the creative cooks

                                     seasoned with a smile

welcomecontact infoeventsrecipes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you keep an even 'temperature' in your family?

 

My Mother used to say that it was her role to "monitor the family's temperature".  So, in accordance with the meat thermometer, our cozy conversation time centered around, "How do you keep an even 'temperature' in your family?"    

 

Take a bath together
For instance, when my husband is away on business travels, I keep a healthy family 'temperature' by getting all 3 children and myself in our bathtub with bubbles and scrubbrushes and toys etc.  We all enjoy ourselves and it keeps all of us out of trouble.  

 

Go out to dinner

Another shared that when she feels things start to rub a bit with her husband, she knows that it is time to go out to dinner with him and give him the undivided attention that he needs.  Afterwards, all is well and the 'family temperature' is back to healthy again. 

 

Allow daddy time to feel kids temp

We agreed that it is wonderful when the daddies can be apart of the ups and downs in the children's lives.  One family makes this possible by allowing the daddy to put the children to bed in the evening.  This is a valuable time for amazing deep thoughts from our young ones, which help us to monitor that family "temperature." 

 

Try the fastest roller-coaster

Yet another suggested to go to an amusement park as a couple.  Leave the kids with the grandparents and drive miles away, just to take a thrilling roller-coaster; laugh and be scared together!

 

Kids can take the temperature too

Even if we as mothers in the family loose track of the temperature, one mommy suggested that the children are very capable of reminding us of our own temperature.  And even when our temperature gets too hot, these treasures are the most forgiving and loving which gives us the energy to bring ourselves back down to a healthy temperature.

 

 

Invitation for this passed event was as follows:

 

Hi ladies,
 
Sitting here thinking fondly of all of you and looking forward to meeting again.  The current Creative Cooks Committee has prepared a lovely evening for us on Friday, March 13,.  Due to the nature of us gals, we would like to invite you to come from 20:00 on, and we will start the presentation as close to 20:30 as we can.  The evenings are never long enough for all our 50,000 womanly words.  Smile!
 
I am especially excited about the topic of Easter Roast because I have personally wanted to lose my fear of preparing a larger piece of meat for dinner.  Nathalie says a thermometer is the secret to success.  Nathalie's kitchen secrets will be supplemented by Victoria and Véronique with potatoes and 3 different flavors to the same salad.  They have planned great decorations and dessert to carry the Easter theme.  Wewill  feel well-prepared for the next holiday.
 
Inspired by our bio-chemist, we will also include some tips and discussion on "old wive's tales":  some things that we've heard and done, but not sure if we should believe them or continue to do them.  Would love to see if we could answer some of your questions.  If not, we hope to eventually get the answers back to us.   
 
In addition to the taste-testing, we will enjoy a light meal of bread/crackers, cheese and fruit.  In accordance with the meat thermometer, our topic of conversation that you may be prepared for will be "How do you keep an even 'temperature' in your family?"  My mother used to say that it was her role to "monitor the family's temperature".  For instance, when my husband is away on business travels, I keep a healthy family 'temperature' by getting all 3 children and myself in our bathtub with bubbles and scrubbrushes and toys etc.  We all enjoy ourselves and it keeps all of us out of trouble.  Smile.  I heard from another friend that when she feels things start to rub a bit with her husband, she knows that it is time to go out to dinner with him and give him the undivided attention that he needs.  Afterwards, all is well and the 'family temperature' is back to healthy again.  What do you do?  Maybe what you do would be a good tip for another?
 
Inspite of the website and more appropriately due to the nature of the evening, I will still send a formal invitation and request a written RSVP to manage the number of guests and make everyone feel welcome.  It is always nice to know if you have a friend that you would like to present to the Creative Cooks.
 
It's always such a pleasure to greet you on one of these evenings!  It's especially nice to plan ahead with you for one of the most glorious holidays of the year; well worth celebrating! 
 
Margaret

 

friday 13 march 2009 
easter brunch

 

 

 

 

We had a wonderful evening with thorough instructions from our chefs on a slow cooking roast, smooth mashed potatoes, and endives salads.  In addition, we got to tastes Italian Easter bread, Easter cake, cute bunny breadrolls and a variety of cheeses to fill in the empty spaces. 

 

Nathalie's slow cook roast

From the Betty Bosse Cookbook titled "La Cuisson a Basse Temperateur" which can be purchased in the larger Coop stores as can a meat thermometer.

  • 600 gram roast
  • preheat oven to 85 degrees Celsius
  • fry in lard until good and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes
  • press meat thermometer into the center of the meat and so that you can see the gauge without having to open the oven
  • place in baking tray and into oven for approx. 1 3/4 hour or until the thermomter reaches the mark for the correct piece of meat
  • if you are not ready to serve when the roast is finished, you may turn the oven down to 60 degrees and leave it in the oven for up to an hour

Nathalie's mashed potatoes

 

  • purchase the correct potatoes for mashing, for instance not for pommes frites
  • boil until soft
  • press through a machine that looks like a large garlic press
  • add milk, butter, salt, and nutmeg until desired consistency and flavor

 

Nathalie's gravy

 

  • add water to drippings from roast left in the fry pan after frying
  • add Aromat spice mixture, salt and pepper
  • thicken with prediluted corn starch (maizena)
  • add cream for good flavor and thicker consistency

 

Endive Salad varieties

 

  • endives : roquefort, pecan nuts and salad dressing
  • endives: orange, creamy salad dressing
  • endives: oil & vinegar sald dressing

 

Victoria's Bunny Buns

 

500 g white flour or “farine pour tresse”

2 teaspoons dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoon salt

3 dl milk

60 g. margarine

1 egg

 

In a bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt.

Slightly heat the milk and melt the margarine inside

Combine with the flour

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Put back in the bowl, cover and put in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Shape into rabbits as shown on illustration

Let them raise for another 20 minutes

Dab a whisked egg on the rabbits

Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

 

 

Easter tart

 

Pastry

 

250 g. flour

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

Lemon zest

150 g. margarine

1 egg

1 teaspoon cream

 

Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest

Add margarine and incorporate gently

Mix together the egg and the cream and add to the rest

Put the pastry in a tart tin (30 cm)

 

You can also use a ready made “pâte brisée sucrée”

 

Garniture

 

  • put over pastry 100 grams yellow raisins
  • boil 2 dl milk and pinch of salt
  • dilute 2 Tbs flour in 1 dl milk, add to hot milk and boil for 2 minutes
  • Incorporate:
    • 150 grams powdered almonds
      1 dl cream
      4 egg yolks
      1 lemon zest
  • whisk until firm 4 egg whites 1and pinch of salt
  • add to egg whites 2 Tbs sugar, then add to rest and put in pastry tart tin

 

Bake 45 minutes at 200 degrees

 

 

Discussion in the kitchen:

While waiting for the roast, we had a discussion on reheating foods, what is safe and healthy or not.  Information and tips were shared from experience, TV shows, and scientific proof. 

 

Tips to remember:

  1. cool down leftovers as quickly as possible to avoid growth of unwanted organisms
  2. don't reheat leftovers more than once.  reheat in portions, not the entire dish all at once
  3. don't be fooled that heating to the point of boiling kills everything.  salt added to liquid lowers the boiling, therefore, some bacterias may not be "killed" though you have reheated the soup or sauce to a boil 

 

Victoria passed on relating links for more detailed information:

 

http://www.foodlink.org.uk/azlist.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach