Movin' on up!

We have finally arrived in our new home. I am thrilled, exhausted, but ..... mostly thrilled. I present to you, my new Pixie-paradise, the kitchen of our home. I have not decorated yet..but could not wait to show it off a little bit...

Another shot, showing where the fridge is...

I cannot even put into words both my gratitude for having such a lovely, spacious place to stretch my culinary muscles, and to Dear Husband, for being the wonderful, loving and dedicated man that he is. My heart belongs to him forever. It always has, you know....but this kitchen kind of sealed the deal!

So, adventures in Pixie Paradise are going to be just delicious, I'm sure...but the cruel reality of such items as;

1. Unpacking items other than kitchenware

2. Having to repair a burst pipe on the first night in Pixie Paradise

3. Waking up with a head cold at 02:30 this morning

have kept me from showing you the photos of the new kitchen!  Well, with a stuffy nose, but a happy heart, I must show you what it looks like outside my front door right now...by way of explaining what I made today...

Yes, it is beautiful...a winter wonderland. As in "I wonder how I'm going to find the driveway for Dear Husband later". Anyhoo, I digress (so, what else is new?).  Between a bona fide snow day, and a cold that has left me feeling a little dragged out (as though a move from Alaska to West Virginia was not enough), I knew there was only one answer to my problem: Canja. Canja is Portuguese chicken soup, a familiar and much-loved dish in my family, and like many cultures, there"s almost nothing that this soup cannot make "all better".

I differ from other family members in that I forego the traditional two-pot method, and have whittled it down to a one-pot, speedier version. I also stray from what some may view as a more traditional lemon-mint Portuguese Canja, and stick with the tomato based version that I cut my teeth on. I know my Nana is no longer with us, but I bet she'd smile big-time, if she knew that even MENTIONING that you are making Canja to a member of my family, starts an out-of-control cascade of all of us making it! It is also one of those soups that you must eat until you need a nap, or keel over.  It is comforting and tasty, without being too rich. Here's how I make my version....

I place one to two inches of water in a pot (this portion is small, as it is for me, and my cold, only)...and add a small onion, sliced thin. This soup is easy to modify based on how many you are serving, simply double or triple the amounts of everything. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down and simmer, until the onion begins to get tender...the start looks like this

Then, since I know you are all borderline OCD well-organized cooks..have on hand the following ingredients...

Clockwise from left to right - lemon for the finished soup, salt and pepper, ketchup (I KNOW, RIGHT?), chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, cooked leftover rice, and chicken. I used only two small thighs, because it's all about me today!

Once your onions have started to get a little tender, place the chicken in the pot, cover and cook until no longer pink on the exterior...like so...

You may cover the pot during this five to ten minutes, to hasten the process. Then, add the following to the pot; one small can of tomato sauce, one quarter cup of ketchup, four teaspoons of chicken bouillon, and four cups of water. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, and crank up the heat...here is what it looks like once the tomato products are added....

Cook for forty five minutes to an hour, on a gentle simmer.  Now I know all you chefs out there in Pixie-land have been practicing clean-as-you go, and have put away your ketchup, thrown away the tomato sauce can, and only have remaining what you need to finish the soup, right? OK...I thought so....me too!

Just the cooked rice, the lemon to finish, and a spoon to stir. I think the last thing I need two days after moving in is, a giant mess in my kitchen!  When the chicken is completely cooked, take two forks and shred it and return it to the pot.

Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, just long enough to keep the chicken flavor flowing into the tomato broth. Serve over rice in a mug or bowl.  The results?

You simply would not believe the taste of such as simple, homey soup like this. There are many ways of finishing the soup, all of which are good. I use one or more of the following finishing touches in mine...

A squeeze of fresh lemon (none of that bottled stuff - Off with their heads!)
A shot of good Port
Hot sauce
Shredded fresh Parmesan (none of that barf-a-roni in a can, please)

I'm sure that it is more than just a simple tomato-rice-chicken soup to me....it is my Nana! Laughing and talking to my Mother in rapid Portuguese in the kitchen (they stopped when my precocious little self started understanding what they were talking about!), giving us treats and kisses, and generally being the best female role models a young Portuguese-American Princess like myself could hope for. More on THAT nickname later..

