So when I was growing up in lieu of Turkey my Mom would make what she called Meatless Meatloaf. I know that you are all envisioning a soy concoction in a loaf pan...nope its more like hamburger pattie shaped with a sauce and it doesn't taste like meatloaf and it sure doesn't taste like turkey so I am not sure where the name came from. Sorry I don't have photos but we all know my pictures wouldn't look like its supposed to anyway. However, I was talking to my friend earlier in the week about food allergies and some vegetarian entree ideas and I was telling her about this recipe. So here it is:

Meatless Meatloaf

5 eggs (I would imagine for egg allergies you could use egg substitute)
4 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups saltines crushed
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
2 T of dry yeast but my Mom didn't normally put the yeast in hers
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T soy sauce
1 onion minced
"some" parmesan cheese

Mix all together and fry until brown.
For the gravy mix 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of cream of celery soup and 1 can of water and pour over patties. However, my Mom would make a gravy out of butter, milk, flour and soy sauce instead.
Bake for 350 with the patties and gravy for 40 min and serve with additional gravy on top

** My Mom would often sautee onions and mushrooms and put it on top as well ***

She would normally serve this with mashed potatoes and use the gravy for both.

Random fact: My Mom says she remembers taking me to a Jewish restaurant in NY and they served a dish similar to this with a different name. However, she can't remember the name of the restaurant or the dish. I said it was a random fact

Also just have to say I love that I am writing a food and wine blog as I drink water and eat top ramen because its 9:30 at night and I am hungry and craving the salt.
Good night all!

So this weekend was my husbands bday and we decided to spend it in Paso Robles wine tasting. Ok and yes I had to get myself out of the dog house for going out with the girls on the day we met.  Let me start by saying it is beautiful-everything was so green, the rolling hills were picturesque and the  grape vines were so old world. We started our trip in Los Alamos...why you might ask...ah that is easy my husband goes stir crazy in a car after hmmm about 90 min. And in order to decrease the chances of road rage we stop on a regular basis.

So I found this wine tasting room called Bedford http://www.bedfordthompsonwinery.com/ and we stopped to try their wines. It was a quaint space probably the size of my bathroom and it had the winemaker and owner Stephan Bedford behind the counter. The owner looked like a Humboldt fisherman however he knew his stuff and has a degree from UCLA and has been eating, breathing and living wine for a damn long time. It was truely small town America as there were several locals just sitting around drinking wine after they stopped by the Post Office to pick up their mail and planning the wine pairing dinner for the next day. The wines were good and I really enjoyed the Syrah and Pinot Noir which came home with us. Here is a picture of me in Los Alamos...and isnt that the place in our history books but different state, right?

We continued onwards into Paso Robles and made a bee line for Opolo as that was the only "must see" place on my list. The wine was great as usual and although we were surprised by the outside of the tasting room...its a big metal building...the staff was extremely friendly and we had a great time. And of coarse I bought a shirt because I buy random shirts from everywhere I go....and sweatshirts too.

We stayed at a great hotel called La Bellasera and I would definitely recommend it. Good restaurant in the hotel and centrally located to Downtown and wineries. http://www.labellasera.com/

On Saturday we decided to do one of those wine bus tours. We thought about renting a limo so it could just be the two of us but since we hadn't been to Paso before we just honestly didn't know where to go. Plus we both love people and this bus ride did not disappoint us when it came to people entertainment. There was the newly dating couple who had met on-line who were "so in love." Ya know you forget what new love looks like and it made me chuckle...always touching each other, the bliss of getting to know each other and the twinkle eyed stairs even though they can't leave each others side. There was the couple who had been married for 12 years and he totally had "tamed" her...she was wild child and then they met. He looked a little like Barney from the Flintstones and she was the only one who understood my sarcastic sense of humor. And there were the 5 "kids" who looked just barely 21 but all had high powered jobs...lawyer, doctor, heart valve specialist and oh wait yes there was 1 actor aka. waiter. So we went to 4 wineries and 2 of them I really enjoyed. This one was a tiny tasting room but very good wines http://www.eclusewines.com/ and this one was much larger but I loved that they had 22 wines that you could chose from to taste and they had a great Pinot Noir http://www.castorocellars.com/. The other 2 wine tasting rooms I could have done without in terms of wine, however the last place Rotto had the best guide. Her name was Gail and yes I asked to get my photo with her...seriously how could you not when she was wearing grape bedazzled glasses. And she was hysterical! She was spunky, she had a dirty mind and she knew her wine! Loved her!

