Thankful for Thanksgiving Food and Books

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books, cookbooks, food, Recipes, Thanksgiving

After my first morning shoveling, the snow is still dripping off my feet as I sit down to type this blog. Here in Colorado, winter started this week with dancing white stuff and evil temperatures that have that little dash in front of them. But, with winter, comes my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving!

I think I love Thanksgiving so much because it is all about food. There is no pressure to decorate or shop for the perfect gift. It is merely about gathering as many friends, family and neighbors as possible and breaking bread together with a thankful spirit. Whether you serve turkey, ham, lasagna or salmon, the best recipes always appear on Thanksgiving. Some are family traditions and some are new adventures with uncertain outcomes.

Recently I read Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. It is the story of two families tied together by the invisible braid of international adoption. Her characters are strong, flawed and compassionate, each suffering from misunderstandings, but not always knowing how to fix them. The descriptions of India’s traditional meals in Secret Daughter are absolutely mouthwatering and provide a common thread about which women bond – time spent in the kitchen together, no matter the country. Through her stories of food, spices, meal preparation, suffering and achievement the families’ parallel stories unfold in beautiful ripples. Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters and even cousins who grow up a continent apart are connected by obligation, forgiveness, curiosity and meals together.

Food, how we prepare, serve it and even what we have access to in our local areas is just one part of each of our cultures. So many family traditions revolve around meal times and holidays that are celebrated with food.

So, if you also love food and all the customs it encompasses, BQB and WriteLife Publishing has two books that I think you’ll love:

The Spices of My Life: A Culinary Collection of Recipes, Memories, and More by Tiffany Moen

Come along with me and cruise through these recipes, memories, and more. I think you’ll discover what my family and friends have enjoyed for years: delicious food, happy palates, and the wish that you had enough for leftovers!

 

Wellness 100: 100 Carbs/100 Recipes by Amber French, DO, and Kari Morris

Just thinking about dieting or eating right can feel overwhelming and heavy for most of us, but Dr. Amber French and chef Kari Morris show us that it doesn’t have to be. Wellness 100 presents a realistic and optimistic option with simple guidelines and healthy, easy, and delicious recipes that are respectful of busy lifestyles.

Do you have a favorite Cookbook or Thanksgiving recipe you would like to share? And I know you’ll also love this blog post by future BQB Author, Gary Jones about his cooking adventures after his wife’s surgery. His book, Doc’s Codicil, will be published in October 2015. Stay tuned!

True story: Garden Pardon

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children's books, farmer, farmer's market, food, fresh, garden, gardening, grandkids, granny, new authors, poetry, rhyme, summer

I spent the afternoon in the garden tending to what would grow
When along came a curious hand belonging to my beau

“Whatcha growing in this plot? It’s looking pretty full
With all these weeds taking over, I better help you pull.”

And just like that he grabbed a handful and uprooted from the ground.
He turned to me with pride but was surprised to see my frown.

“My love, that’s not a weed, that was carefully planted dill!
Please don’t pull without asking, thanks anyways for the goodwill.”

“Pardon me, I’m so sorry,” he said, as he coolly set the herb back down.
“I’ll head back in, but before I go, I just see a few more weeds around.”

I tried to be patient and hoped to avoid any dispute,
so I ignored the sad plant on the ground he didn’t mean to uproot.

Admiring my tomatoes, when out of the corner of my eye,
I saw the man grab another dill plant and lift it to the sky.

“Pah-leeze stop pulling, my dear, I know you’re trying to be nice,
but I prefer to weed myself, and my delicate herbs you’ve yanked twice!

It’s hard enough fending off pests and bugs munching on my crop
and just like them, you’re not listening when I politely ask you to stop.

They don’t make a husband spray the last time that I checked,
so I’ll guard my precious plants myself in an effort to protect.

I learned from the story in Come Out to the Garden and don’t want to turn you away,
but what if we work together in the kitchen instead to avoid foul play?”

~~~~

Come Out to the Garden is such a fun way to get kids interested in growing food, tending to the plants, and spending time with loved ones. I was raised taking care of tomato plants each summer in the Georgia heat. No fruit or veggie tasted better than ones I grew and picked myself!  The experience cultivated sweet memories of spending time with mom and dad. Each year, I continue to try my hand at a small garden. It’s not easy, but it’s enjoyable and as long as my husband isn’t picking my plants (bless his heart), the garden is worth the time and sweat. I encourage you to check out this book (available in paperback and hardcover through BQB and major book retailers and also in eBook) and plant seeds of responsibility, horticulture, and enjoyment of fresh healthy food in the next generation. Here’s a peek into this homegrown book written by Rick January and illustrated by his wife, Stella, to give you a taste:

The Missing Ingredient

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adoption, cookbook, cooking, diverse, diversity, ethnic, family, food, healthy, heritage, ingredient, mother, new authors

Hello! My name is Tiffany Moen, and I’m a resident of Cumming, Georgia, along with my husband Eric and our eight children. They’re all teenagers to young adults now, so life is “easy” compared to having eight children under twelve years of age. We adopted five of our children, so we’re used to nonstop activity (and drama, as four of them are girls). Last November, Eric lost his job, and in January I asked God to show me a way to create income, using the gifts and talents He had given me. Within a few days, the idea of a cookbook came about, and I took off running with it. By the end of April, when we were ready to move back to Georgia from Florida with Eric’s new job, I had submitted the manuscript to BQB Publishing. Creating the cookbook was a whirlwind—one that I’m so thankful for, because it kept me sane while Eric was unemployed. We’ve named it The Missing Ingredient because many of my recipes and learning experiences came from not having one or two ingredients in a recipe, and having to creatively replace and make something new. Because my adopted children come from Asian and Hispanic backgrounds, I’ve incorporated ingredients that give my recipes a touch of their ethnic heritages.

I’m sharing with you my “must have ingredients,” for making off-the-cuff recipes or for making old ones have a new flair.

Tiffany’s Must-Have Ingredients for Cooking

Olive oil                                                        Italian seasoning

Worcestershire sauce                                     Prepared mustard

Soy sauce                                                     Garlic (fresh or minced in a jar)

Sweet chili sauce                                           White wine

Red curry paste                                             Tabasco sauce

Fresh lemon or lime                                       Capers

Yellow and green onions

The following is a great last-minute way to throw together a fabulous main dish. No matter what kind of meat you have on hand (unless it’s a beef cut that would be too tough without extensive cooking time), you can whip up a last-minute dish of deliciousness with some or all of these ingredients. I purposefully am not exact in the ingredient measurements for this recipe. My goal is to have you throw together a meal that can be different each time, depending on how much of each you want to add.

Tiffany’s Non-Fail Easy and Delicious Dinner Entrée

Brown the meat you happen to have in your refrigerator (boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork chops are particularly yummy), in 1 to 2 T. olive oil. As the second side is browning, liberally sprinkle the meat with Italian seasoning (or any other dried herb you have). When the second side is browned, flip the meat over, and pour white wine liberally over each piece. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Take prepared mustard (whichever you have in your fridge) and spread some on the meat (about ½ to 1 T. per piece), and then sprinkle with herbs. Put one to two spoons of minced garlic in the pan, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, covered. Turn the meat over, and continue to simmer at least 20 minutes, until very tender.

**Other ingredients I keep on hand to change up the recipe: soy sauce, green onions, capers, lemon or lime juice, Tabasco sauce, sweet chili sauce, and red curry paste. Each addition gives your dinner a different flair. Try adding baby carrots too!

Check out my website, tiffanymoen.com, to learn more about my book and be sure to order The Missing Ingredient in November, it will make the perfect Christmas gift. Enjoy!