Making no promises ... but Happy New Year!

No, I haven't forgotten I have a blog. 

Yes, I've been a slacker. Here's an inspirational food-related story for you; I can't think of a better reason to become a vegan chef than to save a family member's life. 

Also, Amy's is expanding to open even more drive-thrus, featuring organic as well as vegan and vegetarian options. Read more about it here, and view a sample menu from the original one. In California, naturally. (Yes, it's the same folks who bring you the natural foods frozen dinners.)

Happy New Year, anyway, from me and my clowder of kitties (only a partial clowder). Yes, I know that officially makes me a crazy cat lady. 

I'll try to update more (I could hardly update less than the zero posts on the blog in 2021), but I make no promises.

Where have I been?

This isn’t exactly a food post, but it is an update of sorts. It is also the most serious post I’ve written.  I swore I did a blog post in 2019. (I was wrong, but I have a great excuse for 2018. Mea culpa. My father passed away in June, while my mom was still going through chemo.) My friend Michelle came in August and gave much-needed help with getting things more organized around here. Some of it stuck and some of it didn’t. But she has my everlasting thanks! Thankfully, Mom is still here and sassy as ever.

Now, 2019 was loads better, though we were still tying up loose ends. Mom was declared cancer-free in January, had a minor stroke in February that miraculously seems to have no long-term side effects, and she, my Aunt Maggie and their friend Sally took a month-long driving odyssey from Florida, out west and back to the Midwest (and in Maggie’s case, out east again, solo). During the trip, Mom saw 11 states she had not previously set foot (or car tires) into before.

It was a year for trips - Michelle and I also went to England together, setting off July 28, and returning to the U.S. August 8. I flew to CT first (closest airport to her) and met three of her four young adults before I kidnapped her. (Please advise me whether or not kidnapped is the right choice of word - can you kidnap the willing?) We saw Bath, where I ogled the Assembly Rooms (have wanted to see them for years), our friend, Sarah’s home in Ipswich (we also toured the medieval town), a tide mill in a neighboring town I’m too lazy to look up, London (where we spent good chunks of two days on a double-decker bus as well as touring Buckingham Palace), and Brighton (where we saw the gloriously opulent Pavilion). It was a whirlwind 11-day trip, and I was grateful to relax a couple of days at Chez Michelle before heading back to Detroit.

The scones were delicious! The pub food and - believe it or not - a pizza chain also provided some awesome food. Did I mention we had tea at Buckingham Palace? Well, hot cocoa, actually. I had scones, somewhat predictably (see pics). Michelle, Sarah, Simon (Sarah’s husband), and I also had tea at the Brighton Pavilion. We made a lot of great memories and I want to go back someday.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been enlightening, in some good ways and some horrible ways.

We don’t need a lot of things we think we need. People are more important than having my way right now and going to (fill in the blank). Lots of folks, including me learned how to Zoom and how to make adjustments to work at home. I’m still working on the gas tank I filled over two months ago.

There are a lot more people than I thought who are one illness or one shutdown away from financial catastrophe. There is not the same spirit of helpfulness that pervaded after 9/11, probably due mostly to fear, with notable exceptions (people on the front line caring for people as well as those in service jobs). Some of it was a NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) kind of reaction. “I don’t have health issues; why should I stay home?” “I need my d—- hair cut and my nails done.” “Our part of the state doesn’t have a problem; why do we need to stay home?” Those were the mild comments. Others were quite shocking.

Staying home and staying safe gave us time to reflect (and some of us did do that). My mom and I are both reading a lot. We watch live stream Mass from our church online or sometimes on TV. We also
watch design shows regularly, which gives us ideas about what to do next year (the downstairs bathroom is first in line).

TV can be a wonderful source of information one minute and horrify you the next. That horror is not all pandemic related. Or at least, not all related to COVID-19, which leads me to today, and shaking my head, like many other people, that we seem to have learned so little about how to treat people of all races.

It should be a no-brainer that a grown man doesn’t press his knee down on another guy’s neck. No, not even if arresting him - make that especially when arresting him. And if he does, another officer should stop him.

