A Great Many Things

This post comes with an introductory disclaimer: I feel as if what I am about to write is in direct contradiction to the things taught to me by my beloved Women's Studies professor,  Dr. Sylvia Hoffert .  I will say that I am very closely attached to the maternal figures in my life and find myself frequently in awe of the women in my family - those who are present here on earth and those who have shaken off this mortal coil. However, in a late Father's Day tribute to my grandfathers and an early 49th birthday tribute to my father, I am going to wax prosaic on the patriarchs in my life tonight.  In an effort to reassure myself that I am still a feminist and a good Women's Studies minor, I will say that I remember all the things taught to me by Dr. Hoffert, things like  berdache  and  quickening . Disclaimer FIN! As I was scraping the paint off of my front door tonight (see previous blog posting regarding repainting door), I suddenly began to think about my...

As promised, here is the second of my many recent kitchen creations for your culinary pleasure. Barbeque Chicken Salad 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 can reduced sodium black beans 1 bag frozen corn or 1 can corn 1 cup Barbeque sauce 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 tbsp real bacon crumbles Mixed salad greens Salt & Pepper to taste. - Chop raw chicken breasts into small cubed pieces and salt and pepper to taste. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. - While chicken is cooking, heat beans and corn separately. - Once chicken is completely cooked, place in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (like a chicken salad consistency). - Place chopped chicken in a bowl and combine with BBQ sauce. - Place mixed greens in two separate bowls and top with black beans and corn. - Layer chicken over beans and corn. - Sprinkle cheese and bacon bits over salad to taste. This has become my favorite salad. It is loaded with taste and texture! Y...

With the obvious abundance of roughage coming from our garden (see post below), I have had to become quite creative in the kitchen in order to fully enjoy the produce in all its glory. We hit the normal garden salads HARD for the first few weeks of the garden's life. While the salad is still a Watson kitchen classic, I wanted to utilize the lettuce/Spinach in other, more novel ways. Here is the first of a few recipes I threw together. Pizza Bianco 1 package pizza crust mix (I used the Wal-Mart brand. We are obviously very pretentious.) 1 cup reduced fat Ricotta Cheese 1 1/2 cup chopped fresh Spinach 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved or sliced...your call 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup fresh onion, minced 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp minced garlic A good sprinkling of garlic powder Plentiful Olive Oil - Prepare the crust according to package directions. While letting the crust rise, prepare veggies and heat in skillet over medium...