Raisin Bread French Toast

The weekend forecast was dismal.  In spite of it, I went out on Friday night to Jazz at the High Museum.  I had a really good time.  And when you've had a great time on a Friday night the best thing to follow up is a delicious breakfast the next morning.  On my way home, I stopped by the 24 hr. Kroger and picked up a few items to make french toast the next day.  I've made french toast with all kinds of bread including regular white or wheat bread.  I've also made it with challah bread.  I wondered what it would taste like if I made it with raisin bread.  I selected the cheapest raisin bread that I could find in the store with the lowest amount of calories and fat.  I found the Kroger brand which was $2.39.  The comparable name brand was about $3.99.

 

 

The weather, as predicted by the weather folks continued to be rainy and gloomy.  It was perfect for staying inside the house and fixing one of my favorite breakfast meals.   That would be followed by leisurely walking around in my pjs, drinking coffee and doing a little this and that.

Nothing but clouds in the sky...

I've been making french toast since I was a kid living at home with my parents.  I don't remember ever seeing a recipe.  I just remember always making it.  It's kind of like my father going into the kitchen and making some bread pudding or rice pudding.  One time I asked him how he made it and did he use a recipe and he said just put in some eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and raisins.  Oh...ok.  For me, I'm going to need a recipe for that one although it is very similar to making french toast.   

This particular morning, I used two eggs and 1% milk which is what I keep in the house.  I usually add vanilla to the egg mixture and cinnamon.  On this day, I left out the vanilla flavoring because I figured that it wasn't needed since I was using the raisin bread.  Later that day, I discovered another cooking show, The Pioneer Woman, and Ree makes her french toast with egg yolks and half n half. 

I prefer fruit and yogurt on top of my french toast instead of syrup.  My favorite combination is apples, bananas and strawberries.  I prefer vanilla yogurt although this time I used a tablespoon or two of honey flavored greek yogurt. 

Dante's Down the Hatch

I was interested in going out for dinner and live music. I called my friend Kim who I knew would be down. As we were thinking about where to go I casually mentioned Dante’s. She was excited about it and said it was a place that she always wanted to try. Dante’s it is!

I had been there once before more than 10 years ago although it might have even been as far back as the 90’s. At that time I thought it was just ok. I don’t remember anything about live music. I remembered the fondue and I wasn’t a big fan of that just because I just don’t find that style of eating interesting or satisfying.  However, I am one to give things a second try. I didn’t mention any of this to Kim because I didn’t want to taint her experience.

The food. Well, this second visit to Dante confirmed that I’m just not into fondue-ing. Kim does not eat meat outside of fish. There were few options for those in her condition. Chuckle. The theme of Dante’s is that of an 18th century ship tied to the wharf of a Mediterranean village. If that were really true, then shouldn’t there be some fish around somewhere? Kim ordered the Imported Cheese Fondue. Per Kim, the cheese fondue was amazing but other than that the vegetables for dipping and the bread were just ok. I ordered the Chinese dumplings which were decent in taste and in texture. I did not fondue them as they came with a sauce for dipping. I dipped a few pieces of bread in Kim’s cheese fondue and I agree that the cheese was very good. I will say that if bread croutons are provided as part of the fondue experience that the bread should be high quality and unique. This bread was neither. It was rather generic and didn’t seem very fresh. In terms of eating, Dante’s is mostly geared for fondue- eating carnivores.

The Jazz. I made reservations ahead of time to make sure that we would be seated by the jazz trio. This also means a $9 cover charge. I have no problems with that at all because musicians gotta get paid… right? Live music is available every night of the week. Monday’s there is an acoustic guitar and vocalist. The remaining 6 days are reserved for jazz which Dante’s has been doing for 33 years. On Fridays and Saturdays, the jazz trio plays until midnight. The John Robertson Trio was there when I visited last Saturday night. The trio included John Robertson on piano who is also a vocalist, a string bass, drums and a female vocalist. There was also a 13 year old guest artist playing alto saxophone and he did not sound like a 13 year old playing alto sax. His last name was also Robertson so I’m assuming it could be the son or a relative. It was so nice watching this young man, dressed up and fitting right in with these professional musicians. In fact, if I was just listening to the music and not seeing the kid, I probably would have thought it was another adult playing. He seemed so talented, earnest and unaffected. That was very refreshing to see. We had a blast! It was more of a casual and cool kind of blast. I really enjoyed the music. The style of jazz is kind of like a modern take on Ella Fitzgerald or Joe Williams. I’m not a jazz aficionado but that was my impression.

Other observations. The restaurant is huge and has many levels to it. You can hear the music from anywhere in the club. We were sitting one floor above the jazz trio and were able to look down and watch them play. We were initially seated at a tiny little awkward table. After I realized that this just wasn’t going to do I asked that we be moved. Our server happily and graciously moved us to a much better spot. The service was good.