That evening we went to Downtown Paso which is really cute and its a great place to wander around...more great wine, great food and awesome entertainment. http://www.vinotecawinebar.com/
Great selection of wine and beer, good food and great music that changes regularly at this place.

However, just like all good things they must come to an end. So Sunday morning we got into the car to head home. I had to run 8 miles and Travis had to run 9 miles and play hockey...ya know he did turn 41 so now he is fighting his age.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Tonight I am making Shepherds Pie and I haven't tasted it but let me tell you I hate those recipe that are advertised as 30 minute recipes but they just are closer to 60 minutes. So I start this thing and about an hour into it I think to myself...really? Hmmm 30 minutes my ass!

So it is late and I am tired. I had to be at work at 7:00 this morning and getting up at 5:15 just felt like it was the middle of the night. For some strange reason I have been sleeping like the dead...like last night I didn't even hear my husband come home or take a picture of me sleeping...but damn it was great to wake up and check my email and see a pic of me sleeping with my mouth open...who does that shit? Oh that's right he is probably trying to get me back for this blog. 

(No this is not me in the picture. This is my Mom and my cousin...however it could have been me topless because I was born in 1975 and I was allowed to not wear clothes.)

So I was raised by a single Mom who made the decision to dedicate her entire life to providing me with childhood happiness and entertainment. She was the type of carefree Mom who let life be one big experience and lesson-whether it was taking me to places that most kids didn't go like hippie hangouts at The Plaza in Arcata, Bonnie Raitt (sp?) concerts or the Cadillac Bar in SF to showing me culture like The Nutcracker in NY, amazing restaurants everywhere we went or just letting me be a kid with a wild imagination and a lack of inhibition that we all lose way too early. I had an amazing childhood! She taught me how to live and how to cherish every experience, how to be independent in thought and action and how to truly be passionate about the one life you have. She taught me how to appreciate people...all people...and how to learn from every interaction...and that life was the biggest school you could ever want.

My Mom was born and raised in NJ. She moved to California when she was 6 months pregnant with me with a group of friends and lived on a "farm" when I was born in Humboldt County. She loves to tell people that she was watching "Born Free" when she went into labor with me...and damn that movie couldn't be any more indicative of my attitude towards life. She was amazingly laid back and there are countless stories about her taking me out and forgetting to bring me diapers or a change of clothes and her friends having to run to the store to keep me happy and content. I was born in 1975 so we had the 1970's lifestyle as I had some hideous clothes complete with embroidery and mirrors...yes I said mirrors...yes on a dress...love it! We tried to grow our own food, we had goats and chickens and we had a family of friends who had afros and looked like transients even though they weren't. She called my temper tantrums creative outlets...seriously I was a little spoiled bitch is what I was. But I had fun and I was allowed to be a kid! I was allowed to have imaginary friends...and seriously if it wasn't so creepy I would still have them today. I was allowed to explore...whether it was hiking in the forest, getting my first black eye at the age of 2 on the beach (self-inflicted don't worry) or taking over our kitchen and making it into a restaurant and I was happy.

As I have mentioned before my Mom and her family of friends taught me everything I know about food. And even tonight I was talking to her and she taught me something else. So as you know my battle with minestrone soup continues and I asked her why does my pasta keep absorbing all of my broth and taking away the soup texture. And she said "well dear you need to cook the pasta separate and add it in at the end." Oh well that would have been nice to know 2 minestrones ago...however thought I would pass that on so you don't make my same mistakes.

