Category: Food & Drink

Creamy, cheesy, garlicky, potatoey

Dale and I both love to cook, and I looked forward to spending more time in the kitchen after I retired. I was surprised to learn Dale thought he owned the kitchen, so there was that. Our first argument 40 years ago was how to cut onions, so there’s baggage.

At first, we decided to work separately. His turn or my turn. We still do that a lot, but lately we’ve also been cooking together. Why, we even ask each other for advice and recommendations! Must be love.

For us, cooking at home has always been about eating well. In retirement, I discovered cooking is also therapeutic. There’s a lot of stressful shit going down out there, and I have found comfort in the kitchen. I plan to share more about our cooking adventures on the blog. Of course, me being me, I’d like to come up with some clever name for this section of Retirement Confidential, but for now I’ll just file it under Food & Drink. Eventually I’d like to redesign the blog so you can easily print recipes.

I thought I’d start with this week’s big find! First, you have to understand, grocery stores are very important to us. My retirement relocation spreadsheet included distance to Whole Foods for every location under consideration. We ended up 5.7 miles from the nearest Whole Foods and only 2.6 miles from a local store called Nugget. Nugget is a lot like Whole Foods, but we like it better.

The store features tasty looking recipes on slick cards at the checkout. We pick them up frequently, but never make any of the recipes. Until yesterday. We both saw this one and surrendered completely. It was so creamy and cheesy and garlicky and potatoey – I can’t say enough good things about it. The potatoes still had nice bite to them, and you could taste the Dijon throughout.

We ate it with grilled sausage and curly endive tossed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Oh, and we ate leftovers for breakfast with a slice of bacon. I think it would make an excellent breakfast casserole for company.

Adapted from Nugget Markets

Red Potato Gratin with Gruyere & Fontina

1 ½ cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cracked black pepper to taste

15-20 small to medium red potatoes, sliced wafer thin (leave the skins on)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1 cup Fontina cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400°F

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together heavy cream, Dijon mustard and garlic. Add salt and pepper. Place sliced potatoes in the cream mixture and set aside.

Rub olive oil on the sides and bottom of an 8 X 11 glass baking pan or an 11-inch gratin pan. Place potato slices in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, overlapping like shingles on a roof. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons each of the Fontina and Gruyere. Repeat this process until you have 3-4 layers of potatoes and cheese, reserving enough of the Gruyere to generously coat the top layer of potatoes. We used maybe two extra tablespoons of Gruyere. But we are cheese heads.

Pour the cream mixture over the top. Dale did this in advance and let it sit for an hour or so at room temperature. I think you could also make it well in advance and refrigerate until ready.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake additional 20 minutes until the top is golden brown or until knife inserts easily into the middle to ensure potatoes are completely cooked.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Homemade granola for breakfast

In a previous post, I wrote by reducing sugar, eating more fruits and vegetables, eating oatmeal for breakfast several days a week and consuming beans or legumes daily, all the numbers in my lipid profile markedly improved, and my bad cholesterol dropped by 17 percent.

Although I love hot steel cut oatmeal for breakfast, I often prefer something cold to go with my delicious homemade yogurt. I’ve been making my own granola for awhile, but the recipe I used was heavy on sugar. Not that I didn’t love it, sugar and me go way back, but I started experimenting with low-sugar options. Heavy on nuts! I believe I’ve created a tasty compromise and thought I’d share.

A few words about the recipe:

  • I don’t use seasonings other than salt because I mix it with fresh fruit and prefer a blank canvas.
  • You could add dried fruit after the granola has cooled, but I find the fruit gets too dry and chewy.
  • This recipe doesn’t create big clumps.
  • For clumps, you’d probably need to add a bit more oil and avoid stirring it.
  • For breakfast, I top homemade yogurt with about 1/2 cup granola and fruit such as strawberries.
  • I love coconut. I can’t get enough coconut. If you don’t love coconut, this is not your granola!

Donna’s Low-Sugar Coconut Granola

1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes/chips

½ cup raw cashews or nut of choice, coarsely chopped

½ cup raw pecans or nut of choice, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 egg white, lightly whisked

1/4 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line a ½ sheet pan with parchment.

Mix dry ingredients together and add liquids. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Spread mixture in the sheet pan and cook for 20 minutes – stir gently and turn pan half-way through cooking time. It should be golden brown but not too dark – it may need 3-5 minutes more cooking time. Let cool and store in airtight container.

Wine and marshmallows

Yesterday we went to one of our local wineries, of which there are many. Normally known for being somewhat anti-social, Dale and I are members of two winery-based wine clubs. Membership is free, you get free tastings and are obligated to buy a few bottles now and then at a great discount. Dale and I joke we joined because well, we’re joiners.

The schedule said they were doing harvest tours, but the grapes aren’t ready yet, so we were forced at gunpoint to participate in our free tasting. It was just us and two 30-something winetenders (or whatever they are called). We got to talking about politics, and it was great to find resistance to the current regime among the young.

They said their friends are in agreement, so I just hope they all vote. The winetenders were a bit cautious at first and then perhaps surprised to find themselves talking to us oldsters about politics, but the conversation came to an abrupt end when another couple arrived. I get it – this is their livelihood.

The wine was delicious, and I felt grateful to live where we live. Napa and Sonoma are fabulous, but wines produced near us in California’s El Dorado and Amador Counties are an exceptional value. Lots of medium-bodied reds such as Zinfandel, Barbera and Syrah. Cabernet was the last of the tasting, and as always, we loved it the best, but we don’t buy it often because it seems to pair well with meat and not much else. Delicious on an empty stomach, though.

We do eat meat, but the lighter reds are more versatile. We’re going camping next week near Napa, and our favorite dinner on the first night is steak, so we will drag a Cab out for that. It’s funny – California doesn’t have any silly rules about alcohol in state parks. In the Carolinas and Texas, we had to hide it.  I even had fake soda can covers for beer.

Dale and I converted a downstairs bedroom into a walk-in pantry for all our cooking stuff and use the closet for wine storage. The closet isn’t temperature-controlled. Too spendy. We buy moderately priced wine with a plan to drink it before it goes bad.

I have this itch to organize the wine closet by type, so all the Cabs are together, all the Zins together, etc. I might do that today. I’m mad at golf and am not playing for a few days, so I may as well make good use of my time.

Tomorrow I head out for a little overnight road trip. I’m stopping in San Jose to visit a friend and her wife, who has cancer, so I’m bringing a gift of cannabis-infused coconut oil. As we were making plans, we were discussing the merits of coconut oil over balm, and it occurred to me the oil is both edible and topical, which makes for interesting applications, if you get my drift.

I will also be delivering homemade marshmallows, which are yummy, although I hardly make them anymore because I avoid sugary treats. However, let it be said marshmallow is my favorite food group, and marshmallow lovers are special people.

From San Jose, I head to Santa Cruz, where I’m meeting my younger soul sister, who just turned 40. She lives in Texas but is visiting her cousin in California, so we’re getting together on her last night, and then I will take her to the airport the next day. The airport is on the way home, anyway.

Oh, and my young friend also gets marshmallows! We are both marshmallow fanatics. #bornthisway

My retirement dreams do not include lots of travel, but I’m really looking forward to this short trip to see dear friends. Sometimes I wish we could create a retirement commune, where we could all grow old together. I’ll bring wine and marshmallows.

Seasonal foodie dreams

The hottest part of summer is seemingly over where I live, and we are experiencing delightfully cool mornings and toasty warm afternoons. Apparently, the weather was contributing to my sinus headaches, which have now gone away. I assume that means it was not a brain tumor. Another year to live!

We rarely go out to eat, but one of my favorite treats is supermarket sushi. I felt like celebrating today. Not sure why, but why not? Our local market makes sushi fresh every day, and it’s a darn tasty lunch, especially when it’s sunny and warm but not too hot to sit outside and enjoy it.

I’ll miss summer, but fall is my favorite food season. Dale and I both get the urge to cook up a storm. We have some lovely fresh spinach, so I thought I’d make a spinach souffle for dinner tonight accompanied by some sliced fresh tomatoes from the farmers market. The tomatoes are primo right now, and it sounded like a great meal to bridge the seasons.