I don’t do political posts often; it’s not considered appropriate based on the journalistic ethics (yes, many of us still have those) that I learned at Central Michigan University. But as I watched a portion of George Floyd’s funeral, one thing leapt out at me. Racism, sexism, ageism, anti-LGBT behavior, all these things that keep America from realizing MLK’s “dream” need to go.

If you got this far, thanks for reading.

Happy 4th of July!

We are celebrating the July 4 holiday a bit late with the family. It’s also going to be my moms’s early birthday celebration. Sadly, I won’t be there until later because I agreed to work before I knew this was planned. So hopefully the party will be going.

I’m also hoping Julie (whom my cousin Frank had the great fortune to marry!) makes the Fourth of July gelatin/cake dessert. It looks something like this and is delicious! And I’m also hoping they save me some! 

Ok

Listening to patriotic songs on YouTube today. 

Like this one from the American Revolution (though we stole it from the British). 

'Hippie Food' sounds like a fascinating read

Food and how we eat it changes over time. 

I never knew what to do with tofu until I tried a vegetarian diet for a couple of weeks. I learned a few things during that time period, including that I feel weak going too long without any meat. A pescatarian diet (adding fish to a vegetarian diet), would be fine. Well, except for the fact that I love Mom's pot roast, bacon, a good burger and variations on chicken stir fry. 

While contemplating what, if any, changes I'd like to make in my diet, I ran across a fascinating article in the New York Times, about food evolution and, in particular, Jonathan Kauffman's "briskly entertaining history, 'Hippie Food,'" which it, it argues, "makes a convincing case for adding another legacy" to a list of ways the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s have changed our lives ... "the way we eat."

"Hippie Food" sounds like a fascinating read; here's the book purchase link. It's on my Amazon list. 

Old cookbooks, real food and the dangers of online shopping

My friend, Michelle, and I had an interesting discussion a while back. 

It started with a search for a recipe she wanted from Plimouth Plantation involving rabbit with gooseberries. 

Armed with that knowledge, I went hunting and found it. 

Plimouth Plantation's website has an incredible assortment of books (including some cookbooks I thought Michelle might want to check out of her library, which is a great way to see if you'd use a cookbook). 

Ah, the dangers of online shopping abound. I did come up with some possibilities in terms of cookbooks for Michelle, but I probably saved half of them to my Amazon list. Here's the most recent addition to my list of desired cookbooks, Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten. And other books, too. If I got everything on my list and did nothing but read for a year, I still might not finish all of them. See what being helpful can do for you? 

Unfortunately, that's just a small portion of my Amazon list. But I did get to take a couple of things off it thanks to some lovely Christmas gifts. 

How was your holiday? Did you get what you wanted? 

Happy New Year: try my favorite recipes from the holiday season

My New Year's resolution is simple: update the blog more often. 

I last updated about a year-and-a-half ago. Time flies. 

I really have no excuse for it. What have I been doing? Everything and nothing. (On Facebook, I'd be accused of vague booking. Here, I guess it'd be vague blogging. 

The last two things I made are chocolate dipped Oreos (I dipped them in bittersweet melted chips and put on wax paper in freezer to harden; they weren't pretty, but hey, they were chocolate) and Braunschweiger liver pâté; it's similar to this recipe but with some major differences: 


I ditched the chili powder, used roasted garlic powder (1/4 tsp. and minced onion (1 tsp) instead of fresh. I also added ketchup and French's yellow mustard to taste (about 2 TBSP and 1 tsp., respectively - and it varies by brand, so you need to taste it) as well as about 1 TBSP of McCormick's Bac'n Bits. I had no bacon on hand, or I probably would have put a couple of slices of crumbled bacon in. I have since solved that problem. 

Aesthetically, it wasn't outstanding. For the first time ever, large chunks of cream cheese flecked the spread. I could not get them to completely blend in and that bothered me. I've made this several times, and that never happened before. I did leave it at room temperature for 45 minutes. Perhaps it needs to be colder to blend properly? Anyway, the pâté is gone, too, so I have no photos. 

My preferred chilling time is at least four hours, but overnight is even better. Another note: there's also a difference between the Jones and the Oscar Mayer brands of Braunschweiger. I feel the Oscar Mayer is more authentic, but both are good.

