I made this the other night in an attempt to use up some ingredients in our refrigerator, and I really liked how it turned out.

I wish it didn’t involve using so many dishes; the way I have it written, you bake the chicken in a pan, boil the pasta in a pot, and cook the pesto and tomato mixture in yet another pot. I decided to cook the frozen veggies in a strainer in the pasta water to save yet ANOTHER pot.

You could pan-saute the chicken, then add the garlic, pesto, and tomatoes to the pan with the chicken. That would save a pan and save having to turn on the oven. I might try it that way next time.

Anyway, this would be just as good without chicken, I think.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta
Serves 4

2 teaspoons canola or grapeseed oil
2 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons pesto
2 medium tomatoes (or 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained)
8 ounces spaghetti or linguine pasta, broken in half
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
1 cup frozen cut green beans
Parmesan cheese
Crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Spread 1 teaspoon oil in a 8″x8″ glass baking dish. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in baking dish. Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil on top, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from baking dish. Pour any oil and drippings from dish into a saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add pesto and tomatoes; cook 1 minute longer. Turn off heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water in a 2-quart saucepan, according to package directions, until al dente. About 2 minutes before pasta is done, place frozen broccoli and green beans into a mesh strainer and place on top of the saucepan so veggies are submerged in the water. Let water return to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes longer.

Remove mesh strainer and drain vegetables. Add vegetables to garlic-pesto-tomato mixture. Drain pasta and add it to the vegetable mixture.

Slice chicken into 1/4″ slices and add to pasta. Toss until combined.

Serve hot with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper.

I am doing casual research to broaden my culinary repertoire to include foods that Jamie can eat (no wheat, eggs, or dairy — more on that in my next post).

I adapted this casserole from the Moosewood Cookbook. It is delicious. Sadly, Jamie did not seem to think so. But it was a very different taste and texture from anything he’s used to. Maybe next time he’ll give it another chance.

Spinach-Rice Casserole with Beef

2 cups water
2 cups Minute Rice (or use regular white or brown rice, and cook it according to package directions)
1/2 pound ground beef, 85% lean
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 pound frozen chopped spinach
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook rice according to package directions (for Minute Rice, boil 2 cups of water, add rice, stir, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes). In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until browned. Add onion and spinach; cook 5 minutes. Add seasonings and sunflower seeds.

Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for the non-allergic. Vegans can leave out the ground beef and still have a tasty nutritious meal.

Mujadarrah is a delicious high-protein and high-fiber side dish. I created this recipe based on the mujadarrah served at a local Mediterranean restaurant.

We served it with broiled salmon fillets last night. It’s also dirt-cheap! The recipe below makes enough for six generous servings, and costs about 35 cents per serving.

1 quart water, or veggie or chicken broth
1 cup brown lentils
1 cup white long-grain rice
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Boil water or broth. Add lentils and cook for about 15 minutes, covered. Add rice and stir. Cover and cook until rice is tender, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is browned, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Stir again and remove from heat.

When lentils and rice are done, add onion mixture, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and serve.

I made these rolls for dinner last night. It takes almost no effort and they are delicious — it’s a batter recipe, so no kneading or heavy duty mixing is required. Next time I might experiment with using whole wheat flour or some additional whole grains such as quinoa, flax, or wheat germ.

Super Easy Garlic Rolls

Makes 12

1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening, room temperature
2-1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
Garlic salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water in the bowl of a mixer. When dissolved, mix in sugar, salt, egg, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix until blended. Add shortening; mix until blended. Stir in remaining flour, and beat for 2 minutes or until well blended.

Remove beaters, scrape batter down from sides of bowl, cover bowl with a damp towel, and put bowl in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400.

Punch down batter and stir thoroughly for about 30 seconds. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each cup about halfway. Sprinkle muffins liberally with garlic salt. Let rise about 20 minutes or until the batter rises to the top of the tins.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Let cool in muffin tins for 3 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

April 12

Tried on a cute dress today. Made me look like curtains from the 70s.
It was green and pleated, and looked cute hanging on the rack. Not so much on me. I had to go clothes shopping and get a few things in a (horrors!) larger size. I keep telling myself it’s only temporary. But the numbers on the scale don’t seem to be moving much. Making milk for Jamie makes me seriously hungry.

