For the love of balsamic vinegar

I have been trying to use cheaper cuts of meat to save some money so I bought some London Broil.  I don't love London Broil.  In the three years I've been living with SR I've developed a love for fatty, chewy and delicious cuts of meat.  London Broil isn't that.  Everyone else likes it, and it fits my budget, so I buy it when it's on sale.

What I DID do was make a really good sauce for it.  I followed a recipe I found on line but didn't add the cherries or cranberries, cause I didn't have any.  But let me tell you, it was delicious.

I have had oil and vinegar with bread and as salad dressing, but I've just started using it for cooking.  The sauce was sweet, and buttery and whatever the flavor vinegar gives you.  Vinegary?  I don't know, but it was delicious.

I think on better cut of meat it would be totally glorious.  As soon as our budget allows, I'm going to make it on a New York Steak. 

I also made some corn bread.  I was going to make it from scratch- the recipe is easy enough but when I went to the store to buy cornmeal, I saw this.

My mom used to make this.  And they were .59 for a small box.  Each box makes 6-8 muffins with just an egg and 1/3 cup of milk.  So I made two boxes and put it all in a 10 inch round pan and made cornbread.  Everyone loved it and we ate it all.

At that price, it's way cheaper to make it from the box and it was really good.  I guess that's why it's been around for so long. 

With butter and honey- along with the delicious sauce from the London Broil, dinner was warm and tasty and we are all satisfied and happy.

Mom's Taquitos

I call them "Mom's Taquitos" because that is what my kids call them, but the recipe was given to me from my friend Arin, who's mom used to make them this way.  So this is actually Star's Mom's taquitos, but my kids won't remember that. 

Before I continue, I have to tell you that SR doesn't prefer these.  He likes his taquitos with ketchup.  KETCHUP!!!  It's repulsive and I tell him that every time I give them to him.

These however, are delicious.  Even as leftovers. 


I usually buy a big box of a frozen taquitos, or two boxes of 20.  It depends on the size of the pan you are using but I like having two layers.  I don't have the perfect size pan for it, but my 9x13 does ok. 

Pour a can of green enchilada sauce over it so it covers the top and gets in between them.  I use the mild flavor, because the medium is a little spicy for the kids, but I prefer the medium.  Then cover it with cheese.  I use the cheddar jack because that's the catch-all cheese that I keep in the house. 

Bake for about 30 minutes at the temperature the box dictates.

Before

After

Doesn't that look yummy??  It really is yummy.  I top it with sour cream, and some green salsa.  It's divine.  I made it with some spanish rice and it was great. 

SR had his with ketchup.  I may need to leave him. 

I am NOT the burger king

Burgers tonight. 

Sometimes I feel like a damn short order cook for a restaurant of grumpy impatient people who don't tip the waitresses.

Burgers used to be easy.  Add cheese, to some of them and go.

Now, kids have specifics.  Everyone has specifics.

Jerkface is easy.  Ketchup only.  Quantity 2
Bonehad (10 year old) he likes a double cheese burger.  No condiments.
Evil Spawn (age 7) he likes cheese, ketchup and mustard. Quantity 2
SR likes double cheeseburger with onions, bacon if possible and a little bit of ketchup.

That's 8 burgers, for 4 people.  And I haven't even eaten yet.

I did so much cooking that I didn't even bother making one for myself.  I was sick of burgers before I even had one. 

So I'll have some leftover meatloaf for dinner. 

I'm so tired by this point in the evening.

I come home, do homework, and cook, tend to the dog, the animals, some cleaning. All in between telling the kids to stop screaming.  Why are they ALWAYS screaming?  Are they hard of hearing?  Do they not hear each other?  They certainly don't hear me.

Sometimes this mom thing... it's exhausting. 

I'm not complaining... ok- yes.  I'm complaining.  I'm irritable and tired. 

and I smell like hamburger. 
It's kind of nauseating.

