Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Art Works

You can follow the summer's blog posts here.
You can read my experiences trying to learn to fly, which is here.

A recipe for supper.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 1 comments link this post

This is what I had for my evening meal. I'm providing you with a recipe because I'm nice like that.

1/2 bottle of spring water
1 Airborne tablet, citrus flavor
Perrier water

Break the Airborne tablet in half and drop both halves into the bottle of water. Fill the reminder of the bottle (but leave about an inch or two at the top, since there is a fizzing factor) with Perrier. Let the magic begin. When the tablet is dissolved, drink.

You're on your way to a vitamin-y treat.

It's also pretty cheap. You know, "watered down" and all.

Labels: food, my life, summer 2008

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Eating at Roby's.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 2 comments link this post

I recently ate at Roby's Supper Club with Michael and Colleen. Michael was adamant that the ribs were the best he's ever had -- "You know how ribs are usually dripping with sauce and grease? These ribs...they're seasoned and baked! You've never had anything like it!".

Colleen said he's been talking about this restaurant and the ribs for over a year, since he visited it with friend.

You can imagine how disappointed he was, then, when he was told that the ribs were all gone (owner just got back from vacation, and someone came in and ordered 30 racks the day before).

"What! That's what I came for, was the ribs!" Take that, times ten. He asked our server to check again, and even went back into the kitchen to talk to the owner/head chef/rancher.

There were no ribs.

But all was not lost. I had a burger and I can say it was the best burger and the best potato wedges I've ever had, and I'm not keen on lots of red meat. The homemade ranch dressing on my salad was killer good, and I'm pretty sure that the meal was excellent for everyone all around, even sans ribs.

Roby's Supper Club. That's where we were. It's quite a ways out of Mandan; you'll find yourself heading west and wondering if you're going to end up in Medora. About ten miles out, at exit 147 off of I94, you'll see a brown building that doesn't look like anything particularly earth-shattering.

That's Roby's.

Once you get inside, you'll probably be like me and be pleasantly shocked at how nice the decor and interior is, since the outside, though neat and tasteful, does nothing to suggest the ambiance indoors.

The menu is upscale; the cheapest entree was my burger, which was about $10. The rest of the selections are in the $22+ range. However, food this good in such a nice atmosphere...you get what you pay for.

Yep. The food was smashingly good, the decor wonderful, and the service pretty decent*, too. We were there until 10 p.m., the last people in the building besides the owner, and weren't rushed out. I would definitely visit Roby's again, and wholeheartedly suggest that if you find yourself driving west on I94 past Mandan, you ought to stop and eat.

Read other reviews:

Insider Pages: Roby's Supper Club

* Although I thought it odd to have an employee tell me that she was from the south and to imply that ribs from North Dakota just weren't "real ribs." I'm not a huge ribs freak, so I couldn't say, but you probably don't want to tell customers that when you are working at a ribs place. That's just my guess. Michael, however, swears by these ribs because they are different (not slopped with gunk but seasoned), not in spite of, and that's good enough for me.

Labels: food, friends, summer 2008, tour north dakota

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The joy of the garden.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

My "German sister" Sabine sent me a package, and tucked inside, along with other surprises, were three Ferrero Rocher candies. They weren't the regular ones, however, but were called "Garden", and were coconut, pistachio, and hazelnut flavors with white chocolate and a lovely decorative element on top.

Oh. My.

All. Gone.

Really. Really. Good.

Labels: chocolate, food, friends, product placement

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The same invisibility.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 1 comments link this post

I sent a photo to a friend recently that showed what I looked like about four or five years ago. I was much, much heavier. My friend hadn't known me then, so it may have been a little surprise. I'm not skinny now, by any means, but I do look different.

There's the usual "wow, you worked hard!" and "you look great now!" and, of course, "you are so different now!" kinds of comments when people see photos from then (which is nice and encouraging), but there's something I never really tell anyone: to me, there is little difference.

It's all about invisibility.

The same thing that made me overeat is the same thing that makes me more and more uninterested in food now: the desire to disappear. I didn't make a change beyond how I shifted an attitude as it applied to food. There's no real difference.

I've said it to friends and even on this blog, that I'd like to disappear. It's usually taken as "disappear off the grid for a while, on a wee bit of a vacation."

No. I mean, disappear.

Be invisible.

If you're invisible, being ignored isn't such a big deal; it's to be expected. There's a certain peace about it.

Being heavy was a paradox. I was larger in actual size, yes, but I found I was invisible. People didn't see me. I was, perhaps, just another "fat person" and I wasn't noticed. There was something to that that I liked and took comfort in. It allowed me to find a way to live through the things that made me unhappy because, in the pit of it, I could say "I'm invisible, it doesn't matter." Being ignored made sense and I could easily lay it on my weight instead of any other more painful and less superficial reason. I've lost some weight but there is still an element of being ignored going on that now bothers me more than when I was heavy because it shouldn't still be there. I'm no longer defined (in my mind, at least) as invisible, on either ends of the scale, so now feeling as such is actually a kind of acute hurt. I don't actually know what to do with myself; it's like the invisible man suddenly put on a suit and can be seen for who he is.

To be invisible, you need to be really heavy, or nothing to you.

Note: This post was pre-written and published as scheduled. Read more about this here.

Labels: food, health, personal, women

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Conversation: Supper crisis.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

Me: Dad, mom probably won't be home until late this evening. She's staying after school for the band concert.

Dad: (look of consternation, concern, irritation and panic twisting about on his face)

Me: You're mainly concerned about supper, aren't you?

Dad: (funny look on face)

Me: That's it, isn't it? Your first thought was what would happen for supper, wasn't it?

Dad: (still saying nothing, but starting to laugh)

Me: (rolling my eyes) Don't worry about it. I'm making a homemade pizza.

Gotta get your priorities right, I guess.

Labels: conversations, family, food

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Corn syrup is not natural.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

While looking for a meal replacement bar, one must be careful. I generally lean towards Kashi or Clif/Luna because they contain better ingredients. For example, the Balance Bar claims it does not contain high fructose corn syrup. However, if you read the label, it contains: fructose, corn syrup. Granted, it wasn't high fructose corn syrup, but it was corn syrup. I don't know if I'd call attention to the lack of high fructose corn syrup with those not-much-better ingredients. That is, unless people don't read the ingredients anymore.

And then there are the claims of "all natural ingredients" which should not include corn syrup, though one of the bars did exactly that. Look at the history of corn syrup. Not natural.

I don't know how these companies can get away with labeling stuff like that.

Thinking about buying whole wheat bread for health? Better read the label. Most "whole wheat bread" is about the same as white bread with a little whole wheat flour tossed in the mix with molasses to make it brown. Seriously. Read the label.

If it doesn't have "whole wheat flour" as it's first ingredient, don't even bother. "Enriched whole wheat" flour is not whole wheat flour, either.

No wonder we have this video.

Stinkin' labels. Took me 25 minutes to compare and contrast brands before I decided on a snack bar.

Labels: food, health

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Oreo lard.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 5 comments link this post

My friend Shannon likes Oreos.

When we were in Nicaragua together, she'd "share" her Oreos with me. Since she doesn't like the cream filling, you see, the Oreo would be opened up and she'd eat the cream-free cookie half.

That left some Oreo parts that needed to be eaten.

"Here Julie, have this."

It wasn't really a question or choice. And I certainly couldn't let all that cookie go to waste. Instead I let it go to waist.

Of course, if a person were to want a "complete" two-cookie Oreo without the cream filling, it would take two normal Oreos to make this. Which meant I would get "double stuff" Oreos with great regularity. Sometimes even a triple-decker.

(I'm gagging, just thinking about it.)

All of that Oreo cream filling does not promote regularity.

Just pointing that out.