The other thing that happened today: Jamie tried his first solid food, rice cereal. He wasn’t that into it. In fact, he got kind of upset. I guess we probably shouldn’t have tried to give it to him when he was super hungry. We tried again before bedtime and it was a lot easier. We made the cereal thicker, and he very quickly got the hang of eating off the spoon, even going so far as to grab  the handle to help shove it into his mouth. Unfortunately, he had a really bad night and a bad day the next day so we decided to wait a while before giving him any more.

April 14

Breakfast: organic yogurt, strawberries, and coffee. Mmmm.

The Infant Commander had a good night last night.
I can’t really remember the specifics about this night, but I think it might have been the night he woke at 8 p.m., midnight, and 4 a.m. Four hours between feedings, consistently!

April 16

I wonder how to make a 4-month-old nap when he is clearly tired but won’t go to sleep…
This is one of our greatest challenges: getting the baby to nap. He is way more interested in interacting with us and with his environment than he is in going to sleep. We are finding that sleep begets sleep, though. It seems counterintuitive, but if we can get him to nap and to sleep longer at night, then it’s easier for him to continue napping and sleeping longer. An overtired baby is a cranky baby who doesn’t want to sleep. He won’t drift off on his own, though, so we are on the lookout for new soothing methods.

April 17

I just got stung by an f-ing bee, or wasp, or fire ants. On my toe. F!!!
That hurt like hell. I was outside with Jamie at twilight, showing him the plants on the back deck, and I must have stepped on or near a bee or wasp. Of course I was barefoot. It got me on the side of my 4th toe, and what started as a little stinging sensation quickly blossomed into a full fledged foot-on-fire feeling. I quickly checked Jamie to make sure that there weren’t any bees on or near him, and hopped inside. I stuck him in his bouncer and hopped around the living room, cursing to myself. Doc was out running errands and I called him to let him know that I’d been stung, Jamie was in a safe place, and I didn’t know if I was allergic or not since this was only the 2nd bee sting I’ve ever had. I figured that in case I passed out, he ought to be aware of what was going on. I did not pass out. Soaking my foot in a bowl of ice water helped. I was sore for a few days.

April 18

I am very pleased by the dinner I whipped up tonight: club sandwiches, tomato soup, and spinach salads.
It was good! I didn’t find out until later that the spinach was a bad idea… Read on.

I am kinda surprised and annoyed that my love for red meat, acquired during pregnancy, has not gone away.
Beef! Sausage! Bacon! (Is bacon red meat?)

April 21

In honor of Earth Day, I have stopped eating green leafy vegetables. Save the spinaches!
So I stopped eating green leafies. Out of desperation, we called our lactation consultant, who determined that all the spinach I’ve been eating might be the cause of Jamie’s gassy uncomfortableness. And so it seems to be the case! I’ve been off spinach, greens, lettuce, cabbage, etc. (and broccoli for good measure) since the 21st, and the difference is remarkable. He is so much more relaxed now. The ironic thing is, I increased my spinach intake while pregnant and continued after Jamie was born, because it is so chock full of nutrients. If only I’d known… we could have saved him (and ourselves) months of agony. I’m trying not to let the guilt get to me.

April 24

I am kinda weirded out by how green beans squeak against my teeth. Perhaps a generous serving of butter on top would fix that problem…
Really, they do squeak if I just eat them steamed without butter. It’s odd. Rachel suggests eating them with bacon, and you can bet I’m going to try that next time.

April 26

I am grateful to Doc for last night’s 6 hour sleep block and to Jamie for sleeping till 7:30 this morning.
A breakthrough! Jamie had his bottle at 1 a.m. but woke up at 3:30 crying. He’d had something like 7 ounces of milk, so it’s not that he was hungry — but I’ve always nursed him on demand when he woke, because that was the only surefire way to get him back to sleep. This time, Doc gave him a pacifier and rocked him for about an hour and a half. Every time he tried to put him back in his crib, he started to come awake again. At 5 he handed Jamie off to me so he could get some sleep. I sat in the rocker with him for another hour, then decided to bring him into bed with me. I fed him a short time later (5-1/2 hours between feedings!) and then he slept until 7:30. Doc won me six hours of solid sleep and since Jamie’s been consistently getting up around 5 or 5:30 a.m., I was quite pleased at how late he slept today.

