amyamelia's Profile
canned tuna--what do you like to do with it (healthy)?
We had a lovley german young lady live with us for a year and take care of our kids (as an au pair) while both my husband and I worked. She made dinner for us once a week and her go-to meal was tuna pasta: from what i remember it was an onion, chopped and sauteed, with a can or two of tuna, a jar of pasta sauce (tomato/basil) and a can or frozen package of corn. Lots of oregano, served over pasta. Took some getting used to, but it was SO from the heart and we were hungry so it always tasted really good. I was surprised to enjoy tuna this way but it's hard to argue if it tastes good and fills the hole.
Looking for Best Destination Restaurants in VT, NH, ME
Happy to help, CBeth. A number of my friends rave about Crop Bistro in Stowe. I haven't tried it yet so can't speak for it directly. Maybe others here on CH have been?
Looking for Best Destination Restaurants in VT, NH, ME
Oh, I almost forgot another favorite: Elements, in Saint Johnsbury, VT.
Looking for Best Destination Restaurants in VT, NH, ME
TonyO mentioned all of our favorites in VT except for Michael's on the Hill on Rt 100 in Waterbury (though close to Stowe). Excellent local/seasonal foods, expertly prepared with creativity and delivered in style. Enjoy!
Waterbury, VT ice cream?
For anyone who is looking for good ice cream in waterbury, the ice cream at Juniper's Fare in Waterbury is homemade and wonderful. I had a cone of vanilla dipped in toasted coconut (the real stuff). Juniper's Fare is located where Rt 100 and Rt 2 part ways, by the subaru dealership. I don't think they are open on Sundays. Here is the website: www.junipersfare.com
cookbook rec needed for simple, seasonal, sustainable meals
Thank you, TC, GHG, PW and LL;
I will put all of your suggestions in my DH's cart and let him take a look. We are having trouble finding good summer meals that do not rely on the kinds of meats we have available. Perhaps the crockpot is the answer...or maybe we should do meatless summer instead of meatless mondays. ;)
What food ingredients/related items do you completely avoid because of their dangers?
sorry for the confusion. my brother was told that mussels are full of toxins (since they are bottom feeders) and that the toxins can cause a fib in patients that are otherwise susceptible. Yes, I think there is a genetic component to that and I don't care to find out.
cookbook rec needed for simple, seasonal, sustainable meals
thank you for making such thoughtful suggestions! I will check them out!
Pickled Beans
I have this recipe, given to me by my Vermonter great great great aunt 3 thousand times removed...she died last winter at 93 years old. The day before she died she mowed her lawn, cleaned her oven and baked a batch of cookies (which was a normal day for her). She called them "Vermont Torture Beans" which I think is fun. We use the same prep for blanched fiddleheads and carrot sticks, both of which are lovely.
cookbook rec needed for simple, seasonal, sustainable meals
Ah, yes! I have coveted this book for a long time now. This may be my big chance. ;)
I have many friends who LOVE it, so not surprised to see it recommended here!!
thanks!
cookbook rec needed for simple, seasonal, sustainable meals
I think my mom has those books (and I agree they are great for veggies). Will check out her copies!
I looked at the Farmers Markets book (I think) at the bookstore and that was the one I thought was too fussy (gingersnap crusted tart with marscapone and fresh currants comes to mind). Totally up my alley for entertaining but we're looking for something more basic. My DH would be stepping out to make his own not-from-a-mix pancakes...
thanks for the recs!
cookbook rec needed for simple, seasonal, sustainable meals
this one (and the related books) looks really fantastic. Will have to take a peek at the religious overtones to see if my husband will be able to get past that. Is there any meat in these books at all or are they completely vegetarian? I love that we could make our own homemade sub for sloppy joe sauce or cream of XXX soup. That's the kind of cooking he grew up on and it's exactly what we want to avoid (but it is comforting to him!).
thanks!
cookbook rec needed for simple, seasonal, sustainable meals
Hello,
I am looking for a cookbook that will support our attempts to eat simply, seasonally, locally and sustainably (we are in New England). Although I have found some "cooking from the farmers market" type books they are rather fussy and though I love that sometimes, I need simple right now. We are trying to move away from grocery-store meat products in favor of buying meat from farmers we know, which means that cuts like pork tenderloin and boneless chicken breast are out of our budget. We buy whole chickens, bone-in chicken legs, stew meats, roasts, and ground meat. We are also keen to include more vegetarian meals and fish (though we try to avoid "unsustainable" type fish so no imported shrimp for us.