Here are some other food lessons that I learned from my Mom and my family

1. There is nothing better than the smell of onions and garlic sauteing in olive oil. And every time I smell it I remember my childhood (like right now as I cook chili and write this)

2. Fresh food is the only food. I learned about Farmers Markets and the bounty of the Earth at a young age and its true. Food that is fresh and close to the source is so much better and better for you. I still to this day love going to the Farmers Markets and supporting farmers directly, knowing where my food came from and knowing that it was recently picked

3. Food that is made with love is so much better and better for you. I remember countless meals where they would spend hours preparing a serving a feast-worrying about taste, texture, theme and pairing. However, now that I live far away from them I would kill for pasta on a Sunday night or fresh crab with butter in December or scallops breaded and cooked in olive oil during Dynasty nights at Carol's.

4. To appreciate wine. Sure we all went through the tequila stage in our lives...where all you want was to feel that buzz and feel it quickly. But I was raised on the beauty of wine and the symbolism associated with savoring a good glass of vino accompanied with good food. And once I threw up tequila and Tabasco shots one night (at about the age of 21) I realized that wine is classy and way more accommodating and more my style.

So thank you Mom for teaching me the finer things in life and showing me the eclectic parts of the world. For my life experiences I am forever thankful. Cheers!

So I decided to tackle minestrone soup take 2 today. Its kind of a dreary, about to rain kind of soup day so I thought it would be perfect. I ran 7 miles this morning, did weights yesterday and it hurts every time I move so I thought hell the extent of my activity for the day will be to cook...oh and go to a comedy club with some friends...can it get better than laughing hysterically while your abs feel like they are on fire? Hmmm....WTF was I thinking?

Ok, do you want the good news or the bad news first? I am a positive person so lets go with the positive...the minestrone soup is served with a dollop of pesto on top and OMG it is so good. The bad news...crap it absorbed my broth again so yet again I had to add more broth which kind of diluted the flavor. However, if anyone is interested in trying it here is the link Endless Summer Minestrone
And if any of you are successful in keeping broth in your soup please share....think its time for me to move onto another type of soup...what about gazpacho since the weather should be starting to get warmer soon, right? Or maybe potato soup as I love the idea of a baked potato soup on a cold day? I will keep you posted.

Ok so enough about cooking thought you would all appreciate this story. So I love the show Amazing Race and for some wacky reason I think the Travelocity gnome is hysterical and I love the commercials where he is in different locations and doing random things like snorkeling or taking a bubble bath. Well crap just when you think men don't pay attention to a word you say...I realized mine does. So what do I get as a gift? A Travelocity gnome! He is a little over a foot tall and he is now sitting in my living room. And guess how much he cost? $75!!! Yes, he is a yard gnome but you can't put a friggin $75 lawn ornament in your yard, right? So he is sitting on a speaker in my living room...which if you have ever been to my house looks really out of place cause I am kind of a minimalist type of decorator. And it gets better we got into a fight about the gnome because I didn't seem as grateful as he thought I should be....hmmm it's a gnome. Guess he was expecting a little more for a lawn gnome. Ok he keeps looking over my shoulder as I write this so I better bail. Have a great weekend and keep me posted on your minestrone soup successes

So as you all know I am trying to teach myself to bake. And in order to keep myself from eating what I make I usually bring it to work, after I leave some for my husband on the counter. But hell I am a sucker for ripped abs so he doesn't need to eat it all either....I like my men in damn good shape. Tall, dark, handsome has always been my type...but I digress.

Today was no different since as you all know I made chocolate chip cookies last night. The recipe was nothing completely out of the ordinary so I didn't feel the need to post it. However, I had a realization as I brought a plate of cookies into a classroom full of cops....usually I take them to my Dispatchers but I was in a class today.  Men will do anything for food! My favorite comment was," I would marry you if I wasn't already married." Why the hell didn't I realize this when I was a sweet young, single thing. Sure in my early career days as a Dispatcher my work partner and I would always cook for the guys...we actually did a theme night every Sunday (I think) in the middle of the night. The guys would all come into dispatch...oops the streets of E-town weren't safe for about an hour...and we would make waffles or sundaes or chili out of a crock pot or even a complete Turkey dinner. However, we did it for team building and because we all had a good time together...never thought to use it to get dudes. Ahh the joys of a small town PD.