If someone would ask Shannon if she wanted an Oreo, she'd turn to me and say, "I don't know. Do we want some Oreos, Julie?"

By the end of one Oreo-filled day, I thought I was going to be sick. My stomach was filled with what I called "Oreo lard." That cream filling is pretty gross after a while. It coats the tongue and made me feel like the entire body was congealing.

Last night Shannon send me an IM. She was eating some sugar-free Oreos and "thinking of me."

My stomach flipped.

Oreo lard.

(The word Oreo is a funny word.)

Labels: food, friends

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The day.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 2 comments link this post

Today I got up, washed my face, cleaned up the kitchen, and made the pastry dough for the strawberry galette I'm planning for tonight's meal. I did, of course, South Beach-ize the recipe and used whole wheat pastry flour and a sugar substitute.

I put the dough in the fridge, and then went upstairs.

I opened my email program, and while the emails were downloading (over 40 of them), I straightened up my bedroom and got things in order. I then proceeded to answer the emails, filing them all into the appropriate email folders, whether it be from friends or customers or art inquiries.

I printed out a few time sheets for some projects I'm working on, filling out project information and organizing them on the clipboard that tops the pile of "things I need to keep in mind."

I opened up my online document program and checked my "to do" list. I have a long list of projects in the works, including blogs and web sites, illustrations, logos, personal sewing projects, NRN-ND related tasks, photo re-touching, and a group art opportunity. I fielded an email about an upcoming interview for a North Dakota artists web site, and sent off an email interview of my own, to feature on this blog.

I got to work, firing up my graphics and ftp programs.

Just before lunch, I went to town and mailed a T-shirt to my sister in preparation for an upcoming event.

I then ate lunch while catching up on an episode of Psyche (one of my favorite TV shows and one of the few TV shows I watch anymore) that I have saved on Tivo.

Then, I designed the shirt for the 5K event.

I emailed a drawing to a client.

I continued working on my list of things to do.

Around 4:30, I'll go downstairs and work on finishing the strawberry galette dessert. After dinner, I will take a bath, and then sit on my bed and read. I might practice the guitar. I have a few letters to write, and a new devotional book that I think looks interesting.

After that, I'll flip off the light, the cat will curl up next to me, and I'll go to sleep.

In the course of the day today, I earned more money than I did yesterday at my "real" job and didn't spend any money on gas or lunch. This isn't always the case, mind you, but I've been very busy as of late. I hope this keeps up, and I hope I can keep up.

This might sound like a really boring day for the career professional. It's been pretty quiet in its own way, with no constant phones and noise and commuting. But... all in all, a pretty good day.

How about you?

Labels: food, my life, work

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Bake and take day.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

When we were kids, mom would have us take part in Bake and Take with Wheat Day. A young neighbor girl baked a loaf of wheat bread and left it for us today, in honor of the upcoming festivities. The loaf looks delicious, complete with an official Bake and Take Day (the "with wheat" seems to have been taken out of the equation) sticker on the bag.

In celebration of gluten, then, I provide you with this delicious recipe for whole wheat pita:

Whole Wheat Pita

3 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 package yeast
1 1/4 C warm water
2 Tblsp vegetable oil
3/4 tsp salt

1. Mix together 1 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast in a bowl.

2. Heat the water, oil, and salt in a pan until it's very warm but not hot. Add the heated mixture to the flour mixture and whisk together for three minutes. Then slowly mix in more flour until the dough can't absorb anymore (about 1 1/5 C).

3. Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for 3-5 minutes. You may add more flour to make it less sticky. Roll the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for 15 minutes.

4. Divide and roll the dough into 12 equal balls. Place them on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

5. Flatten the balls into thick pancakes. Place them on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap for another 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

6. Roll the pancakes on both sides until they are about 7 inches across. Put an empty baking sheet into the oven. Once it is warm, place 2 pancakes on it and bake them for 3 minutes. Flip the loaves and bake for 2 more minutes. Repeat with the rest of the loaves.

