Set It But Please Don't Forget It!

Did anyone miss me? I know it's been a while - my day job has been keeping me busy and I haven't been cooking much I'm afraid. Total slacker of late. My husband and I have managed a couple of home-cooked meals over the last few weeks but it's been difficult to manage on a regular basis between the job and kids' sports practices & games, painting projects in the house, general spring cleaning and a host of other things that are required of responsible adults. Be that as it may, we have managed one of two dinners that did not require a phone call and car ride for a pick up. One of our standby meals is roasted chicken using none other than the Showtime Compact Rotisserie & BBQ Oven (As Seen On TV). Before getting into the nitty gritty about how we use this thing I'm afraid I'm going to have to explain a bit about our relationship with said appliance...

Years ago (approximately 15 or so) my mother bought one of these things for us. Un-boxed, this thing can fits easily on a countertop but prior to the unveiling, the packaging is the size of a small coffee table. Coincidentally, that was exactly how we used the thing. We were living in an apartment in NYC with a kitchen the size of a small walk-in closet and we didn't think we could afford to dedicate what precious space we had to something we didn't think we would ever use. So, rather than giving it a test drive it sat in our living room with a tablecloth draped over it, in between our loveseat and sofa FOR YEARS.

When we moved into our suburban home we finally sliced open the box and broke it in and we've been using it on a regular basis ever since. After every 2-3 instances of use my husband and I ask ourselves why we didn't start using it earlier. We've used the crap out of this thing mostly for roasting all manner of poultry and meats with awesome results. The kids' favorite though is Daddy's roasted chicken seasoned with nothing more than kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. The rotisserie does the rest - self basting goodness! The hardest part about using it is when you're skewering a bird onto the spit. It seems a bit barbaric the first few times you do it (and feels kinda like you're violating it somehow). The biggest thing we ever put in it was a 13 pound turkey. It was a tight fit but was perfectly cooked.

In truth, I always thought the infomercials were pretty silly and I mentally placed this thing into the appliances-I-would-never-waste-my-money-on-because-it's-a-bunch-of-hooey. My Mom, on the other hand, was the consummate impulse shopper and if something caught her fancy she just "had to have it." And because she thought it was the best thing since pockets, she would, of course, want to share it with others. That was one of the coolest things about Mom - she always wanted to make sure everyone around her enjoyed life and the things in it as much as she did.

The original rotisserie she gave us (with her thick Filipino accent she pronounced it "row-tish-shee-airy") died out from too many dinners a while back so we have since replaced it with a new one - when we wear this one out we're likely to get yet another. Such is our affection for this favorite kitchen tool.

Now that you know the story here are a few tips you should know:

• Before you start cooking, make sure you tie down the legs and the wings so they don't graze the hot coils during rotation - if that happens, you definitely won't be able to "set it" or "forget it."

• If for any reason, it squeaks while rotating all you need to do is add a little vegetable oil to the spot where the removable spit meets the groove that holds it in place.

• It offers cooking time guidelines for categories of meats, i.e. 15 mins/pound for chicken and 18 mins/pound for beef. If you like your meats rare, you can shave a few minutes - totally depends on how charred you like it.

• Once the cook time up and the bell rings, let the bird or the roast beast rest while it continues the rotation with "No Heat" for about 5 minutes.

• The heat proof gloves that came with the row-tish-shee-airy are awesome by the way and are TRULY heat proof. (They look like the kind of things you see in the movies that are built into the wall of a hermetically sealed glass container and are appropriate for handling plutonium and stuff.)

In my house the rotisserie mostly sees poultry, red meat and the occasional pork roast since we are a carnivorous household for the most part. It comes with attachments like a basket for veggies, seafood or other smaller items but I couldn't even tell you where they're hiding in my house.

The photos above don't do the roast justice (I'm still learning how to use my new camera) so you'll have to trust me when I say it was awesome. Since it's one of the most used items in the kitchen you'll notice it's got all the markings of an item that is used A LOT. As much as I would love for it to be as pristine as the day we opened the box, I like the fact that it looks as if we use the crap out of it. 'Cuz we have - lots of great family dinners came out of that thing.

Two more notes...

1) The bok choy you see on the plate was whipped up by my hubby - nothing terribly complicated. A little canola oil with minced garlic and sliced bok choy sauteed in a wok just until cooked and bright green. Another one of my kids' favorite dinner veggies.