What dish takes you right back to your childhood? What memories does it bring you?

Eat well my friends, and cherish family memories right along with the recipes that became part and parcel of who you are.  Love and kindness to all,

                                                                    Pixie

Catching the wave

The microwave, that is. As a pretty accomplished (I'm a legend in my own mind) self-taught chef, I view the microwave as a device that is for the following tasks...

• Defrosting items that I forgot to take out for supper
• melting or softening butter
• bringing a cup of water to boil for tea
• hiding candy in

So, that brings me to our current "chef-in-transit" mode, which means that I am still attempting to "cook" with a hotel mini fridge, microwave, and tiny sink.  Here is a picture of my current "kitchen".

And yes, having fresh fruit around is important when you are in moving limbo - it's good for you! I also regularly get a banana from the complimentary breakfast bar, and a nice apple from time to time. You know the drill - it is important to keep intestinal apocalypse at bay.

So, frustrated chef that I am, I of course decided that a frozen pizza, or Chinese take-out was NOT a supper choice. What does someone like me do? Make something that typically takes two to four hours in a low oven...but Dear Husband loves...Swiss Steak!  Of course I know that I'm insane....it is going to be a lot of work, in a tiny space, and probably won't taste as good as the real deal, right? Well, them there's fightin' words, my friend. I can do it...I know I can! <----this statement is what I usually say right before myself and my grandiose plans both go down in one giant, screaming, burning ball o' flames, just so you know.  BUT...being me, I just had to try. First, I purchased cube steaks, and seasoned them with a well-known brand of steak seasoning.  I would tell you the brand, but hey, I'm tired of giving everyone free publicity, ya know? Here they are, ready for microwave "searing"

After putting these in a little olive oil and microwaving them about two minutes, I flipped them and microwaved for another two minutes. I then cut up the rest of a green bell pepper I had in the hotel fridge, and some red onion that I bought for salads. I used the underside of the little tray that holds the coffee maker in the hotel kitchen, as my cutting board, after sterilizing it.

I added them to the steaks, and microwaved for another three minutes...just long enough to get them started on softening. I then added a can of mushrooms, some finely chopped tomato, salt and pepper, and enough water to begin a gravy.  Here it all is, ready to begin it's twirl in the microwave.

I microwaved a couple of potatoes while the Swiss steak was going, to serve it on ~ and sliced cucumbers to marinate in red wine vinegar, sugar (just a pinch) salt and pepper.

I have discovered that plastic storage containers are essential equipment for making and serving micro-mini hotel meals...in a micro-mini kitchen.  After the potatoes had cooked through, I mashed each one on our plates, and continued to cook the Swiss steak another twelve minutes or so, until the vegetables were tender, and the steaks completely cooked through. I took a packet of mushroom gravy mix, stirred it into the container, and microwaved for another two minutes, until it thickened and became gravy. I wanted a tomato-based gravy, but there were no such options in the spice section of the local market. The result?

Pretty amazing, if I do say so myself! The photo does not do it justice, as the lighting in our hotel room is less than bright.  The microwaving  achieved the tenderizing of the cube steaks without the two to four hour baking time, the potatoes were a nice, buttery foil for the gravy and vegetables, and the cucumbers were a refreshing and tangy counterpoint to the richness of the dish.  Delicious ~ and I could not believe it!

The moral of this story?  Well, the total cost of this supper for two was under six dollars! We also did not have to suffer through tiny frozen meal portions, over packaged and preservative-laden foods, or greasy take-out!

How do you save money on simple meals? What are your little tricks?

Eat well, my friends, and stay tuned for new adventures in microwave-land, and best of all.....a new pixie land for us to call home! Love and kindness to all,

                                                               Pixie

Box Lunch

Today I was tired of the cooking-from-scratch in the hotel routine. Sooooo...I took a shortcut! Yes, I wandered into the frozen foods section of a local market. Braced for the impact of more chemicals and preservatives than an average human being has in their system - I was filled with trepidation, to say the least.  I happened to find a box called Tai Pei General Tso's chicken..AND it was under 2.50 for a box! I was skeptical, but I love the spicy flavor of the real dish, so I bought it.

