Family Values

I am a Cleveland Indians fan, as I'm quite sure I've mentioned before. I've introduced both kids to baseball by taking them to see the Columbus Clippers at the beautiful Huntington Park. I've introduced them to the Tribe watching STO in the evenings. Happy has really taken to both baseball in general and the Indians specifically. He can look at a player on the TV and tell me the player's name, and cheers for the player to do well (e.g. "Hey, it's Michael Brantley! Get a hit, Michael Brantley!"). So I decided it was time to take Happy on a pilgrimage: we went to Progressive Field for his first live game.

All in all, I think Happy had a good time. In the bottom of the first inning, Jason Kipnis hit a home run, which really thrilled Happy until the fireworks went off. We were sitting in the bleachers at the time, and they exploded just behind us. Happy is terrified of loud noises, so he got really freaked out. After that, he'd root for our batters by shouting, "Get a LITTLE hit!" because if they got a big one, the fireworks might go off again. It got to the point that every time the ball was hit in the air, he'd gasp, cover his ears, and cower. I felt bad for the poor guy. We made it in our seats through three, then went to the Kidsland for a while before leaving around the middle of the fifth.

I kinda wish we'd have been able to stay longer. But, someday I know he'll outgrow his fear of noises, and we'll go back. And maybe by then, the Indians will be playing better. Oh yeah, and maybe they'll have stadium mustard at the condiment station under the bleachers. I owe the Indians a really stern email...

UPDATE: Oh, and if anyone from the Indians happens to wander by this blog, your suggestion form is ridiculous. Not being able to handle parentheses, dashes, apostrophes, commas or even NUMBERS for crying out loud, is completely inane. I'm sorry that the comment I left for you looks like it was written by a third grader, but I was left no choice.

After-hours Call

I'd like to thank the group, Taxpayers for Westerville Schools for the 9:30P call last night, which woke our kids. I'd also like to complement them on their character. I left a post on their web site last night expressing in polite terms my dissatisfiaction. My comment was never approved, I can only assume it was summarily ditched. That's a lot of integrity they're showing. Well done!

I'd like to add for those with a defective sarcasm detector that I'm really quite angry about this episode, and their handling of it was very poor.

Pro Tip For the Men

Here's a tip just for the fellas. Cologne is not a marinade. You don't need to sit in a vat of it for an hour or more in order for it to perform its function. Cologne is more like saffron. A little goes a long way. Seriously gents, if you've gotta use a cubic yard of cologne to cover up your stench, perhaps you ought to take a bath. You know, with water. And soap.

This rant is dedicated to the 20-something dude who ignored the unspoken "skip a seat in a non-crowded theater" rule to sit mere inches from me so he could be "one seat closer to the middle." He arrived just as previews were starting, so I didn't have a chance to move. His musky malodor was so heinous that even now, an hour after parting ways, my nose still burns and I'm somewhat queasy. Blargh.

Minor Home Upgrade

For some reason or another, the only upstairs room without a ceiling fan has been the kids' room. It's the hottest room in the summer, hotter than anywhere else even when the AC is running. We've been meaning to add a fan for some time, and finally got around to it. We hired an electrician by the name of David Krohn, who did excellent work. If you're in Central OH and need electrical work done, I'd highly recommend him. We had a couple of good discussions prior to the work being done to flesh out what needed to be done, he showed up promptly, worked quickly and professionally, and the finished product works great. Oh, and his price was very, very reasonable.

I'd link to Mr. Krohn if he had a web site, but I can't find one for him. If you need electrical work done and want to contact Mr. Krohn, drop me a note, either via email or by responding to this blog post, and I'll send you his contact information.

Slow Work Day Means Kitchen Time

Work was slow today, so rather than bill hours for work I wasn't doing, I spent time in the kitchen. Among other things, I made the above Eisenhower strawberry pie and some cinnamon rolls with the left-over pie crust. The pie tastes much better than it looks. I'm terrible at crimping pie crusts, but since this was only the third pie I've made, I can use the excuse that I need more practice. If you want to try it yourself, you can find the recipe here. The recipe is provided by the nice folks from whom we bought the berries. They have a very nice pick-your-own farm the next town over. We took the kids out Wednesday after work/daycare and had a merry old time. If you're in Central OH, stop by their place and pick some fresh berries. If you're farther afield, find your local berry farm and pick enough for your own pie!

When Faith Meets Hockey

One of our little morning rituals with Poet is to sing "Rise and Shine" to get her out of bed. It's something we've done for years, and both kids have picked up on the words. Sort of. Poet's version sounds like somthing a hockey fan might say:

Rise and shine, and give God your goalie, goalie...

