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Lemony Chicken Fricasse with Shallots and Mushrooms

May 13, 2014 by pbenjay

A good recipe gets passed along from cook to cook and friend to friend.  A great recipe is one that allows you to tweak it to your own tastes without altering the essential concept.  Having said that, I found this recipe on my cousin’s food blog, I CAN COOK THAT – http://www.icancookthat.org.  and she found it in Food and Wine.  I was immediately intrigued by the title of  the recipe which included the word Fricasse.  Because here I am, a woman of a certain age and beyond, and I wasn’t sure just what fricassee actually meant!  We had Chicken Fricasse in Cuba and that’s the only time I can remember seeing it on a menu and certainly, growing up in an Italian household the word never was spoken!  Maybe some dishes were made in that manner but were never referred to as something fricassee.  

I read through the recipe, delighted by its simplicity and knew the only ingredient I would change were the Morrels.   I used some  Morrels this past year and wasn’t happy with their texture but since I love Porcini mushrooms, I knew that’s what I would use.  Dried Porcini Mushrooms have a rich, earthy (but not dirty) taste and they infuse any dish they are in with a lovely fragrance and flavor.

Lemony Chicken Fricasse

Lemony Chicken Fricasse

Photo from I CAN COOK THAT. org

LEMONY CHICKEN with SHALLOTS AND MUSHROOMS

3 TBS unsalted butter – divided

4 bone-in Chicken thighs

Salt and Pepper

6 small Shallots, roughly chopped

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup water* plus chicken broth

Juice and zest on one lemon

Reconstitue mushrooms 30 minutes prior to making the meal;  Put mushrooms in a cup of boiling water and let sit for 30 minutes.  Strain mushrooms reserving the liquid.  Roughly chop up mushrooms.

Melt 2 TBS butter in braising pan over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Add to pan and cook 4 minutes on each side till browned.  Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.

Measure the reserved mushroom liquid and if less than a cup, add some chicken broth.  Add to pan and cover and simmer on low heat till chicken is cooked through – 15 minutes.  After chicken is cooked, transfer to plate.  

Add lemon juice and zest to the pan and cook over high heat for 2 minutes.  Swirl remaining 1 TBS butter into the sauce and season with salt and pepper.  

Pour sauce over the chicken and serve OR I like to use my braising pan as my serving dish, so I put the chicken back in the pan  and served it that way.  The sauce was so delicious that I spooned over the mashed Red Potatoes too.

My husband loved the meal and he says he doesn’t really like chicken thighs (ha ha ha).  He also remarked about the sauce and asked me what was in it.  So I told him about the butter and reminded him about Julia Child and her passion for cooking with butter AND the fact that every great chef uses butter and don’t you believe otherwise!

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PSYCHOTHERAPY! What The Hell Are You Waiting For??

May 12, 2014 by pbenjay

This week’s Mental Health tip needs no introduction from me – the title says it all!

” The National Institute for Mental Health estimates that many many millions of Americans should be receiving mental health services for their problems. Add to that the vast number of individuals who might benefit from Psychotherapy and Counseling as a prevention for future problems, and those who simply want to share their secret fears, dreams, and joys with another human being who can be objective and non judgment in his listening and feedback.

The stigma is gone!!!! Many folks talk openly about their counseling. Hundreds of self help groups and organizations abound. Getting Psychological help is now seen as a sign of strength and maturity. Several of my single patients require their new partners to get psychological checkups as often as requiring HIV testing! If you are brutally honest with yourself you know that there is some fundamental issue in your life that you have not been able to resolve. Perhaps an unresolved family conflict, a lifetime phobia, or an elusive feeling of happiness that always feels out of reach.

Many insurance policies cover Psychotherapy with a professional therapist. There is no excuse for not at least seeking out a couple of sessions. Think for a moment…….what are you afraid of? Often the fear is that you will reveal more of yourself TO YOURSELF than you think you can handle!  Get out of denial and take a real healthy risk for yourself.”

Tell me how it goes at shpilkes@aol.com

Thanks as always to Dr. Barry Lubetkin, who generously shares a weekly Mental Health topic with us.

Logo of the National Institute of Mental Health.

