Baby Eats Baby

Our caravan (hubby, baby, two dogs, and myself)have driven down to stay with my mother in law for the week of Thanksgiving.  Tete (Arabic for grandmother) is a small feisty Syrian-Manhattanite. Since first coming into contact with her son, and the whole family my world of food has expanded and evolved so much.  My food world is forever changed...and I am so thankful for it! 
I don't think I even liked mushrooms. ... I also have a strong bond with lemon, a closer relationship to my already brother-from-another-mother, Garlic.    ...spices, I enjoy a range of them now.  I put cinnamon in ground beef.  Lebanese meat pies just melt me. .. 
Don't get me started on the red wine vinegar.  The fatouche salads, the tabuli salads,  salad with lemon.  .... I'm hungry again.  Ok.

First night's meal....
Swordfish dip and bread -shared with baby.  check.
Artichoke with a lemon &olive oil dip.  ..shared with baby.  Enjoyed.
Veal with a mustard sauce and fresh diced plum tomatoes. ..shared with the babe.  Good to go.  She liked it.  (And yes, I did go so far as to comment that a baby was eating a baby. ..then the thought chain continued, internally, to a calf eating a human baby. ..)
Hence the title of this entry.

Night two. ... Lebanese style meat pies, salads with lemon dressings. 

Not a bad start, ey.
Leading up to the feast of my favorite American holiday.  Thanksgiving.  Simply because it is a day of food, conversation, and no fucking gift giving. 
Cheers.

Where Is My Battery Charger?

Let me start with addressing the title of the post.   ....  I'm trying to make the effort of switching from posting on my phone (which really makes This whole thing possible because with life, kid, home, work, and stuff. .it's hard to find the time to take good photos with my awesome camera and lenses, sit down in front of the computer, upload said photos. .and type out a blog. ...what would have to happen within the narrow time of my girl's nap or after she's gone to bed and I have about an hour window to myself and with my hubby).
So I made this effort earlier this week. .. I made The Stew again. ..and this time I visually thought out the steps.  I showed execution with my Canon (instead of my galaxy phone)... I even made a funny note or two on a notepad about things that happen while cooking (like managing to somehow have the luck of being in the "bring to boil" stage when your baby takes a shit.  That few minutes. ..yeah, that's good timing. ...anyway. .. point is,  my battery on my camera is about to die.  And so is the backup battery.  I have two chargers.  I can't find one. 
....and this brings me to tonight.
Rain check on the stew post. ..again. ..

Trying to use up the perishable food as we are staying with my mother in law for a week for the holiday of thanksgiving. 
Chicken strips, seasoned,  pan fried and then the last few minutes I tossed in two diced tomatoes and scallions (later to drizzle lemon)
With a side of blanched then sautéed green beans with garlic.  I NEED TO SAY IN CAPS THAT COOKING GARLIC IS ONE OF THE BEST FUCKING SMELLS IN MY WORLD. (And some rice.)
Baby girl loves tomato. ..basically ate a whole one....despite the picture that shows her so irritated as I tried to figure out when would be best to add the lemon (I went with post cooking)

...cheers.  I need gin and lemon soda.

App A Teasing

Sometimes a weekend lunch is all about appetizers! ...I really enjoy putting a bunch of cheeses, crackers,  meats,  maybe some pickles...olives. .. all on a great wood cutting board. 

...have I mentioned my. .now one year old, loves garlic stuffed olives! !?

Shep' Pie

Is it raining outside? And are you looking to make something that's easy that will carry you over for a few meals? 
Then shepherd's pie is the way to go!  (Rain or shine. ..just happens to fit today's rainy day nicely)

There are tons of recipes out there,  and mine is a very. .relaxed, use-what-you-have kind of thing:

Start with getting your mashed potatoes going, they will eventually go on top of the whole mix like frosting to a cake. ( I like to add garlic and cheese when I can. ) - about 3 big russet potatoes.
Meanwhile take around a half stick of butter and sauté one diced onion,  add about a lb of ground beef (traditionally lamb is used. ..you could also do ground turkey)...cook through. . .season with things in your spice cupboard and a few good dashes of worchchester sauce.  Add veggies based on how much they need to be cooked.  (I admit I use canned veg here a lot) tonight I used carrots, peas, corn, and green beans.  Add in 1/2 cup beef broth. ..bring to boil then simmer for about 10min, stirring regularly.
Pour this mix into baking dish, top with the mash and put in the oven at 400 for half an hour or until potatoes crisp and brown on top.
...sacrilegious I'm sure. .but it is nice with ketchup! 
...now I don't have to cook tomorrow!

Bunny For Baby

A few things going on that I intended to post on and, well,  none of them panned out in a way I thought was noteworthy. ..but now it's been a week or so, so I feel like I should say something here.
I've been trying to get my shit together so I can make fresh cheese. .but one thing or another gets in the way.  Still to do.
Went to the "chocolate festival" in my town this last weekend, Red Hook,  NY.  Got my chocolate fix. ..but then the happy townie gathering got bombarded by some protest regarding teachers at the nearby private college wanting better health insurance. ...... eye roll here.
My godfather was in town and we went to my favorite restaurant. ..I had my usual but...had the cheese platter too which was fucking amazing. ...I meant to take better photos. .and one of the chalk board which listed the cheeses but forgot, so I'm waiting until later in the day and am going to call and get that list! 
...most important!  Our daughter (almost one year old) tried rabbit for the first time, loved it of course,  but the fact that she tried rabbit before her mother and father. .!!! Haha...

...off topics post, I know.

......cheers.