Style it like a foodie: fork ring

 

Foodie Styling – I’ve always admired pendants and rings made from vintage silverware. Of course a fork necklace is perfect for a foodie like me. A birthday party at Neches River Wheelhouse connected me Rochelle Perrio Jeane, owner of Strands Hairspa and Boutique in Port Neches and her husband, Mike Jeane. Turns out he fashions beautiful pendants and rings from flatware. Check them out at the salon on Nall Street. I’m looking through my collection of  spoons, cocktail forks and butter knives to see if the “just right” piece can be transformed into a very local conversation piece. Imagine how family would react to pieces designed from grandma’s silver set.

Something Delicious – Sometimes I call my husband to the breakfast table by asking “Are you ready for something delicious?”  The other day he answered me that this invitation means I put my heart into something good.

Or, it could mean some trick with hidden cottage cheese.

After “The Young and the Restless,” cottage cheese and sliced weenies were in the lunch rotation of my youth. Mom and grandma liked it. Me, not so much. But a kid didn’t get a vote.

I asked my computer what was the “cottage” in cottage cheese, and it said the name came from American colonists living in small cottages making this cheese using milk left over from butter churning. So, dine on some history.

Lent’s Coming – Do you have some meals that appear on your table each Lenten season? I’ve heard of rice and eggs for one. Share your memories with Culinary Thrill Seekers!

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for some spring blooms. Share your foodie experiences with her via panews@panews.com

The Pepper Save

I picked up a batch of fresh peppers from the market and they were too hot for me. That’s nearly unheard-of, but it happens. I’ve been playing with running cottage cheese through the blender to make a smooth base, so I thought I’d make a pepper cheese. Something creamy, cooling and hot at the same time. A lovely green cream still turned out to be quite hot. So I spooned the green cheese into a bowl of still cottaged cheese and finally, I got a cracker spread. It was still a heat to be reckoned with. Never give up.

Date Night Snack? – Pinole powder mixed into water energized Copper Canyon Mexican athletes who ran 50 to 100-mile stretches. Pinole Chips are tortilla chips with masa harina corn flour, chia seeds and dates. If your date night is working out, consider this “snack fuel” that uniquely tasty and addictive. www.bobsnatural.com stocks these that I’ve shared with friends who like to join me in culinary thrill seeking. We’re onboard.

Dog Wellness – In this season of self improvement, does your dog need a boost? A healthy pet is a happy pet, say the people of Bailey’s, as in www.baileyscbd.com Drops and chews are designed to promote wellness. Read the labels and see if your canine would enjoy something like Immunity Dog Chews in bacon flavor, with no grain or soy but with mushroom adaptogens to lower stress levels. Your Wellness – So I found a recipe for Bufalo Chicken Sliders suggesting adding the desired amount of CBDelicious from CBDistillery.  It’s designed (for humans) to mix into dips, baked goods and morning coffee. Have you heard of everything now? 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie working on her kitchen scrap garden. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Get blending with hummus variations

 

  All good southerners have been trained to have nibble fixin’s in the pantry, in case visitors drop in. These days, I’d consider hummus a good option. Keep a can of chickpeas ready to blend with olive oil and lemon juice (I should get some tahini) and you’ve got something to set out with veggies or crackers. Forget company. Sometimes you just crave the stuff. I served happy guests then confessed there was a big dose of cottage cheese in the blend. Before mixing, I added bell pepper and onion so I got a lovely color and flavor. You can try other beans, too. So maybe it is not technically hummus if you substitute white, pinto or black beans, but you’ve got a healthy-option bean dip in any case. Did I just make you hungry for hummus? Get blending.

