Lookin' out my back door and easy chicken with pasta

Part One: The Birds!

Oh boy has the wind been blustering for the past couple of days! The carport cover has been clanging away and the mulberry branches whipping about. Nice thing is though is that all the fallen leaves have been blown away :D There has been a small family or group of 5 little grey birds hanging around the back porch, three of who I have heard and seen begging, so I'm guessing it is a family group. Anyway, they have been taking refuge under the overhang and on the roof under the mulberry branches. They create a nice little protected area on part of the roof.

If anybody can recognize the species from the pictures and the fact that we are located in stanislaus county, I'd love for you to leave a comment!

Here is a pic I took through the dirty back-door window, we didn't want to disturb them.

Another pic, the little puffball is still preening the same spot




I went outside around the side of the house and put out a few meal worms in a dish for them, far enough away to not disturb them, but close enough to be in easy sight :D


Part Two: Pasta Ramblings

I also tossed together a very simple but tasty dinner, from what we have on hand, a chicken leg quarter skinned and split between a thigh and drumstick, seasoned with creole seasoning and baked in a covered dish. While that was baking, I got some water boiling and tossed in some pasta, then got a piece of bacon going in the microwave. Then it was a simple matter of deciding on a vegetable. I went with some frozen peas so I could just toss them in during the last couple of minutes with the pasta.

Once that is done, just drain the pasta/peas and toss with the chopped bacon, a couple of tablespoons of cream or milk, and a couple of handfuls of parmasan (the cheap stuff if you are on a budget), maybe a little salt, and let it all meld together for a few.

The really nice thing about this particular "recipe" is that it is a very versatile side dish. You can use any vegetable that can be boiled, so long as you time it correctly, and you can use any shape of pasta that you have sitting around. Then all you need is a sauce and/or flavoring. This can be as simple as a couple of cloves of garlic to a long-simmered reduction of red wine and tomatoes. The key is to use what you have on hand. Have some canned tomatoes? dice those suckers, and toss with the pasta with some pesto, italian seasoning, onion, or garlic. Or use a little butter, lemon pepper, and broccoli with penne. Heck, you could even use a mix; the endpiece of a squash and some carrots tossed in the cooking water, then italian stewed tomatoes or any salad dressing (works especially for a cold dish) added at the end, the options are nearly endless.

So with all that rambling typed, here is what our refridgerator yielded for a tasty chicken and pasta dinner for two:

Another amazing favourite: Tomatoes!

A piece of some of The Big Guy's best work, tomatoes are versatile, tasty, and cheap in their canned form. Much like how you can always build a meal around a potato, you can always use canned tomatoes to tie a meal together. Together these are two of your budget's best friends. Tomatoes compliment everything from pork to pasta, asparagus to zucchini.

Here is a nice little overview of the health benefits of tomatoes. Soon to come will be some more suggestions on adding this tasty, versatile berry to your life.

Health Properties of Tomatoes

Here are 10 reasons you should be eating more delicious, nutritious tomatoes.

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

I live in California, where we seem to eat a lot of sandwiches, salads, and Mexican food. And my favorite cuisine to cook is Italian. In my house, if we aren't enjoying tomatoes on our sandwiches or in our salads or salsa, we're saucing up dinner with some marinara. And those high-flavor, garden-fresh grape and cherry tomatoes? We eat them plain, like cherries.

Eating lots of tomatoes, any way you can, is a great thing. This fruit that acts like a vegetable is loaded with health properties.