We've never had the heart to correct her :)

My New Favorite Food Trick

Got a microwave, a potato and a mandolin (or v-slicer)? Congrats, you've got potato chips! I really, really like this idea because a) it's very cheap, b) it's very quick c) there's no grease/oil so they gotta be healthier, amirite? and d) you can control what goes on your chips. For instance, my mom is trying to avoid salt, so she can make hers with little or no salt. I happen to like vinegar on my chips, but I don't keep salt & vinegar chips in the house since Amy doesn't care for them, but now I can make them on demand. A few notes before you try:

• Don't get greedy and try to make too many all at once by crowding the tray. Leave some space between the potato slices.
• You don't have to use russets. I used a waxy-ish red and my chips came out fine. Others who commented on the article used sweet potatoes.
• I salted my chips before I nuked them, I think that worked out pretty well
• Don't slice the chips too thin. They'll shrink a fair amount during cooking.
• Yes, you really do need to use parchment paper. I tried other surfaces, and I had problems with sticking. The nice thing is that you can reuse the parchment paper for a couple of batches.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make another batch or two.

... or ten.

A First for BMT

In all the years I've been going to baseball games, I'd never before gotten hold of a game ball. Several years ago, Amy managed to snag a ball used in batting practice before an Indians game, but that's as close as I'd gotten until last night. My friends, Carl and Sally, had been comped a game in a loge at an Akron Aeros game, and they invited me to join them. Late in the game, a foul ball was lined back our way, and I got my hand on it. No, I didn't catch it outright, it was going about 90MPH at the time, and the bugger stung! Fortunately for me, a nice person in the loge next to me flipped the ball back to me. So, yay! I'm in a possession of a game ball!

What's the Bald Man Up To?

Yeah, I kinda went dark there again, didn't I? Well, I've been busy with my work for Brand Thunder, working on something very, very exciting that I couldn't talk about. I think I can now, so have a look at what we've been working on. I am super, super excited about this! Not only did I get a chance to work on a set of themes for something I love dearly, this is a HUGE opportunity for Brand Thunder. Good times!

Oh, and if that set of themes isn't to your liking, check out some of our other themes, and if you still don't see anything you like, create one for yourself!

Simple White Bread

I mentioned a while ago that I've got a bit of free time, and have been trying things in the kitchen. Bread seems to be the constant thing for me. I make a lot, and don't buy from the store any more. In addition to the two loaves I mentioned previously, I bake a third that is ridiculously easy. Here's my recipe.

The Ingredients

• 2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1-1/4 c luke-warm water
• 3 c flour, plus additional flour for dusting and kneading
• 1-1/2 tsp kosher salt (or 1-1/4 tsp table salt)
• 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 2 1tsp pats of butter

The Hardware

• 1 or 2 large bowls
• 1 tea towel
• large-ish wooden or plastic spoon
• 1 bread pan
• a nice flat surface for kneading
• a wire cooling rack

The Method

Add the active dry yeast, sugar and water to a large bowl, stir to dissolve the yeast and sugar, then let sit for 5 minutes. Then add 3 c flour and the salt, and stir to combine. Once everything comes together, dust your hands and work surface with flour, dump the dough onto the dusted surface, and knead for 2-3 minutes. Dust additional flour on your hands or work surface if the dough sticks. After kneading, form the dough into a ball. Spread the oil thinly around the inside of a large bowl (or wash your original bowl in really hot water and dry thoroughly, the heat will help with the bread rising), removing excess with a napkin or paper towel. Put the dough ball in the oiled bowl, roll the ball around a few times to coat, then cover the bowl with the tea towel and park in a warm place for an hour. After the hour has passed, uncover the dough, punch it down a little, then cover and place back in a warm spot for another 30 minutes.

Now, use 1 tbsp butter to grease the inside of your bread pan. Dust your hands and work surface once again, and dump out the now-risen dough. Using your hands, stretch the dough into roughly a rectangle as wide as your pan, and 1-1/2 times as long, trying to keep the thickness of the dough as even as you can. Starting with the near end, roll the dough into a log, crimp both ends, then put the dough log into the bread pan. Cover and place in a warm spot for another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your oven rack about in the middle of your oven. Bake your loaf for 40 minutes. After you pull out your loaf, immediately take the bread out of the pan and place on a cooling rack. Spread the remaning 1 tbsp butter over your piping hot loaf and allow to cool.

Notes

I never said it’d be quick, but it really isn’t hard. The hard part is resisting the temptation to immediately cut your bread. The interior needs time to set, so be patient. It’d be best to give it an hour before cutting, but you might be able to get away with 45 minutes. Whatever you do, make sure your loaf is completely cool before storing, especially if you’re storing in a plastic bag.