2) The aroma of roasting chicken will drive you nuts when you're hungry and you'll find yourself staring at it while it rotates for minutes at a time with a fascination that is usually reserved for clothes dryers.

Enjoy!

Bring Home the Bacon? Yes. Smell Like Bacon? Probably Not.

I've been hearing about bacōn all over the place recently - it was featured on CBS News and on The Colbert Report and on Huffington Post. This idea is genius! Now normally, I would agree that "bacon makes everything better" but the idea of intentionally smelling like Sunday Brunch without the waffles or pancakes seems odd. Call me crazy!

Chicken Parmesan: How YOU doin'?

My son, a.k.a. The Beast, is an eating machine and one his favorite treats when we go out to eat is chicken parmesan. He's been hockin' me for months to try and make it at home and today was the day I finally came through.

I'd never made it before and was procrastinating since my track record with classic Italian dishes was pretty dismal. Below is an adaptation of different recipes I found online with a couple of variations of my own. I made a simple salad plus batch of whole wheat penne as a side thinking that the humongous chicken breasts wouldn't be enough. (I really am my mother's daughter.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup whole wheat, unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon majoram
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Olive Oil Sprayer**
• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce***
• About a 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• About 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

PREP

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. On a large cutting board, place each breast between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to about 1/2-inch thickness using a mallet or rolling pin and set aside.

3. Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish; place beaten eggs in a bowl. Place panko in another shallow dish. Dredge one breast at a time in the flour mixture. Dip in egg; dredge in panko. Repeat with remaining chicken.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook about 2 minutes until golden brown. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Turn chicken over; cook another 2 minutes until browned.

5. Turn off heat then coat chicken lightly with olive oil using the sprayer; place pan in oven. Bake at 450° for about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; top each breast with a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce then top with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and some mozzarella. Bake another 5 minutes or until chicken is done.

Let chicken rest in the pan for a couple of minutes then serve it up!

_________________________________________________________

NOTES:

* I used Progresso Panko "Crispy Bread Crumbs-Plain". It had the least amount of sodium (50 mg) of all the supermarket options I checked out. Other brands were sporting close to 300 mg. My blood pressure is rising just thinking about it.

** One of the recipes I found called for off-the-shelf cooking spray. That stuff's got a couple of additives that I can live without so I prefer using an olive oil sprayer that you can refill - no funky stuff and I get to save a couple carbon credits. Amazon has a few options ranging from about $9 to $34 depending on how fancy you'd like to get and how much you want to spend.

*** I used some leftover sauce from my husband's lasagna that we had in a deep freeze. If you don't have your own, homemade sauce handy, the ready made tomato-basil stuff that comes in a jar is OK too.

Quinoa Quandary

Earlier this week, the NY Times published Quinoa's Global Success Creates Quandary at Home about the ironic effect quinoa's popularity is having on native Bolivians. (Thanks to my good friend, "The Divine Miss L", for the heads up.)

Say "Cheese!"

If you consider cheese a necessary evil and live in Rockland County, check out Laraia's Cheese Shop in Nanuet, NY. My husband is getting ready to rock out a couple of lasagnas, was looking for ricotta and mozzarella that was a step above Polly-O, and found this place on the web. When we first started dating he was hosting Pasta Parties annually in his apartment and always included a lasagna for both the herbivores and the omnivores with tons of extra sauce. That was a long time ago and he has wisely decided that it has been long enough. I'm planning to be his Sous Chef on this one because the last time I tried making one of these it was less a lasagna and more a pan of noodles swimming in a pool of cheesy water. (Who's hungry?)

The fact that I never noticed this place is amazing to me because it's right on the way to the Rockland Bakery (which, as I've mentioned, I frequent almost every weekend). That being said, it does sit in a weird spot - it's in close proximity to a landscaping business and right next to an automotive shop. It's odd to see the Cheese Shop's other immediate neighbors within the same coordinates - Carousel Cakes and Pancakes Plus. (Two places I've got on my radar and I'm itchin' to try.)

This mom-and-pop shop has a lot to offer from such a small space. They've got all different kinds of fresh mozzarella that they make by hand themselves, a big selection of aged cheeses, freshly made pasta and all sorts of gourmet acccoutrements. We got what we need for our family Pasta Party so we'll see if their products are as good as they look.

Comfort in a bowl, and a plate, and another plate, and another...

