Parmesan Crisps

I have had many requests lately for the super yummy Parmesan Crisps that I have made a bunch of times at The Doodle. Please know that if this is one of my recipes, I don't do measurements-unless baking! So, relax and just wing it.

Parmesan Crisps:

Pita pocket bread (NOT whole wheat, that is important)
Butter, margarine, Smart Balance (whatever you use)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
"Jen's Secret Ingredient" (AKA-Tone's Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning Mix from Sam's)
Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT from the shaky-bottle though)

Use a butter knife to split the pita pockets in half so you have two round circles. Smear butter all over the inside of each of the circles. Sprinkle with salt, seasoning and cheese. Using a pizza cutter, cut each circle into wedges-4, 6, 8...depends on how much you like these folks! Transfer to baking sheet (stone), drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 until crispy.

You can serve these with any dip you like. I usually use the fresh salsa (not from a jar) or hummus.

These are super fast, super yummy and super popular!
Enjoy,
Jen

Project 365-Day 39

I don't know the journal story behind this photo other than I have been asking Charles to take photos for my p365. I asked him to take photos like the ones I have been taking and he will upload some every now and then. I found this one the other day and thought it was lovely. He did such a nice job on it. This is taken from inside the suite that he is living in up in Pennsylvania. Don't know if I've said this yet, but they are letting Charles use the suite on the Woodhouse campus while I am still down here. It is one of their timber frame constructions and from what I have seen, it is very pretty. This is a little window looking on the snowy scene outside as you head up to the 2nd floor. I really cannot wait to get up there and see Charles & Kiwi and start our new life!

Project 365-Day 38

Starting this week I have been pre-planning each days worth of meals. I am trying to follow a more healthy lifestyle and I'm using the "You" doctors (Dr.s Roizen and Oz) as inspiration. They suggest the 6 mini meals a day and I map a whole week out ahead of time. I have been trying to cook some/most of the meals on my days off so I don't have to cook from scratch when I get home from work. This was tonight's meal and let me tell you it was yummy! Blackened salmon, roasted green beans, citrus couscous salad and whole wheat/flax bread (w/ Smart Balance). I couldn't wait to take a photo before I snagged a bite from the bread! The couscous salad is really good and is one of the recipes from the Real Age website. Thought I'd share it with y'all.

Citrusy Couscous Salad with Olives:

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped scallions, (4 scallions)
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives, (12 olives)
1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned and diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper, to taste


1. Stir together couscous, orange juice concentrate, oil, mustard, thyme, orange zest and salt in a large bowl. Stir in boiling water, cover and set aside until the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes.
2. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add parsley, scallions, olives, diced orange and lemon juice; toss to blend. Season with pepper

Enjoy!

Project 365-Day 36

Stacey took this photo while we were shopping in JoAnns for knitting supplies. Yep. We are going to try to knit! Miss Barbara at WSD is a great knitter and has offered to teach some of us, so we had to go pick out our supplies. The choices! Did we like the fuzzy stuff with all the different colors woven in? Super soft vs. regular? Debbie Mumm has knitting yarn? Cool! It was great fun poking all the yarn in the bins dreaming of the scarves we are gonna make. I was more than a little excited to get started, so once I was home I went out on the net to find some videos to show me how it's done. Normally I am a fine crafter. My hands do what my brain tells it to do. "Normally" does not apply to knitting. My fingers don't seem to work. I am all over casting on. I got that down. Downtown like Bobby Brown! But the actual knit stitch... Under the knot-hold both needles with one hand-wrap the yarn around one needle-push through and catch the yarn from the underside-push off the loop from one needle to the other. Huh? I think I've got it, but what about tension? How tight do you pull the yarn? How loose do you leave the loop? What happens when you've taken the stitches out so many times the yarn actually tears apart? Oh! Why didn't I just wait for the lessons with Miss Barbara? I have this sad little swatch of maybe 6 rows that is so dopey looking I couldn't bear to share the photo. Big 'ole holes I could stick my finger through where there shouldn't be any hole. Loops of yarn where the others in it's row are nice and tidy. And nobody told me that my back muscles would tense all up from knitting! Knitting is a workout! I hope my brain and hands are getting along the next day I pick up those blasted needles.

Perfection Wasted

And another regrettable thing about death is the ceasing of your own brand of magic, which took a whole life to develop and market -- the quips, the witticisms, the slant adjusted to a few, those loved ones nearest the lip of the stage, their soft faces blanched in the footlight glow, their laughter close to tears, their tears confused with their diamond earrings, their warm pooled breath in and out with your heartbeat, their response and your performance twinned. The jokes over the phone. The memories packed in the rapid-access file. The whole act. Who will do it again? That's it: no one; imitators and descendants aren't the same.

-John Updike

(March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009)

Eddie Izzard-Cake or Death

I simply adore Eddie Izzard! Have since I saw his HBO special many years ago called, Dressed to Kill. Charles and I took a trip to NYC just to see him while he was doing his Circle tour. We went with Sisterdear and her husband, Brian. It was kind-of a funny conversation trying to convince Sisterdear to come to the show with us...


"We are coming up to the city to see Eddie Izzard. Do you and Brian wanna go?"
"Who is Eddie Izzard?"
"He is the Brittish comedian from that great HBO special."
"Never heard of him. What's he like? Will we like him?"
"Ummm....he uses the f-word a lot."
"Oh."
"He does a lot of historical bits in his act. Some of it hard to follow if you're not a history fan."
"Oh."
"His accent is thick and he uses Brittish slang quite a bit. You'd be able to follow if you watch BritComs."
"Um. We watch some of those."
"You should probally know he is a transvestite."
"What?!"
"A transvestite. You know-dresses in ladies clothes."
"On stage? All the time? What?"
"I dunno. Just a ladies pantsuit the last time I saw him on stage. It was a cool pantsuit if that helps! And he is VERY funny! Really...VERY funny!"
"Oh."
"And he wears makeup."
"I've got to check with Brian."

They ended up coming with us and a really funny note here is that I am glad that I preped them, 'cause not only did Ed come out in drag, but he was sporting a new padded bra! Priceless...
Eddie has been in the "Ocean's" movies, Valkyrie, My Super Ex-Girlfriend and stars in TV's The Riches.

In case you still don't know him here is what he looks like man vs. woman!