Remember that fresh bread will not keep as long as store-bought bread, since you’re not adding a bunch of preservatives. It usually doesn’t last more than a day or two around here, anyway. Oh, and if you’re not a fan of eating the bread heels, pop them into a plastic bag and freeze them. Then when you come across a recipe that calls for bread crumbs, grab them and run them through your food processor. You’ll never need to bread crumbs from the store again.

Oh, and the best thing to put on the bread is your own homemade butter. Yum....

My Son, the Gourmand

Our kids love to pretend cook. Ever since Poet could walk, she'd bring us stuff from her little kitchen to "eat," be it "soup" or "noodles" or "milk" or whatnot. When Happy got big enough and learned enough words, he joined in, offering "beef stew" or "cold peas" or "hot dog sammiches." Which brings me to today's story.

After picking up the kids from daycare, Amy and I took them to one of our many local parks. Beneath the main playset is a little shelf which is reminiscent of a counter in a restaraunt, think McDonalds or Skyline or something along that order. When we go to this playground, the kids will invariably catch sight of this shelf and strike up a rousing game of "food service." Today, Happy emerged from behind the shelf to take my order:

Happy: Daddy! What can I make you?

Me: Hmmm... I think I'll have a hot dog sammich.

Happy: <turns to go> OK, I'll be right back!

Me: Oh, can I get some mustard on it?

Happy: Yeah! What kinda mustard do you want?

Yep, that's right. Happy was concerned about the kind of mustard I wanted. How many three year olds know more than plain ol' yellow mustard? Happy and Poet both know and enjoy yellow, spicy brown and dijon. They also know that I eat "hot" mustard at our local greasy wok. I might let them try it, then I might get offered hot mustard for my hot dog, too!

Homemade Butter

Since it was requested, here's how to make homemade butter:

The Ingredients:

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)

The Equipment:

• Food processor or blender
• A largish bowl filled with ice water
• Something in which your butter will be stored

The Method:

Dump the cream and salt into your food processor or blender, and turn it on. Keep watch over it as it turns from cream to whipped cream, to stiff whipped cream. Eventually it'll start to fold in on itself and get slightly yellow. Hang tight, you're almost there! At some point, the liquid will begin to separate from the solids. You'll see a bunch of little globs (the butter) and a lot of liquid (buttermilk). Kill the power and let things settle for a minute, then drain off the buttermilk, mush all the solids into a ball and drop into the ice water. Knead with one hand for a few moments to get as much buttermilk out of the butter as you can. Then transfer your butter to the storage vessel of your choice.

Notes

See, it's simple, isn't it? It actually took me less time to make it than to type this all up. There are a few things you'll want to keep in mind. First, don't overwhip the butter. I did the first time and my butter ended up with a chunky, crumbly texture that didn't spread even when warmed to room temperature. If your butter comes together in a big solid ball while you're still whipping it in your food processor, it's overbeaten. You can still eat it, but the texture will be off. Second, the reason for the ice water bath is to remove buttermilk, which can cause your butter to go rancid when left out for a while at room temperature. I always refrigerate my butter and only get out what I'll need for a meal, and let it warm up for a few minutes before serving. Finally, the amount of salt you use is really up to you. I wrote 1 tsp into the recipe above because it seems reasonable. I like mine a little saltier, I actually use closer to 1-1/2 tsp or even 2. If I have my mom over, I'll use less, since salt and her don't really get along.

Oh, and one final note: homemade butter is just begging for additions. Try herbs or garlic. Yummmm...

Thank You, AEP!

We used 15% less electricity this billing period, compared to the previous. Your bill was 7% higher. Keep up the good work AEP, soon you'll be in the same class as Ohio American Water.

Crappy Kitchen Day

Inside of an hour today, I managed to burn a hole through the bottom of our flour container, and break our large food processor. I should go back to bed...

Trouble With Happy

Oooooooh boy, my son is going to be trouble. To wit:

Happy is starting his transition to the next daycare room up, for 3's and 4's (Poet's current class). Today we got a note from the teacher in Happy's old class. Evidently when Happy left, one little girl was very upset, saying that she wanted to go with Happy because he is her "best friend." Another little girl heard that and piped up, "no, he's my husband!" They then started yelling back and forth at each other, "HE'S MINE!" "NO, HE'S MINE!" They had to be separated.

Yikes.

Free Time

Lately, work hasn't been keeping me as busy as I'd like, so I've had time to do other things. Some things are less pleasant than others (like cleaning up the basement to turn into a play area, that wasn't a lot of fun). But the fun parts have been around trying new things in the kithcen. I've gotten back to baking bread again. In addition to baking bread from a book my sister got me for Christmas last year, I've found a great recipe for Italian bread which I've made twice and has been gone in under 24 hours both times. I've also started making fresh ricotta, which is so stupidly easy I can't believe I haven't done it before. And today, I made my first batch of homemade butter, which is even more stupidly easy. I think that the next item on my list of things to try making is mozzarella, which seems slightly more complicated, but well within my ability to not screw things up. Yay for free time!

