Eat Like a Rabbit

I'm sorry to say this is not the best photograph I can take. Moreover, I'm sorry to say I didn't think about taking a picture of it when we first made it. It was a huge pile of covered fruit in the middle of a glass 9 x 13 pan, and I wondered if it would all stay in there. But it did, and it was magnificent.

This dessert followed gumbo for a large family gathering just after Christmas. My mom and I used flash frozen cranberries (which I was slightly nervous about at first) and the flash frozen apples I had laboriously peeled and cut myself back in October. The great thing was how the recipe focused on the natural flavors of the fruit and had exceptionally less sugar than you would expect from a dessert of this nature. I suppose it made a difference that we used my mom's pie crust recipe--that is generally more salty--instead of the one in the magazine. We were already making the crust for another project and just decided to keep on with the same recipe for the crumble. We doubled the recipe to fit the 9 x 13 pan and ate on it two more times after the big meal.

Our pictures from New York are up! They aren't all in order, though. Some pics from Paul's trip to San Francisco are mixed in. Simply click on a photo above to take you to Paul's flickr.com page.

One of my EMTs moved from New York about a year ago, and before we left for our trip, I asked her about a good bagel joint recommendation. She said she didn't have one--all bagels in New York are good.

My reading sources led me to Es-a-Bagel as being number one with H&H Bagel (where Paul visited with his sister after I had returned to record high temps in Florida) right behind. However, we weren't near either of those options. Instead, our hotel, was near Bagels and More at the corner of Lexington and 39th. We went there every morning and could not get enough of it. One night at 10:00, I wanted another one (the excuse, of course being the pregnancy), but they were closed. I also wanted to acquire a big bag of them to bring home with me, but alas, we ran out of time for that.

We only ate one spaghetti squash this year. Somehow, it didn't seem like a top priority with all the butternut squash around. Not to mention, cooking squash can be more time-consuming and my feet don't enjoy long stretches of use.

I got the idea for this recipe from a friend of my parents last year. What I appreciated was how simple it was to cook, plus with the simple seasoning, the leftovers had a variety of uses. In our case, we made spaghetti squash primavera. Basically, that's seasoned vegetables and sauce served over the squash instead of pasta. It makes a great gluten-free vegetable dish with lots of nutrients.

Cooking a Spaghetti Squash

Stab a few holes in the squash and microwave for 60 seconds to soften skin. Cut squash in half from stem to base. Seed the squash. Place face-down in a microwave-safe dish, add 1 inch of water, and cover with a dish towel. Microwave for about 8 minutes, depending on the size of the squash and the power of the microwave.

Let the squash cool upon removal from the microwave because it will burn your hands. Turn the squash over and scrape the inside out with a fork and scoop into an oven-safe bowl. The "strings" resemble spaghetti--hence the name.

In the bowl with the squash, sprinkle 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp. sea salt (or more to taste), 2 Tab. unsalted butter (or margarine of choice), and 1 Tab. dried parsley. I only needed to "bake" my squash in the oven just after I turned it off from the 400 degrees it was heated at to cook muffins. You can cook the squash at about 350 until the garlic is cooked and the edges of the squash brown, which is great for color.

For the primavera, I cooked fresh and frozen veggies (like julienned carrots, sliced onions, broccoli florets, and bell pepper sticks) in oil and added the leftover spaghetti squash to cook through.

Just in time for a Labor Day feast, we acquired some fresh corn on the cob and a recipe from foodnetwork.tv for lime cilantro butter to spread over the corn before wrapping in foil and roasting. The product was wonderful. I think that result was fabulous, even if not exceptionally healthy with the large amount of butter.

I was so proud when I created this recipe. Because our wedding was mostly pink, I had wanted a "pink" pasta sauce. I wish now I had made this creation, then. This sauce was absolutely perfect. I think this recipe is a more elegant alternative to spaghetti sauce, but is healthier than straight fettucini sauce. Also, the mixture makes it great with vegetables. Paul told me to remember how I made it. I hope I always do.

The tubular pasta is a favorite of Paul's called Rigatoni. Because it's larger and hollow, you eat less than you think you do because there is so much air.

This is where the internet comes in really handy. I have rarely liked artichokes and never had a desire to learn how to cook them. But Paul wanted one, and I gave him leeway to purchase and cook it himself. He trimmed the tips off of the artichoke and put in a spaghetti pot with enough water in the bottom to boil and steam the vegetable.

I am very proud of this recipe. Becoming a vegetarian is a challenge, especially when some veggie meats don't taste the same as real meat. In my case, I prefer the meats that don't taste like meat because I'm a vegetarian because I don't like the taste of meat. For that reason, this recipe amuses me. I actually don't like this recipe because I think it tastes too much like meat. I recommend this as a taste-test for one who is debating making the switch.

Tomatoes are definitely a can't-live-without-it kind of a food. I almost always have at least one tomato in my home even when they are exceptionally expensive and out of season. This recipe was found at foodnetwork.tv where I do get a few recipes and also some very good ideas.

Notice this sauce is a bit chunky. There are some creamy spots and some chunky spots. My mother says a bit of flour would help with that.

I created a cookie bar for a Sunday afternoon party I was hosting. Basically, it's a tray of simple cookies with a variety of icing or toppings. The idea may sound juvenile, but it has an air of maturity because of the toppings of choice. Obviously, there are options that can make it a fun, albeit messier, dish to serve at a children's party, too.

Firstly, I guess I lied. I said I would never make mashed potatoes another way after having the Garlic and Rosemary ones. However, I made these mashed potatoes for a pot luck and know that most people like creamy, skinless potatoes with basic flavors. Secondly, I started this recipe using the Barefoot Contessa's "limited time availability" recipe on foodnetwork.tv. (As an FYI, this recipe is only published around the time a show airs due to legal reasons.) However, when I tasted her product, I was disappointed and chose to edit it my way.