A Plethora of Polenta

So the other day at the market I told you we bought all these mushrooms, but I forgot to tell you what I did with them.... They became two very easy polenta dishes.  Forgive me for the lack of a clear and precise recipe, but this isn't really the type of thing you can eff up and I was just throwing stuff together.

Ok, first you need to make your polenta.  I used about 2 cups of cornmeal to about 4 cups of boiling water.  Pour in the cornmeal very slowly and whisk as you go breaking up all the clumps.  You'll probably want to turn the heat down a bit because it tends to go a bit like a bubbling volcano if you don't.  You may also choose to add more water if its getting too thick, I added a veggie stock cube as well just for a little extra flavor.  When it's ready, pour it into a baking dish, and place in the fridge so it will get solid.

It will take awhile, so give it an hour for best results.  Then you can make up a little sauce.  OK I made this up for Nick who thinks dairy is God's gift to mankind.  Please don't judge.  I took a handful of chantrelles, and a couple handfuls of basic button mushrooms, (sliced of course) and browned them with a white onion in some butter.  I then added a cup of cream, and a few tablespoons of blue cheese and flavored with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, I had the polenta on a grill pan to get nice and crispy on the bottom and voila....

It was good, but a few minutes after eating it I got the Victoria's Secret swim suit advertisements in my email (probably my ultimate thinspiration) and I started to regret my decision to be so accommodating to my husband's dairy desires.

The next day we had left over polenta, and all those fabulous oyster mushrooms from the market.  I sliced the mushrooms lengthwise, sauteed them in a bit of butter until they were nice and brown, added some carmelized onions to the mix, and topped the whole thing off with store bought pesto (I'm a fraud I know).

This polenta dish was much tastier and probably much healthier than the last.  It was my first experience with oyster mushrooms, and they went down a treat!  A bit on the chewy side of things, but that was good because sometimes my carnivorous husband likes food he can sink his teeth into.  The pesto brought it all together and finished the dish off very nicely.

Heidi in Action

Nick and I took Heidi to the park this morning and I brought along my camera to capture all the action!  Heidi loves to run and she is already way out of both mine and Nick's leagues.  Soon we won't be able to wear her out.  But for now we have so much fun taking her to the park to play and she thinks its the best thing ever.   Since it rains all the time here, a pond has magically appeared in the middle of the park - its actually just like a huge puddle.(Hooray for British weather!)  We're teaching her that water is fun!  Hope you enjoy these puppy action shots.

(I almost got a picture of her pointing, ugh so close yet so far!)

Butch My 4runner

Homesickness is one of those things that gets better over time, but it will never go all the way away.  There are little things that trigger it every now and then, and sometimes they just pimp smack you across the face.  Like today, I was walking Heidi, and parked in a drive way was a black 4 runner.  Why the hell would a black 4 runner make me emotional?

(Via)

Well I guess the thing about homesickness is it is all related to memories.  My first car was a black 4runner I bought for a mere $800 from my very generous aunt.  It was admittedly a piece of shit.  When you closed the doors big chunks of rust would fall off, and it would often smoke on the way to school in the morning, leaving my carpool with big head aches to start the day with. But the truth is, I loved this car.  I named her Butch, because all my friends said it was a car a dyke would drive.  But I didn't care.  It was mine and it gave me my first real taste of freedom.  I loved driving to school in the morning, and sitting in the parking lot having dance parties in the winter until the windows fogged up.  I loved putting it into four wheel drive in the winter snow and feeling like a real bad ass driving by people with little cars that got stuck.  I loved the way it smelled after I let some of my.... less studious friends borrow it to skip class and go get "bagels" in the morning.  (I never skipped class.  Goody two shoes here).  I loved the way the trunk flipped out and we could lay in the back and take naps before rowing practice.  And I really, REALLY loved the car rides home.  I had the best carpool, and we would jam to our CD mixes, on an old battery powered boom box - this car was too ghetto for a CD player.