There are so many things I miss about my mom (she passed away in 2009). One of the things I miss hearing her say is, "I don't usually like my cooking." That was a phrase that was uttered almost every time she spontaneously dropped by my house with a vat full of amazingly delicious Filipino food. Almost every dish she brought was something off my list of faves. Here are just a few of them:*

• Pancit Canton (Sauteed Egg Noodles with Veggies, Chicken and Shrimp)
• Lumpia Shanghai (Philippine Fried Egg Rolls)
• Beef Nilaga (Stew/Soup)
• Adobo Manok (Chicken Adobo)
• Sinigang Na Baboy (Boiled Pork with Lemon)
• Sotanghon (Chicken Soup with Bean Thread Noodles)
• Kare Kare (Ox Tail Stew with Peanut Butter Sauce)

*Note: I've included links to Home Cooking Rocks - a blog chock full of Filipino recipes. If I didn't include a link, it means I haven't found a recipe for the dish online that I've tried myself.

And my #1 comfort food of all time, Arroz Caldo, (literally translated means "hot rice") with chicken. I can have this stuff every day of the week. It always makes me feel good and reminds me of both my mom and my dad.

Some of these and other favorites dishes don't really fit into my self-imposed-healthier-diet-efforts so I've decided to challenge myself. I'm going to try and figure out a way to make some of my Filipino comfort foods with healthier ingredients. Man, this could end up feeling very wrong and sacrilegious.

Three Little Words: Blueberry-Gin Sundae

I love REAL SIMPLE. I got a subscription to the magazine a couple of years ago as a gift and get practically giddy when it arrives in my mailbox. My favorite sections are New Uses for Old Things and, of course, Food & Recipes. Last night we had good friends over for dinner and I road-tested a REAL SIMPLE 3-ingredient recipe for BLUEBERRY-GIN SUNDAES:

Servies 4| Total Time: 30m

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup blueberries and 1/3 cup gin. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the berries burst and the mixture begins to thicken, 5 to 8 minutes; let cool.

2. Divide 1 pint vanilla ice cream among bowls and top with the blueberry sauce.

By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry, August 2010

The sauce got good reviews from the crowd overall. The bite from the gin was a nice contrast to the ice cream and the blueberries. I'll definitely make it again but will try adding some kind of natural sweetener to bump up the sweetness of the sauce a speck. I think the addition might balance out the bite a little bit more.

Note: Last night I spooned the sauce over the ice cream before it completely cooled and it tasted fine. Today, after the sauce had been chilling overnight, I served up another batch straight out of the fridge and liked it even better.

One Of My Favorite Recipes

My daughter (a.k.a. my Little Chef) loves to help me in the kitchen. When I started baking chocolate chip cookies on a regular basis both my kids got in the act and continue to vie for pole position at the mixer.

They both seem to genuinely enjoy cooking which is a big relief because I think that's one of the best ways to develop a healthy respect for the things you put in your body. I get a big kick out of how proud my son (a.k.a. The Beast) is after whipping up scrambled eggs for his breakfast. Every now and again my Little Chef will drop her culinary knowledge on anyone who will listen, e.g. the best way to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

I keep a marble composition notebook with recipes for road tested dishes. I use it to hand-write notes about the recipe variations I try and tidbits about who in the family likes what and any other fun tidbits. I've collected about a dozen recipes that are turning into short stories. It makes me smile every time I open it up.

Little Chef wrote one of her own recipes in the notebook for one of her favorite lunch combos, Grilled Cheese with Salami on the side. This is something I'll use in the future to remind my daughter of how cute she was before she could drive herself to the mall. She was so excited about adding something of her own I didn't have the heart to do my usual nagging about spelling. My favorite part is the "yum yum" at the end.

Ad Nauseum

Just saw a commercial for Hot Pocket Side Shots. Am I the only one creeped out by this visual? I don't think nausea is the reaction the producers were looking for.

Pig Out

(Image taken from www.mcphee.com)

There's not much to say here except this... if you are passionate about bacon, you must check out the Bacon & Meat section of the Archie McPhee website. With things like Bacon Bandages, Bacon Air Freshener, Bacon Watch & Wallet, and - my personal favorite - Bacon Soap, how can you not?

Also check out their Cupcake Toothpaste and Cheesy Nacho Mints. 'Nuf said.

Rockin' Rockland Bakery

After moving to Rockland County I had heard for years about the Rockland Bakery & Deli in Nanuet, NY, but only in passing. I finally came across it by accident when I was driving around the neighborhood. I made a turn onto Demarest Hill Road and the incredible smell of fresh bread hit me. Then it was a scene out of a cartoon... you know, a character gets a whiff of something yummy, they get that goofy/happy look on their face, then the smokey stream literally carries them by the nose to the thing that smells so good. That was me.