Bonus: I made a huge number of cookies for gifts and in doing so, discovered an awesome product. Krusteaz Bakery Style Gingerbread Cookie Mix was the best mix I used. (I was a bit crunched for time.)

Will make all three again soon for a belated holiday celebration. When I do, I'll take and post photos. 

Safety first: General Mills' Gold Medal, other flours recalled

Gold Medal Flour has been recalled, various sized packages of all-purpose and unbleached flour, due to a multi-state breakout of E.coliO121, which is potentially deadly, according to a notice on General Mills' website. 

The recall also affects Wondra Quick-Mixing All Purpose Flour (often used for gravy) and Signature Kitchens' All Purpose Flour. 

This notice includes all relevant dates and packages. Check it out for the safety of your family and have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend! 

Beyond Meat offers new vegan burger

Whether you genuinely like vegan burgers or eat them due to necessity, you may be interested in this new product. 

After loads of research, the Beyond Burger, made by Beyond Meat, is the first burger that will be sold next to actual meat. It's also gluten-free and soy-free, with no GMOs.

Available now only at a Whole Foods Market in Boulder, CO, it will be making its way to other Whole Foods stores in the coming year. 

For more info, check out this link: 

http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=7875&catId=1

I actually enjoy veggie burgers, so I expect that I'll eventually be checking it out. 

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is Saturday, May 14

An annual event, Stamp Out Hunger is Saturday, May 14. 

You don't even have to haul your food donations to a remote location. 

Just collect and bag nonperishable food items and leave the bag at your mailbox by 9 a.m. for your letter carrier to collect; it will be delivered to your local food bank (such as Gleaners Community Food Bank). 

And if it's going to rain, well, tie the food up in white plastic grocery bags. 

For more information, or to make a donation if you're not going to be home, visit to www.gcfb.org/StampOutHunger.

Pepin retires, to the disappointment of many a PBS watcher

A legend has retired, and Public Broadcasting System watchers aren't likely to be happy with the result. 

Jacques Pepin will only appear on PBS in re-runs after this year. 

In addition to being a fantastic chef, Pepin, 80, is noted for his good humor, joie de vivre and his incredible teaching ability, including a cooking show he did with Julia Child.

I've seen this Frenchman late at night and found him able to break down things simply, so that anyone can follow along (even a large knife-phobic soul like me). 

Slate's tribute to him is here; an excellent article, it mentioned a PBS channel that had some of his shows online. 

Now I just have to find the episode that teaches you how to make mayonnaise, since, so far, I have found the process too hard to even think about trying. 

You too can become a sushi master ... if you hurry

You can become a sushi master ... close to (my) home. 

This public workshop is offered at Carls Family YMCA for a donation of $25. 

Your teacher? Food Network's Cutthroat Kitchen Champion and local restaurant owner Tom Lin. 

Hurry up; there are only 20 spaces available for the workshop. All proceeds go to Carls Family YMCA's annual campaign.

Thanksgiving's a wonderful holiday with way too much food ... and pie!

Thanksgiving is a great concept: taking a day to be grateful for what we have. 

I'm not at all pleased with the addition of shopping to the mix. It really doesn't seem to go with the concept of the day. 

Black Friday sales before Black Friday, which is bad enough, as I am not fond of large hordes out shopping. It's a good way to get injured. Plus, I wouldn't get up that early unless someone was paying me. As someone once said, "Not a morning person doesn't even begin to cover it." 

But back to the bird and all the fixings; since this is a food blog, you knew food had to come in somewhere! 

I was thinking of pie. Pumpkin and pecan, specifically. One of my friends was making a pecan pie cheesecake and I told her to add chocolate, because it reminded me of a marvelous pie I had in Texas once at a fundraising dinner. I found a recipe that sounds similar here if you want to give it a try. 

If I make it, I'll post a pic. I may not, because I'd need to do some shopping the day before Thanksgiving (shuddering at the thought). But perhaps you're more daring. 

Poll: Sugar in spaghetti sauce? Yes or no?

It's been a while since I posted. I have a burning question that must be answered. Preferably right now. 

