Quarantine Survival

I'm ashamed that I have not written since November.  No good excuse. Just let life get in the way and neglected any creative outlet.

Well, now COVID-19 enters the picture.  Suddenly, we ALL have plenty of time for creativity, laundry, feeling guilty for not being at work, cooking, eating.  Here in SC, we just learned yesterday that our kids are now being kept out of school until the end of April.  OMG, it's getting scary now. 

I've been watching all the programs and services that are popping up to help people.  This Friday, I'm going to try out a new one for Seniors (my parents). Kits for 5 meals for each parent, for FREE. Even if the meals aren't their cup of tea, I'm sure we could use the components to turn it into something they will like. 

Our school district offers free breakfast & lunch to ALL kids, all school year.  Now, even with our school lock down, we can drive thru and pick up a week's worth of meals for the kids. At first, my mind equated this with the kids on "free lunch" but then I realized, "hey, now all our kids get free lunch."  I know the obvious is to make sure kids who need meals can get them, but I imagine it's also to make sure the district's current supply doesn't go bad. So, don't feel guilty about getting your kid's normal share of school-provided meals.  Plus, I've heard that the employees who are making this happen are happy to see people come and receive it. 

Last night, we saw a Burger King commercial about their efforts to help during this period of isolation.  They will give you 2 FREE Kids Meals.  All they ask is that you have "one item in your cart."  You order online or using the BK app, pay by Apple Pay or credit card then drive thru and pick it up.  I tried it out today. I ordered a cheeseburger combo meal and the 2 free kids meals on my phone. Drove about 2 miles and sure enough, they had the order all ready for me.  So, for $4.49, my daughter and I had lunch and I have another cheeseburger she can have later as a snack, or as lunch tomorrow. 

At this time, we all need some help.  People like myself are essentially put out of business for awhile.  Not many people to sell houses to when we're all asked to "self-quarantine" for the next undetermined number of weeks.

803-960-0458     ElizabethAkre.com

 My husband goes in to his office, but they are closed to walk-ins and are conducting all sales by phone.  I know this puts a tremendous burden on him both literally and emotionally. I hope he knows how much we appreciate him. We are surrounded by friends and neighbors who own cafes, work in retail, serve meals in restaurants, cut hair, or do nails who are essentially unemployed. And, no one really knows when the jobs will be available again.  Imagine the terror this is creating in so many households.  

So, friends, take advantage of the complimentary services that you find near you.  The people who are taking the time to do this certainly don't want their efforts to be in vain.  And, when you venture out into the world, pick up some extra coffee, toilet paper, or Easter candy to pass on to a neighbor  who may not be able to go out. There's a little something we can all do for each other.  

Thanksgiving Eggs Benny

Today is the big day to think of, reflect about and declare our thankfulness. I'd like to think that I live every day in gratitude.  I try, but I know I'm not always successful. 

On this Thanksgiving 2019, I am thankful that I executed my most perfect Eggs Benedict to date. Perfect oval poached eggs.  Perfectly runny, yellow yolk.  Do you hear me?  It was PERFECT!  

Look at that shape! It's gorgeous. 

 

I mean, seriously.

The key to poaching eggs is all in your technique.  And, I've seen and read many techniques. Some make sense, some are way too complicated.  Here's what I do:

Place 1/2 cup white vinegar in a small bowl.  Crack one egg, obviously being careful to keep the egg yolk intact. Let it sit for 5 minutes.  Bring your water to a "just about to boil" stage.  Begin swirling the water with a spoon or whisk to create a little whirlpool.  Slip the egg and the vinegar gently into the vortex. Keep the swirl going.  Let the egg poach for 3 minutes.  Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels.  Gently blot the top to remove excess water.  There you have it; perfectly cooked and shaped poached egg!

Quick Weeknight Comfort Dinner

It happens to us all.  It's a Wednesday night, we all need to eat, and mom is tired and not feeling terribly creative.  For this reason, I keep a stash of go-to items so I can still whip up something filling, tasty and that constitutes a decent meal on the fly.

After spending some of my last week in the hospital (what an experience!) I am still dealing with a dull headache, fatigue and frustration as we try to get my meds straightened out.  So, this was one of those "call it in" nights.

Thanks to my beloved Aldi, I had cheese ravioli, jarred Alfredo sauce, regular pasta sauce, and pesto on hand. The ravioli takes a whopping 8 minutes. I warmed up the red sauce for the kid and for Neil and myself, I used the Alfredo with some pesto and extra parmesan mixed in.  I had sliced fresh mozzarella, my basil plant and made a reduction of balsamic vinegar.  Lastly, thanks to my buddies at Publix, there were garlic knots in the freezer. 

