BBQ Anyone?

I suppose that I'll do one more post for the month of April.  That, and I'm stalling because I don't want to revise my research proposal.  Believe it or not, I think that with this post, I am finally making good on my promise of posting one food post for each day of December.  If I'm wrong, don't tell me.  I really don't care.  That said, I think that every so often I'll do another food bit...just for fun.  That is, if I can remember to take a picture of it.

For Sam's birthday, he wanted pizza.  Can't imagine where he ever got that idea.  So we made homemade crusts.  (I'm not posting that recipe, but whatever your favorite crust recipe is, it'll do.  You could even use one of those disgusting pre-made ones if that gets you salivating.)

1. Load the toppings as outlined:  Sauce--1 part pizza sauce to 2 parts BBQ-again of your choice (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory Smoke and Brown Sugar this time); shredded chicken (I like to season with black pepper); diced red onion; sliced black olives (not pictured, as we were out); tons of bacon bits; shredded smoked Gouda cheese (sometimes I mix in some mozzarella and cheddar).  I only top half of it with crazy delicious mushrooms because Amy won't eat them.  Add any other garnishes as you see fit: Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, etc.

2. Follow the crust baking instructions.  This recipe was for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

3. Savor.

4. Wish you had made another.

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Today, in the midst of the swirling mayhem that is my professional life, I need to pause and remind everyone that tomorrow (April 18, 2013) is Poem in Your Pocket Day.  I'm calling you all out to participate.  Here is how you play:

1. Find a copy of your favorite poem.  It does not have to be one that you wrote yourself.  It might even be better if it isn't (no offense intended to most of you).  It could be inspirational, mood-revealing, whimsical, whatever.  Yes, I know that's tough for some of you (and geeks like me), but just pick one.  Last Thursday, I read with my seventh graders from X.J. and Dorothy M. Kennedy's Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry that one thing that a poem can do is make you smile.  Choose a poem that will make you smile.

2. Carry a physical copy of the poem on your person all day long.

3. Take out your poem frequently and read it.  This will give you that little chuckle or kick in the pants or reality check that you need to get through the day.

4. Share your poem with your colleagues, friends, family...anyone who will take the time to listen.

5. Notice how poetry makes the world a better place.  Poems help make you smile, tell stories, send messages, share feelings, understand people and the world around you, and maybe most importantly, they start you wondering (Kennedy and Kennedy, 1999).

Last year my poem was Naomi Shihab Nye's "Valentine for Ernest Mann."  This year I'm packing  "Forgetfulness" by Billy Collins.  I'm including it at the end of this post for those who may not be familiar with it.  It strikes a chord with how I've been viewing myself lately.

I'm curious as to what poems you will be carrying tomorrow (or in retrospect if you don't remember in time).  Even if you don't participate in this awesome celebration of poetry, leave a comment about what poem you have chosen or would have chosen.  Share with me (and the world).  I promise not to mock you.

“Forgetfulness” (by Billy Collins)

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read,
never even heard of,

as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.

More Food!

I thought I would start out this month by sharing another food post.  I think I'm only one short of my contracted amount after this.  Not that I won't ever do them again, but I think I need to be done with them.  So as I was helping Amy with our monthly menu, she suggested Cheesy Tortellini Spinach Bake, which, ironically, was the next post that I was planning to do.  It was the last picture I had taken, too.  It's been on my iPad for a little while, too.  Doh!

So, here's the picture:

And here's the recipe.  It comes from Savoring Our Seasons with Our Best Bites by Sara Wells and Kate Jones.  My awesome wife calls it a "very trendy Mormon mommy thing."  Yes, it's true, but it's still scrumptious.

Cheesy Tortellini Spinach Bake

12 oz. tortellini
4 oz. bacon
3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. dries basil
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (I like more)
1 med. lemon
2 c. roughly chopped, loosely packed fresh spinach
3/4 c. grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook tortellinis according to directions.
2. Cook bacon until crisp.  Reserve small amount of drippings.  Add garlic to pan and cook until tender (1 min. or so.).  Add flour to pan. Whisk until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes.  Bring sauce to a simmer.
3. While sauce is heating, zest the lemon.  Cut lemon in half and juice it. Add 1 Tbsp. to sauce.  Stir until thickened (2 min.). Remove from heat.
4. Drain tortellini and return to pot.  Reserve 1 Tbsp. of bacon.  Add rest to pasta.  Add spinach, 1/2 c. of mozz. cheese, and 1/2 c. Parm. cheese.  Add sauce and stir gently.  Place pasta mixture in baking dish.  Top with remaining cheeses and bacon.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for additional 5-10 minutes.  Remove and cool a bit before serving.
6. Scarf!  Nom nom nom nom.