tammy circeo: telling life stories

Au Pif

Strange title for a blog post?

Even stranger? I have no photos.

I KNOW! How the heck did this happen?

The term might be a strange title for a post, but the 'home chefs' in France are onto something with this term. Have you heard it before?

It's pronounced, "Oh-PEEF". And sounds a bit like someone got upset about something and is trying to refrain from straight out expletives. I might start using the term in that context. Seems convenient. And unoffensive.

Au pif roughly means that you do something using guesswork, or randomly, with no real direction. You just FEEL it or KNOW it. And in the kitchen, this translates to being intuitive with your dish, simply SMELLING, TASTING, and FEELING what ingredients you should us and how you should combine them.

I've used many recipes … at least hundreds, if not thousands, by now! I try to make them as written the first time around, but more often than not, I know what changes I want to make so that I will like it better and end up making those changes immediately. I have also found, ironically, that my family enjoys the meals I make au pif much more than the ones I make using a recipe. And sadly, I don't know that I could ever become a recipe-author because as I'm cooking 'au pif', there's no way I would know the quantities of the ingredients! The dishes are fabulous, but not duplicable. It's a one-time deal with most of these. I suppose the only way to get around it is to have a Scribe in the kitchen as I work … a Scribe who knows roughly what quantities look like and what ingredients are being added and when. A Recipe Scribe who is ever-present, knowledgeable, silent and observant. Yes … that is what I need if I am ever to write a cookbook.

My au-pif meals are often a sauce to top pasta. And they have usually included vegetables or small quantities of meat that wouldn't nearly feed an entire family-that-consists-of-mostly-full-on-adults. Tonight's nourishment was just such a meal and a lovely one, might I add. Yes, I created it. It was all my own intuition, and I will say that it was quite "yummy in my tummy". I had to force myself not to take seconds.

Here's the rough recipe for you to experiment with. Aly said I should write it down so here it is. In "Au Pif" form!

Download AuPif BalsamicChickenPrimaveraSauce

My Aly has to come to call these dishes "Mystery Pasta". It's better than "Mystery Meat" is all I gotta say!

Pizza Anyone?

I'm not usually the one craving pizza around this house. That is reserved for the resident teen boy who would probably eat it every day if he was allowed. My favorite pizza is a good margarita pizza … just red sauce, a little cheese, fresh basil … on a thin crust baked in a woodfired oven, like the one at Café Lago, or from Pagliacci's. Those are both really yummy. I also like vegetarian pizzas (with things like artichokes and sundried tomatoes), but I'm not real keen on the ones that are loaded up with meats and sausages. I can feel my heart constricting as I simply type those words!

There's a ton of restaurants doing very interesting things with pizza now causing me to wonder how many of my Italian ancestors are turning over in their graves because of the abnormal combinations of toppings.

The pizza that I immensely enjoyed today was one of those pizzas so I'm hoping the 'slumbering Italians' will forgive me for disturbing their sleep today. This pizza had caramelized onions … (allow those words on a menu and I'm probably going to order it!) … romano cheese, pears, walnuts, and gorgonzola all sprinkled with fresh rosemary. The only thing I would've added if I had been in the kitchen would've been a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Are you a traditional pizza lover or a radical one? Do you like thin crust or thick, pan pizza? Do you ever make your own? What is your favorite dough recipe? Care to share?

(If you live 'round these parts, you can find this pizza at the Purple Café.)

Thank you, Veterans

Seems ironic and almost indulgent that on a day celebrating veterans and the hard work they have done to make and keep our country free, that I'm having such a quiet, peaceful, and relaxing day.

Come to think of it, though, perhaps that's part of the reason they worked so hard. At the least, it's one of the results of their work.

Thank you, Veterans. I'm enjoying my day, my home, and my country.

Cozy …

It's hard to believe that it's already Tuesday evening and that it's been four days since I've been here. I was all set to light a few candles and cozy up in a comfy chair to visit with you last evening, but my next HUGE project (decorating a large conference center for our school auction) kept my inbox humming with incoming details that needed attention. I attempted to write in between the emails, but focus was very difficult. By the time I sorted out the emails and details, I was too tired to think straight about anything else than curling up with my husband and quilt on the couch. I'm trying so hard to listen to my mind, heart, and body these days and allow myself to heal and rejuvenate. It's dang hard to do! But it will be harder to 'undo' later if I don't listen and act now! I already have experienced the effects of that kind of procrastination.

