I had such a nice time yesterday cooking for dinner last night and for breakfast this morning.  Actually dinner for tonight is done since we're having pulled pork again.

Yesterday we got the wood chips soaking and the grill burning so I could get the pork butt on by 6:00.  I wanted to make sure to get the temperature holding between 225 and 250 before we went to Jazzercise.  All went well.

About 4:30 I took the meat off of the grill to cool slightly to shred.  It fell apart so easily and was so delicious. 



Since the pork was cooking without needing attention from me, I made potato salad yesterday afternoon to have with the pork.  I do not like mayo, so I made a salad from The Barefoot Contessa and for fun used purple potatoes.  It too was delicious.



I had to wait for potatoes to get tender in boiling water so I used that time to make a breakfast casserole that we had this morning.  Here are the before and after pictures.  It was very good, a recipe from Ellie Krieger.



Blueberry Almond French Toast Bake from Ellie Krieger
serves 8

• Cooking spray
• 1 whole-wheat baguette (about 18 inches long, 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 large eggs
• 8 large egg whites
• 2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan, spreading it around so the liquid saturates the bread. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top and sprinkle with the almonds and brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the baking pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

I have leftovers for brunch tomorrow and I'll pop some in the freezer for another day.  I love having the freezer with ready to go meals.

Since I was in the kitchen anyway and since the berries are beautiful right now, I needed to make my favorite berry pie.  I love Fresh Raspberry Pie. 

All of my cooking is done.  I did not do any knitting yesterday so I think I'll do that today.  We've been to church, had breakfast and now I can hear the dryer telling me the towels are done.

I have a library program tomorrow with teens in Rockmart.  I have all of my recipes ready and just need to get all my equipment organized.  And then the rest of the day is for relaxation!  Sounds good to me.

Wow, did we eat a lot today!  And it was all pretty delicious.   My husband and I do not have children together, but he has two daughters and Chrissy happened to be in Atlanta this weekend so we got to see her. 

She is a wedding planner and had a wedding in Decatur on Saturday.  She knew she would finish about 6 pm and even though Greenville isn't too far, it is too far after a couple days of wedding planning!  She decided to come to our house Saturday to visit, sleep and relax a little.

I worked a few hours on Saturday doing my job of Product Specialist for KitchenAid.  I was showcasing the Food Grinder attachment for the stand mixer at Whole Foods in Buckhead.  I love the attachments and the food grinder is my second favorite (if I had favorites), the first being the pasta roller/cutter.

I told Chrissy that I was picking up our dinner at Whole Foods so we would be having a casual meal on the grill whenever she was finished with the wedding.  As much as I love the food grinder I had thoughts that after 4 hours of making and cooking sausage patties that my own dinner had better be pretty easy. 

I finished at Whole Foods at 3 and checked out the fish counter.  There was beautiful sockeye salmon so I grabbed some.  On to produce where I grabbed some South Carolina zucchini.  Then to the bakery for a baguette and dessert.  I was good to go. 

Dinner was all on the grill - salmon, zucchini planks, warmed bread and then raspberry cake.  This was a very nice, very easy dinner.

Today Chrissy knew she would want to sleep a little, she is pregnant and due in December.  I spent some time Friday avoiding menu planning and finishing the baby sweater so I could give it to her.  I did it!  Sleeves, buttons, ends in, all done.  Very cute, have to get the picture from my husband.

We went to church, the grocery store (I planned my menu Saturday) and then home to make breakfast.  The sausage was so good on Saturday that I needed to make it for brunch for us.  Usually when I demo something for several hours I need a break from even thinking about eating it no matter how delicious.  Not this time. 

I cut the meat, added the herbs, spices, put it through the grinder, made stone ground grits, eggs and juice and we had a very nice brunch.  The recipe was from Alton Brown and I will never buy sausage again.  Luckily it makes quite a bit, I made patties and they are in the freezer ready for whenever.

Breakfast Sausage from Alton Brown

• 2 pounds pork butt (2 1/2 pounds with bone), diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound fat back, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine diced pork with all other ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Using the fine blade of a grinder, grind the pork. Form into 1-inch rounds. Refrigerate and use within 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. For immediate use, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan. Saute until brown and cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

We had dinner tonight of pork chops with mushroom gravy, smashed red skin potatoes and fresh green beans.  This appears to be a week of pork. 

Tomorrow is the second session of kid's cooking camp week.  We are cooking food for the beach, city and country.  I know we'll have fun and I'll be having great lunches again next week.  Note:  Make sure to get in Jazzercise!