Logo of the National Institute of Mental Health. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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The Big Yard Sale

May 10, 2014 by pbenjay

It’s 7:30 am and I’m hustling around to get ready for the today’s big yard sale.  I have spent the last couple of weeks scrounging around the apartment, the cottage and through stuff we’ve had left over from doing Flea Markets.  In other words I have WAY TOO much stuff to put out on two tables!!

AND as Peter predicted the ground is wet because for the last two days we have showers….this is NOT an auspicious beginning 😦

I literally spent the entire day yesterday sorting through the boxes of stuff trying to group the junk, er, I mean stuff into plastic bins and price each piece.  This is of course an area where we diverge: I want this stuff GONE and am happy to price it to sell and well, my other half is a bit more attached to his possessions and is not giving anything away!  Oh no?  I’ve already promised myself that 90% of what is going into the sale is going to Goodwill and Habitats if it doesn’t sell.

I’m not immune to the fact that we are probably putting out some items that really don’t belong in  a yard sale, they are much more Flea Market antiques and nostalgic collectibles but right now, this is the only venue.  And, I swear I will do another yard sale in the summer when lots more people are in town.  This particular day was designated by an organizer and promoted as Town Wide.  I hope there was sufficient advertising to entice people to come even though this is one gray, soggy day.  Oh how dismal it all looks now!

This is the morning to be moving quickly and hello Murphy’s Law – we’re up and Peter takes the first shower and drops his lens in the bathroom-15 minutes later we find it.  I need him dressed and outside to set up those big table for me and to lug the crap er, I mean stuff out to the porch.  Just to add to the total aggravation of it all is the fact we broke the door on our shed two weeks ago, it’s not fixed so the wagon which is supposed to be for sale is in there along with big sheets of plastic I wanted with me in case of a shower!  Oh yeah, think it’s going to be a fun, fun day all around!

Friday afternoon my living room looked like this…

And this…

Trying To Sort Through

Trying To Sort Through

By 8pm last night, I had priced, sorted and packed up everything and then listened to the weather report

Way Too Much Stuff

Way Too Much Stuff

Packed and Priced

Packed and Price

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Posted in Ha-P 2 B in OG, Peter Coddles, Smooth or Crunchy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Thursday’s Top 10 Reasons To Own A Metropolitan

May 8, 2014 by pbenjay

I’ve been experiencing a lot of issues lately uploading photos, previewing posts and actually being able to access my admin bar. I’ve been in touch with the Support staff at WordPress.com and am trying a few things.  I need to see if a photo I upload will show in my preview screen before I publish it.  That’s why today you are seeing our oh so cute 1958 Metropolitan.

In 2010 I posted a photo on Facebook and a couple of days ago my cousin who must have been scrolling thru my photos came across it and hit LIKE.  Well, you know that brings the picture to the forefront again and in the last few day 45 people have LIKED it and we’ve received several comments.  OMG! The photo is not reaching “friends of friends” and has gone far and beyond.

A Perfect Match

A Perfect Match

This isn’t the same photo BUT it is of our adorable little Metropolitan with it’s SOCUTE license plate and here are 10 reasons why we love it.

1. It’s a people-stopper! Parked in front of the cottage, people stop constantly to look and take a picture.

2. When my husband drives it, it’s a chick-magnet.

3. When I drive it, men follow me to where I park it and ask me all kinds of questions and admire it.

4. It’s small enough to fit in most parking spaces

5. We get to belong to a national car club MOCNA-Metropolitan Owners Club of North America

6. We actually get to drive it – it’s not so classic that it only sits in a garage.

7. It gets great mileage and always gets a big smile at the gas station

8. When we drive it, people in other cars or on the sidewalks hoot, holler, toot and give us a thumbs-up sign.

9. Peter sits on the front porch with his martini and greets all the pretty young girls who stop and squeal over how cute the car it is.

10. We get to go to Vintage Car Shows and are the only Metropolitan included!

So Cute at a Vintage Car Show

So Cute at a Vintage Car Show

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Wordless Wednesday – LOOK CLOSELY

May 7, 2014 by pbenjay

If a picture is worth a thousand words, look at this one!  It looks like a bird, but it doesn’t fly.  It looks like a parrot and it can talk.  A word to the wise…Things Are Not Always What They Appear To Be.  

Let me know in a comment what you think this is really a picture of????

A shout-out and thanks to Gail for sending me this photo – pretty amazing!

What Am I?

What Am I?

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WRITER’S BLOCK -An Old Term, A Contemporary Problem

May 5, 2014 by pbenjay

MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY

This week’s topic, Writer’s Block, couldn’t be more timely for me personally.  For the past several months I’ve been struggling with my blog.  I do like to write and I have a fairly good regimen (okay sometimes not so regular) and perhaps if I apply the principles outlined in Dr. Barry Lubetkin‘s mental health tip this week, I’ll find that it isn’t so important as to how many people read this every day and remember that I write because I like to and a little discipline  would be a good thing!

“We are all writers……students……bloggers……executives…….moms………novelists….. We can usually write the simple stuff without procrastinating or being perfectionistic;  Birthday cards, shopping lists,brief memos,etc etc, all get done with relative ease. BUT when it comes to the words that convey the really important stuff about ourselves and our theories and ideas, we often get stuck.

#ds139 "Writer's Block"

#ds139 “Writer’s Block” (Photo credit: Sharon Drummond)

I have treated dozens of writers who struggle every day to overcome their writing paralysis. Usually, but not always, the culprit is obsessive perfectionism. “Will anyone really like this”, “I am out of ideas”, “This seems really dumb”, “I will get to it tomorrow”, “I have to make this perfect”.

Here is a quick solution to this form of writers block;  First, set a sacred unchangeable time EVERY DAY to write.  An hour, twenty minutes, it doesn’t matter. Go to a comfortable private place, set a timer, and start writing. Even if all you produce is gibberish and nonsense words, you must still WRITE! Do nothing else during this period. Once you have established a regular routine of writing at the same time every day, then you may extend the writing period as needed. At the end of your sacred writing time, reward yourself with something meaningful…a special treat…call a friend…tune on a mindless TV show…write yourself a complimentary note. You deserve it!”

As always feel free to email me at IBT104@AOL.com

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Cinco de Mayo – It’s Not Just Margaritas and Salsa

May 5, 2014 by pbenjay

I love to celebrate any holiday, I really do….my ideal is to always have a party or dinner significant to the holiday or event.  We’ve had Mardi Gras parties, Oscar parties, Martini parties, Super Bowl Sunday dinners with dishes from the team’s home states, Valentine cookies and cakes, Easter brunches, July 4th picnics…you name it and we’ve had it at one time or another.

Some holidays are about a lot more than the food and fun.  I understand the importance of the religious aspect of Christmas and Easter, the historical significance of July 4th and other national holidays.  So in that vein, and before we start to down those Magaritas and eat chips and salsa and dine on Mexican food tonight, I thought I would re-post a blog from a couple of years ago.  It’s the story of Cinco de Mayo.

May 5th, battle of Puebla, cinco de mayo, celebration, Mexico, French forces

This is Why We Celebrate Victory

If you’ve noticed a sudden dearth of avocados, limes, Corona Extras and Jose Cuervo at your local grocery store over the past couple of days, don’t panic — no one is conspiring against you. Instead, your neighbors are simply stocking up to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday celebrated in Mexico and all over the United States with delicious Mexican cuisine, far too much alcohol and plenty of fanfare.

But Cinco de Mayo (“the fifth of May”) is much more than an entertaining way to forget an entire day’s worth of events. The holiday owes its origins to the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when the Mexican army overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to defeat invading French forces from conquering the state of Puebla. The victory remains a cause for commemoration nearly 150 years later.

Interestingly enough, Cinco de Mayo isn’t celebrated in Mexico nearly as much as it is in the United States, as the country’s most widely recognized national patriotic holiday is actually the Mexican Independence Day on September 16. But Cinco de Mayo gets plenty of attention in the U.S. not just from Mexican-Americans, but also from anybody interested in seeking out new forms of cultural exposure — largely due to the efforts of liquor companies and Mexican restaurants.

Last year, MTV Tr3s sent comedian Cristela Alonzo to Los Angeles’ historic Olvera Street to report on the community’s deep understanding of Cinco del Mayo. While the holiday has historic roots, Alonzo acknowledged that many participants view Cinco de Mayo as “an excuse to get drunk and party.” But as Alonzo learned, enjoying the rowdier aspects of Cinco de Mayo doesn’t have to come at the expense of forgetting the holiday’s cultural significance.

“What’s important is to remember the meaning behind the holiday,” she reported of her findings. “It’s about freedom and to celebrate those who had the courage to defend it.”

So as you immerse yourself in today’s festivities, make sure to put your ice cold cerveza down for long enough to acknowledge the true meaning of Cinco de Mayo, a holiday built on the foundation of freedom. ** This article is from the MTV website

And today!  

Corona, Dos Equis, beer, fiesta, Mexico, Battle of Puebla, cinco de mayo, jose cuervo, tequila, limes, margharitas

Cha Cha Cha It’s Fiesta Time

Corona, Dos Equis, beer, fiesta, Mexico, Battle of Puebla, cinco de mayo, jose cuervo, tequila, limes, margharitas
Cha Cha Cha It’s Fiesta Time!
You know what they say: Drink responsibly, Drive safely – OH WAIT, we live in New York City, we can be totally irresponsible – BUT then again there is May 6th to think about!

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Super Sunday Supper – Straight From The Pasta Maker

May 5, 2014 by pbenjay

For the past several days, I’ve been planning on making the Spring Pasta recipe I posted earlier this week.  However every evening one thing or another prevented me from making it.  And before you read any further, I still haven’t made it!  BUT I did make another pasta dish utilizing seasonal vegetables.  

I gave my husband a choice between a wok stir-fry of chicken and vegetables or pasta.  He picked pasta probably thinking he might get an Arrabiata sauce and meatballs, NOT!  I sent him to Fairway to buy some ingredients but being the non-cooking man/husband that he is, he didn’t put it together that what he bought would be what he ate.

This recipe comes directly from Barilla’s web site and after reading through it I knew it would be easy to make and hopefully tasty  too.  I’m telling you all this because I altered the recipe slightly and will explain along the way.

Rotini with Braised Fennel, Carrots & Scallions

Rotini with Braised Fennel, Carrots & Scallions

Barilla’s Whole Grain Rotini with Braised Fennel, Carrots & Spring Onions

Ingredients

1 box Barilla Whole Grain Rotini (he forgot and bought regular)

4 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 Clove garlic (I used 2 and could have used at least one more)

2 Fennel bulbs

1 Medium Carrot (he brought home a bag of small carrots) (I used several >1 medium carrot)

1 bunch of Scallions

1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (I used all I had in the house but was somewhat short)

1 TBS Fennel fronds chopped (I used a lot of the fronds)

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil

Sauté minced garlic in oil in a large skillet, until garlic turns slightly yellow, about 3 minutes ( I used a large braising pan)

Cut the fennel bulbs in half, then in thin slices – I cut the cores out first

Add to skillet, along with the carrot cut into roundels (rounds) about 1/8″ thick.

Braise for about 10 minutes, covered, over medium high.

Season with salt and black pepper; keep covered and cook through, stirring occasionally. I cooked longer judging when fennel was cooked and slightly softened.  At this point I thought there would not be enough sauce so I added chicken broth or to keep it vegetarian, use vegetable broth.  

Cook the pasta according to box directions

Stir the scallions cut on a bias 1/2″ long, cook an additional 3 minutes. I also added a shake or two of red pepper.

Once the pasta is done (I put aside a cup of the water) and drained, add it to the vegetables and toss to coat.

Stir in the grated cheese and the fronds.

We both thought the dish was tasty but it could have been more so!  It needed the full amount of cheese and possibly more offered on the table. The red pepper gave it some zest and I think it would have been very bland and dry without the chicken broth.  By the second helping we both said how delicious it was.

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It’s Strictly For The Birds! FAB FOTO FRIDAY

May 3, 2014 by pbenjay

You’ve heard that old saying, It’s strictly for the birds, well today’s (again I seem to be a day late) blog post is for the birds, about the birds and in celebration of our feathered friends!  The phrase is used to denote something worthless, trivial or of interest only to gullible people. Not so here!

I wish I had gone along with Murray when he went out to take these photos because I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these beauties in flight!  Magnificent and not necessary to say anymore!