Autumn, to me, is about one thing … and that is COZY. The temperatures fall, the wind kicks up, the rains return, and I turn toward things that I don't enjoy to the same level at other times of the year.

Things like Brats and Sauerkraut, hot tea in the afternoon, and not to be left out … Pumpkin Bread. Or any kind of vegetable or fruit bread, for that matter. Like Zucchini Bread, Apple Bread, or Cinnamon Bread.

I love those breads for breakfast with coffee or to offer a friend with afternoon tea.

They are fragrant with spices and enhanced with the season's bounteous harvest.

The colors are vivid, but engage more senses than the eyesight.

The fragrance that permeates the home while the bread bakes makes me wish (only sometimes) for simpler times … for times when baking daily was normal, when using today's harvest to nourish oneself was not only normal, but needed and expected. Other times, when I'm feeling less than energetic, I'm glad I don't have a farm and wonder how my grandmothers ever got along with all the physical labor they had to do! I glad for the farmer's market and the *choice* to purchase today's harvest or to leave it for someone else to choose for nourishment!

I made this bread this past Sunday afternoon. It was a rare time when Ken and I were enjoying peace, quiet, and each other. None of the kids were home and it was a perfect time to piddle about the kitchen while he accomplished goals on pressing projects. What a sense of contentment (and cozy smell of Pumpkin Bread) we both enjoyed …

We ended the evening, however, with the smell of Brussels sprouts!

"How?" you ask?

Well, as happens to all parents with teens … they came home.

And our vitamin-deficient eldest child decided that she needed to sauté Brussels Sprouts. Yup.

Killed that sense of peace, quiet, and Pumpkin Bread right away!

Download Spiced Pumpkin Bread

(I just about pressed the "PUBLISH" button! But I can't close out this post that way … really, I wish I could let myself do it, but I can't. I'm so grateful for my vitamin-deficient eldest child ... and for the other two as well! … that I can't just sign off that way! I know it would be more artistic to do so, but I love her too much. And I can't have her thinking –not that she would?—that she is so restricted in her own home that she can't eat what and when she wants/needs to! I just can't do it … Of course, she understands writing and art so perhaps I should just delete this last paragraph … … … Naw. I'll leave it. Can you sense the struggle within me?! I thought so. Thanks for caring.)

My Christmas Man Friday

I have no colossal news to post tonight.

So you're probably wondering why I'm showing up, huh?

Oh! Wait!! I do have colossal news! My son kicked the winning goal for our soccer team's win tonight!! Woo Hoo!! That's colossal given that he is a Sweeper! His goal scored on PKs and if you don't know what that is … it's kind of like kick-offs after the overtime. Whoever scores first after the first five tries, wins. That was MY kid … and he was 8^th .

On to other non-colossal news …

My college roommate neighbor (that means that she wasn't my roommate, but she was my neighbor with another roommate … does that make sense?!), Missy (who is so formally called "Melissa" on FB), posted on facebook today,

"Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday."

I heard angels singing and saw clouds parting when I read that! Heavens to Betsy … Hope is in sight! Not everything has to be accomplished by today OR by ME! I breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I need a Man Friday!"

[CAN you hire a "Man Friday"? I think that is a great name for Handi-Man business. His tag-line could be "I'm your Man Friday. I can get it all done BEFORE Friday!"]

If only.

All of Friday aside, I've spent many hours this week designing Christmas cards for a couple of photo clients and I thought I might share some.

• If you don't like them, please be kind and don't say anything.
• If you like them, just say, "Nice work".

{I can't show you the one I designed for my own family until after it's sent because you just might receive it snail mail. And if you don't receive it snail mail, you'll see it here wishing the best that this season has to offer!)

All of these cards are designed 'par moi' and available in reds, greens, black/white, and brown/blue. The papers I used are from My Lil Creations, a fabulous resource for commercial use products.

This design is called "Christmas Greetings".

This one is called "Spectacular Holiday" and the squares on the sides can also host photos.

This one is "Our Gift".

The "Merry Christmas" font in the last one might need to be changed. I'm still checking on the 'usage terms'. Sadly, it's all so sticky.

These are all "RED" because the mom belonging to the kids in this photo wants a "RED" card. I did some mock-ups in green and even in blues&browns and they were beautiful as well. I can also tailor any font you wish!

My personal card is all Baroque and black + white … a touch of red … un petit peu francais.

I can't wait to see it in real life!