I walked in through the pastry section and immediately got a sugar high looking at the goodies behind the glass. I fought the urge to demand a dozen of everything and followed the crowd towards the back. I stopped to grab a disposable plastic glove and a variety of large and small paper grocery bags with everyone else then entered the most beautiful room ever! I walked through the double metal doors and saw fresh, hot bagels spilling out of a huge oven onto a conveyor belt (how sexy is that?). Further in were more belts carrying all kinds of different rolls.

To my left were shelves and shelves full of fresh bread including whole loaves of pumpernickel, ciabatta, Irish soda, white and whole grain baguettes, kaiser, egg twist, and sourdough rolls, Italian panes, and my and family's favorite, challah! I went to town immediately and grabbed enough to cross the Mohave. By the way, not only is the bread unbelievably fresh, it's also a serious bargain. The volume they pump out makes for nice prices. They also have a deli counter and their prices per pound are pretty comparable to what you get at the supermarkets.

The kids and I make a trip every weekend to stock up. They love picking out the "best" loaves on their own, watching the machinery, and are amazed by the embarrassment of riches. I'll typically double-bag portions of what we bring home then send them into a deep freeze for later use. It works out beautifully because during the week when we start running low, I pull frozen slices and make school lunches (they're perfectly thawed by the time they eat) or pop them into the toaster oven for breakfast.

This place is one of my family's faves in Rockland. If you haven't discovered it yet, do yourself a solid and go.

Creamy Spiced Oatmeal

I would imagine that, for most, the idea of oatmeal doesn't exactly make someone say, "Oooo, yeah, THAT'S what I want for breakfast." The fact that it's super healthy for you was what pushed me to try it more than twice but what I was trying at the time was very basic and boring. I would equate it to a bowl of warm gruel with 12 heaping spoonfuls of sugar. I tried the Quaker pre-packaged-just-add-hot-water packets which tasted exactly like a processed bowl of something grainy. After that I had crossed it off my mental list of edible options. That was until I had a bowl of homemade oatmeal at a New England bed-and-breakfast years ago. I was there with my mother and she and I agreed that it was THE best we ever had - it was made with steel cut oats, spices, maple syrup and served up with fresh blueberries. That gave me the motivation to try and make it myself based on different recipes - eventually I grew to love the stuff.

It took me a while but I finally came up with a go-to recipe based on a couple of different sources but the one that I follow most closely comes from MAD HUNGRY: Feeding Men & Boys that I mentioned in an earlier "On the Books" post. Below is Ms. Quinn's recipe straight out of her book and my variations are below that:

1 cup milk (soy, almond or rice milk can be substituted)
1/2 cup water
1 whole cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
4 allspice berries (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 cup rolled oats, preferably organic
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
2 ripe bananas (optional)
1/2 cup toasted almonds (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and water with the spices and bay leaf over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and steep for 2 minutes. Add the oats and cook, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender, between 5 and 15 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and cover for a minute. Discard the bay leaf and whole spices. Portion into bowls and drizzle with maple syrup, then top with the bananas and almonds, if desired. Serve immediately.

My variations (more often they depend on how long it's been since I've made a trip to the supermarket):

• Prep: If I don't have enough milk in the house, I substitute water and mix in a few tablespoons right before serving. Once I add the oats I bring it to a boil then turn off the heat, put a cover on the pot and let it sit on the stove for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

• Flavor: I always have a supply of dried cranberries oddly enough so if I'm looking for a version that's got some tartness to balance out the sweet, add about a 1/2 cup or more of the cranberries to the water along with the spices. The flavor infuses the oats very nicely and I don't seem to use as much added sweetener as a result. I also like to throw in some fresh nutmeg with the rest of the spices.

• Alternate Toppings: Fresh blueberries, sliced strawberries or granny smith apples.

• Personal Note: When it comes to buying oats in the supermarket, I like Old-Fashioned versus Quick Oats. For me, the texture is less gruel-like. I like the Steel Cut oats also but they're not always available in the mass quantities that I normally purchase.

Guest Blogging for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week 2011!

The very first time I happened to be perusing the Small Bites section of lohud.com I came across a request for guest bloggers during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week 2011. I came late to the party but caught a break - I have officially been added to the list and will be reviewing a local eatery in a couple of weeks! (You have my permission to be jealous.) I had just launched Choosy Foody when I got the green light so I have been totally jazzed about my very first gig as a guest blogger. Mere seconds after my post hits the streets on lohud.com you KNOW I'll be shouting about it loud and proud right here. Guess who's coming to dinner dawg! Stay tuned!

