1.1.11 and embracing the new age..........

Again, up and out the door in a pouring rain to the beach.  This time, two of us;  we sat under the pavilion and watched the fog roll in with hot cups of coffee.  Seemed like a good way to start the New Year.
We made a pact;  go back to the house, review Santa's offerings and use each and every one.

First off, break out the pedometer Santa Abby left.  Two hours to figure out how to program the thing.  I finally tossed it to the dog and said;  figure it out!  Slappng on the pedometer we got to work.
(Dr. Oz says we must walk 15,000 steps a day to stay in shape, no problem!)

We went to the Coffee Alter and used the Keurig coffee machine.  I was so against this thing; more trash to add to the landfill and one more appliance no one needs.  After a week, I love it!  We have been using the make your own cups instead of the pre-filled little cup-ettes.  Instead of making a pot, I make a cup.  I predict Starbuck's stock to drop 10 points.   And if I ever need a transfusion I hope it's Starbuck's Italian Roast is in the bag!  Check the pedometer; 15 steps........ I'm roll'n now!


We drank our coffee from two lovely ceramic travel mugs from Santa Abby.
They worked great after I learned I had to twist the lid to get the coffee; I turned blue trying to suck
the coffee out of lid.  That has to be worth 100 steps!

Break the new food processor out of the box. This is an 11 cup super duper "pro" processor.  In a pinch I think I can use it as an outboard motor on the kayak.  The learning curve was ridiculous for me.  Spending an hour jerking the feed tube up and down, muttering a monkey could probably do this, I finally watched the DVD they enclosed for those of us who have difficulty reading directions.  We decided to make fresh pasta.  I Googled my fingers to the bone and took notes.  I finally landed on Giada from the Food Channel.  (I'm Hungarian we make dumplings.)  Check the pedometer....... 6 steps; are you kidding me?
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/homemade-pasta/63844.html

Yesterday, I dug the last of the potatoes out of the garden.  

The new processor made short work for slicing these into paper thin, oven backed chips. Yum!  

No oil just backed in the oven at 400F. and seasoning. 

Snacks while making pasta....... what was I thinking?   

Oh and my iPod has a cocktail app so we had mimosa's in fancy glasses.

Walking back and forth to the fridge for OJ and Champagne; 11 steps. 

Two Christmas's ago Santa brought me a pasta maker that attached to my KitchenAid Mixer.  

It has been in the box with the bow for two years, break it out!    

We were amazed that 3 cups of flour, 3 eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, a bit of salt and a wee trickle of water could make so much pasta! 

We let it dry for an hour, popped the pasta cutter on the old KitchenAid and away we went.

Check the pedometer.......... whoa!  I have walked 133 steps, kill me.

I never understood the fresh pasta frenzy.  Buy a box, dump some sauce on it, easy dinner.  There were nights I heard Butch pull in the driveway and raced to throw a pot of water on the stove.

 Hey!  What's for dinner?  

Pasta........  

Great!  

Yes, I have been slaving all day.

 Actually, I had been in the studio 5 minutes ago.  

Tonight, I tossed a bit of olive oil in a pan, added garlic, onions, pepper flakes and two heaping tablespoons of my sun-dried tomatoes (love those San Marzanos from last year's garden!)  Put in a two ladles of pasta water to make sauce.  The fresh pasta cooked in 3 minutes and Voila!  Dinner!

Ok, I get the fresh pasta frenzy......... it was delicious.  And as soon as my basil is back in the garden, PESTO! 

Oh and I made crab stuffed mushrooms too.

8 oz Neufchatel soft cheese

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon crab boil spices

1 garlic clove, minced

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 cans of crab meat

1 can of baby shrimp

2 tablespoons minced sweet onion

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

Stir together the Neufchatel, sour cream, hot sauce, crab boil and garlic in a medium saucepan until smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.  Heat the cream cheese over medium-low heat until warm, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes.  Fold in the crab, shrimp, onions, parsley and lemon juice until warm and heated through, about a 1 minute.  At this point you can serve it warm with crackers.  

I decided to stuff mushrooms and bake at 350 F. for 15 minutes.

If anyone would have told me I would have all this kitchen "stuff" 15 years ago I would have said;  NEVER, not this dirt digg'n, seed sprout'n, granola mak'n, yogurt mak'n,  Mother Earth News convert, Mother of two.   

Hey! Times Change.............

Today....... I'd rather be in the studio or the garden or sitting on the beach with a hot cup of coffee with my better half or is that bitter half?  And who knew I needed a pedometer?  

Potters & Gardeners; we make pots, grow food, make fantastic meals and serve it out of wonderful handmade dishes.  We swap glaze formulas, garden secrets, bread recipes and lessons we learn in the studio and life.  We embrace technology with computerized kilns, glaze calculation programs, pug mills and the age of technology.  Well, some of us are still chopping wood.

This Christmas, Rachael was stuck on a mountain 10,400 feet above sea level in Colorado.  Christmas morning we hooked up the iChat, synchronized our watches and opened presents together under the tree.  It was fantastic!    

Embrace it........... 

Today I walked 356 steps, ate 5 billion calories and am exhausted.

Yup, I'm bulking up for bikini season........