Oktoberfest 2009

Every fall, we celebrate our own Oktoberfest at home with Grilled Bratwursts. It's not a raucous beer-guzzling event with sausages flying, girls in native costume, and dancing traditional dances, but it is usually a rather sedate, peaceful meal shared with friends. Not at all what you would expect from a typical Oktoberfest gala! Since we moved into this neighborhood, we have invited Glenn and Lori over to share the meal with us. I told you about last year's celebration in this ever-so-wordy post and even shared the recipe there, too!

This year, October seemed to fill up really quickly for us and I have felt like I've been running to keep up with everything that is going on. I purchased the Brats for the meal, but ended up putting them in the freezer before I could get them grilled up! So the day after Halloween, this past Sunday, even though it was no longer October, I thought that would be a cozy meal to make. And if I invited Glenn and Lori over, I knew she would be grateful since she had hosted the unofficial Neighborhood Halloween Party the night before.

Boy, do they go all out for that party! They even do a Haunted House in their upstairs hallway for the kids to go through. And they have food galore, homemade root beer and costumes, and movies in the playhouse for the kids. So much fun!

The recipe I use for Brats and Sauerkraut comes from one I watched Emeril make a few years ago. Frankly, I don't really like watching him, but this recipe is fantastic! My German mother-in-law even loved the kraut when I made it once when they were visiting. You'll need red AND yellow onions and apples. Apples may not seem like a normal ingredient in kraut, but trust me, you'll be happy you used them in this one!

You'll also need juniper berries. Terribly strange ingredient. You can usually find them in the spice aisle, but I buy them in the bulk section of my grocery store, so be sure to check there. If you absolutely can't find them, I'm sure you could leave them out without sacrificing too much flavor. One ingredient you CAN'T do without is the beer! DARK beer.

This IS a German dish after all. Germans + beer = synonymous. If you have wheat allergies or gluten intolerances, you can even find gluten-free beer so that you can still enjoy this dish with all the flavor that is intended. It's about the flavor!

The brats get simmered in the beer and red onions first, and grilled later.

The kraut gets rinsed, put in a pot with apples and onions and spices.

It all simmers for a while, getting all happy in the pot, then you should serve it up German-style with plenty of bread and mustard to go around.

I was right … Lori was grateful to have dinner cooked for her the night after the Halloween party! We all enjoyed the meal, even the little people. We were especially happy that even though it was a spontaneous invitation and quite a casual meal, it was still cozy, filling, and satisfying. The company helps, too!

Please enjoy these brats any time of year … doesn't have to Oktober!

And this year? Well, this year, there's a downloadable recipe for you!

Download Bratwurst Cooked in Beer

New Friend

Hashimoto has moved in and set up camp. To my knowledge, I didn't invite him. But that's OK. After all, I wrote just yesterday about enjoying spontaneous guests, didn't I? So he is here and I am employing various techniques to make his stay a bit more enjoyable for myself. There's no way I would make his stay more enjoyable for HIM! Frankly, the things I feel when he's around make me wish he'd never shown up, but I'm sure we can work this out in the end.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, Hashimoto's Disease is a malfunction of the thyroid, commonly referred to as hypothyroidism, but more amusingly named after some Japanese something, apparently. It's a situation of the pituitary gland sending a message to the thyroid gland to perform a function that it is no longer capable of performing as it once did in the days of its Prima Donna status. In which case, the thyroid gland kindly and softly puts on the brakes, which makes the pituitary gland accelerate even more, demand even more, and ultimately, make the thyroid irritated to the point of not functioning properly. All of this unusual activity makes one gain weight (check), feel extremely fatigued (check), taxes one's adrenal system as well (check), and overall makes one feel like crap (check, check, check, check, check!). [Excuse my language.] When you spend most days doing the equivalent of swimming through mud and forcing your mind, emotions, body, and will to act otherwise, you sometimes end up wanting to say far worse words than 'crap'. So 'crap' it is, folks.

I had my follow-up appointment with my doctor today and I only have one regret about it. And that is that I don't have a photo of her or of her fabulous office. Besides, there isn't any way to encapsulate on film the care that she provides her patients. If you are her patient, you feel that you are her only one. She gives her time and attention solely to you for as long as you demand it. Truly. She doesn't stick by the unwritten 7-minute rule imposed by insurance companies. I sometimes just want to keep talking and talking and talking … just to spend more time with her. If she wasn't my doctor, she would be a good friend, I'm sure of it. Her practice has grown to include other doctors and I'm SO grateful that I found her before so many other people did … that means she is MINE!

So where do Hashimoto and I go from here? I certainly don't want him getting TOO comfortable around these parts!

