If you want some adventure and fun with drink then must visit at Mercado Block, San Antonio, TX. where huge bar/ restaurants existed and it’s a popular spot for tourists.

Two Bar and so popular and more adventure there in Mercado Block- which are Swig Martini Bar and second is Mad Dogs British Pub.

First is Swing Martini Bar- is located 111 West Crockett, no. 205, and its specialty in martinis, cigars, cocktails and live music. it’s a fabulous place for cocktails. If you needs live music with drink then you must visit to Swing Martini bar where you can take more enjoyment.  If you are staying at La Quinta San Antonio then you can visit to this bar with short drive. With a lot of entertainment, you can do there with you friends or alone.

Another Bar of San Antonio is Mad Dogs British Pub-, which is too popular for live music DJs, Karaoke, Live bands and much.

In San Antonio city bar located in mostly in Mercado Block. In my knowledge, In entire hotels in San Antonio, tx has no any bar but Restaurants existed to there. Therefore, visitor visit to Mercado Block for drink and live music.

I want to tell you few famed restaurants of the San Antonio, where you can eat vary of meal if you travel there. In these restaurants have vary of dishes, which is sources of popular across the San Antonio. The popular restaurants of San Antonio’s are below-

Map of Hungry Horse Restaurant

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Hungry horse- According to knowledge it’s a best restaurant for Non-veg Dishes. You can eat here home style meals, pork chops, meatloaf, chicken fried steak and bran muffins. It is located in West Avenue of San Antonio city. It’s a budget rates restaurant in San Antonio.

Hungry Horse Restaurant- you can eat here home style meal

Second famed restaurant of San Antonio is Lulu’s and offers best budget rates diner and bakery throughout the city. The cinnamon rolls are the special and famed dishes, which love human ahead. It is located north of interstate 35 on N. Main St don’t far from the Alamo. If you visit at The Alamo then you should to comes here because not far from the Alamo, just 20 to 30 minute walking distance from them.

Some expensive restaurants are live in San Antonio hotels, therefore huge travelers eat the meals to outside like that famous restaurants because its too low rates meals as compare to hotels restaurants.

If you want to cheap rate or delicious pizza the visit to 1906 N. Main st. Just east of San Antonio College, about 2 miles north of downtown. Where you can eat the popular and more delicious pizza and that restaurant called Main Street Pizza.

Main street pizza - Delicious Pizza with lot of flavors you can eat here

Mostly students of San Antonio College comes to here and eat that wonderful delicious pizza, these are Italian pizza. Besides, they also offer Calzones, Pizzas of all sizes, ecclectic mix of other traditional Italian food, Fried Calamari, and Calzones at budget rates.

“Can we have some recipes for mince meat that isn’t lasagna, shepherd’s pie and spag bol?” SE & EM

Quite hard to transform mince into something truly mindblowing, however you can with a bit of time and effort, you can turn mince meat into interesting at best! Here are a couple of recipes that are slightly different and dead scrummy:

Keema ( Dry Mince Curry)

In India, they eat this for breakfast, but I don’t think our delicate stomachs could deal with that at such an early time of day! We all love a good curry and this one is easy peasy to put together. Keema is also used to fill samosas and for biryani.

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil

1 onion chopped and peeled

1 x cinnamon stick

4 small green cardamoms

2 large cardamaoms

1 bay leaf

1 lb lean minced beef/lamb

1/4 tsp ground tumeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 can of 8oz tomatoes or 4-5 fresh tomatoes (skinned and roughly chopped)

4 oz frozen peas (optional)

Salt

Prep time = 10 mins, Cooking time = 30-40mins

Process:

1) Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion until light and brown

2) Add the cinnamon stick, small and large cardamoms and the bay leaf and continue to fry for 1 min.

3) Add the minced beef/lamb and sprinkle the tumeric, chilli powder, coriander and cumin. Mix well and fry for 2-3 mins to brown the meat, then add the tomatoes and salt. Cover and gently cook for about 10 mins until the mince is dry.

4) Uncover, add the peas, and continue cooking over a gentle heat for 10 mins.

Et voila! We here at CY HQ, prefer having this kind of dish with naan bread (we get ours from M&S) but if you prefer you could serve with rice.

Another good mince recipe is for cumin scented kofte brochettes with minted dip yoghurt. We often do these for a canapes but they could easily be made for a meal and just serve with rice. This recipe (for a meal) makes about 12-14 golf-ball size kofte.

Ingredients:

350g (12oz) lean minced lamb

1 medium onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

For dip:

175ml (6floz) greek-style yoghurt

15g (1/2 oz) mint, finely chopped

15g (1/2 oz) parsley, finely chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt

Process:

1) Place lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, ground coriander, lemon, fresh coriander, salt and cayenne pepper in a food processor: pulse until combined and slightly pasty.

2)Divide into 12-14 golf ball sized pieces. Do this with wet hands and roll the mix into shape. Place them on a tray and put in the fridge for about 30mins.

3) For dip, combine yoghurt, mint, parsley and lemon. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Cover and pop in fridge for 30mins to allow the flavours to develop.

4) Preheat the grill. Grill the brochettes until browned but still pink and juicy inside (around 3 mins on each side).

5) Serve hot with chilled minted yoghurt dip and rice!

You can make the dip up to 1 day in advance and leave in fridge. You can also make the kofte up to 12hrs in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

CY x

pic by LexnGer

The second moment that I can really remember feeling utterly sickened about eating meat was late on a Sunday night when I was around twelve years old.