Now I'm going to do some knitting.  I have lots of knitting to do and started an easy blanket.  Not much thinking to it, but good for those after kid's cooking days.

It's Friday!  I have a few things to do, but a little of everything which I like.  This week overall was a variety week after having camp  every day last week.

This week I had my class at the Y on Monday night, I so enjoy my monthly class at the Y.  Tuesday I was going to clean but I managed to avoid that totally and did some relaxing.  Wednesday I had a library cooking program in Fayetteville.  The program was sold out (it was free but signup required) with about 28 kids from age 4 to 12. 

The library summer theme this year is "Make a Splash at the Library" which is not a favorite of the librarians since books and water should not mix.  My program was Water, Water Everywhere and I made fish (lives in the water), zucchini (contains water) and lemonade (made with water).  The kids helped me cook and everyone sampled.  I have no pictures because an hour long program + kids helping + tasting for all does not equal pictures. 

Thursday I had a personal chef customer.  It was a little strange because usually I see my customer and don't see the kids.  My customer started a new job recently so I just got to say goodbye to her and the kids are off school so I got to see them.  I had a good day of cooking and in addition to the meals I left them a treat of fresh fruit. 

Today is starting out well.  I like to get to my desk about 6 when I'm not working but didn't get here until 7.  I decided to pick up a row of knitting while I was rested and I also did one row.  About 7 more rows and the baby sweater is done!

I checked email at my desk, emptied the dishwasher and made a meal for my Loving Meals MInistry.  The family has three young children and the mom is on bed rest due to have twins.  They need food!  I made Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms big enough to avoid.  It's a lighter recipe from Eating Well.

Chicken Piccata with Pasta and Mushrooms from Eating Well January/February 2008
serves 4

• 6 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons butter

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.
3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their juices and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in parsley, capers, butter and the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

Now I have a load of laundry in, I need to dust a little, maybe vacuum, make a menu for us for next week, get to the bank.  Next week is another session of kid's cooking camp.  So much fun but I need easy meals for that week so I can make sure I don't avoid Jazzercise. 

I have a training session with KitchenAid this morning so need to be ready to watch online at 10:00.  Going away party tonight so no need for dinner for us!

I've had a pretty relaxing week so far.  Last Saturday I had a KitchenAid demo at Whole Foods.  It was gluten free Saturday so I used the KitchenAid waffle baker to make delicious gluten free waffles.  The taste and texture were exactly like waffles.  Sometimes with food allergies and recipes that address the allergies, the texture isn't good.  With more people recognizing allergy issues, it's good to know that you can still have your favorites. 

Sunday was very relaxing, almost too relaxing.  We were going to do something fun, but my husband had to work Saturday, things didn't go well and he didn't get home until 3 am Sunday.  I remember those days when I was in the corporate world and don't miss them!

I have some mint in pots on the deck and I am in search of a great mint julep.  I made one Sunday using a recipe from Alton Brown and I was disappointed.  I have a new one to try, maybe tonight, but it depends on if I want to knit or not.  Can't mix knitting and cocktails. 

Monday night I taught my monthly class at the Y.  The class is very popular and there were 18 people signed up to attend!  We had some storms and we ended up with 15 which was about perfect.  The class was titled Springtime Brunch and I demonstrated Corn Oatmeal mini muffins, bacon cheddar pinwheels and fruit salad.  The class is a lot of fun. 

Yesterday I went out to lunch!  This is a rare thing in my life.  I don't go to lunch when I work since I'm cooking and often schedules of friends don't match mine.  It took about 2 weeks to set up, but I met my friend Cathy in Decatur yesterday.  We had lunch at Taquiera Del Sol.  I had my favorite turnip greens, an enchilada, we shared some guac.  Perfect.  We sat and talked there for about an hour then walked back to her house and talked on the porch.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day in Atlanta and we took advantage of the screened in porch.  We hadn't really talked since December so we had lots to catch up on.  After I left her I finished my baby blanket, I finally (with the help of my wonderful knitting teacher Wendy) got the ruffle done.  I cleaned up all the strings hanging and it is ready. 



Since I was on a roll with knitting, I decided to start with a baby sweater.  I got the yarn out, found the pattern, started to do my gauge swatch and discovered that my beautiful bamboo needles had been chewed on the point by The Bad Cat (formerly known as Layla).  Not going to work! 

