A new kitchen, a new me

So, as the kitchen demolition continues (some pictures below), I'm working on a new me, too.

I lost 16 pounds a few years ago on Weight Watchers. I loved it. I looked better and felt great. Then some life events intervened, and I started to cheat a little here, a little there, and it all came creeping back.

I rejoined WW online a few months ago, but it just didn't keep me honest. Going to a weigh-in and a meeting every week makes you much more accountable for your actions. So, last Friday, I bit the bullet, and signed up again. First meeting is tomorrow night.

I've been good this week - upped my fruit and veggie intake considerably, and have significantly reduced my junk intake. It helps that it's prime produce season around here. I've been eating fresh-picked cherry tomatoes like they're candy, and I practically squealed when I saw bags of apples from Maine at the supermarket today. Look for some healthier recipes in the weeks to come. (I will be posting a yummy parmesan zucchini bread tomorrow. Not exactly diet-friendly, but it's soooo good.)

So, the kitchen. Upper cabinets: gone. Orange backsplash: gone. Half wall between the family room and kitchen: gone.

Before:

From Throwing Spoons

Upper cabinets gone, backsplash being removed:

From Throwing Spoons

Before, the half wall between the kitchen and family room:

From Throwing Spoons

After - view from the family room:

From Throwing Spoons

From Throwing Spoons

Mr. ThrowingSpoons is painting the kitchen a lovely, warm tan as I type this. Many more changes to come...stay tuned!

And the winnah is...

Kitchen demo has begun, and I finally have a winning combination of cabinets, counter, and floor. I really think this is going to turn into the warm, inviting space I've been envisioning.

Cabinets: JSI's Sturbridge.

Countertop: Carioca Gold granite

From Throwing Spoons

Floor: Congoleum's DuraCeramic Cambridge Tile, in Fired Golden Clay

From Throwing Spoons

Next up: paint.

Julie and Julia

Julie Powell is my hero.

I was just getting into the whole blogging thing when my friend Jen loaned me the book Julie and Julia. I still have it, partly because I don't see Jen often enough, but partly because I haven't been able to part with it. (I did just purchase my own copy, so I don't have an excuse now.)

Julie was sort of stuck in a rut - a writer with no writing to do. She decided to cook and blog her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I've thought about doing the same thing with my favorite cookbook, but I haven't done it. (Not yet.)

At any rate, the blog won her a book deal, and the book has now been turned into a movie, starring the wonderful Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Though her voice isn't deep enough, and she occasionally crosses the line from Julia to Hyacinth Bucket, for the most part she does an admirable job of capturing Julia's spirit.

If you love to cook, enjoy cooking shows and/or blogs, or are just a foodie, I highly recommend Julie and Julia.

Mom, I'm booooooored...

It's that time of year. There are a couple of weeks left to go until school starts (around here, at least), and the kids are getting antsy. What to do?

I say, cook with them! (Really, does this surprise you in the least?) If it's not too hot in the house, make and decorate some sugar cookies, or bake a Quick Chocolate Cake.

Too hot to bake? Make this yummy, simple dip that I tried today (as long as there aren't any peanut allergies in the house). This would be good with apple slices, with graham crackers (maybe chocolate graham crackers?)...really, with just about anything that's good with peanut butter; I was dipping some animal crackers and Triscuits. Four ingredients, mix, and serve. It's that easy.

Thanks to my friend Vanessa for this recipe. ¡Besos, mi amiga!

Click here for printable recipe!

Peanut Butter Dip

8 ounces low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 - 4 tablespoons milk

Mix all ingredients thoroughly, and serve with whatever you like (Hershey bars?). Yield: approximately 1 1/2 cups.

It's really going to happen...

My new kitchen, that is. :) The cabinets just arrived, and are sitting out in the garage here at Throwing Spoons HQ.



We're currently working on figuring out floors, countertops, and backsplash. Found floors that we like, found a countertop that we like. They both go with the cabinets, but don't work with each other. *sigh* Back to the drawing board...

Peanut butter cookie follow-up

As expected, the recipe out of the New Best Recipe is great. Love them. Great peanut flavor, a little chewy, not the least bit sandy. I'm sorry, Alton, I enjoy your show, but I'm now a little leery of trying out the rest of the recipes in your cookbook.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: if you want to know how to cook something, without any guesswork, BUY THIS BOOK.

For those of you who are already converts to the Cook's Illustrated family of cookbooks and magazines, I'll let you in on a little secret: there's a companion to NBR coming out sometime around the beginning of October, More Best Recipes:

Incidentally, on a related note, there was a great article about the man behind CI, Christopher Kimball, in this past Sunday's Boston Globe Magazine. Check it out. They also include his Top Five Kitchen Tips.

Arachibutyrophobia

No, I'm not posting about spiders. Those of you who know me well know that my motto is, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself. And spiders." Go read the title again, carefully.

Know what that is?

It's the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

I decided to make some peanut butter cookies yesterday. I thought I'd change things up a bit, and pulled out Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here For More Food" cookbook, his baking book. Alton Brown is the host of the Food Network show "Good Eats," which I love. (If you're not familiar with the show, he also did a stint recently in ads for Welch's grape juice, where he butchered the pronunciation of the grapes used to make said juice. Alton, if you're reading this: Concord is pronounced "CON-kerd," not "con-CORD.")

I followed his recipe to the letter, even weighing the ingredients as he suggested. Alton apparently likes his peanut butter cookies a little...um...dry. The recipe makes a TON of dough, and they're nice and peanut buttery, but biting into one is a bit like taking a bite of sand. If you're into that, I'll send you the recipe. I, however, am not a fan. I didn't even bake all of the cookies - I tossed out half of the dough. I NEVER do that.

I now have some butter softening to make a batch out of my cooking bible. I laughed when I read the recipe, which specifically notes that "some peanut butter cookies are dry and sandy" - you don't say! - but that their recipe is crisp at the edges, chewy in the middle. We'll have a comparison in a little bit.