I'm going to shower and wash the grease off of me and go to bed. 
Mom is checking out for the night. 

Easy Sunday Meatloaf!!!!

Sunday I made meatloaf.  I found a recipe that might be the easiest meatloaf in the entire world.  It was easy to make and I suspect it will be delicious.

1 pound of ground beef
One egg
One cup of water
One box of Stove Top Stuffing.

It has all the seasonings and the breadcrumbs.  viola!!! 

BEFORE

AFTER- YUMMY

Green beans drowned in butter and garlic.  Add rolls.  Delicious.

Dessert, I have brownies in the oven as we speak.  As soon as they are done the meatloaf goes in, and the last 15 minutes the cheese muffins will go in and I will make the green beans so they will be done at the same time. 

Success!!! 

Finally Friday

What a long week it's been!!

I've been just dead exhausted.  Driving to work half awake and the same driving home.  By that I mean, halfway thru my drive I just become so tired that I have to force myself to stay awake by turning off my audio book and switching to music, or turning off my music and switching to my audio book.  My drive is very long.  60 miles, and here in SoCal that is a pretty ugly drive. 

I cooked the first half of the week and we had leftovers for the last half.  Yesterday, because everyone heated up whatever leftovers they wanted, I had extra time so did some of my chores- and then I forgot to eat dinner.  PB&J at bedtime, after figuring out why I was so hungry... and then to bed.

I did have one really great food WIN this week.  I made chow mien.  Now I am Dutch-Indonesian and growing up we had Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng) or chow mien (Bahmi) as a side for most meals that would take a side.  Oddly I never grew to hate these foods but I never learned to make them either.  SR loves Chinese food, and we usually go to Panda Express at least twice a month because he loves their chow mien.  I do not LOVE Chinese fried rice or noodles, because there is a difference in the flavor between Chinese rice and noodles and Indonesian rice and noodles.  For one, growing up my mother did not put peas and carrots in the fried rice.  She does now on occasion, but growing up, this isn't something I remember.  Also there is a different taste.  Until this week, I didn't know what that taste was.

 


SR wanted Panda Express this week, and while I am usually down for food I don't have to cook, it gets pricey with the two of us and three kids.  So I decided to look up a recipe for chow mien.  Specifically Panda Express Chow Mien.  I love the internet.  So I found a few and this one caught my eye.  My first thought was "PLEASE tell me those are not Top Ramen noodles."  Turns out they are not exactly, but once cooked, they may as well have been. 

First, what is white pepper?  I thought jokingly that maybe it's salt- but I made a safe assumption that it probably wasn't.  Unable to find any, I used ground black pepper instead.

Second, I have never used ginger root before.  It is not easy to get freshly grated ginger because it's all very pulpy.  I used the smallest holes on my cheese grater and had to scrape the ginger pulp out of the inside of the grater to come up with two teaspoons.  Do NOT rub your eyes until you have washed them after grating the ginger. 

I think 2 cups of shredded cabbage was a bit too much.  I will use a little less next time. 

Once all the grating and slicing and mixing and noodle boiling was done.  It all came together pretty fast.  The first thing I noticed was that this chow mien was not as dark as Bahmi usually is.  At first taste though, it was pretty decent.  I let SR taste it and he said it needed more soy sauce.  I gave it just a little bit more, because Americans have a way of over soy saucing their rice and noodles.  I figured if he wanted more he could add it to his plate.  It had a bit more kick than I wanted it to and I knew that the younger boys would complain about it.  I think it was the ginger.  However, SR and Jerkface thought it was FAN-tastic. 

