Day 2: Yogurt for Breakfast, Schellmans for Dinner

Good morning Saturday! Today I began anew my quest to master the culinary world of Ina Garten. My menu plan for the morning was Orange Yogurt (pg. 229) and Homemade Granola (pg. 210.) I had put together the granola the day before. This recipe is a must-try. It is great alone, with milk, or as I paired it, with yogurt. Just remember to stir frequently, and if you can smell it cooking, it might be getting ready to burn. We deviated from the called-for dried fruits, as I was trying to involve the girls with my new project. They chose blueberries and apricots. Other than that, I stuck to the recipe, and followed directions. (Someone might need to dial 911 at this point, because I am sure if my mother is reading this she has gone into full cardiac arrest, as she has never known me to follow a direction in my life. Hold on Mommy, help is coming!) As I mentioned, I paired this granola with Orange Yogurt. Ina calls for plain low-fat yogurt - I happened to use plain Greek yogurt because I had it on hand. You are supposed to let the yogurt drain overnight in a sieve to remove the excess liquid. I was really amazed at how much came out! I added all the ingredients, and again followed directions. (Hang in there Mom, it's not much longer now...) I've got to tell you, this yogurt is fabulous. It is super-creamy, and very tasty. It is great alone, or with the granola. Big two thumbs up. My youngest daughter Ryan even liked it! (Dear readers, you will recall her of the Lemonade-Keyboard Murder fame.) She gave it a love-it-so-much-you-smear-all-over-your-face approval.

So after being fabulously sated with an amazing breakfast we went about our usual Saturday which always involves a trip to my in-laws for a half-sandwich. Every week they call and ask if we will be joining them for a half-sandwich. I don't know why they never ask if we will be joining them for a full-sandwich. It is always half. One is always allowed to eat a full sandwich if one chooses, however one is never preemptively invited to do so. So...we ate our half-sandwiches, snacked on left-over birthday cake (of Best-of-Show fame,) and watched the girls swim. Mimi and Granddaddy (a.k.a. my in-laws) had a party to go to, and we had the Schellmans coming for dinner so we had to skedaddle. On my menu for the evening: Indonesian Ginger Chicken (pg. 125) and Szechuan Noodles (pg. 108.) Once the Schellmans had arrived, we got the drinks pouring, the kids playing, and the food cooking. Copious amounts of laughter is always paired with any meal with the Schellmans, and luckily this time bad french accents did not make an appearance. (For some reason when my husband and Mr. Schellman become less inhibited with the consumption of alcohol, they start to "speak French." I say this loosely because I don't think there is a french person on the planet who could recognize one word used in their dialogue. Mrs. Schellman (a.k.a. my bff sister-wife Tamara) and I usually shake our heads, and wonder to ourselves how two girls could get so lucky.) The meal was enjoyed by everyone (And by everyone, I mean all adults, and 3 out of 4 kids, with the exception of Little Schellman) and some even had seconds! With our tummies full, and our wine glasses empty, we decided we needed to permanently record our ratings for the recipes. My husband gave the Szechuan Noodles a sideways thumb, because he is not a fan of peanut butter, which the recipe contains. But...(and this is a BIG BUT)... he ate it... which was no small victory for me (and one ENORMOUS endorsement for Ina,) because in 15 years of marriage (Yes, I was a child-bride) he has NEVER eaten anything that contained peanut butter. Here is a picture of our rating system for the Szechuan Noodles. (L-R Mr. Schell

man, Brent, Mrs. Schellman, and Little Schellman. Mrs. Schellman is obscured to protect the innocent.) Again, Little Schellman - not a fan.

And we've received a response from the peanut gallery:

...Personally I think the half-sandwich is a lovely idea. I mean, to be intimidated by two whole slices of calorie-ridden bread may be just too much to bear, especially if the in-laws are cellulite-bearers, as many in-laws are. I'll bet their sandwiches are wealthy in lovely cheeses, deli meats, tomatoes, lettuces, and tasty mayonnaise, not to mention the accompaniment of delicious lightly salted potato chips and fresh fruit slices. Additionally, it sounds like they are especially lovely people to open their home and water to their blog family with all the dangers that might ensue from such a public display of familial goings ons. - Anonymous