But hell what I could have done then if I knew what I know now...

Let me just say when you start as a Dispatcher at the age of 19 your love life is bizarre and crazy. This is where I want to say thank you to the 12-15 cops who raised me and schooled me on love advice in the middle of the night in between calls (that sounds bad and that is not what I mean they were like brothers to me)...hmmm what is wrong with that picture? Did anyone else go through that stage in life where every guy you dated always married the "next girl?" I had 3 in a row like that and ok to be honest there was only 1 that actually made me sad...the rest were just ammunition for jokes for years to come. Remember ________ you were so lucky you didn't get stuck with that douche (E, sorry I know you hate that word but I did date some guys that truly were that word). So what do I do I marry my one night stand rebound guy who never went home after that one night stand...hmm wonder why that marriage lasted 18 months. And through all of this I never thought to use food and cookies to get to their heart. Guess the boys in the middle of the night didn't think to coach me on that skill...way to go boys....instead they taught me how to drink beer (off duty I promise), how not to be the clingy girlfriend, how to make mixed drinks, how to laugh (especially at myself) and how to chill. Love you guys!

So to all the sweet young things who are out there reading this...start baking...not to get a husband...wait until you are older for that...but to meet some guys, have fun and laugh.

Ok so I am a little behind on watching Top Chef so I just watched the episode where the Quickfire Challenge had the Sesame Street gang as judges. Here is a link if you missed the show. It was hysterical!
Top Chef & Sesame Street

Not only did it combine 2 of my favorite things-cooking and Sesame Street, it was also funny. My favorite character growing up was Snuffie and yes, I even have a t-shirt today with him on it. However, it doesn't get worn very often due to the fact that I am 35 and I question at what age you can continue to be cute in juvenile cartoon character shirts. But I really thought this show was creative and entertaining and a must see if you need to smile.

When I was a child there were very few shows I could watch as my Mother along with being strict in her food choices was also strict with her viewing pleasures. I remember her watching Entertainment Tonight and as a child thinking it was the most boring show on the planet. I also remember that I was not allowed to watch The Flintstones and at the ripe age of 5 being told it was "too sexist." And although I had no idea what that word meant I knew it was bad and it was something that I did not want to be. I also remember that I was not allowed to watch Scooby Doo...not sure if that was sexist as well or if that was just a random choice by my Mom. However, just like any child should in high school and beyond I rebelled against my Mothers beliefs as these banned programs became the Halloween costumes of my teens and 20's. Yes, in high school there was a group of 4 of us who dressed as Flintstones. My friend Heidi and I even made the costumes and I was Betty thanks to black hair dye and a barely there blue dress. In my 20's a group of us decided to dress up as the Scooby Doo gang...and I was brainy Velma...complete with red wig. We even had a Scooby as we took our friends Great Dane and painted large black spots on it...that dog was a trooper. And just to take the rebellion a little farther since my Mom has always been extremely liberal I also dressed up as George W. Bush one year for Halloween. Love you Mom!

Ok I digress so tonight I am making lasagna...it's in the oven so no pictures...however I did learn a valuable lesson that I thought I should pass on to you all. If you get a box of lasagna noodles and you are searching the box for how long they should cook...while they are in the boiling water...and you notice there aren't any instructions like that...but there is a yellow triangle that says "no boiling required." That means that they shouldn't be in boiling water and if you try to salvage them out of the boiling water they will fall apart. Hope this saves someone from making the same mistake as I. Thankfully I had an extra box of lasagna noodles...the kind that should be boiled in my pantry...so I am pretty sure I salvaged dinner.

Good night all!

