'Gotta Eat, Can't Cook'

Bad Wine Gone Good - Part 2

July 27, 2010 – 9:31 pm

Nailed down a fruity, refreshing recipe for sangria last night using fresh, fleshy and incredibly flavorful strawberries and peaches to make the cool, colorful & crisp drink shown above.

Now, I’ll lay out the recipe with picture highlights right here. But for step-by-step picture book directions, just click any of the photos in this article.

So, here’s what I used for ingredients:

1 Bottle Red Wine (anything hearty like a Zinfindel, Malbec or Cabernet will work fine)

1 Orange

1 Lemon

1 Lime

1 Ripe Peach

4-6 Fresh Strawberries

1 Tablespoon Sugar (you can add more later to taste)

6 Ounces Fruit Juice (I used pineapple juice)

I started by giving all the fruit a quick rinse and shake dry in the sink. I cut the citrus (oranges, lemons & limes) into quarters, then squeezed the juice and put the rinds in a pitcher/bowl and topped them with cut strawberries and peaches. Just a quick note here: the more finely you cut the fruit, the more flavor you’ll get from that fruit.

I added a tablespoon of sugar, a good shot of amber rum (Mt. Gay), 6 ounces fruit (pineapple) juice, the bottle of red wine (I used a Malbec from Argentina).

Then, I stirred it quickly, put the pitcher in the fridge for about an hour both to cool and let the fruit flavors infuse the wine. I chilled some glasses in the freezer and finished off by adding ice to the glasses and topping off with cold drink. Again,… if these directions give you what you need, great. But if you want detailed step-by-step picture book directions, just click any picture in this article for a direct link. Enjoy!

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged Beverages, Cook, Home, Lemon, Sangria, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors | Comments (0)

Bad Wine Gone Good, Part 1

July 26, 2010 – 5:30 pm

I’m sure you know the old line, “If you’re stuck with a lemon, don’t get sour: make lemonade”. Well, that applied the other night to a red wine that just didn’t have a lot of flavor. Yah, that’s the bottle in the picture above. The label’s turned to protect the innocent because it’s not that the wine was bad; it just didn’t live up to expectations.

But, hey, that happens. It’s not a failure - no way! And anyway, it’s summer. It’s hot & darn humid. What better opportunity to make something with that wine that’s both pumped up with flavor and refreshingly cool!

So, I went online to look up sangria recipes. I quickly found one that made sense, read some comments people had left,…

…slapped on some safety glasses (actually, NOT!) and then got at it, making adjustments on the fly to suit my own taste. Tonight I’ll tweak it again, put together a picture book recipe and let it rip in my next post.

More soon!

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged Beverages, Cooking, Home, Lemon, Sangria, Shopping, what to do with bad wine, Wine | Comments (0)

Picky Eating Kids: You Bet There’s Hope!

July 24, 2010 – 5:01 pm

I’m glad it was years ago, but after reading the short article below, it feels like yesterday. Wow, were my kids picky eaters!

Here’s an example. One night when my 3 kids were 3, 5 & 10 years old, I asked if they wanted pasta and tomato meat sauce with a salad on the side. “Sure,” they all said happily.

About half an hour later I called them into the kitchen to find out how much they wanted. First, the pasta. “Keep going,” each of ‘em said with growing piles on their plates. Then the sauce. “Let me take a look first,” my middle guy 5-year old said. So, I held the pot to show them…

…while all 3 stood tip-toed to give the sauce a long, serious look. ”What’s that red stuff?” one of ‘em poked and asked. ”Tomatoes - it’s what makes tomato sauce.” “Uhhh, I don’t like tomatoes.” “Then how ’bout some salad.” ”Ahhhh…no!” “What if I take out the tomatoes?” Still “No.” And, that was it. All three passed on the sauce and salad. But one of ‘em sure didn’t pass on a big squirt of ketchup (made from tomatoes, right?). And, there they were; all three very happily pounding down pasta either plain or with ketchup, when my ten year old turned and said with a big honest smile, “Dad, you make great dinner!”

And that’s how it was for years. I tried lots of different things and got a lot of very sincere “Uhhh, I don’t like”s. I even let them eat off the “a la carte” for a while until I realized that was making me crazy. So I quit that and started making just one dinner for everyone, only I didn’t make too much. And lots of times, one, two or all three decided they didn’t like one thing or another, but, for sure, no one starved.

But then something changed, and I think it mostly had to do with them getting older. They started asking for things they used to refuse. ”Remember that lasagna you used to make?” You bet I did. But I only made it when my mom was visiting because she and I were the ones who ate it. “You guys want that?” And they did. Wow, did they!

And that happened more and more with different foods.

Now, I’m not gonna’ tell you my kids will have anything put in front of them even now that they’re 11, 13 & 18. No. But they sure are more “adventurous” than they used to be. Like I said above, I think most of it has to do with them just growing up. But I also think there’s truth to exposure as mentioned in the above article: just continuing to prepare foods and letting our kids see that we enjoy them…and can still live to tell about it.

