Why Not Take a Class?

Have I mentioned yet that Krystle & Pat when to Italy on their honeymoon?  So, this wasn't their first choice for a family vacation, but they were game and went along.  One of the things that was important for them was to take a cooking class.  Luckily for us, our hotel was offering a class where you learned to make bread/rolls, pasta and fresh ricotta.  So - with the exception of JB, we were all in!  JB - or Gramps - got the fun of spending the morning with Eleanor - all to himself.  I think there may have been chocolate croissants involved!

Our day started with making bread dough. While that rested we had a lovely espresso.  Then we made the dough into pizza.  In Italy, pizza is baked on a cookie sheet and it's rectangular - I don't think I saw a single round pizza.  The dough was spread out edge to edge on the cookie sheet, topped with olive oil and then the tomato sauce and set aside to rest and rise again.  We then played with the bread dough - dividing it into 4 and making 4 different types of rolls - as well as baguette.  The rolls were:  panchetta, olive, caraway & plain.

Before making pasta, we learned how to make ricotta.  It seemed pretty easy, but finding the special ingredients might make it a bit harder to do.

Then it was pasta time!  We had so much fun making the pasta.  Gramps & Eleanor arrived just in time for lunch of our pizza and fresh ricotta.  It was a good day!  Recently a friend loaned me her pasta machine so I can try making fresh pasta again.

We learned to make different shapes with the pasta dough. The bow ties are basically cut with a pinking rotary cutter.  :D

Finally - learning to use the pasta machine.  It's a 2 person job!

All in all - I was so glad that I spent a fun day with the kids learning to make bread.  Now to find Italian flour here and try my hand at pasta!  

Can Anyone Identify This?

JB planted straight neck squash, butternut squash, and pumpkins. This is what we found growing in the squash mound. It's obviously a squash of some sort - but what sort? It's definitely not a pumpkin, although it has ridges and seeds like a pumpkin. But the top and the 'guts' are nothing pumpkin like at all. Also, it started out yellow and pumpkins begin life green.

This is what the innards look like. You can see the fibrous goo in the center is dry, but the seeds are large and pumpkin like. Also, there's not much flesh to this little squash. Is that because we let it get too big?

I cleaned it and baked it and we had it with dinner. It had a mildly squash like flavor, but nothing I could put my finger on. Nobody got sick - so I guess it's all good.

Did we get some sort of weird squmpkin? Does anyone know what this is? I've got more if you want to cook up your own.

edited to give credit where credit is due. I had been discussing this weird growth with Miss D when I met her to knit last Friday, and then we were emailing about it earlier on Monday. This is the reply I got from her after describing it: "Maybe it's a squmpkin?" Phrase coined by Miss D.

Sometimes, I Can't Help Myself

I just have to photograph food. This morning we had french toast. I sliced up two pints of strawberries from last week's trip to the farmer's market. I specifically got out the green plates so that the strawberries would really pop next to the plate. This was some yummy Sunday breakfast. Also - I am in love with those cute Amy Butler pj pants that can be seen all around the internet. So in love I am considering thrifting for sheets to make a pair or two. I have yet to purchase In Stitches, but I have a couple of pj pants patterns that fit well and I like.

Today I ran to the big box sewing store that sells more craft items than sewing. Anyway - all the flannels were on super cheap sale. So I picked up that pretty spotted blue and added a yellow gingham for the bottom border. Those will be super cute and comfy. For a totally little kid look, I picked up this adorable dog print flannel. I mean really how could I resist? For the contrast border - I picked a mottled red flannel. I have enough of this combination to make a couple of gift pairs.

How About Food?

After getting home from vacation and getting back to work, I'm making an effort to cook and eat healthier again. So this past weekend I planned the menu, went shopping, and except for the snafu with the electricity I'm sticking to it. Having been a Weight Watchers member for years, I have quite a collection of their cookbooks. I used these cookbooks often, the recipes are actually good - I've even served them to company without telling them it's 'diet food!' In honor of Cinqo de Mayo - I made quesadillas for dinner. The original recipe called for sauteed mushrooms, but I added fresh spinach and chipoltes in adobe. They were yummy. I started by sauteing the mushrooms in a hot skillet - no oil. Then I added the spinach and chipoltles. When the spinach was wilted (I took a picture) I put the spinach into tortillas with Pepper Jack cheese and cooked until the cheese was melted. These were served with sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocados.

Last night I made a veggie stir fry with scallops. I used the baby bay scallops because I don't like the big ones, but the recipe called for the sea scallops. Start by patting your scallops dry - they will caramelize better and get a wonderful color. Cook the scallops, remove from pan, add fresh veggies - carrots, celery, cabbage, snow peas, broccoli, peppers - whatever you have and like. When you veggies are almost to the doneness you like, add the scallops back in, along with garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Serve over rice.

I just thought both pans looked so green, fresh and yummy that I had to share them - enjoy! Oh, and for those wondering, we have no idea what happened, just that we have full power again. Strange!!