Kate got chopped!

I know, Kate and Doug, that I haven't been a faithful writer. Shame on me! But, let's forget about that, because I have a better story and it's all about Kate.

We had some trouble with scheduling this weekend, and then decided that Summer and I could work it out without Kate, since dear Kate was backed up on meals anyway. Summer and I planned a new menu, made our grocery list, and did the shopping. We got back home and started right to work. Everyone was very concerned, though. "Where's Kate?" they kept asking us? So, we gave them a delightful response: Kate got chopped!

"Chopped? What does that mean?" the kids would ask.

"You haven't seen that T.V. show? It means she wasn't good enough. She cuts vegetables too big and, you know, she's English, so we kicked her out of the club."

You should've seen their faces! Every member of this family inquired about the lack of Kate on this cooking day, and every one of their jaws dropped in disbelief when we told them our story. We did, however, admit that we missed her dishwashing skills very much and thought we might reconsider, when my sister-in-law, Vicky, showed up to try her hand. It was perfect timing! We told the family that she was trying out to be Kate's replacement!

All in all, we had a lovely day, created five delicious meals once again, and enjoyed Vicky's company very much. We will, however, allow Kate to return as soon as her schedule allows. We missed you, Kate!!

Stuff it in some bell peppers!

Summer, this one's for you...
The "chicken asiago casserole with rice and fire roasted tomatoes" was very good! Josh said it tasted like pizza - it must have been the combination of the sweet tomato, oregano and cheese! I served it with artichokes and as we were eating, I said, "Maybe next time we should stuff this into the artichokes. That would be good!" But, I think Jason's idea was better: stuff it in some bell peppers. Wouldn't that be both delicious and pretty?

Cooking lightER vs. cooking light

We've made it to "hump day," as many would say. It's Wednesday and we've tasted two of our five meals. Monday evening we had tamales with some beans and rice on the side. The maza was so smooth and light and the filling had just the right combination of chicken and cheese and chiles. Not even one tamale into the meal and my husband proclaimed, "this one goes on the "make again list!" I agreed.

Last night we tried the chipotle latkes. When I pulled them from the refrigerator, I was unsure of how they would come out. We had fried them Sunday and then refrigerated them immediately. By Tuesday, they looked soggy and bland. I placed them on a baking stone and into the oven, hoping they would crisp up again and be revived. What a relief! Peeking in at them as I poached some eggs, they were again golden and sizzling. They toasted up nicely and when topped with the eggs made a delicious meal, a perfect balance of spice and texture. Once again, only a few bites and my husband said, "Add this one to the "make again list!"

Wow! Two in a row! So far, so good, except for one problem... Summer, Kate, and I have prided ourselves on making healthy meals since we began this expedition. In fact, my mom named our group the Cooking Light Club. We have used smart exchanges like whole wheat pastas, whole wheat flour. We've tried new vegetables that the grocer did not know how to ring up. The list goes on. My husband continues to complain that his work belt is loose and sliding since we've started our cooking routine.

This week, the meals we've had so far can only be considered healthy by a stretch of the imagination. For instance, we did not use lard in the masa for the tamales; instead, we used crisco. The latkes were not fried in vegetable oil, but in a healthier canola/olive oil blend. Maybe, this week, we just cooked lighter, instead of light?