Spork and Skewer

Lasagna is one of my all-time favorite foods. When I go to an Italian restaurant, there is a very good chance I will order the lasagna. The gooey cheese between the layers of noodles and meat or veggies, is just comforting. My mom taught me the roll-up method. This method greatly reduces the "fussy factor" that is often involved in assembling a lasagna. You will also end-up with perfectly portioned servings. You only need one noodle per serving, so when you couple that with my use of nonfat ricotta and lean turkey, this is a fairly figure-friendly meal. Cook this up for dinner tonight, or pack it up to share with a neighbor or relative. Everyone will love it. Enjoy!

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My mom, sister, her fiance, Ted, and myself, are all on Weight Watchers. Actually, Miles won't attend meetings, but he is also on the plan. I have been in search of new recipes that are both tasty and Weight Watcher friendly. Salmon is not the lowest point fish, but it is considered a filling food, and is therefore, a good choice for us. Good thing, because it is no secret how much I love salmon. If you are not dieting, please don't be scared away; you will love my new recipe. Weight Watchers, or no Weight Watchers, this is downright delicious.

En papillote is simply a very fancy name for cooking in little parchment paper bundles. Foil would also work for this application. There are lots of reasons why I really love this method. One, it is healthy because there is no oil needed. Two, your chicken, fish, or veggies will always come-out moist and delectable because all the juices are sealed-in. Three, it is impressive. If you serve this to guests, they each get theor own little "gift" to slice open, and oh my goodness, the mouthwatering aroma that steams out when you cut open the packets, YUM!  And, maybe best of all, you can assemble these little packets ahead of time, and then pop them in the oven 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat. Reallly, this is a snap. This particular recipe, which is modified from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com, is soooooo good. I highly, highly recommend making this recipe as soon as possible. Wow your guests, or fancy-up a weeknight, like we did. You won't be sorry.

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I have mentioned before how I am the weeknight cook at our house. Miles works until 6:30, so I try to have dinner ready by the time he gets home. By the time I get off work, run my errands, maybe stop at the gym and finally get home, I often have very little time to spare. So, quick dinner options are always welcomed. When you couple quick with healthy, that's even better. This recipe hits both marks, and scores a bonus for adaptability. I made this dish twice in a two week span, and Miles didn't even notice because I altered it to fit what I had on hand; leeks one week, and sun dried tomatoes the next. This one is a definite keeper.

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After Miles and I got married (nearly 2 whole years ago!), I felt there was still something missing from our loot of kitchen gear we received for wedding and shower gifts. Trust me, this is an unbelievable statement, considering the tons and tons of gifts we got from our lovely family and friends. But there was one thing, and that was a Bundt pan. There has always been something about that fluted tubular pan that somehow makes a cake taste better.

Now, perhaps it was last summer, or perhaps it was the summer before, when I was perusing the aisles with my aunt Linda at the weekly Annandale Swapper's Meet (flea market). As we were walking along, she asked me if I was looking for something in particular. So, I shared with her the one void I still had in my kitchen cupboards. This was a fateful day, because not one half hour later, I was walking across the parking lot with my treasure, an Original Nordic Ware Bundt Pan. I am embarrassed to admit that I almost passed-up this valuable find when the seller did not want to come down under $8. Linda, you are very wise. You convinced me that $8 was a small price to pay for a classic, fail proof- pan. You knew that I had to have the original. I must admit; it is one of the best (kitchen) purchases I have ever made.

Now, I have a gift for you, and anyone else who also cannot resist the allure of a moist, delectable, springtime lemon poppy seed cake. I made this cake for the second time at Easter, and it was a hit. I knew it would be the second I carefully slid it out of my wonderfully reliable Bundt pan. I hope you enjoy this unbelievably moist treat as much as my Easter crowd did.

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You are probably wondering what the deal is with that name. Allow me to explain.

Guacamole reminds me of the MN State Fair. Up until very recently, there was a delicious upscale Mexican restaurant by the name of Tejas located in Edina, MN. This restaurant also had a very popular spot at the state fair. My mother-in-law, who is the director of the State Fair Foundation, is friends with the owner and chef of this restaurant. Well, each day of the fair, Tejas would do a feature called Celebrity Guacamole. The way it worked is they would bring in a local "celebrity," and I am using that term extremely loosely here, and would do a sort of interview as the owner, and head chef made a batch of guacamole with the guest. One day a few years back, Kay was asked to be the guest for Celebrity Guacamole. She agreed, but then got busy, or maybe just decided she didn't want to do it, and sent Miles to do it instead (see what I mean by loosely?). So, he did. Miles got to feel like a celebrity for 10 minutes, and he also learned a few tricks to making very tasty guacamole.

This recipe is our own, but the secret ingredient, Worcestershire sauce, is from Tejas. It is that special something that sets this recipe apart.

If you are not already a local celebrity, make this guacamole to share. Don't be surprised if your popularity starts increasing!

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There is a gal at work who teaches our 8th Grade World Language class. The class is really a culture class, and they focus on Spanish, German, and French, which happen to be the three languages our high school offers. Anyway, each day at lunch, Jen brings in her jar of Nutella and finishes off her meal with a heaping spoon of the chocolate hazelnut spread. (FYI: Nutella is to France as peanut butter is to America) I think all of the eighth grade teachers find this practice a bit odd, yet endearing and quirky. So...yes, I do have a point, when we decided to have a potluck luncheon this past week, I knew it would be the perfect occasion to try-out this Martha Stewart blondie recipe. (You can find the original here.) This recipe was quick and easy, and most importantly...Jen approved!

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It appears, and I don't want to jinx this, but it appears that spring may have [finally] arrived in Minnesota. It has been a long, snowy winter. So, when the sun finally came out last Sunday, and it seemed that everyone on the block was out of hibernation, I decided it was time for a springtime breakfast. It was the perfect opportunity to bask in my sunny, yellow kitchen and cook-up these lovely carrot pancakes. I dug this recipe out of my January issue of Cooking Light, and knew that with a few tweaks, it would be perfect for the occasion. Carrot cake is a springtime pleaser in my family. The honey butter drizzle must have been delectable, because Miles didn't even miss the cream cheese frosting.

I about fell out of my chair, when I saw that Kristin, over at Picky Cook, also posted a carrot pancake recipe this week. I guess it is that time of year! Make sure you check-out her post. She is an awesome cook, and she takes beautiful pictures.

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