My first time making gnocchi

Tonight I made Homemade Gnocchi with Pesto Trapanese inspired by Gianni's North Beach whose podcasts I've been watching. I've avoided making gnocchi for years worried that I would end up with a heavy mess. Mine turned out amazingly delicious and light! I'll definitely revisit gnocchi again. I documented each step involved except for the boiling/ricing of the potato and the cooking of the gnocchi. I used basil from my greenhouse and completed the meal with a delicious fresh salad from my garden as well.

Food Snob Place Cards

A clever idea that makes me smile...these letterpress place cards from Greenwich Letterpress would be a great addition to a dinner party table indeed.

Our Italian Feast on Christmas Eve

Matt and I spent our first Christmas at home in Fairbanks this year after traveling during the holidays the last four years since I moved here. For Christmas Eve I prepared a delicious Italian feast that definitely turned out to be a success. It took us three hours to travel through the courses and we felt completely satisfied and not too full by the time we were finished. Manga!

Christmas Eve Dinner Menu 2010

Aperitivi

Lamarca Prosecco

Antipasti

Antipasto Plate of prosciutto, salami, Capicola, Mixed Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, Capers, Anchovies, and Cherry Peppers over Fresh Arugula

Bruschetta with Melanzane al Fungo (Eggplant Crostini)

Wine

2008 Tormaresca Neprica

Primo

Spinach Pappardelle with Rock Lobster alla Pantelleria (with Capers)

Secondo

Brasoto Al Barolo (Braised Beef Short Ribs)

Celery Root and Potato Mash

Contorno

Shaved Fennel with Oranges and Pomegranates

Dolce

Olive Oil and Orange Cake

Outraged by Uncrustables

What in the world happened to people being capable of finding less than five minutes to make the most simple classic sandwich for their kids or themselves for lunch? Seriously, if you can't even find the time to make a sandwich rather than waiting 30 minutes for your lunch to defrost, you should consider re-prioritizing your day to day activities. I am completely AMAZED at the levels to which processed foods are being pushed in our culture and beyond. This is truly sad - a frozen PB&J sandwich that you defrost for lunch? Yuck and boo!

This abomination of a PB&J sandwich made its debut in 2003. Not one appeared in my world until recently. I feel proud however that I did not know these things existed until last week when my husband brought one home for me (someone gave it to him and he of course did not eat it) because he knew it would get me "inspired". Of course, the first thing I looked at was the long list of terrible ingredients loaded with preservatives and complete with a high dose of HFCS:

BREAD: ENRICHED UNBLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, UNBLEACHED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, YEAST,PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: WHEATGLUTEN, SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (MAY CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF: DIACETYL TARTARIC ACID ESTERS OF MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES (DATEM), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, ASCORBIC ACID, AZODICARBONAMIDE, L-CYSTEINE), YEAST NUTRIENTS (MAY CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF: MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, AMMONIUM SULFATE), CALCIUM PROPIONATE (MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), CORNSTARCH, ENZYMES (WITH WHEAT).

PEANUT BUTTER: PEANUTS, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED AND/OR RAPESEED), SALT, MOLASSES, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES (PALM AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL).

STRAWBERRY JAM: STRAWBERRIES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE).

One more rant about the disgusting Uncrustables: They make a grilled cheese version. Eeeeew! I can't even go into how ill that makes me feel. The package states that they are pre-toasted and made with process cheese spread.

Anyway, below is my own delicious REAL peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I ate for lunch (really there is no comparison):

Ingredients in my sandwich:

DAVE'S KILLER POWERSEED BREAD: Organic whole wheat flour, organic cracked whole wheat, water, seed mix (organic flax, organic ground flaxseed, organic sunflower, organic unhulled sesame, organic pumpkin, organic black sesame seeds), organic fruit juices (organic pear, organic pineapple, and organic peach), organic oat fiber, organic vital wheat gluten, organic oats, sea salt, organic cultured wheat, yeast, organic rice bran extract.

MARA NANTHA PEANUT BUTTER: Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts, Sea Salt

HOMEMADE JAM: Raspberries, Organic Sugar, Organic Lemon Juice

I've been wondering about many things regarding people who choose to eat highly processed foods for a long long time. What makes their decision regarding the food they eat so blatantly opposite from my own? Was it my upbringing? Is it my own interest in nutrition and choosing to feed my body with wholesome foods? Is it because I love to eat which for me equals loving to cook? Is it the price? Well, I will eventually dig deeper in order to find some answers to my ponderings however,regarding the cost of Uncrustables, the amount of money you spend on those only comes out to about 20 cents less per sandwich and that is based on using premium organic whole ingredients in your homemade sandwich!

I feel like I need to say something: Taking into consideration what you put into your body does not mean that you are snobby or that you think you are better than those who do not care about what they consume. I'd like to live my one life on this planet as long as possible and make it disease and cancer-free. I hope that is everyone's wish for themselves. I could go on about this for pages and pages I feel so strongly about it but I wont.

5 Months Old on a Fall Day

What a beautiful morning it has been to celebrate Lucy's 5-months with us! It was one of those days where when I woke up I could see through the bottom slit of the window below the blinds and the aspens were glowing in golden amber - my favorite time of year. I got up to make a spiced apple bread for breakfast and then we all headed out for a morning walk while it baked.

The other night Lucy was being very snuggly on Dad. She has just started to let him lay her on his chest when she is tired and she will fall asleep. In the past Lucy would only do this with Mom so Dad has been enjoying the closeness. This comes along with being silly together too!

Summer Delights

I have my tail between my legs because I haven't kept up with my blog this summer. I've been cooking some beautiful summer dishes and harvesting gorgeous vegetables and I haven't even photographed all of them. Lucy is my main focus now, but I am trying to gain back some of my good habits regarding documenting my food. In order to play catch-up I am posting a few miscellaneous photos now.

Yesterday I made a delicious green bean and tomato salad from my loot after my five minute raid of the garden.

The quintessential summer dinner is displayed below - it made me so happy - this was about a month ago...100% from our garden and our laying hens except for the olives, wine and bread (but bread was made at a local bakery).

Today I made french bread for the first time ever. The house smells delightful on a sunny Fall day. I think it turned out well but Matt and I have yet to taste it. It tempts us easily as it cools on the counter. I am preparing a beef sirloin tip roast tonight to do the bread some honors with a pile a colorful roasted vegetables and a fresh green salad on the side.

More peas await picking and shucking but this bowl of little jewels is already in our bellies!

Welcome Baby Lucy!

Baby girl Lucy Irene Kasvinsky arrived on April 12th at 11:02pm weighing 7lb 7oz, 20 1/2 inches long. We are having such a great time as new parents! Lucy is a very healthy, alert and happy baby. What more could we ask for?

The above photo is Lucy at only 2 hours old and the below photos are from her first day of life.