Have you ever noticed that a lot of the things you hated as a child you really like as an adult? So this weekend I was making my grocery list for the week because if I am not organized I will not cook. I would love to be one of those people who could open the refrigerator and put random ingredients together and make it into a masterpiece but that is not me and I am coming to terms with that. So every Sunday I usually sit down with my mountain of cookbooks and I decide what cooking endeavors I will tackle for the week. So this Sunday was no different. I was sitting outside on the patio as it was sunny and 70 degrees in March (to my Nor Cal friends yes I am rubbing it in) and I came across a minestrone soup recipe. Now I have a personal battle with minestrone soup as the last time I made it my pasta expanded and absorbed all of the liquid so it was kind of more like a goulash. After I made it it looked like soup and by the time my husband got home he asked me,"what exactly is on the stove?" And when I said minestrone soup he then asked if there was supposed to be a soup component. Oops!

So anyway I digress...I decided that this week I was going to try minestrone soup again...different recipe...but same name. And it made me think of how much I hated soup as a kid. I remember my Mom making vegetable soup and I would whine and dread having to eat it. I remember eating the vegetables out of it but trying to avoid that broth at all costs. She would also  make cream of broccoli soup and I use to think it was the most repulsive thing ever...now would kill to have my Mom make me cream of broccoli soup. It was from the Moosewood Cookbook which back then I thought was some crackpot hippe cookbook...surprisingly I now own the Moosewood Cookbook. So as I sat on the patio I called my Mom and told her that and she laughed at me..."Hey Mom I am going to make soup this week remember how much I hated it." I guess things come full circle ay.

Plan on tackling the minestrone soup tomorrow so I will keep you posted on this endeavor.
However, thought I would share this great recipe I found last night. If you are looking for an easy and healthy taco filling that tastes great this is the recipe for you. It is from a Mexican cookbook I have had forever but never used...so good.

Shredded Chicken in Green Sauce (AKA Pollo Deshebrado en Salsa Verde)
*** Don't worry I didn't translate that myself. My Spanish is just as bad as it was when I lived in Nor Cal ***

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups canned chicken broth
1 T vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves **I love the cloves that are already peeled for you but the fresh ones are just so much better. Inner battle **
6 medium tomatillos, husked and quartered
2 serrano chiles
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro sprigs
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
*** I never measure my salt and pepper ***

1. In a medium saucepan simmer the chicken with the chicken broth, over medium low heat until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 12-17 minutes. Remove the chicken to a bowl, cover and let stand while making the sauce. Reserve the broth.

2. In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion and garlic until softened, 3-4 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor. Add the tomatillos, serranos, cilantro, oregano, cumin, sugar and 1/4 cup of the chicken broth. Puree until smooth.

3. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook about 8 minutes, stirring to reduce the liquid and blend the flavors. Add the salt and pepper. Shred the cooked chicken (I used 2 forks) and mix with the sauce.

I served this with corn tortillas that I toasted on the burners, pepper jack cheese and a side of rice. It was so good and so easy. And if you are neurotic about calories like I am the chicken mixture is 247 calories per serving, calculated as 4 servings.

And ok since I am such a crappy food photographer I decided to put a good people picture on my blog...oh wait I didn't even take this picture. Haha

Let me start by saying I never thought twice about the amazing pictures in my cookbooks or food magazines until I started this blog. You would think that since food doesn't move it would be easy to photograph...hmmm think again. It might not move but it also never looks good or appetizing or full of contrast and texture like it does in the photo shoots that we all see in such magazines as Food and Wine. I went to a Cajun cooking class on Friday and oh my gosh the food was great and it looked beautiful on the plate so I took a picture thinking oh that would be great to put on my blog. But alas when I showed the photo to my husband he told me it looked like a big mash of stuff...not exactly what I was hoping for with my artistic photo attempt...which is the reason you now all realize why it is no where to be seen on this blog.

