Off The Counter: The Breville Juicer

This week's Off The Counter is inspired by the juicer that my husband gave me for Christmas.  Having always loved fresh carrot juice and craving it lately, I thought that having it readily available would be great for all of us, kids and adults alike.  I must confess not everyone is enjoying it as much as I am.  Regardless,  I continue to experiment with different ingredients.  Yesterday I blended carrots, celery and ginger root that resulted in a juice that was both sweet and spicy, not to mention super healthy.   My children are loving the mechanics of the juicer.  Now, if only I could get them to drink the darn juice!

In the past I've tried other juicers, but this one is by far the quietest and easiest to clean.   If you own a juicer, I'd love to hear about your favorite juicy combinations.  If you don't,  I strongly recommend you invest in the Breville juicer [here].

Thank you Alex!

Holiday Table Setting: Tapestries, Sugar Sticks and 3 Tips

We're hosting our West Coast family the day after Christmas and for the table setting, my mother-in-law gave me a beautiful Indian tapestry to use as a table cloth.  Its colors and designs fit right in with our greenish concrete floors and redwood walls.   Evergreen sprigs and sugar sticks will decorate each setting.  The sticks will sweeten our after dinner teas and coffees.  Take a close-up look:

3 Holiday Table Setting Tips***Keep the setting simple, but interesting.  By adding texture, color and natural elements you can transform your everyday dining experience into a holiday event. 

1.  Layer:  Bring texture to your table setting by using different size dishes, adding a tablecloth, napkins and/or placemats.

2. Garnish:  Place an evergreen sprig at each setting.  This eliminates the need for a centerpiece, which in turn, will provide you with more table space.

3.  Celebrate:  Make lots of toasts to family, good friends and all the things in life you're grateful for!

Gratitude

For some time now, I've wanted to begin writing a gratitude journal to remind myself of the big and small things I am grateful for.  The devastation caused by Sandy and Thanksgiving  only a week away, prompted me to 'meditate' on paper to acknowledge and honor all that is good in my life.

What are you most grateful for?

Off The Counter: Fried Eggplant Parmesan

This week's Off The Counter features my somewhat famous Eggplant Parmesan.   Preparing this  labor intensive, and, at times messy recipe, is a sure sign that I'm becoming one with our new kitchen.   With a little help from Zoe, lots of seasoned breadcrumbs and a combination of cheeses, our first homemade melanzana dish (ingredients and instructions below) was a huge success.  Take a look at how it came together:

I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, the view from the kitchen or the eggplant extravaganza...

Ingredients:

2-3 egglants, 3-4 eggs, 1-1 1/2 cups milk, panko and italian breadcrumbs, canola oil, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, fresh ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, brown paper bags, and a sprig or two of basil.

Instructions:

Peel and slice the eggplants to about 1/4" thickness and salt them.  Beat the eggs and add them to the milk in a flat bowl or pyrex dish.   Combine the bread crumbs in another similar bowl.  Dip the sliced eggplant in the egg/milk mix and then coat it with the breadcrumbs.  Fry to golden brown.  Allow the  fried eggplant to drain the excess oil onto the brown paper bags.  Layer the fried slices with your tomato sauce and the cheeses.   Put in the oven for 10 minutes or so at 200 degrees to blend the flavors.  Enjoy!

Moving Mode: Living In Limbo

Living in limbo has been more challenging than I expected:  with the children missing their dad (me, too), the lack of routine, the overflowing suitcases, and the images of our home in California taking shape, we're all feeling anxious to begin our new life.    Having said that,  I've decided to cut our East coast summer adventures short.   On July 17th, the day my husband and I will celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary, the kids and I will board a one-way flight to San Francisco!  Realizing full well all the beautiful places and friends we would have visited along the way if we continued onto Maine, made this decision a particularly difficult one.   Nevertheless, we're grateful for the time we've had with family, the opportunity to reconnect with childhood buddies and for all the friends who so kindly offered to host us during our travels along the Atlantic coast. Take a look at what awaits us on the 'other' coast:

On Sunday, I'll head back to Cambridge to drop off our van for its cross country transport and on Tuesday, the kids and I are going home.