

Citrus Chicken with Sage Butter and Burbon Spiced Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I know, doesn't that sound delish? Well trust me, it was!

I created this recipe based upon my latest Whole Foods grocery purchases. While looking through the meat department, a tiny little chicken caught my eye. It was a 2 lb cornish game hen... how cute! I have never cooked one of these before, but figured it couldn't be that different from a regular whole chicken. So, I put it in the cart. The next thing that caught my eye was in the pasta section. Sweet Potato Gnocchi. I LOVE gnocchi in restaurants, so I thought as a side dish with the hen now would be the perfect time to try making this myself.

I've cooked a whole chicken a couple of times before, and a couple of turkeys, so I thought that this would be along similar lines. So, first things first: a glass of wine. I must always begin cooking by following the 1st of my 5 Basics (see previous blog post). I began by first selecting a wine that would go perfectly with this dish, a 2007 Chardonnay from Kunde Estates. Ok, Scott selected it, but whatever.

Why yes, that is a Halloween napkin! Isn't it just too cute?

(Again, see previous blog post to read about self proclaimed nerdiness.)

Here's a picture of my tiny French chicken:

How do I know he's French? Because he's wearing a Beret, duh!

Here he is, out of the bag. So tiny!

After washing him up (and then making him do a little chicken dance on the cutting board...come on, you know you do it too!), I rubbed him down with olive oil and Kosher salt. Now I'm going to quit calling him a he... it makes it seem as if I've killed and cooked my little French pet chicken.

After seasoning the bird (much better), I cut little slits under the wings and drumsticks. Then I loosened the skin from the meat, and stuffed fresh sage leaves and rosemary up under the skin.

I also rubbed minced garlic (about 1 cloves worth) all over. Next I flipped the bird over and did the same process on the breast side. I also covered both sides with fresh cracked pepper, and filled the cavity with a whole sliced lemon and a few sprigs of sage and rosemary.

I laid the bird breast side down in a small glass roasting pan and put a few lemon slices on top (to retain moisture and add flavor), and sprinkled on a pinch of Bourbon Smoked Paprika. Then I poured some Chardonnay and chicken broth into the pan, and covered the whole thing in foil.

I set the oven for 375, for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, I took the foil off the pan and set the timer for another 20 minutes. I think that by doing it this way, the foil keeps the moisture retained in the chicken while cooking, and when removed, the chicken continues to cook while the skin is now being browned. After 20 minutes, I turn the oven to broil on high for 3 minutes, to just brown the skin all nice and golden. I made this technique up, so I could be completely off base... but it seems to work for me!

Now, on to the Gnocchi!

I brought a large pot of water to boil, and once boiling, I placed the entire package of gnocchi into the pot, and set the timer for 5 minutes

I thought that a cream sauce would go nicely with the gnochhi, so I made one with these ingredients:

Whole wheat flour, milk, Chardonnay, pepper, salt, Bourbon Smoked Paprika, fresh sage, butter, and chicken broth. I never measure, as I usually just make recipes up so I wouldn't know how much to measure out anyway! I put a pinch of minced garlic (not shown, sorry!) and 3 pats of butter in a pan and let that saute.

Next, I added in some chicken broth (I don't know how much... about 2 'glugs' worth from the box) and some Chardonnay (about 1/4 cup). Look at all the bubbles!

Then I added a tablespoon of flour to thicken the sauce

I next added couple pinches of that deicious smelling Bourbon Smoked Paprika.... mmm! And also some chopped fresh sage.

The sauce smells so yummy!

Then, I added in that delicious gnocchi. Oops, did I forget to mention that I took it off the stove after 5 minutes and then drained it into a collander? Well, I did that. And then I added it into this sauce:

Oh. My. Goodnes.

Little bites of heaven in a creamy buttery sauce. Not too good for the waist band. But very good for the taste buds!

By the way, I heated up left over potatoes from dinner from the night before. Red new potatoes with garlic, rosemary, kosher salt, and pepper. Pretty basic. But good!

My cornish game hen has been out of the oven and resting for 10 minutes, and the thermometer reads a perfect 163 degrees. Check out this baby!

After carving it, and plating it with the gnocchi and the potatoes, here is the finished product:

The meat was juicy, moist, and flavorful.... thank goodness, because there is nothing worse than dry chicken. And the Chardonnay used throughout the cooking and then paired with dinner was perfect. All in all, I'd give this meal a 9. Very good!

Not another blog!

Ok, yes, I have another blog. But this only makes 2! If you haven't checked out my other blog, it's:

http://atasteforlifewiththebrowns.blogspot.com/

While I'm attempting to work on our European travel blog, in the meantime, life goes on, and I have so much to blog about! So, like the title suggests, I'm bloggin' it. I mean, I have really important things to blog about. Food, number 1. And decorations, number 2. Oh, and probably some crafts, number 3. Really. Important. Stuff. What good is having useless, creative energy if you can't make stuff, take pictures of it, and then talk about it? So, the need for Blog #2 was obviously necessary.

So, down to business. Tonight's dinner: Beef, Turkey, and Spinach Meatballs with Sautéed Parmesan Eggplant. This is not to be confused with Eggplant Parmesan. Just to put it out there, I do not believe in breading my food before I eat it. That would be too much like fried, which in my opinion, is no way to treat food. Fried= Bad. Lightly Sautéed = Good

First things first. Every time I start to cook, I begin with the Basic 5.

Basic Number 1:

Wine. I always pour myself a glass of wine before I begin to cook. It also helps to add a cute wine charm to the glass. This one is a little ghost giving me two thumbs up.