I guess what I'm saying is I don't miss the car at all.  I miss those memories and the best way to confront homesickness head on  is to realize all that stuff is in the past and I will never do those same things, with those same people on a daily basis ever again.  Even if I was to return home, chances are few other people would be there with me.  So here I am in London, creating new memories.  Who knows - maybe one day I'll be homesick for London?  Doubtful.

Until next time, I'll leave you with the carpool's two favorite jams.  This is for you - MJ, Solimine and Gaffney.

Conservatory: Before and After

We had our conservatory rebuilt sometime around September,  however, as things of such a nature go, we only recently got around to painting it.  I meant to post pictures as soon as it was painted, but it seemed to be filled with tools and other junk as soon as I put my paint brush down.  But since Nick's mum is selling the house now, someone came to view it and we put it all in order.  It looked good.  I wish it could always look like this.

Here are the before pics....

This is a bathroom.  No one used it because it's gross. Agreed?

And now it looks like this....

So new and shiny!  Notice the appliances!  We used to have the washing machine in the kitchen.  Now we have a dishwasher (SCORE!) in the kitchen, and we have both the washing machine and the dryer in the conservatory.  This makes me extremely happy.  Hanging laundry outside to dry is a royal pain, especially when it rains nearly every day here.  The dryer on the left doesn't actually go there, well it's supposed to, except the builders forgot to put a hole in the wall for the exhaust.  So we have to move it to the front of the picture and stick the hose out the window.

Oh, and the toilet has also been redone, except you see, the light of my life, my dear husband, decided that he was a plumber (he's not a plumber) and he was going to fit the sink and toilet himself to save money.  That was in September.  It's now the end of February and we're no closer to having a working toilet in, and as a bonus, we have the lingering smell of sewage since the pipe for the toilet is exposed.  We try to cover it, but it doesn't really work.

You win some, you lose some.

Counter Top Crusades

We have a problem.  Heidi can now get her nose over the top of the counter.  This picture doesn't really do it justice.  She's just tall enough that if we leave anything by the edge she can get a hold of it.  

We've taught her the "Off" command and she is good at listening.  The problem is, she sits on the floor and looks at you like this....

Treat please?

Then within 10 seconds she is back jumping up on the counter.  The biggest problem is soon she'll be able to reach the stove top.  And soon she'll have a very crispy nose... Tips please?  

Toy Story

Moving house is supposed to be one of the most stressful experiences in your life.   Perhaps even more stressful if you're moving out of a house that is your significant other's childhood home, which has been in the family for about 50 years.  This also means it's acquired about 50 years worth of stuff.  Stuff on shelves, stuff in closets, stuff sitting in corners, and on the floor.  This stuff seems to be a bit of a point of contention.  We've actually even debated the merits of panda bear refrigerator magnets, which apparently have "sentimental value."

Everything in this house either has this so called sentimental value, or it has ebay value.  Which means we can't just trash anything.  So my job has become official ebay photographer.  I probably find this job a little more entertaining then I should.  I thought maybe you'd enjoy my photos too....

Husband, if you don't throw away this hideous brown vase I'm going to shoot you in the face.  NO it WILL NOT look good in a display case.

Maybe Captain Planet and his mullet can help us dispose of this junk in an environmentally friendly way?

Please pray for us.  Things are getting ugly around here....

Borough Market

Ever since we decided to leave London, I've been on a mad dash to finish as much of my London To Do List as possible.  So today Nick, his mum and me headed out to check Borough Market off the list.

(Why do boys make such silly faces in photos?)

And let me tell you, it was every bit the food lover's paradise I heard it would be.  Plenty of good street food, fresh produce, cheeses, chocolates, wines, fish, and meats.  We were out of groceries so we stocked up on some veggies at this stall.

And they had the most fabulous looking mushrooms.  We couldn't leave without a few handfuls of them.  I went for the King Oysters and Nick's mum chose the Chanterelles.  Anyone have recipe suggestions?  I've never cooked with King Oysters before, but they looked too fun to pass up!