There was also the time last week when I was making scones and I decided to take a picture also for this blog (see photo from last week). Well while the scones were baking I was on FB chatting with a friend and when I told them I was making scones they asked for a picture. I told them I had just posted one on FB and they said it wasn't there. So I told them to look again and they said "oh I thought that was cheese pizza." Really? So now I take pictures of scones that look like pizza and Cajun food that looks like a mash of stuff. Guess I can't quit my day job to become a food photographer.

However, tonight I tried again as I made Austin Mac and Cheese and it tasted so good I thought I need to put this recipe on my blog. And since I am a visual learner there must be a picture....yeah well here is the picture. Doesn't look appetizing at all does it? But seriously it is really tasty and I promise it does look better in person.

And back to my photos maybe I should just start posting the pictures and we can play a game also known as "name that food." Oy!

I am sitting on the couch with "monkey bread minis" in the oven...OMG is there anything better than the smell of cinnamon and sugar baking? Oh yes there is, it's butter and maple syrup in conjunction with the cinnamon and sugar. I think I am in olfactory heaven! If this smell could be bottled I would bathe in it...how awkward would that be, right?

However, tonight I am feeling happy and thankful. We often take so much for granted and spend so much time in a state of confusion and chaos that once in awhile its important to stop and smell the "monkey bread minis." Who cares about roses...cinnamon and sugar is way better! I truly feel blessed for the amazing family and friends that I have. I love that I have people in my life that I can laugh with, share with and cry with and over the last few weeks these people and my interactions with them have been ones that I have treasured, enjoyed and feel oh so thankful for. Its too often that we don't thank the ones who touch us the most (please get your mind out of the gutter I am actually trying to be sincere here) so thank you to those of you who have made me smile recently...I appreciate you all....you mean the world to me.

Oops don't you hate when you take stuff out of the oven and you forget to turn it off...its ok no fire.



Monkey Bread Minis (this recipe doesn't only smell really good its also fun to make because you get to use your hands...love getting dirty while cooking...currently covered in flour as I write this)

1 1/2 sticks butter, unsalted and chilled (in case you were wondering my husband hates unsalted butter and I really could care less if its salted or unsalted)
3 T maple syrup (confession alert...Mom I did not use pure maple syrup)
1/3 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (not kosher for baking even though I love kosher salt)
3/4 cup buttermilk, chilled

1. Position a rack in the bottom 3rd of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. In a small bowl microwave 4 T butter and the maple syrup at high power until melted, 30 seconds and stir. In another small bowl. stir together 1/3 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and the cinnamon.

2. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, the remaining 2 T sugar and the salt pulse to combine. Cut the remaining 1 stick chilled butter into small pieces and pulse with the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Pulse in the buttermilk, until the dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface; pat into a 10" square (the dough will be sticky). Quarter the dough, then cut each quarter into 16 equal pieces; roll into balls.

3. Dip each ball in the maple butter, then coat with the sugar mixture. Place 5-6 coated balls into each muffin cup and press to compact.

4. Bake until cooked through and golden, 15-17 minutes. Transfer the muffin pan to a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the sides of the monkey bread and invert onto a platter then turn right side up. Serve warm.

So as many of you know I am the most unromantic person on the face of the Earth. I am that girl who when my husband lights candles I ask "why?" I don't celebrate Valentines Day or Anniversaries and those couples who say "I love you" at the end of each phone conversation make me want to gag. I am not an ambience or set the mood kind of girl. I am that girl who wants new running shoes for Xmas and told her husband he was a bad lay in the middle of their wedding vows...don't worry he was in the process of putting a lei over my head...and unfortunately I just had no filter at that particular moment.

However, every night when I come home from work I cook. It's my stress release and my way to unwind after a day that can be filled with craziness, drama and politics. And as many of you know my husband works nights so its just me, the cat, the dog and the fish at night. And strangely enough its all about ambience and setting the mood for cooking. And it goes a little something like this...

1. Change out of work clothes and slip into something a little more comfortable. Usually it consists of running shorts, t-shirt and knee-hi socks or pink fuzzy slippers...super hot! Oh and one of my super cute aprons when I remember to put it on.