There had been a huge storm and we had lost power. Mum put my sister and I into the old brown Holden car and we drove through suburb after suburb until we found one that had power. There was a pseudo Italian outlet and I ordered ribs.

At home, sitting by candlelight and eating my dinner, I was suddenly acutely aware that I was gnawing on the ribs of an animal. This intense, dark energy eminated from the bones. I felt it. I felt the animal’s suffering. I felt its horror at the point of killing. I felt its fear and dread.

‘I don’t think this animal died in very nice circumstances,’ I said  to Mum.

Mum, also an animal lover, grimaced. ‘Try not to think about it,’ she said.

But it was so utterly revolting, as though I was some scavenger who was cleaning up the remains of a carcass.

I was nauseous in the extreme and left my meal unfinished. It was the start of my aversion from anything that resembled what it had looked like when it had been alive–bones, feathers, scales, skin. The only way I could eat meat was if it contained no reminders of its past and was cooked very well done, preferably burned.

They sound relatively similar but at a closer look, the two terms have some differences. Sure they have the same words, but different meanings.

“Giving Thanks” means to give thanks for anything or anyone you are grateful to have. It’s an action that emphasizes the importance of the things you have versus the things you lack.  I can give thanks for life, loved ones, and  my accomplishments.

“Thanksgiving” is an idea that has been overly commercialized with turkeys and gluttony. Thousands of families crowd around a table full of food while millions more starve, as they do every single day of the year.

Thanksgiving is not about the turkey and delicious stuffing. Then again, it shouldn’t be. Sure, it’s great that family members travel far and wide to reunite under the same roof, sharing laughs, memories, and a good meal.  It’s about being grateful once a year but  every day. Every Thanksgiving, text messages are sent nationwide sharing one’s appreciation for whatever or whomever they choose. Sadly, only a few recognize the true meaning behind the holiday. It’s about people coming together at the same table, setting aside their differences and recognizing the importance of unity and family. For most families, this day and Christmas are the only two opportunities when the family will be reunited under one roof. All of the words and fights mean nothing on those two days. Why can’t it be that way 365 days or 366 days (in a leap year)?

I challenge you to say thanks each and every day for your many blessings.

Today, I am grateful for another day. I am thankful for rest and peace. I am thankful for knowledge and loved ones. What you grateful for?

Have you?

Bukchon Hanok Village is one of traditional area in Korea. It is locate in seoul, near the Jongno. Bukchon is not a limited area. It is just group of many towns like Sogyeokdong, Sagan-dong, Gyedong etc. There are a lot of nice views and great restaurant. because of it, Bukchon has become a good travel stage in Korea

Actually, most of Hanok in Bukchon is not a traditional Korean house. Traditional Hanok is big and solemn. Bukchon’s Hanok is smaller than the others and it doesn’t give us a feeling like grand or quiet. Instead of them, it feels cute, vital etc.

-Bukchon’s Hanoks

Bukchon’s Hanok doesn’t use for house. but it’s expenditure is a cultured-place like cafe, restaurant, gallery. They are new typed Hanok with new typed Korean traditional system.

Bukchon is the place that gives us a fresh feelings even though they are located in center of urban environment. Bukchon’s beauty, is come from differences with others.

It’s starting already!  Once you begin to hear Elvis singing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” it’s all over.  we are officially full on into the Holiday season.  And I guess I’m just about as ready as I’ll ever get.  Only this year I’m contributing a couple birds of my own to the feast.  Going to see how pheasant tastes after my Dad smokes it.  The first couple pieces of breast meat look good!  Hope it was worth getting up so early in the morning and trekking through the trees and forrest.  At least it was fun getting them!

So I’ve given some thought to what I want this whole thing to be about.  It’s always easier to write about things you know and can get excited about.  I started to realize what my focus should be when I was un-boxing some MacBooks at work.  I’ve always wanted to take a class on the Mac OS and how the hardware works.  I’ve taken Microsoft Certification classes in the past and have the general gist of how things operate there.  I think getting to know the Mac better would benefit my career and give me an opportunity to separate myself from the huge heard or Windows users in the corporate world.  (Plus it’s a real rush carrying a Mac through the halls of Travelers and getting the envious and curious looks from passerby.)  If I can get a head start on the technical aspect, and maybe even present it here in a manner that everybody can understand, I can create something here that would be of interest to all.  After all, I was doing this getting published thing so I would have at least a few followers and not just to feel like I’m talking to myself.  Right?

Well, got to get some sleep in preparation for tomorrows big festivities.  With a projected 16 people at the dinner table, I might need the energy to escape the chaos!  I might even take tomorrow off from posting if it gets too crazy.  I know; I’ve only been at this for 2 days and I already want time off?  Prob won’t happen though…should get some good material tomorrow….Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Obama gives ‘Courage’ the turkey a Presidential Pardon.

For all my foul feathered eaters…happy Thanks Giving!