Here are 10 reasons why you should have tomatoes in your kitchen and pantry:

1. Tomatoes contain all four major carotenoids: alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. These carotenoids may have individual benefits, but also have synergy as a group (that is, they interact to provide health benefits).
2. In particular, tomatoes contain awesome amounts of lycopene, thought to have the highest antioxidant activity of all the carotenoids.
3. Tomatoes and broccoli have synergy that may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. One study showed that prostate tumors grew much more slowly in rats that were fed both tomato and broccoli powder than in rats given lycopene as a supplement or fed just the broccoli or tomato powder alone.
4. A diet rich in tomato-based products may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study from The University of Montreal. The researchers found that lycopene (provided mainly by tomatoes) was linked to a 31% reduction in pancreatic cancer risk between men with the highest and lowest intakes of this carotenoid.
5. Tomatoes contain all three high-powered antioxidants: beta-carotene (which has vitamin A activity in the body), vitamin E, and vitamin C. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report, What We Eat in America, noted that a third or us get too little vitamin C and almost half get too little vitamin A.
6. Tomatoes are rich in potassium, a mineral most of us don't get enough of. A cup of tomato juice contains 534 milligrams of potassium, and 1/2 cup of tomato sauce has 454 milligrams.
7. When tomatoes are eaten along with healthier fats, like avocado or olive oil, the body's absorption of the carotenoid phytochemicals in tomatoes can increase by two to 15 times, according to a study from Ohio State University.
8. Tomatoes are a big part of the famously healthy Mediterranean diet. Many Mediterranean dishes and recipes call for tomatoes or tomato paste or sauce. Some recent studies, including one from The University of Athens Medical School, have found that people who most closely follow the Mediterranean diet have lower death rates from heart disease and cancer. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, who followed more than 39,000 women for seven years, found that consumption of oil- and tomato-based products -- particularly tomato and pizza sauce -- was associated with cardiovascular benefits.
9. When breastfeeding moms eat tomato products, it increases the concentration of lycopene in their breast milk. In this case, cooked is best. The researchers also found that eating tomato products like tomato sauce increased concentrations of lycopene in breast milk more than eating fresh tomatoes did.
10. Tomato peels contribute a high concentration of the carotenoids found in tomatoes. The amount of carotenoids absorbed by human intestinal cells was much greater with tomato paste enriched with tomato peels compared to tomato paste without peels, according to a study from Marseille, France. The tomato skin also holds most of the flavonols (another family of phytochemicals that includes quercetin and kaempferol) as well. So to maximize the health properties of tomatoes, don't peel them if you can help it!

Terrific Tomato Recipes

The good news is that America already loves tomatoes. They're one of the top fresh vegetables eaten in this country, and are the most frequently consumed canned vegetable, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics.

Here are two tomato recipes to help you start eating more of these nutritious fruits today.

Halfway Homemade Garlic & Onion Pasta Sauce

You start with a bottle or can of marinara sauce, and end with a chunky, homemade-style pasta sauce.

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
A dash of black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cups bottled or canned marinara sauce
1/4 cup red wine of choice, such as merlot (optional)

• Add olive oil to a medium, nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add onion and bell pepper and sauté until cooked (about 4 minutes).
• Reduce heat to low. Stir in minced garlic and black pepper and cook about a minute more. Stir in fresh basil, marinara, and wine (if desired) and simmer until the sauce is good and hot (a minute or two more). Serve with cooked pasta, chicken, fish, etc.

Yield: 4 servings (about 3/4 cup to 1 cup each)

Per serving: 132 calories, 3 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 3.8 g monounsaturated fat, 1.4 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, about 500 mg sodium (depending on the marinara sauce used). Calories from fat: 41%.

Simple Tomato & Herb Salad

This dish is simple because it uses a bottled salad dressing. The rest of the chopping and slicing goes quickly. It's all about featuring the garden fresh or vine-ripened tomato in all of its glory.

2 1/2 pounds (about 6 medium) garden fresh or vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings
2 shallots, sliced thin
6 tablespoons light or reduced fat Italian-style salad dressing (your choice)
1/3 cup minced mixed fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, and tarragon

• Core tomatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange tomato slices in a deep serving dish (a 9x11-inch dish works well), and scatter onion and shallots over them.
• Drizzle the bottled salad dressing evenly over the salad. Cover the dish and chill for 20-30 minutes.
• Sprinkle herb mixture over the top and serve.

Speaking of Potatoes, How to Grow Them!