Serving Idea: We keep these in the refrigerator and use as needed. I like to heat the oven to 350 degrees and put the baking sheet in right away so it gets hot. When the oven is ready, I butter one side of the pita, place it on the hot baking sheet, spray the other side's surface with a bit of olive oil, and add a few dried tomatoes, Italian seasonings, and mozzarella cheese. I bake it for about 10 minutes and end up with a crunchy crust pita pizza. It's delicious, and good for you!

Labels: food

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Conversation: Torching hot dogs.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 2 comments link this post

Me: I'm cooking you supper. You're having fish, a salad, and some squash. You're going to eat it and like it and not make a hot dog.

Dad: I can make a hot dog if I want to.

Me: I will unplug the microwave.

Dad: I'll just boil it.

Me: I will unplug the stove.

Dad: I'll just go out to my shop and use the torch.

Me: Oh, right. "Sorry, dad can't come to the phone right now because he's OUT IN THE SHOP COOKING A HOT DOG WITH THE TORCH."

Dad: I can have a hot dog if I want to.

Labels: conversations, family, food

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Valentine's Day meal.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

I cooked a special evening meal for Valentine's Day this year.

Oh, settle down. It was for my parents.

Yes, we dined on baked pesto chicken with mozzarella; and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert.

The entire meal was South Beach friendly.

Here are the gory details.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (pictured):

I picked the Scandinavian version (with sugar substitute, mind you). Leave it to the Scandinavians to make things more complicated. Even the French version was easy. The last time I did so much egg wizardry (separate the eggs! beat the yolks! whip the whites!) was in painting class in college when we had to extract the egg yolk and mix it with raw, ground pigment for egg tempera painting.

The kitchen was a disaster when I got done with the cake, but I think the end result was worth it. The almonds really added a delicate flavor and texture, and if you're a dark chocolate lover, you'll like this dessert.

Baked Pesto Chicken:

You'll need 1/4 cup pesto (you can make it, or buy it in a jar), four chicken breasts, skim milk mozzarella cheese, and anything else you'd like to tweak it with.

Spread some of the pesto in a baking pan, 9x13.
Salt and pepper 4 chicken breasts to your liking.
Put the chicken in the pan, and cover with remaining pesto.
Bake for 25 minutes (or until done) at 375, covered with aluminum foil.
Remove from oven, and remove foil.
Cover with about 1/4 skim mozzarella cheese, and bake uncovered for about 5 or 10 minutes.

It was delicious! I also sprinkled a little minced garlic in the pan, just because I like garlic.

All in all, a great and healthy (and sugar-free) meal.

Labels: family, food

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Liz Lovely is indeed, lovely.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 2 comments link this post

I blogged about Liz Lovely cookies before.

Mmmm.

A blogger can never have too many cookie posts on your blog.

::Note to self: add that to a list of "blogging tips" to add to the "blogging tips" glut that are found on the web on blogs.::

Those cookies were tasty. I remember an email exchange (after I blogged the cookies and left feedback on their web site) with someone at that company got a little weird -- I had them pegged as the wrong kind of vegans, or something like that (still have the emails) -- I still would pick up a pack or two of the cookies when I was able.

::You know, that was a strange email experience. I just looked at them now. Why do I still have emails from 10/13/2005?::

Why, oh why, can't I stay on track?!

OK. So in my inbox arrives a fabulously pink-themed email from Liz Lovely's marketing department, announcing some tasty new treats for the middle of February.

::I'd refer to the email as Valentine-themed, but I've already begun blogging preparations for that horrible holiday, so I'm going to identify with the color instead of the holiday.::

I do love pink. I do.

I'm a sucker for unusual packaging, and looking at the Liz Lovely web site and seeing the pink bakery box -- what could be better than a pink bakery box? -- I'm thinking sugary thoughts. And mint!

Too bad about the South Beach Diet that I'm on.

And that it's all for celebration of the Un-named Holiday.