April 27

‘Tis easier for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than it is to thread a greasy baby through a onesie.
That boy does not like having cream applied, but he gets rashy on his neck and chest where drool-soaked onesie fabric sits against his skin. So we rub him with Boudreaux’s Baby Butt Smooth Dry  Skin Ointment after his bath, and that usually makes him upset, and then our next task is to try to get a crying greasy baby into his jammies.

****

Big Top Growth Chart

A coworker showed me a link to this circus-themed growth chart. I love it! It’s kind of expensive so I might ask for it as a birthday or Christmas gift instead of just buying it. I like the idea of having a permanent record of Jamie’s growth. When I was growing up, we made marks on a doorframe (as I suspect so did many of you).

Last night was another good night as far as training Jamie that he really doesn’t need to eat every 2 hours at night. He woke up a mere 2-1/2 hours after his last bottle, and instead of feeding him I gave him a pacifier and rocked him. He wasn’t too happy about it at first, but succumbed to the sleepies a short while later. He then slept another hour and a half before waking to eat. I hope this is a trend, and eventually he just won’t wake up for that feeding anymore. Doc has been working so hard to make this happen. I was glad I could pitch in a little bit last night.

So in addition to spinach, I am also off of caffeine. Although my caffeine intake isn’t enormous (one cup of coffee plus several diet Cokes per day, usually), I suspect that Jamie might be somewhat sensitive to it, so I have cut it out of my diet completely. I went cold turkey and have had headaches for the past three days. I wonder why they call it “cold turkey.” Perhaps suddenly quitting a habit is about as appealing as a cold plate of turkey. I can dig that.

Jamieson has crossed another milestone in his young life: He is now sitting up like a big boy! This means that, if we put him in a seated position, he can usually stay sitting by himself for a short period. If he begins to fall to one side, he’ll put out his hand to steady himself. Often he leans way forward for balance, but now I am seeing him sitting upright with good posture, more and more. Yesterday we had him sitting on his playmat, and he was gripping Doc’s fingers for balance. And then, he let go. On his own.

Here’s a few recent photos…

Last Monday, we began feeding Jamieson one bottle of formula per day.

See how the title of my post is a pun? Ha!

Yeah. The thing is, I’m really having mixed feelings about this. I am trying, as a parent, not to be too dogmatic about sticking to ideals when perhaps in reality a modification is called for. And it was definitely the best decision, even though it’s not what I would have chosen to do in an ideal world.

I breastfed Jamieson exclusively for the first twelve weeks of his life. Breastmilk was the only thing that went past his lips (except for acid-reducing medication, gripe water, Mylicon gas drops, and once, some of his own pee because we weren’t quick enough to catch it on the changing table). I know just how good breastmilk is for him. It’s nature’s perfect baby food, with ideal nutritional and immunological properties. And I know that I’m lucky to be able to breastfeed him — some women can’t or don’t for various reasons — but it is damn hard work.

I am also very lucky to have a husband that is so supportive of breastfeeding; he knows how much work it is and how tired it makes me, he tells me often how proud he is of me for taking on this important task, and he reassures me that he is 100% behind any decision that I make regarding Jamie’s feedings. (Why yes, he IS up for Husband of the Year Award!)

I’m not an oversupplier. Some women make tons of milk, more than their babies need, but I am not one of them. I’ve been pumping as often as I can stand it since about week three, and I’ve just never gotten much extra. Jamie drinks probably about 3-1/2 ounces or so from me at each feeding. It has taken me two or three pumping sessions just to get enough for one feeding. Once I go back to work, I am going to have to pump enough each day to feed him the next day; at least four feedings’ worth, and we’ll need to have extra in the freezer just in case. Pumping 16-18 ounces per day began to seem like a daunting task, if not an impossible one. I felt like I was so far behind in building up a frozen supply and that I would never ever be able to catch up.

So we came to the decision to begin giving Jamie one bottle of formula each evening, and at that time I would pump to build up our supply. Doc has been in charge of the bottle feedings, and has done a beautiful job of coming up with the plan for how we would handle these feedings, mixing and heating the formula, feeding the baby, and cleaning up the equipment. The key is to wake Jamie two hours after his last feeding and give him the bottle while he’s still mostly asleep. That way he doesn’t immediately realize that he’s hungry, that the formula tastes different, that the bottle is not mommy’s nipple, and that the person feeding him is not mommy. Our first attempt wasn’t as successful as we had hoped, because he was awake enough to notice all those factors and he got mighty upset about it. Now, though, he seems totally fine with Doc giving him a bottle. This is good because I go back to work in a week and he’ll then have to drink from a bottle all day long.