This Makes My Blood Boil

A Facebook friend posted this link, and the story makes my blood boil. I'm not sure what can be done, but posting it for a wider audience can't hurt as a start. Boost the signal.

More Casserole-y Goodness

I love lasagna (well, I love my mom's lasagna, no other, including my own, measures up). However, I'm lazy. The big lasagna noodles are clunky to work with, and all the layers is just too much work. So what's a lasagna lovin' guy supposed to do? He cheats, of course. This recipe is pretty close to my lasagna, I just switch up the noodles.

Baked Ziti

The Ingredients:

• 8 oz ziti
• 1 lb ground sausage
• 1/2 c finely chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c tomato sauce
• 12 oz ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

The Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta as per directions on the box.

Brown the sausage over medium-high heat in a 12" frying pan. Once browned, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft. Drain if necessary and return to the pan. Add the tomato sauce and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Combine this mixture thoroughly with the pasta, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese and oregano.

Scoop about half of the pasta/sausage/sauce mixture into an 8x8" pan. Add the cheese mixture by the spoonful on top of the pasta and smooth out. Scoop the remaining pasta/sausage/sauce mixture on top, then top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for an hour at 350 degrees, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Notes:

I didn't actually use ziti for my baked ziti, since it was literally double the price of mostaccioli. Since it was roughly the same size and shape, I didn't figure it mattered. I used sweet italian sausage, because Amy isn't a big fan of spicy sausage. I also made my own ricotta, but I'll post about that the next time I make it. All in all, this turned out well. Happy had seconds! Come to think of it, he had seconds the last time I made a casserole, too. Hrm, I'm sensing a pattern...

What's for Dinner?

I haven't posted a recipe in a loooooong time, so here's one that I've been working on for a while. I think I've got it down pretty well now, so I've stopped fiddling. Let me know how it comes out if you give it a try.

Chicken Soup Casserole á la Bald Man Tom

The Ingredients

• 2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced or cubed (around 2 cups)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 oz frozen mirepoix mix (carrots, onions, celery)
• pinch of salt
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2-1/2 c milk
• 3-1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 2 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
• 6 oz noodles, cooked
• water (for cooking the noodles)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp olive oil

The Method

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. When melted, add the mirepoix mix and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 5 min. Lower the heat to medium, then add the flour and stir, cooking about another 2 min. Lower the heat to low. Add the milk, bouillon, garlic powder and 2 tbsp poultry seasoning to the pan and stir constantly while it thickens. Add the noodles and chicken, stir to combine everything. Transfer the mixture to a 9x9 or 8x8 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 1 tbsp poultry seasoning and olive oil, then sprinkle over the casserole mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

This goes over pretty well at our house. Happy even had seconds tonight!

Cold and Snowy Day in Central OH

One of the great things about living in the Central Ohio area is the Columbus Zoo. This is our second year with a family subscription, and I can say that it is easily the best money we spend each year. The zoo itself is awesome, one of the best in the country, but for those inclement days when you just have got to get the family out of the house before complete insanity sets in, there's an aquarium and manatee rehabilitation center. During the winter, both are nearly deserted, so there's plenty of room for the family to wander and explore.

Today, we got to the manatees at feeding time. Poet and Happy were more interested in the diver than the manatees. Especially Happy, since the diver who was anchoring the lettuce was a young woman. Sigh. He's going to be trouble...

Three Items

Item the first: my kids asked for mashed potatoes for dinner tonight. OK, that's not quite true, I offered them rice, noodles or mashed potatoes, and they chose mashed potatoes. This is significant because until a month ago, neither would touch a potato if it wasn't julienned and deep fried. Color me happy, that means we can re-introduce potatoes to the menu.

Item the second: my parents got me one of these for Christmas. I've used it pretty extensively for the last week, and I think I like it. This is my first ceramic knife, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It's nice and sharp, and the handle on this one is a nice fit for my oversized hand. It's a little light for my preference, but I'm getting used to it. I have to use a little more force to get through things like potatoes and carrots, but that might just be that I'm used to using an 8" blade. Anyhow, I like it well enough that I'm half tempted to get a larger ceramic knife for my knife block.

Item the third: we gave Poet and Happy their first introduction to Star Wars tonight. They didn't watch much, just enough to see C3PO and R2D2, which they know from a t-shirt Happy had over the summer. They were completely rapt during their few minutes with one of my favorite movies. I'm eagerly anticipating them getting a little older so we can watch it and the rest of the series all the way through.