It’s for Dawgs – If crunchy, creamy, natural peanut butter is your deal, remember it could be your dog’s fave, too. Paw Power Nutrition explains why their blends are better than some nut butters humans eat. They make it sound so good you want a taste. Reviews indicate many pet owners have felt the same way. Um, I’m not a pet owner. But when pumpkin and blueberry versions came to my house for dog acquaintances of mine, I investigated and then I sampled. I’m a fan. The texture of the nuts was so fine and I’m feeling this is simply a superior butter. Fill a toy with this butter and keep it in the freezer to keep your pup occupied longer. Hide their meds, offer it straight from a spoon or a lick mat or distract them at nail clipping time. Cook them healthy treats. I heard from dogs I know who sampled different blends. Owners say it was a hit all around. Bone up at www.pawpowernutrition.com

My Pretties:

Rocking It – Tsuri means rock. Foodies into lavender and yuzo for aromatic body care and washing their produce in a key lime based product, rock it with The Tsuri Company. Creator Ashli Goudelock is a certified formulator cultivating a community of women recognizing self-care is a needed thing. This Alpharetta, Georga-based company entices with Yuzo + Ylang Ylang Body Oil Bar and Cashmere + Vanilla Body Crème. This is a whole new way to enjoy cashmere, with “skin-identical ingredients.” I’m sampling some of these luxurious products that uplift you and your home surroundings. I could go on, but you can go to www.thetsuricompany.com

Ink & Bumps – There are certain aromas I associate with good, healthy living. The rose hip, lemongrass and lavender in Bump Oil from Ink Oil are drawing me in to New Year’s Resolution season. It’s designed for reducing the scaring and itching of stretch marks and there’s a silhouette of a woman with child on the label. That’s not my condition, but I’m loving this fragrant spray as a skin-nourishing uplifter. Nor am I “covered in tattoos and dog hair,” but I know where you can get a T-shirt with this sentiment. www.shopinkoil.com gets you to special soaps and such to care for inked skin. I’m here for the bonus blends.

 Darragh Castillo is a Port Arthur area foodie who would dine with the dogs. Share your culinary finds with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Do you have to hide the cottage cheese?

 

                             Hidden Cottage Cheese

                             My husband says he won’t eat lumpy cottage cheese, so I sneaked some into a blender and creamed it to perfection. I’d tell you his reaction, but I ate it all myself. I blended a fresh jalapeno into one batch, and this light green spread was cool and spicy and just the right dip for chips and crackers.

                             It was much, much lower in calories than sour cream and a very good substitute.

                                         Pretzel Pieces

                             Are Synyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Pieces simply packaged crumbles of the whole? I don’t care. I’m all into the little bag of Hot Buffalo Wing Sourdough Hard Pretzel, “bursting with flavor” bag my sister introduced me to.

                             They’re artificially flavored, but again, I don’t care. There’s a health food nut next to me and between the two of us we may be about to finish the 3.5 servings that this bag contains.

                             They’re crunchy and the flavor pops.

           

            Halo Top

            I avoid keeping ice cream in the house but who could resist a coupon for a free pint? Halo Top all-natural light ice cream features a low calorie count featured into the label design.

            A coupon came on the back of my check-out receipt so I returned to the store to nab the pistachio. In a conversational way, I asked the checker if she had tried it.

            “Yep,” was her strongly-delivered, succinct, no-follow-up reply. It made me laugh.

            “Is that your review?” I asked.

            She had tried another flavor and for her money, she’d prefer her favorite Blue Bell.

            I get how she feels, but as a Weight Watcher, I truly appreciated Halo’s flavor, texture, “mouth feel’ and even appearance. I found it refreshing and the low calorie component was a welcome bonus. Here’s a tip: tasters are confirming its best to let it soften on the counter as opposed to gobbling it up straight from the freezer. Give it a minute, folks. Check out a label for other more-healthy aspects to this brand.

                             Hummus overload?

                             So this happened before Harvey and I’m still amused. A pool-party hostess specifically requested ‘finger foods” be brought. I asked about a curry rice salad I make and still got the vibe of “more fingery.”

                        I had all the ingredients for hummus and decided it would hit the spot. Then I started thinking about the people invited to this party tended to be healthy-minded people who gravitated toward natural foods. I began thinking “what if everyone brings hummus?” Turns out, nearly everyone did. They were all different and all enjoyed.

Darraghcastillo@icloud.com