Very soon I will have to start thinking about serious fall food, including soup. I have several chicken carcasses taking up valuable real estate in the freezer, so it’s time to make a big batch of stock. My favorite soup recipes are from Superfood Soups and Blue Zones.

Dale is getting fired up, too. He purchased raw peanuts and began his process for roasting. He brines them, dries them with fans out in the garage and then roasts them in the oven. And they are spectacular. It’s like a gun pointed to our heads until they’re gone. The fresh peanuts are usually available until Christmas, and by then we hate ourselves anyway, so it’s nature’s way of saying we’ve had enough.

He also took a pork shoulder out of the freezer for Chiapas Roast Pork. Dale uses a Diana Kennedy recipe from Mexican Regional Cooking. The meat is marinated and then cooked in the oven in a spicy chile sauce until is pull-apart tender and then served with shredded romaine lettuce and onions on freshly made tortillas. I make blue corn tortillas from scratch to accompany this dish.

Ah, seasonal foodie dreams. Tamale pie. Stuffed cabbage. Anything with pumpkin, especially the savory dishes. Chile verde. Sausage and navy bean soup. Corned beef hash. Mushroom lasagna. Roasted kabocha squash. Short ribs braised in red wine. Even retro dishes such as beef stroganoff and chicken divan — so comforting.

It’s your turn! We would all love to hear about your favorite fall foods. What deliciousness are you planning as the temperatures start to drop?

A tale of two pretzels

Dale and I both like pretzels, although he gets extra salty, and I like extra dark. My all-time favorites were little multigrain nuggets with sesame seeds from Trader Joe’s, but they discontinued them, and nothing has been the same since. I’ll take my almost-burnt pretzels as a runner-up.

We usually keep them in stock, but somehow both kinds mysteriously disappeared from the drawer where we keep them. I was away Monday night for a golf outing, and when I returned Tuesday, I noticed a bright new bag of extra salty pretzels but none of the extra dark.

Here we go again.

I said, “I noticed you replenished your pretzel supply. Why didn’t you get me any? You know I like the extra dark.”

He went into this harangue about how he doesn’t pretend to keep track of what I eat from day to day, and I’m always changing, and how can he be expected to know whether I want them or not? I said I’ve been eating them for six months and have never complained, so one would assume I still enjoy them and might appreciate a bag if you are already at the store anyway … buying some for yourself.

In the end, I caved. I agreed he can’t be responsible for knowing what I want. He is not to buy pretzels for me unless I specifically request them. He said perfect, that’s the way we will proceed. For the record, it was not a nasty conversation. We’re both a wee bit argumentative, but we come by it naturally.

Part of the problem is Dale was an award-winning debater in high school, and I was quite successful as a persuasive speaker in both high school and college. We met in the military, we were both leaders in our careers and we both like being in charge. However, our energy for the duel has waned with age and retirement, and we have gotten better about quitting before one of us gets a sword through the chest.

The next day, that would be today, he says he’s going to the store for pickles and will buy me pretzels while he’s there. I said, did I ask for them? I thought we had an agreement, or was it a dream? I mean, we went through all that only so you can ignore the new policy? He said no, you didn’t ask for them, but I’ll get you pretzels anyway. I said, no, that’s not what we agreed to. He said OK, no pretzels.

A few minutes later I heard his keys jingle and asked, “Are you going to the store now?” He said yes.

“Will you please get me some of the extra dark pretzels?”

I could hear him laughing all the way down the stairs, and it didn’t stop until the front door closed behind him.

#7: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

Today wraps up my 7-day challenge to use cannabis-infused coconut oil as medicine by adding it to my daily diet.

The loveliness you see in this picture is my husband’s pizza. However, any pizza works well with cannabis oil. Our toppings are grated whole milk mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese, whole shrimp, diced tomatoes, sliced Kalamata olives, sliced habaneros and fresh basil. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and your dose of cannabis-infused coconut oil.

