I'm in a mood...

I have no idea what is going on - but, I actually woke up thinking today would be a good day to rearrange the pantry...

Yep, that's what I'm doing! Had no idea there were at least eight Mac and Cheeses in there! I may not be seeing that on the grocery list for quite a while...

So, thought I would take a five minute break and tell you how proud I am of myself. Yes, I am.

Last night for dinner I fixed lamb chops for the very first time. My neighbor gave me four beautiful lamb chops - and they could not be re-frozen - so, all of them were baked with a little salt, pepper and 8 cloves of garlic. My house smelled marvelous! Since they were quite big - I shared two with Scarlett and Elizabeth and one with Pat, my knitting buddy, who had a bad day at work and didn't need to go home and cook.

They were very good - tender and tasty! Enjoyed my meal and I will fix them again!

Now it's back to the pantry!!! Isn't Spring Cleaning FUN!

(I'll catch up on my e-mails later today or tomorrow!!!)

Virtual Cookie Exchange...

Angela is having a Virtual Cookie Exchange! And, since I love cookies - thought I would share my favorite Christmas (and actually, year-round) cookie recipe with you.

Enjoy!!!

Lace Cookies - makes 4 dozen

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter

3/4 cups oats

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons Light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Drop 1/2 teaspoonful onto tinfoil 4 inches apart. Bake until golden brown. Let cool before removing.

Veggie Cooking...

Title: Serving up The Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables
Author: Andrea Chesman
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Pages: 500
ISBN: 13: 978-1-58017-663-7

This book is AWESOME!

For starters, other than a few favorite vegetables, I don't eat them. And, I need to be more flexible in my diet and learn to eat more things. During the months when the Farmers' Markets abound here veggies are plentiful. Not only that but they look good, smell good, and just almost seem to beg you to take them home and cook them.

Contents:

The book starts off with an introduction section which features a few words about the book and her acknowledgements. Then it has two chapters:

1) The well-stocked Pantry deals with the staples that you should have in your home: broth, oils, vinegars, condiments and sauces and nuts, lemons, etc. She includes twelve recipes for making your own.

2) Mastering the Basics: Methods and Recipes...includes the information about the basic way of cooking vegetables. Included are fourteen recipes (such as: basic stir fry, fettuccine alfredo with vegetables) that can be used quickly when the bounty is overwhelming.

The book is then divided into the following sections:

Spring into Summer
Early to Mid-Summer
Mid to Late Summer
Fall into Winter

Each section is then broken down by vegetable. For instance Spring into Summer includes:
Asparagus, Peas, Spinach, and Salad Greens.

Each vegetable is then given its own section with information about how it is grown and harvested, math, kitchen notes, nutrition notes, and timing.

The math section for asparagus reads: 1 pound = 20 spears, 1 pound = 3 cups chopped

Recipes for fixing the vegetable are mixed in with other tidbits of information like history or other practical advice.

The section for the Salad greens not only includes different recipes for salads but for making different dressings too.

The Appendix includes a chapter on Preserving the Harvest and a Resources and Suppliers section.

The recipes look really tasty - and the info facts are interesting to read. This is one of those books that one can read as well as use for cooking. It is a welcome addition to my cookbook shelf. Maybe now I won't be too afraid to try Parsnips or eggplant...