Friday, May 1, 2009

food for all my thoughts

1. Probably 3 times a year, I buy natural peanut butter figuring it's better for the family. And then I remember that I hate it. Oily, horrible spreadability, flavorless. Skippy has a natural peanut butter that doesn't have any of those problems, but it's so expensive compared to the regular. Talk to me, people. Am I horrible for just settling for your regular Jif or Skippy? (In the meantime, I'll be enjoying its deliciousness.)

2. Ever since I was a kid, I've enjoyed this random recipe which was almost certainly made up by my sister when she was 10 years old: Toast with cream cheese and spaghetti sauce. I'm going to have it today with green olives. I am psyched.

3. I could NOT sleep from 4am until almost 6am this morning. I was sure I was going to get up and make homemade biscuits for the first time in 10 years resulting in surprise and delight for the boys. Much to MY delight, I fell back asleep instead. But, maybe tomorrow...

4. I just bought 10 lbs of sweet onions. They were such a good price, but seriously...10 lbs? I'm thinking this is just the thing to finally motivate me to learn how to caramelize onions. Any other sweet onion recommendations?

5. How seriously do I have to take this "no feta"/"no bleu cheese" thing??? I flippin' love my unpasteurized cheeses. Is there such a thing as pasteurized feta? (I feel so convicted. I shouldn't bother you with such a question when I could just google it.)

6. Why is brisket so expensive? It seems like something that would be as cheap as salt pork.

7. I never cook in plastic. Just weirds me out. When my Mom said "steamer bags" the other day, all I heard was "cancer infusers". It's not you, Mom, it's me.

8. One of my many fears of having another child is that this one will have severe allergies. My heart breaks for the many of you that have to deal with food allergies. There should be a tax break for people who have to live gluten/corn/soy/dairy/whatever-free.

9. I learned that you do not completely mess up granola if you accidentally double the wet ingredients, namely OIL. But, it just messes with my head when I eat my double-serving-of-oil-granola. ugh.

10. I officially get more sleepy-eyed when I plan our menu than when I read the Bible.

10 comments:

Jen said...

I recommend another batch of French onion soup.

Jon made a fabulous Caramelized Onion Tart as an appetizer.

As far as natural peanut butter, I buy skippy mainly for the kids PB & J sandwiches. I don't really care about spending a lot of money on Peanut Butter. But it cheap and then splurge on the Feta.

I never considered Feta an unpasteurized cheese. I figured that if it came in a plastic wrap it must be fine. Besides, if I eat it with spinach, it couteracts any negative that the cheese could contribute, right?

tiffany said...

"choosy moms, choose jif." i always tell myself that when i feel guilty about buying the cheaper/yummier peanut butter. advertising has had it's effect on me i guess.

make fajitas with lots o onion. mmmmm

Greta said...

Confessions of a cheese lover, I've eaten more than my fair share of feta and (gasp) blue cheese during this pregnancy.

The babe isn't out yet so I can't say for sure that has had NO ill effects. However, MOST feta is actually pasturized. The kind I buy at the store is, as it the feta they use at Zoe's (do you have Zoe's up there?) As long as it's pasturized, no need for concern and if it's not...maybe only a small need for concern.

Am I a horrible pregnant mom?

Jenna said...

jen- must have caramelized tart recipe. link?

tiffany- good idea with fajitas!!

greta- you are NOT a horrible pregnant mom. you are happy and cheese-fed. i've cheated, too, but i'm less inclined as this thing progresses. i was kind of in denial at first. we don't have zoe's but, i'll be checking for past'd feta.

Anonymous said...

The problem is that you buy natural PB three times a year. It's an acquired taste, Jenna! Of course it's not as tasty, because generally, healthy things just aren't as tasty. I managed to get Chris to eat it by just not buying Jif anymore, and now he'll eat the TJ brand. The kids don't know any better. I get my Jif fix at Chris' mom's house...mmmmmmm...

The plastic thing weirds me out too. Just yesterday I removed the veggies from the steamer bag and put them in corningware, BUT I did use the microwave, which some people say is bad too. I'm probably getting cancer from sitting in front of this computer...
And from yummy peanut butter!

Love ya!
Lori

Anonymous said...

This was so fun to read! (but then, all of your posts are)

Ok, we eat so much peanut butter, I figure it is worth it to "splurge" on the good stuff. Just read the label on Jif, etc. It is really just a dessert-high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils and not much nutritional value. But I totally understand your feelings about the natural stuff-it took me a while to actually enjoy the flavor but now I just taste the great peanut flavor-I can't go back -Jif just tastes like sugar and peanut flavored as opposed to the real peanut flavor. I just started buying Parkers brand in the refrigerated section-it is all natural, made/distributed locally and it spreads wonderfully, and if I remember right it is under $3.

This was probably too much information and I didn't know I was so passionate about peanut butter!

:),
Sara

Jen said...

Oops. It was a Leek Tart, not onion. Sorry. It was yummy!

Jess said...

There are better things to feel guilty about than peanut butter! Just spread it on a nice crispy apple and you'll be fine.

(By the way, your sister gave me your blog address, and I've been a secret reader for awhile now.)

Esther said...

Good news! Most cheeses - even soft ones like Feta & Brie - made in the US are pasteurized by law. It should say it on the package if they are.

My 8 month old is allergic to soy, wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, shellfish, all legumes, and carrots and is perpetually itchy, but on the positive side, since I have to nurse him until he's 1 year I am the lowest I've weighed since college. (I actually fit into a size 4 the other day - a size I never thought I'd come near again!) :)

Allison Dillard said...

All I have to say is Trader Joe's peanut butter. We all love it- it's cheap--it tastes great...actually like peanuts. It has 2 ingredients. If you put it in the fridge after mixing it up it won't separate. I can't take the other now. Thanks for the cancer bags---now I won't be able to "Steamfresh" ever again :) Love you girl!

Al