I’m just going to go ahead and say it. Dale made the pizza last night, and I ate leftovers for breakfast this morning. We call this “Punishment Pizza” because of the habaneros. I usually pick them off, leaving a more bearable residual heat. I could not detect the taste or smell of either coconut or cannabis, but that might be the peppers talking.

Until recently, I read about cannabis-infused coconut oil and thought you had to bake with it or use it for topical creams. I’m like, I don’t need a pan of brownies or cookies. Adding oil to an individual portion of food I would eat anyway is an efficient and delicious way to medicate. I see it as a big win for caregivers and patients who want the benefits of cannabis without all the fuss. I had to smoke it when I had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy in 1999. This oil would have been a gift.

At first I thought portability might be an issue. Traveling with a mason jar full of cannabis-infused coconut oil? No, but you can easily fill a small dropper bottle and take it with you on your travels, as long as you’re not flying with cannabis or breaking any other laws! I’m planning a four-day trip within California, and I could easily add a dose of oil to coffee in my hotel room before heading out for the day.

As for downsides, cost could be an issue if you want a Magical Butter Machine, which is about $175. Personally, I would not bother to make the oil or tincture without one, but you can. I explain all that here. If you do want one, there’s a $25 discount on my FaceBook page. This is an affiliate link, and I would receive a small commission.

Pros

  • Easy to make.
  • Relatively inexpensive — my first batch weighed in at $2.50 an ounce.
  • Easy to microdose.
  • Minimal to no cannabis or coconut taste/smell.
  • No smoking involved.
  • No other paraphernalia required.
  • A simple and mindful way to medicate with cannabis daily.

Cons

  • Labor. Well, you do have to make it.
  • Cost.

Please be mindful ideal dosage varies, depending on your tolerance, what kind of high you are seeking and the potency of your cannabis. Start low and go slow!

#6: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

For those who are just tuning in, I’m on a 7-day challenge to medicate with cannabis-infused coconut oil by adding it to my daily diet. I use low doses of cannabis to ease anxiety and reduce inflammation associated with post-mastectomy pain, but I don’t like smoking it, and I don’t want to cook up a big pan of something with cannabis in it. Tincture is an excellent option for microdosing cannabis, but it’s less versatile.

I like to medicate in the morning or early afternoon, so my test meals are breakfast and lunch. The oil is easy to make and easy to add to foods you would eat anyway. Yesterday’s post was breakfast, so I wanted to feature lunch today, but I almost went with breakfast again because I was feeling sad about Anthony Bourdain passing away and wanted to feel better sooner. I find small doses of cannabis to be an excellent anti-depressant.

Tostadas!

  • Fried a corn tortilla until crisp.
  • Heated a spoon or two of leftover refried beans in the microwave — then added cannabis oil to the beans.
  • Spread beans on the tortilla, topped with a little cheddar cheese and put in under the broiler for a few seconds to melt.
  • Added a dollop of guacamole I made from the other half of Monday’s avocado. I use this holder to keep the avocado fresh for a few days after cutting it.
  • Garnished with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, radish, a bit more cheese and chopped carrots from a can of pickled jalapeños.

It was so good, and since I made it smallish, I didn’t even feel too full or guilty. Overall, a tostada is pretty wholesome food. Within 30 minutes, a gentle smile creeped up when I wasn’t looking. No taste or smell of either cannabis or coconut.

I’m still sad about Mr. Bourdain. Cooking my way through it. First I made that tasty tostada lunch, then a big batch of red lentil coconut spinach stew for the freezer. Somehow, I think he’d be OK with that.

Enjoy life, enjoy food.

#5: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

For readers who aren’t into cannabis, please hang in there, the challenge is almost over. For those of you who are interested in learning more about new ways to medicate with cannabis, only two more tasty meal ideas left! It will be hard to top #5.

All week, I’ve been thinking about a soft-boiled egg and speculating a little cannabis-infused coconut oil might be a perfect pairing. And it was. With tacos and tuna or even avocado toast, the coconut oil taste disappears. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of volume. Small portions are likely to reveal the taste of coconut. I found that to be true with peanut butter as well.