So today I will be going to the yarn store to buy some new size 7 needles.  Luckily I also need size 4, I thought I had every size but no.  No knitting last night.  I want to be ready for class tomorrow if I have baby sweater questions. 

I've been ignoring cleaning this week even though I have time and don't have to take time away from knitting.  I could do it all. 

I also need to get to work on getting ready for summer cooking camps.  I have 3 different sessions this year so I have lots of recipes to find and organize and I need to look for fun facts for the books.  Again, I have time, I just have to convince myself that I need to start. 

I've tried hard to get some routines in my life so things don't get overwhelming.  I want to have a balance with fun, work and exercise and usually that works.  Somehow I feel I've lost some of the balance and I need to get it back.

I do have a good laundry routine, menu planning is a must, I have a grocery day, I try to fit some housecleaning in, the birds need attention every 3 days, I'm usually good for Jazzercise 3 to 4 times a week and really my work is pretty much fun.

I started to miss my creative outlet piece.  I used to go to knitting classes and haven't been in a while, I also used to go to quilting and haven't done that in a while.  I need to bring that back in! 

I went to knitting class this morning and had such a good time.  I'll be able to go in May and will have to put it on hold for most of the summer, but maybe I can keep the feeling!  Besides there are lots of babies coming in our family and I need to get some baby things made!  Very quick 2 hours this morning.

Once home I started cooking.  I designated this day as "things that take long to cook day."  I have a cheesecake in the oven that was quick to put together but takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours to bake.  Once that comes out and is cooling, I can start on dinner which will be pizza. 

I don't think dinner is hard, just will take some time.  I need to make dough, sauce, filling but the recipe makes 2 pizzas so there will be one for the freezer!   Love the freezer.

I had some time to cook this week and try some new recipes and when menu planning I decided I needed to get familiar with Indian food.  I don't know much about it, haven't eaten much either so it's time.

I pulled out Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey and started with an easy chicken dish.  It was delicious! 

Lemony Chicken with Cilantro by Madhur Jaffrey

Two 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
240 ml (1 cup) water
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 kg (2 1/2 lb) chicken pieces, skinned
5 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
200 g (3 cups) cilantro (weight without roots and lower stems) very finely chopped
1/2 - 1 fresh, hot green chili, very finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Put the ginger and 4 tablespoons of water into the container of a blender.  Blend until you have a paste.
2. Put the oil in a wide, heavy, preferably nonstick, pot over medium-high heat. When hot, put in as many chicken pieces as the pot will hold in a single layer and brown on both sides.  Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl.  Brown all the chicken pieces.
3. Put the garlic into the same hot oil.  As soon as the pieces turn a medium-brown color, turn the heat to medium and pour in the paste from the blender.  Stir and fry it for a minute. 
   
4. Now add the cilantro, green chili, cayenne, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and salt.  Stir and cook for a minute.  Put in all the chicken pieces as well as any liquids that might have accumulated in the chicken bowl.
   
5. Also add 150 ml (2/3 cup) water and the lemon juice.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Cover tightly, turn heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.  Turn the chicken pieces over.  Cover again and cook another 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
   
6. If the sauce is too thin, uncover the pan and boil some of it away over a slightly higher heat.
   

I used the mini bowl of my food processor for the ginger, easier for me than the blender.  I used a whole fingerhot pepper for the chili.  I served just plain basmati rice, the sauce was nice and flavorful, not hot, just a little tangy. 

I think my cheesecake is is done now.  Back to cooking!

The sun is shining and we have blue skies again.  So pretty.  Still a little cold but it's sunny and that makes it all better. 

I've had a good week after the snow day.  I got some knitting done and finished the first baby clothes.  My niece also officially announced to everyone that she is having a baby so now I can send her the clothes.  My sister had told me earlier because she was too excited to keep it secret.  I think they turned out well and are pretty in the green, yellow and white since we don't know what the baby will be yet.  I mailed them yesterday and she should receive the package Monday.





On Wednesday I met with a customer that wanted some help with meal planning.  We talked about how to start and planned a strategy.  We also toured the refrigerator and freezer and planned meals that used what was there to avoid waste.  I had a great time and she was happy to have some help. 

I also met with some people from an apartment complex that want to offer monthly cooking classes for entertainment to their residents.  I wanted to see the kitchen to make sure I could cook and entertain.  The kitchen is good.  It's big, good range, ovens and large refrigerator.  We'll see what happens with that. 

Yesterday was the errand day that I avoided on the snow day.  I went to the bread store and the Natural Foods Warehouse.  I forgot the bank and post office so that will be on today's list. 

I also met with a couple who received a gift certificate for Christmas.  The husband's mom purchased it so her son, his wife and their daughter could have a cooking class.  We got some ideas for the menu, they're going to invite 3 friends and after their cooking class they'll eat the meal with their friends.  That will be fun. 

I made lots of pasta dishes last week, I must have been having pasta cravings when I menu planned, so this week feels like some lighter meals.  I love pasta but do also crave some great salads and soups and that looks like this week's plan. 

Off to the post office, bank, then personal meal planning.  A chef has to eat too!

This year is flying by!  I can't believe it's March already but since it's the best month in the year, I'm ready!  It looks like it might be coming in like a lion, there is a potential for snow here again tomorrow.

Today it is sunny with blue skies.  It was cold this morning on the way to 7:15 Jazzercise, but it was pretty early too. 

We had a bunch of changes with menu planning last week and ended up with chicken almost all week from what I roasted last Monday.  I had on the menu plan to go out for dinner on Friday and we stuck with that and moved the other days out. 

We headed to The Art Institute for dinner which has always been good, but there are some changes now.  Good changes.  They've added to the menu many small plates and they all sound good.  I had the seared scallop and it was perfect!  We had a good, relaxing dinner, different from chicken all week.

Saturday I taught at The Cook's Warehouse and had a fun time as I always do.  This time I had the 3 to 5 year olds, a full class, and the theme was Warm Up Winter.  We had Chicken Tomato Chowder, Corn Oatmeal Muffins and Warm Cider.  The kids did a good job as always and were ready to sit down and rest and eat at the end of class.  The class is 2 hours long and the kids are great. 

After class I needed to pick up some yarn at Knitch and did that on the way home.  Once home I admit I took a pretty long nap.  I woke up refreshed, did some knitting and made us a good dinner of pasta with sausage.  No chicken. 

Sunday was a normal day of church, grocery shopping and dinner that took a little more time.  I did a timeline so we could eat around 6.  Generally we eat a  late breakfast and then dinner on the weekends. 

I wanted to try Thai Chicken Pizza.  It had been on the menu for the previous Wednesday, but my husband and I decided to take a class at church Wednesday night and pizza was not a good plan for that night.  I actually started the dough on Saturday by making a starter.  On Sunday I used the starter and made the dough beginning about 2:30.  I had to turn the dough every 30 minutes but I spent the afternoon knitting.

The pizza turned out perfectly.  Well worth the time.  It wasn't hard, just needed some time.  The recipe is from King Arthur flour and I followed it exactly.  The recipe made 2 pizzas so I baked them both and I'll wrap and freeze one today for a quick meal later on. 


Thai Chicken Pizza from King Arthur Flour

Overnight Starter

• 1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• small pinch of instant yeast
• 1/2 cup cool tap water

Dough

• all of the overnight starter
• 1 1/4 cups cool water
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Thai Chicken Topping

• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/3 cup Thai Fish Sauce (available in the international food section of your grocery store)
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili garlic paste
• 1/2 cup Thai spicy peanut sauce
• 1 small bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese, or pizza cheese blend
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

The evening before you want to make the pizza, you are going to make an overnight starter. In a medium bowl mix the flour and yeast. Stir in the cold water until all is well blended. The mixture will be slightly sticky. If it seems too thick or dry add another tablespoon of water to adjust the consistency. If it seems soupy, add another tablespoon of flour. Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 12-15 hours. It will puff slightly and develop flavor and structure.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, place all of the overnight starter. Add the cool water and stir to break up the starter. Add the remaining flour, salt and yeast. Mix the dough on Speed 2 for 5 minutes. This dough is a wet dough, don't be tempted to add more flour.

Remove the dough hook, loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to rise. This dough will need folds to help develop structure. Every 30 minutes for 2 hours (a total of 3 folds), you will be folding the dough over on itself in the bowl. 1) Dip your hands in a bowl of cool water. This will help prevent the dough from sticking to you. 2) Grasp the dough on one side and lift it slightly, pulling to fold it over the rest of the dough. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the fold. Turn the bowl and repeat again. Re-cover the bowl and set aside for another 30 minutes. Remember, you will fold the dough a total of 3 times over the course of the 2 hour rise, plus the final turn out for shaping.

Cut the chicken breast into large chunks. Place in a medium non-reactive bowl and add the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and chili garlic paste. Mix well and refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. This can be done at the same time as the overnight starter, if desired.