The great news is that Hashimoto cannot debilitate me even though some days I feel TOTALLY debilitated! The better news is that with thyroid medication, vitamin supplements, and better stress management (hmm … that could be a tough act to perform), I can achieve a better quality of life than what Hashimoto has been telling me I can have. I'm kicking him to the curb! And plan to fully enjoy more and more of life. Are you with me?! Please be my cheerleader!!

Apple Party

One of my favorite things to do is to spontaneously invite people over. I've done it the last two weekends so I'm seeing a trend happening here! We were visiting with friends one afternoon when the conversation turned to the game Apples to Apples and before I knew it, not only did we plan to play that evening, but I was also committing to making Apple Cider Doughnuts for a crowd of about twelve! Unawares to me, I signed up to host an Apple Party!

I first heard about Apple Cider Doughnuts on a trip to New York State to visit my friend. It was in the fall so we loaded up the kiddos and headed out to the apple orchard to pick apples. The little farm store had hot apple cider and matching doughnuts that were a welcome and tasty treat after trudging through the orchard. Shelli and I talked about recreating them by using a cake doughnut recipe and substituting apple cider for the liquid called for. I don't remember that I ever did try it and I'm not sure whether she did or not. This recipe calls for reducing the apple cider before using it in the recipe. It was almost like a syrup by the time I put it in the batter! So yummy.

I hadn't found a recipe since my NY trip many years ago, but one popped up in my Reader a few days ago and I knew that I wanted to try it. (Her recipe is adapted from the Hearth Restaurant and I didn't do much different to it except use a deep fat fryer as opposed to using a pot on the stove.)

I rarely eat doughnuts –never buy them, in fact—but if you give me a recipe, I'll probably be tempted to make them, especially if they are tied to a good memory. My mom always made homemade doughnuts and cinnamon rolls and I think it's one of the coziest things you can make homemade!

I so rarely make them that I couldn't even find my doughnut cutter! So I called Lori, my neighbor who rescues me from my lack of planning all the time, and of course, she had one I could borrow. Right at her fingertips. Well, 'right at her fingertips' after she rummaged through her cookie cutter drawer …

I was so puzzled over why I couldn't find mine that I made a huge search for it after I got the dough chilling. I figured if Lori found hers hanging with her cookie cutters, perhaps mine had the same idea. Sure enough! There it was!! Doughnuts are really just 'glorified cookies' anyway, right?!

Lori's made fatter doughnuts and smaller holes and mine made skinny doughnuts and fatter holes. I like the idea of skinny doughnuts. Fewer calories, you know! ;)

Don't worry if you don't have a doughnut cutter … just use a regular glass for the doughnut and maybe a shot glass (for whiskey OR espresso shots!) for the hole. In fact, in the end, I almost wished that I had just made the holes and no doughnuts!

After they are cut from the dough, you should let the dough refrigerate for a bit. I wondered why, but realized by the time I got to the end of the bunch of them and they were getting warmer, that the dough is really sticky if it isn't refrigerated. Sticky dough is much harder to drop into hot oil and you risk burned fingers! It does take quite a bit of oil for the frying, but don't fret much about that either. If you use vegetable shortening instead of oil, the dough becomes crispier and absorbs less. And if you drain the doughnuts on paper towels, there'll be less oil as well. It's really not that bad of a deal for a one-time-a-year experience.

We dipped the tops in Cinnamon Sugar and stacked them up, but that stack quickly disappeared!

They were declared fabulous!

AND cozy.

Download Apple Cider Doughnuts

Le Weekend - 500

I should be editing photos from a recent photo shoot, but I'm finding it more appealing at the moment to sit here with you, my internet friends. For one, I haven't posted a "Le Weekend" Post in a few weeks, and for another, it seems appropriate that my 500^th post should be a "Le Weekend" one. Something kind of relaxing, momentous, and celebratory all at the same time about posting on a weekend.

Our last two weekends have been quite full of hanging with fabulous friends and neighbors and that is just the way we like them. Weekends are a great opportunity to catch up with people you care about and that's another reason why I am here with you this afternoon … I'll just take a small moment to thank you for hanging out with me here in cyber-space, for reading my posts, for commenting, for trying my recipes, and for being a part of my life. Many of you I know on a personal level, but many of you I have never met and yet you feel like good friends!

Here's to another 500 posts and many more friends!

(I'm off to get some photos done now … and finish up our Brats and Kraut dinner to share with neighbors!)

Trick-or-Treat?

"…Smell my feet … Gimme something good to eat!"

Come on by, kids! The candy is waiting for you!