Me & Steve - O!

Oh hello, just hanging out, me and Steve-O, in a conference room.  Whatever. 

Also, check out Killer Karaoke on truTV!  Funny stuff.  And hosted by a very lovely gentleman.  Really!

Wishbone Buddies

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I hope everyone had a delightful Thanksgiving!  Here are my two favorite kids, getting ready (patiently!) to pull the wishbone.  Rakia won, but Dorian was a good sport about it.  I think he won last year.  She's getting stronger in her old age!

Pretend Rice Pudding

Recently I got a groupon deal for something called Miracle Noodles.  They are noodles that have 0 calories. A miracle.  Not as tasty as regular pasta, but when you mix them with a bunch of other vegetables and flavors and what not, they can pass.  (Do not freeze them, though.  Just don't.)

My noodle assortment came with a few packets of miracle rice, too.  I don't like rice.  So it has sat in my fridge for some time.  (They last for a while, don't worry.)  Finally, I decided to make something out of it that I do like - rice pudding!  So, here is my recipe for Pretend Rice Pudding made with Miracle Rice.  It works out to be not bad for you at all.  You can replace the Miracle Rice with regular, for additional calories, and it would probably be even tastier.  And edible to normal people not dieting, to boot.

MIRACLE RICE PUDDING

Ingredients:
2 cups miracle rice (or substitute cooked brown rice)
1 1/4 cup almond milk (or substitute soy, skim, or any type of milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins (you could use dried cranberries or another dried fruit, too)
1 tsp vanilla extract (almond would work too)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Directions:

Prepare miracle rice (or regular) as directed on package.  Combine rice, milk, sugar, and raisins in a medium saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce head and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, then stir in extract, cinnamon, and cloves.  Serve at once, let cool to room temp, or cover and refridgerage and serve cold.  About 1/2 cup per serving.

Makes a cozy winter dessert, snack or breakfast!  Top with whipped cream if desired.

Nice & Light

Lots of cooking this week!  (I also made some split pea soup, so it wasn't all sugar, don't worry Mom.)  I did want to make something fun, but not too damning to the diet, so I found these sweet little meringue cookies from Weight Watchers.  Get this - you can eat 12 for only 2 points!  Score!  They are tiny but great for a sweet snack when you need one, and don't want to go overboard.  

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE COOKIES
from WeightWatchers.com
INGREDIENTS

•  5 large egg white(s)  
• 1/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa  
• 2 Tbsp sugar  
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract  
• 1/8 tsp table salt  
• 1/2 cup(s) sugar  
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa  
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

  

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 225°F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Combine 1 egg white, 1/4 cup of cocoa, 2 tablespoons of sugar and extract in a large bowl.

Beat the remaining 4 egg whites and salt with an electric mixer just until soft peaks form; add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating, until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three batches.

Fill a pastry bag with the mixture and pipe out the cookies onto the cookie sheets. Each cookie should be about 1-inch wide. (Note: To make your own pastry bag, use a gallon plastic bag and cut a hole in the corner.) Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until a dried texture.

Mix the remaining 1 teaspoon of cocoa and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot cookies with a sieve or sifter. Let cool completely on wire racks before removing from parchment paper. Yields about 12 cookies per serving.

Pound Those Lemons!

Here is a great recipe I just tried this week  - another of my Hurricane Sandy creations.  This Lemon Pound Cake goes amazingly well with Lemon Curd.  Also delicious with berries, whipped cream, jam and butter, chocolate sauce - or plain!  A simple dessert (or breakfast!) that also freezes well, and is yet another great way to use up some egg yolks.  

Lemon Pound Cake

from Italian Dessert Recipes by Lisa Marietta Gianotti

YIELD: 5x9x3-inch loaf pan (this needs a small loaf pan)

Ingredients:

·         6 tablespoons butter 

·          2/3 cup granulated sugar 

·         4 egg yolks, beaten

·         1 1/4 cups flour

·          1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/8 teaspoon salt

·         1/3 cup milk

·         2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

·         2 teaspoons lemon juice

·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350° F.   Butter and flour a 5x9x3-inch loaf pan. 
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks work into the creamed mixture.  Set aside.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Gradually add flour mixture to the first mixture, alternating with the milk.  Beat well.  Blend in the lemon zest and juice and the extract.
4. Spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake 45 - 50 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool in pan on rack for 45 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool thoroughly.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Trick or Treat!  Have fun today!

Hurricane Sandy, Brooklyn Style

Hello Everyone!  Thank you to all for your concern these past few days as Hurricane Sandy took her toll on the NYC area.  Living in Brooklyn, I was nervous but stayed put, as my neighborhood was not ordered to evacuate and we are on high ground - they don't call it Fort Greene for nothing!

As the MTA was shut down and work cancelled, I spent Monday at home, doing some cooking (recipes to come), reading, watching hulu, and lounging about.  It was kind of nice!  I took a stroll on Tuesday morning as the rain and wind had stopped, for the most part, and I wanted to see how my area had fared.  

 This was the worst of it, that I could see.  And yet another reason why I don't need a car in NYC.  This poor van was parked outside of an evacuation center - luckily no one was inside when the tree was uprooted but yikes!  

Subways are still shut down, so work was cancelled again on Tuesday.  Not sure what will come for the rest of the week, but looks like more leisure time for me.  I know a lot of my friends in Manhattan are without power and water so I am thinking of them and wishing them well.  Apparently this is the worst disaster the MTA has experienced in its 108 year history, with tunnels flooding, equipment damage and more, so I don't know when things will be operational.

I did get supplies - plenty of food and water just in case, but it is good to know that in addition to an assortment of bodegas, also open in my neighborhood Tuesday morning are: bookstores, coffee shops, dry cleaners, hair salons, and more!  So, even if I do run out of any number of goods, I am pretty well set.  Also, the preemptive Christmas decorations that went up last week are still standing.  Even though it is before Halloween!  Sheesh.  

This is my street - as you can see if is clean and clear!  I am lucky.  

And my building is in one piece too.  

Hope all is well out there for all of you that experienced the wrath of Sandy - good luck!