Dealing with the Affordability Problems with
Discount Small Appliances

You hier literally shop for anything at about a discount as of late. However in wedding party quality goods and furnishing your kitchen perfectly, the concerns of affordability appear very typically. It was great! A really cheap travel certificates for 9 nights and another free night in your hotel in their dreams. Now, what usually [...]

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Kitchen Appliance Innovations and Janice’s
Trip to the Kenmore Live Studio PLUS A 30% Discount on Kenmore Small Appliances (Podcast #175)

Last Friday, I traveled to Chicago for the 2012 Kenmore Blogger Summit. Forty-plus food, mommy, humor, and even daddy bloggers descended on the Windy City (which happened to also be a snowy city that day) to learn about Kenmore’s innovative new kitchen and home appliances and to share input on the products and features consumers are looking for. You can hear all about my trip on this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, so be sure to tune in!

Here’s the view from my room at the Sofitel Hotel. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ….

Look! There I am in the front row in a teal-colored jacket. Photo courtesy of Kenmore.

The meeting was held at the Kenmore Live Studio where local chefs, fashion designers, and other Chicago-based groups share recipes, style secrets, and their best-ever tips with a studio audience. They cover a range of topics — healthy cooking for kids, wedding planning, wine tasting — and the classes are live streamed on Facebook and then archived on YouTube.

What you’re looking at here is the Kenmore Elite® Trio® 31 Cubic Foot Refrigerator with Grab-N-Go? Door. It’s a cookbook author / food blogger’s dream. I love this fridge for so many reasons:  there are three drawers in the bottom freezer, a full-width pantry door, an easy access door to reach frequently used items without opening the entire door, recessed LED lighting … I could go on!

Many of our readers know that I have been dreaming for years about renovating my kitchen (AKA the location where The Meal Makeover Moms meet up to cook and create) so that Liz and I can shoot videos and have more space for recipe testing and food photography. The Kenmore Summit has inspired me to get moving on this project. Hey, at least I’ve picked out my fridge! Stay tuned for details.

For one of the ice breaker activities, we were broken us up into teams for a slow cooker challenge. We were given ingredients including lentils, diced tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers and a bunch of fresh herbs and spices and then told to “get cooking.” Photo courtesy of Kenmore.

My team created a lentil vegetable stew. My co-chefs included (from left after moi) Tracey Becker from Just Another Mommy Blog, Mike Senese from MikeSenese.com, Denise Gordon from Creative Kitchen Adventures, Stephanie Precourt from The Adventures in Babywearing, Laura Bliell from ChambanaMoms, Whitney Moss from RookieMoms, and Amy Clark from Mom Advice.

The team of bloggers who won the cooking challenge (no, I’m not bitter) included (left to right) Jim Lin from The Busy Dad Blog, Shawn Burns from Backpacking Dad, C.C. Chapman from Digital Dads, Tanis Miller from The Redneck Mommy, Tricia Fandrey from The Night Owl Mama, and Louise Bishop from MomStart.

Samuel Monnie, Kenmore’s Director of Marketing, told us that today’s appliances are smarter than ever. I loved when Samuel told the group, “We want to delight our customers.” 

Kenmore wants to delight our blog readers and podcast listeners with 30 percent off regular-price Kenmore small kitchen appliances, cookware, bakeware & kitchen gadgets. Simply enter code 30KENMORE at checkout on Sears.com or KMart.com. This discount code is only good through February 4th so get shopping! And be sure to let us know what you buy.

Disclosure: Travel and accommodations were provided by Kenmore. I also received a Kenmore small appliance for my participation in the Kenmore Blogger Summit 2012.

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Gracie's Restaurant Writing Contest - Inspiring
Future Food Lovers and Writers

     Most week days, except during school vacations and snow days, you can find me in the basement of Metcalf Elementary School in Exeter, RI in Room 122. I teach general music to grades 3-6, which means I teach every student in the building. I teach music theory, music appreciation, music technology and band to 5th and 6th graders. Every school day is an adventure. I am never bored, something is always happening, and the kids make me laugh every day. What?s not to like about that?

My Music Classroom at Metcalf Elementary School in Exeter, RI     When I was on Kitchen Nightmares last spring, many of my students saw me on television. The students were impressed their ?Miss Place? made the people on the show very nervous. Students don?t imagine their teachers having separate lives from school, so having them see me as a ?food blogger? had a big impact on them. In October, Kitchen Nightmares ran a ?revisited episode,? and I was again in the spotlight. The students had many questions for me about my experiences on television and meeting Gordon Ramsay. I decided I needed to find a way to combine my two separate worlds ? food blogger and music teacher. I came up with the idea of sponsoring a writing contest to inspire students to be better writers and to have them think about food and how it impacts their lives. After Thanksgiving, I received a press release from one of my favorite Providence restaurants, Gracie?s, saying they would be running a Children?s Tasting Menu during the holiday season. I immediately knew that this would be a great prize for my contest. The winning students would be given a fine dining experience in one of the premiere restaurants in Providence and a behind the scenes glimpse into the kitchen. Thanks to the generosity of owner Ellen Gracyalny, the contest was officially sanctioned, and the kids were given their assignment ? write a piece about a memorable meal or the best meal you ever had.
     The students were immediately inspired by the topic. One fifth grade boy told me he was going to write about his brother who has a severe nut allergy can?t order dessert when they eat at a restaurant. For the first time ever, he recently was able to eat a piece of cheesecake at Legal Seafood, so that was a momentous occasion for the family. A fifth grade girl actually had her parents bring her to dinner at Gracie?s so she could write about her meal and sway the judges that way. I had forty students submit writing pieces, and it was incredible to read about some of the places my students have visited ? Italy, the Grand Tetons, dude ranches, cruises to the Caribbean, the Bay of Fundy, etc. I savored each writing piece knowing the effort each student put into his/her work.
     After I narrowed down the pool of contestants, I had both my principal and vice principal help choose the winners. The fifth grade winner, Mary Reynolds, wrote about the time her mother improvised a meal at home from a few leftover ingredients and made something Mary declared to be ?THE BEST THING I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE?. The sixth grade winner, Rachel Lesinski, wrote about her family?s experience on a dude ranch, riding their horses to a spot on the range where cowboys cooked breakfast for them. The grand prize winner, Nicholas Petrarca, wrote with enthusiasm about the meals he enjoyed at the Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Tetons.
     On the night of the dinner, I was a bit nervous. I was hosting a dinner party for three preteens and their parents. Would the kids like the food or would they be too picky? Would the parents be put off by the high prices on the menu? What would the conversation be like? It turns out that I didn?t need to worry; the night was magic. From the moment we all sat down at the table, I knew everything was going to be wonderful.

The Contest Winners and Their Familes, Photo by JWessel Photography     My three students were perfectly behaved, and I marveled at their grown up conversation. They spoke in complete sentences about books, movies, and of course which teachers give the most homework (Mrs. Supper was the winner in case you were wondering). The students were immediately taken by the interior design of the restaurant and how welcoming and comfortable it was. They loved all of the decorations that followed the theme of following your dreams and wishing on stars. Really, the theme couldn?t have been any more perfect for this night. The students were in awe of the excellent service. Their water glasses were always refilled, and when Nicholas drank down his water after eating the spicy rigatoni, the waitress promised him she?d make more trips past him and she did. The wait staff was great with kids, engaging them in conversation and making them feel important.
     The students, the parents, and I ate for three hours. For those of you with kids or familiar with kids, three hours of doing anything is an extremely long time. However, the night seemed to go by fast. To start, a member of the wait staff brings around a basket with four types of housemade bread. The kids loved being able to pick which kind they wanted, and they loved the whipped butter sprinkled with kosher salt. When the amuse bouche came out, the students were skeptical. Hmmm, crème fresh with pickled watermelon rind sounded weird to them, but they all tried it and loved it! Their appetizers were a hit, especially Nick?s gnocchi. He ate every bite. Before the entrees were served, tiny scoops of mango/passionfruit sorbet were brought out. The kids loved this! Ice cream in the middle of the meal? Wow! They decided the school cafeteria should serve this to cleanse the palates on Nacho Dipper day! For their entrees, the students all selected the Rigatoni Campanaro, which Chef Matthew Varga told us was Ellen?s grandmother?s secret recipe. The dish was spicy, but they all enjoyed it. The portions were enormous even for an adult, so the kids all had leftovers to take home to enjoy the next day. At this point, everyone was feeling very full. We?d already eaten so much food. The kitchen then sent out a small cheese course for each person complete with three local cheeses, accoutrements and a sesame stick. The kids tried all of the cheeses but weren?t sold on the stinky blue cheese (the only food of the night that didn?t win rave reviews). Yet, we still weren?t done. Next, the kids all had chocolate chip cookies ice cream sundaes. Despite them claiming to be so full they couldn?t possibly eat another bite, they all managed to scarf down their entire desserts. The last bites of food brought to our table were champagne flavored French Macaroons. They were delicious and Mary?s mother even remarked ?This night was worth it just for these cookies.?
     After finishing our meals, Executive Chef Matthew Varga and Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark came out to meet the students. Both were super enthusiastic and great role models and inspiration for the students. They brought us back into the kitchen where Chef Varga described all the various work stations and introduced them to the chefs working at each station. Chef Denmark brought us into ?Pastryland? and showed her work area where all of the breads and desserts are made fresh everyday. They also brought the students into the giant walk-in refrigerator where all the goods are kept. The kids were impressed by how cold it was, and I was impressed by Chef Varga?s hand rolled pancettas!

