Setting the Scene

One of the first kitchen tasks I remember participating in and having my own sons carry out as little ones was setting the table.  I also recall as a young Girl Scout being shown the "proper" place setting - which by the way is not the method I use at home.

I would say I make sure my table is set 90% of the time when the entire family is going to sit down for a meal together.  I also use a cloth tablecloth on the dining room table at least 95% of the time when serving a meal in the dining room.

As a newly wed I did try cloth placemats for awhile.  I also know I had cloth napkins at some point.  I think I want them again.

Is it work?  A labor of love?  A habit? 

I think a set table matters visually and hope it says to the diner, "I care about you and the food experience you are about to have here."  

This was the table at my sister's house for my birthday last year - a casual taco meal was dressed up with a festive table and margarita glasses.  How fun and fabulous!

The setting below is a bit fancier, also at my sister's house for a holiday...

I've yet to learn how to fold the fancy cloth napkins like fans!

 Two heads of table chairs - side by side.  A laid back starter course for Thanksgiving.

Clusters of red carnations as a centerpiece with a second bunch at the other end of the table.

Cloth tablecloths are also brought along if we are going to eat in the park and I throw one on the patio table in the summer.  It adds to the whole experience for me.

I like to remember special event tables as well...

So, does a set table matter when it comes to feeling Fed Well?  Probably not really, but it does fancy things up a bit and tulips never hurt anyone!

Paczki Day/Fat Tuesday

Religious, met? No, not really.  Traditional, yes.  Spiritual, yes.  Open to new experiences, especially when food is involved, yes!

A few years ago I joined the Morale Improvement Team at work.  Our mission was to of course improve morale with little to no budget and one thing we learned relatively quickly was food treats generally make people happy or at least most won't complain while they are busy chewing.  We would meet and decide which unusual or little celebrated holidays could be honored and if individual serving food could be included we welcomed new opportunities.

One man on the team, yes, he is Polish, taught many of us about paczek (singular) - a traditional jelly filled pastry eaten the day before Lent begins to use up all fats and sweets in the house in Polish homes.  Today, the paczki (plural) are available both cream and jelly filled and they are a HUGE hit at the office.

The sweet smell of the baked treat forms a scent cloud in our office area that I don't think anyone was able to resist.  

I select just the right chocolate covered, cream filled, confection and bring it to my desk for a brief but intense photo session.  Here is the one I felt worthy to share...

The cake is crisp, not soft and doughy.  It may sound strange to describe a baked good as having "snap" but it does work here.  The cream filling is not what it may appear.  It is light and not at all a heavy, overly sweet custard.  Instead the true taste of cream with a touch of natural sweetness whispers across the tongue.  

Hmm, Fat Tuesday in the office?  Not really in the Mardi Gras sense, but we often have sweet treats at work designed to keep us feeling Fed Well while experiencing a number of different customs.  Wonder what tomorrow will bring...

Personalized Pancakes

Sunday breakfast.  We alternate who prepares it, and whether it is a sweet or savory meal, but it is almost as big of a deal around here as Sunday dinner.  As it turns out, this week it was the priority over the evening meal since our sons had their own social agendas.  The ham will be a Monday night treat instead.

The table, though set with paper plates, seemed a bit fancy for our typically casual gathering. I believe it was the flowers that really made it special for me!

Though the pancakes are arranged on a plate in 3 distinct piles, two flavors were available; plain and chocolate chip.  Blueberry is on the menu when I buy the fruit and since I wanted something to jazz things up, I simply cut up half a banana and added it as a topping.

The Mr. does a lovely job with pancakes.  

How do you like yours?  With sausage?  Do you cook the sausage or banana in the pancake?  Flavored syrup?  Fruit only?  It was a lovely, simple meal and fabulous way to start the day feeling Fed Well.

Lunar New Year's Eve or the Mr. Returns Post Nemo

The Mr. spent the past week in Colorado for training related to his job.  The joke is that after 25 years working for the Federal Government, how can training be needed?  Well, it was computer related training, but I further push that this expense could certainly have been handled cost effectively via tele-conference or an Internet based computer training (perhaps through in some high tech Skype-ish feature) and voila thousands of dollars saved.  What do I know?

He was schedule to return to the Northeast on Friday.  Yes, pretty much in the middle of Nemo's performance with an 11:30 p.m. landing in Newark.  His flight was rescheduled for Saturday and he pulled into our driveway about 4:30 p.m. with this beautiful bouquet from Hearts n Flowers Florist.  TULIPS are my favorite flower and I was quite happy to see some!  Spring is on the way.

Wish I could say I ordered Chinese food intentionally in honor of the Lunar New Year.  However, the reality was I spent the day outside covering an amazing winter festival for the newspaper I write a community column for and cover local events.  I was cold from the inside out and in need of a bit of convenience. 

Won Ton Soup is always the perfect warm up.

Yes, I order a lot of shrimp in my Chinese food.  Years and years ago when the jokes were plentiful about questionable animals being used for meat in Asian dishes, I switched to mostly recognizable and difficult to impersonate shrimp.  Of course I also enjoy them immensely.

