The Next Food Network Star

I don't remember if I've blogged about Food Network shows before, but if so, you'll just have to deal with me repeating myself. If you know me very well at all, that's not a new thing, anyway.

I like a number of shows on the Food Network. It can be dangerous for the waistline to be a big FN fan, so I'm glad that I've been developing more self-control lately. And now that I'm talking about this, I'm pretty sure that I have blogged about at least some of the Food Network shows I like, such as the Food Network Challenge. So I won't go on about the shows in general, but I will talk about one show in particular, The Next Food Network Star.

The season that just ended on Aug. 2 was season 5 of the show. I missed seasons 1-3 and am hoping that they will be available on Hulu or FoodNetwork.com one of these days, because I'd really like to see the challenges and how things unfolded. I know the winners of the seasons, but I still think I'd find the shows interesting. They put the chefs into such unique and sometimes high-pressure situations, and it's great to see how they deal with the stress, how they are in front of the cameras and live audiences, and what types of dishes they make.

Melissa D'Arabian, a stay-at-home mom to 4 girls who are age 4 and younger, was the season 5 winner. Melissa was the only non-professional chef to compete out of a group of 10, and while she made a few minor missteps here and there, she nearly always impressed the judges with her dishes and her presentation style, and she was always ready to embrace their constructive criticism and apply it. I was really pulling for her and was so happy that she won.

Melissa's show, "Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa D'Arabian," premiered on Sunday, Aug. 9. I DVR'd it and know that it will be in my regular rotation. I already plan to make the first dishes she featured, which were a Potato-Bacon-Gruyere Torte in a buttery crust, a "cafe salad" with a homemade mustard vinaigrette, and an applesauce granita with a yogurt-maple sauce. The entire thing, not each dish, can be made for $10. In these budget-conscious times, that's a ridiculously low amount to spend for such a yummy-sounding, freshly-made meal.

One of Melissa's trademarks during the competition was providing tips as she went along, without making it seem like she was "teaching" the judges or the viewers. They were just handy tidbits she threw in while cooking, and that has transferred over to the show. Two of the things I learned on the first show:

1. If you freeze your bacon, it will last much longer. The high fat content will prevent it from freezing all the way through, so you can easily cut pieces off or remove strips. If you need a certain number of slices, you can cut along the ends and approximate a strip, then just slice through however many you need. Obviously, you'll need to separate the strips differently if you want to fry up whole strips, but I thought that was a great tip when you're needing to make bacon for crumbling into or on top of a dish.
2. The key to a good, flaky pie crust is to make sure your butter stays chilled. After cutting it into cubes, put it into the freezer for a few minutes. You can use the pulse setting on a food processor to make the dough because it combines it quickly enough so that your crust won't get tough. Once your dough is combined, pat it together quickly with your hands and place it into a bag, then put it into the refrigerator for a few minutes before you roll it out. These steps will help to keep your butter cold, which will give you the nice, flaky layers you want in a pie crust.

My one criticism of the show is that Melissa used a wooden cutting board to cut off pieces of raw bacon. She used a cloth to wipe off the board and then sliced a clove of fresh garlic to put into her vinaigrette. They didn't show her changing boards or using anything to disinfect the board, and it's pretty basic kitchen safety to know that you never use the same cutting board for other cutting after you've had raw meat on it, unless it's been well-cleaned.

It may be that the board was cleaned right after she sliced the bacon, but they didn't show that and it wasn't mentioned, so that seemed like a big oversight to me.

Other than that, Melissa was a natural on camera, and watching the show felt like being at a friend's house and having her talk me through her recipes while we chatted. Delicious-sounding and -looking recipes, and inexpensive to boot. I can't wait to see what else she makes!

Why Graphs Are Cool

see more Funny Graphs

Beautiful Cakes

I heard about the White Flower Cake Shoppe in Ohio on a Food Network Challenge. They were creating Sesame Street Cakes, and they were awesome. I enjoy that show and especially like the cake competitions. It's amazing what they can do with various ingredients and techniques.

I went to White Flower's website and was browsing through their wedding cakes. They do some gorgeous work, and I wanted to share a few pictures here. They have photos of the cakes along with a short description about their inspiration.