To cook the chicken for topping, heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and about half of the marinade. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the liquid has reduced and coats the chicken. The chicken should still be quite moist at this point. Set aside to cool slightly, then chop into small bite sized pieces. Why chop after cooking? Larger pieces keep the chicken moist during cooking, so it doesn't dry out on the pizza.

Preheat the oven to 450°F for 30-45 minutes. Remove half of the dough to a sheet of parchment or to a well floured surface. Wet you hands with cool water and gently press the dough into a circle, about 10 inches in diameter. If the dough resists stretching, let it rest for a few minutes, then shape again. Keep your fingertips wet to prevent sticking and tearing of the dough.

For each pizza top with half of the Thai peanut sauce, half of the chopped scallions, half of the chicken and half of the pizza cheese. Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven, top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve. Ice cold Singha Thai beer is a plus!

I've been less busy than normal this month and I am trying to enjoy my time, not go crazy.  Sometimes I'm good with that, sometimes I'm crazy. 

I did get a lot of work done on menus that were due for my Cook's Warehouse classes all through the summer.  And I could relax while I did them and not try to fit them in around other work. 

I also started organizing tax stuff.  Since I work for myself and contract out to several different companies, I get several 1099s and I have to make sure the 1099 matches what I have in my records.  So far, so good.  I found some mistakes I made on input and I found one mistake on a form but they were easy to fix and I had time to fix them. 

I've been knitting.  I haven't done any crafty things since before the summer.  I was very busy last summer, then had the wedding, then conference, then holidays.  I let my time for knitting and quilting go away and I've been recovering that.  I need to keep the crafty things, I enjoy them. 

I've been cooking and getting a grip on the freezer and the pantry.  We have too much, I want to make sure we don't waste anything!  I've had time to make sure I can make a menu plan, check what I already have and then only buy what we absolutely need.  And cat food. 

Last night I made a recipe that I've made before but I had notes in the cookbook  that it was excellent.  And it used shrimp that I had in the freezer and tomatoes from the pantry.  The only change I made was to use my immersion blender instead of the food processor. 

Scampi on Couscous by Giada DeLaurentiis

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed, plus 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 (8 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes in their juice
• 1 (8ounce) bottle clam juice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup water
  
• 2 cups plain couscous
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. When almost smoking, add onion, carrot and 1 clove smashed garlic and saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, clam juice and white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Carefully pour tomato mixture in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed - you want to end up with a broth. Check for seasoning.

Return broth to the pot. Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 2 cups couscous. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb all the liquid. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the 2 cloves of minced garlic. Heat the oil, making sure not to burn the garlic. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stirring occasionally, cook the shrimp until they start to turn pink, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, red pepper and chopped parsley. Check for seasoning.

To serve, mound the couscous in the center of a platter and top with the shrimp.

So this morning after I did some work to get ready for the library class tomorrow evening, and I got the laundry in and emptied the dishwasher I thought "maybe I could start some knitting."

I haven't done anything for a while with knitting or quilting, it's been busy, but I thought I could start something this week and then just pick it up whenever.  I knew I had yarn and patterns for several projects.  I started with the sweater, looked at the pattern and it was for advanced knitters.  Hm, maybe not that.  I moved onto the the shawl lace patterns, they are worse.  I've never done lace, what was I thinking when I bought them. 

Back to the sweater.  Cast on 132 stitches.  Okay, good.  Ribbing in groups of 45, 42, 45.  Almost had it.  Ripped it out 3 times and checked the message that was left on the phone while I was trying the third time.  By the way kittens love to knit.  Maybe not knit, but the yarn is fun to grab, Cody snatched the pattern in his front teeth and dragged it away from me, he can also do that with the needles that are waiting to be used. 

Phone message - my personal chef friend Rosemary wonders if I could meet her for coffee.  Yes!  Away from the knitting.  It's only 10:30 so we can meet for tea.  Back home and back to knitting since I am now refreshed. 

So far I have one row on.  That's the most progress since starting at 8:30 this morning.  Maybe this won't be relaxing for the summer.  I left victorious and came up to check email and print a recipe that we had last night for dinner.   Very good recipe.

