Home > Feeding Frenzy > Archives > 2008 > June
June 2008
Is your kitchen as clean as you think it is?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A recent news report on the AJC Health Channel says that most kitchen sinks have more germs than bathroom sinks. It also found that three-quarters of kitchen cloths and sponges are heavily contaminated with bacteria, meaning you’re actually making things worse when you think you’re cleaning.
I guess it makes sense. You’re not really doing too much in the bathroom sink besides spitting out toothpaste. In light of the recent salmonella outbreak, it is creepy to think off all those microscopic germs just laying in wait in areas where food is prepared. Especially when you think it’s clean.
Sponges are the main culprit for containing and spreading all sorts of nasty stuff, since they harbor the germs and then spread them. Food safety specialists recommend throwing them in the microwave for a one-minute high-powered blast. Other preventative measures include good hand washing and to avoid rinsing meat and chicken in the sink. Using disposable paper towels, while bad for the environment, is actually the best thing for not contaminating surfaces.
Ironically, they say slobs’ kitchens are probably the cleanest, since the dirty dishes just pile up in the sink and bacteria isn’t spread when wiping surfaces.
So what do you think? Is your kitchen as clean as you think it is?
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment |
Patriotic Twinkie Pie? Where do you draw the line on red, white and blue food?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As a food writer, I get all sorts of press releases about new products and trends in dining. But, I have to say I did a double take when I got this recipe for a “Patriotic Twinkie Pie” for the 4th of July.
After reading it, I had to wonder with all the talk of healthful eating if people still ate things like Twinkies. While I fully admit they and ring dings, ding dongs, devil dogs, yodels and hostess cupcakes were a mainstay of my diet while growing up in the 60s and 70s, in my mind I had filed them away under “relics.” Besides milk and water, every ingredient in this dessert comes in a package of some sort.
It got me wondering. Am I living in a bubble or are people still making desserts like this? Read it and let me know if it’ll be part of your holiday menu.
Patriotic Twinkie Pie See a photo
The recipe, originally published in The Twinkies Cookbook, is from Ruth Royal of Cody, Wyoming
Serves 16
1 (6-ounce) package blueberry Jell-O 3 cups boiling water 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen blueberries 1 (6-ounce) package strawberry Jell-O 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen sliced strawberries in syrup 6 to 7 Twinkies, broken or torn into 1-inch pieces 2 (5.1-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix 6 cups milk 1 (12-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed
In a bowl, combine the blueberry Jell-O and 1 1/2 cups of the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add the blueberries and stir until blended and slightly thickened. Allow to cool completely.
In another bowl, combine the strawberry Jell-O and remaining 1 1/2 cups boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add the strawberries and stir until blended and slightly thickened. Allow to cool completely.
Place half of the Twinkie pieces in a 6-quart glass bowl or trifle dish. In a separate bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk and stir according to the package instructions. Spoon half of the pudding over the Twinkies.
Spoon the blueberry mixture over the pudding spreading evenly. Top with the remaining Twinkie pieces. Spoon the remaining pudding over the Twinkies, spreading evenly. Spoon the strawberry mixture over the pudding, spreading evenly.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until completely chilled and set. Top with the whipped topping just before serving.
RELATED: July 4th recipes from Evening Edge | Photos
RELATED: Send us your red, white and blue food recipes and pictures
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Favorite recipes
Would you, could you, eat cereal for dinner?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My husband, while wonderful in so many ways, has one strange idiosyncrasy when it comes to dining. He believes that certain foods should be enjoyed during specific times of the day, and that’s that.
Cereal is no doubt a breakfast food, as are eggs, waffles and pancakes. Sandwiches are for lunch, unless they are so spiffed up that they are barely recognizable as sandwiches, and their names alone are as big as a dinner plate, like a grilled chicken with pancetta and basil mayonnaise on a kaiser roll. Hot dogs are lunch food too, unless they are dinner-sized dogs by Hebrew National and are served with the works.
Dinner doesn’t have to be meat and three. It just has to be substantial. He’s willing to even go as far as having a main course salad as long as there’s protein of some sort and an entire baguette to go with it.
I eat whatever whenever. Pizza for breakfast, yogurt for dinner. I couldn’t care less. What about you? Do you watch the clock when deciding what to eat?