Result? It really hit the spot!  And, there's still some leftover ravioli that I can turn into a pasta salad tomorrow. I highly recommend this plan for your busy weeknights when cooking isn't really in the cards for you. I know it's not "real" cooking, but it was just the thing for a Wednesday night!  

Roasted edamame: Protein Zap in a Snap

We try to eat high protein as much as possible.  We are not those Atkins, Keto, or any other extremists, but we like lots of protein.  In the constant search for snacks and grab-n-go foods, I tried roasted edamame this week.  

For those of you who don't know, edamame are soybeans.  You can buy them frozen, either shelled or still in the pod.  You see the pods often served in Japanese restaurants as an appetizer.  The shelled ones are great in salads, or just warmed and eaten like butter beans.  But, roasting them transforms them into a nutty, crunchy snack.  Kind of like high protein popcorn. And, it's really simple.

Thaw the edamame and dry them well.  Then, toss with some olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper.  Spread them out on a pan and roast at 375.  I stirred them around every 10 minutes for about a half hour, but just keep going until they look good and roasty to you.  The longer they are in the oven, the crunchier they get.  That's it. Enjoy!

Thawed and patted dry with paper towels

Simply edamame, olive oil, salt & pepper

About a Tablespoon or so

Spread out; stir every 10 minutes

 

Crunchy, nutty, crispy; don't forget to add some salt while they are still hot

Kid's at Camp; Let's Thai One On!

While my sweet girl is, and always has been, an adventurous eater, she's still a little on the mild side.  Since her father is on the Carolina Reaper side of life, I have to modify our food and he "enhances" everything with his own insane pepper oils.  Everything.

So, since the kid's at lacrosse camp, I decided to make some Pad Thai, as directed. It was spicy, rich, nutty, all the good stuff you want your Thai food to be, frankly.  

For those of you here in Columbia, you may be familiar with the amazing house dressing at our Miyo's Chinese restaurants. It is astounding and if you ask nicely, you can buy some from them.  And if you ask really nicely, your waitress might just give you some... 

So, this evening, the ol' ball-n-chain and I dined Chez Akre with some Pad Thai and a simple green salad with Miyo's dressing.  Even though Neil hates how our house will smell like fish sauce for a few days, the food was good.  Damn good.

Pad Thai cooks quickly, so it key to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  What you see here is about 8 large shrimp, 4 oz. chicken in bite-sized pieces, 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, 3 chopped green onions, 1/4 cup chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts, 2 Tbs fish sauce, 3 Tbs soy sauce, 1 Tbs sugar, 2 garlic cloves minced, lime and some bean sprouts. 

Start by sauteeing your garlic in about 2-3 Tbs veg oil.  Add your chicken and shrimp and cook 'em up.  

Oh, oops, I forgot to tell you about the noodles.  Take about 4 oz. dried rice noodles and put them in boiling water.  Take off the heat and let them steep for 5 min.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Then, add them to your meats in the wok.

Add fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and red pepper flakes. Mix in well then throw in about 1 cup of bean sprouts and your chopped peanuts. When the noodles are tender, push them aside and add 1 beaten egg.  Scramble it and mix it into the Pad Thai.  Lastly, add your green onions and the juice of one lime.  

And, viola!  You have a wok full of delicious Pad Thai.  Serve right away with some raw bean sprouts sprinkled on top and with a couple wedges of lime.  I think you'll find this rivals any restaurant Pad Thai you've ever ordered.  

Ramen for Breakfast

I'm not  much of a morning eater, even though I know that I should.  But, when your daughter wakes you up with breakfast in bed, you get up and eat.  

My 13 year old has already had a busy summer. Camp in the mountains for a week, then directly to a lacrosse tournament in Charleston, so this week she's taking a break.  Her room has been cleaned (what?!?) and rearranged, list of chores has been decided and today she decided to embark on some cooking.

So, I'm woken to a big, hot bowl of ramen this morning.  Lots and lots of ramen.  Turns out, she had used 2 packages of noodles, which is about 5 times as much as I can eat in one sitting. She cooked her noodles in chicken broth, added chopped chicken and scallions and topped it all off with a poached egg.  This was a first attempt at poaching.  So, to quote Vivian, "Gordon Ramsay would say 'What? Are you eff'ing kidding me, mate?  This egg is as hard as my Gandy's flip flops.'" I think she's being a little hard on herself.