Peta commercial…

**Caveat: Amazing Grass is having an awesome sale right now! Go to there website(accessible through the button to the right) and enter the code BAR09 on any purchase of Amazing Grass bars and get 20% off! Isn’t that awesome? I think I’m going to have to stock up on the chocolate peanut butter protein bars–so good**

I’m pretty sure that title is the last thing people who eat around me would expect me saying but–let’s face it–it’s true; and there ain’t nothing wrong with food fried in good oils in moderation Wait, where was I? Oh yes, yesterday morning was filled by a light-hearted class in which 3 people ditched for Thanksgiving were mysteriously sick. 3 might not sound like a lot for a college class, but you notice it in the Classics. I was so relieved when I got out I wanted to jump for joy’ instead, I kicked it into gear to get back to my dorm so I could pack and go. I basically combed the room, thinking of everything I could possibly need for 5 days and throwing it somewhere else. Around 1 I realized I was hungry. I wanted a repeat of yesterday’s amazing spicy oats, but I needed something faster and portable so I racked my brain for a veggie dish.

Broccoli Salad And Flamegrilled Gardenburger With The Heat Is On PB

Stewed Tomatoes With Crumbled Morningstar Breakfast Patty, One Lucky Duck Raw Rosemary Quackers

Ok, this was still basically my breakfast, just with oats metamorphosed into broccoli. I just could not get enough of The Heat Is On! The stewed tomatoes were dining hall fare and I wish I could have thought of something more intricate to do with them but I did not have the chance. It game me an opportunity, though, to sample and review the One Lucky Duck Rosemary Quackers. They were not exactly what I was expecting/hoping for, but it was fun to try something raw. I think I’ll be sticking with baked chips from now on, though(and, yes, the occasional fried ) Well this is what things looked like when my dad showed up:

Packed And Ready To Go

That’s 2 bags of food, an extra bag of clothes/toiletries, a backpack, laundry, a coffee maker, and a stevia plant. I suppose 5 days is a while and deserves all this, right?(Back me up here). We swung by the mail room to pick up some last minute arrivals, and hit the open road. I got a package from Gnu Foods and I couldn’t wait to dig in, so I didn’t.

Chocolate Brownie Gnu Foods Bar

Um, yum?! This hit my chocolate tooth. And the nutrition was astounding. I loved reading the company info they sent in the car(because I was doing that instead of work). They’ve created their own blend of grains and seeds to give each bar 12 grams of fiber! When I read that, I took it slow and drank a ton of water–smart move. I can’t wait to try the other flavors now, though somebody remind me NEVER to eat this pre-run(for obvious reasons).

Before we got home, we swung by Framingham to hit up Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It’s really fun when these are right next to each other. I tried to stick with just buying essentials/sales and coupon items/what we still needed for Thanksgiving, because I know we’re going to have a lot of leftovers pretty soon. In the end, I think I stuck to my mission mostly.

Groceries

The big unmarked bag is about 2lbs of steel cut oats, like I go through anything else that much. The lemon bars were a new Trader Joe’s product for Turkey Day as is the TruWhip(can’t wait to try this!). Of course, the one thing that made me ditch my entire plan of items was my vegan whole wheat cinnamon raisin rolls. But seriously, how often do you find these? I went with the grab and run method… The fiber bar held me over really well but by the time we got home and I completely unpacked it was 5 and I was famished. I went for a meal rather than a snack.

Amy's Shepherd's Pie With Colby Jack Cheese

An Amy’s meal, that is. I think I’d been wanting to try this for a few months; last weekend I bought it with a coupon on the cheap, and I broke it out yesterday. I was not going to wait 45 minutes for the oven, so instead I nuked it for 3 minutes and topped it with 1 ounce of colby jack cheese which I’m pretty sure would have had a “Don’t touch. For Thanksgiving” note on it were my mom more careful. The meal was okay, but I don’t think it ever would have held me over on its own as a dinner or anything. I supplemented this with another snack.

Empire Apple

2 apples in 2 days? I think I’m setting a personal record. A very sad and low personal record. Thankfully, unlike the last one, this tasted juicy and fresh. Considering I picked it 3 weekends ago, I’m now wondering how old the apples from the dining hall must be… I caught up on Top Chef and The Next Iron Chef–you know, my chef shows. As a family, we all were slackers on dinner, so when the time came and passed and no one was doing anything it was a little frustrating. I felt hanger(hunger –> anger) coming on, so I went for something I knew would make me a happy boy again.

WildWood Original Veggie Burger, Broccoli With Soyaki Sauce

I’d never actually tried this veggie burger before, but I was 99% sure I’d like it because it’s fried. I learned in 11th grade bio that humans crave fat because of our ancient ancestors who got the opportunity to eat so little that nature is to pile it in and store it when we come across it. Why fight nature, especially when it’s healthy fat and portioned, right? Needless to say, it hit the spot, and I think I’m making a permanent place in my fridge for those little fried wonders.

I spent quite literally the rest of my night tying up loose ends and doing other work on the computer. It wasn’t the dream way to kick off vacation but C’est la vie. It gave me a great chance to watch The Biggest Loser and have some blogger faves as dessert:

Oikos In A Cherry Butter Jar With Dried Cherries, Cherry Dark Chocolate, And Vanilla Sugar

Can we fry this somehow? Paula? Scratch that. I think jam jars are so much easier to empty out than nut butters. Fortunately, both are good options. I just love the spoonfuls of whole jam towards the end, which are bites of tart heaven. I’m really enjoying all you new commentors who might have read this for a while but just got to saying something and getting to find new blogs that way. Keep it coming! Afterwards I just had to break into these.

Vegan Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Roll

Food like this are what rededicate myself to an all-natural diet; I challenge any mass-bakery product to rival this. And it’s vegan to boot! It almost makes me think I could be vegan… and then I remember yogurt, cream cheese, flavored nut butter, fish, meat, etc. It wouldn’t work.  But is anything better than peeling back layers of yeasty dough? I think not. Maybe… Paula, can we fry this? I wish I were kidding here.

Peanut Butter Gnu Bar With Mighty Maple

I was a little worried eating this right before bed. 12g of fiber? That’s dangerous. But everything worked out fine, and this was a great peanut butter treat. This bar probably would have been a little bland on its own but with an extra dose of peanut butter it was the perfect piece of toast. I find it funny that most of America has trouble getting in enough fiber when I got 100% just between 2 bars both of which felt like “desserts”. I think Americans need to learn to love fiber more.

I did was not feeling the pressure to get up and run this morning with no warm gym and treadmill to entice me. I slept in almost until 9(that’s really late for me) and instead spent way too long deciding on how to make a bowl of oatmeal. I am very happy with the conclusion of that thinking.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With Smart Balance And Mocha Milk Chocolate Frosting

Holy yum. Let me walk you through this one. I did a standard pumpkin base with 1 1/2 tablespoons Smart Balance Agave Sweetened. I’ve decided I really like this version better than the molasses sweetened; I don’t know why but the flavor “works” better. For the frosting, I melted a Newman’s Own Organic Mocha Milk Chocolate square and then mixed that with 2oz sweetened Oikos. Ahhhhhmazing. The milk chocolate with the peanut butter comes out just like my childhood favorite candy.

I might head out for 6.7 miles in a bit. Or I might not run at all today. While I’d enjoy it, there’s plenty I have to do around here that would keep me occupied. I might just have to make an identical bowl of this oatmeal.

Secret Santa Alert!! Who doesn’t love this time-honored tradition? Well there’s a blogger’s version about; visit this post for all the info to join in!

How many calories in that dressing?  What about the carbs in Aunt Betty’s pie?  Oh, and did I get enough protein?

Yeah, yeah, yeah….been there and got that t-shirt!

I’m so thankful that my family loves me, because I’m sure I’ve was annoyingly pretentious during my food and body obsessed days.  There was the year of the Tofurkey, then the low-fat stuffing phase, and we must not forget the year of no carbs.

I remember calculating the Thanksgiving nutritional info before arriving at my mom’s to make sure that I stuck with “the plan.”  On the flip side, I recall driving to her home with the sole intention of stuffing myself silly.

Both sucked!

Now, I’ve learned what really needs to be counted on Thanksgiving day (or any day for that matter) to ensure that I honor my body AND eat the delicious foods that I truly enjoy.

1 – Count the number of people in your life that brings you joy

2 – Estimate the amount of love that went into preparing the food you are eating

3 – Count the number of times your heart beats every minute

4 – Tally up the number of smiles you give and receive on Thanksgiving Day

5 – Count the football scores

6 – Calculate the benefits of an after dinner walk with someone you love

7  – Count how fast (or slow) you eat your meal  (slow down and enjoy)

8 – Count the number of dishes that you have the honor of washing

9 – Estimate your physical hunger level

10 – Calculate the benefits of nourishing your body with whole, nutritious foods

11-  Count the many ways your body has supported you

12 – Tally up all the payoffs of having your health

13 – Count the number of years you have been blessed with the opportunity to experience another Thanksgiving

14 – Finally, count your blessings that you no longer need to obsess over the numbers because you can trust your body

But, wait!  If I don’t count calories or obsess about the meal, won’t I gain weight?

Yes, I hear this a lot, and the short answer is:  maybe, but probably not.

But, let me pose this question to you.  If you lose weight by torturing yourself with rigid rules and crazy restrictions, what have you gained?

I have found that weight loss occurs in relaxed environments, and crazy, obsessive numbers counting is FAR from relaxed.  That’s the kind of behavior that will have me stuffing down a pecan pie in a skinny minute!

So, trust your body, drop the crazy rules, and on the day of “thanks,” count your many, many blessings.

In other words, RELAX and ENJOY!

With that said, I have so much to be grateful for, but I am especially thankful for no longer being the calorie obsessed, carb fearing, protein pumping, body loathing girl that I once was.

This is HUGE people!

(P.S.  I just wrote an article for my e-zine that demonstrates how you can “Thank Your Weight Off.”  It’s coming out tomorrow, so sign up here.)

First a few ahadith (sayings of the Beloved Prophet of Allah – sallallahu alayhe wasallam – peace and blessing upon him and his family) on food.

In Sahih Muslim, Hadrat Hudhayfa (radi-Allahu anhu) relates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam stated that not reciting Bismillahir Rahman ir-Rahim over food makes the food permissible for Shaytan to partake in.  This means that if one does not recite Bismillahir Rahman ir-Rahim prior to eating, Shaytan partakes in the meal.

In Sahih Muslim, Hadrat Jabir (radi-Allahu anhu) relates that the Blessed Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam said “If a person enters his  house and begins his meal by saying Bismillah, Shaytan tells his family “you will not find here place to stay nor food to eat.” And if he enters his house without Bismillah then he says “you have found place to stay.” Then, when such a person eats without Bismillah, Shaytan says “you now have a place to stay and food to eat.”

In Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, Hadrat Umar ibn abi Salamah (radi-Allahu anhu) relates “I was a child when I was in the care of the Blessed Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam (this companion was under the guardianship of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam and the son of the Mother of the Believers Umm Salamah) and during mealtime, I’d eat from various parts of the dish, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam said “Say Bismillah, eat with your right hand, and eat from that part of the plate which is closest to you.” 