Chef Matthew Varga and Chef Melissa Denmark, Photo by JWessel Photography     This contest was one of the highlights of my teaching career so far. Although watching my students get excited about writing was rewarding, the winner?s dinner at Gracie?s was icing on the cake. Sitting down with my students and their families to enjoy a fantastic meal in such a beautiful environment was awesome. Seeing the food and the restaurant through their eyes was a great change in perspective for me. This is a night they will never forget, and it changed the way they perceive food and dining out. Going back to Dan?s Place in West Greenwich isn?t ever going to be the same for them. My 8th Grade English teacher, Ms. Blanda, always told me that someday I would be a writer. Somehow I ended up teaching music and writing about the best thing there is to write about . . . food. I hope I can inspire my students like she inspired me. I hope the students will, as the ribbon tied to the students? menus at Gracie?s said, ?Follow [Their] Dreams.? Maybe one of them will become a famous writer or a chef or just someone who can appreciate a perfectly executed meal at a fine restaurant.
Nicholas Petrarca, Evan Reynolds, and Chef Matthew Varga Photo by JWessel Photography

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Rouge Tomate - Restaurant Week, Winter 2012

Rouge Tomate has been on my radar for a while now.  The restaurant was built up during its opening as a health- and environment-conscious Belgian import, ready to merge New Yorkers' collective (and often fanatical) love of good food and general proclivity for staying fit and take the city by storm.  The concept definitely piqued my interest, and I've been meaning to stop by for a while now, but given that an estimated 98% of my dining out occurs south of 14th street (particularly during the winter), I haven't been in the general vicinity of the restaurant at any opportune time.  Thankfully, that time presented itself this week, and my mother and I headed over to the restaurant for a non-committal, Restaurant Week sampling of the menu.

A word about Restaurant Week: Restaurant Week has always been a bit hit-or-miss for me; what should be an opportunity for restaurants to develop new clientele and build word of mouth about their establishment typically winds up being, well, a circus.  Hopes of solid, well-thought out meals and polished service are dashed by hurried service, off-menu items created solely for the event to keep costs down, and a general feeling that you're doing nobody a favor with your patronage.  It's also an opportunity to give an expensive restaurant a trial run, a peek into what it's capable of turning out before you decide to blow three-figure amounts on a single meal.  A review of the proposed Restaurant Week menu is always a good idea; if I can't review the menu, I'm just not going.  Rouge Tomate's Restaurant Week menu looked rather appealing, and since its regular menu does not come cheaply, Mom and I decided to give it a go.

The restaurant is located on East 60th street, half a block off of central park, and the clientele seems mostly pulled from the surrounding residences.  The space is modern and sprawling, with boxes of apples (fake; "not very environmental of us", according to our server, though she was quick to share that the restaurant composts all eligible waste).  The environmentally-friendly angle is played up - sustainable and bio-dynamic wines and organic beers are highlighted on the list, and the menu lists the provenance of many of its ingredients.