The club is located off of Peachtree Street in the affluent Buckhead area amidst high rises. The restaurant and parking lot were full when we arrived around 8 pm. The entrance to the club is entered through the back of the club.  There are these antique cars along the back and the side entrance to restaurant as if we were entering into an antique car museum.  I wondered what in the world that had to do with an 18th century ship or the Mediterranean.

We were dressed nicely as if we were going out to a classy jazz club. Although I saw signage about appropriate dress required, I saw a few jeans and a flannel shirt or two. However, we supposedly are on a ship tied to a wharf bereft of fish so that would not signal to most people that they should look nice.

I would definitely go back to Dante’s. I would pay the cover charge to be near the musicians. I would look nice and go with a friend who would do likewise. I would have dinner at home or elsewhere first. I would order dessert and coffee. Then, I would sit back and enjoy myself.

Flying

I love to fly. I love the feeling that I'm going somewhere and doing something different. I also like being really high up in the sky. I can't believe how different the world appears from this perspective. The clouds look thick enough to lie upon and the land like one big geographic puzzle. It's a new way to see the world. I think most people love this part of flying.

Of course, there are some aspects of flying that I find terrifying. Turbulence or rough air reminds me that I'm 30,000 feet in the air – trapped in a metal contraption with wings. I consider that something could go wrong. I might just plummet to the earth. Strangely, I have learned to appreciate this part as well. I’m trying to go somewhere and do something different but fear and anxiety want to hitch a ride. And that’s ok with me because I’m still going. I just acknowledge them and get on board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  Photos from Iphone en route to Philadelphia, July 2011.

Shrimp & Grits

On Christmas morning for many years, we would have Bacon Pleasers and grits. But this Christmas, my mother wanted to try a Shrimp and Grits recipe from Prevention Magazine.  

We made the grits the way we normally do with salted water and cooking and stirring for a long time.  If they get too thick, just add a little water and keep stirring until they are nice and creamy.  We cook our grits for almost an hour.  However, I’ve included the recipe for those who aren’t grit cookers.  This dish was simply divine!

Grits

1 cup of grits (not quick cooking)
2 cups of water
3 cups 1% milk
1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Shrimp
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 Slices or 3 oz. of Canadian bacon sliced into 1 1/2  inch strips
1 lb of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp of chopped fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried
¾ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp all purpose flour
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
½ cup 1% milk

Make the grits. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually add grits, whisking constantly. Add milk, butter, and ¼ tsp salt and simmer, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until smooth and creamy, about 40 minutes.

Prepare shrimp. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until near done, about 3 minutes. Transfer to plate. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp of oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring until softened, 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, paprika and ¼ tsp salt. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and stir one minute. Add broth and milk and bring to a boil and stir constantly. Cook over medium –high heat, stirring until the sauce thickens, 3 minutes. Return the shrimp and bacon to the sauce in pan. Simmer until shrimp is cooked through, 1 minute. Season to taste. Serve the shrimp mixture over the grits. Serves 4 people.

I have a few thoughts on this recipe other than it being simply divine. There were a few substitutions that I made. The cost of the Canadian bacon was high and I noticed that turkey bacon was on sale.  For this type of recipe once could use Canadian bacon, regular (pork) bacon, turkey bacon or even ham.  However, I used the turkey bacon to keep it on the healthier side.   I used six strips which I chopped up instead of slicing into strips.   Dried thyme was used liberally, 1-2 teaspoons.  I used a few cloves of garlic.  One can’t go wrong with more garlic.  Before I returned the shrimp and bacon mixture back to the pan, I seasoned it liberally with Old Bay Seasoning.   I also added about a tablespoon of dried parsley and hot sauce to kick up the heat a just a little.

Know Thy Neighbors

The strata recipe (below) comes by way of my next door neighbor, Reshma.  We live in a townhome community and our houses are joined together.   For the first few years, we would have conversations from our driveways.  Our earliest conversations were easy as we both work in the same field.  Then, gradually we got to know each other on a more personal level.  We've even compared notes on the dating situation in the ATL and agree that we might just need to get the hell on up on out of here if we wanted a real relationship or wanted to get married.

A couple of years ago, Reshma invited me over for my birthday and fixed me some of the Indian foods she grew up eating.  I raved about the food.   Reshma didn't think it was a big deal.   A couple of months ago, I was standing outside her door on my way to walk Brandi and chatting about nothing but then ended up telling her about a tribulation I was working my way through.  She fully understood.  We parted and I felt better.  I had walked almost a house length away and she called out to me Karen, I really am very sorry that you are having to go through this.  Even from that distance away, I could sense her deep concern.  I forgot my exact response but I do remember having tears in my eyes. 

For almost 6 years, we've watched our community grow.  We moved into a brand new community when some of the townhomes were still being built.  I found it strange being among the first set of settlers living amongst unfinished 3 story houses and the eery quietness.   It was nice when all of the homes were finally completed and occupied.  To this day, I remember when our community came to life with the sound of children playing in the street.  I've been here long enough to watch some of these kids graduate from high school.  And now there are still a good number of kids around, some whom we wish would grow up a little faster and quit all of that crying and hollering. 

We've been talking about getting a few neighbors together for a long time.  Well...Reshma would talk about it and I would agree that she should have something at her house.  One day Reshma sent out an invitation to her home for a Sunday brunch which included three other homeowners. We all happen to live side by side.  Nitesh and Jaimini are newlyweds and moved into the community within the last year.  Then there's Rhonda who has lived here as long as Reshma and I.  We all accepted.  It was a wonderful.  Reshma is an exceptional hostess for all of the right reasons one might expect.  She's also a great cook and that is my preference when invited over for a meal. 

She fixed breakfast strata (recipe to follow), rosemary potatoes, orange-cranberry scones (store-bought), fresh berries with vanilla, honey, and cinnamon yogurt, and vanilla almond granola.  There was also tea, coffee and OJ.

Unfortunately, the photos from the brunch did not come out very well but I thought I would include them anyway. 

Reshma’s Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Strata

(adapted from several strata recipes from food.com and Epicurious.com)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
9 eggs
3 links of chicken sausage (no casing), diced
1 large onion, cut into 2 inch long thin strips
1 large bell pepper, cut into 2 inch long thin strips
3 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cumin
1 clove garlic (finely chopped or pressed)
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tbs butter, softened (to grease baking dish)
Approximately one loaf of ciabatta bread
1 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped.
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.

2. Add peppers, onions, sausage and sauté until tender and onions have sweated a bit, about 6-10 minutes. Then add garlic. Press all liquid out of thawed spinach and add to skillet. Add the artichoke hearts.

3. Add nutmeg and cumin. Cook for another minute and then remove from heat.

4. Beat eggs in a large bowl until frothy and add milk, salt, pepper.

5. Grease a 13x9 baking dish with a small amount of the butter.

6. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. (8-9 cups of cubed bread should result)

7. Layer half the bread cubes, then half the sautéed vegetable mixture, and half the cheddar cheese.

8. Repeat layers in order, ending with cheddar cheese.

9. Cover dish and refrigerate overnight. (It needs 8 hours in the refrigerator)

10. Remove from refrigerator and uncover 30 minutes prior to baking.

11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

12. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown on top and firm in center, a knife inserted in center will come out clean.

13. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Black Girls Run!

Camille Cunningham
Guest Blogger
Runner

A runner is thin. A runner is lean. A runner is someone with thin textured every day washable hair. A runner is immune to cold weather. A runner is not me.

These are only a few of the misconceptions I have had about runners for 33 years. Running is not something I have ever attempted or even contemplated in my life. It is not that I didn’t struggle from overweight and obesity. Growing up in the south, I became a fan of fried foods, bad carbohydrates, and sugar in any capacity at an early age. Unhealthy eating was – is a part of my culture; isn’t it? But why?

For years I have told myself, “It’s okay to be a little thick, black men like thick women.” So, I ate a carbohydrate filled diet and at the age of 15 I was already 5 lbs overweight. By the age of 30, I had gained 65 more pounds. At 5 foot 3 inches tall, I weighed 205 lbs. Now, I can blame this on the college 15 or the extra 20 lbs of happy fat that came after marriage; but the only blame lies with me. The thing most people don’t tell you about gaining weight is that you don’t realize how big you’ve gotten until after you’ve lost the weight. When I look back at the photos of myself, I am saddened and I often wonder “How did this happen to me?”

As I examine my childhood, teenage years and adulthood I realized one thing. Running is not something I associated myself with because it is not a sport that I have seen my image represented. Runners did not live in my neighborhoods, attend my churches, or reside within my social circles. I am an African American woman; raised in an African American household in the southeastern region of the country. My parents were raised poor. Although they climbed the corporate ladder to provide a middle-class upbringing for my sister and I; their eating habits were quite similar to many African American families. Simply put, I was not exposed to healthy eating.

Today, both of my parents suffer with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or Type II diabetes. The same is true for my husband’s family; his father suffered 3 strokes in 2 months before the age of 50. Seeing my family members take pill after pill, I decided to make a change. I, like many others tried several unsuccessful fad diets. In 2009, I decided to significantly curtail my eating habits to a no carb, no sugar, and no alcohol diet. Although I lost 40 lbs in 4 months, at least 15 of those pounds came back within a year because my new eating habits were unrealistic and unsustainable. So now what?

In October 2011, Tracie, a dear friend, introduced me to Black Girls Run (BGR)! She explained that BGR had an Atlanta chapter of women that ran all over the city encouraging each other to push past their limitations and stereotypes. Honestly, when she first told me of the group I thought she was a little crazy. I mean I was no runner. What about my hair? What about the cold temperatures? Lastly, I thought “Black women don’t run – do they?!” Because Tracie was such a trusted friend of mine I decided to check it out.

I will never forget, it was Sunday, October 16 at 7:00 a.m. – the temperature was 42 degrees. Tracie drove as I sat in silence thinking “What the heck am I doing!”, “I hope they have a medic on standby”, “This is the silliest thing I’ve ever done.” We pulled into Walden Park subdivision and everything from there is still a bit hazy. But this is what I remember: I remember 116 black women in layers of clothes and bandanas. I remember jogging two steps and walking twenty. I remember seeing a girl twice my size and age pass me up a hill. And it was at that moment that I said, “Oh, heck no!”

After the run, or walk I should say, I felt mixed feelings of disappointment and determination. The disappointment came from realizing how out of shape I had become. The determination came from the seeing and feeling this huge amount of support, positivity and camaraderie from Black Girls Run. There is something about a group that is inclusive of all sizes, ages, and races of women. And there is something magical about 100+ women cheering you through the finish line each and every time.

Since joining Black Girls Run on October 16th, I have run a minimum of 13.5 to 20 miles per week. I have participated in two 5k’s (one of which I had the 2nd fastest time), have registered for one 10k, and I am in training for a half marathon in March. And, just a few days ago, I ran (not walked) 8 miles nonstop for the first time. I am now a runner for at least 3 days a week. Just running, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables in my diet has allowed me to lose over 15 lbs. in five weeks. I am only 13 pounds from my goal weight, a size 6/8. I am smaller than I have been since 1998. My husband is in awe, my friends are in wonderment, and my haters just don’t know what to do.

Today, I can proudly say thank you to support of 100+ women of the Black Girls Run Camp Creek chapter for adding years to my life. As with anything positive, I like to spread the word! If you are looking for a way to change your life, come join BGR. Since joining I have converted 8 women into runners. We don’t care about your race, age, size, or level. Once you try us, you’re hooked for life. Come get some!!!


Camille and Tracie in training for their first half marathon in March 2012



Pew - awl - ep

Puyallup, Washington is about 35 miles south of Seattle.  Pew-awl-ep is also where I spent my Thanksgiving.  I was visiting my aunt, my father's sister, and her chldren who also live in the Seattle area.  I've been out to Seattle a few times either for work or to visit the same family. 

This time, I fnally asked my aunt the question I've been wanting to ask her forever.  How in the world did you get way out here?  She was born and raised in North Augusta, South Carolina and went to college a few miles away at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia.  Five of  her 7 sibblings got up out of the South to continue their education and in search of job opportunities that just weren't possible in the South.  So they ended up in New York, Maryland, Indiana and Pensylvania. 

Aunt Olivia met her husband James while at Paine College.  After school, they married in New York.  And your parents gave me a wedding reception.  Did you know that?  Yes, they did...says Aunt Olivia proudly.  That was very interesting to me as I did not know this about my parents.  Uncle James joined the military and at some point was stationed in the Seattle area.  The rest is history.  They raised their three children in Tacoma, Washington and now they have their own families and live in the greater Seattle area.  This was a rather practical explanation that I had not considered. 

I mentioned to my cousins that I wanted to check out downtown Puyallup.  They all laughed me under the table.  There's nothing there!  In fact, these cousins of mine chuckled about this request from the time of my arrival on Tuesday until my departure on Saturday.  However, my cousin Alicia fondly remembered having half days at school and getting tickets to the Puyallup Fair.  Her fiance' once took her to the library for a date.  She also admitted that there is a really nice farmers' market from April to October in Pioneer Park.       

Of course, on the day of my visit to downtown Puyallup, the weather was rainy and overcast.  The Pacific Ocean is the source of so much moisture.  After doing a little research, I was surprised that the Seattle area actually has less rainfall (inches per year) than many other cities.  However, the average number of days of precipitation is very high at 157 days a year.  On a similar note, there are about 226 cloudy days a year which would severely impact my happiness quotient. 

In spite of the weather, and nary a farmers' market nor fair, I found downtown Puyallup to be quite interesting.

 

 

The location of the farmers' market and Native American art...

Puyallup Public Library...

The streets...