In Abu Daud, Tirmidhi, and Haakim A’isha (radi Allahu anha) relates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam stated “When one of you begins to eat, remember the Name of Allah, meaning say Bismillah and if you forget to say Bismillah in the beginning then say it as such “Bismillahi awwalahu wa aakhirahu” and in the traditions of Imam Ahmed, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Habbaan, and Bayhaqi, it is as such:   “Bismillahi fi awwalihi wa aakhirihi.”

Imam Ahmed, Abu Daud, Ibn Maajah, and Haakim mention it, and Wahshi ibn Harb (radi Allahu anhu) relates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam said “Eat in a group, and recite Bismillah, for in these are Barakah ” (Barkat - blessing, grace, increase, a lot with a little). Ibn Majah relates that the people asked “O Messenger of Allah, we eat yet are not satiated.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam replied “Perhaps you eat separately.” They said “Yes”. He said “Eat your meals together and recite Bismillah, therein is Barakah.”

In the Sharah Sunnah Abu Ayyub radi-Allahu anhu narrates that we were in the blessed presence of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhe wasallam and at the beginning of the meal there was abundance of barakah the likes of which we had never seen before, but towards the end there was an absence of such.  So we asked the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam, “O Rasul Allah! What was the cause of this change.” He sallallahu alayhe wasallam responded “We all began the meal with the recitation of Bismillah, then a person joined in without doing so such that Shaytan joined in the meal with him.”

Abu Daud relates from Hadrat Umayyah ibn Maghsha radi-Allahu anhu who says “A person was eating without having said Bismillah and had almost completed the meal, but on lifting the last morsel recited “Bismillahi awwalahu wa aakhirahu”.  The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam smiled and said “Shaytan was eating along with him and when the person remembered the name of Allah he threw up whatever he head eaten” and this may also mean that the barakah that had dissipated returned.”

In Sahih Muslim Hadrat Hudhayfa radi-Allahu anhu says that when we joined in meals with the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam we would never place our hand in (begin) the meal unless the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam did first. Once in the company of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam a girl rushed in as if someone was pushing her from behind. She tried to place her hand in the dish but the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam prevented her. Then an A’arabi (bedouin) rushed in as if he was being pushed from behind and the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam withheld his hand likewise as said “When the Name of Allah is not mentioned over food, that food becomes permissible (halal) for Shaytan.  Shaytan came in with the girl so that he could partake with her in the meal and I withheld his hand, then he came in with this A’arabi so that he could partake in the meal with him and I withheld his hand. I swear by He in Whose Hand is my life, his hand along with theirs is in my hand”, thereafter, the Blessed Prophet mentioned the Name of Allah, meaning he said Bismillah and began to eat.”  A similar narration is mentioned by Imam Ahmed, Abu Daud, Nisa’i, and Haakim.

Ibn ‘Asakir mentions that Hadrat ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir radi-Allahu anhu relates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam said “The food on which the Name of Allah is not mentioned is (a cause of) disease and is devoid of barakah and its atonement, if the tablecloth (the sheet that is spread out to place the dish or dishes of food on the floor) has not been lifted, is to read Bismillah and eat something from it, and if already lifted, to read Bismillah and lick your fingers.”

Daylami mentions that Anas radi-Allahu anhu relates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wasallam said “If any of you eats or drinks you should say “Bismillahi wa billahil-ladhi laa yadurru ma’a ismihi shay-un fil ardi wa laa fis-Samaa-i ya Hayyu ya Qayyumu” and with this you will never get sick even if the food contains poison.

They’re here!  Kind of reminds you of the Poltergeist line doesn’t it?  You remember that creepy kid sitting in front of the TV saying, “They’re back”.    The holidays, with all the complications are upon us.  Am I the only one that does not get all “misty-eyed” when this annual event overcomes our senses?  I have friends who are all done with their Christmas shopping and have still found time to cook a 20 course meal for Thanksgiving.  They brag about it like they are some kind of damn holiday superhero.  They have got Christmas trees and lights up and ready to go on display just as soon as Uncle Fred gets up from the Thanksgiving table and announces that he is “stuffed like a tick”.   The iconic image of the Norman Rockwell family sitting down at the table and giving thanks has been replaced with people making battle plans to tackle the BLACK FRIDAY sales.  They have got their sale flyers on the ready.  They have worked out a route based on store opening times.  They have their gym shoes ready to run.  Hopefully, they also have their health insurance paid up so that when they are caught up in the inevitable door opening crush they will be able to receive adequate medical care.

Before I get off on an entire Christmas tangent, let’s talk about Thanksgiving a little bit more.  When I was a kid my grandmother would plan the meal and my mother would spend days cooking.  Relatives that we did not see that often would descend on the house.  My brother and I would begin hiding our “good stuff” in anticipation of these relatives arrival.  We knew what we had to do based on past experiences.  Our cousin Eddie, from Indiana, would swipe any toy he could make off with.   Our cousins from St. Louis would just break stuff.  They were all really good about appearing to be angelic just so that my brother and I would look bad when we complained.  We recently had the privilege of attending a family reunion as adults and told each of these relatives just how much we despised them when we were little.  If you ever have that opportunity, I highly recommend it.  It feels really good.  I now know why my dad would always make sure he told my mother, “these are YOUR people”.  It had to make him feel good knowing that HIS people lived too far away to ever be a family dinner threat.  Mom prepared enough food to feed a small village.  Everything had to be made perfect.  Great-grandma’s china, the Fostoria water goblets, the salt and pepper shakers shaped like little Pilgrims, and of course all the construction paper masterpieces made by my brother and I. I never remember my mom sitting down at the table with the rest of the family.  She was pulling stuff out of the kitchen and refilling dishes and glasses for the entire meal.  She cooked 3 days and the entire meal was inhaled in a matter of about 20 minutes.   As everyone was moving away from the dining room to find a spot to lie down was when she finally sat down to eat.  The sad thing is, no one ever thought anything about it.  No one ever told her to stop fussing over them and sit down to eat.