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment |
Three cheers for easy dinners!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Somehow I thought things were going to slow down once summer came. That presumption has turned out to be completely incorrect. For many families, like my own, summer sports take up even more time than those during school. Many swim teams practice almost every evening. My son’s travel baseball team seems to have practice or game at least 4 nights each week.
Since we are often eating on the run or taking our dinner with us I have started experimenting with “transportable” food, especially sandwiches.
Grilled thin-sliced chicken breast sandwiches have become my “go to meal.” But my picky family won’t go for just a plain sandwich. Oh no. To qualify as “dinner food” it has to be spiffed up so I have been trying different toppings.
I recently made one for my 5:30 Challenge column with an Italian spin that was a huge hit. I grilled pancetta, a rolled spiced Italian bacon, along side the chicken (adding it to the grill once I flipprd the chicken). Plain mayo got a boost of freshness from adding minced basil from my herb garden. A fresh Kaiser roll made the meal complete.
Another favorite is coating the chicken with barbecue sauce and topping it with shredded cheddar cheese after flipping, so it gets all gooey and melted. If I have leftover bacon I’ll add that too. Another great option is Barbecue Chicken with Cole Slaw. If we need to eat them at a game, I just wrap them up. They travel extremely well.
What turns your chicken sandwiches from simple to spectacular?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment |
Summer makes me long for a lunchbox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With my kids out of school, I’ve gotten a reprieve from the daily grind of packing a lunchbox, with the exception of a few day camps for my younger son, Jack.
I equate making school lunch with wearing a school uniform. It’s easier to be on automatic pilot, with the same thing day after day. A sandwich, fruit, cut-up veggies, a cookie and drink. No questions asked.
When school’s not in session, everyone’s equilibrium gets slightly off. My kids suddenly demand something more exciting than a lunchbox style meal. Suddenly I’m hearing, “A sandwich again?” They expect Buffalo wings, burritos and pizza instead of the same-old, same-old boring thing. Guess who that makes more work for…
What about your family? Is it a relief not to have to pack a lunch? Does it take more effort to come up with something new and exciting or do you just go with the flow?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Family foibles
Are you giving your green thumb a workout?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At this time of year a lot of people get the urge to get out into the garden. With the cost of grocery skyrocketing and the recent salmonella tomato scare, I have a feeling even more will venture out. According to Yahoo!, searches for “vegetable gardening,” “organic gardening” and “container gardening” have doubled since this time last year. Searches for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and herbs leading the way.
Well, I’ve caught the “bug” (hopefully the bugs won’t catch me). I planted a basic herb garden to save the travel time to the store, and the added cost when I just need 1 tablespoon of parsley or cilantro. I bought a few pots from the supermarket and am desperately trying to remember to water them at least once a week.
I love being able just to walk out my back door for a few snips whenever I need a little of this or that. Last year my husband tried his hand with blueberry bushes. That’s a multi-year project, so we’re still waiting on that one…. I’ve had it with the squirrels getting my tomatoes. Not only do they eat them, but they have the nerve to nibble them on the ledge right outside my kitchen window, while staring right at me. That’s just plain rude.
What about you? Are you exercising your right to plant? If you already grow veggies, what advice do you have for the rest of us?
RELATED: Walter Reeves’ Food Gardening links: Included are some basic gardening publications available from the Cooperative Extension Service | $64 Tomato: To help you weigh the costs of gardening | on AJC.com Gardening advice and photos
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Saving money
Do leftovers leave you cold?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At last night’s barbecue there was more food than any of us could eat. When I offered to parcel it out, all the guests politely declined except for my friend, Pola, who couldn’t have been more enthused. While most viewed the food as a case of “been there, done that,” Pola openly and enthusiastically declared her love of the leftover.
In my house I can sometimes pass off last night’s dinner as today’s lunch, but my family would revolt if I tried to serve the same dinner two days in a row.
While I remember growing up with an aversion to leftovers, I now love having them in the house for snacking, lunches and, if I am dining solo, doubling them up for dinner.
What about you? Do you yell “encore” for a repeat performance or is dinner a one-night show only? What will you eat twice in a row?
Permalink | Comments (23) | Post your comment | Categories: Shortcuts
What cookin’ for Father’s Day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With father’s day around the corner, it’s time to think of what to make for dad on “his” day.
