I cooked for my Mom’s birthday tonight. Chicken thigh with apples, onions and bacon on a bed of sharp white cheddar polenta. Seasoned with sage, thyme and nutmeg. Tina and the boys baked, frosted and sprinkled an awesome chocolate cake.
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I cooked for my Mom’s birthday tonight. Chicken thigh with apples, onions and bacon on a bed of sharp white cheddar polenta. Seasoned with sage, thyme and nutmeg. Tina and the boys baked, frosted and sprinkled an awesome chocolate cake.

Red Hawt! These are spicy, salty, vinegary, protieny and they’re all mine! Also, I can chase my wife around the house with them, because she thinks they’re gross. If I could just get her to try one…
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Red Hawt! These are spicy, salty, vinegary, protieny and they’re all mine! Also, I can chase my wife around the house with them, because she thinks they’re gross. If I could just get her to try one…

Pseudo-Swedish crayfish lunch at Ikea. Tangy!
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Pseudo-Swedish crayfish lunch at Ikea. Tangy!

I attempted to make tabouli/tabouleh for the first time on Memorial Day.  Not crazy about the recipe I used, though.  It turned out sort of grainy, like there’s too much cracked wheat in it.  And too salty. Since then, I’ve added another lemon’s-worth of juice, another bunch of parsley and another tomato.  I also think that I may have gotten a bit carried away with the chopping.  I chopped it all pretty fine, which was not the right thing to do.  I believe that texture is important with tabouli.  I just love chopping stuff with my big ass knife.  Seriously.  I do. Also, the recipe I used made a TON of the stuff.  I’m really not sure if I can eat all of this before it gets funky.  Nor am I sure that it would be safe for my digestive system.   Maybe I’ll just anonymously mail some to people.
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I attempted to make tabouli/tabouleh for the first time on Memorial Day.  Not crazy about the recipe I used, though.  It turned out sort of grainy, like there’s too much cracked wheat in it.  And too salty.

Since then, I’ve added another lemon’s-worth of juice, another bunch of parsley and another tomato.  I also think that I may have gotten a bit carried away with the chopping.  I chopped it all pretty fine, which was not the right thing to do.  I believe that texture is important with tabouli.  I just love chopping stuff with my big ass knife.  Seriously.  I do.

Also, the recipe I used made a TON of the stuff.  I’m really not sure if I can eat all of this before it gets funky.  Nor am I sure that it would be safe for my digestive system.   Maybe I’ll just anonymously mail some to people.

This was part of our Memorial Day BBQ. I worked out pretty well. The chicken was a bit dry though, on account of me being all impatient and hungry.
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This was part of our Memorial Day BBQ. I worked out pretty well. The chicken was a bit dry though, on account of me being all impatient and hungry.

I just finished mowing the lawn and these are totally hitting the spot.  I’m trying really hard to not eat the whole can.(Not that it’s a huge can or whatever.) 

They’re pretty good.  Not nearly as spicy as I had imagined, though.  Scarcely a burn or numb lip.  Weak.  The two flavors go well together, however.  I think I might try making my own this weekend.  I’ll just buy some good olives and chop up a jalapeno and put it in the jar and wait.  I think that’ll do it, right?

Just thought I’d share my find with you guys.  My wife usually just looks at me weird when I come home with stuff like this.

Here’s what I was making in the last picture I posted.  It’s potato, green cabbage and leek soup with lemon creme fraiche(fancy-pants word for sour cream).  Lots of veggie chopping and potato peeling.  Also, pureeing that much soup in a blender is a messy ordeal.  I ended up sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor while it was simmering, because it looked like a produce truck exploded in our kitchen.  In the end it was a lot of work, but it was worth it.  It took me about an hour all together.

It’s a pretty heavy soup and it made enough to feed my family twice.  I served it with ham and a crusty baguette.  My four year old even said that he liked it, which was surprising and wifey said that it may be the best thing I’ve cooked yet. 

If you want to try it yourself, you can find the recipe here:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Green-Cabbage-and-Leek-Soup-with-Lemon-Creme-Fraiche-364109

Making soup and destroying the kitchen in the process.
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Making soup and destroying the kitchen in the process.

I’m shucking corn. Then I’m going to darn some socks, churn some shit and take the buggy into town.
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I’m shucking corn. Then I’m going to darn some socks, churn some shit and take the buggy into town.

I made dinner tonight.  Salmon w/lime-butter sauce.  Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Here’s the recipe I used: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Salmon-with-Lime-Butter-Sauce-1222181
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I made dinner tonight.  Salmon w/lime-butter sauce.  Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

Here’s the recipe I used:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Salmon-with-Lime-Butter-Sauce-1222181