All of the "simple and quick" cookbooks I've found use a lot of boneless skinless chicken breast, shrimp, and such. The quick and easy Eating Well book is an example of this, as is the Bittman quick cookbook.
We don't actually need "quick" per se (my hubby is stay-at-home so has time to stew, etc), but do need simple and rather frugal.
Can anyone suggest a book that might fit the bill?
Thank you!!!
Fabulous wheat berry recipes.........?
Oh GHG you are too sweet. The bellyache never appeared in full form, though certainly not because I exercised any restraint. Perhaps it was the overnight soak of the berries that helped in that department. Love this recipe and will make it again for another potluck (hope to actually make it to this one)!
aa
What food ingredients/related items do you completely avoid because of their dangers?
I agree with the "all things in moderation" approach. My kids eat mostly local/organic/whole grain/HFCS-free/grass-fed meats and homemade stuff. But they really like some treats like fried chicken tenders and vienna fingers and ritz crackers and cocacola, which I'd rather let them have on occasion than find them scarfing them down in the treehouse when nobody is looking. A child I grew up around was raised with all kinds of restrictions on what he could eat and he used to eat (stolen) candy bars in our bathroom and then hide the wrappers in the trashcan. That makes me feel sad-I've never forgotten it. I recently took my girls to ToysRUs and bought them the barbies they had been wanting for years...in the same vein. After a few weeks playing with them they don't really care for them so much but for an occasional prop in an imaginative game. We both won!
I have started avoiding mussels although i love them...they send my brother into atrial fibrillation and with my familial cardiac history I'm not willing to chance it.
It is a scary world out there and one thing I've done to cut down on the fear is to stop reading as much about it as I did when my girls were babies. I still read about food but try to stop when I feel myself getting that crazed sensation. ;)
aa
Fabulous wheat berry recipes.........?
I just made this curried wheat berry salad tody for a BBQ potluck (and then didn't go so we got to keep it all)! :) (fiendish grin)
It's really yummy! I don't even like curry flavor and this was gooooood. So good that i think I will def have a bellyache later from so many wheat berries! Easy to boot...I used dried crans instead of raisins but otherwise followed the directions.
Thanks GHG!
Wine vinegar mother - how to get it out of a bottle??
shake your bottle up with the little bit of vinegar left behind and the mother will hopefully break into smaller pieces. That is not a problem. Then you can pour it all into your new container.
Popcorn
+1 on the yeast. Our local movie house turned us on to this popcorn topping-delicious!
What seasonal foods do you look forward to?
sugar snap peas fresh from the garden (don't EVER cook them!)
fiddleheads picked streamside
rhubarb (baked into a custard pie)
my mom's balsamic/basil marinated tomatoes
fresh corn any way but best with lime juice and salt
apple cider
melon melon melon melon (all kinds!)
new potatoes and baby peas simmered in cream (first taste of summer in New England!)
brook trout coated in cornmeal and panfried in bacon fat.
wild blueberries
hard-won blackberries (taste best with lots of scrapes on your arms)
fresh strawberries dipped in sour cream then brown sugar
I feel so lucky to have grown up in a family that relishes fantastic fresh simple food!
Calorie-Dense Food: Ideas needed. Help!!
My take is...when you don't feel like eating, something with big flavor pow is just revolting. I only speak from the experience of having horrible morning sickness and crying at times because I was SOOOO hungry on one level but the thought of most everything made me gag. So, my suggestion is to keep around some simple butter shortbread cookies, either sweet or savory, but simple (pistachio cranberry shortbread sounds great to me now but for months I subsisted on wheat thins because they were so bland but packed in some calories). You could use whole wheat pastry flour for nutrition if you must. For some reason, the dryness was important too. Anything goopy (my hubsband tried so hard to make cheesy scrambled eggs, etc...) was just yuck to me. Ginger ale and wheat thins, thank you.
p.s. I did take a multivitamin and my babies turned out just fine...sounds like this is a different kind of situation and maybe your family member's taste has not taken the same turn that mine did?