Note To Self...

Never go to yoga class within 15 minutes of inhaling a large bowl of oatmeal. It's just not pretty.

On the Books: MAD HUNGRY!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this cookbook: Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys! Ms. Quinn knows of what she speaks and every recipe I've tried has been a big hit at home. My family gave it to me for Xmas and I've been digging into it ever since. I'm slowly making my way through the book and hitting all the recipes they flagged first.

I'm very picky about cookbooks and I like the way it's laid out, the writing, the anecdotes, the photography, the side notes... the whole enchilada. (There's a recipe for that.)

Favorite dishes so far:

Pork Chops with Apples & Onions - I'm not usually crazy about fruity meat combos but this is AWESOME.

Baked Chicken with Honey-Whole-Grain Mustard Glaze - Usually anything with "mustard" in the recipe is frowned upon by my kids but they actually liked it.

Vinegar Glossed Chicken - This one's easy-breezy despite the mess I made browning the chicken via superhot skillet.

Next up are the Man Crepes, the Chocolate Eclairs, and Chicken Parmesan. I like Ms. Quinn's style and just started following the Mad Hungry blog. Looking forward to more good eats.

Holy Cannoli

www.derobertiscaffe.com

My husband and I lived on the lower east side for years in the 90's and one of our favorite spots was DeRoberti's for chocolate-dipped cannolis, napoleons, and banana cream pie - all of which were near-religious experiences for us. We'd show up there whenever we were craving sugary items which was almost on a daily basis. Of course, we had to get our wedding cake from this place - getting it from anywhere else would have been like committing adultery. We moved to the suburbs and visited a lot less frequently but when we passed by recently we were happy to see that the place hasn't changed and neither has the quality of the inventory. They didn't have a banana cream pie for us (you have to order it ahead of time) so we had to settle for a supply of cannolis and cookies. Oh, by the way, you know that thing I posted earlier about trying to reduce my general sugar intake overall? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Veggie-Palooza

When I started my part-time vegetarian gig I discovered how easy it was to prep a supply of roasted veggies that I could dip into over the course of a few days. I spent some time this weekend pumping out the stuff you see pictured here. It's a beautiful thing because it gives me no-brainer options for lunch, a snack, or main course. And since it can be served cold or at room temp it ups the convenience factor significantly - on a scale of 1-10, "it goes to 11" (for you Spinal Tap fans).

Here was my shopping list:*

3 medium-sized zucchini

6 small yellow squash (or 3-4 larger ones)

3 medium-sized eggplant

2 sweet red peppers

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

*Note: The volume of veggies you want to roast is completely up to you and should depend how much you think you can consume before it starts looking like a science experiment.

Turn the oven to broil and position the rack in the middle. Slice up the zukes and squash length-wise into flat pieces about 4-5 inches long and a 1/4 inch thick. Slice the eggplant into rounds, about a 1/2 inch thick, and the peppers into strips. If your oven is big enough to accommodate two broiler pans side by side, go for it. Otherwise one at a time works just fine, too. Using a brush, coat the bottom of each pan with a thin coat of olive oil. Lay the veggie slices in one layer in each pan and broil for approximately 5-7 minutes. Pull the pans out, turn the veggies over and broil for another 5-7 minutes depending on how charred you like them.

Stack some of these on a plate with fresh mozzarella cheese then drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar for some carb-free goodness. Try adding slices of tomato or swapping out the mozzarella for slices of provolone and stuffing the whole thing into a sandwich configuration with a toasted ciabatta roll, a pita, or a wrap with some lettuce.

Cutie Pies

www.littlepiecompany.com

Mini-blueberry and apple pies, New York Cheesecake, Mississippi Mud Pie... just a few family favorites. You might think that the name alone encourages you to opt for smaller versions of their baked goods. That way you don't HAVE to stuff a 10" pie into your purse and polish it off during your commute home before anyone in your family can demand a piece of the action. Yeah, well, not so much. Even if you go for the minis, you end up shelling out a few more bucks for your very own six pack of pie. For me packaging counts for a lot. There are plenty of spots that serve up treats that are just as tasty (or even better) but the idea of a "just a little something" makes it that much more fun.

