Easter Fun...

I know I'm a little late...we've just been so busy that  I haven't had time to upload my Easter pics!! And there are quite a few to share!!

We started our festivities on Saturday, when our ward had an Easter brunch and egg hunt...

Nickel-Pickle

The kids made their own Easter buckets, and were really excited to use them. After that, we dyed Easter Eggs...they came out REALLY nice...

Savvy with our beautiful eggs...

Of course, we made our Easter Story Cookies. and then went to bed to wait for the Easter Bunny.

In the morning, we had A LOT of fun surprises...

Beach gear and candy...PERFECT!!

...and then the kids went out to hunt eggs. Funny thing was, the bunny put all 150 eggs out at 5am. Then Florida decided to bless us with it's signature torrential downpour at 6am...which made the bunny scurry like mad to pick all those eggs up...it the pouring rain. The rain stopped after about 45 minutes, and the bunny had to re-hide all those candy-filled eggs before the kids woke up...avoiding puddles.

Oh my poor cotton tail.

No one sees the egg on the sign behind them...

Fabulous egg-hunting fashionista...

The kids got A LOT of loot...which made up for the slightly LESS fulfilling Ward Easter Egg Hunt...

Happy girl...

Do you HAVE to take a picture of my bedhead?

After egg hunting, we had to check on our Easter Story cookies...

Perfection!!

They came out great!! And I really love this little Family Tradition...if you've never made Easter Story Cookies with your kids, I highly recommend it...it's a GREAT object lesson...

Yummy little meringues...

Then we all got dressed up and headed over to the restaurant to have breakfast with Daddy...because it's the only time we see him on this holiday...

While there, I took lots of pictures of the kids posing by the decorated alligators in the courtyard in front of the Lux...

Pedro pointed out to me that the mosaic alligator he and Kate posed next to had a shopping bag with a certain name scrawled on it...

Barcelona

Well...that just got me ALL KINDS of excited for our big trip!!!

We had a lovely breakfast at the Lux...lovely except for the fact that I can't seem to get Joseph to abandon this half-crooked "I'm-too-cool-to-really-smile-now-that-I'm-almost-13" smile...

GRRRRRRR!!!

After breakfast, we went to church and then came home and I made dinner. It was a nice spread...Ham with an Apricot Glaze, Roasted Asparagus, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Green Beans, Grilled Grape Tomatoes with Chives, Pineapple Casserole, Buttery Rolls, and a platter of Fresh Fruit, including Strawberries, Mangoes, and Pineapple.

I didn't get a picture of dinner...sorry.

But I DID get a picture of the piece de resistance (which misses something with the appropriate apostrophes)...a Strawberry Shortcake Baked Alaska...

This absolutely BEAUTIFUL a SCRUMPTIOUS dessert I DID get a picture of...and was kind enough to put the recipe on the Jungle Food Chain.

So please...by all means...make it...

It's WONDERFUL!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

101 Cookbooks

I discovered a new foodie blog/website about a week ago, called 101 Cookbooks...and I wrote about it on the Jungle Food Chain section of my blog...but I thought I'd share it here, as well...

101 Cookbooks is based off a lady named Heidi who was a self-proclaimed impulsive buyer of cookbooks. She always purchased them with the very best intentions...and she read them...and dog-eared the pages and marked favorite recipes with post-its...and then stuck those cookbooks on her shelf and never actually cooked anything from them.

One day, she looked up and realized that she had over 100 different cookbooks...and decided right then and there that it was time to stop buying, and start COOKING. So, she started a blog about her foray into all 100+ cookbooks, and the blog evolved, and she gainmed some notoriety, and now...

Guess what?

She has her OWN cookbook!!

Heidi's own cookbook...just recently published!!

Heidi focuses on cooking with all-natural ingredients, and is also a vegetarian. Since our family is becoming more and more health-focused, this appeals to me.

But her story got me thinking about my OWN love affair with cookbooks. I have no where NEAR 101...but I have many. And I always want more.

