The Motley Oklahoman

Sunset Pears

galateadia — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:55:21 +0000

“How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.” – George MacDonald

Harvest

galateadia — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:38:52 +0000

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” – William Blake

Berry Boy Bait

galateadia — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:14:53 +0000

I guess my husband is a ‘berry boy’ since he loves this stuff!

Recipe: Berry Boy Bait

Ingredients

2 cups plus 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of spice of your choice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Whisk 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in one-third of the flour mixture until incorporated; beat in one-half of the milk. Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Toss ½ cup of the berries in a small bowl with the remaining 1 teaspoon of flour. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the berries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
FOR THE TOPPING: Scatter the remaining ½ cup of berries over the top of the batter. Stir the sugar and spice together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out and place on a serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. (The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days.)

Cooking time (duration): 90

Number of servings (yield): 8

Meal type: snack

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

My rating: 3 stars: ★★★☆☆ 1 review(s)

Nacho Spuds

galateadia — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:45:48 +0000

This is one of my favorite go-to, quick and easy meals for dinner. I’ve even made it for the Saturday Night Canasta Club and they loved it.

Recipe: Nacho Spuds

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds total), sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 pound ground turkey
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
1 cup diced tomato
Sour cream, salsa and green onion, optional, for serving

Instructions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the beans, taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons water. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring, until heated through, about 10 minutes.
Spoon the meat mixture onto the potato rounds by the teaspoon full, then top with the cheese. Place in the oven and turn off the heat. Let stand until the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with the tomato, green onion, salsa and/or sour cream on top.

Cooking time (duration): 30

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum

galateadia — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:46:48 +0000

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.
All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at school. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don’t hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don’t take things that aren’t yours.

Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life – learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands, and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody
really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even
the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die.
So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned – the biggest
word of all – LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if all – the whole world – had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put thing back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are – when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

© Robert Fulghum, 1990.
Found in Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, Villard Books: New York, 1990, page 6-7.

This struck a chord with me today. There have been some people making things difficult for others, and it seemed to me most of what they were doing wrong was because they obviously failed to learn these lessons. That, and a big dose of ‘My-Ego-Is-So-Large-It-Means-The-Sky-Is-Plaid-In-My-World’.

Flying Dreams

galateadia — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:38:48 +0000

“Flying dreams mean that you’re doing the right thing with your life.” – Douglas Coupland

I believe this is a female Western Tiger Swallowtail, or Papilio rutulus. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Chana Masala & Gobhi Hari Matar Sabji

galateadia — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:57:14 +0000

Yep, I’m on an Indian kick. But this will likely be my last such food post for awhile, at least until I can replenish my supply of garam masala, tumeric, and chana masala. I’m all out! Sounds like a good excuse to head over to that Indian grocery across town that I’ve never visited.

Recipe: Chana Masala

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 15-ounce can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices
2/3 cup water 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon (juiced)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Quick Notes

1 tablespoon amchoor powder can be substituted for half the lemon, if added in with the rest of the spices before the tomatoes and chickpeas.

Cooking time (duration): 20

Diet type: Vegetarian

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Indian (Northern)

My rating: 3 stars: ★★★☆☆

Recipe: Gobhi Hari Matar Sabji

Ingredients

4 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1¼ teaspoons cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 large cauliflower (about 3 lbs), trimmed, cored, and cut into flowerets of uniform size
½ teaspoon tumeric
¼ teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
¼ cup water
1 cup frozen baby peas, defrosted
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup plain yogurt or sour cream

Instructions

In a heavy 5-quart nonstick saucepan, heat the ghee or oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Fry the ginger and cumin seeds until the seeds are brown, then drop in bay leaf, and in a few seconds they cauliflower. Sprinkle with the tumeric, paprika, and half the fresh coriander leaves. Stir-fry until the cauliflower is lightly browned. Add the water, cover and reduce the heat to low. Stirring occasionally, cook for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Add peas in at the last 3-4 minutes of cook time. Before serving, mix in the salt, remaining coriander leaves, and yogurt or sour cream.

Quick Notes

Do not leave out the salt, it is absolutely essential to the taste of this dish!

Variations

If you want to up the spice in this add in ¼ teaspoon of cayenne along with the spices.

Cooking time (duration): 30

Diet type: Vegetarian

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Indian (Northern)

My rating: 4 stars: ★★★★☆

Eggplant Bolognese

galateadia — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:23:07 +0000

Last night I needed to make a good, quick meal for three toddlers. This fit the bill beautifully, and the youngest found it particularly nom-worthy.

Recipe: Eggplant Bolognese

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 zucchini (about 8 ounces), shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic clove, minced coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound ground Italian-seasoned turkey
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 pound whole wheat penne or rigatoni (or other short tubular pasta)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large (5-quart) saucepan with a lid, heat butter and oil over medium-high. Add eggplant; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan; reduce heat to medium. Add zucchini, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, 7 to 10 minutes.
Add turkey; cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 5 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, add tomatoes, oregano, and eggplant to beef-vegetable mixture; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and eggplant is tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; serve topped with sauce and, if desired, Parmesan.

Variations

*You can use one 24-ounce jar of regular pasta sauce in place of the tomatoes and oregano.

Cooking time (duration): 25

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Italian

My rating: 4 stars: ★★★★☆

Oklahoma State Butterfly – Papilio Polyxenes

galateadia — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:44:12 +0000

Poor gal is missing a “tail”…

Glitter of the Sun

galateadia — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:43:27 +0000

“I am part of the sun as my eye is part of me. That I am part of the earth my feet know perfectly, and my blood is part of the sea. There is not any part of me that is alone and absolute except my mind, and we shall find that the mind has no existence by itself, it is only the glitter of the sun on the surfaces of the water.” – D. H. Lawrence