A reasonable portion, for lunch at least. Well, I must say that I was completely unprepared to be smacked in the face with how delicious this product was! The sauce was actually spicy! The chicken was actually recognizable! Importantly as well - they did not stint on the expensive ingredients, such as red bell pepper and sugar snap peas. Incidentally, those vegetables retained their crispy crunchy texture...even after microwaving! I am in awe. Also, you know when you get a frozen supper of any sort, and the "broccoli florets" are actually the cheaper, stalk sections of the plant? No such stinginess here....the broccoli florets, were ACTUALLY florets! This will be my go-to brand of "Chinese take-out" without the wait, or the take-out prices. A close up, once I had microwaved it, and was ready to devour....

As I said, I am really impressed! Kudos to Tai Pei for a job very, very well done indeed. Well, as an afternoon snack (without falling into the chip n' dip, cheese n' crackers & other weighty stuff) trap, I decided to purchase a healthy snack. Just guess what I found, yet again...in an unexpected place...

That's right....more frozen soybeans - without all the shelling necessary! That means instead of a bag filled with the pods as well as the actual soy beans, I got all beans....and for under 2.50 a bag! I promptly steam-cooked them in the tiny hotel microwave, and put them into a coffee cup for my afternoon snack...

Once again, I feel compelled to declare that eating healthy, even in a temporary living situation, is easy! If you try, or care. Also, I spent under six dollars for this healthy lunch, and snack. I know it is cheaper when you bring your lunch from home...but I do not have that option yet.

How do you stay strong and resist the evil snack fairy with healthy choices?

Tonight? Another adventure in microwave "cooking" (I know, right?). I will attempt to make, in my tiny "kitchen" (I will post a picture of my current cooking environment)...Swiss steak, baked potato, and salad. All with the tools at hand...which include; a dorm-size fridge, a small microwave, some spices and seasonings, and of course, my indispensable, sharp, wonderful Shun knife. Big shout out to R and Northern Knives in Anchorage, Alaska, for showing me a better way.

Eat well, my friends...and wish me luck in tonights' "hotel havoc fun" micro-cooking adventure! Love to all,

                                                                        Pixie

HO-HO-Hotel?

One month and two weeks into our journey out of Alaska. Travel, and trying to "cook" on the road is becoming less-than-charming. The bloom is most definitely off the rose. I am so looking forward to finally being in our own home, that my fear is Dear Husband will not be able to forcibly pry me out of the kitchen....to perform such non-essential tasks as, oh I don't know....unpacking? Having said that, the other night I was determined to make something, from scratch...utilizing only what I had on hand in the mini fridge and cupboard here in our hotel room.  I had a bunch of vegetables that needed to be used, a box of pasta, and a half a bag of baby spinach. The solution? Minestrone!  I began by micro-sauteing some red onion and garlic with salt, pepper, olive oil and butter in a microwave-safe container.

I then added carrots, red and green bell pepper, and celery. I nuked until softened and ready for the next step...

I then added vegetable broth, cut up cherry tomatoes, Italian seasonings and micro-cooked for another seven minutes, until the vegetables were tender.

The final step was to add some pasta shells I had micro-cooked before I started on the soup, and the rest of the bag of baby spinach. Home-made minestrone anyone?

Just goes to show you that you cannot keep a cook from cooking! Although circumstances are certainly trying to prevent me from flexing my culinary muscles, I will not be deterred.

What did you have to overcome to enjoy your hobby, even while out of your normal living circumstances? How did you do it?

Eat well, my friends, and stay tuned for what I will create tonight with a microwave, and a mini-fridge, and what I lucked into in a tiny market in the beautiful hills of West Virginia! Love to all,

Pixie

Turkeys and Football and Food...Oh My!