Why does nearly every spaghetti sauce I see have sugar in it? Is it really necessary? 

Here are some of the answers I ran across doing a brief Internet search:

• To tone down the acidity. 
• Just because we've always done it that way. 
• I prefer to use carrots; it's an Italian thing.
• I don't care why; it's wrong. 
• Isn't that illegal in some states? 

My guess is that it depends on how acidic the tomatoes used are. What do you think? It's relevant right now; I am planning to make homemade pasta sauce for dinner. 

Please answer quickly: should I put sugar in my spaghetti sauce or not? Why? 

Thanks for your input! 

The burning question: waffles or pancakes?

I just read an interesting post on Washington Post's Wonkblog, shared via Facebook by Real Simple. 

Here's the premise: Waffle House is heavily preferred in the South, though it's been slowly creeping north. You won't find one in Michigan though, and where you don't find it may be affected by franchising laws. IHOP rules here, supposedly. 
 .
But apparently that's mostly in three major areas: southeast Michigan's tricounty area as  well as the Lansing and Grand Rapids areas. 

The rest are probably scattered in decent-sized population pockets (I do know there's one in Saginaw and another in Mt. Pleasant, for example. Both have colleges in town or nearby, though, so that may account for IHOP's presence.) 


My father likes both, but he did live in southern Ohio for a while. I usually prefer pancakes, but as a kid, loved the Belgian waffles Big Boy served with strawberries and whipped cream.

So do you follow the trend that's implied in the article and prefer pancakes? Or do you like waffles better? Please leave a message in the comments!

The next new, gluten-free flour is ... coffee flour

Yes, I've been missing in action again.

It was nothing less than an article about coffee flour on Mind Body Green and a second article from Discover Magazine indicating when it would be available to the general public that led me to write a new post.

Coffee flour, hmm? How is it no one came up with this long ago?

It is:
1. Gluten-free
2. Sustainable (after the seeds are extracted, the flour is made from the remaining fruit, which previously went to waste)
3. A source of additional income for coffee growers

According to the CoffeeFlour^® website, it is high in fiber (five times that of whole wheat flour). It also has:

• 84 percent less fat than coconut flour
• Three times the protein of kale (per gram)
• Higher amounts of iron than any grain/cereal in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) database

Note: The caffeine content varies by the variety, concentration and recipe details. (More coffee flour = more caffeine, presumably.)

Coffee flour should be available in stores next year, according to these sources.

Pinterest is getting smarter

Last week, or perhaps it was the week before, I noticed something on Pinterest. 

I don't dare go on there all the time, because, well, I have more than 11,000 pins as it is. So I can't swear when it actually happened, but Pinterest has gotten smarter. It gives me choices of what board to pin to, and it's getting better at giving me those choices. 

You can see my Pinterest board at https://www.pinterest.com/anneseebaldt/. 
Check them out and test my theory. 


Sorry I've been rather MIA lately. 

Not only am I behind on my paperwork accounting for everything I write, I also am miserably failing in my resolution to keep up with personal (a.k.a.unpaid for now) writing.

If you look at www.spinalcolumnonline.com, because you want to know where on earth I was, it will account for some of the time. I also do other editing and writing work. 

Sadly, trying to be accountable means more paperwork

What would you say if I told you I'm doing better on the diet and exercise than in participating in the Spreadsheet of Magic and Wonder tracking my writing? Most people who know me wouldn't believe it. 

I can be fairly disciplined about writing for work, but the personal writing sort of went to the birds when I had an insane four weeks or so of freelance writing. But all writing counts. I just need to log it.

Bah. I hate paperwork. But it's the accountability problem again. If you don't log it, you can underestimate or overestimate what you've eaten. Or written. Or both.

I'll do my best to build on the good habits I'm working to establish food-wise (I went a little off the rails in this, my birthday month). How old am I? Not telling. You get to guess. 

I will say if not for the accountability group (I'm in a new one now), I'd be completely sunk. Let's hear it for the Kempature Fixers. 

And let's hear it for updating the spreadsheet tonight. And my food log. 

Accountability and paperwork kind of go hand in hand. 

Gotta run. 