We’re giving him a variety of formula that is easy on the tummy for fussy or gassy babies. I made the mistake of looking at the ingredients list, even though Doc warned me not to. The number one ingredient? Corn syrup. Yes indeed, corn syrup. Followed closely by powdered milk and vegetable oil. I was taken aback. And they’re not kidding either; we had a little spillage in the bottle warmer and the stuff caramelized on the hot plate. It smelled like warm caramel. It made me want a sundae. My breastmilk is also sweet (I tasted it once, just to see) so I guess the human body produces sugars and I shouldn’t be that surprised, but I was.

There’s an added benefit to formula: it seems to be helping him sleep better throughout the night. He still wakes every two hours or so to eat (although that may be starting to change, fingers crossed), but he is easier to get back to sleep and seems more rested overall.

As much as I’m trying not to, I can’t help but feel a healthy dose of guilt over this. It’s almost like, if I tried just a LITTLE HARDER, I could make it work without using formula. I know that’s silly, and that this is nothing to be ashamed of. I know that millions of babies are formula-fed (I was) and turn out absolutely fine. I just wanted to do this thing, you know, and now I’m having to admit that I can’t follow through 100% on what I thought I was committing to.

But honestly, this is helping my sanity. And I think that’s worth it right there, for Jamie to have a mommy that’s a little less tired, a little less stressed.

I truly enjoy breastfeeding. It’s like crack, so addicting, such a huge high, but very very tiring. It’s the one thing that never fails to calm our crying baby. It’s 30 minutes, 10-12 times a day, of a bonding experience that cannot quite be described. Sometimes his eyes are closed the whole time and he’s focused on what he’s doing, and so relaxed that he falls asleep. Sometimes he is awake, and stares up at me with those huge dark blue eyes and breaks into an ENORMOUS ear-to-ear grin, so big that he lets go of the breast! I LOVE being able to do this for him. I LOVE seeing my body work as nature intended it to, creating all the nutrition for another human being. I LOVE  having big boobs. (Sorry, but it’s true! It’s freaking awesome!)

And giving that up just once a day… well, it isn’t that big of a deal. Is it?

Mr. Smiley

When Jamieson is asleep and starting to wake up, he sometimes makes little sleepy-annoyed noises that sounds like “Murph, murph, murph.” It’s super cute.  Other times he can make a noise that sounds disturbingly like a grackle. That is slightly less cute.

I think that, tentatively, the Prevacid that Jamie is taking is helping (thank you, Debbie, for the advice!!!). He’s still been fussing the past few days, but it’s usually easier to calm him down and those shrill shrieks of agony seem to be fewer. When he cries now, his tone is different, more like what I imagine regular-baby crying is like. His happy periods increase in length and number each day. He smiles easily and laughs a lot. As Doc said, that’s the “real” Jamie.

Doc had some work that he had to get done this afternoon, so Jamie and I went out running errands. I think this is the first time that I have taken him out alone. It went well. He slept most of the time, and did not protest being in the sling when we were in stores.

On a non-baby-related note (because I like to think that I still have interests other than those relating to my new role as Mom), check out this monstrosity… it’s pig, pig, and more pig. I like pig, but not THIS much. Be sure to check out the whole article for step-by-step construction photos. Also, can I just say that I love the term “bacon weave”?

Behold, BACON EXPLOSION!!! Here’s what you’ll need…

2 pounds thick cut bacon
2 pounds Italian sausage
1 jar of your favorite barbeque sauce
1 jar of your favorite barbeque rub

To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave. If the strips you’re using aren’t as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your weave is tight…

I’m going a little stir crazy here. Doc and Mom are taking care of absolutely everything: cooking, cleaning, moving stuff around, errands, etc. etc. etc. And that’s really super nice! But it also makes it so that I have nothing to do, and that in turn is making me a little crazy. Over the past week I have: sat on my butt, watched TV, watched movies, played Playstation, eaten three meals a day, gone on walks daily around the neighborhood or around NorthPark Mall, run a few errands, tagged many of my old blog posts, checked e-mail, updated Facebook, sat on my butt, sat on my butt, napped, and did I mention the sitting on my butt part of things?