Beet Tartare Amuse BoucheAfter selecting our drinks (an organic Samuel Smith lager for mom after some gushing on my part over the brewery's oatmeal stout - my very favorite beer - and an "unusual" Spanish red for me, which I really liked at first taste, but my enjoyment of which diminished with each sip), we were presented with an amuse of beet tartare with horseradish foam.  The restaurant uses no butter or cream in its cooking, which meant that most of what we ate was kept light and undeniably true to taste.  The beets were incredibly beet-y, sweet and juicy, while the horseradish foam was a bit tame for my tastes.  Mom likened it to borscht, a comparison hard to refute.

Cauliflower-Almond Spread and Rosemary-Infused Olive Oil
Bread service was accompanied by rosemary-infused olive oil and a cauliflower - almond spread (remember, no butter here).  The spread, again, tasted exactly as described, but was a bit thin atop the bread.

Seeded Roll and Sour Wheat Bread
We sampled each of the three offered bread types; I really enjoyed the slight sourness of the plain wheat bread, and the heartiness of the peasant roll, generously topped with pumpkin and sunflower seeds.  The poppy- and sesame-seeded roll (pictured above) was regrettably soft throughout - no chewy crust here.

Autumn Squash Soup
Mom started her meal with the Autumn Squash Soup (Apple / Pumpkin Seed / Fall Spice / Anisette).  It was sweet, the apple coming through loud and clear, with an anisette foam that lacked pizzazz. (Is Rouge Tomate perhaps forced to rely on foams since it can't fall back on cream?  Cream (crème fraîche in particular) would have been better here, and a little dollop here and there never killed anyone. The pumpkin seeds provided a lovely textural contrast, and came through almost like granola.  Pretty good overall, and Mom cleaned her plate.

Hawaiian Walu Crudo
I started with the Hawaiian Walu Crudo (Avocado / Yuzu / Soy / Jicama / Jalapeño / Lemongrass-Ginger Oil), which I really enjoyed.  The fish was tender and buttery, the yuzu bright and refreshing.  A little bit more in the accoutrements department wouldn't have hurt, but this dish was certainly a hit with me.  (Side note on Walu, also called escolar and butterfish - WTF.  Thankfully my appetizer was not rewarded with any such symptoms.)

Steelhead Salmon a la Plancha
For the mains, Mom went with the Steelhead Salmon (Five Grain Salad / Pine Nut / Broccoli Rabe / Raisins / Beldi Olive / Sauce Vierge).  She'd been expecting to see arctic char on the menu, as advertised on the restaurant's website, but she loved the fish nonetheless.  I tasted a corner, and the skin was cooked to a perfect crisp, and what I tasted of the fish seemed tender. The taste of Steelhead (actually not salmon, but [rainbow] trout) will just never compare with wild-caught salmon for me, though, as it lacks that certain richness.  The fish was nicely portioned and plated atop a generous pile of what seemed to be quinoa, millet, couscous and a couple of other grams I couldn't readily identify, which tasted nutty and wholesome.  Pine nuts provided texture, and the broccoli rabe was cooked tender, but not beyond.

Hudson Valley Duck a la Plancha
My entree was the Hudson Valley Duck a la Plancha (Endive / Grapefruit / Rutabaga / Apple / Ginger-Foie Gras Jus) (yea, I'm back).  The duck was cooked superbly, a perfect rare to medium-rare (yea, sorry about the grainy, horrendous iPhone pictures). The majority of the fat was rendered from the breast (we are at a 'health-conscious' establishment after all, but the bit that remained proved to be the perfect amount, providing that lusciousness but not overwhelming the very, very tasty meat.  The accompaniments were fine, nothing that really wowed, but nothing that clashed with the main event.

Onward we slogged to dessert, though I was entirely sated at this point - Rouge Tomate did not skimp on the portions during Restaurant Week.  Mom ordered the Pear and Cinnamon Ice Cream Terrine
(Spiced Chiffon Cake / Poached Pear / Cranberry), and I the Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
(Banana / Graham Cracker / Marshmallow / Maldon Sea Salt).  Both desserts arrived far too cold, on plates that had clearly been refrigerated before being brought out from the kitchen in all its pre-fab, Restaurant Week glory.

Pear and Cinnamon Ice Cream Terrine
I tried only a tiny bite of Mom's terrine - it was fine, but the healthy nature of it was glaringly evident.  The cranberry dollops were refreshingly tart, though, and helped offset the otherwise one-note nature of the dish.

Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
I enjoyed my dessert a bit more than Mom's, though chocolate tends to wear on me quickly.  The ganache was smooth and certainly bittersweet, hardly saccharine at all, which I favor.  Graham cracker crumbs are undeniably fun, and these were no different.  The little chocolate balls provided some crisp and crunch to the affair, and the sorbet was nothing more than some one-ingredient banana soft-serve.  I cleaned my plate of the banana and graham cracker elements, had a couple of spoonfuls of chocolate, and my sweet tooth was perfectly content.

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Rouge Tomate.  The restaurant put forth a solid, friendly Restaurant Week performance with really good, generously portioned food and attentive service.  Since I don't typically eat out in this area of the city, I'm not sure how quickly I'll be back, but I'm sure I will be.

Rouge Tomate 
10 East 60th Street (b/w 5th and Madison)
646-237-8977

Read The Full Article:
http://www.shelbsandcheese.com/2012/01/rouge-tomate-restaurant-week-winter.html

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Sweet Crêpes, with Honeycrisp Apple Compote and
Vanilla Ice Cream

This dessert features two extraordinarily simple dishes that when combined, become a masterpiece that you’ll want to recreate again and again. Sweet crêpe, with Honeycrisp apple compote and vanilla ice cream Compotes are extraordinarily easy to make. All you need to do is cook fruit in a syrup with various amounts of sugar. With this [...]

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te-and-vanilla-ice-cream/

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Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Valentine is still 2 weeks away, but I have already received tonnes of requests for Valentine Day[...]

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Spicy baked pork sandwich

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http://casaveneracion.com/spicy-baked-pork-sandwich/

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Almond Sheet Cake

So Valentines Day is fast approaching.

Would you be shocked to know that we really don't make a big deal out of it at our house?

I mean it's usually just a week or so after the Super Bowl, so it's a bit of a let down when you compare it to that. Football - wings - dips - brats - chili. Super Bowl Sunday is a good day at my house. Valentines Day, meh, not so much.

John and I don't get each other gifts, or cards even. Shocking I know.

I usually make something he loves for dinner so don't think I'm a total Valentine humbug. We might even say Happy Valentines Day to each other but that's as far as it goes. (I can hear you sucking your teeth at me!)

I'm lucky to be married to someone who treats me really well and shows me everyday how much he loves me. Heck I even get flowers for no reason at all, so take that St. Valentine. February 14th is pretty much just another day, but for you love-birds out there, I give you cake, cause I'm pretty sure cupids got a sweet tooth.

If you want to make something sweet for your sweetheart this recipe hits the nail on the chubby guys little head.

Try and use real almond extract. It will make all the difference in the world.



Almond Sheet Cake
adapted from a recipe at Your Home Based Mom
For the cake:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream (at room temp)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons real almond extract

For the Icing:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a small saucepan add the water and the butter. Bring to a boil and set aside. Place the sugar and the flour in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the butter & water mixture in the dry ingredients and beat well. Add the baking soda, almond extract and sour cream. Add the eggs in last. Mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased jelly roll pan. (that's a quarter sheet pan with sides, 13"L x 9 1/2"W x 1"H ). Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the middle is set. Let cake cool completely before icing.

For the icing: Bring the butter and milk to a boil in a small pan. Put the powdered sugar into a large bowl. One the butter and milk come to boil pour it into powdered sugar. Stir until combined. Add in the almond extract. You may need to add more sugar or milk at this point. It's a touchy feely kinda icing. You want it to be thick but pourable. Like a thick pancake batter. Pour over the cake and gently spread to cover. The icing will set up. I placed the whole cake in the fridge so it would set up faster.

Read The Full Article:
http://thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com/2012/01/almond-sheet-cake.html

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Where to Find Educator From Home Work
Opportunities

house perform programs something totally new these days. But once found out witnessed, they will mentor several benefits salary inturn. At this time, each of our house can be utilised just as one place of work, and you way too, as a instructor, utilize this kind of opportunity exacerbating your finances and funds. you are [...]

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tunities

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is there a site that has traditional japanese
recipes

I would like to start learning how to cook traditional japanese food. Breakfeast, lunches, dinners, snacks. everything i can learn. So any sites would be much appreciated. The fellowing site should able to get you started, each site provide a breif history of Japanese cooking and different Japanese recipes Bento.com http://www.bento.com/tf-recp.html#history Bob & Angie http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/English/index_e.html [...]

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anese-recipes-2

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