So, bottom line: if you have picky eaters, first of all, that’s not unusual. At the same time, it’s nothing to make yourself crazy about. Just keep making the things you enjoy and, in time, your kids might even grow to like them too. And, wow, is that exciting when they do!

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged child development, child nutrition, Cook, Home, kids eating, Lasagna, Meat, Pasta, picky eaters, salad, tomato, Tomato sauce | Comments (0)

Road ID - Biking Peace of Mind: Part 2

July 22, 2010 – 11:30 am

So, with crashes in my history and having just seen a hit & run right in front of my place, I began to think - allbeit pretty grudgingly - my mom was right. I need to have some kind of ID with me when I ride, especially when I ride alone. And, no-kidding just as I took a big breath and started to sketch in my mind the contact & health information I’d put on a laminated card and shove in one of my bike shirt pockets (just thinking about it now, who’d ever look in my bike shirt anyway?), I just happened to catch a commercial featuring Levi Leipheimer and Bob Roll during coverage of one of the pre-Tour de France races.

Now, I’m not at all used to listening to commercials, much less responding to them. But there were these current and former cycling pros talking about a product I could wear on my wrist with immediate ID info printed on it and even more specific medical info available to EMT’s by phone on the fly (on a flight I hope I never have to take). I went online and immediately ordered the interactive model you see at the top of this story. I’ve only had the bracelet for a month, but I’ve worn it on every ride. And, no, my mom doesn’t know it yet, but she’ll see the same picture above (without the text) on her birthday card in a couple weeks. So, there you go, Mom. Peace of mind. Thanks!

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged bike safety, Bob Roll, Business, Cycling, cylcing safety, France, Levi Leipheimer, Road ID, Shopping, Sport, Tour de France | Comments (0)

Road ID - Biking Peace of Mind: Part 1

July 21, 2010 – 11:49 am

I’m an avid cyclist and use the bike just about everyday to stay physically active and mentally stable.

Like most bikers, I have had my share of crashes. Decades ago I took a good shot to the head and from then on have always worn a helmet, which has definitely saved me more than a few times.

So, my dear ol’ Mom was visiting recently.

And, one night after dinner, we heard a thump outside. “Mom, ‘you hear that?”

“Sounded like the icemaker in the fridge,” she answered.

“That was no ice,” I said and got up to look out the window. There down below in the dark was a guy on the bad end of a hit & run, laid out and moaning on the grass just a few feet ahead of his twisted bike. By the time I got down to him, another guy in a car had stopped and called an ambulance. Fortunately, the injured biker had a helmet on. His arms were roughed up with a good case of “road rash” (big skin scrape). He also had a small cut just over one of his eyes. I got him some ice, which he really didn’t want, though he did thank me by name. He said he was good to get back on the bike get home.

He told the ambulance crew the same thing when they showed up almost instantly. But they very smartly asked if he wouldn’t mind getting cleaned up a bit before taking off. Just a few minutes later, I took a peek in the ambulance, saw the guy hooked up to IV’s and asked one of the EMT’s, “How’s he doing?”

“He doesn’t know where he is,” he said.

Wow! He sure knew where he was a few minutes ago. And just about as quickly as I said that, the ambulance was off to the hospital.

After I told my retired doctor mom what happened, she asked if I take my wallet with me when I ride. “No.”

“Well, you should take your license.”

So, the next day I took a short ride and pulled my license out of my pocket when I got back to show my mom I’d not only listened but even obeyed her.

“What? You took your real license? What happens if you lose it?”

Oh boy, this was gonna’ get hard.

Or would it? Check in tomorrow to find out what happened. (Of course, you’ll get a darn good hint by clicking any of the pictures above.)

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged bike safety, Cycling, Health, Mothers, Physical exercise, Road ID, Road rash | Comments (0)

How To Eat Lobster - Picture Book Directions

July 20, 2010 – 10:18 am

So, we’ve gotten those wonderfully tender lobsters from the pot to the plate - now how do you eat them? Well, it’s really very easy - once you know how. For complete, easy to follow step-by-step picture book directions, just click any of the photos in this article. Otherwise, briefly - and with pictures - here’s what to do:

1. Break off, crack open the claw & remove the cartilage that’s usually attached to the smaller piece of claw. (I start with the claw meat because it cools faster than the tail meat.)

2. Crack open the claw knuckles either by hand or by prying them open with a fork as shown in the insert photo below and pull out the meat.

3. Break and pull the tail from the main body. Then…

…use a fork to pull the tail meat out of the tail shell in one big piece.

4. For larger lobsters, it’s well worth the effort to break off the legs for the leg joint meat as shown below. You can also snap open the legs at their individual joints and either crack open the shells or suck out the meat as if you were drinking through a straw.

And that is all there is to how to eat a lobster!

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking | Tagged Cook, Fish and Seafood, food, Home, how to eat lobster, Lobster, lobster quick & easy, Meat, seafood, Shellfish, Shopping | Comments (0)

Lobsters Quick & Easy - From Pot To Plate

July 19, 2010 – 11:41 am

All right! You’ve cooked up some beautifully tender lobsters. Now, how do you get them from the pot…

…to the plate?

