I am Will. Hear me ROAAAAARRRRRRRRR!

Today is Wordless Wednesday. Tomorrow, back to the recipes. Promise. And I’ve got a good one.

Friday? Big news that I want to share . . .

Hey America’s Test Kitchen/The Cook’s Country/Cook’s Illustrated, listen up. Are you listening yet? I read all about the recipe fracas on Alosha’s Kitchen. First I was hurt, then disappointed, then shocked. How could you allow an employee to act like that?

Shame on you!

Shame, for insinuating that your recipes are perfect for everyone exactly as they are written. They aren’t. Frankly, my friends and I have -GASP!- modified them when they got too fussy or were lacking a bit . . . and they were better for it. In our opinions, at least. And when it comes to eating, it’s my opinion, not some holier-than-thou test kitchen’s, that matters. Read the rest of this entry…

To say we were sweating bullets when we got home from the farmer’s market last Sunday couldn’t be more accurate. It was sweltering. And when it’s that hot, Will doesn’t like to eat (can you blame him?!?).

So, remembering a recent article by Cate O’Malley for 3-A-Day, I whipped up a fruit and yogurt “sundae”. At first he was psyched. Then he tasted the yogurt. Will’s never been a fan of yogurt, but I thought the hearty dose of blueberries — his favorite fruit ever — and the cut up peaches would change his mind.

Uh, not so much. “No Mommy, this doesn’t taste yummy.” It’s something he rarely says . . . he’s a food lover, not a hater, after all. So I was unswayed and insisted he eat. I got him to down five or six bites with some coaxing and then let him go . . .

Then I tried the sundae. . . . Blech, spat, spat!

The yogurt was a new brand we hadn’t had before. Super tart. Totally not us.I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. Will was dead on with his “doesn’t taste yummy,” comment.

Yep, you can send that bad mommy award right here . . . Care of Sarah Caron. Yes, that’s right. I forced my son to eat (gross) yogurt.

I washed the fruit off and let him have it, sans yogurt.

Lesson learned: Should’ve tried it first . . .

Peas in a Pod by Sarah W. Caron - All Rights Reserved

I was going to write a post about all the things that happened last week while I was on vacation from work. While funny, some memories should be just ours though . . . so I won’t. Suffice it to say that Will, Paige and I had a good time and were happy that Shawn could join us here and there (he wasn’t off).

Hope you enjoyed your week too.

As for the snapshot: We eat a lot of food fresh from the farmer’s market and had a good thing going for awhile with these fresh peas. Turns out, we all like peas if they are fresh.

“Hun, are you done with this bread?” That’s the kind of thing that Shawn might say to me while the leftover, slightly stale bread dangles inches from the trash heap . . . but not any longer. He’s now an official homemade crouton convert.

I buy bread at the farmer’s market here every weekend. We don’t always use it all. I wish I could say we did, but for quite awhile, Shawn’s been afraid to touch any food I bought home — apparently the baguette incident is still fresh in his mind (tore off a piece of baguette before I could even say “Wait, that’s for my lunch tomorrow!” — thing was stale by morning and I was . . . pleasant. Really. K, so I wasn’t. Now you see why it’s stuck in his head).

With the farmer’s market bread — and my fresh outlook on green living — I hate to waste any food. So, we don’t. Instead, I’ve started making croutons with whatever doesn’t get eaten within a reasonable amount of time.

The first time I did this, Shawn was a little surprised. He didn’t realize that I know how to make croutons . . . or that homemade ones kick the pants off of store bought ones. Fact.

Ready for this? The recipe is really simple, easy, and it doesn’t take too long.

Homemade Garlic Croutons

Leftover bread
garlic
extra light olive oil
sea salt
romano (optional)

Cut the bread into big cubes (about 1 inch by 1 inch by 1/2 inch). Mince 1 clove of garlic per cup of bread cubes.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of extra light olive oil per cup of bread cubes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the bread and stir vigorously to coat. Give the mixture a good sprinkling of sea salt next.

Cook for about 10 minutes until golden, with me flipping often to prevent burning. If desired, add  grated romano to the mixture while cooking.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

They are great for salads or just snacking . . .