2. Light all the candles in the house. Not really sure why because I don't think the fish cares that the candle next to his bowl is lit. However, maybe its just because I can after countless years oh wait I mean months of being married to a fireman.

3. Turn on some music however when I cook I don't listen to the type of music I listen to on a regular basis. I listen to smooth jazz...not modern jazz..like old school jazz. I normally listen to Top 20 or Hip-Hop but for some reason when I cook I like the acoustic sounds in the background. Strange I know!

4. Pour myself a glass of wine. Tonight I'm drinking:
And let me just say Monogamy is ok...its not all its cracked up to be (love you babe if you are reading).

5. And I cook....tonight I made curry chicken with rice and it wasn't bad. It was one of those Rachel Ray 5 ingredient recipes so I didn't know what to expect but it was easy and tasty and it did go well with the red wine.

And before I call it a night and go watch Jersey Shore I just want to say thank you to my taste testing victims at work who are getting the brunt of my attempts at learning to cook/bake. So thank you to all of you especially Johnna, Lori and Gina who seem to be getting the brunt of this experiment.

So tonight is one of the rare nights in So Cal that its raining. It is the perfect night to stay home and bake...it makes the house all warm, cozy and smell oh so good. I am making apple oatmeal scones and they smell like heaven.

I really need to work on my food photography:

For some of you that homey baking smell may remind you of childhood memories of Grandma's house...nope not for me...my Grandma was the crappiest cook ever. She would still probably be the crappiest cook ever except she is blind and lives in an assisted living facility and so cooking is not one of her activities. Let me also just say that my Grandma is the most spunky, amazing woman on the face of the earth but just keep her out of the kitchen.

If we want to talk cooking at Grandma's house for me it would be Grandpa in the kitchen. I have often wondered how that arrangement came about. They were married in 1949 so in an age when June Cleaver was the ideal how did my Grandpa become the Emeril Lagasse of NJ. He was rough around the edges and I remember as a child being afraid of his grizzly white beard and his Santa Claus stature. He was a long haul truck driver who often was driving all night and sleeping during the day...but somewhere along the way he took over the daily cooking. Do you think he got to a point where he just couldn't handle Grandma's cooking any longer? Or do you think this was something he enjoyed at a time when cooking wasn't the thing to do especially for a man? I remember him making creative food not just macaroni and cheese out of a box or scrambled eggs. For some random reason I remember him making me New England clam chowder and at that point I had only had the soup in restaurants so I was completely amazed to not only see my Grandpa cooking but to realize that clam chowder could be made at home. Ahh life lessons.... At their house in NJ they had 2 kitchens there was one upstairs and one in the basement so when it was extremely hot they could go in the basement and stay cool...interesting concept...and I remember the cavernous stairs that led into the basement which no matter how homey they tried to make it always scared me just a little.

My Mom has even said that she did not acquire cooking skills at home. Her cooking mentor was the mother of a friend, Helen. She was this sweet little Italian woman who made everything with real butter, whole cheese and cream however she was always slender and petite from what I remember. She was always smiling and had hot pink lipstick that would stay on your face long after she kissed your cheeks...at that age I had huge eyes and huge cheeks...so the pink really stood out.  Thank god for Helen as she overcame the Palmer cooking legacy and allowed my Mom to actually learn how to make some of the most amazing Italian food. All of my favorite childhood food memories are Italian. My Mom would make homemade pizza with dough from scratch and marinara sauce that sat on the stove, always with 2 burners under it so it didn't burn, for hours. I remember my Mom making homemade lasagna and the windows in our old Victorian house steaming up from the boiling water with the noodles in it. I remember Italian cookies at Xmas-nut horns, tea cakes and thumbprints and they were the type of cookies that would just melt in your mouth from so much powdered sugar and butter. And even today the smell of homemade marinara sauce brings me back to my childhood as I remember sitting at the counter on a tall bar stool while my Mom cooked...usually coloring sometimes helping...but always feeling the contentment of being a child.