At our home, we always start with a special breakfast. This is where the kids most like to help out. We usually devise some sort of egg dish, and more importantly, some type of pastry that I help them with. My husband Loves (yes, with a capital L) a pastry. I think this year we’ll make from-scratch cinnamon rolls. Those are always a hit and I just leave them to rise overnight in the fridge so they are ready to bake in the morning. A super easy recipe for those who are baking-challenged is Stay Up All Night Coffee Cake, a monkey bread like confection.
I can’t get it together to predict where we’ll be at lunchtime, so I’ll let that stay its typical free-for-all.
But I know dinner will be a cookout, and since I’m the griller in the family anyway, it won’t be an out of the ordinary activity. I’m going with ribs on Sunday. They’re the kids’ favorite and can I can pre-bake them before heading for the pool, so will just need to reheat them on the grill when we’re ready to eat.
What’s on the menu at your place? Is dad guiding the way or are Mom and the kids planning a surprise?
RELATED: New gadgets for the grill | Father’s Day in Atlanta
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment |
What favorite food marks the arrival of summer for you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For me, I know summer is on the way when I see the abundance of spring berries lining the supermarket shelves.
As a confirmed fruit-a-holic, I have waited as many months as I have fingers for those sweet globes of sweetness to come back into season. I know that it’s just a matter of weeks before stone fruits and then melons hit their prime.
What favorite food signals summer’s coming for you? For some it’s seeing racks of ribs. For others, it’s corn and tomatoes. What have you been waiting all winter for?
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment |
Are you a weekly food shopper?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I used to be one of those organized shoppers who planned out what I needed for the entire week. I organized my menus in advance, figuring how many lunches I needed to pack and how many dinners we were all home for. I even tried to optimize buying certain perishables to try to use them in multiple dishes for added savings.
I am afraid to confess that since school ended, my best laid plans have totally gone by the wayside. Between one son’s traveling baseball team and my other son’s dramatic debut, our schedules are more erratic then ever. I keep opening the fridge to find one drop of milk left and three cereal bowls to fill. Dinner time has become an exercise in combining whatever I can find into something remotely edible.
What about you? Are you finding it easier or more difficult to stay organized now that summer’s hit? Can you stick to a weekly shopping trip or are you a perpetual picker-upper like I’ve suddenly turned into?
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Shortcuts
Pool picnic perils
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last weekend my friend Greg invited my family to the pool for a barbecue. He volunteered to bring all the grilling goods and I provided sides. Another family supplied drinks and apps.
As he pulled the steaks and burgers from the cooler, he realized he had forgotten the all the utensils needed for both grilling and eating. He looked guiltily at his wife, who apparently had warned him of the perils of barbecuing away from home. Somehow he managed not only to wrangle her into driving home to get all the knifes, spatulas and tongs, but also got me to do all the actual grilling. See Related blog: Do guys rule the grill?
There’s no question that dining poolside is a great way to enjoy these late spring evenings. Knowing the kids are entertained and not underfoot allows for adult conversation and relaxation. But, as tempting as it is, it can be hazardous for the haphazard entertainer. After years of catering, I am pretty good about bringing the right utensils, but even I have been know to show up with a bottle of wine and no opener or glasses.
How do you plan a perfect picnic? What ‘s been your major mishap?
RELATED: Atlanta Summer picnic guide
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment |
Do you cook while on vacation?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It seems like almost everyone I know is taking off for the beach this month, renting a condo for a week or two before the summer turns into an inferno.
There seems to be two trains of thought when it comes to vacation dining. Eating in or going out.
A great thing about renting a place is that it allows you to keep down costs. Just buying a couple of boxes of cereal for easy breakfasts and keeping drinks and snacks on hand for on-the-sand-snacking saves beaucoup de bucks.
But when it comes to dinner, there is definitely a division. For some, vacations are a time to take a break from mealtime mayhem and dine out. For others, vacations are a time to relax and cook leisurely.
I know for me, I like to do both, but I don’t try anything too complicated, since I miss having my appliances and favorite condiments and spices.
What makes a vacation for you?
RELATED: Beach vacation ideas from the AJC | Summer picnic guide
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment | Categories: Family foibles
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