Hey, guys. I have some great recipes coming up in the next few days, so I figured I would give you a heads up.

Tonight: Homemade Garlic Croutons – Shawn didn’t know that I knew how to make croutons until I whipped up a batch to use up some past-its-prime bread recently. Now he’s plotting to make sure that more bread goes past its prime so that I will make more.

Tomorrow: Quick and Easy Roasted Cheddar Bacon Potatoes – These are similar to potato skins, except you use the whole potato. These are great for a quick dinner — less than 25 minutes in prep and cooking.

Friday: How to . . . cooking fresh English peas, storing fresh garlic and onions and more.

Ever since my birthday about two weeks ago, I have been mildly obsessed. Okay. Completely obsessed. With what? Buttercream frosting. The name itself just rolls from the tongue in sweet harmony.

It all started with the beautiful marble cake that Shawn bought for me. It had this delicious creamy frosting and was decorated with a firm, rich buttercream that melted in my mouth. I loved it. Loved every part of it. It was so sensuously smooth that it made my tongue dance with glee . . . Except when I went to eat the last sliver of cake, something was missing: the scalloped buttercream edging from the bottom of the cake.

Yes, folks, my last bit of buttercream was stolen out from under me. Surely you can understand my devastation. It’s been all I could think about since then. I’ve been driving Shawn crazy with my musing about the delectable taste of that buttery buttercream . . . Like a jilted lover, it haunted me with conviction and certainty until he finally went and bought a little more for me to enjoy . . .

Oh, the sweet sensation of buttercream on tongue . . .

That’s why when I read this post on Smitten Kitchen about making Swiss buttercream, I just knew . . . I had to do it. I haven’t yet, but it’s coming . . . perhaps even for the birthday Will shares with his grandmother.

In the meantime, I did what any sensible person would do: I sent Shawn back to the store for a little more cake.

Do you have a favorite frosting?

I’ve met the chicken that laid the egg I had for this lunch. I know the two farmers who grew the radishes and the lettuce too. That’s local.

Shawn looked at me a little funny when I suggested a nice mixed green salad (red leaf lettuce from Shortt’s Farm and Garden Center in Sandy Hook and romaine lettuce from Smith’s Acres in Niantic) with maple roasted bacon (store bought bacon, Trader Joe’s Vermont Maple Syrup) and a poached egg (Shortt’s). He declined.

So, I threw a steak on the grill for him . . . and still served him the salad, minus the egg plus the meat. He said it was a great lunch. Read the rest of this entry…

Sorry, folks, I missed Episode 3 on account of being (incredibly) sick. But I am back with some notes on episode 4. Don’t forget to leave a comment and tell me what you thought.

The most annoying award goes to Nipa for her eek-ook-aak-squeal over the fish. Get it together, lady. But she didn’t and it cost her — byebye Nipa.

Lisa was a little funky — she did a great job introducing her food, even interjecting (the very real) emotion when mentioning her brother. But that came on the heels of her confessional mention of Gucci shoes and a $300 shirt. I know fashion/food is her hook, but puh-lease! Was that really necessary in the confessional or otherwise?

Shane did well — he’s such a cute kid.

What was with Adam’s goofy entrance? How irritating . . .

Kelsey really made an impression with her two dishes, eh? If I could try just one contestant’s food, that would be it.

This meal is 100% local from the Sandy Hook Village Farmer’s Market.

I love going to the farmer’s market. Walking from vendor to vendor, inspecting the produce and choosing what to buy is a lot of fun . . . to me at least. In the summer, I try to go every weekend. It’s a challenge with two kids under 3, but a worthwhile one and I am certain that it won’t be long before the kids will be asking when we are going to see the vegetable man, the bread man and the clam lady.

But why should I, or any one else, eat local?

1. Less Chance of Contamination. Shopping local means that you meet your producer (usually) and they have an intimate knowledge of their crops. Ultimately, that means that your risk of getting something like E.coli from a head of lettuce or salmonella from a tomato are substantially lower . . .
2. It can be healthier. Eschewing processed, packaged foods with ingredients lists that are filled with words you can’t begin to pronounce is sure to benefit you in the long run. As with anything, it’s all in what you do with the food that makes the most difference. Read the rest of this entry…