for the red white and blue

On Independence Day, Jared and I are having our entire family over for a cookout. With both sides of the family, the guest list comes to eighteen people, which calls for a full-out summer bash. This means lots of food and games and music and citronella candles-- and decorations.

Here is one idea I am using: colorful bursts of paper to hang from windows, string on garlands, or festoon tree branches. If you have construction paper (or any paper at all) you can make them easily.

Perfect instructions can be found right here. She uses three accordion-folded papers per rosette, so each piece of paper forms a third of a circle; I am only using two per rosette, so each piece of paper forms a half-circle.  Her rosettes are fuller, and personally, I didn't want such a ruffly look. So I spread them out more. :)

I am using white and red paper of various sizes, and plan to hang them with some patriotically colored ribbon.

Don't buy it

I was so excited last fall when I realized that I could make mayonnaise instead of buying it.

Regular Hellmann's is decentish with ingredients, but uses soybean oil, which doesn't exactly delight me. Hellmann's with canola oil (slightly better than soybean, but not stellar) has a bunch of additives that don't seem necessary. And for a "pure" mayonnaise I'd be paying through the nose.

Solution? Make it myself. No sugar, no soybeans, and nothing you won't find on the grocery store shelves. It tastes great!

Use either fresh free-range eggs or pasteurized eggs for this, since they stay uncooked. I wouldn't try it with factory-farmed eggs.

Mayonnaise
(original from Favorite Food at Home)

1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup "light-tasting" olive oil*

1) Blend whole egg, yolks, vinegar, mustard, and salt for 30 seconds, until thoroughly combined.
2) With the blender still on high speed, pour in the oil in a very slow, steady stream. I use a funnel to guide the stream of oil: my blender has a small hole in the lid, and I set the funnel on there. The mixture will emulsify into a thick, pale yellow mayonnaise. Whisk in the last drops of oil that might not emulsify, and refrigerate immediately.
3) If your mayo doesn't emulsify, pour the liquidy mixture into a glass measuring cup. Blend up another egg and pour in the "flopped" mayonnaise like you did with the oil last time. This should work. (I have never had it flop though.)

*More processed than extra virgin, but still much better than canola or any other industrial oil.

{image credit: bour3 on Flickr}

Well Written Wednesdays: a discerning Eye

Poem #435

by Emily Dickinson

Much Madness is divinest Sense—

To a discerning Eye—

Much Sense—the starkest Madness—

‘Tis the Majority

In this, as All, prevail—

Assent—and you are sane—

Demur—you’re straightway dangerous—

And handled with a Chain—


{image credit: Diego Camejo on Flickr}

From weed to wonderful

We have an awful lot of mint growing in our backyard, filling a wet gully with its fragrance and irrepressible stems. Here is what I have been doing with it. One can only drink so much tea, though, so I think some spring rolls will make their appearance soon.

(Jared wants me to concoct some mint extract as well, mostly so I can make these.)

Summer Mint Tea 

3 cups lightly packed mint leaves, washed and shaken dry
6 cups water
6 tablespoons raw sugar

Place mint leaves, water, and sugar in large pot. Bring to rolling boil; let boil 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes more, or until it is strong enough for your liking. Strain and chill. Serve over ice with lemon wedges.

{photo credit: Brittany No L on Flickr}

Kitchen fail(s)

Yogurt. I forgetfully let it incubate 9 hours instead of 7. Result? Too much whey and a weird lumpy consistency. I strained it all and ended up with good thick yogurt, but only half of what I usually get, and far more whey than I can use. Whoops. I am not sure if this damaged the starter, so I will just use half a gallon of milk next time (as opposed to my usual full gallon). If it doesn't work, I'm only out a dollar fifty, and I can still use flopped yogurt as buttermilk.

Chicken. As we discovered yesterday, the marinade that is so perfect for whole chicken thighs is too strong for small kebab pieces. Far too strong. I need to cut the soy sauce in half, I think.

Rice. I know, rice? Easiest thing ever. Yet last week, my rice refused to cook. Crunchy it remained, with broth left on the bottom. This week it was totally fine. I don't understand.

Quiche. Learn from my mistake: don't use mozzarella for your quiche. Also, let it rest fifteen minutes before cutting! If you use melting, gooey mozzarella or serve the quiche immediately, the slices will not hold together. It still tastes great, but eh, doesn't look so nice. Use cheddar and hold your horses.

Fish. Herbs with butter, that was a good idea. Adding sriracha, not so much. Boston Blue is too mild to stand up to the kick of this Thai hot sauce, which would go better with a strong fish like mackerel. Oh well. Live and learn, right? There is always something for dinner even if it didn't turn out quite right. We haven't starved yet.