We were getting pretty hungry at this point and Nick and his mum picked up two kangaroo (yeah like actual kangaroo) burgers to chow down on.  Apparently they tasted just like regular hamburgers.  Meanwhile I went to the stall across and picked up some hot apple cider to warm me up.  They asked me for I.D.  - who would've thought apple cider was alcoholic?  The guy must've thought I was a bit of a drunk ordering an extra large at noon, but at least there was plenty for sharing.

Then I got hungry, and I ordered the most delicious veggie burger.  Look at this beauty...

It was a halloumi burger with pesto and hummus on whole wheat.  It was just perfect.  I was in street food heaven...

We were so tempted to buy so many things, but we were trying to be good.  I am kinda kicking myself for passing up an amazing looking chocolate truffle stall.  But we couldn't leave without a bottle of white truffle oil.  We have a bottle which we purchased in a little souvenir shop on a layover in Charles de Gaulle, but it is surprisingly terrible.  We think the French were taking advantage of our silly tourist selves.

But this bottle is a winner.  Pure liquid gold.  I already used it on roasted asparagus for dinner tonight, and lets just say they were a big hit!

Borough Market was a vibrant charming little place, buzzing with people, smells, sights, and sounds to create a great atmosphere.  I wish we did our grocery shopping here every week, and I'm glad I get to cross it off my list!

Because puppies are more fun in video...

I don't know when my little mostly food and London related blog turned into a blog about food and mostly my puppy.  But I think she is cute and I don't really do anything worth blogging about except play with her.  Sorry.  Please forgive me.  And please forgive the fact that my voice is insanely high-pitched in this video.  I don't really talk like that.  I swear.  Oh, and yes, we do refer to ourselves as "mommy" and "daddy".  How obnoxious.  Anyways, this is her first trip to the park.  She can already outrun us.  She's only 3 months old.  I need to start running now.

Valentine's Day Baking Shenanigans

Yesterday for Valentine's Day Nick and I spent the day baking.  We got a lot accomplished.  Look at this spread....

Nothing makes your house smell better than fresh bread.  This is just a basic whole wheat loaf.  The recipe came with our bread machine.

Next I baked brownies for the woman who watched Heidi for us this weekend.  She was a lifesaver.  Our dogsitter pulled out right as I was leaving to drop Heidi off at her house, Nick sent out an emergency email to his entire work and she pulled through.  I even made them homemade.  I've always used a box before but I have no idea why.  These were super easy.  I followed the recipe exactly, and you can find it here.  If I made them again I'd probably mix some chocolate chips into the batter.  Yum.  I hope she liked them.

Finally, I was going to make Nick his favorite dessert, cheesecake, as a valentine's day surprise.  But he decided I couldn't make it as good as him.  So he made it himself.  He's a cheesecake purist, but I needed a little something extra on it, so I added raspberry jam.  I'd post the recipe, but I don't know it.  Maybe if we all ask nicely....?

Please don't judge me for the number of baked goods on this post.  It WAS valentine's day, and the brownies were for someone else (OK I may have sneaked one... or two).  We had so much fun!  We licked the batter and danced like a couple of soiled tweens at a high school mixer.  We didn't do much mushy bull crap, but Heidi and I dedicated this song to Nick when it came on the radio... We'll never let money get in the way.

LOVE

I hope you've been able to celebrate your true love today!

I feel so special on Valentine's day because it reminds me of how much love surrounds me.

I have the best husband in the world and we're very much in love and I hope we are until we have lots of wrinkles, grey hair, and he can just turn down his hearing aid when he gets sick of my nagging.

I love my family.  They're all fantastic.  I miss my sisters and fighting over each other's clothes and doing our make-up together in our bathroom at my parents house.  My dad gives the best advice and my mom is by far the most genuinely nice person I have ever met.  

