food

The high costs of eating meat

Suzy Taylor Oakley family, food, frugal living, inspiration, money, nature

I’m not a vegetarian, and neither is the writer of this New York Times article, but it will make you think about what our nation’s out-of-control meat consumption is doing to our planet – and our bodies:

Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler, Jan. 27, 2008

Coincidentally: One of the pictures on the page — I almost didn’t notice it! — is of cattle at Harris Ranch in tiny Coalinga, Calif. One of my relatives used to work in the restaurant or gift shop at Harris Ranch, and my brother and I were born in Coalinga. Just some trivia for you.

10 years of wedded bliss (ok, maybe not bliss every minute — but bliss now)

Suzy Taylor Oakley family, food, frugal living, inspiration, money

wedding_kiss_010398

Ten years ago today, Bruce made me his bride, and we have had very few dull moments. It’s kind of strange, but the last year or so has seemed like history repeating itself …

We had a small wedding planned for Jan. 3, 1998 — just family (including the justice of the peace, who was my brother’s father-in-law) and two good friends (my matron of honor and our photographer, Barney, who didn’t charge us for any of it). My brother’s house, complete with Christmas tree, fireplace and white poinsettias, provided the cozy setting.

I had never dreamed of a big wedding, even when I was a girl, so the preparations didn’t cause a lot of stress. We spent less than $1,000 on everything — rings, dress, veil, suit, license, flowers, cake. My mom handled the flowers and the cake (both provided by friends), and even the punch — she suggested raspberry, and I said OK even though I didn’t care for raspberry. I just wanted things to be as simple as possible.

Things were sailing along, only 11 days to go. Then I got a call at work — the afternoon of Dec. 23 — about my dad.

We got to the hospital five hours before he died, but he was really already gone before we arrived.

Christmas was never going to be the same.

And the wedding? My brother gave me away. I walked on the wrong side of him. I barely remember the ceremony. I couldn’t tell you what the cake looked like. I was numb.

That was 10 years ago today.

Nine years ago, a couple of weeks before our first anniversary, Bruce spent 16 days (including Christmas) in the hospital. They diagnosed him with Crohn’s disease.

He came home with an IV needle in his chest. By our one-year anniversary, I had learned how to hook up the battery-powered pump that fed him via total parenteral nutrition (TPN). By Feb. 1, he had graduated to baby food. By March 1, he was back at work full time. He had another hospital stay in early 2004, and he recovered more quickly that time. But his little body would never be the same.

Fast forward to Dec. 3, 2006. We lost Bruce’s dad, an Army Air Corps veteran who had served his country honorably as a young man but could not beat Alzheimer’s in his 80s. We went to California and buried him in a national military cemetery on Dec. 7, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

After that, Bruce was ready to forgo Decembers for a while.

In early 2007, my sweetie began getting sick again. For most of the year, he battled the Crohn’s. He was in the hospital in late May, again in late June/early July … and in December.

Over the past year, we haven’t celebrated birthdays, anniversaries or holidays the same way as usual. In fact, we’re no longer sure what usual is.

I have a new job that — along with battling the disability insurance people, caring for a sick husband and just trying to get through the holidays with a bit of sanity — has again made me numb on many days.

But Bruce and I have never been closer. Having never walked in his shoes, I cannot say that his illness has been a good thing, but I see aspects of it as blessings in disguise. We’ve spent more time together this year than ever, and our appreciation of each other has grown. We have battled common enemies (illness, bureaucracy, financial hardship, dog poop), and we have grown extremely close.

Tonight I came home from work, apologized for not buying him a gift — or even a card — received his apology, and drove to Burger King for a buy-one-get-one-free deal that we had a coupon for. Our 10th anniversary is a big deal, but failing to buy each other gifts or dine out — no big deal. We ate the burgers, then crawled into bed to watch holiday bowl games, content just to be together.

It sure beats hospital food.

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Bruce is taller than he looks here. He is slumping to show off where I “marked” him.

P.S. Happy birthday, Judy.

Apples, cranberries and orange – oh, my!

Suzy Taylor Oakley books, family, food

Apple Walnut Torta

The chocoholic in me never ceases to be amazed that my palate can go so wild over other, less rich (or rich in other ways) flavors.

This morning it was Giada De Laurentiis’ Apple and Walnut Torta that made my mouth water. I saw her make it on the “Thanksgiving for Two” episode of Everyday Italian, and I promptly got up and started making the cake.

Every ingredient except the orange-flavored liqueur is a staple in my kitchen; I simply substituted a teaspoon of orange extract and some water. But I was out of dried cranberries, so I did have to go to the store. There, I found orange-flavored Craisins – yum! (Side note: For a snack, these are better than plain dried cranberries. The orange gives them an outstanding flavor, and a 1/3-cup serving contains 3 grams of fiber and no fat.)

