POM Wonderful contacted me recently to let me know I was one of 100 folks chosen to throw a dinner party with them. A bundle of goodie bags and two cases of pomegranates landed at my door not too long after.
48 pomegranates. Big, red and heavy with seeds. How would I possibly store them all? Google came to my rescue and informed me they would stay fresh in a cool pantry for a month. Excellent.
I love the pomegranate and I love the story of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, who, as she thought she was leaving behind her husband, Hades, forever, was tricked into eating several pomegranate seeds. You see, anyone who eats or drinks anything in the Underworld is doomed to spend eternity there. As Persephone only nibbled a few pomegranate seeds, she was sentenced to return to the Underworld every Winter, thus creating the seasons.
The Return of Persephone
If Persephone were in my home, you know I would have fed her so much more than a few seeds. Let me tell you how the menu would play out, like it did in our home last week. Click Here To See the Menu
When I first received a press release from the lovely folks at Eco-logic about their new line of cookware, Beka, all I could think about was the first line from Sir Mix A Lot’s video, Baby Got Back….”Oh my Gawd, Becky…”. Now all I can think about is how I can get more of this green cookware. Nothing sticks to these pans. I have been frying eggs every morning for Eric and me, just so I can enjoy this cookware with the non-stick ceramic coating. Fried rice? No problem. Sticky reductions? Wipe it perfectly clean with a paper towel after you use it. Caramel sauce? Pffft…fuggedaboutit, you’re good. You don’t need extra butter to help with the non-stick, you don’t need anything except the food that goes into the pan.
Oh.My.Gawd, Becky, they have a whole line of pans!
I’m sure you would like to know the specifics here, so let’s see what our friend Jo, from DHA Lifestyle, has to say about my new best friend, the Beka cookware.
Traditional non-stick coatings are made with polytetraflourethylene or PTFE. When heated to over 400 degrees Fahrenheit pans coated with this material can give off-gas releasing over a dozen potentially harmful materials. But even more hazardous is the artificial acid PFOA, also known as C8, used in the manufacturing process. Known to cause birth defects in animals, workers and surrounding communities may be exposed to dangerous levels of this carcinogen in the production of PTFE.
To prevent this hazard Beka created a super tough ceramic coating called Bekadura. This non-stick surface makes cooking and cleaning a snap without any of the environmental concerns presented by other materials. The bond between Bekadura and Eco-logic’s super hard aluminum is so strong that the company guarantees the surface for three years.
All I know is that it’s good for the environment and not one thing sticks to it. I may never use another pan except this again.
This is making the gift guide list 2010. Um, Jo, if you were wondering what this blogger might love for Christmas….
Good Morning Darlings! Okay, so belicious isn’t a word, but I liked how it sounded with the other words. Sunday night our besties John and Danny whipped up the most fabulous meal for a belated celebration for my sweetheart, Eric. You know we never need a reason to party. What’s that you say? It’s Tuesday? Pop open the bubbly!
Poor Eric has been on crutches this past week due to a bad ankle, so he gave Danny a lesson on balancing on crutches when we arrived. Hilarity ensues.
Danny had never used crutches before. It's kind of a balancing act.
As I mentioned last week, my mac decided it had too many photos on it and refused to upload even one more. This was a tragedy because I lost all the photos I took at Erin & Chris’ new, beautiful home.
But I still want to tell you all about it, I will just have to substitute some pictures. Bear with me. The bonus is the recipe, sweeties!
You remember my adorable friends Chris and Erin, right? They are so funny and lovable, being with them is like a big hug. They just moved into their new house as newlyweds and it is awesome! A great kitchen, an amazing dining and living room and way, way, up the stairs, is a man cave for Chris, with all his media. I look forward to a dance party up there soon.
Happy Monday to you all. I hope your weekend was stupendous. The weather in Atlanta was ridiculously beautiful and we had lots of fun.
Friday night, Eric and I had ourselves a little date night and went to see the movie Red. This was a hoot. Lots of things blowing up and Helen Mirren as an assassin. What more could you possibly ask for? After the movie we ducked into Fox Grille at Atlantic Station for a drink and to catch up on all the games. Did you see the Yankees against the Rangers? Unbelievable.
Saturday, Eric had a haircut scheduled, so we had a cup of coffee together and off he went. I went across the street to take pictures of our neighborhood park being landscaped by our wonderful neighbors. When he returned, we picked up Valerie and took the MARTA to the Little Five Points Halloween Parade. This is always a a great time, with loads of costume ideas to be inspired by.
Whew! The past week has been crazy busy. Last night we celebrated Eric’s birthday with a handful of our besties. It was so nice. And I’m hoping that I can get by today by just posting photos. Because I am lazy and the laundry is piling up. And I’m lazy. Wait, did I say that already? Well, it’s true today.
Thanks to our nearest and dearest for making Eric’s big day so special. Boy Howdy, do we have a bunch of beer at the house. And now a contraption for making beer can chicken! But that’s a post for another day.
