Friday, October 24, 2008

cookin up a storm!

so this payday i went on a huge grocery binge and got soooo many good things to eat. last night i was in a cooking frenzy! i grilled/broiled up some salmon steaks and big fat shrimps with some yummy fresh veggies. i found that we apparently have a wok, and a pretty nice one, so i used it to grill/stir fry some asparagus, white button and shiitake mushrooms, and big chunks of green and red bell peppers. they came out sooo nicely, with the perfect crisp and a nice bit of carmelization on the outside, just the way i like it. add a bit of spanish rice and this is the best lunch I've had in a good while.

then i made some pumpkin rolls! they are so yummy, and now i have a few ideas for variations i want to try. i may even make them tomorrow in the wee hours. for now, here is my recipe for delicious pumpkin rolls:

i adapted this from the libbys recipe.

the cakey part:

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cup pumpkin (i used pumpkin pie mix this time, because i like it spicy and that's what we had. next time i will be using pure, unadulterated, roasted fresh pumpkin.)



creamy filling:

2 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cup powdered sugar, sifted (i only had one cup, so i added a 1/2 c of regular sugar and it came out fine.)
12 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

you mix the dry ingredients (all except the sugar) together and set aside.
then you mix all the wets and the sugar into a big frothy soup, and fold in the dry mix. mix it up until its like pancake batter. spread into a large rectangular pan, mine were about 13-15 inches and i got 3 rolls. bake at 375 and start checking it at about 10 or 11 minutes. you want it to be done but not get too dry on the edges. it should be springy and spongy.

let it cool. while its cooling mix up the creamy delicious filling part. you might want a bit extra because you will be stealing bits from the bowl.

you will want to lay down some waxed paper or a sugared towel for this part. put the cakey thing on it.
when its all mixed up take the frosting and spread it onto the cakey thing. then you can use the towel to roll it up into a log. its like cinnamon rolls. now when you slice it it will be all pretty and spiraled inside.

now you are free to wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. i made 3 from this recipe. one i started eating immediately, but they are better when they are chilled and have a chance to set. i brought one to work for everyone to sample. (its gone now) and i froze one for later. now i have a ready made pot luck item! w00t! (or next week when i have midnight munchies )

next try i will experiment with a few ingredients. this time i didn't have cloves so i used nutmeg, which turned out quite yummy, and i added a dash of almond extract. i also like to add chopped nuts inside on top of the frosting before i roll it up. texture is good. i think i might make a roll using some carrot cake type ingredients, and one using some squash. i have high hopes for this.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Adventures in Ebay

i have become quite the traveller in this epic land of late. i have been working lots of long overtime hours at work, about half of which are consumed by perusing random ebay items. i bought a ton of stuff last week, and now the packages are steadily rolling in. its like christmas!

so far i have received:

Typing Gloves- it gets really cold in my office, and i have poor circulation. my hands are constantly frozen so i got these great gloves from LuxuryDivas to keep them warm while typing.

a Squid Girl comic- i know nothing about this comic, but i couldn't resist! bought fromGuffeyGirl152Link

a REALLY AWESOME BOB DYLAN CD- a promo copy of his carnegie 63 show. got it from TheFink69 , who is incidentally, a really cool dude.


2 Tom Waits albums- i got Alice and Real Gone, both special editions and in sealed, mint condition. since i already have these tracks in digital form, i just have to try not to open these for a few decades. unless i decide to buy listening copies... bought from Jahshalala and very well shipped.

Abbey Road in Goooold- because i am a super Beatles dork. and this is a wonderful album. and everybody needs a little bling bling, yanno? got from Jho72con gifts and collectables.


Tom Waits, The Heart Of Saturday Night- from JrMozart . i love this album. it was the first of Tom's records i ever purchased, years ago, which i stupidly gave to a romantic interest who was also a fan. this is a (much better condition) replacement. this came in a huge box filled with solid foam! the record is in GREAT condition! i cant wait to give it a listen!


