I have chickenpox

Chickenpox is believed to have been first described (discovered) by Giovanni Filippo during the 1500s in Italy. In the 1600s, an English physician named Richard Morton gave the name chickenpox to what he thought was a milder form of smallpox. It is believed that in the 1700s, William Heberden (another English physician), was the first physician to prove that chickenpox was actually different from smallpox.

going on....

First off those strange hot winds were Hurricane Ike! I live in Ohio, and not on our beautiful gulf coast. We lost a total of 20 shingles on our roof, there were many fallen trees and big ones too. And 4 days of no power..... I think I will stick with snow storms for the future.

Then I last Saturday broke out with the chicken pox of all strange things. I have to say, this really is bad and not fun. It should remain a childhood illness... because the details are truely grosser then gross.

I am going to try to infect my children, although they have both had the shot. I will be the Pox Party Planner. Bring Back the Pox Party!

Italian Wedding Soup

I am going to start to blog all of my cooking so I will be easily able to keep track of all changes I make in one easy spot.

6 Chicken leg quarters
3 quarts water
1 recipe starters bag carrots, onions and celery
2 T knorr Chicken bouillon
Bring to boil

Remove Chicken (save for another meal ~chicken salad or the kids and Cats will eat it)

Scramble 2 eggs and whisk in broth

add 1/4 - 1/2 bag of Ancini de Pepe or other tiny pasta.
1 bag of frozen chopped spinach
1 bag of small turkey meatballs

Happy 5th Birthday Willy

Today is Willy's 5th Birthday! We Will be going to Buca di Beppo for his birthday.

Today there has been very strange weather. It is hot, humid and very windy. Usually in Ohio when it is this windy, it means that the rain is coming and it usually drops 10-20 degrees and becomes almost chilly. But the wind is blowing so hard that the neighbors side door shattered, and car alarms are going off down the street. There has been no rain and the electricity has gone out 3 times. Oh and Bill has informed me that we have lost 3 shingles off our roof. Not bad because I watched the neighbor across the street loose about 12.

Moroccan Chicken and Rice

6 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets
1 lemon , zest and juice
6 tbsp olive oil
4 T Moroccan spices mix
2 cups plain yogurt

slice chicken in 3 bite slices, place in large skillet with oil, lemon and Moroccan spice mix until chicken is cooked and tender. Add yogurt.

6 cups of cooked rice
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice
small bunch flat leaf parsley , chopped

add 6 cups of cooked hot rice and toss with lemon juice, chopped parsley and spring onions.

Spice Blends Recipes

I usually take an afternoon and make a few pints of our favorites.
Our personal favorites is the Herbes De Provence & Montreal Steak Seasoning
It is worth the time and all of the extra work, plus it is a real time saver and a busy night.

Moroccan Spice Blend
6 T minced garlic dried
4 T ground cumin
4 T ground ginger
4 T kolsher salt
4 T ground black pepper
2 T ground cinnamon
2 T ground coriander
2 T ground cayenne
2 T ground allspice
1 T ground cloves

Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 cup coarse salt
6 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dehydrated onion
3 tablespoons dehydrated garlic
3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons dried thyme
4 tablespoons dried rosemary
3 tablespoons dried fennel

Mix together and store in a shaker.

Garam Masala
25 green cardamom pods
1/2 cup whole black peppercorn
1/3 cup cumin seed
1/4 cup coriander seed
3 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
1 tablespoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
4 dried red chili pods-or to taste

Dry roast all whole spices (do not put in powders) in a large, dry skillet in a well-ventilated area. They should be toasty, but not black and burned in places. Set aside and let cool. Add powdered spices. Grind in a spice grinder, and store in a tightly covered glass jar till needed.

Note: If cinnamon sticks are hard for your grinder to pulverize, use 1/2 teaspoon good quality cinnamon powder, or start off with the small chips they sell for the teeny plastic grinders used for coffee.


Curry Powder-Punjab
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1 tbsp anise seed -- whole
1 tbsp cumin -- whole
1 tbsp black mustard -- whole
1 tsp fenugreek -- whole
1 tbsp black pepper -- whole
1 tbsp cardamom pods
a piece of cinnamon 2 dried red chilis
2 tbsp ground ginger 2 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp cardamom pods

Dry roast all the whole spices for about 5 minutes. Cool, then grind and blend with the ginger and turmeric. In an airtight jar, the powder will keep for 3-4 months.

You can add or subtract chili peppers or cayenne pepper to achieve the desired level of "heat".


Curry Powder-Hyderabad
20 Green cardamon pods
2 Cinnamon sticks - broken into pieces
5 Bay leaves
1/2 t Cloves
1/4 t Grated nutmeg
2 tb Aniseed
1 t Black peppercorns
5 Dried red chilies
10 Dried curry leaves
6 tb Coriander seeds
3 tb Cumin seeds
3 tb Turmeric
1 tb Fenugreek seeds
2 tb Black mustard seeds

Roast spices in small, heavy saucepan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until they become a shade darker than their original color. Remove spices from pan and grind to a fine powder in a spice or coffee grinder.

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.


Ethiopian Herb Mix (berbere)

2 ts Whole cumin seeds
4 Whole cloves
3/4 ts Black cardamom seeds
1/2 t Whole black peppercorns
1/4 t Whole allspice
1 t Fenugreek seeds
1/2 t Whole coriander seeds
10 sm Dried red chilies
1/2 t Grated ginger
1/4 t Turmeric
1 t Salt
2 1/2 tb Sweet Hungarian paprika
1/8 t Cinnamon
1/8 t Ground cloves

In a small frying pan, on a low heat, toast cumin, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, allspice, fenugreek & corainder for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & cool for 5 minutes. Discard stems from chilies. In a spice grinder or with a mortar & pestle, finely grind together the toasted spices & chilies. Mix in remaining ingredients. Store in refrigerator in a well sealed jar.


Emeril's Creole Seasoning
2 1/2 T. paprika
2 T. salt
2 T. garlic powder
1 T. black pepper
1 T. onion powder
1 T. cayenne pepper
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.



Five-spice Powder
2 Tablespoons whole black peppercorns
36 Cloves/
Whole Cinnamon Sticks/12 Inches Total
2 Tablespoons fennel seed
12 Star Anise/Whole Put spices together into a blender and pulverize into a powder.

Store in a cool place in an air-tight container.


Herbes De Provence
3 tb Dried marjoram
3 tb Dried thyme
1 tb Dried summer savory
1 tb Dried sweet basil
1/2 t Dried rosemary -- crumbled
1/2 t Crushed sage
1/2 t Fennel seeds
1/2 t. Lavender buds

Combine herbs, mixing well. Pack into an airtight jar (will stay fresh 4 months). Makes 4 ounces. *This recipe dates back to the 1800's.*

How do I look?

News and updates

1. I will be going to nursing school this fall.
2. Botanical Bath hase been invited to list on Amazon.com
3. Willy turns 5 next weekend! We will be going to Bucca di Beppo for dinner.
4. We will not be doing RenFaire this year.
5. I quit smoking in April.... and still have not smoked
6. I still buy fabric, although I still have not sewed this year
7. I signed up for 2 swaps off the dish
8. My favorite snack is olives and artichoke hearts
9.

In my cowboy boots

So many boots, So little time.