People often ask me how hard is it, when you are travelling, and are unable to cook. "Awful" is my usual reply. The average person could probably compare it to going for three days without a shower or bath. And, it gets worse as time progresses (similar to the lack o' shower scenario). We left Anchorage a month ago yesterday. As difficult as being in transition is...there are some bright and shiny moments. Like the big game (Ohio State vs. Michigan) IN Ohio, WITH actual Buckeye fans. Dear Husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the annual "kicking Michigans' can" game in style...

But, as usual, I'm getting ahead of myself. As a foodie in transit, my extended family in Ohio are well aware of my all-consuming desire to cook. Luckily, we made it here before Thanksgiving, a food-aholics most enjoyable holiday. Be careful (again) what you wish for, however, because before I could say "giblets", dear sister-in-law D asked me to cook the actual Thanksgiving turkey! What to do? I risked being labelled a shirker if I turned them down ~ a "fake foodie" if you will. I risked ridicule if I did not perform up to snuff as well. Well, as it turned out, I brined the bird overnight in a water/salt/sugar/spices solution, and made stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, sweet potato casserole, and apple walnut galettes to boot! The verdict?

This was the best turkey I've ever made! Other than deep-frying, I have never had a more delicious turkey. I will never roast one again without brining. When Dear Brother-in-law sliced the breast, I could see juices running out of it.....it was that moist! The other dishes came out wonderfully as well. Do click on those recipes if you care to duplicate...fantastic! AND....I must say, that was my first time making both the sweet potato casserole, and the apple-walnut galettes. They were both amazing and delicious.

Another shot of the birdy....and yes, since I did not have my usual accoutrement's, that IS parsley sticking out of the cavity...

Now, as a road-weary person who really enjoys eating healthy, you may wonder what I do during the work week. There are ways to get around the fast-food, or dining out rut, and I'm here to tell you, they are easier than you think. For instance, within walking distance of our hotel, there are no less than SIX fast-food establishments. Do I fall into that trap? No. There is also a supermarket! So I just bundle my little self up, and start walking, cloth grocery bags in hand. To my surprise and delight, just look at what I found in a wee little grocery store, in West Virginia, no less!

That's right, good ole' Indian food...healthy, tasty and in a pouch which is easy to dump into a microwave-safe container and heat. The aforementioned grocer had, of all things, produce! So, with plastic snap-shut containers as my new best friend, I made this!

My portion is the one on the left, liberally sprinkled with lovely Gorgonzola crumbled blue cheese. And then there was this...

Can I overstate the obvious here? It is not hard to eat healthy, even while you are in transition. It's cheaper, keeps you from getting "travel tummy". and makes you feel a little bit like you are cooking.

What do you do to stay feeling well and satisfied when you travel? Do you succumb to the convenience or restaurant scenes? How do you snap out of that trap?

Eat well, my friends, and stayed tuned....we may have finally landed a new pixie-land (house) for the next round of culinary fun.  Love and kindness to all,

Pixie

A Journey of a Thousand Miles....

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. How about a journey of four thousand, two hundred or so miles? We recently drove, yes, DROVE from Anchorage, Alaska to the beautiful rolling hills of West Virginia, where we plan on settling down, and enjoying our new beginning.  Some pictures of the crazy, scary, and ultimately joyous trip....

At first, throughout the Northernmost part of Alaska, and on into the Yukon Territory, this is how scary cold and icy the drive was.

It would take an entire day sometimes, to see another car passing us on the road. Our cell phones did not work either. You cannot even get an AM radio station on the car radio. We bought flares in case we got in trouble, and needed to attempt to flag someone down for help. You truly understand the meaning of "wilderness" once you have driven the Alaska - Canada Highway, called the AL-CAN. More stark and cold roads were to come....

And if you care to know, no, I'm NOT the serene passenger reading books, dreaming up recipes, or listening to an I-pod....I am the terror-stricken, nails embedded into the vinyl, bug-eyed nervous wreck, awaiting terror, spin-outs, and untimely death at every moment. I'm sure I was a total comfort to Dear Husband, who probably could have cheerfully strangled me those first three or four days....onward...