Ah well. They're a good company that makes darn fine food that isn't filled with weird ingredients and they don't have a back room where they whip disobedient employees, so go check them out. Throw them some business.

::I should get paid to write these random product reviews. I do it so well.::

Labels: food, product placement

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Viral beach activity.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 2 comments link this post

A friend emailed me last night informing me that she and her husband were going to start the South Beach Diet today. She wondered if I had any tips. She knew, of course, that I was following the diet. My activities had spread, like a virus, to my friends!

Best virus ever.

50,000 words later, I apologized for my excess and told her, in summation, that the first two weeks were really tough. "Stick with it and get through them and you're set," I essentially said.

The first two weeks for me, sugar addict, were brutal. Grogginess, mind fogginess, lethargy, insane cravings, lunacy, moods -- sugar is a hard addiction to break. By the end of the second week, though, I was doing much better.

We started the South Beach Diet at this house right after Thanksgiving, for various health reasons. It is always better if everyone in the house participates. I didn't weigh myself; I'd lost a bunch of weight a few years ago, put a little of it back on, and didn't want to depress myself with the number on the scale. As much as I love numbers for quantification and comparison purposes, I just didn't want to know.

I wish I'd at least weighed myself back in November. The South Beach Diet works. Seriously. I have lost some decent weight. I've got a long way to go, yes, but I can't believe how much my food tastes and cravings have changed, and how I've learned to want and appreciate healthy, tasteful food.

Me, junk food queen.

I heartily recommend South Beach if you want to lose weight, or if you just want to start eating better. I'm serious. It's good for your heart, diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure. And the food is darn good. So good, in fact, that I learned I can even cook where before I was all about opening a box and turning on the oven.

Get past the first two weeks, and you're set. Do it.

Labels: food, product placement

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Plastic food.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 1 comments link this post

While participating in the medical study a few days ago, I found myself watching the TV. A commercial came on which showed a mother out in the yard playing catch with her two little kids.

Fine. Good mom, and all that.

Then, it was evidently time for a snack. So Good Mom whips out two plastic-wrapped snack bars.

The ad music kicked in, and the viewing public was informed that these were healthy snacks, with a thick fruit gel coating on top that provided a full serving of real fruit!

Good Mom smiles. Kids open snack bars, and holler with delight.

How stupid.

If you want a snack that gives you a full serving of fruit how about...an apple? How hard would that be?

Why do we train kids that food comes wrapped in plastic?

I know what you're thinking: even the apple slices at McDonalds come wrapped in...plastic.

I know that's what you were thinking.

Labels: food, television

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The sauce is on top.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 4 comments link this post

After all my Chicago pizza discussion, a reader sent me two Gino's East deep-dish delights via UPS.

Oh, my.

The sauce was on top!
The crust was fabulous!
The entire pizza was delicious!
(Thank you!)

The pizzas arrived in boxes, on dry ice, in a Styrofoam container.

Here's a badly written poem that doesn't rhyme for the occasion:

Deep Dish Pizza in Boxes
by Julie R. Neidlinger

Dad
called me first, at work.
"The UPS just dropped off some pizza."
Mom called me second, later.
"Did you know you got
some pizza today?"

I didn't
know which was worse
Not being home for two days
Or the evil laugh from Dad when I told him
to keep his hands off until I got home.
"Do not eat any without me!"
Bwahahaha.

Frozen.
Deep dish without
Any actual dishes but definitely deep.
With 350 degrees and 40 minutes doing the work
Blow my diet? It sure did, I guess.
But the sauce was on top!
All good.

Tasty
Crunchy
Sweet red sauce
Spinach last night
Sausage the next round.
Thank you for sending the pizzas!
I may, indeed, consider a visit
Via the train, to Chicago
To try some pizza
direct.

Labels: family, food, friends, my life, poetry

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Say it ain't so.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 10 comments link this post

I am in Fargo. I spent the day in meetings planning the very-upcoming trip to Nicaragua.