I love my friends.  I very much miss being around people who have known me since kindergarten, even though they may have judged me a little because I had snot hanging out of my nose far too often in first grade. And I am lucky to have continued to meet fabulous people through my most awkward high school phases, and while becoming a grown up in college.  Sometimes I wonder why anyone would tolerate me enough to be my friend, but I'm really glad you all have!

I love my dogs.  They help me to get joy out of the simplest things in life and provide the most unconditional love.  

What do you love?  I hope your Valentine's day has been a reason for celebration!

XOXOXO

Heidi's First Weekend Away

Tomorrow Nick and I are going up to Sheffield to go house hunting!  We're really excited, but we're a little apprehensive about leaving our little dog-ter for her very first time, even though we found an excellent dog sitter.... the thing is, there are some things you only find out about our baby German Shorthaired Pointer after you spend lots and lots of time with her.

Like, her favorite "toy".  It's nothing we actually paid for.  It's a cardboard cylinder of fun, otherwise known as a paper towel roll.

The only problem with this toy is the number of paper towel rolls she gets is inversely proportional to her potty training success.  Since she is doing pretty well at going potty outside only, the paper towel rolls are coming less frequently.

The next very important fact all babysitters must know is she only has 7 nipples.  I don't know if this is normal for dogs, but I dislike things that aren't symmetrical and this creeps me out a little.  Luckily, her tummy is so cute it's easy to forget about her missing tata.  (If you must know, the one that's missing is on the top left of her belly)

Heidi also has adorable whiskers.  But don't be fooled.  They're painful.  1,000 puppy kisses later and you'll have the worst chin rash of your life.

This is her second most favorite toy, and by favorite, I mean she would like to see it dead.  Very dead.  The nobbly wobbly must DIE!!!!!

On a more serious note, these are the things we are working on...

No mouthing or biting hair, clothes or skin

No jumping up on ANYTHING

(She can now reach the kitchen counter when she takes a running jump - big problemo)

No begging for people food

No talking back

Walking politely

Potty training perfection

Not crying when we leave her alone

Trying to be patient

Wow.  Sometimes I feel like Mrs. No Fun.  

I hope Heidi is a perfect little angel this weekend!

The Egg Saga Continues with Aioli

So the other day after reading all your fabulous suggestions I was really craving some egg based dessert.  However, I embarrassingly shared with you that problem I have about my thighs touching and I told you I should make something savory and a little on the healthier side.  Umm yeah about that... I did make something savory, but it is a far cry from healthy.  I almost don't want to tell you, but I will because I feel like we're friends...

I MADE MAYONNAISE!!! 

Oh my gosh I'm really embarrassed now.  I always wanted to be a bangin hot housewife but looks like thats not going to happen.  Just call me Cellulite Sally from now on, OK?   I just love mayo.  It's the ultimate spread.  I'm guilty of using a bit more than is necessary on just about every sandwich I've ever made in my life.  I hear some people think this stuff is disgusting.  WTF?  I wish I was one of them.  And you know what makes mayonnaise even better?  Adding garlic and calling it aioli.  

I screwed this recipe up twice before it came out right.  The first time I put all the ingredients in a blender at the same time.  Big no no.  You need to pour your oil into the food processor in a slow steady stream.  The second time I used olive oil, instead of a lighter oil.  It just made it taste extremely strongly of olive oil and not in a good way.  But the third time it all came together and so I will share this with you.  I know I'm not the only mayo fan out there.... 

Ingredients

• 1 whole egg plus one yolk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup Sunflower oil (or peanut oil)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• Salt

In a food processor, add one egg, one yolk, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of mustard.  Turn it on and slowly add 3/4 cup of oil.  Add the lemon juice and minced garlic.  Done.

 

I served this over roasted asparagus and roasted potatoes with rosemary.  It was good.  The husband was happy, I was happy, and the dog wanted in on the mayonnaise action.  Hellman's got nothing on this!  I will say it wasn't as thick as regular mayo - maybe I needed to blend it longer?