For example, I don't own a single Julia Child cookbook...and I think this is tantamount to a sin. Julia Child is quite possibly the Saint of Foodies...so I feel this growing urge to engage in some kind of repentance.

I also want the Pioneer Womans cookbook. And the one above by Heidi. and there is one being published by another of my food goddesses...Smitten Kitchen. And then there's Molly Stevens classic, which I'd love to have because Braising is my favorite style of cooking, and I'm tired of looking up recipes on-line.

And that brings up the Internet Conundrum...I know I can find all these recipes, and millions more...on-line. and I love surfing for recipes...but there is something about a cookbook vs. a computer screen. For one thing, I hate running from my kitchen to my desktop to check what the next step is...

...and I could never bring a laptop in my kitchen because when I cook, I throw my whole soul into it and make a MESS.

So that means I'm forced to print the recipes, and that just wastes ink and paper.

It's kinda like my quandary about purchasing a Kindle...I LOVE the idea of an electronic book that holds thousands of my favorite novels and fits in my purse...but there is something about holding an actual book in my hands...turning the pages, feeling the worn paper...

I know it's a bit romantic of me...but it sums up my issue with cookbooks as well.

True, my cookbooks get worn and trashed...you can tell my favorite recipes by how bent the spine is in that spot, and how many spills and stains are on the pages. But they are trusty, and loyal, and won't suffer crashes or computer glitches. They can handle the splashes of water and sploshes of sauce, and still faithfully return to my kitchen every night.

I love them.

And so I thought I'd share my favorites with you.

Despite my utter failing at having a Julia Child's cookbook in my collection, I do possess some classics...such as Joy of Cooking ...

What other book explains how to properly trim a whole bear?

 And of course, this baby has graced American kitchen for generations...carefully updated for every new breed of home chef...

I bet ya'all have this one...

 I have some cookbooks that are purely nostalgic for me...

My mother had this cookbook...

I have tender, slightly whimsical memories of this cookbook...all centered around baking cookies from it's pages for Christmas with my mother and sister. She would let us choose new recipes to try every year, and I remember carefully pouring over the pages to pick which confection would grace our holiday tables.

I love the old pictures,,,

A few years ago...the publishers re-released it with all the original 1960's photography and design, and I literally BEGGED Jason to buy it for me, which he did (good husband). Now I use it to plan my own Christmas cookie attack, and let my own children crowd around the counter, ohhh-ing and ahhh-ing at all the beautiful cookies gracing it's pages.

Some of my favorite books aren't classics OR nostalgic, but more seasonable in nature. For example, I absolutely LOVE this cookbook on grilling...

Absolutely GORGEOUS photos...

It has some of the best pictures, and fabulous recipes, I have ever seen and tried. I have cooked many, many things from this cookbook...it is very close to becoming my Summer Bible, as it were, by the grill...

Doesn't that look heavenly?

Some cookbooks are more about styles of food...for example, this one:

So much fun and creativity...

I also have some cookbooks that came with their own soundtracks. No, really...they did.

They have recipes that revolve around a certain type of music and/or entertainment...and have a CD that accompanies them...

For your evening at the San Francisco Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, and Garden Classical Event...

 I even have cookbooks that are religious-based (and no...I don't mean kosher)...

Yup...they say "Essential MORMON Cookbooks", and yes...they have the green jell-o recipe...

Some of my cookbooks are from places I've been...

From a famous restaurant in Maui

It was a gift from Presidents Circle, and it's even signed!!

...and some are from places I want to go...

From a restaurant located in Martha's Vineyard

So beautiful...but I've yet to make anything from this cookbook, although I've owned it for years...

Some cookbooks, like the one above, I haven't actually cooked from yet. I will...I just haven't...either from intimidation, or...well, it's mostly intimidation. But some day, I will get over my fear and actually create something from them.

But I do own some cookbooks which I never plan on cooking from...ever. They are simply to look at...

perfect example...

This book on cakes is AMAZING...but as far as I'm concerned, completely unattainable without training. I have used it to inspire some (intensely) simplified ideas, but I will never be able to create cakes like this:

Yes...this is an actual CAKE...