Pork Fajita Casserole from Clean Eating Magazine May/June 2009

• 1 large red onion, halved, sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 pound lean pork cutlet, sliced into 2 inch strips
• 3 large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 medium low-fat whole wheat tortillas, divided
• 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
• 2 tomatoes, chopped, divided
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, divided
• 1/4 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 avocado, diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, saute onion and bell peppers in oil for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.  Add pork, garlic, and seasonings.  Cook for 8 minutes.
3. Prepare casserole:  In an 8x8 inch clear glass dish, begin to layer ingredients.  PLace 1 tortilla on bottom and add 1/4 of pork-vegetable mixture, 5 ounce black beans, 1/4 cup tomatoes and 1/4 cup spinach.  Continue with the second tortilla, following the same order of ingredients and amounts.  Sprinkle cheese over top layer.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until top is bubbly. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.  When serving, top each piece with 2 teaspoons avocado.  Best enjoyed within 4 to 5 days;store in fridge in an airtight container.

I made a few changes.  I used the whole red and the whole green pepper.  I also used more spinach although not the whole package.  Since I was using more vegetables, I used an 11x7 casserole dish.  I put 3 half tortillas on the bottom, topped with half the pork mix, a layer of spinach, half the tomatoes, then used 3 more half tortillas and the rest of the ingredients.  I topped with cheese and put it in the oven. 

Since I have a class at the Dunwoody library tomorrow night my husband has leftovers.  Unless I get them first tonight!

The cats are sleeping now so I think I will attempt another row.  Maybe after I have lunch.  This relaxing is hard!

I have nothing on my schedule today.  This is very exciting!  Since I had some free time, I decided that I could finally organize the freezer. 

I know, it doesn't sound that exciting but it has been driving me crazy.  We have an almost full order of beef in there, the peaches, the corn and I just threw the applesauce in on cookie sheets until I could arrange.  Since it's been weeks since I threw it in, I have had that on my mind.  I put on gardening gloves and went to work.  The freezer is still full, but at least I can see what is there.  I took sauce out for tomorrow night's dinner.  I love organizing so now the top shelf is beef and pork, the next shelf soup, sauce, shrimp and fish, the next shelf prepared foods, the bottom drawer vegetables and fruit.  The door still has issues, but I can life with them. 

I also am happy to announce that I finished knitting my cape!  It took less than a year, but no more knitting to do and I finished the yarn ends yesterday.  I have to find two buttons for it, but it's done.  It's diffcult to get a good picture, and if Maggie were still here I could have used her for a model, but I used the dining room table and a chair. 

Since I have made myself knit on the cape in the limited time I've had for knitting, now that it's done I can move to another project or two.  I usually have more than one thing started. 

I went to Jazzercise last night and gave the weekly gift from the kitchen recipe.  This one goes with last week's - Caramel Sauce.  It is very good, not hard to make and a jar of the fudge with the caramel makes a nice gift.

 Caramel Sauce from Fine Cooking November 2004

ingredients

Set a small dish of water and a pastry brush by the stove. Pour 1 cup water into a heavy-based 8-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the sugar and corn syrup. Cook over high heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is clear and comes to a boil. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, wash them down with a wet pastry brush.

Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil; it shouldn’t be spattering. Don’t stir but check frequently while boiling gently until the sugar begins to turn a light honey color in spots, about 20 minutes. Whenever sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, wash them down with a wet pastry brush. Swirl the pan gently to even out the color. When the mixture reaches a rich, red-brown color, about another 8 minutes, take the pan off the heat. Slowly pour in the cream (be careful—the mixture will bubble vigorously and produce a lot of steam). Stir with a wooden spoon, making sure any solidified caramel on the pan bottom or sides melts. (If it doesn’t, set the pan over medium-low heat and stir gently until the caramel is completely smooth.) Stir in the butter and salt. Let cool to room temperature before stirring in the flavorings (if using; see Variations, below) and pouring into individual jars.

Variations

Espresso Caramel Sauce: Dissolve 3 Tbs. instant espresso powder into 2 to 3 tsp. hot water. Stir into the cooled caramel sauce to blend.

Orange-Cardamom Caramel Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 1-1/2 cups fresh orange juice with 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Pour through a fine sieve, pressing against the zest to release all the liquid. Stir the strained, reduced orange juice and 4 tsp. ground cardamom into the cooled caramel sauce.

I need to run to the store to get a couple things for the week.  I have all my Thanksgiving shopping done but my menu only went through Friday, so I need some weekend breakfast things so we can wait to shop again until sometime next week.  I also want to pick up dessert for the Loving Meals family I have tomorrow.  I have the meal ingredients but wanted to wait on dessert.

And then I'll have time to read or knit! And make sure I am firm with myself about going to Jazzercise tonight.