Sorry this picture sucks but we were too hungry to make it look pretty!  Oh and by the way,  since I screwed up so many times I ended up with a lot of egg whites.  I'm sure you know I didn't let those go to waste!  Will share that with you soon.... 

Perfectly Poached and Pretty Eggs

Thank you all for your egg-cellent ideas yesterday!  I'll definitely be using them so look forward to a few more egg posts.  Unfortunately, on Saturday, thanks to a shady job done by our builders, the power went out to our kitchen and conservatory.  Which means no washing machine, no dryer, no dishwasher, and no oven.  Oh and the power to our fridge went out so we have extension cords all over the kitchen.  Anyways I didn't cook too much this weekend.  But our gas stove still worked (thank god for that) so I was able to light it up with a match and make some poached eggs.

Now I know this isn't innovative and it's probably old hat to a lot of you foodies out there.  But I love poached eggs and surprisingly every time I make them for company the person is shocked at how easy and delicious they are.  So I figured someone would benefit from this post.

Ok so you start with a pan of water.  Turn the heat way up and wait for it to boil.  Add a splash of cheap white vinegar.  Then crack your eggs and slip gently into the water.  A little trick I've learned is that if you put toast in the toaster at about the same time as you put the eggs in, they'll be finished at almost the exact same time (maybe 3 minutes or so).

When the egg whites are solid (you can check by cutting a little into the white bit - if anything spills out its not finished! - this isn't rocket science I know!) take them out of the water using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to dry.  This is a delicate procedure.

Now you can butter your toast, or if you live England, your crumpets.  Oh how I LOVE crumpets.  I mean its basically just bread with extra nooks and crannies for the butter to melt into.  Yum.

Personally I always add that delightful Australian yeast spread, Vegemite , to the crumpets.  I think it makes everything just extra tasty.  But Vegemite haters can skip that step.  Make sure you add some salt and pepper and you're ready to slice into it.

You should have a nice gooey yolk.  Doesn't that look de-lish?  Well I ate it and I can tell you it was.  Simple perfection.  Enjoy!

Egg-cetera!

Dear Friends,

  

It looks like Easter came early this year.  I am writing to you to seek your advice.  I know I usually post recipes for you, but today I need your help.  You see, since we don't have a car in London, we have our grocercies delivered.  We received an order today, and instead of getting a dozen eggs, we got 7 packs of half a dozen eggs.  They didn't charge us for them, so we decided to keep them.  However, now we have 42 eggs!

Do you have any fabulous recipe ideas involving huge numbers of eggs?  What's your favorite way to eat eggs?  Do you like them over easy or sunny side up?  Hard or soft boiled?!  Please do share!

We eat poached eggs all the time.  And I have a feeling we'll go through a few for omelets.  Maybe we'll make eggsalad... But do you have any better ideas?  This seems like a great opportunity for eggs-perimentation.  hahaha get it?.... well I think I'm funny. 

Thanks for your help!

Cheers!

Kelly

Heidi's First Walk of Shame

We took Heidi for her first walk this morning!  She finally has all her puppy shots, but she won't be 100% immune until next week, so she's still not allowed to go to the park and play with other dogs.  But we took her for a little stroll around our neighborhood today and she was ever so excited.  In fact, she was so excited she vommed.  Right outside the front of our house.  It was like a really bad walk of shame at 8 am.

You know, since she is a pedigree dog she received a "show name" from the Kennel Club - Meadowlane Marlene.  How ridiculous of a name is that?  It makes her sound like a 65 year old smoker, you know with a hoarse voice that can only be the result of smoking since the age of 12.  And the Meadowlane part of her name sounds like a nickname she got when she became a Madame.  Can't you just picture her, cigarette hanging of her mouth, blonde curly wig, and a cheap bottle of beer between her paws saying as she swirls her words in a raspy voice, "Room number 4, honey...."

DeCourcy Family Photos

Will someone take our picture please?  

These all suck. A LOT.

We need a DeCourcy family photo for our mantle piece.  

We don't have a mantle piece.  

But maybe we will when we move.