My brother and I laughed the other day that we were still sitting at the “kids” table until each of us got married.  I guess that is what finally moved you from that shaky card table to the dining room.  Of course I did miss seeing Cousin Eddie stuff his mouth full, and then when he thought no adults were looking,  do his “pimple” imitation.

I don’t do the big meal.  I don’t expect my kids to trek halfway across the country for some dry turkey.  I don’t have to figure out how in the hell to get all of those leftovers into the fridge.  My husband and I go out.  I really don’t even care if it is a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I think that we will be going out for Chinese this year or maybe Mexican.  Neither one of these restaurants will be crowded and hopefully cousin Eddie will not be there.

Thanksgiving is just days away.

Even though I won’t get to celebrate the traditional way with family around the dinner table enjoying a home-cooked meal, I’m still so thankful for where I am at this point in my life.

Today, I spent the day thinking about how my life has changed so much over the years, and what Thanksgiving means to me now.

And honestly, the day itself doesn’t mean much anymore.

I guess working in radio and TV may have trained me to think that way. I sort of forgot what a holiday was when I started working….having had to work so many of them. But just as much as I’d now like to spend a day off with my husband and the rest of our family, I am grateful for my career and the opportunity to work.

As a matter of fact, until I met my husband, my career was pretty much all I cared about. And I thought it was all I had. I didn’t take the time to cherish the relationships I had with the people around me, and I didn’t know how to develop them. In fact, I only saw my family once a year, and they lived less than two hours away.

It was pitiful…I know.

Now, my growing faith and the thought of starting my own family have changed my priorities, and given me a few more things to add to the list.

Bottomline…I realize that if I want home-cooked meals, family get-togethers, and opportunities to give thanks, I have to make time for those things and not just wait for the third Thursday in November.

And all this reflecting inspired me to write a poem about the things I am grateful for, and my struggle to express thanks for them in the appropriate way.
Please let me know what you think.

Here’s a great recipe for you and yours, built off the cave-chow-
approved list of items.  It’s a protein packed mixture that is perfect
for lunches and dinners, especially after a good workout.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 can or 2 cups of black beans
1 can or 2 cups of corn
Orange Juice
BBQ Sauce

Pour a half inch of orange juice into your pan, and add couple good
globs of BBQ sauce on top ( don’t worry, it tastes good no matter what
the ratio).

Cut the chicken into strips, say about 10 slices per breast and dump
it in.  Medium heat and cook the pieces till there is no white inside
when you slice check the thick pieces.  Dump the corn and beans in
with some crushed red pepper and cook on low for another 10.

Fill your plate and bag the rest.  Figure this stays good for 5 days
in the fridge and of course forever in the freezer.

FAMILY SIZED:  Break out the biggest pan you have and multiply the
ingredient volume by 2, 3, or 4.

Delicious.

Cave CookC

I just started this blog, but felt that with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I might tackle something a bit more complicated. So, this entry is about my epic culinary journey through making a vegan Thanksgiving feast, all based on traditional recipes.

I wanted to find a more unusual recipe for the “turkey” and I think I found one. It meant finding a suitable substitution for prosciutto and finding a vegan turkey that I could stuff myself.

The wild mushroom potato gratin was fairly easy to convert to vegan. I used MimicCreme in place of heavy cream and Unsweetened Silk soymilk for the whole milk (although I adjusted the ratios of each). For the Gruyère cheese I used Cheezly brand aged white cheddar, which has the strong flavor required for this recipe.

The Citrus-glazed Carrots were probably the easiest the make, as the only thing I had to substitute was margarine for the butter.

Dessert was definitely a challenge; pecan pies rely heavily on eggs to hold together. While it turned out delicious, I would change a couple of things to make it less runny. I included my suggestions in the recipe.

Roast “Turkey” with “Prosciutto”-Hazelnut Crust

Bon Appétit, November 2003

This unique take on traditional Thanksgiving turkey proved a challenge, but one I felt confident I could overcome with a little creativity. The brand of

Roast "Turkey" with "Prosciutto"-Hazelnut Crust

an turkey used is key to successfully executing this complex recipe. Because the recipe calls for stuffing the inside with veggies and herbs, I used Vegetarian Plus brand Vegan Whole Turkey (available at Whole Foods or online) with a hollow cavity. This particular brand comes with rice stuffing and it’s own gravy, but I just left these in the freezer, as this recipe includes gravy and onion and herbs occupy the turkey cavity. Because vegan turkeys are far smaller than meat turkeys (4 lbs. vs. 16 lbs.), I was able to use far smaller quantities of each ingredient. I did however, keep the full gravy recipe, as the gravy is good for mashed potatoes and other things. For the prosciutto, very thinly sliced Italian bacon, I used Yves veggie Canadian bacon, which works nicely to provide the salty bacon flavor.