Iron-y

I'm 0 for 2... tried to make a donation at the New York Blood Center and for the second time in a year they turned me down. My hemoglobin was too low - again - which means I'm not getting enough iron in my diet - again.

Since becoming a part-time vegetarian I knew I'd have to make up the difference in that department. I honestly thought I was cruisin' with my weekly intake of oatmeal, legumes, quinoa and all the other stuff that makes me crave a cheeseburger on a regular basis. (I'm hoping to grow out of that phase soon). Not so much I guess. Here's a list of foods the kind folks at the NY Blood Center shared with me to help boost my levels along with my personal commentary, of course:

Animal Protein:

• Liver (no shot)
• Lean Red Meat (rarely on my menu these days)
• Poultry, Eggs (no prob)
• Dark Red Meat (see Lean Red Meat)
• Tuna, Salmon (doable)

Grains:

• Fortified Cereal, Wheat, Oats, Brown Rice, Whole Grains (done and done)
• Millet (haven't tried yet)

Legumes/Beans:

• Lima Beans (never gonna happen)
• Soy Beans (believe it or not we like the frozen edamame from Shoprite - who knew?)
• Kidney Beans (check!)
• Dried Beans/Peas (doable)

Nuts:

• Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Seeds (not a fan)

Fruits & Veggies

• Raisins, Apricots, Prunes (occasional user)
• Dark Leafy Greens, i.e. Spinach (check!), Kale & Collards (currently in search of recipes)
• Broccoli (a family regular)

If I double-down on the iron richness and pop my iron supplements on a more regular basis I'm hoping the blood center will let me drop a pint next month. I'm hoping that it will also help boost my energy level overall. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a nap.

Jones-in'!

www.jonessoda.com

My daughter and I recently became big fans of Jones Zero Calorie Zilch, Pomegranate Soda. It's "sugared" with Splenda - hence the Zero Calorie. I'm trying to stay away from the artificial sweeteners overall but guiltily down an occasional bottle just the same. I'm also trying to reduce my general sugar intake overall and for those moments when I do feed the craving I opt for stuff made with sweeteners au natural. Jones offers up sodas made with cane sugar so they're next on my list of, "Things to Try." Go to the website and check out their other products - very cool. You can even put your own photo on the label. Of course, the minute I found that out I started tearing through iPhoto trying to find the adorable pics of my kids that would be PERFECT for a bottle of soda.

Of All The Gin Joints In All The World...

I had dinner with my 12 year-old son last night for a Valentine's Day-Mother-Son meal. It was just he and I for this outing and I let him pick the place after searching for options on the web. Based on the menu and the photo gallery on the website, he decided that we would dine at Rick's Club American in Congers, NY. I recently sat down with the 6th-grader in his home to talk about the experience. Following are excerpts from our one-on-one interview:

MOM: What did you have as an appetizer?

#1 SON: I had the Fried Calamari as an appetizer and I thought is was really good. Compared to other places we've had it, this was one of the best because of the way it tasted.

MOM: What about your main course?

#1 SON: I had the Tender Spare Ribs By The Rack. The first thing I noticed was that it had a little too much sauce for me. The individual ribs on the rack were pretty small, too, compared to other ones we've had. The meat was nice and soft and came off the bone easily. Some of the ribs had too much sauce though so I had to scrape some of it off before I ate it.

The cornbread was pretty good - nothing special but good. The French Fries were shaped like the ones you get at McDonald's. They were good and just crispy enough, just the way I like them. After eating everything, I wasn't really full. (Mom's Note: It has never been determined how much food would actually fill my son's stomach to the fullest. That experiment poses dangers we are not equipped to handle at this time.) The vegetable was beans and carrots but I only liked the beans because the carrots were a little soggy and too soft.

MOM: Now for the best part...what did you have for dessert?

#1 SON: For the dessert I had something that was soooooo good. It was three profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. They were like ice cream sandwiches with the sauce on top. I recommend getting this for dessert. At first I couldn't decide between this or Rick's Delight which was chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and praline pecan sauce. I made the right choice.

MOM: What about the restaurant itself? What did you think of the decor?

#1 SON: It wasn't too fancy and it wasn't too casual. The room where our table was had mounted animal heads (fake) and statues which I liked because some had you guessing about what kind of animals they were. There were some interesting information on the wall below most of them. On the tables they had a large piece of paper as a table cloth so young kids could draw on it with crayons. Overall I think anyone who reads this blog should try it.

So, there you have it folks. With an endorsement like that, it might be worth checking out.