Well, it’s very easy…and, really, lots of fun. For complete, easy to follow, step-by-step picture book directions, just click any of the pictures in this article. Otherwise, briefly, here’s what to do.

1. Lay a dish towel or paper towel under a large cutting board to soak up the juices that will come out of the lobsters once you start cutting them.

2. Use a potholder or dish towel to lift the cooked lobsters, one at a time, from the sink to the cutting board.

3. Uncurl the tail, drive the tip of a sharp knife where the tail meets the main part of the body and split the tail in half lengthwise.

4. Cover one claw at a time with either a potholder or folded dish towel. Then crack both the claw and knuckle shells either with a rubber hammer tap (not too hard or you’ll get “splat”) or by laying a wide bladed (chef’s) knife flat side down and hitting it with your free hand just hard enough to crack the shell.

5. Serve with melted butter and lemon (or lime).

Tomorrow: How to eat lobsters - all deliciously flavorful fun!

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged Butter, Cook, Cutting board, Home, how to cut lobsters, how to prepare lobsters, Lemon, Lobster, preparing lobsters picture book directions, Shellfish, Shopping | Comments (0)

Lobsters Quick & Easy: Cooking Time Is MOST Important

July 18, 2010 – 8:55 pm

Summertime and tender, juicy & gorgeously red North Atlantic lobsters go together deliciously great. But how do you buy lobsters & how do you make sure they turn out as succulently tender as they sure deserve to be? For complete, easy to follow, step-by-step picture book directions, just click any picture in this article.

But, briefly, here are three simple steps to ensure your lobsters turn out even better than you most times get them in a restaurant. First, only buy lobsters that are fresh, very much alive & actively kicking when they’re pulled out of the tank at the store. Second, make sure the water in the pot you’re using is brought to a rolling, bubbling boil as shown below before cooking lobsters.

Third, and MOST IMPORTANTLY to ensure tenderness, cook the lobsters only 6 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes for every additional pound no matter how many lobsters you cook in the pot (i.e. if you have three 1 1/2 pound lobsters in the pot, cook for 7 1/2 minutes total - no more). I hate to be repetitive but cooking for the right amount of time as shown in the table below is absolutely most critically important ensuring lobster tenderness.

Lobster Weight	Cooking Time
1 Pound	6 Minutes
1 ½ Pound	7 ½ Minutes
2 Pounds	9 Minutes
2 ½ Pounds	10 ½ Minutes
3 Pounds	12 Minutes

Tomorrow: How to prepare freshly cooked lobster for bringing to the table. And that’s no kidding lots of fun!

By brucetretter | Posted in How To, Picture Book Cooking, Recipes | Tagged boiled lobster, Cook, Fish and Seafood, food, How to cook lobster, Lobster, lobster quick & easy, Maine, Shellfish, Shopping, Water | Comments (0)

How To Freeze Foods Made Easy - Picture Book Directions

July 17, 2010 – 2:22 pm

Buying chicken, meat or seafood in bulk is a great way both to save money and minimize trips to the store. (If you’re smirking at the last part of that line, yah, I’m with you. Here’s how I rationalize it. I try to use my bike for most of my daily store trips and call what I buy and throw in my backpack a great “training device”.)

So then you get that bulk buy home. Now what? Well, the best way to preserve it for at least six weeks is to divide it into usable portions and then freeze it wrapped first in a layer of plastic (either plastic wrap (left photo below) or a plastic bag (right photo below))…

…and, second, in a layer of aluminum foil…

…labeled with the contents and date those contents were put in the freezer for easy identification later.

For a direct link to easy to follow, detailed step-by-step HOW TO PREPARE FOODS FOR FREEZING picture book directions, just click any of the photos above.

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged Aluminium foil, bulk buys, Chicken, Cooking, food storage, frozen food, how to freeze foods, Meat, Plastic, Plastic bag, Plastic wrap | Comments (0)

Salad Dressing That’s a Shake to Make: Picture Book or Video Directions

July 16, 2010 – 2:50 pm

Summer fresh vegetables at their peak make for crisp, cool, body & soul satisfying salads. Of course, a salad just isn’t complete without dressing (at least, not for me). So, here a couple options that’ll go great on just about any salad you can imagine.

For an incredibly quick & easy salad dressing that requires only 6 ingredients (Garlic Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Sugar (optional), Mustard, Oil & Vinegar), no chopping and just a quick shake to make, click the photo above for easy step-by-step picture book directions. Or,…

…for a fully flavorful zesty salad dressing made with fresh garlic that’s also easy to make but does require some chopping, click the photo above for a short video.

More about salads soon. Promise!

By brucetretter | Posted in Picture Book Cooking | Tagged Black pepper, Condiments, Cook, dressings, Garlic, Home, homemade salad dressing, how to make salad dressing, Picture Book Cooking, quick salad dressing, salad, step-by-step cooking, Vegetable | Comments (0)

Blogroll