There is an austere beauty to travelling in these conditions, and the sight of a lone farmhouse, or gas station was comforting - there are PEOPLE out there!

And sometimes, during the most breath-taking points of the drive, there was ACTUALLY a guard rail!!! Oh unbridled joy!

But most of the time, it was hair-raisingly scary...i.e., high, icy mountain passes, without the benefit of any such protection...like this..

Ever so gradually, the conditions began to look less foreboding. I really thought I might actually live! But then, I was completely unprepared for....THIS...

And THESE!..........

As you can see, though...smacking into a two-thousand pound wild animal was a far more relaxing thought to me than skidding sideways....on ice, head-on into a tree. So relaxing, in fact...that I remembered having a camera. But then, I forgot....we still had to make it over the Canadian Rockies!  YAY!!! I could have BOTH of my favorite road-trip experiences...ice...WITH wild animals!!!

Oh, yes, that's Rudolph and all his Caribou buddies barely getting out of the way of our "less than in total control" vehicle...

We also narrowly avoided were privileged to see arctic fox and ptarmigan. But then, just when I wished I believed in serious drugs anti-anxiety medication, a beautiful thing began to happen.....

The roads, they were not quite so snowy! The sky! It was not quite so grey!

And then the drive began to be beautiful...

Then, before I could say "anxiety attack" it REALLY got pretty...

And just look at that whole LACK O' SNOW and ICE going on up in here!  Sidebar, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, we went to a lovely, and quite inexpensive (for Canada) restaurant called Montanas Cookhouse, (which was delish) -  and pictured below, in Hudson, Wisconsin The Green Mill,. I had the Thai chicken salad...which was yum-tastic, after all, freaked-out foodies need to dine well, too.

Well, one bright and wonderful day (about six days into the trip), a miracle happened...

WE WERE BACK! Back in the good old, U. S. of A! After a modicum of semi-dignified behavior at the US/Canada border, Dear Husband had to pull over so that I could kiss American soil, flop around on the earth like a gasping goldfish, and generally make a fool out of myself. Plus, my brain could stop calculating things in metric vs. imperial.....what were they thinking? Litres? Kilometers? Off with their heads!  Before I knew it, we'd flown through Minnesota and Wisconsin, and passed a monument of baseball in Chicago...

That's right...Wrigley Field. I apologize for the traffic in the picture, but when your tush has been glued to a seated position in a car for seven days, stopping to sight see (especially in Chicago traffic) was not an option....then, we zoomed past the last barrier state to reaching our goal state......

We passed Notre Dame!  I hummed the fighting Irish song in tribute, but we had to press on.  Finally, late at night, after all the trials and tribulations, hair-raising roads, and comfortable hotel rooms...we'd made it...Dear Husbands' home state...

Yes, the beautiful, patriotic state of Ohio! After a few days of much-needed rest and recuperation, we arrived at our final destination...

We are filled with gratitude to finally be here, we are tired from the long journey, we already miss our friends in Anchorage, but a new life beckons.  Eat well and travel safely my friends...and stay tuned for the next post about the perils of nominating yourself to cook the Thanksgiving bird for your in-laws, and Buckeye madness! Thank you for all your well-wishes during our upheaval and I look forward to my culinary pursuits in this beautiful state.

Pixie

Far and Away...

The big announcement, put simply, is that we have moved! I got my wish, and by some miracle, we were able to return to the continental U.S. from Alaska. The sad part is, I had to say goodbye to some amazing friends that I will cherish and remember forever. Thank you to all of you who kept me sane, welcomed us into your homes, shared great dishes and memories, and made it all worthwhile.  Also, farewell to the best work buddies in the world....

To Benita and "Dan" and Aly and R, Maria and Julie, Randy and Tim, (and all those I'm forgetting to mention) and everyone we met along the way, thank you for your friendship. So to DB, two-hands, Karina and the waves, Mushie, Bam-Bam (Princess), AC, Flat-line, and all of you, I miss you all already, and never forget "That was Easy", and our favorite.. "GOOD FOR YOU" I will post pictures of our incredible journey, and describe what a frustrated chef on the road does in captivity this week.