May the force be with you!
aa
What is your "perfect breakfast"? [moved from Home Cooking]
leftover pad thai, heated up in cast iron skillet, with eggs scrambled in (pad thai omelet?)
everything bagel toasted to a crisp with a very thin smear of cream cheese, thick slices of ripe tomato and lots of salt
homemade cornbread, served hot with butter and my own strawberry freezer jam
scrambled eggs with cheese, toasted olive bread with orange marmalade (sounds gross, tastes great, especially after a long run).
so many different things taste so good for breakfast depending on the day. Easily my favorite meal...
Egg dishes - recipes needed
I just made the chile brunch dish for a teacher appreciation breakfast parents organized at our primary school (offered by aching in the thread you referenced). The only changes were I used half the butter and added about 2 cups of chopped up fiddleheads (gotta make the most of spring in VT!). Went over really well and my husband enjoyed the little bits left in the pan when I brought it home.
we've also been hard-boiling eggs, peeling them and adding to pickle brine (after we eat the pickles). Let them sit for a week and they get punchy and yummy!
Steel Cut Oats
We pre-cook the groats with a hot cereal mix. liquid:cereal is 2:1 and I bring to simmer for 15 mins then turn it off and let sit (covered ) for half an hour before I stick it in the fridge to use all week.
My kids like chopped up banana, frozen blueberries and maple syrup (we add these to pre-cooked oat groats and then nuke). I like a spoonful of nutella or a spoonful of maple sugar. If they knew nutella was an option I think they would like that too!
3 days in DC with 2 kids-how is this plan? (a few holes remain)
I love CH! THis is exactly the kind of advice i need. I wish I could bookmark the foodtruck site but we have stupidphones. :( Will certainly be showing my fearless mate your opine that ice cream will be in order. I've already bought a sleeve of petit ecolier biscuits in attempt to forestall meltdowns, but ice cream is even better. the lovely thing about DC is that if it's not fun, you can just leave without the guilt of having paid big $$$ for an entry fee. My poor girl with the gimpy knee is already so unhappy...so I think we will be cabbing it. p.s. we are totally willing to bag the kennedy center if it's not in the cards. so, not so awful, I hope!
3 days in DC with 2 kids-how is this plan? (a few holes remain)
sounds just like Vermont, in some ways! But the soul food would be a different treat. Will look-good to know that it's right near the metro stop. thanks!
?what happens if the five stools are filled? Is that really all the seating they have?
3 days in DC with 2 kids-how is this plan? (a few holes remain)
Thanks for chiming in-
Ooh! DC3 does look fun--and we do love our dogs.
Cava's food sounds great but not sure if I'm into the scene (this just based on their website). Didn't look dark in the photos but also didn't look like a family place...
Seems like everyone likes Matchbox! I didn't even look into it since it seemed like comments were always followed with cautions about the long wait. But I'll take a look on all these recs. Love onion strings!
-----
DC3
423 8th St SE, Washington D.C., DC 20003
3 days in DC with 2 kids-how is this plan? (a few holes remain)
Hey KT-thanks for your reply. Corner markets should be fine-just need a box of cheerios, some bananas...
So, we'll keep matchbox in mind but may try cava. Is the pizza at 7th Hill or We the Pizza very good? We a definitely a thin and crispy crust crowd. Ted's Bulletin looks casual and good but not so cheap-$10 for a burger without any toppings. Merzi looks like a place I would enjoy-will run it by my main man.
And thanks for the names of places in and around Eastern Market--I inamge it will be hectic on a saturday afternoon!
I haven't found much near Foggy Bottom other than some higher end places that look really nice but not on a nite we'll be dining with our two tired gremlins. I will look up those places you listed that are near our hotel--may be our saving grace to have that in our back pocket.