He says to me, "Make something yummy!"

No, I haven't drank any wine yet.

Basic Number 2:

Apron. Cooking is very messy, so wearing one is always an essential. Notice how it coordinates with my wine napkin.

Yes, I'm nerdy like that.

Basic Number 3:

Music. Everything is more fun when there is music in the background. I always play music when I cook. Tonights selection, a romantic journey through Tuscany. Now I'm officially in the cooking mood!

Basic Number 4:

An empty sink. As in, put all dirty dishes in the dishwasher before beginning to cook. Or, if the dishwasher is ready to be unloaded, put away all clean dishes before beginning. This may sound a bit neurotic, but it is very stressful and almost impossible to use cutting boards, various bowls, pots, and pans, and have them all piled up and overflowing from the sink while trying to maneuverer around the kitchen. Also, when you start with an empty sink and dishwasher, it is so handy to just put the dirty bowls into the dishwasher as you finish using them. When you are done cooking, there is virtually nothing to clean up except for the pans being used on the stove and the plates you eat off of.

I am still trying to teach my husband this trick. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet. And then I'm the one cleaning up behind him as he cooks.

(Come to think of it, maybe he has gotten the hang of it- and he's tricked me into cleaning!)

Basic Number 5:

Wash hands! Always always always. I wash my hands constantly as I cook. No one wants to eat dirty hand germs.

Now that the Basic 5 are complete, it's time to start cooking. Here's how I make Beef, Turkey, and Spinach Meatballs with Sautéed Parmesan Eggplant:

First, start with the spinach

I like to use the frozen kind. The fresh kind is too leafy and stringy for meatballs. I use about a quarter of the bag. Just dump it in a big ol mixing bowl.

Next, I add in 1 pound of beef, 1 pound of turkey, two eggs, and about a half cup to a cup (just eyeball it) of breadcrumbs. I like this kind:

Here's all the ingredients dumped into the bowl:

Looks kinda gross so far, doesn't it? Just trust me, it will taste oh so good once it's all cooked up.

Now, here is my #1 tip for cooking: Use fresh herbs. They make a good dish a fabulous dish. I grow my own right on my back deck. For tonights dinner, I will use basil and oregano.

Basil

Oregano

Pick off a few sprigs from each plant. Then wash it and lay it out to dry on paper towels. Like so:

Then, pick the leaves off the stems, and chop up the leaves into fine little pieces

Basil Oregano

Add both of those into the bowl.

Now, the next step is very important. Pay close attention.

The washing of the hands! Back to Basic #5. I've just been picking herbs and chopping them up, and now my hands are all sticky. Plus, clean hands are a necessity for the next step:

The Mushing of the Meat! I like to get in there and really work it!

Work it! Mix it! Take out any aggressions on the meat!

Better than therapy!

Now, once the meat has been throughly mushed together, I form it into a ball, and then put the bowl in the fridge.

On to the next step: The Sauce!

I use two 28 oz cans of tomatoes. One is tomato sauce, and one is crushed tomatoes. I like this kind:

I pour them both into a pot, and add some salt and pepper.

Next, I add my all time favorite, cannot live without, must include in all dishes ingredient:

GARLIC!

Mmmm!!!!!!!!!!

I chop up about 5 or 6 cloves, and then pour them into the tomato sauce pot. I also add more fresh basil and oregano, but just about one sprig of each since I've already used a lot in the meat mixture. I don't want the herbs to overpower the other flavors.

After a quick stir, I put the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to low, and let the sauce simmer. While this is simmering, I move on to the next step... the meat balls!

Hello, giant meat ball.

To begin the meatballs, I first get out a large pan, place it on the stove on high heat, and give a good hearty drizzle of evoo (Extra Virgin Olive Oil... if you haven't heard Rachel Ray say this by now, you have never a. watched her on or the Food Network, or are b. living under a rock. I have never met anyone who has never seen Rachael Ray on Food Network)

After the evoo, I turn the heat down to medium high, and start to work on the giant meat ball. I begin by making smaller balls from the giant one. Then I roll them up by hand, and drop them into the oiled pan:

I do this over and over until I've made just enough smaller meat balls to cover the bottom of the pan.

Then, I turn the heat down to medium, and let that cook for a about 5 minutes. This is where my favorite part of cooking comes in:

While the food cooks, I drink wine and read magazines. Tonight I'm reading a fun Halloween magazine.

Better check on the meatballs.

Looking good! One quick flip and I'm back to my magazine.

Did I mention that I love cooking?

Ok, after 5-8 more minutes, the meatballs are finished cooking.

Remember that tomato sauce that's been simmering away? That's the next step.... pour it into the pan with the meat balls.

Mmm... look at that tomatoey goodness!

Now that the sauce is added, I put a lid on the pan, and let this simmer for another 15-20 minutes. The meatballs need time to absorb all that goodness!

As that simmers, I once again follow my Basics. Basic number 4, a clean sink.

Clean up the dishes and get them out of the way!

Once I am back to a clean, clutter free space, I get out the eggplant and start cutting it up. I only need a couple slices per person, so I cut up 4 slices, about a half inch thick each:

Then I drizzle a pan with evoo, lay the 4 eggplant slices down in the pan, and sprinkle sea salt on them:

After a couple minutes, I flip each slice over

After the eggplant sautées for a couple more minutes, it's time to plate.

First, the eggplant:

Then, spoon that rich, meaty goodness over the eggplant:

Then add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese:

Now for the best part; sit down and enjoy eating it! Wine and a nice fall bouquet pair well with the dish

Bon Appetite!