The Krispy Kreme has closed here in Fargo. I couldn't eat them, anyway, on this low-low sugar no-no processed flour South Beach Diet. But still.

Corner of 13th and 45th.

The Krispy Kreme has closed here in Fargo.

I can't go on.

Labels: food

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Food network.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 2 comments link this post

I am obsessed with watching the Food Network. I don't watch TV much, but in the past, when I did turn it on, it was always SciFi. Now, it tends to be the Food Network. Last night I watched the Iron Chef -- normally I probably wouldn't have, but "The Chairman" (Mark Dacascos, who opens the show) was so fine-looking I couldn't change the channel.

(I know, I know.)

What an amazing show. The secret ingredient was beets. Morimoto was challenged by Cantu, a chef who rather bizarrely used lasers and edible paper and all kinds of weird stuff. I had to go online later to see who won, since my sister called with a computer question right at the end.

Last night we had a meatloaf with oatmeal, sweet potato fries with taco seasoning, and a pear-blueberry fruit dessert with walnuts, oatmeal, almonds, and various spices. Mom made the meatloaf -- she'd already planned that earlier -- but the other two I lifted off of the Food Network web site and modified a bit to fit South Beach.

It was no Iron Chef, but it tasted pretty good to me.

Labels: food, television

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A quiet Christmas Eve.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 5 comments link this post

We've always been a family of Christmas Eve celebrations. When my grandparents were still alive, we'd walk across the road to their farm and have Christmas morning (with grandma making pancakes on a huge griddle) and our noon meal with them. But we've always had our presents and main focus on Christmas Eve.

This year, it was just mom, dad and myself, a nice, quiet evening.

First, the food. I did the cooking, and here's what was on the menu (sort of -- with some substitutions, of course, since I can neither follow a recipe straight due to rebellion and ingredient shortages). We are all still on the South Beach Diet, but there's really very little deprivation at this point. Our meal was fully SBD sanctioned. (heh)

Main Meal:

Cheese and broccoli-stuffed chicken, with roasted garlic and a mustard-pepper sauce [see photo]
Cauliflower "mashed potatoes"
Steamed broccoli
Lemon cheesecake and ricotta tart with almond and oatmeal crust, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cocoa and lemon rind [see photo]

MIA:

We didn't have our usual birthday cake for Jesus -- I was pressed for time and didn't get it made. I might make it tomorrow, and if I do, it will be a flourless chocolate cake (here are a couple of other recipes for it, if you'd like to try: with coffe, French version) a delectable and rich dessert for chocolate lovers that mainly consists of chocolate and eggs -- no processed flour.

After our meal, we went into the living room, and mom read the Christmas story from the Bible. This year, we read it from Matthew; in the past years it has always been Luke. It was a nice change, to read from Matthew. I took a few photos of Brutus who had earlier caught a whiff of the catnip toy I'd sewed him this afternoon. I'd tucked it up in the tree but apparently he found it. He was was all over it, and was content to roll around and suck and chew on it while we proceeded to open our gifts.

Mom and dad got many nice things. Today I dumped out my wallet and other junk from a purse I had gotten a week or two ago from Amani Africa. Mom has repeatedly mentioned that she liked it, so I wrapped it up this afternoon and gave it to her. I think she really liked it. Mom got me a great selection of kitchen and cooking utensils ("For the little cook!" she said), as well as some things for cake decorating. I love to decorate cakes, and I've been wanting to start working in the fondant icing method; that's what she gave me -- stuff to do that.

We are now, after cleaning up the living room and kitchen, going to watch the movie I bought for us: Amazing Grace.

Tonight, after this extremely lovely and calm evening of rather simple and old-fashioned fun, I plan on going to my room, turning the lights low, and sitting on my bed with my cat and reading a book for a while before heading off to sleep. I will also finish working on a little Christmas gift for my readers, which I will make available to you tomorrow, after Santa* visits Lone Prairie.

This has been a nice, low-key Christmas season, and a fine way to tie of a rather hectic and tough year.