I'm glad to know that ABP is in Union Station. Chocolate croissants will be great on easter morning (that is, before we dig into the stinky cheese)!
cheers!
aa
-----
Ted's Bulletin
505 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Merzi
415 7th St NW, Washington, DC, DC 20004
3 days in DC with 2 kids-how is this plan? (a few holes remain)
We're hopping on Amtrak tomorrow and trekking all the way from VT to DC (so excited for the train!). I've been scouring the boards and trying to make a gameplan that keeps it inexpensive but eliminates that awful feeling of knowing we are walking into a tourist trap and about to eat bad food.
One kid is picky, the other eats everything. We like to try new stuff or just well-done familiar food but we are very casual and don't much like fancy places. The picky kid gets by with bread or rice if she doesn't like the food where we're at. We have access to good thai and sushi at home so those aren't as appealing.
One of our kids is on crutches so I'm struggling to keep an eye on the map and minimize distances. We'll use the metro and/or cabs to get around if the metro won't get us close enough.
we're staying at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill (400 NJ Ave NW).
My strategy is to have breakfast foods in the room so we don't have to eat bfast out, and to pack lunch on one or more days to keep the total cost down (and limit time away from attractions). That said, I need a place to buy some cereal, fruit, milk and yogurt, bread etc but all of the stores I've found online (WH, TJs) are at least a mile away. anything closer?
Plan:
Day 1 (thursday): rent bikes at Bike and Roll; tour around the mall and visit monuments. Hoping to score tix to get in for tour of bureau of engraving and printing.
Lunch: either pack a lunch or eat at Mitsitam Cafe or Taylor Gourmet or Cowgirl Creamery. we'll have the bikes so it would be a fine day to do lunch not right on the mall.
Dinner: will go back to hotel after bikes, then options are: Jaleo or Good Stuff (with milkshakes) or
Cava (it looks delish but kinda fancy-anything in the area with more casual mediterranean food (i.e greek deli looks perfect but it doesn't serve dinner and it's way far away from our hotel)??
Day 2 (friday)
museum day: natural history, american history, hirshhorn with sculpture garden,
lunch: pack it unless there is a CH suggestion for a good food truck (is there a kabob truck that's good??) or other place very close to the museums. (?) haven't found much on CH.
dinner: maybe Jaleo/Cava/good stuff (whichever we didn't do the night prior) or pizza--I've seen recs for Vace, pizza paradiso, 2Amys, pupatella--but they are all so far away. Are any of those really easy to get to on the metro (i.e. with minimal crutching distance for the gimpy one)? We would love to find a place to have those smallish pizzas with light toppings and really crispy crust. Either that or would love a rec for inexpensive indian. Rusika looks great but too fancy. Any solid hole-in-the-walls?
Day 3 (saturday)
bfast at room
botanical gardens
Capitol Tour at 11:30
lunch at Eastern Market (buy some good stuff to take away as well)
Air and Space Museum
big snack (from eastern market purchases)
6 pm free performance at Kennedy Center.
late dinner: we'll be at Foggy Bottom metro on the way back--need a few recs for this one. Again, things that appeal are indian, mediterranean, pizza...
Day 4: early to train. Hopefully will have some treats from eastern market still left to eat on the way back to VT. Our stinky cheese will be our easter dinner!
if you've actually read this far, thank you!
Looking forward to feedback and advice.
aa
-----
Taylor Gourmet
1116 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Kennedy Center
2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20256
Vace
7601 Airpark Rd Ste A, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Unique, cool, unusual pizza toppings
roasted baby beets, gorgonzola...sometimes with pinenuts and/or capers. :)
Let's talk lunch salads at work
wait! help! I bought a huge bag of wheatberries and tried to use them to make pilaf and cold saldas...we were gas central at my house. it was awful! Does this not happen to everyone who eats 'em? Is there a way to avoid it? It was actually painful...and we eat a largely high-fiber diet with all whole-wheat breads and cereals and tons of fresh veg, beans, and fruit. Our guts are not wimpy!