Or this:

WOW...and that's all fondant, molding chocolate, and marzipan...

I have cookbooks for kids, too. They are lots of fun...especially if I can tie them into a story, or a project. I find I use them a lot over Summer School...

We did a lot of the magic one while reading Harry Potter...

...and I, of course, have my fair share of those little "grocery store" cookbooks...ya know the ones...the little cookbooks in the check-out aisle next to the tabloids. My mom buys those for me...I like the holiday-themed ones...they always have insanely simple but very clever ideas for celebrations...

I have about 4 of the Halloween-inspired booklets...

But my collection is special to me for another reason...the fact that I have a couple of my grandfathers cookbooks from when he ran his own diner in Chehalis, Washington, called the Eat Shop.

My grandfather was the cook, and my mother and uncles waited tables and washed dishes. It's how they grew up. Now, many years later, and long since my grandfather has passed away, my cousin, who is a chef, has re-opened the shop in the same location, calling it Dan's Eat Shop.

My cousin, Dan Ewing...

I have these old cookbooks...and they are like the grocery store variety my Mom buys me. But they are OLD...

My collection...

My Mom says they used to be Grandpas...and I haven't ever cooked anything out of them...although I thumb through them frequently.

Look!! It's NEW!!

Only .25 in 1953

 My grandfather passed away when I was just 2 months old from emphysema and liver cancer. He was a hard drinking, tough smoking, all business man...I guess not always an easy man to live with...but my Mom adored him. She talks about his sparkling black eyes (like my Brighams), and the way he's tease her, and call her Ginger-Puss.

I didn't know him, and honestly, I'm not as close as I'd like to be with that side of the family. I don't know why...maybe the massive age difference between me and my cousins (although that hasn't been a deterrent to my younger sister, who has always been accepted up there), or the fact that I'm forever running around the country and living in places that increasingly get further and further away, or maybe it's the actual lifestyle choices I make, or maybe I'm just darn un-likeable. Whatever the reason, I wish it was different.

So this is my piece of him...my little bit of Ewing pride.

I'd like to think I got some of my love of cooking from him, and although I don't think I'll ever be good enough or cool enough to run my own restaurant, I hope my own style of kitchen finesse makes him proud...

...as proud as I am to have him be part of me.

Iron Chef Pembroke Pines: April 2011 - Lemon

The beautiful and glamorous Tina and Angel...

 Oh - we had such a wonderful Iron Chef this much. There was a wonderful turn out, and excellent choice for the secret ingredient, and a beautiful hostess.

A hostess who is my good friend...someone I love and adore...someone who is an original Iron Chef member (which has been going on almost 3 years now)...and someone who is MOVING!!!!

Our little group was already rocked by the loss of another original Chefinista...Melodee Cooper...

Melodee is on the right, holding her son Ryan...

Melodee was an AWESOME Chef, and a wonderful friend...a fellow sarcastic commiserater on our plight of living in South Florida.

But then, Mel's hubby finished school, and they upped and left back to Texas...leaving a big hole in our posse...and in our hearts.

And now...we're losing Heidi Tyler too!!! She's moving to North Carolina...

Heidi at last months Iron Chef...

Now it will just be Tina and myself as the original Iron Chef founders...we'll have to keep the ball rolling all alone.

*sigh*

We really had a lovely time, though. It was a BEAUTIFUL day...perfect Spring weather for such a sunny and happy secret ingredient.

Oh - did I even tell you what that was yet? Well...I'm sure you saw it in the title of this post...it's Lemon.

I took lots of pictures, and tried to compile all the recipes. There are a couple that I don't have pictures for, either because the girls sent in their recipes, but couldn't come at the last minute...or because they just arrived late after it was over (we still ate their food!!) Those recipes are Candied Citrus Peel ...which was EXCELLENT, and I highly recommend, and Lemon-Orzo Salad with Veggies and Chicken , which has the bonus of being a Weight Watchers recipe!!

But wait until you see what I DO have pictures for...