And said butt isn’t too comfortable to be sitting on these days. One of the joys of pregnancy.

Mom made some freaking awesome brisket today. Sorry, Brett, but as it turns out, my mom’s brisket kicks your brisket’s ass. AND it has CELERY SALT on it! She’s over at a friend’s house tonight, but she left us the brisket, barbecue gravy, coleslaw, buns, and twice-baked potatoes for dinner (all homemade, including the buns). She’s killing us with calories!!

Today I talked to one of the nurses that works with the doctor that I saw on Monday. She was super nice and took the time to talk to me and explain what was going on. I guess part of my uneasiness about this other doctor was that I kind of felt like I might be forgotten since I wasn’t one of his regular patients and he was so hurry-hurry during my visit on Monday. But after talking to Deandra, I feel much much better about things.

My induction is scheduled for 6 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, if Mr. Baby doesn’t decide to make his appearance before then.

December 11 seems like a nice day for a birthday. Of course, I would much prefer if he came of his own free will ahead of that date; induced labors are often longer, more intense, and have more complications such as a higher risk of C-section.

She explained to me what to pack for the hospital: hair care stuff and scrunchies to tie my hair back, toiletries, pajamas, socks, my own pillow.

She also said that beginning next Monday, the 8th, the maternity ward’s remodeling will be complete and all the rooms will be the much nicer newly refurbished rooms. Doc figures maybe that’s why I haven’t gone into labor yet. Mr. Baby is holding out for an upgrade! So really, if he doesn’t come until Monday or later, at least I have snazzy surroundings to look forward to.

Once again, the first cold front of the fall season has come through on (or within a few days of) my birthday! I am so very happy. A break from the oppressive summer heat is the best present I could ask for.

On Saturday we got some rain from Hurricane Ike (for those of you wondering: no, we did not have lots of wind, we did not lose power, we did not lose phone service, and we only got about 2″ of rain over 24 hours) and so it was rather wet and humid near the end of last week.

Yesterday was sunny, dry, and rather pleasant, temperature-wise. Today was absolutely amazing. Again, sunny and dry, and the high temperature reached maybe 78 or so. Right now it’s in the mid-60s and we have all the windows in the house open.

Also, the light changed this weekend. It’s taken on that goldeny fall hue, and the blazingly white summer washout light is gone. Somehow it’s easier to see. Things seem prettier.

I had a really nice birthday weekend. Doc took me out Saturday night to a yummy family-style Italian restaurant, and we met some friends there. No wine with my meal, but only 11 more weeks to go on the moratorium (actually I don’t crave wine anymore so it’s much easier these days). We stuffed ourselves and then came back to our house, where we had coffee and cake, good conversation, and played some “Pain” on the PS3. I had a great time with good friends and good food. Maybe that’s the point of life: good friends and good food.

One of my favorite gifts from Doc is a book called “Hello Cupcake.” When it’s our turn to bake cupcakes for our son’s class, they will be the best damn cupcakes ever!

Maybe a boy child won’t really want these particular cupcakes for class, but I think they’re beautiful:

And probably the cutest cupcakes EVER…

This is an interesting list, compiled by the folks at VeryGoodTaste.co.uk. How many things on the list have you eaten? My score is 49, which is not too bad considering how picky I am about meat. And only 24 things I wouldn’t consider eating!

The VeryGoodTaste Omnivore’s Hundred:

• Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
• Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
• Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses de Bourgogne
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam Chowder in Soudough Bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whiskey from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin (I have had Kaopectate, does that count?)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost (Gjetost is one of my favorite cheeses!)
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu (nasty stuff)
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. 3-Michelin-Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam (and hated it)
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

So I’m in the beginning stages of writing my second cookbook. This is the recipe gathering and testing stage. I have a fair number of recipes that I have developed over the past four or five years that I plan to include, but I’m on the lookout for sources of inspiration and new ideas to adapt. I have a lot of cookbooks and I love to relax by casually leafing through them. For the past couple of evenings, I have been reading one that I haven’t looked at in a very long time. This one is kind of a family heirloom: “A Kitchen Happening*” compiled by the St. Peter’s Hospital Auxiliary group in 1976, which I think is probably some sort of women’s charitable fundraising group. At the bottom of the title page is the explanation for the asterisk in the title: “*We Knead the Dough.”