The Mr. goes with C11 or Four Seasons.  A bit of beef, pork, chicken and shrimp in a brown sauce.  I spear a few of the vegetables he pushes aside.  

We are tired.  He from traveling.  Me from the weather.  Happy Lunar New Year and may your year find you always feeling Fed Well.

Nemo's Chicken

I buy the huge package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and often imagine I will do something new and fabulous with them.  This time, I knew not to fight it and simply slice them into thin cutlets that I would bread and fry.

My younger son went grocery shopping for me a few days ago and I simply listed olive oil.  I'm not sure what constitutes "organic" olive oil or if any benefits exist for using it, but that's what I used.

As soon as the breaded chicken starts to cook in the pan, my mouth gets happy.  The snapping bubbles in the oil become a symphony and I find myself licking my lips as I cook.

What to do with the golden cutlets once they are prepared?  Well, I made that up as I went along.  I remembered I had a package of mushrooms, but I still didn't know what I would create...

I pulled out chicken stock as well as half and half to use as a sauce/gravy.

Once the chicken was done, I used the same pan to brown the mushrooms.  They were then coated with flour to thicken the sauce.  A generous splash of both stock and dairy, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper were mixed in and simmered until thick (just a few minutes).

"Smells good Mom," was called out by my younger son from the other room and I knew I must be almost done.  Dinner was just the two of us.  The Mr. has been away all week for work and my older son works at the college he attends in the maintenance department so he was trying to stay ahead of Nemo by removing all snow as it fell.  The bad part for his work day is the constant raw cold weather and the demanding hours (15 hours for one shift, home, some sleep and back at it by 6 a.m.) but the good part is the free tuition - no college loans!

I had a lemon on the counter and I went back and forth about adding a squeeze of juice.  Instead I put the lemon on the table for just in case.  

Yes, I can make my own saffron.  I was taught a recipe by my mother-in-law which she quite proudly had published about 35 years ago in her church bulletin.  I hang my head and admit to using a packaged version.  The sodium content is high and the taste is of course not the same, but I do enjoy it.

Nemo was a bit slow starting yesterday but this morning I woke up to a literal winter wonderland. 

 
It does look pretty when all is said and done.  In a few minutes, well, maybe an hour or so, I will take our yellow lab Maddy out and shovel the walks.  She loves to stand on the snow piles and play Queen of the Hill.  Not sure what today's culinary adventures will be but since the Mr. is returning from his trip, I am sure we will be Fed Well.

Suffern's Field House - Meatless Choices

Suffern's Field House on Facebook

Time to change up the lunch routine and instead of Mexican or Chinese, we opt for Suffern's Field House.  Very casual, order at the counter than wait at a table for your hot (or freshly prepared cold) food.  A big big screen television and a few others are always on with either sports, news or weather.  The day before Winter Storm Nemo and we were hearing a number of different reports regarding start time and snowfall amounts.

Do people bring their own checkers or chess pieces?  Wonder if you ask at the counter if they have loaners?

Though my friend NEVER makes a fuss about restaurants or fast food places having vegetarian offerings, I always notice what she orders.  Suffern's Field House has quite a few vegetarian friendly menu items as well as the ever popular and obvious pizza.  A mushroom panini served with a side of cole slaw is her choice.

 

My other friend and I enjoy both meat and non-meat options but it turned out today we all ordered vegetarian.  She had one of her favorites; an eggplant sandwich with mozzarella and of course, the side of cole slaw.

 
Sometimes a girl just has to have pizza.  One plain slice and one veggie.  Classic! 

Other than the storm, conversation actually included money.  Not ours of course, but other people's.  We guessed at some big boss salary amounts and wondered how they spend it.  Do they simply buy the same things we do but with a designer label?  Are they splurging and picking up the tab when out with friends?  Do they hide it under the mattress?  What would we do if we could double or triple our salaries?  Sort of like planing on what you would do if you won a lottery... I think I would simply ensure my family and I were Fed Well.

Le Cafe a Mon Emploi

French makes everything sound so fancy doesn't it?  The title of this blog is simply, "The Cafe at my Job," but the language certainly lends a bit of class to the potentially mundane.

Here comes the pun, Cinnamon Raisin French Toast at the Cafe.  French Toast, ha!  No, seriously, this was a special made to order 3 slice serving of raisin bread dipped in egg mix and thoroughly dusted with cinnamon.  I usually don't eat 3 slices of french toast, but, I have to admit I was able to finish this without incident.

Same day and I return for "Hello Deli."  Please don't groan, but that is what our cafeteria has nicknamed sandwich-made-to-order day.  One of my favorite aspects is the Ciabatta rolls!

Other choices include typical breads as well as New York style hard rolls from a local bakery.

In addition to traditional deli meats, a choice of chicken cutlets are available; grilled with red pepper flake or fried.  A selection of cheeses, lettuce, tomato and spreads are offered as well.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I love the crispy chicken on Ciabatta.  If a sandwich were named for me, this would be it!  In fact, the dill pickle spear, bag of classic chips, bottle of water and the sandwich should all be bundled together and sold as the Fed Well lunch special.  Or some other more magical name.  Of course it wouldn't be wrong to take it to the next level and add a slice or two of bacon!  Ah the plus side of the cafe at my job!