Escapees

I took the kitchen trash out to the can while I made pumpkin soup and had my own french bread baking in the oven.  Good multi-tasking I thought until... I spied me some escapees of the short and wobbly kind!  I suppose that I didn't shut the door all the way due to the fact that my trip outdoors was going to be so short and also because it was a balmy 54 degrees out.  I should have known better though, the girls don't miss a beat as to my whereabouts.  Goodness, outside the sun was beaming down and it felt glorious and I stood there, next to the trash can, soaking it into my congested body.  Coming around the corner of the house I stopped short in my tracks as I spied our two girls standing side by side in the half open door way.  They looked so cute!  And strange.  We've spent so little time outdoors, the girls and I, that it doesn't seem natural to see them in this setting.  A few more weeks, some size 4 rubber boots, and I'll be singing a new outdoor tune!

Sabine & Marlo

Picky Eater

Hugo has been a bit of a picky eater recently. Here is a short list of some of his current favorites: Goldfish, cheerios, apples, raisins, bananas, grapes, watermelon, risois, potatoes, ravioli, applesauce, yogurt, peanuts, freezer pops, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. He used to love broccoli and cauliflower. Not anymore. The only vegetable I can get him to eat these days is a carrot. Hugo loves carrots. He doesn't eat much meat. He does like the occasional bacon, ham and salami but not sausage. Chicken has it's yes and no days but mainly no way days and he'll shake his hand at me in a mock wave to say, "No way Momma". Because he always drinks milk he thinks that water is a big treat, hee, hee, hee! He does get a juice box once in a while. He loves it when I give him a little bag of fruit snacks. Popcorn is also popular, he calls it simply "corn".

Tonight I made something new and Hugo really liked it. I tried out a recipe for Chicken & Herb Fritters. Hugo finished his plate and licked it clean. Hugo then moved over to Poppa's lap and helped him to polish off his plate. He wasn't interested in our salad. We thought he'd try out the Craisins since they look so similar to his fave raisins but nope. Not gonna. I had used a vegetable peeler to peel a carrot into our salad. Hugo pinched all the fine carrot peels out of the salad with his thumb and index finger and into his mouth. He checked out what was left on my plate and then slid on over to my lap to help finish off my fritters. I am planning on making these again with vegetables add in.

Chicken & Herb Fritters

Makes 8
1 lb 2 oz mashed potato, with butter added
1 1/3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2/2 cups cooked ham, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh mixed herbs
2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
2 cups breadcrumbs
salt & pepper

In a large bowl, blend the potatoes, chicken, ham, herbs, and 1 egg, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into small balls or flat pancakes.

Add the milk to the second egg.

Place the breadcrumbs on a plate. Dip the balls in the egg and milk mixture and roll in the breadcrumbs, to coat them completely.

Heat oil in a large skillet and cook the fritters until golden brown. Serve hot with a mixed salad.

So, if you have a picky one in your house ... try these! They were delicious. Not so pretty, we'll work on that next time. Small is good. Balls might have worked better than the pancake shape I tried for. Good luck.

The End Result

I guess I should have posted this first to be at the end of the post below. Now it will have to serve as a teaser for what has already been written. Feeling hungry? I've got plenty in the freezer.

The Making of Portuguese Risois

Cesar and I have been married for ten years. For ten years I have been enjoying my mother-in-laws risois. She has offered to teach me countless times. Sometimes Cesar and I were rushing out the door to run errands. Sometimes I wanted to sleep in. Sometimes I always assumed that there would always be another sometime. I must admit that I never missed an opportunity to fill my belly with as many of the risois as I possibly could. They are truly a marvelous food because they are delicious piping hot out of the pot, warm as strays on the serving platter, and even yummy all forgotten and cold. There have been times when I took her up on her offer to teach me. I'd stand back and watch over her shoulder. I have learned that true Portuguese cooks don't use cookbooks. Nothing is written down. Nothing is measured. All dishes are a little bit of this and some of that. A big help in becoming a Portuguese cook is to be taught that nearly all dishes begin with a little olive oil in the pot followed by garlic and onion. Risois also begin this way. This past Thanksgiving I made up my mind that I would finally learn to make risois. Now, I should admit here to attempting to make risois round about six years ago. I was confident of the simple instructions, I had taken the most careful notes. I was so sure of myself that I invited friends over. It was a disaster. Well, I suppose I may be exaggerating somewhat. They were edible but they were not risois. It was disappointing. So the day after Thanksgiving I told my mother-in-law that I was ready, and to please, please teach me. She did. I have discovered that besides loving to eat risois I now love to make risois.

Sunday Night Magic

Growing up my mother decalred Sunday night dinners ... Survival. Early in the morning she prepared a breakfast which we all gobbled down in between shifts of bathroom time. Once dressed in our freshly pressed dresses and button down shirts our hair was braided and combed. Off to the car we scrambled, elbows flying, calling out for no prisoners to be sure we got our desired seat near a window. Dad was Branch President and had left before us earlier in the morning and would be seated on the stand when we arrived in the chapel. He would wink and sometimes give us a small wave. For a special treat he would on rare occasions invite one of us to come up and sit with him. Mom somehow kept all of us lined up in our row and quiet. At the end of the hour Mother hearded us off to our Primary classes. Church continued for another two hours. When it was time to leave, we again all scrambled to the car for our seats near a window, elbows still flying. Once home, Mom headed straight to the kitchen. We were sent to our rooms to change our clothes, the older children to help the younger. Clambering back up the stairs one at a time our noses led us to Mother's side. How did she do it? How could she have worked kitchen magic so quickly? There on the table our lunch would be waiting for us. The army of bottomless pits that we were made sure the table was emptied in no time. Plates licked clean. Off to naps we were herded, tucked in one at a time. Mom also napped. She was done. Dinner was declared Survival. We ate pretty much what we found. Sometimes Dad would make breakfast again. And sometimes we had Lucky Charms. Our favorite!

Now that I have a family of my own, on occasion I too declare Sunday dinner Survival. But not tonight. Tonight I wanted to whip up a little kitchen magic of my own for Cesar and Hugo. When our meal together was finished, I noticed curiously that their plates were licked clean. I thought of my Mother and a loving smile overcame my face. A little later I mentioned to my husband that I just might want to write about our dinner. He seemed a little surprised. "Kinda strange" I could see written all over his face. I asked what he thought I should call the post and he answered, "Simple, Light, Fresh and Tasty. A keeper." Well, it might just be a little strange to write about our dinner. But it was our dinner. Our Sunday night family magic time.

I grabbed what was currently in the fridge and cupboards.
Tri-Color Pasta
Shredded chicken (left over from earlier in the week)
2 carrots, peeled, julienned
A bunch of asparagus, snap off woody ends, cut into 1.5" pieces
3 Tbls. butter
A good dose of parmesan
Some chicken stock
A couple splashes of cooking Sherry
salt & pepper to taste
parsley (I recently dried some, used only a small amount) and feta cheese to adorn

Cook pasta in lightly salted water. Zap carrots & asparagus in micro. In large saute pan melt butter. Add chicken stock, Sherry, salt & pepper, and some of the pasta water. Add parmesan stir. Drain pasta and add to stock mixture along with chicken and vegetables. Stir till well blended and warmed through. Plate and adorn with the parsley and feta. Enjoy!