if you're cranky and you know it clap your hands
I had a very cranky weekend. I'd like to blame it on hormones, but the timing wasn't quite right for that, so I'm blaming it on everything and everyone else.
Being cranky tends to brings about one of two reactions in me. I either take to my bed, or I cook. This weekend I cooked.
Mr M didn't play his usual game of tennis with a friend on Sunday so he was home in the morning and requested a "nice family brunch but with no bacon, please." Fine. I made something that looked a bit healthier but is just as artery-clogging.
Know what that thing is? It's a giant, puffy oven pancake, aka a Dutch Baby or a Big German. Don't ask me where in the world it got those names. Mr M says we can't possibly call it a Big German around our house. In true Highlander fashion he claims "there can be only one", and I guess he thinks he's it. Heh.
It's really just your basic Yorkshire Pudding or popover batter of eggs, milk and flour minus the beef drippings. It can be served with fruit, maple syrup or a squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of powdered sugar. This time I made caramelized apples to go with it and it was really good. It puffed up nicely but was already making its way downward when I took the picture.
Of course after downing all that you think you'll never be able to eat another bite. But then dinner time rolls around and you find yourself feeling a bit peckish after all.
Boneless chicken legs with a sausage, breadcrumb and parsley stuffing, basmati and wild rice mix and sauteed mushrooms, zucchini and grape tomatoes.
Yes, I did de-bone those chicken legs all by myself. It takes a while, but it's not difficult and I liked the result. The stuffing is very filling and one leg per person will usually suffice unless you are a Big German and then you might need two.
So my family was satisfied and I'm slightly (but only slightly) less cranky today.
One more thing - if you're as tired of looking at my boring old kitchen countertop as I am, take heart, dear reader. As of February 2007 I'm getting a brand new kitchen. Whooo!
If that doesn't cheer me up, nothing will.
posted by christina @ 11:32 AM
22 comments
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22 Comments:
Hello,
I was surfing the blogsphere and found your blog...
I liked the picture of food, it looks so good and I'm sure it tastes more better :)
I'm feeling over full all of the time here in New Hampshire as Thanksgiving overfed me until...perhaps Christmas when we will do it again! LOL
No Bacon? Well that's enough to send me right over the edge into cranky for a start.
Ok. So you bake when you're happy mood and cook when you're cranky? You must be every man's dream!
Ain't the healing power of cooking miraculous?
Prozac is for people can't cook.
Yumm. I know it by the name Dutch Baby.
Congrats on getting a new kitchen - If you say something like "You think I cook and bake well? Oh, I guess so. I make do, but I just wish I had a *name kitchen object of your desire.* Then I'd be able to cook some of my really good recipes!" and you'll get the top of the line of everything!
marshmallow - Thanks for visiting and thanks for having faith in my cooking. :-)
maribeth - I know what you mean. I bet your feast was delicious.
ms mac - I may have to do a controlled (by me!) empirical bacon/no bacon study and explore your theory. :-)
CanSwiss - Aww, thanks but I don't know about that. I suppose some of my talents might be worth hanging around for :-)
Sal - Yep, better than therapy. At this rate I may be able to put off the Prozac for years.
swissmiss - You know, I'd be happy with middle of the line functional. If you saw my kitchen right now you'd know what I'm talking about. It's crumbling as we speak.
For once you haven't made me hungry. Sure, it sounds delicious but I'm still full from brunch this morning and dinner yesterday evening.
Hope you're feeling better, honey.
J - Wow, that's a first! Sounds like you had fun at Jen's. And I'll be fine - thanks for worrying. :-)
There are worse ways to handle your stress or crankiness. Good thing you don't like cigarettes. Still, de-boning a chicken involves wielding sharp implements, and I don't like to do that when I am cranky ... like to keep all my fingers. The cleaver, on the other hand, is a one hand implement.
I must confess, I have NEVER *not* wanted bacon hehe.
Yum! Mind if I drop by during meal time?
I can always count on you for a food post! And they ALL look yummy!!! I wish I could cook like you can!
Carol
So you're saying if I kidnap you, bring you to Aachen, chain you up in my kitchen and make you irritated you'll cook these lovely meals for me - as long as I keep a bed out of the kitchen. Did I read that right? ;)
If it doesn't cheer you up, jump on a train and come to Belgium. We can go wandering, eat chocolate, drink wine, I have some dvds for the evenings if we're too tired to walk further.
So there it is ... cheer up or come over :) I can even offer fellow Canandian 'aboot'er's if you're a wee bit homesick.
mike - Whip those eggs and beat that cream and no one gets hurt, eh?
Kurt - You must be one of those people with a fast metabolism. Or a stretch waistband.
Julie - Any time!
Carol - Hey, your Thanksgiving feast looked wonderful. I KNOW you're a great cook.
Lisa - Um...yes! :-):-)
woman wandering - If it weren't for the 6 1/2 hour train ride I'd be visiting every week!
You can come be cranky at my house anytime! Oh, and hope you're feeling better. :)
Christina, you got me at Hello--ur, I mean the title. I laughed the rest of the way because your humor just cheers me up, even when I'm not cranky.
Bill's German family taught mw how to bake that giant, puffy oven pancake. We called it fleshbenkaka or some such name (I think I'm spelling it phonetically) and my kids loved it. Man. It's been years since I made that!
Angie - Only if I get to use your avocado appliances! And yes, I'm feeling better - life goes on. And on and on...
Ginnie - Kids really love it, don't they. I'm trying to decipher the phonetic name - maybe "Blechpfannkuchen"?
nobody asked you how to debone a chicken leg??? so it must be the blonde to ask such a crazy question...well, i'll do it...how do you debone a chicken leg carefully???
inquiring minds need to know:)
oh, I make that egg thing and I call it aggkaka..... it puffs up oh so nicely and then falls as soon as you cut it up. I love it with strawberry jam and syrup and later cold during late morning coffee time....
haven`t made it for a while, but I`ll make it again soon!!!!
kim/thomas - You start at the end that was attached to the chicken and then cut all around the bone until there's only about an inch left at the bottom. Then you cut off the bone and you're left with a hollow leg!
jan - It is SO good. I usually have to make another one because everyone ends up being still hungry.
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