frantichomecook's blog http://www.blogher.com/blog/22159/atom/feed 2008-01-26T08:33:46-06:00 It's "nacho" Roasted Salsa Verde, it's mine! http://www.blogher.com/its-nacho-roasted-salsa-verde-its-mine 2008-05-05T17:27:05-05:00 2008-05-05T17:27:05-05:00 frantichomecook

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]]> Chopped Ugly Salad is Pretty on the Inside http://www.blogher.com/chopped-ugly-salad-pretty-inside 2008-05-04T17:11:11-05:00 2008-05-04T17:11:11-05:00 frantichomecook So I’m walking through the store and these tomatoes catch my eye.  Ugly Ripe Tomatoes
are touted as having “just-picked” flavour out of season.   Nothing
compares to the taste of a just-picked tomato so I had to try it.  I
shelled out $3.40 for two tomatoes (!) to make a salad.  It has Ugly on
the label so as not to confuse it with the Supermodel Tomato (which, sadly, has anger issues.)

]]> So I’m walking through the store and these tomatoes catch my eye.  Ugly Ripe Tomatoes
are touted as having “just-picked” flavour out of season.   Nothing
compares to the taste of a just-picked tomato so I had to try it.  I
shelled out $3.40 for two tomatoes (!) to make a salad.  It has Ugly on
the label so as not to confuse it with the Supermodel Tomato (which, sadly, has anger issues.)

You’ve got to feel sorry for these tomatoes.  They got teased by the
Cheerleader Tomatoes, passed over by the Jock Tomatoes, laughed at by
the Stoner Tomatoes and were consigned to lonely weekends at home
eating Haagen-Dazs.  (Not that I’m the tomatoes are bitter.)

Truth time.  Do they taste like vine ripened, still warm from the
sun tomatoes?  Not really.  But they’re definitely better than the
artificially-red rocks that usually pass as tomatoes in the produce
section this time of year.  So they really livened up this easy salad.

CHOPPED UGLY SALAD

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (or about 1/2 cup of chopped roasted red peppers from a jar)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1/2 c. light extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbl. chopped oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

(I’m pretty sure you don’t need the instructions, but here they
are.)  Mix the veggies and olives.  Whisk together olive oil, red wine
vinegar, sugar, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper.  Pour over.  Best
if chilled for a couple hours but you can eat it right away if you’re
starving.

Take that, Cheerleader Tomatoes. 

]]> My ears are bleeding http://www.blogher.com/my-ears-are-bleeding 2008-02-02T14:58:17-06:00 2008-02-02T14:58:17-06:00 frantichomecook Did you say something? Wha?? I’m sorry, my eardrums are perforated as I took the little munchkin and her best friend to a movie featuring some new singer, Hannah Montana or something. Perhaps you’ve heard of her.

I had the foresight to bring my iPod headphones and shove them deep enough in my ears to touch my brain, but it wasn’t enough to prevent that ringing in my ears from the thousands of decibels of screaming preteen girls.

]]> Did you say something? Wha?? I’m sorry, my eardrums are perforated as I took the little munchkin and her best friend to a movie featuring some new singer, Hannah Montana or something. Perhaps you’ve heard of her.

I had the foresight to bring my iPod headphones and shove them deep enough in my ears to touch my brain, but it wasn’t enough to prevent that ringing in my ears from the thousands of decibels of screaming preteen girls.

If you’re not familiar with this movie, it’s completely sold out, playing one week only and it’s a play on the desperate parents who couldn’t afford to take their daughters to see the corporate greed phenomenon of the Hannah Montana concert tour. As a Christmas gift, I gave my daughter tickets to this movie. (Yes, they started selling them two months ago!)

Do I regret it? Yes and no.

I still think of my daughter as a little girl and seeing her reach for the movie screen and scream deliriously reminds me that she’s growing up much too fast for my taste. And I have to admit my part in succombing to the pressure of the Hannah tornado. But it was cute as we drove home hearing the giggles with her best friend in the back seat raving about the “BEST. MOVIE. EVER!!!” Or they could have said, “WET. GROOVY. LEMUR!!” I’ll ask when my hearing returns.

]]> 100 Fun Kids Breakfast Ideas http://www.blogher.com/100-fun-kids-breakfast-ideas 2008-01-25T16:16:07-06:00 2008-01-26T08:33:46-06:00 frantichomecook The kids are up, bleary eyed and hair askew. The clock is ticking and the school morning rush is kicking in. A mother’s thoughts go to that age old question…how do you get the kids to eat a healthy breakfast? Even the ancient Egyptians were saying, “Tut! Eat your figs. Don’t you want to grow up strong like the Sphinx? EAT!”

]]> The kids are up, bleary eyed and hair askew. The clock is ticking and the school morning rush is kicking in. A mother’s thoughts go to that age old question…how do you get the kids to eat a healthy breakfast? Even the ancient Egyptians were saying, “Tut! Eat your figs. Don’t you want to grow up strong like the Sphinx? EAT!”

Easier said than done. However, I’ve come up with my own bags of tricks and borrowed a few others. If you’re always short of time in the morning, I’ve noted those recipes that freeze well. Just reheat and serve. Here are some ideas to get your kids off to a good start.

1. Oatmeal - The biggest hurdle with oatmeal is that it often looks like wallpaper paste or that glue we used to eat as kindergardners, you know, the kind that came with a brush? Oh, well, you didn’t eat it? Oooooo kaaaay. Anyhoo, oatmeal is a blank canvas. Jazz it up, girl!! Try adding some of the following: brown sugar, apple butter, honey, fruit spread or preserves, yogurt, caramel, applesauce, wheat germ or granola. Obviously some of these are healthier than others so just ad a couple chocolate chips or a spoonful of pie filling…just enough to make it fun.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AT Ramblings of a Frantic Home Cook

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