How about Angel's scrumpt-diddely-umptious Lemon Cheese Squares? They were creamy and smooth and I was lucky enough to take some home to my kids who DEVOURED them...

And then Heidi herself whipped up this wonderful Lemon Chicken Piccata ...which is easily the best I've tasted outside of Jasons restaurant.

This was my entry...Lemon Snowdrop Cookies. Honestly...they're okay. Good...but not AMAZING. In fact, half of my kids loved them, the other half were ambivalent. They are awfully pretty though...and remind me a lot of Mexican Wedding Cookies, but with lemon jelly.

Incidentally, I made another dish...Lemon Pancakes with Honey Poppyseed Glaze. And...how can I put this?

They were awful.

I mean...really, truly AWFUL. I was so embarrassed...I don't make awful tasting food...but these were just BAD.

So, I will never, ever use that recipe again...but will make up my OWN version of the dish...which I know will be 100 times better. In fact...it gives me a bit of a challenge to work on...and I can't wait to smoke that crappy yucky recipe...

This is an interesting conondrum...Tina made these to-die-for Lemon Pepper Shrimp...but never turned in a recipe. So Heidi substituted HER Lemon-Pepper Shrimp recipe so everyone would have a copy of SOMETHING...but she admits that it's not nearly as pepper-y as Tina's version was.

So you get the picture of ONE dish, and the recipe for ANOTHER.

I guess you can all play with it and figure out your own version...

Rachel made divine little Lemon Posset's...they were perfect little explosions of lemon bliss. They would be perfectly served in little shot glasses...I'm going to go and purchase some so I can make this and serve it to my family...

We have a newer member to our group, and her name is Bonnie. She is a friend of Tina's. We all really like her...and we're gonna KEEP liking her as long as she keeps gracing us with DELICIOUS dishes such as THIS...it was a winner for Presentation. It's called Lemon Fusilli with Arugula, and is an adapted Barefoot Contessa recipe...

Teri Metts made these perfect Lemon Bars.

No, I mean it...they are PERFECT...what all Lemon Bars should want to be. I went on and on about the crust...so simple, so PERFECT.

Yup...that's the word...PERFECT.

Another perfect entry was this completely unassuming, modest, and plain-looking Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake, submitted by Heather.

This cake is a lesson in: "Never judge a book by it's cover"...because this cake WON the Taste portion of the competition. It was SO GOOD...even Jason (who is pretty hard to impress, when it comes to cakes)...was melting. No seriously...he was floored.

Heather really deserved to win...this cake was AMAZING.

Heathers wasn't the ONLY cake, either. Jason competed, and just like with Strawberries, he made an amazing confection by adapting MY favorite cake recipe, Lemonade Extravaganza Cake,  and making it completely his own and utterly original.

The cake has a lot of steps, but can be made over time, and if you want something totally different and completely eyes-roll-in-the-back-of-your-head decadent...this is the cake for you. He dubbed it Lemon Pineapple Extravaganza Cake (have you noticed we like the word "extravaganza"? It's a private joke...you should really get us going on it sometime...of course, we're the only two that think it's funny...so maybe you shouldn't).

He, of course, won for Originality. And Taste. And Presentation. Let's just say he cleaned house, shall we? My man is a BEAST in the kitchen...

Jason and Teri

 I recommend you make it. Soon.

There were, of course, a dish or two where we had no recipes. The one I am devastated about is Sherie's It was the prettiest, most lovely thing I'd seen...

This absolutely gorgeous Lemon-Blackberry Torte. I think I'm going to have to hunt her down at church...literally stalk her until she hands it over.

Because I HAVE...

...no, really...I just HAVE...

...to make this myself.

I don't know what it is about Sherie...but her style of cooking sings to me. I LOVED her Carrot-Coconut Soup, and her Berry Scones with Cranberry Butter (for which I ALSO need a recipe), and her Parmesan-Stuffed Strawberry Chicken, and now her insanely beautiful lemon contender...

Sherie and Heather...

I think I'm gonna have to hang out with this girl more than once a month...