Cabbage Update:

Well, we had some for Easter dinner and it was delicious. Sweet and snappy at the same time. I think I could have done it with one head of cabbage and been fine, but I'll just make a note of that for the next time. Also, have enough room to put the cut cabbage when you're waiting for the pears and onions to cook. As I was cutting the cabbage and coring it I seemed to run out of room FAST!

Put some in a Tupperware container for the priest at our church because he is part Polish and I know he loves cabbage in any form.

A word of caution, it does make a lot of "broth" and when you eat it, the juices might splash, making a mess of your face/clothes.

Christ is Risen Blueberry Muffins

I used Carly's recipe, subbing a smidge of lemon juice for the lemon rind because I was unprepared. Deliciousness ensued. Tom, I will never tease you again for eating these in one day.

Braised Sweet and Sour Cabbage

I am the first to admit that cabbage was never a favorite vegetable of mine. It was always one of those weird vegetables that no one knows how to cook and when it was cooked it smelled funny. A vegetable that is very generational (meaning that grandparents eat it). Anyways, I think I was in college when I discovered that coleslaw was one of the best summer side dishes ever created (of course that has to be made with Hellman's mayonaise). Then eating corned beef and cabbage was good because the cabbage just tasted like the corned beef. Now I have expanded my horizons even more. I got out of the library The Good House Keeping 125th Anniversary Cookbook
and devoured through the pages marking them with tiny Post It Note flags. Well, Braised Sweet and Sour Cabbage was marked with a flag and now it is cooking on the stove.
So, here is the ingredient list.r Red Cabbage

Braised Sweet and Sour Cabbage

3 T olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pear peeled, cored, and chopped
2 medium heads of red cabbage, cut in quarters, cored and thinly sliced
1 can (14oz) beef broth
1 cup apple juice
⅓ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 small bay leaves
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon allspice

1. In non reactive 8 quart sauce pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and pear; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 10 min.
2. Stir in cabbage, broth, apple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and all spice; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is very tender, about 1 hour. Remove cover and cook over medium- high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes longer. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Makes 10 accompaniment servings.

Preparing this wasn't too hard, but I recommend a really good chef's knife to cut the cabbage. And when coring the cabbage use a smaller paring knife to cut out the core. I used the chef's knife again to cut the cabbage into thin slices. The chef's knife is helpful because it is wide enough to cover most of the head of cabbage. Beware though, this does make a lot of cabbage. I'm sure you could probably just trim down the recipe and use one head of cabbage and you wouldn't be stuck with red cabbage until the end of time.

The true test will be tomorrow when I eat it with the Easter Ham. I thought this dish would be a nice accompanying taste for the ham.

Easter = Eggs

And therefore, Easter = YUM!

I remember finding out when I was in college that most people think of eggs as a breakfast or brunch food. Ha! At my house growing up, eggs were almost always cooked as an easy, protein-rich dinner for little ole picky vegetarian me :-) Which is why I was delighted to get today's email blast from Sara Kate over at Kitchn (a WONDERFUL foodie blog that I believe was sent my way by Emily, perhaps via the other Ms. Bartram?). These ten recipes for making eggs for dinner all look tasty, but the artichoke, ricotta, kale pie looks particularly delicious. So good that I might just be tempted to run to the groceria after work to make this tonight while baking Easter cookies...

Eggs for dinner

Classic

What do these ingredients make?

Those ingredients make one of the best-est deserts ever! Rice Krispie Treats! I believe the other altos who contribute to this blog have a love of these treats and may add their own insight.

I used Target products, but if you must, you can use the Kellogs cereal, and Jet Puffed Marshmallows (btw, Erin and Allie that must be pronouced the way Mrs. Williams did for spelling class).


1/4 cup butter (or half a stick)
1 10 oz package of marshmallows or 4 cups of the mini ones
6 1/2 cups of crispy rice
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Grease a 9X13 pan with Pam.
2. Melt that butter and marshmallows in a medium sauce pan. Stir once it really starts to melt. When the butter and marshmallows have gotten nice and gooey, stir in the vanilla.
3. Add the cereal a cup at a time. I think all at once would be hard to manage. Then pour and press the mixture into the greased pan. Let the bars cool and cut them. Or don't wait for the mixture to cool and eat it off the spoon, whichever works.

These are supposed to be for an event tomorrow night, but I hope they make it that far. At least they are quick to make in case they don't make it past tonight.

At least it isn't snowing...

I don't care that I had just put on a sweater and was preparing to walk through chilling rain on my way to work - I ate an Edy's pomegranate popsicle with breakfast this morning. Which got me to thinking: it's *almost* jello pop season and I don't actually OWN popsicle molds! I might just need to order me some after this coming long weekend's trip to NOLA (where it will be 80 degrees and sunny, totally justifying the indulgence of frozen treats at whatever time pleases me).

I might also have some extra motivation to find one of the two slushie makers likely still stashed in my mom's attic as we clean through the clutter the following week. Would it be wrong to add a splash of vodka to the syrup drizzled over ice shaved in Barbie's giant pineapple tiki bar set? Gosh I can't wait to make the final shift away from winter weather to catch up with spring/summer time foods!

I Miss Walking to Happy Hours...

...but I can't wait to see what Hartford has to offer by way of summer happy hours! Until then, I read about social boozy spaces.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41978100/ns/travel-business_travel/

Hipsterized dinner

Homemade cream of asparagus soup, grilled cheese on pumpernickel, and a glass of wine.

Altos eat classy.