Ha!

Anyway, my grandma was a member of the Auxiliary and contributed some recipes to the book. I wasn’t able to immediately locate her recipes, although I bet if I asked my mom she’d know. I have to say, though, I was pretty hard-pressed to find anything in this book that I would consider eating, let alone testing and adapting for my own cookbook. I guess the 1970s were an era when “Italian” in the title of a recipe meant that you used a can of tomato soup and a chopped green pepper, and where anything with soy sauce had to be called “Oriental.” Spices other than salt and pepper, and ethnic food of any kind, were just emerging in mainstream America, and still had a long way to go.

I thought I’d transcribe a couple of really… interesting… recipes here for your gastronomical reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Green Jello Salad

1 pkg. lime jello
1 cup boiling water
1 cup (small can) pineapple
1/2 cup canned milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbl. horseradish
3/4 cup nut meats

Dissolve jello in boiling water. add can of pineapple and juice. Cool. Mix rest of ingredients and fold into jello.

Tuna Souffle Salad

1 pkg. lemon jello (4-oz.)
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup cold water
1 Tbls. lemon juice
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1 can tuna
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced stuffed olives
2 Tbls. chopped pimientoes
1/2 tsp. grated onions
1/4 tsp. salt

Dissolve jello in hot water. Add cold water, lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt. Blend well with rotary beater. Pour into tray and quick freeze 20 minutes. Turn mixture into bowl and whip with rotary beater until fluffy. Fold in remaining ingredients. Pour into 1 quart mold. Chill until firm and garnish. Great with hot rolls! Serves 6.

Now, to the credit of this book, there are maybe only twenty recipes for varying types of gelled concoctions, so it’s not like the 1950s when Jello was KING and half a book might be devoted to the art of apsic. I had to print two of the more disturbing ones here, though, as a representative sample. I can’t figure out how anyone ever thought it was a good idea to mix fruit jello with fish, celery, mayonnaise, pickles, onions, or any other decidedly savory ingredient. My rule is that Jello should be sweet and adulterated only by fruit, if absolutely necessary. (Kind of like my rule that bagels and cream cheese always must be either plain or savory, never sweet. I have few food rules, but these two are pretty important.)

Mrs. Pat Lewis submitted this recipe that made me laugh out loud. Mrs. Lewis is spunky!

Half Peach Stuffed with Cottage Cheese

Place on lettuce leaf. I’m not going to explain that. I will say that I put this right on the dinner plate with the rest of the luncheon. If you are serving the shrimp, I forget the cottage cheese and add more pieces of fruit.

And last but not least, something that sounds positively horrible:

Green Pig

1 cup chopped celery
Grated onion
1/3 cup sour cream
1 jar salted cashews
1 pkg. frozen peas

Add at the last minute, 1 pkg. frozen peas. Serve on lettuce.

Not everything in this book is this bad. Really, there are a few recipes that I would almost consider trying, if it weren’t for the fact that I have a lot of other really good cookbooks and great recipes from Mom and Grandma, and, you know, not exactly endless amounts of free time. Still, I love this book. It’s a lot of fun to look through.

I just read an article that discussed what Olympic gold-medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps typically eats for breakfast:

• 3 fried-egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomato, fried onions, and mayonnaise
• A 5-egg omelet
• A bowl of grits
• 3 slices of French toast with powdered sugar
• 3 chocolate chip pancakes
• 3 cups of coffee

I love food. Looooooove food… oh yes, my pudginess does not lie. Yet I am having a really hard time imagining how one person can eat that much in one sitting. I am trying to visualize all that food laid out side by side (one of my tricks for weight-control-by-guilt), and it’s kinda scary.

I guess that when you’re burning off 10,000 calories each day, though, it’s necessary.

Contrast that with what Doc and I ate for Sunday breakfast yesterday… a small portion of hash browns, a pumpkin spice waffle with syrup, a small slice of grilled ham, half a peach, and coffee. (Each, of course.) I was so stuffed that I didn’t eat lunch until 4 p.m.

So, here is my question. If you had to eat 10,000 calories every day, what would you eat?