As with the spice cookies I made two weeks ago, I could have eaten every last crumb of this cake, especially when it was still warm. In fact, because I wanted to share the cake with two sets of friends (a future client and a couple who did something nice for us), I started whipping up a second cake as soon as I tasted the first one. It’s made in an 8-inch pan, so it doesn’t go as far as a 9×13-inch cake. However, I will still have a few extra slices. Millie, if you see this post before Sunday morning, look me up between services and I’ll feed you!

In the next post, I’ll report on the Health-by-Chocolate Cookies I made from The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals. So far I’m the only one who has tasted them. My husband, who is ill, didn’t feel like trying one this afternoon, but I’m sure he will soon.

Apple and Walnut Torta (with a few modifications by Suzy)
Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur OR 1/4 cup water plus 1 teaspoon orange extract
¼ cup dried cranberries (recommended: Ocean Spray Craisins, orange flavor)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of ½ an orange
1 cup all-purpose flour OR 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups diced, peeled apples (about 2 apples)
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Ice cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In small saucepan, heat orange liquid. Turn off heat and add cranberries, making sure all are submerged in liquid. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and orange zest. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add apples, walnuts and drained cranberries. Spoon mixture into lightly buttered 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish or cake pan. Bake about 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

To serve, while still warm cut into squares or wedges and serve with ice cream.

Crust-ophobic no more

Suzy Taylor Oakley books, family, food, inspiration

apple pie

Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook has eliminated my fear of pie crusts.

Before Martha, I was crust-ophobic after only a couple of attempts at making pie crusts, partly because of inferior recipes and partly because I refused to use a food processor (I didn’t want to clean it!). I could have saved myself a lot of frustration if I hadn’t been so lazy.

With the holidays coming up, I had decided to get over my fear of crust. After all, how silly is it to be afraid of pie crust? Pretty dumb, of course. But how important is the “perfect crust”? Ask the 10 or so women who showed up for a recent “technique class” on pie crusts at Williams-Sonoma in Little Rock. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a big deal.

With Martha’s pate brisee (the French version of classic pie or tart pastry), making a pie is a piece of cake! Using the food processor and following the recipe exactly made for a delicious crust with a nice, light texture. (In September, I made a blueberry pie for my husband’s birthday. Today it was apple [still working on my crimping skills — see photo]. Next time it will be coconut cream or banana cream. All from Martha’s handbook.)

The baking handbook has solved many of my recipe dilemmas, not just crust-ophobia. Say what you want about Martha Stewart, but when she puts her name on a recipe, you can rest assured that it will be foolproof.

Last week, my former co-worker paid me to make a cheesecake. Thinking of fall flavors, I told her I had recipes for pumpkin cheesecake, cheesecake with cranberry topping, and chocolate marble cheesecake (a flavor for every season!), but she said her husband wanted “plain cheesecake.” Again, Martha to the rescue. This time I turned to her Web site. My friend declared the cheesecake “awesome.”

Also last week, I made Martha’s ricotta cheesecake (from the book), and it was a big hit at Girls’ Night Out at church. My husband loved it, too.

The good thing about the baking handbook is that it contains more than just recipes and beautiful photographs. It explains techniques, equipment and terminology. (Perhaps it’s something only a devoted baker would appreciate.)

On her TV show recently, Martha talked to a caller who was “baking her way through” the baking handbook, determined to make every one of its 200-plus recipes.

What a great idea!

Stay tuned …

Arsenic and Old Spice

Suzy Taylor Oakley family, food, money

 

spicecookies

 

My close friends will not be surprised that my inaugural post is about baking cookies – one of my all-time-favorite activities.

Tonight’s bakefest coincided with another favorite pastime: watching a classic movie – specifically, my favorite Cary Grant movie, Arsenic and Old Lace. My husband and I watch it every year at the end of October (the movie is set on Halloween).

Now that I’ve revived this old recipe for Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip, it has GOT to become part of the annual ritual! I hadn’t made the cookies in several years, and I don’t know why. They were so yummy, I could have eaten all 164 (yes, 164) of them. They’re great just a couple of minutes out of the oven, still warm and chewy.

Saturday is our community’s ShareFest, and I was asked to make two dozen cookies for our church’s volunteer crew. I didn’t remember that this recipe made so many spice cookies. Looks like there will be plenty to share.

Which is another of my favorite activities … sharing baked goods straight from my oven.

Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip
From Taste of Home magazine, October/November 1995 issue

NOTE: Dough must chill for several hours.

Spice Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
Additional sugar for rolling

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add molasses; mix well. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Shape into half- to one-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 6-9 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Pumpkin Dip
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Beat cream cheese in mixing bowl until smooth. Add pumpkin; beat well. Add sugar, cinnamon and ginger; beat until smooth. Serve with cookies. Refrigerate leftover dip. (Makes about 3 cups.)