The original recipe’s gravy uses the neck, heart and gizzard from a real turkey, but this is easily omitted.

This recipe is highly involved and can be quite expensive to acquire all of the ingredients, but the end result is well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

“Prosciutto butter”

½ cup (1 stick) vegan margarine of choice, room temperature

3 Tbsp. chopped hazelnuts

1 tsp. Sherry wine vinegar

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

½ tsp. crushed black peppercorns

1 garlic clove

¼ teaspoon salt

3-6 oz. vegan bacon of choice (I used Yves veggie Canadian bacon)

1 green onion, chopped

Gravy

3 large shallots, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 cup dry white wine

1 large fresh thyme sprig

½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

4 cups (1 qt.) chicken-flavored broth (I used Imagine Foods No-Chicken Broth)

¼ cup all purpose flour

“Turkey”

1 vegan turkey of choice (I used Vegetarian Plus Vegan Whole Turkey)

½ onion, cut in half

2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved

1 large fresh thyme sprig

1 large fresh summer savory sprig

1 Tbsp. crush black peppercorns

Number of servings varies by brand of “turkey”, but Vegetarian Plus serves 8-10

Preparation:

For “prosciutto butter”

1. Place margarine, hazelnuts, vinegar, thyme, crushed pepper, garlic, and salt in stand mixer (or large bowl) and mix on medium-slow speed until creamy.

2. Add prosciutto and green onions and mix to thoroughly incorporate.

For gravy

1. Melt 2 tablespoons “prosciutto butter” in a large pot over medium-high heat.

2. Add shallots and bay leaf; sauté until tender and clear, about 10 minutes.

3. Add wine, thyme, and rosemary; boil until liquid is reduced almost to a glaze, about 3 minutes.

4. Add no-chicken broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig and transfer gravy base to a bowl.

6. Melt ¼ cup of “prosciutto butter” in pot. Add flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually add the gravy base back to the pot, whisking constantly.

7. Boil, whisking frequently, until the gravy is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over turkey.

For “turkey”

1. Refrigerate “turkey” for 24 hours to thaw. Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat according to package directions of the particular vegan turkey you are using (350° for the Vegetarian Plus brand).

2. Set aside ¼ cup of “prosciutto butter” for gravy, if gravy is not yet made. Spread buttery mixture over the entire outside of the “turkey”, thickly covering all sides.

3. Place “turkey” on a rack set in a roasting pan. Place the onion and the remaining ingredients inside the cavity of the “turkey”.

4. Cover the “turkey” with aluminum foil and bake according to package directions (50-65 minutes for the brand I used).

5. Serve with gravy.

Wild Mushroom Potato Gratin

Wild Mushroom Potato Gratin

Gourmet, September 2003

This recipe is easy, yet time-consuming. I was fortunate to have a mandolin available to me to use to slice the potatoes. Without one, it would be an extremely tedious task, so borrow one if you have to.

Ingredients:

½ lb. fresh wild or exotic mushrooms such as chanterelles or shiitakes (discard shiitake stems), trimmed and coarsely chopped.

2½ Tbsp. vegan margarine (I prefer Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

¾ lb. fresh cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick

1½ tsp. minced garlic

3 lbs. russet (baking) potatoes

2 cups heavy cream substitute of choice (I used MimicCreme brand)

1 cup thick unsweetened soymilk of choice (I used Silk brand)

1½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. white pepper

¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

2 oz. finely grated stinky vegan cheese of choice in place of Gruyère cheese. (I used Cheezly brand Aged White Cheddar.  Another good brand is Sheese.)

15- by 10- by 2-inch oval gratin dish or other 3-quart shallow baking dish.

Serves 8

Preparation:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 400° F.

2. Cook chanterelles or shiitakes with salt and pepper to taste in 1 tablespoon of margarine in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid evaporated, about 8 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.

3. Cook cremini in remaining 1½ tablespoons of margarine in skillet, stirring, until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes, then transfer to bowl with wild mushrooms. Toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon of garlic.

4. Peel potatoes and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices (preferably with an adjustable-blade slicer).

5. Place potatoes, “cream”, soymilk, salt, white pepper, nutmeg and remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic in a 4- to 6-quart pot. Bring to a boil, stirring once or twice, then remove from heat.

6. Transfer half of potatoes to buttered gratin dish with a slotted spoon, spreading evenly.

7. Spread mushrooms evenly over potatoes, then top with remaining potatoes.

8. Pour any remaining cooking liquid over the potatoes and sprinkle with “cheese”.

9. Bake gratin until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender 45-55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Citrus-glazed Carrots

Citrus-Glazed Carrots

Bon Appétit, November 2008

Easy and delicious, this carrot dish with a twist is a great accompaniment to any Thanksgiving spread.

Ingredients:

2½ pounds medium carrots, peeled, cut on diagonal into ¼-inch slices

2 cups (or more) water

1 cup fresh orange juice

½ cup sugar

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) vegan margarine

2½ tsp. finely-grated orange peel

2 tsp. finely-grated lime peel

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

8 servings

Preparation:

1. Combine carrots and 2 cups water in heavy large skillet. Add all remaining ingredients except parsley.

2. If needed, add enough water to just cover carrots. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

3. Boil just until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, 8-9 minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to medium bowl; cool.

5. Boil cooking liquid in skillet until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. (Transfer to small bowl if still preparing remainder of feast. When ready, proceed with step 6).

