Back in the Kitchen

After several months of our rotating spaghetti/enchiladas/couscous schedule, I decided to bid my recipe rut adieu and try some new dishes.

First up, Spanakopita. I made this because I have to present on the country of Greece for the Social Studies methods class I am teaching. For these presentations we all have to cook a food from the country. I was given a challenge from a fellow classmate a few weeks ago when he said after a few not-so-stellar food presentations, "you little newlyweds, y'all are so cute thinking you can cook." At that moment I decided I would teach him to think twice before messing with this little newlywed. So, on to the recipe. I was a little intimidated by the Fillo dough, but I was excited to have a reason to go to my favorite little local gem the Mediterranean International Market on Park Ave. Thanks to my bestie Ina Garten, the recipe was a breeze to follow and the results were delicious. Here is the link. We will see what my class thinks!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spanakopita-spinach-triangles-or-pie-recipe/index.html

Here is another link that I found useful when folding them up, Price thinks the process is similar to making paper footballs... can't say I am familiar with that.
http://lldzines.com/spanakopita/folded.htm
Next up, Hamburger Bun French Toast.
I have a little crush on the Amateur Gourmet. His blog is excellent if you have never read it. I especially love his hilarious seasonal headers. We had some straggling hamburger buns hanging out in our kitchen and I remembered a blog post that Adam wrote about hot dog bun french toast. I did the same thing, except with hamburger buns. I added cinnamon, nutmeg, and a teensy dash of almond extract. It was delish.
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2010/08/hot_dog_bun_french_toast.html
Lastly, White Bean Chicken Chili.
I knew it was going to get cold this weekend and I have had this recipe on hold for the perfectly crisp evening. I came across it on Jennifer Chandler's blog, http://cookwithjennifer.wordpress.com/. Jennifer is a fellow Memphian who is Le Cordon Bleu trained and has written two fantastic cookbooks, Simply Salads and Simply Suppers. This is a recipe that is easy to throw together, healthy, and delicious (the perfect combo if you ask me).
http://cookwithjennifer.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/white-bean-chicken-chili-2/



This weekend I have been reminded once again of how much I adore cooking. Price adores the cleanup... he really does... I promise.

My Little Artists

It has been awhile. A lot has been going on lately, but nothing blogworthy. I haven't cooked anything decent in weeks. No DIY projects (check out my former roomie's blog if you want to see those). Haven't read any good books (but that's not unusual as I rarely read). Still smitten with Hank. HOWEVER, Mrs. Edwards art room has been a busy place. Teaching art is really fun and really messy. Definitely can't keep a manicure for more than 48 hours, but I can't afford those anyway! Here are some of the things my JK and SK boys have created this year.

JK- Mondrian line study using construction paper and oil pastel
SK- Kandisky art using tempera paint and oil pastel
JK and SK- Watercolor resist patterns using crayon and watercolor paints
JK and SK- Painted pumpkin patch
I LOVED this project (not so much the doing of it, but the finished product)... We talked about texture and color, painted paper using various texture tools (forks, sponges, race cars, etc.), cut them out, glued them on construction paper, and painted stems and vines.
I love fall!