But runny egg yolk, soft egg whites and a little coconut oil? It’s a match made in heaven. I could only detect a hint of coconut, but it was just enough. No taste or smell of cannabis. Later, I wondered if a sprinkle of toasted salted coconut would be good on top, but maybe that’s gilding the lily. Or maybe for a poached egg?

As always, medicate carefully. I use only a scant dropperful, which is about 1/4 teaspoon.

Oh, and look at my cute oil dispenser! It’s glass, so if the oil firms up a bit, just take off the lid and microwave for a couple of seconds at low heat. It’s nice to have a dispenser on the counter top or at the table so you can easily add a bit of cannabis-infused coconut oil to individual portions.

I’ll do a proper wrap-up when the challenge is over, but for now, I’m a fan. It’s so simple to add a small amount of cannabis coconut oil to your daily diet, and I have found low doses to help me with post-mastectomy pain, inflammation and anxiety.

Overall, I just feel better and happier with a little cannabis in my system.

#4: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

One of the many things I love about retirement is fixing myself a tasty and healthy lunch at home. Yesterday I played golf, which is pretty much an all-day event, so it’s a treat to hang out with nothing big on the agenda. I love the balance, and that’s what retirement is all about!

This challenge is about medicating by adding cannabis-infused coconut oil to individual servings of foods I would eat anyway. What a great way to treat your medical conditions! So easy and so delicious.

For Day 4 of the challenge, I’ve made cannabis-infused tuna-stuffed tomato salad. I started with a small can of tuna and added chopped pickles, celery and mayonnaise. To that mix, I added my dose of cannabis-infused coconut oil, which is 1/4 teaspoon. I cored out a beautiful farmer’s market tomato and stuffed the tomato, sprinkling a bit of paprika on the top. Then I garnished with baby spinach, Kalamata olives and fresh orange slices.

For those who love tuna salad with mayo, this is a yummy way to eat it because the mayo seeps into the tomato, and it’s almost like a tomato sandwich without the bread. The tomato and the tuna then seep onto the spinach, and it’s the equivalent of salad dressing. I loved it and could not detect a hint of coconut or cannabis.

The perfect dose of cannabis coconut oil varies from person to person, depending on your tolerance, what kind of high you are seeking and the potency of your cannabis. I like microdosing for gentle effects. Starting to feel the little smile just about now …

Oh, exciting news. I’ve been keeping my oil in a large mason jar, but now that I am seeing how to use cannabis oil as a topping at the table, I wanted some sort of decorative dispenser. Found it on Amazon. Arrived today. So cool. Will share tomorrow.

#3: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

I like to microdose with medical cannabis at breakfast or lunch so I can enjoy pleasant feelings and pain relief all day long. I’m playing golf today and usually eat a hearty breakfast before a game. My husband, Dale, is the chief enabler, and he made breakfast tacos for day 3 of my cannabis coconut oil 7-day challenge.

We start with some pretty spectacular ingredients. Dale’s homemade Mexican-style chorizo and his zingy salsa verde. Both ingredients are usually available in U.S. markets. The corn tortillas are store bought — this would even be better with homemade torts, but sometimes you have to compromise.

To make the tacos, brown 1/4 pound chorizo in a pan over medium heat. Spritz another pan with cooking spray and set the burner to medium-high. Lightly whisk three eggs and pour them into the prepared pan. As the eggs start to set, add the chorizo and lightly scramble. Heat the tortilla on a griddle or in the microwave. Drizzle with salsa verde and a dose of cannabis-infused coconut oil. Fresh white nectarines and strawberries on the side.

Yum. Dag, we eat well. The flavorful chorizo is the stand-out in this dish. Dale says it’s easy to make. Modified from a Rick Bayless recipe, Dale makes a big batch and freezes it in 1/4 pound servings. I could not detect the smell or taste of cannabis in the tacos. I just drizzled the oil over the eggs and salsa.

I’m fortified but mellow — ready for golf. My ideal dose of cannabis oil is 1/4 teaspoon. Ideal dosage varies, depending on your tolerance, what kind of high you are seeking and the potency of your cannabis. I like microdosing for gentle effects.

So far, I would have to say adding a bit of infused oil to foods you would eat anyway is a great way to medicate with cannabis.