My mom blames the Irish blood in me for two things: my near-impossible to match light skin, and a love of potatoes. I can't help it, with their white fluffy clouds of pulp just staring up at you, offering a heavenly taste if you would but partake, they are downright seductive. You can whip them into a light fluff, fry them to a delicious golden brown, or use them as a hearty side to a meaty roast.

Just try telling me these delicious tubers don't just call out to be grown and enjoyed


There are varieties for boiling, roasting, baking, and mashing. My personal favourite for baking is the gold yukon, it has a more velvety texture and buttery flavor than your common russet, though I've been wanting to try fingerlings, a smaller straighter potato about the size of a large jalepeno that is often served whole, as a roasted side dish.

So here is a guide to help you get started on growing these damp, dark lovelies!

Growing Potatoes In Containers

Growing potatoes in containers may not make a lot of sense unless you want to grow varieties that are hard to find or are particularly expensive. Growing your standard russet potatoes or giant baking potatoes is probably going to be a waste of space, although it might be fun. But if you are like me, you want to make the most efficient use of the space you have available.

Potatoes are reproduces through the eyes on potatoes. You've no doubt seen these sprouts on potatoes that have been sitting for too long in your cupboards. The eyes shoot out sprouts, and when you plant these sprouts, you can grow potatoes.

It is NOT recommended that you do this, however. Potatoes that are found in supermarkets are typically treated with chemicals to inhibit sprouting. They do not typically grow very well when planted, and might poison the soil if you try to grow something else in it later. You should grow your potatoes from what is known as seed potatoes.

Seed potatoes are not actually seeds. Potatoes do not have seeds. They are actually specially grown miniature tubers that have been grown in controlled conditions to minimize the chance of disease. You should try to buy certified disease-free seed potatoes when possible.

Seed potatoes should be presprouted. Simply place the seed potatoes in a shallow tray and put the tray into a warm, sunny spot. Then spray them with some water or liquid seaweed. It should be about two weeks before sprouts form. When they are about an inch tall, you can plant them.

In order to get the best yield from your potato plants, you need to make sure that the stems grow to a good length. Hilling is traditionally used to aid in enlongating the stems. In hilling, you plant your potato sprouts in a trench, gradually filling the trench with more soil as the stems grow. You can easily do this in your containers.

I recommend using 20 gallon plastic garbage cans or large plastic storage tubs to grow potatoes in. You can also use very large pots or buckets, but garbage cans and storage tubs can be covered to store the soil in for the next year. Simply take your plastic garbage can or tub and drill several holes in the bottom for drainage. Then fill the container about one third full with your potting soil mix. Put your potato sprouts on top of the soil, spaced approximately 6 inches apart, and at least 4 inches away from the sides of the container. Then cover the sprouts with about two inches of potting soil. When the plants reach about 6 inches in height, add another two or three inches of potting mix, covering the lower leaves of the plants. Every time the plants reach a height of six inches above the soil, add another two to three inches of soil. When the soil reaches about 1 to 2 inches from the top of the container, you can stop adding soil, but mound the soil up around the base of each plant.

It is important to keep potatoes well watered on a very regular basis. If you allow the potatoes to get too dry, then add a lot of water, then let them dry again, you will end up with disfigured potatoes that look lumpy and will have a very poor texture when cooked. Remember to keep them watered consistently.

One of the only problems you are likely to encounter when growing potatoes in containers is the Colorado potato beetle. They may not be a problem where you live, so check with your local county extension office to find out. If you happen to see their egg clusters on your plants, simply pick them off by hand and destroy them.

The first potatoes will be ready to harvest in around two months. If the plants start to flower, it's time to start harvesting. Some varieties won't make flowers at all, so don't count on this to happen, but if you do see flowers, you know it's definitely time.

To harvest potatoes, simply dig around in the soil with your hands, feeling the size of each potato you encounter. If it is the size you want, pull it up. Otherwise, leave it alone and it will continue to grow. Each plant should produce about 2 to 4 pounds of potatoes, depending on the variety.

