Ethyl's Sugar Cookies

Last year I wanted to make Christmas cookies for the first time, so my mom emailed me her recipe, with this note:

"Don't ask me who Ethyl is. It's a family secret, ha ha."

Ethyl's Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, & vanilla together.
Add flour.
Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour, or 30 minutes in freezer.
Roll out dough, about 1/4" thick.
*I use powdered sugar instead of flour to cover the counter & rolling pin.
Cut out & bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes, or until slightly brown around the edges.
Let cool, then cover with frosting.

I'm lazy. I don't make my own frosting. I use either Duncan Hines Creamy Home Style Frosting or Betty Crocker Whipped Butter Cream Frosting. I have yet to receive any complaints.

I had a mother of a time (no pun intended) making these last Christmas. I couldn't get the dough to not stick to the rolling pin. Then it got too warm & had to be re-refrigerated. It was a nightmare. At some point I accepted that these cookies weren't going to get made, so I sat on the floor & ate the dough like a raccoon. Apparently the sugar bolt was all I needed because I somehow managed to make the cookies & they were really good.

I tried them again recently for Halloween & had more success. I've since learned the trick to rolling out dough, so that was no problem. I did have an issue with removing the cookies from the baking sheet once they had cooled. I couldn't get them off & ended up breaking them all in half. I'm still not sure what I did wrong. Maybe I let them cool too long? Who knows. They still tasted good.

Bon appetit!

Bad Friends

I ran into an old friend over the weekend. She's one of the handful of friends I've divorced over the years. I tend to attract people with emotional issues. I've never fully figured out why. I think it's partly because I have a strong personality & for whatever reason, weaker personalities are drawn to that. I don't know.

Over the years, I've dropped certain friends who took more than they gave. Friends who used me more as a therapist than a friend. Now these are extreme cases I'm talking about here. Obviously, friends talk to each other about their problems & everyone feels like a bad friend sometimes, but this is different. I'm talking about people who do this ALL THE TIME. People who only call when they have a problem, which tends to be every day, & who seem completely oblivious to whatever may be going on in your life.

Everyone has friends like this. But not everyone walks away. I do. It may take me a year or two, but once I reach that point, I'm done. I'm a good friend. I'm a good listener; I'm generous with my time; I'm loyal; & I'm occasionally fun to be around. I think knowing this about myself makes it easier for me to walk away when I feel I'm being taken advantage of.

I don't talk about this much because I fear it reinforces all the bad things I think about myself -judgmental, harsh, perfectionist, impatient, etc. To the untrained eye, it looks like I'm dropping friends when they need me most -when their boyfriend cheats on them, or gives them an STD. When, in fact, I'm simply fed up because said friend & I have been playing this game for some time now & I'm just done. I'm done giving sought after advice that falls on deaf ears. I'm done spending 90% of our conversations talking about your problems. I'm done with your "emergency" calls. I'm done not being able to remember the last time we talked about me.

So I ran into this ex-friend over the weekend, who I haven't seen since "the divorce." And I mean I dropped her like a hot potato. She didn't have a chance. I had been so fed up for so long, that by the time it ended, it ended badly. I honestly feel a little guilt over it because I was exceedingly harsh. Anyway, when I saw her this weekend, I remembered how much I used to like her & how much fun I had with her. All day I contemplated getting back in touch with her & trying to give it another go. I've 99% talked myself out of it. But I wonder..... Was she just going through a bad phase that she's out of now? Does she realize she was sucking the life out of me? Would I get my old friend back or would I be pulling my hair out in a month?

Please, if any of you have gone through this, let me know because I beat myself up about it & it would be nice to know that I'm not a total bitch. Or if you think I am a total bitch, let me know. I'll immediately divorce you, of course, but I'd still like to know.

Beef Teriyaki

John found this recipe for beef teriyaki in The Best 30-Minute Recipe cookbook & decided to give it a shot. He made it tonight & it was DELISH! It tasted just like beef teriyaki! Highly recommend this recipe.

Beef Teriyaki
Serves 4

If you cannot find blade steaks, substitute 1 1/2 lbs of flank steak sliced thin against the grain. Do not season the meat with salt because the sauce is plenty salty. For the best flavor, be sure to get the skillet smoking hot, & cook the beef in a single layer so that all the pieces brown properly. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds & serve with plenty of steamed white rice.

2 lbs top blade steak, sliced thin
Ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp mirin, sherry, or white wine
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 scallions, sliced thin

MAKING THE MINUTES COUNT:
Prep the sauce ingredients & assemble the sauce while the beef browns.

1. BROWN MEAT: Pat steak dry with paper towels & season with pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of steak on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer steak to clean bowl. Repeat with remaining tbsp oil & remaining steak, then transfer to bowl.

2. ASSEMBLE & SIMMER SAUCE: While steak cooks, whisk soy sauce, sugar, mirin, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, & red pepper flakes together. Add sauce to skillet, return to medium-high heat, & simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

3. SIMMER MEAT WITH SAUCE: Add steak & any accumulated juices to skillet & continue to simmer until steak is heated through & sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving platter & sprinkle with scallions. Serve.

KIM'S NOTES: John picked up the sushi at Trader Joe's. I was leery, but it was actually good. I think it was a spicy California roll. It even came with little wasabi & ginger packets. We couldn't find the blade steak anywhere, so we ended up buying flank steak. I can't imagine there's a huge difference. For the rice, we buy frozen Trader Joe's jasmine rice & we really like it. You just pull a pack out of the box & microwave it for 3 minutes.

Go forth & teriyaki!

Halloween Pics

John & I had our first Halloween party on Sat. night. I think it went really well. Pretty much everyone we invited came & came in costume, which was awesome. I made a pot of chili for the carnivores & Katie brought a pot of veggie chili for the herbivores, so we had all of our chili bases covered. In addition to the chili, I made pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting & pumpkin shaped sugar cookies with buttercream frosting. Then I had the usual party snacks: chips & salsa, popcorn, chex mix, wasabi peas, etc. Carolyn & David made a big pot of Rotel which was eaten in its entirety within minutes of being placed on the table. Note to self: serve Rotel at all future parties.

The party was a lot of fun. I made a ridiculous Halloween playlist that included the rare Halloween gem, "Addams Groove" by MC Hammer. I was pretty proud of that playlist. At one point later in the night, a dance-off ensued between Pee Wee Herman & Bizness the Clown. My pictures don't do it justice. It was a sight to behold. I'm hoping Delaney captured more of it than I did.

Big thanks to everyone who came. I hope you had fun & I hope this party becomes an annual Halloween event.

Love,

Ghoulia

Full photostream here.

Halloween Chili Recipe

This is recipe for the chili from our Halloween party last night.

1-2 lbs lean ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
28 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce (may need 2 cans)
Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano

Cook meat & onion in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, 8-10 minutes. Drain the fat. Add all ingredients together in large pot & cook for 1 hour (or more). When the beans are tender, it's done. Or cook in your crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.

Ghoulia's notes: I use a lot of garlic. I throw a couple of minced cloves in while I'm browning the meat, than I add more once it's all in the pot. Also, for whatever reason, this is better if it sits in your fridge overnight. I always make it the night before, put it in the fridge, then cook it the next day.

Bon appetit!

I've Been Misted

Yesterday I got the H1N1 flu mist. I wasn't going to get it because a) I'm pretty sure I had it last year, & b) I didn't want to stand in those long lines they're showing on the news. Well, apparently a lot of people aren't getting it because they too think they've already had it & can't get it again. They're saying unless you were diagnosed by a doctor with H1N1, you probably didn't have it.

And those long lines? Totally not the case in Metro Nashville, at least not for the mist. I went yesterday at 3:00pm, parked right in front of the door, went straight to a nurse, was back in my car 5 minutes later. Seriously. A man was leaving as I came in & a grandmother was there with her 2 grandsons. That's it.

Right now, Metro is out of the shot version, which is why it's a good time to go if you can get the mist. I'm sure it's busier on days when they have the shots. If you're between the ages of 2-49 & not pregnant, you can get the flu mist. The Metro Health Dept is at 311 23rd Ave N. Hours are Mon-Fri, 7am-4pm. More info here.

I did have some side effects from the mist last night. Basically I fell asleep on the couch around 7:30, woke up around 10:00, was a little dizzy, tried to wash my face, but had a hard time leaning over the sink without tipping over, so gave up & went to bed. I think I had a low-grade fever, too. I had the whole hot/cold thing going on all night. But I feel totally fine today. Now if I can just stay away from anyone with H1N1 for the next 1-2 weeks, I'm in the clear.

Five-Spice Scallops with Noodles

This recipe comes from my Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Weeknight cookbook. John & I are big fans of scallops & keep saying we're going to start cooking with them. Well, after finding out how much they cost ($13.99/lb), scallops might not be a regular occurrence after all.

Five-Spice Scallops with Noodles
Serves 4

Oranges, 2
Salt & freshly ground pepper
*Fresh Chinese egg noodles, 1/2 lb
Large sea scallops, 1 1/4 lb
Chinese five-spice powder, 2 teaspoons
Peanut or canola oil, 4 tablespoons
Ginger, 1 tablespoon finely chopped
Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
Sugar snap peas, 1 1/4 lb
Dry white wine, 1/2 cup
Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
Green (spring) onions, 4, white & pale green parts, chopped

1. Prepare the oranges & noodles
Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the oranges & squeeze 1/2 cup juice, & set both aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles to the boiling water & cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, according to the package directions. Drain & set aside.

2. Cook the scallops
While the noodles are cooking, sprinkle the scallops on both sides with the five-spice powder & season lightly with salt & pepper. In a large frying pan over high heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the scallops in a single layer to the pan & cook until well browned on the bottom, about 1 minute. Turn the scallops & cook until well browned on the outside & just opaque in the center, 1-2 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a plate.

3. Cook the vegetables
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same frying pan over high heat. Add the ginger & garlic & stir-fry just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar snap peas & stir-fry just until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Stir in the orange zest & juice, wine, & soy sauce & cook until slightly reduced, 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked noodles & green onions & toss gently to combine. Divide the noodles & snap peas among 4 plates, top with scallops, & serve.

Kim's Notes
Those "fresh Chinese egg noodles" were a mother to find. Trader Joe's didn't have them. Publix didn't have them. Harris Teeter didn't have them. Alas, John's Thai friend Wrench directed us to the K & S Market on Charlotte. John bought some kind of weird shrimp flavored noodles that smelled horrible, but tasted okay.

This dish wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. It needs more fire. It's fairly bland for something called "five-spice." I think we'll try it again with different noodles & more, spicier spices. Suggestions welcome. Delaney, I'm talking to you.