Photos: Brutus opening his gift | Brutus in front of the tree | Brutus with the Christmas stocking I got when I was a pre-schooler | Dad and Mom opening presents | Dad, mom and brutus

-----------------------------------------

*We were never raised believing in Santa, hence our Christmas Eve celebrations (before "Santa arrives"). We never had presents "from Santa" to open in the morning...I don't think I missed a thing. I always had to be careful when my cousins came, that I didn't say anything that would reveal that Santa didn't exist. I got into a fight on the playground once, trying to patiently explain to other kids why it was likely impossible and the many ways the Santa myth has changed across cultures. Fifth grade was a bad year.

Labels: brutus, christmas, family, food

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Messing with Martha's recipe.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 1 comments link this post

We get Martha Stewart Living, a magazine we will not be getting when it expires since it applies to no life I know of. When I'm big into clam bakes in Nantucket, maybe. But until then, I generally can't relate.

Today's copy arrived with crafts and recipes and photos that, like always, just point out my inadequacies.

"Our kitchen doesn't look like that. My cutting and gluing don't turn out like that." The cover, for example, features a white and yellow kitchen so perfect in taste and matching -- even the utensils in the jar match, and the baking products on the table include a stick of butter which is the perfect yellow! -- that I just grew growly.

But.

I did find a recipe, and I decided I could tweak it for South Beach Diet.

"Hmm. Ricotta tart with chocolate and kumquats. What is a kumquat?" It appeared to be a little orange. Obviously, we didn't have kumquats on hand. No worries. I figured I could make-do when the time came. I scanned the recipe and noticed the obvious problem: it called for a chocolate crust. "Well, I won't be making an chocolate cookie crust, that's for sure."

I decided to just make the tart filling, refrigerate it, and scoop it in a bowl like a pudding dessert.

Martha's recipe called for 1 1/2 C ricotta cheese. I dumped that in the bowl. So far so good.
Next, 1/2 C heavy whipping cream. Hmm. Part of the reason for being on the South Beach Diet was the adjective "heavy", so I used our fat free cream instead. I don't care what the purists say. It'll work well enough.
Instead of the 2 T sugar, I used 2 T Splenda. Dumped that in the bowl with the cream and ricotta.
1/8 cinnamon. Yep, I could do that. And I did.
5 kumquats, thinly sliced. Right. Not going to happen. Since they looked orange in the artsy magazine photos, and since the other ingredients sounded like they'd work with orange, but since we can't really have fruit on this phase of the South Beach Diet, I decided to use some grated orange peel that I had purchased at Target, in the spice section. I went with 1 tsp. of grated orange peel.
I mixed the whole mess together. It looked pale and wintry. Nice.
The next ingredient was an ounce of bittersweet chocolate, chopped. We could neither have that, nor did I want to spend my time cutting chocolate, so I tossed in 1 T of cocoa instead. Flavenols!
I mixed some more.
I tasted it. The taste was subtle -- cool, lightly orange and cocoa, with the faint hint of cinnamon. One thing I appreciate about having to cook differently is that it is making me appreciate different flavors as well as the delicateness of flavor. Most food we're used to eating is so heavy-handed with sugar, salt, and pumped-up artificial flavors that I think our taste buds are almost numb. We have to retrain them to appreciate delicate flavors! This is most definitely a delicate -- and delicious -- dessert.
I poured the mixture not into a chocolate pie crust, but a Martha Stewart glass storage container (I don't totally hate her, after all), and put it in the refrigerator. It should be nice and refreshing after our supper of South Beach chili.

So, my recipe, at a glance:

1 1/2 C ricotta
1/2 C non-fat cream
2 T Splenda (or whatever sweetener you like)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 T cocoa
1 tsp grated orange peel (lemon would probably be good, too, since citrus and chocolate play well on each other)
Mix. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Done. You could probably dust the top of it with cocoa, cinnamon or orange peel, before serving. If you wanted to.

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