Because sometimes, there are just not enough recipes in the world…

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Thirteen Best Things to Eat

I love you!!!! Thursday Thirteen! Stay cool.

Your friend,

WM

13. Watermelon with lime juice squeezed all over it, and salt sprinkled on top

12. A Lindt truffle bar

11. Shrimp dip and Waverly Wafers. (To make shrimp dip: Take one block of cream cheese, cover it with cooked prawns or tiny shrimp, pour cocktail sauce over, serve!)

10. Nachos (Chips covered with refried beans, chopped onions, sliced olives, sliced jalapenos, roasted shredded chicken (if you’d like), and lots of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Cook at 375 degrees til browned and bubbly. Serve with fresh tomatos, cilantro, salsa, chipotle sauce, sweet hot chili sauce, sour cream, avocado…)

11. Garden burgers rolled up in a flour tortilla with lettuce, ranch dressing, pickles and ketchup with tater tots on the side

10. A fried egg sandwich on toasted, buttered white bread with a big bowl of Top Ramen soup

9. My grandma’s chicken and dumplings

8. My grandma’s “Ambrosia” — sliced oranges with fresh shredded coconut

7. Hockey God’s vegetable saute (zucchini, onion, garlic, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil and whatever else is fresh from the garden), with a crusty loaf of peasant bread, a tossed green salad with homemade vinaigrette (You’ll also find recipes here for polenta and veggie meatloaf, yum… Do a search on my sidebar for “Tuesday Recipe Club” or “recipes” and have fun digging through my archives. I love to cook… and eat…)

6. Pesto Frittata with Roasted Asparagus

5. A cheeseburger or a Relleno Burrito from Burrito Loco down the street

4. Pad Thai from Thai Ginger, the cart down the street, Typhoon… I’m not fussy, just bring it on with a Thai iced coffee and some spring rolls on the side

3. Anything Wacky Girl makes, cuz it means I’m not cooking

2. Beef Stoganoff, Beef Stew, roast beef sandwich with aioli mayo, fresh tomatoes and lettuce on sourdough. Oh!!! I’m running out of room. A Cornish game hen at the late, beloved Vat & Tonsure

1. Chocolate Puddin’ Cake

My favorite kids’ cookbook title, until today, was Feed Me! I’m Yours. As of today, it is Just Two More Bites! Helping Picky Eaters Say Yes to Food. ($13.95/paperback, Three Rivers Press, 294 pages; Linda Piette.net)

(What is it with the exclamation marks! And parenting books! We are the world! We are the parents! De-exclamate, already.)

Yes, nutritionist and dietitian Piette has brought us the recipes we’ve been waiting for: Poop Goop I and Poop Goop II:

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Mojito, a traditional Cuban drink. This is Hockey God’s recipe, borrowed from his site.

Several sprigs of mint
2 1/2 oz. simple syrup (see below for recipe)
1 1/2 oz. light rum
1 small lime wedge
ice
soda water

Save a little sprig of mint for a garnish, and put the rest in a glass with the simple syrup. Mash it thoroughly with a spoon. Squeeze the lime in, add the rum and lots of ice. Top with a splash of soda, stir well, and garnish with a mint sprig. At Andina, they served it with a stick of sugar cane.

To make simple syrup, heat equal parts water and sugar until it almost boils, stirring to make sure all the sugar disolves. Cool before using. Make lots and put it in the fridge for tomorrow, since you’ll be drinking a lot of these.

I’m watching my Wacky friend A’s kids on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until school is out. She is paying me. I can get pedicures now.

“We don’t like our other babysitter,” the older kid told me.

“Yeah, cuz she forces us to sit there and watch TV,” sez the younger one.

“Yeah,” sez his big brother. “Like, forces us.” These are boys who really do like their TV viewing, so damn, you know she was parking them non-stop.

“Also, she treats us like kindergartners,” they both said.

“You would be doing us a big favor,” the older one said, and what kind of heartless bitch could resist that?

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Sometimes, you just need to think ahead to summer, and raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and a wading pool.

RASPBERRY SOUP

2 1/2 cups raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup red wine (or water)
Serve with whipped cream, sour cream, or cream cheese.

Smush berries a little in a large bowl with a potato masher, to puree.

To the water or wine, add enough berry puree to make one cup.

Put cornstarch in a bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup of water/juice. In pan, combine the remaining water/juice mixture and sugar. Heat over medium heat, being sure not to scorch. Whisk in cornstarch/juice mixture; stir until clear. Pour hot liquid over berries. Chill. Serve with whipped cream, sour cream, or cream cheese.

(This works with frozen berries, as well. Just thaw first in refrigerator.)

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SINUSITIS SOUP

Now, doesn’t that sound delicious? All that matters to me is that it works. It’s Hockey God’s creation. Give it a try next time you’re ailing.

1 onion, sliced thin
1 bulb garlic
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
6 cups water

Saute onion and garlic (I like whole cloves, but you can chop or press) on low until soft. Add bouillon cubes and squish. Add water and bring to boil. Can be garnished with fresh slices of jalapeno for an extra sinus kick. Wasabi would be good, too.

Reduce water and bouillon by half to thicken.

From Hockey God:

Greens and Spuds

* Heat oil in pan

* Add 1 T black mustard seed, cook until they start snapping

* Add 1/2 T turmeric, salt and pepper, onions and garlic, saute

* Dice potatoes and rinse, add to saute

* Dice greens (we like collard best, but others are fine, too), add to saute with water to prevent sticking and to make a little sauce

* Cook until greens and spuds are tender (20-30 minutes), adding water as necessary

* Add dash of lemon or lime juice and coriander (about 1 T), cook for another 5 minutes

* Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve over rice

* Serve with love

Ha! Hockey God is killing me. Check out his Rules for Ex-Girlfriends.

And, because I am able to post about dorks, menus, and my husband’s ex’s on the same day, here’s a good easy soup…

Squash Soup

1 large or 2 medium orange or yellow squash
1 large red onion
garlic cloves (as many as you can handle; I usually go for six)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
ground pepper, to taste

Bake squash, let cool, scoop out and puree with vegetable broth in small batches in blender. Add water or more broth as needed.

Saute onion and garlic in a big stockpot, add squash and rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until dinner’s ready. Serve plain, or with sour cream, plain yogurt or cottage cheese and croutons.

Bon appetit, Mamas!

My new favorite Pizza Dough recipe:

HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH FOR PIZZA OR CALZONES (for bread maker)

1 cup room temp beer or water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or use 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano)
2 1/2 cups bread flour (OK to substitute one cup whole wheat flour — more than that makes it too heavy)
2 1/2 teaspoons bread yeast
cornmeal

Place all ingredients (except cornmeal) into bread maker. Hit start button for “pizza dough” cycle.

While it’s kneading, I usually get ingredients ready for pizza — grate cheese, chop peppers and onions, etc. If you’re going to use the dough within an hour of cycle completing, OK to leave out of fridge. Otherwise, put it into a big covered container and refrigerate.

My girlfriend, Wacky M, got us making individual heart-shaped pizzas for the kids. Cute. Calzones are great, too, or just make one big pizza. If you don’t have a pizza stone or forget how to use it (I always preheat the oven without remembering to put it in first — pizza stones have to preheat along with the oven), just use a roasting pan.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and roll or stretch dough out into a 12 inch round (medium crust) or several small rounds or a large rectangle. Place pizza on a greased roasting pan, sprinkled with cornmeal, or on pizza stone, sprinkled with cornmeal.

Cover pizza with cheese and toppings; bake about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbling.