The Oven

When Steve and I moved to Fort Worth we lived in a Duplex that didn't have central air.  The months of May-September were mostly miserable.  The living room and bedrooms did have window units, and this worked fine while we were sleeping or watching TV, but meals in general didn't really work very well.  The kitchen had zero ventilation and I'm positive I was cooking in 100 + temps some days.  The dining room was pretty blocked from the living room air, so eating warm foods wasn't really appealing.

During those two summers I forced myself to leave the oven off.  This effort was mostly futile because I was drenched in sweat most days, but for some reason I felt better about it.

I realized this week that I'm still cooking in the oven, a lot.  Part of me feels guilty about this.  It's June after all, so shouldn't I be oven free, eating fresher foods, more salads and sandwiches.  But, then the other part of me thinks, "I'm not sweating, so who cares?"  Plus, when I use the oven for food that screams summer, it just seems right.

I feel like drumsticks are very summer; I'm not sure why.  Maybe because I can eat them with my fingers and that somehow feels summery to me.  In any case, I'm kind of having a love affair with them.

They, like so many things I cook, have a lot of room when cooking times are concerned.  You don't want to leave them in the oven forever, but you have some leeway and security to know that your product not only is done but still moist.

Italian Grilled Drumsticks


Chicken drumsticks
Garlic cloves
Dried basil
Kosher salt/pepper
Olive oil- not extra virgin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees or higher.

Mince the garlic and add basil, salt, pepper, and oil.  Spread over drumsticks so all areas are covered in oil.

Preheat grill to medium-medium high.  I use an indoor non stick grill pan, but use whatever you have.  You could also do a regular saute pan.  Add drumsticks.  Make sure they aren't too close or they won't brown well.

Cook to deep brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.  Place in glass baking dish and bake until done, about 30 minutes in 375.

How to: Yogurt

Recently I was shopping with a friend and she asked if I liked Greek yogurt.  "No," I replied.  Maybe I would like it if I tried the blueberry or chocolate or whatever else, but I've only had the plain and it's a little too tart for my taste.  I felt like my answer needed some explanation, so I explained to her that I make my own yogurt and mostly I just prefer the stuff that I make.  "You make," she commented, "your own yogurt."   I could feel her slightly rolling her eyes in a "of course you do" kind of sarcastic way.

Sometimes I feel bad for making things that most people purchase but then I remember that it's more delicious from my kitchen so... oh, well.

My yogurt making days began after I was married.  Steve wanted to register for a yogurt making machine.  I agreed because I loved him.  I honestly never thought we would use it, but we received one and we made it and I didn't really like it.  A couple years went by and it turned from a slightly inconvenient gift to a money saving tool to a regular thing because I love fresh yogurt.

I got good at turning the plain yogurt into gourmet treats, like strawberry banana and pina colada.  But I realized that sometimes I didn't want to make exactly 7 1/2 cup servings.  I new there was a way to make it sans machine.  So, this week I figured it out.

I based my method off of this website: make your own yogurt

How to: Yogurt

1. The milk

What I really do love about this method is that I can use whatever milk I have on hand.  All of my leftovers.

2. Heat it

Pour milk into saucepan.  (You'll notice in the next picture that I moved to a larger pot.)  Heat on medium until it's 185 degrees.  I don't use a thermometer.  Just, watch it.  Stir frequently.  The milk will get frothy and steam a little.  The important things are that it doesn't scald or boil.  Don't let it boil.

3. Cool it

Cool the milk to lukewarm, about 110 degrees.  In the website I read it suggested using a water bath in the sink.  This took about 5 minutes because the water was really cold.  Again, you want to stir frequently.  You can also stick the pot into the refrigerator.  This takes about 20 minutes, stir every 5 minutes or so.  Again, I don't use a thermometer, just feel it with my finger- you want it slightly warmer than the hot tub :)

4. Yogurt Starter
Sorry, no picture.  Take a container of yogurt, a use Yoplait french vanilla low fat.  If you have plain, please use it.  Stir it in slowly to the milk.  You want it well distributed.  

5. Leave it Alone

Cover with a dishcloth.  Place in a corner and don't touch for at least 7 hours.  You want it to be warm.  I used a homemade heating pack- dried corn sewn into some cotton fabric- and then I made some cookies and had the oven on and then I turned the air off and it was like 95 that day.  Later, I reheated the hot pack. So, you know, be creative.  If you have an electic heat pad, use that.  Or, if you have a gas stove, put it close to the pilot.

6. Chill

Stir the yogurt a little bit and pour into whatever containers you have.  It will seem a little runny.  Chilling will thicken it a little bit, but remember that store bought yogurt usually has some sort of thickener.  The recipe with our machine makes a thicker yogurt and it includes some dry milk powder, maybe that does something?  Chill for at least a couple hours.

7. Eat

Enjoy a bowl of fabulous yogurt! 

First Meals and More

We have moved!  It was a crazy two day drive here,  but we made it safely.  And, since S drove ahead of me I came home to a box packed house.  Very cool.  It's still crazy to think that we bought a house, but here we are.

In the first couple of days I rearranged the kitchen about three times.  Then a couple days later I moved a couple more things around.  After a shopping trip today and C discovering not only how to open the lazy susan but also that it contains things like sprinkles, cookies, and cocoa I think I may need to find a new home for some items.  But, it's coming together.  I like the flow of the kitchen more than our last place.  I never really thought about it before.  But, it works here and it made me realize that it really didn't before.  Don't be afraid to pull everything out of your cabinets and move them around.

For my first meal in my new kitchen I pulled out the tenderloin.  If any of you haven't used pork tenderloin you should start.  It's about as versatile as boneless, skinless chicken breast, and, bonus, is almost fool proof against drying out.

What I'm realizing more and more is that most foods just taste good.  It doesn't take much, just proper cooking technique and flavor enhancement, to make a beautiful meal.  With the tenderloin I rubbed on a seasoning mix- rosemary, sea salt, oregano, basil.  Not too much, just enough to add some flavor.

Heat an oven proof pan- like cast iron or stainless steel, over medium heat. Lightly grease and add the tenderloin. Notice that the pork isn't completely covered with seasoning.

Brown on all sides.  If your pan in smaller than the pork, you can do like me and cook like a "J", or cut it in half and cook side by side.










Place in an oven preheated to 375 or so and bake until done, about 20-25 minutes.

Some other favorites this week have been grilled asparagus, grilled veggie pizza, and peach and chicken salad.