The Jessica, based upon a bride's gown and her bouquet


The Amy, for a nautical-themed wedding


The Darcy, "inspired by bold bright colors and patterns"


Art Nouveau, inspired by artist Gustav Klimft


The Marianne, "inspired by the bride's favorite colors, patterns and designs"

So many gorgeous cakes! Each cake in the wedding gallery on their website is shown in two photos, one of which features a closer look at the detail work. They're worth checking out. I look forward to exploring the other categories in their online gallery.

I'm Such a Slacker

Okay, I have not been keeping up with posting on this blog. Obviously. I think once Rachel starts Kindergarten, I'll be able to post much more easily. But still, it's kind of sad that I haven't taken a few minutes here and there to post occasionally. I hope to improve on that, even before school starts in September. (September 3, woo! Or rather, September 4, woo! Since September 3 is a short orientation day and I'll be there, too.)

But I do have good news to report. Of the last 9 days of Body Tests on the Wii Fit, I have shown a weight loss in 8 of them. I feel like I'm actually finally starting to make a little progress, and it's inspiring me to do better with my eating, too. I'm not completely cutting out sugar or fat or doing anything particularly drastic. But I'm trying to make sure I'm eating more vegetables with my meals, and having some protein in the morning, and not going overboard with sweet treats.

I feel like I've turned a corner in my weight loss efforts, in that I'm actually taking them seriously, especially now that I've started to see progress. It's odd to me that seeing progress makes me want to try harder, when you'd think that *not* seeing progress would make me want to try harder in order to see said progress. I guess the progress itself is the motivator for me.

With that in mind, James sent me an article from Readers Digest about portion control. There are probably some tips that you've heard before, but it has some good common-sense hints. My favorite, and one I don't think I'd heard before, is to remove a portion of the food in your dishes before you sit down for the meal, saving your leftovers ahead of time. It helps cut down on the temptation to overeat since there's less food sitting before you, and you don't want to take more than your share. Plus you're ensuring that you have enough for a second meal, so it actually stretches your budget, too.

I really like that tip and think that I'll be using it when I make casseroles and other meals like that. Those are probably the ones where I'm most tempted to just put another big ol' spoonful on the plate.

The Fallout of a President Talking

Here's one of the reasons I love "Better Off Ted":

More Time

So lately this blog has been turning into a series of clips and links, and while those are fun, I don't want that to be all that's contained here. I frequently think of something to write about when I'm not at the computer or am in the middle of something else, then either forget about it or don't get around to it in a timely manner.

It just seems like there's always something else to be done. Much of that is keeping up with the housework. I'm astounded by how much time is spent just on getting all the dishes, placemats and bibs clean. There seem to be too many handwash items, but I don't think that can be avoided when you have kids. I try to keep on top of them so it doesn't build up too much in one day. Plus there's all the other regular housework, getting the kids ready for the day, meals, changing Ben's diaper, playing with them, giving baths, taking Rachel to school and picking her up, putting receipts into our budgeting program, pulling weeds, pruning bushes, watering plants and the grass, making meals, taking Rachel to dance class, choir, small group, church, young women's fellowship...there's a lot going on.

Then there are things like visiting with James' parents regularly, seeing my mom, fitting in a scrapbooking day once a month, trips to the library, meal planning and grocery-list making, grocery and household shopping, lunch with James once a week and exercise.

Wow, when I write all that down, it seems a little overwhelming. And it's certainly no surprise that I'm having trouble finding time to blog. But our lives are full in a good way. Not that I would object to hiring someone to clean our house once a week when our budget allows for it someday, but we're blessed by God with a comfortable home, family nearby, 2 beautiful (even if they're challenging at times) children, warm-hearted friends, a solidly grounded church and responsibilities that help us to feel productive. We are truly blessed beyond measure and grateful.

So now I need to carve out a few minutes here and there to occasionally write about things that are more personal or have more depth. Nothing wrong with pop culture, but I don't want this to solely be about pop culture.

Saving Chuck

If you haven't seen Chuck, you're missing out. The show is a great combination of humor, romance, adventure and drama, and last night's season (and hopefully not series) finale contained all of them in one hugely entertaining package. If you're a fan of Chuck and would like to express your support to NBC, you can click on this link, choose "Chuck" from the pulldown, and write an e-mail asking them to renew the show:

http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us/?__status=1

Usually when a letter or e-mail is received about a show, the network figures there are dozens of other viewers represented who didn't write in, so it counts for something.

I really hope NBC keeps this show on the air and allows the storylines to continue moving forward.