I sent a picture to mom, and she asked if I used sesame oil.  I told her I hadn't.  She said the difference between Indo and Chinese rice and noodles is sesame oil.  Next time use sesame oil and soy sauce.  Skip the ginger.  I also found that the brown sugar and soy sauce makes what can be bought in stores as Kecap Manis, which is the Indonesian sweet soy sauce that we use as marinade for our satay.  (kabobs).  So next time I will skip the ginger and use sesame oil, garlic and kecap (or soy sauce and brown sugar).  That makes it Indo.  That makes it Bahmi.  (I think that is what also makes it a little darker, but that could have been the noodles I used.)  I know she also uses a little bit of shrimp paste and msg.  Mom would sometimes scramble an egg and dice that up and throw it in.  Sometimes adding leftover chicken, or shrimp.  She would sometimes make it spicy, which was always my favorite.  If I'm making fried rice, it's the same recipe, but adding cooked rice instead of noodles. 

I'm really excited to make this again.  I doubt it will ever be as good as my moms.  However, my kids and SR will love it just the same as I did. 

My dog Max

I can't very likely have a blog about domesticity without mentioning my dog, Max.  He's a pure bred Siberian Husky and our relationship has been slow to develop. 

As a puppy, SR took charge of him and he was playful and loving and needed a lot of time and attention and he got it.  As he got a little older, I admit he didn't quite get as much attention as he needed.

We have tried different ways of housing him, but we simply cannot let him roam the house.  He's just simply too destructive.  He's almost 2 and while I think we could have trained him much better- we had struggles.

1) The kids are terrified of him.  It's ridiculous because there's nothing very scary about this dog.  He's happy and hyper.  He's also very rambunctious and very large.  He is almost 25 from shoulder to paws, which makes for a tall dog. He's also very loud.  His I'm so happy to see you bark is also the loudest bark he has.  The 10 year old has a problem with loud noises, so he gets panicky whenever Max is around and Max seems a little uncomfortable around him too.  As a puppy, he would RUN from Max.  And of course Max, thinking he wants to play, would chase him.  It was stressful for everyone.  The 10 year old has anxiety and sensory issues so I can somewhat understand his fear.  He stays clear of Max with the exception of occasionally giving him treats when he's crated. 

The 12 year old is afraid for no real reason, because he isn't afraid of all dogs.  Just Max.  The 7 year old likes to pet Max after his walks, when he's mostly tired- but even now we are teaching him not to make jerky movements or come at him with his hand way high over his head because he things there's treats there and he tries to jump up.   Also I think because the other boys are afraid of him, he worries that there is a REASON to be afraid.

I don't try to force the dogs on the kids.  Max senses their hesitance and his overwhelming need to make them love him makes him a little overbearing which seems to frighten them even more. 

2) Our fences in the backyard are not secure.  We have allowed him to be outside and run in our rather large backyard for hours at a time, which he loves.  However, he's a digger.  He's not a jumper, but he loves to dig.  Once he dug out under the fence, he won't stop trying to do that.  Also he the fence between us and our neighbors is weak- so it's just a matter of time before he jumps on it and the whole thing falls over. 

We are renters and replacing the fence is not exactly in our budget.  We may be able to invest in some electric fencing that will keep him clear of the actual fence, but for as large as our backyard is, that's a large investment.  I did a lot of research on electric fencing.  No, it's not the same strength as they use for cattle or horses.  Also, huskies are really smart and it will only take a few mild zaps on his chest or on top of his nose, if he is trying to crawl under, for him to get the hint.   

3) We have a large kennel for him outside, but our neighborhood gets ticks.  We had a really bad tick infestation last year that managed to get EVERYWHERE in the house.  We regularly treat the animals, and the yard- but they still manage to be around.  Even if the don't bite on him, he can still bring them in the house.

Luckily, he really does love his crate.  I have let him out in the house a few times when the kids aren't home and he just runs right back to the crate and lays down.  I think he just feels safer in there.  He goes out several times a day, unfortunately on the leash now- because he runs right for the fence and starts digging.  It's amazing how fast that dog can dig JUST enough space to wiggle under the fence. 

Have you ever tried chasing after a dog that can run upwards of 30 mph?  It's NOT fun.  The best we can do is follow him until he gets interested in something long enough that we can nab him.  I once chased him down an entire block.  Every time getting close enough just to have him run to the next house. 

What to do?

So he is crated most of the time.  I feel bad about it, but he doesn't complain about it.  He is glad to let you know when he wants attention and doesn't mess in his crate.  I have considered that we extend and/or his kennel and move it to the concreted area of our patio so he's not in the grass with the ticks, he can really move around and he's not inside all day.  However, I think he would rather be crated and inside with us, than outside and alone.  He really does seem happier inside.  He gets our attention throughout the day.  He gets taken out several times a day with lots of water, snacks and attention- but unless he's going on a walk, he's not really all that interested in being outside.  As soon as he's done with his business he wants right back in the house and heads for the crate before I can get his leash off.  He will pull me back towards the house, "ok mom- I've had enough of this outdoors stuff- lets go back inside."

Also we have discussed using bricks to line the bottom of the fencing between our neighbors yard and ours- and also the one he digs under to escape.  Just so we can let him outback to run several times a day.  If we are with him, he is not going to run off because he prefers to be in our presence than NOT.  Now that the weather is cooling, we can actually do some work outside without melting in the heat.  I also think he will enjoy being outside more.  The weather is cooling, thank dog!  I think this is the next project. 

Also we are going to move his crate into the office.  This is where SR spends most of the day- so at least Max is right there with him and not alone.  This will hopefully lead to him learning to be out of the crate without wreaking havoc.  Maybe it will calm him some and hopefully as he gets older (and neutered) he will be able to move about the house without the kids having a fit.  I've had him loose in the house before- after about 20-30 minutes, he does chill out.  However, what a husky can destroy in 2 minutes in a new environment is impressive.  30 minutes is epic.

Over the past several months, I have learned to love this big dumb dog.  I admit I was skeptical, as I have said many times in the past that this was not the type dog I wanted.  However, spending time with him- he has learned to give me some respect.  Teaching him things has made for a good relationship with him and I look forward to coming home, taking him outside for a bit and then our long nightly walks.  He comes in happy and content.

I would love to have a dog that will lay with me on the bed or curl  up at my feet, but I'm just not sure he will ever be that dog.  Maybe in a few more years, but for now- this is the best we can do for him. 

My sexy oven

I finally cleaned my oven.  I have managed to NOT use the oven all week because I was putting it off.  I've never cleaned an oven before.  However, I never really the oven as much as I have since I've lived in this house.  At my old apartment I used the oven to store some of my pots and pans.

I promised the kids cake today so I knew I had to clean the oven.  My friend Arin told me to get some EZ Off so I bought that.  5 days ago I sprayed it in the oven and then forgot all about it- so last night I went in, resprayed and set my alarm for 20 minutes as instructed.  I decided to just do it cold, since the last time I turned on the oven there was so much smoke that two smoke alarms went off.

Return 20 minutes later and kneel in front of the oven.  Umm, how the hell am I supposed to reach inside the oven with the door in front of me?  Yes, I actually thought that for a moment before it dawned on me that I should go on from the side.  One thing I hate about cleaning is how I end up totally dirty in the process. 

So I reached in with my damp towel, feeling the grit underneath- ick.  Wipe. 

OH MY GOD.

It wiped up- breaking apart the grit, cut thru that bitch like it was dry sugar on a plate.  Of course the towel was black but holy crap.  I folded the towel to use the other side, and wiped down the middle.  It was like fucking warm butter, if you were to do that sort of thing.  I was so excited I actually said, "ohhh gaaawddd." 

I rinsed the towel, excited to finish. I wiped it clean, wiped the sides, the rack, the broiler.  My oven is as clean as the day we moved in.  I was ecstatic.  Almost giddy.  It's like finding the g-spot of house cleaning.  You just want to do it again.  I can't wait to do it again.

I even showed it to SR and he replied, "Damn baby, that's good."  Seriously, it was THAT good.

I think, somehow, the cake tasted even better too.