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

Beautiful Blue Heron

Beautiful Blue Heron

If there’s one bird I never take for granted and each and every time one stops by my feeder, I stop to look at it.  Looking through binoculars at this handsome prince of a bird is always a thrill for me.  Really who doesn’t love Cardinals?

Who Is That Masked Man?

Who Is That Masked Man?

Of course we’ve seen flocks of birds everywhere but this particular group of Gulls reminded me of something that surely no one under the age of 40 will know what I’m talking about! 

Gregg

Gregg

Murray Head took all these photos and with his artist’s eye he captured this bird in flight at precisely the right moment as it flew past the house.  It looks as if the bird were placed there as a prop for balance in the photo!

AIWYFI-Art Is Where You Find It

AIWYFI-Art Is Where You Find It

Sea Gulls seem to be a bit territorial and not social when it comes to food and mating!  Sometimes when I throw bread to them,  one will come along and scare another one away from a piece of bread and now they’ve both moved away from the piece so a third one comes by to snatch it.  In this photo, it looks some other male was trying to move in on the Gull’s Girl!

You Better Take Off!

Get Outta Here!

When you’re wet and cold at the beach, you wrap yourself up in a towel and sort of fold into yourself.  Just look how this Crow is sitting on the wire.  Looks like he went for a quick dip! 

Brrr brr

Brrr brr

The Laughing Gull is a favorite of mine at the shore. His head is more rounded than other gulls and this species seems to be a bit more clever at grabbing food tossed in the air.  They spend more time circling me as I toss bread in the air  rather than gathering on the sand at my feet.  They are very compact and streamlined.  Look at those great feathers!    

Aerodynamically Perfect

Aerodynamically Perfect

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What Goes Around Comes Around

May 2, 2014 by pbenjay

Or History Repeats Itself!  Clichés yes, true yes!

Over the past several years I have been noticing how many things are being re-introduced to the PBCB generation.  Oh you don’t know who that is?  PBCB is my term for the all the young marrieds (from about 2002 on) who filled their Wedding Registry with items from Crate & Barrrel, Potter Barn and some Williams Sonoma thrown in for good measure.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

The REAL Thing

The REAL Thing

My household has been filled with real retro items for years.  I love kitchen ware, dish ware and flatware from the 30’s-40’s and 50’s.  I have wonderful pieces such as the red, yellow and blue refrigerator dishes with the glass lids and now from Amazon.com you can buy a clear glass storage dish.  I had beautiful round golden oak claw foot dining room table in my house in CT and although I know 90% of the X and Y generation eschew the old and like to buy newer than new, I did a double-take when I opened up a Pottery Barn catalogue and saw their new round oak table!  Visit any one of the Holy Three (Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma) and you will find Fondue Pots, Martini Shakers, Mason jars, Bread boxes – I’m not saying when I was a 20-year-old newlywed that I was looking for antique furniture or retro kitchen ware, but within a couple of years I realized the value and practicality of many of the old items NOT to mention the price.  You can buy furniture made out of real wood, not laminated at an auction or thrift or antique shop for less than what you might pay for compressed board and veneer.

What actually prompted this blog today was the fact that someone clicked on a previous blog post of mine https://pbenjay.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/what-the-heck-is-this-obsolete-relics-from-my-life/ and I took the opportunity to re-read it myself.   And then the light bulb went off and I thought about the present my sister-in-law, Juanita gave me on Saturday;  If you have a smart phone or Blackberry and you are over the age of 50, you probably send texts and emails (like me) filled with strange words, badly spelled and a lot of non sequiturs  because our fingers are too fat for the keypad or we are attempting to write that email or text while we are sitting on the bus or worse yet, walking.  You know you can send some very embarrassing stuff.  She gave me a stylus!  A cute little handy item with a soft rubber head and bingo, I find myself typing out clear messages!  

Yes, what goes around, comes around especially in an older person’s mind – I just discovered that I wrote a blog post almost identical to this one in 2010.  See https://pbenjay.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/whats-old-is-new-again/

Now if you haven’t clicked on the link for the older blog or blogs and you have no idea of what I’m talking about, now would be the time to do so!  

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