Some good potato varieties for growing in containers:

All Blue - This is an heirloom potato that is blue inside and is absolutely stunning when cooked.

Yukon Gold - This is a smaller variety of potato with golden flesh, and a rich, buttery flavor.

Red Pontiac - This is a red-skinned variety that grows well in containers.

Fingerling - There are several varieties of small, finger-shaped potatoes that grow well in containers.

After you have harvested all of your potatoes, make sure you remove all of the plants from the soil and dispose of them. If you have used a plastic trash can or tub, you can put the lid on top of the container and leave the soil to use to grow potatoes again next year!

The Potato Makes a Comeback

The potato makes a comeback

As wheat and rice prices surge, the humble potato - long derided as a boring tuber prone to making you fat - is being rediscovered as a nutritious crop that could cheaply feed an increasingly hungry world.

Potatoes, which are native to Peru, can be grown at almost any elevation or in any climate: from the barren, frigid slopes of the Andes Mountains to the tropical flatlands of Asia. They require very little water, mature in as little as 50 days, and can yield between two and four times as much food per hectare as wheat or rice. Rice on Wednesday climbed to a record level for a second day to $22.67 per 100 pounds.

The potato has potential as an antidote to hunger caused by higher food prices, a population that is growing by one billion people each decade, climbing costs for fertilizer and diesel, and more cropland being sown for biofuel production.

To focus attention on this, the United Nations named 2008 the International Year of the Potato, calling the vegetable “a hidden treasure.”

Even though the potato emerged in Peru 8,000 years ago near Lake Titicaca, Peruvians eat fewer potatoes than people in Europe: Belarus leads the world in potato consumption, with each inhabitant of the eastern European state devouring an average 171 kilograms, or 377 pounds, a year.

India has told food experts it wants to double potato production in the next 5 to 10 years. China, a huge rice consumer that historically has suffered devastating famines, has become the world’s top potato grower. In sub-Saharan Africa, the potato is expanding more than any other crop right now.

The developing world is where most new potato crops are being planted, and as consumption rises poor farmers have a chance to earn more money. The potato is already the world’s third-most-important food crop after wheat and rice. Corn, which is widely planted, is mainly used for animal feed.

Potatoes come in about 5,000 types. With colours ranging from alabaster-white to bright yellow and deep purple and countless shapes, textures and sizes, potatoes offer inventive chefs a chance to create new, eye-catching plates.

They also have one-fourth of the calories of bread and, when boiled, have more protein than corn and nearly twice the calcium, according to the Potato Center. They contain vitamin C, iron, potassium and zinc.

One factor helping the potato remain affordable is that unlike wheat, it is not a global commodity, so has not attracted speculative professional investment. reuters

Story of an Impromptu Family Dinner

I love having my in-laws right next door, for precisely this reason :) Last night Elliot and I sauntered on next door to chat with his mom about, well, nothing. Rick was out of town at the moment in the big-rig. We happened to walk through her door to the smell of what I initially thought was Pappy's Seasoning, but turned out to be lemon pepper (I think I just figured out what one of the major ingredients in pappy's is lol). She was cooking up some chicken breasts that needed to be used up. So she asked us if we would like some, so seeing as we had not had dinner yet, it sounded good. Then D remembered that she had some leftover steak and baked potato from a lunch she had had at Denny's, so remembering my unnatural love of under-cooked steak, she offered it to me. Elliot is one (like me) who likes a starch of some form with dinner, so I scuttled back here to grab a box of pasta-roni to fix for him next door, while his mom prepared some steamed broccoli.

So there we are, all three with different dinners, having a good chat, watching some good tv, and just being cozy.

This should happen more often. It's not unusual for us to pop in over there for a few, but awhile ago we had a good run where we were having dinner with them once or once every other week, and I'd like that to happen again.

I recall several times when Elliot's sister was over visiting, we'd pop in and the four of us would have dinner together, sometimes they would be making something, sometimes I'd bring something, and we'd all just hang out for a couple of hours just bullshitting and discussing things :)

Ah, the joys of having good people :D