It's a new year, bring on the resolutions

It's Jan. 7, and really, I haven't made a New Year's resolution. Not a measurable, specific one. 

Resolution #1 
Be healthier. 

Of course, I want to eat a more healthy diet and exercise more often. What that will look like has yet to be quantified, but I joined a challenge/accountability group that starts Jan. 12 and should help with the measurable part. I'll get some help setting those goals. I have a guide, a friend who's done this before. She is co-leader of the group. And I will be exercising as recommended, to the best of my ability. I expect that will be kind of painful, as I haven't done much this past month in the way of exercise. Bring it on.

Resolution #2 
Be more accountable in my writing. 

There are two ways I hope to do this. 

• Actually participate in the Spreadsheet of Magic & Wonder, a way to track your writing in a friendly "competition" with other writers ... and log the words as I go. (Well, after I catch up.) 
• Write at least one blog post a week. It's Dec. 7 and in typical procrastinating fashion, I just realized I nearly blew it the first week, when I read two food-related articles I found absolutely fascinating. 

I won't bother to introduce either in great detail. 

Just please tell me what you think of this post from Mother Jones by Tom Philpott about how he came to change his viewpoint of fake meat. 

The other article, which is somewhat on the same topic, discusses that "The Herbivorous Butcher surpassed its Kickstarter goal and will soon be selling faux meat in the Twin Cities." What do you think? Again, let me know.

Some might ask, "Isn't The Herbivorous Butcher an oxymoron?" 

Not exactly. 

More and more people are eating faux meats and cheese in hopes of having something like their standard fare for health reason, like President Bill Clinton, who used to love fast food, but went on a vegan diet some time ago. Truly, the only thing I found surprising about it was the location.

Having options is a good thing. Try something new. You might like it. 

Where is my eggnog latte?

I'm waiting (not too patiently, I might add) to get an eggnog latte at Starbucks. 

Someone told me it'd be in this week; I went in to my usual Milford Starbucks on Wednesday and was told something else. It seems they kept getting updates. 

Assuming corporate doesn't change its mind, eggnog lattes should be available no later than Nov. 30. 

In the meantime, I have made my own with Rice Dream Rice Nog,* which was on sale the last time I was at Whole Foods Market  in Ann Arbor. Yesterday, I enjoyed the eggnog latte at Kahuna Coffee, which uses eggnog syrup. (What is confusing about Kahuna Coffee is that most people think of the area it's in as Hartland, but it's Howell mailing. Nonetheless, it's an awesome place, which already has given me the opportunity to sell signed poetry book to people).

For me, perhaps because it uses whole milk eggnog, Starbucks has the definitive eggnog latte. And so I wait. Still rather impatient about it. 

Speaking of Starbucks, today is the last day you can buy one holiday drink and get one free to share from 2-5 p.m. (or 6 p.m. if you have a gold card). 

Tell me: what's your favorite holiday drink? Whether it's coffee-based or not, I'd still like to know. 

It's National Coffee Day! Get your coffee now!

I knew this yesterday, but I forgot it when I hit the ground running starting before 9 a.m. 

It is National Coffee Day. 

Yes, it's a bit after 7 p.m. Just the perfect time to go grab a decaf latte, iced coffee or a blended cold, frosty drink. 

If you don't feel like going out, try this flexible recipe: 

Frosty Coffee Drink 

This can be an iced coffee or more of a frappe (frozen) drink. Depends on the number of ice cubes. 

Place the following in the blender: 

• 2-3 heaping teaspoons of instant coffee (It's usually decaf for me; I use Maxwell House. The exact amount depends on how many ice cubes and how much water you put in it.)
• 1 to 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons of Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, optional (original also is fine)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon orange extract, optional (almond extract is also good)
• 5-10 ice cubes, depending upon how frosty you like it
• Approximately 12-16 ounces of water, depending upon how much coffee flavor you want and how thick you want it
• Stevia to taste (I use three to four packets; feel free to use sugar if you prefer it: I have not tried it with honey or agave nectar) 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some coffee. 

This is a pretty healthy recipe; if you want something more fattening and more sinful than a famous coffee shop version, try this recipe from "The Pioneer Woman," Ree Drummond.