Thanks for allowing me to be lazy today. And a million thanks to all our darlings for helping Eric celebrate his birthday by eating chili dogs, chips & dip, donuts and mac & cheese.
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to The Macaroni Cheese Song (I love all the hilarity of You Tube!)
Remember on Wednesday, when I nabbed that cozy chair at Victor’s house and said it would be the perfect place to curl up with a good book? I found the book.
Actually, I found a boodle of them at Book Swim, a new service that’s like Netflix, but instead of movies, you receive books. Isn’t that cool? Here’s the press release from lovely Marita Burke:
The happiest time of the year is also the busiest and most expensive time of the year! Make your holiday hosting plans a little easier (and affordable!) this year with the help from BookSwim. Rent books to teach you everything from how to create spectacular decorations to making the best Eggnog. It’s the perfect way to come up ideas for those picky in-laws. Plus, when the holidays are through, you can send each book back, cutting down on clutter (a New Year’s resolution?) and allowing you, also, to rent all new and updated books the following year!
You and your guests can even gather on the couch and enjoy a Christmas classic like The Night Before Christmas!
Limited Plans
1 book per month: $9.95/month, $3.99 outgoing shipping
I love the unlimited plan. This way I can read three cookbooks at one time and enjoy them at my leisure. They go back in a pre-paid envelope when I am finished.
Loving all the holiday titles right now. I can’t help myself! And lookie, here’s a book from Ree, The Pioneer Woman – one of the web’s first food bloggers.
I bet you are getting ready for Labor Day. Me, too. Eric and I are hosting around 70 of our nearest and dearest for paella in the backyard. Someone asked me the other day how I do it. My response was that it is just as easy to cook for 70 as 10 friends. You just add extra chicken. lol
Remember last year’s paella soiree? We learned a lot from last year’s bash.
First, we will build a big wood fire this year. No wimpy propane for us. And we will start the fire early. Eric plans on having the fire up and roaring by 9 a.m. so we can eat at a decent hour. Last year it took 3 hours for that paella to cook and everyone was half in the bag by dinner. Now everyone will only be 1/4 in the bag by dinner, so that’s an improvement.
Secondly, we are asking our darlings to bring wine, beer and booze. That stuff skyrockets a party budget. Everyone is in a bit of an economic crunch these days, so our buddies are happy to contribute.
Thirdly, this year we will buy cleaned and deveined shrimp. Holly and I spent a billion hours peeling and deveining the four pounds of shrimp last year. Not this time.
Dessert will be paletas, or in english, popsicles. As I write this, the strawberries are bubbling on the stovetop with sugar and strawberry nectar. They will go into our popsicle molds and I will start all over again tomorrow with a new flavor. Maybe Mexican chocolate would be good. And easy. Pretty much just chocolate milk with cinnamon. That would be good. When you are making 70 popsicles, easy is key.
Here’s a link to the recipe we’re using. It says it will feed 25-30, but don’t you believe it. It will easily feed 60. With leftovers. Seriously. Maybe 25-30 linebackers.
Some of my favorite shots from last year.
Rick, Teague and Eric discuss the browning of the chicken
I love the look on Eric's face as he stirs this monster...
When we travel, our souvenirs naturally include something regional to eat or drink. Our last trip to New Orleans, we picked up Cat Daddy Moonshine, Ryals Goat Roast and Creole Tomatoes. Lucky for us we drove, so it was much easier to carry these treasures home.
Now, I know what to do with the Moonshine, not sure how to fix the goat (any ideas out there?), and the Creole tomatoes just epitomize the essence of summer. Eric and I brought home about 6 of these Louisiana beauties, akin to heirloom tomatoes, and have been enjoying them in the yummiest BLT sandwiches you can possibly make.
Those Gorgeous Creoles - Photo Courtesy of Jason Perlow
Can you grow them where you are? Well, it’s a little late in the season, but you (and I) can always plan for next year. Here’s some info about them from Gary Ibsen’s Tomatofest website:
The Creole was developed by LSU around 1956. An heirloom developed in Louisiana for hot, humid climates. This variety has a very loyal following. Yields 3-inch, round, firm, red fruit with a lots of juice and delicious tomatoey flavors with good acidity.
All I know is that sounds like we could grow those here in the hot Georgia summers. I’ll be purchasing the seeds for next year and hope mine grow as big as they do in Bayou country.
So, if you are anywhere near Louisiana soon, pick up some Creoles. You will be tasting summer!
Do you remember this past spring when you couldn’t wait to plant your tomatoes? Do you now have a bundle of tomatoes and can’t decide what to do with them?
I am also experiencing a massive amount of tomatoes on my vines. What to do with that beautiful crop? How about some scrumptious, fresh, tomato sauce? With the addition of those herbs you are also growing, you can have a super healthy dinner on the table tonight.
When you have gathered all your ripe, luscious tomatoes, wash them and make an “x” at the bottom of the fruit. Put a large pot of water on to boil and drop your tomatoes right in to boil until they just start to look wrinkled. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking. The skins will peel right off and then you can squish them with your clean hands into another bowl.