Magical Mystery Tour Memories- a rockumentary about the making of Magical Mystery Tour. I'm gonna watch it when i get home! thanks numbersee at SmallPriceBigStore!


and my most exciting item yet, a UKULELE!!! - its a Hohner HU212* and it is in excellent condition, from sstoys2. i tuned it up and learned to play a G major chord! w00h00! i will love jamming out on this baby. yay!

its water, i swear

i assure you, my friends
that spot on my pants is not pee.
i was overtaken by too much vigor
while washing my hands, you see.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Squiddy's Kitchen Creations: Cooking With My MAMA!!!

the latest and long-awaited installment in Squiddy's Kitchen Creations is COOKING WITH MY MAMA! i love my mama, she taught me mostly everything i know about cooking, and fostered a natural love of yummy things and making yummy things from the time i was a baby. i don't get to see her nearly as much as i want to these days, so when i had the opportunity to spend a weekend with her, i jumped at the chance. we would be house-sitting for my aunt and uncle, who are also very cool, and would have all the yummy materials we would need to cook up a storm. yay!

so Friday, i arrived ready to make... PIZZA!

i brought my bread machine to mix up the dough while we played guitar hero.
when it was done, we started working on the toppings! This is a slightly-fuzzy shot of my beautiful MAMA and my most excellent roomie, FrostyPants.

mmm...

there are few things so sweet as a pan of sizzling bacon!
Frosty is spreading sauce on his crust. his is better looking than mine.

then, we chopped up the peppers: the mushrooms, and the tomatoes.
here is my mama makin bacon! isn't she lovely?
and here is Frosty spreading again. he likes the sauce. heh.

MMMMMmmm... there are few things as sweet as a pan of sizzling bacon!

for my pizza, i chose baby bella mushrooms, bleu cheese, tomatoes, bacon, olives, and a bit of fresh basil and green pepper, all on a hearty homestyle sauce.
then i added Mozzi and some Olives. Yum!
and then... BACON! and it is ready!
here is Frosty's pie, pre mozzy:

not sure how i missed getting more shots of his, take my word that it was beautiful and delicious.
here is mine, a bit over cooked, but still yummy. i couldnt wait to eat it and thus:


and here is frostys perfect bubbly pizza, not overcooked:
Verdict: Guilty! (of being scrumptious!)

***


the next morning, mama and i decided to make a big breakfast fry-up!

we started with excellent cappuccinos from my aunts AMAZING wonder-filled caffeine dispensary:i have never tasted such magnificence in home coffee. ill bet that machine costs more than a car!



first: taters

next: onions and mushrooms. not pictured: green peppers. home fries are yummy!
those are hard-working hands.




two of my favorite veggies!



now for my favorite part. this is a great brekkie item that Frosty taught me. its fun to make, and yummy too! i call it Birds Nest / Eggs In A Basket.


first you need a nice hot fry pan:some BUTTER: (because if you use margarine or some other such abomination, you clearly have NO SOUL. don't even say PAM in my presence. Bacon Fat, however, is perfectly acceptable.now get the pan nice and sizzly with a good butter coating. don't burn it, baby, sizzle it.
now check on those taters, sizzling away. mmm, yeah! even the cheddarwurst is trying to sneak in there! you wait your turn, you naughty sausages.
time for the onions to go in. if you put them in before the potatoes have fried a bit, they get too crispy. and by crispy, i mean burned to charcoal.
now slap some bread on that sizzly pan that's been waiting.
and make a cookie-cutter type circle in it, like so. i usually use a small-mouthed glass, but you can use a cookie cutter/shot glass/jar or whatever. you want the hole to be about 2.5 inches or so, enough to hold the egg and still keep the structural integrity of the bread intact. press it down, and the pan will toast the bread under the rim making it easier to pull out.
now you have your nest. now put the egg in before the bread gets TOO toasty, or it ll burn.

i like to let it cook for about 10-15 seconds and then scoot it around a bit so it doesn't stick.i like to add some veggies in there so i can eat them while i cook. I'm a piggy like that. now you can see a good solid egg white on the bottom, so its time to flip. carefully!

ah, i was distracted at some point or maybe the heat was a bit high. the edges shouldn't look quite this dark. it ll still taste good though!
meanwhile, the home fries are still sizzling away. normally, you would make the eggs after the fries are done, but i got excited, so sue me.
this is what the finished product looks like:

hopefully yours will be a bit less burnt, and have a nice, thick-gooey yolk center. yum!


now for the sausages! i really have a strange aversion to most ground meat items, but my one exception is cheddarwurst. god i love that stuff.


slap em in the pan,

and roll em around until they re nice and sizzly, and the skins start to split a bit. covering them is a good idea. i also like to add a dash of water to the pan really quick before the lid goes on, to make it nice and steamy in there. it helps the process.
perfect!


fries are done! take them out and plate them!

excellent! everything smells so good! even winnie wants to get in on this.




muaha! too bad you have no opposable thumbs! more for me!


i have no pictures of the final spread because, well, i ate it all before i remembered to photograph it. but it was GOOD!
i cant wait to cook with my mama again!