6. Bring reserved cooking liquid to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and boil until just tender and liquid is thickened to a light syrup consistency, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

7. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.

Note: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover carrots and cooking liquid separately; chill.

Bourbon-Pecan Tart

Bourbon-Pecan Tart

Bon Appétit, November 2009

Bourbon, or whiskey bourbon, gives this tart a little something extra. Delicious with vegan whipped topping or vanilla bean ice “cream”.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

1 1/8 cups all purpose flour

1/8 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

½ cup (1 sticks) chilled vegan margarine, cut into ¼-inch cubes

1/8 cup (or more) ice water

Filling

3 egg substitutes (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer, but I would recommend using ground flax–1.5 tsp.+2 Tbsp. water per egg)

½ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup brown rice syrup*

3 Tbsp. vegan margarine, melted

2 Tbsp. bourbon

1 tsp. real vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups pecan halves or pieces

Serves 8-10

Preparation:

For Crust:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Blend on low speed.

2. Add margarine; mix on low speed until mixture is crumbly.

3. Sprinkle with ¼ cup ice water; mix until dough clings to paddle, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.

4. Gather dough together. Flatten into a disk and roll out on a floured surface to 12-inch round.

5. Place crust in 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom; press crust into pan. Trim overhang. Chill crust for 30 minutes.

For Tart:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans. Bake until crust is set and pale golden, a

Bourbon-Pecan Tart served with Soyatoo vegan whipped topping.

bout 30 minutes.

3. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust golden brown, about 10 minutes.

4. Place pan with crust on rimmed baking sheet.

5. Meanwhile, using electric mixer or standing mixer, beat egg substitute and sugar. Beat in rice syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt; beat until blended. Stir in pecans.

6. Pour pecan filling into hot crust. Bake until center of filling is set, about 25 minutes.

7. Cool tart on rack for 1 hour; remove crust from pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

*The recipe called for dark corn syrup, which I used, but the tart ended up set yet with some syrup run-off and rice syrup is thicker than corn syrup, so it should work better.

Notes: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Re-warm slightly before serving, if desired. I used a dollop of Soyatoo vegan whipped topping on each piece when serving.

Christmas and Thanksgiving can be a very stressful time if you’re the chief cook and bottlewasher in the house.  Even if you regularly cook roast meals, there is extra pressure on these two occasions to produce a meal fit for the King of Siam and his entourage because Christmas and Thanksgiving almost invariably involve big family get togethers. 

Your exact meal is obviously entirely up to you but I thought it might just be helpful to map out a suggested main-course menu (because this is what we all worry about) plus suggested timing.  Make this schedule the basis of your Christmas menu planning and add or delete items that you want to include or remove.  Remember, the clever cook will always plan ahead so that they don’t totally lose their mind (and cool) on ‘The Big Day’. 

Suggested Main Menu – Serves 8

Cider roast turkey with glazed apples and pears with sticky shallots

‘Pigs in blankets’ (little sausages wrapped in bacon)

Chestnut & cranberry roll

Crisp-topped sprouts

Buttery caraway carrots

Roast potatoes

Bread sauce

Gravy

……………………………………………………….

PREPARING AHEAD – All dishes to be kept in fridge or freezer until needed

Up to 1 Month Ahead

Parboil and freeze the Roast Potatoes

Make the Chestnut and Cranberry Roll, if freezing

***Up to 3 Days Ahead***

***If you have bought a frozen turkey, think about how you plan to defrost it. Be aware that in a fridge a frozen bird of the size appropriate to feed 8 people could take anything from a day and a half to two and a half days to properly defrost.  Suggested sizes of bird are here and tips on defrosting here (this second link takes you to the British Food Standards Agency site).  

Up to 2 Days Ahead

Make the Chestnut and Cranberry Roll if making from fresh

Prepare and roast the Glazed Apples and Pears with Sticky Shallots

Christmas Eve

Roast the Chestnut and Cranberry stuffing roll – keep in the foil

Make the bread sauce and store, covered, in the fridge

Boil or steam the sprouts and prepare the topping for the Crispy-topped Sprouts

Steam the carrots for the Buttery Caraway Carrots

Prepare the Pigs in Blankets

Defrost anything frozen in the fridge.

CHRISTMAS DAY

09.30am:

Stuff the turkey, weigh and calculate cooking time.  Heat oven to 190C  /  375F  /  Gas mark 5  /  (Fan oven: 170C, approx 340F)

10.00am:

Put the turkey in to roast (timings based on a 4.5 kg / 10lb turkey)

11.00am and 12.00pm:

Check the roasting tin – add more cider if needed

12.30pm:

Remove the foil from the turkey to let it brown

1.00 pm:

Leave the turkey to rest.  Put the potatoes in the oven to roast, if frozen.  (If not, put in at 1.10pm).  Make the gravy.

1.30pm:

Turn the oven up to 220C  /  425F  /  Gas 7  /(Fan 200C  / 400F).  Turn the potatoes and add the stuffing roll to oven to reheat.  Put the ‘pigs in blankets’  in oven to cook.

1.45pm:

Reheat the apples, pears and shallots in the oven if room, or in the microwave if not, adding a little extra glaze.  Finish the sprouts and the carrots and heat the bread sauce, adding a little milk if it seems too thick.  Take the foil off the stuffing.

2.00pm:

Serve and enjoy!  If you have a hot pudding planned for dessert, place it in the oven and allow the residual heat to warm it through while you eat.