Meatball Sliders

Joey Campanaro’s Meatball Sliders

Adapted from The Little Owl restaurant via Smitten Kitchen

I made a doubled version of this but you should by no means attempt the same unless you have a serious crowd to feed. Although we did our darndest to leave no leftovers.
Also, worth considering, this is a lovely recipe for meatballs — the Romano really sings in there — but there are a lot of recipes out there, and around here, for great meatballs. If you have a favorite recipe, that would work equally well.
Makes 6 3-slider appetizer servings

Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves1
1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
Arugula leaves (optional)
18 very small soft rolls, split horizontally, or Roasted Garlic Buns (recipe below)

Mix all meats, panko, 1/2 cup water, 6 tablespoons cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl. Form into eighteen 2-inch-meatballs.
Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry meatballs until brown all over. Transfer to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil to skillet. Add onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add all tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Puree sauce in processor until almost smooth. Return to same skillet. Add meatballs. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes longer.
Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
Place arugula leaves on bottom of each roll, if desired. Top each with 1 meatball. Drizzle meatballs with some of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons cheese. Cover with tops of rolls.

Yeast Rolls:
3/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoons molasses
1/8 ounce fresh yeast or 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast*
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 whole bulb garlic**

In an electric mixing bowl using the hook attachment, mix the warm water, yeast, olive oil, and molasses. Add the flour and the salt. The dough will become a wet mixture but will remain a little sticky. Remove the dough and place onto a floured clean surface and gently knead into a soft ball. Place the dough in a mixing bowl brushed with olive oil and cover. Store in a warm humid area for 30 minutes or until the dough rises to double its size. (For me, this took over an hour, but our apartment is really cold and I used less yeast.)

* I had trouble with the yeast level in my dough. Honestly uninterested in seeking out fresh yeast, I looked up an exchange with it for instant yeast — it was said to be 3:1, and that the equivalent amount of instant yeast would be 1/4 teaspoon. In the end, I felt that this was too little. Everything took forever to rise and even though the rolls were tasty, they had a density I associate with bread that has not risen as much as it should. Thus, I’ve suggested doubling the yeast, an amount that seems more in par with what you’d see in a bread dough based on two cups of flour.

Wrap two bulbs of garlic in aluminum foil and roast in a medium heat oven until very soft, about 45 minutes. Squeeze the whole bulbs of garlic to release the soft interior. Slightly chop the roasted garlic until it resembles a puree. ** Next time, I will add the roasted chopped garlic into the dough in the mixer, before the first rise. However, I am nervous to tell you to do this without testing it in case it in any way affects the rising. It would certainly have been easier that way — kneading roasted garlic into already risen dough is a messy chore, that overly deflates the rise.

Portion the dough into 1 inch round balls, kneading in the roasted garlic while doing so.** Place the portioned raw dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper approximately 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic and allow the dough balls to rise again. After 20 minutes, spray the raw dough balls with cold water, sprinkle with a pinch of the freshly grated pecorino, salt and pepper, and bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Cabbage, White Bean and Sausage Stew

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb. hot Italian sausage, cut into bite size pieces
5 large garlic cloves, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 head escarole cabbage, trimmed and cute into 2 inch pieces
3 cups chicken broth/ stock
3 cups canned white beans, such as great northern or navy, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 tblsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Salt and fresh pepper to taste

Heat oil in a deep 12 inch skillet over moderately hight heat until hot but not smoking. Brown sausage, stirring, for 7 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened about 2 minutes. Add escarole and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add beans and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Add stock and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in butter, cheese, tomatoes, and half of parsley and cook, stirring, until butter is melted and stew is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladles stew into bowls and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve with extra-virgin oil and Parmesan.
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fachowlife.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault

Bamboo...not what you think!

Well, I did it yesterday and bought a new tablet that will save some time editing and creating illustrations. I had an old Acecat tablet which I tried to install on a XP PC for two hours Saturday with no joy. Makes one appreciate USB items when you go back to serial and com connections......AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I did research on the best model to procure by reading a ton of real people reviews. I decided with my Corel software the basic "bamboo" would do. So off to Best Buy and back home with my new little black tablet which has been successfully installed on both home and office comuters...as it travels well!

Place cards????

http://naturallygiftedny.com/lollibrides.html

Tuna Salad with Butterhead Lettuce

- 1 can of flaked tuna in water, drained.

- 3/4 cup of canned navy beans, drained.

- 1/4 of onion

- 1 green onion

- 3 tbsp of chopped cilantro

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 1 butterhead lettuce

1. Dice the onion.

2. Dice the green onion.

3. Put the tuna, onion, green onion, navy beans and cilantro into a bowl. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Rinse the lettuce and make sure the leaves are dry. Serve the tuna salad on the leaves or roll the leaves into a wrap.

Facebook

Lately I keep hearing you gotta be on Facebook...so Sunday I spent the day playing around with the site and finding out it I have any friends. Looks like the Mullinax clan are the best friends I have in this web society. In the Facebook world you are supposed to post a picture of yourself. Susan put up a picture of herself about age six. Susan and I share the dread of current pictures so I took my cue from her and uploaded this pic as my best face foward. Amy boinked my "wall" to let me know she showed it to Eileen who made the comment "Oh Gosh". Wonder if she knows or figures out where the picture was taken...she was there!

Still don't quite get Facebook, but I will keep trying.

Spring Rolls with Steak

Spring Rolls:
2 (8″) rice papers
6 thin slices cooked steak, preferably top round
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, diced apple,
chopped peanuts
fresh mint (optional)

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter w/ salt
1T soy sauce
1T lime or lemon juice
1T honey
1T fresh grated ginger
1T chili powder
1/2 cup skim or coconut milk
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the peanut sauce except for the peanuts. Pour 1/4 cup of prepared sauce into a small bowl and add about 1T chopped peanuts. Don’t add the chopped peanuts to the leftover sauce, they will lose their crunch after a few hours.
2. Fill a 9″ baking dish or pie plate with 1/2″ hot water. Slide the rice paper into one side of the dish and submerge to the bottom. Feel the rice paper and wait until it completely softens and the crosshatch marks have disappeared, about 10-15 seconds.
3. Remove rice paper from the water and let it drip a few times. Place on a large plate and line 3 slices of steak down the middle. Top with cabbage, carrots, spinach and any other ingredients. If this is your first time, use less vegetables than you think. Take one side and fold tightly over the ingredients and roll up. Slice in half and dip in peanut sauce. Repeat steps 2-3.

http://www.peanutbutterboy.com/2009/02/fresh-spring-rolls-with-peanut-sauce

2009 Margaret Card

Patti Piggy labels

Created a little label today I really like...should do more stuff like this.

Ideas:

Travel Mugs

Sippy Cups

Credit Card/ID Card holders

http://www.allstitchembroiderysupplies.com/product/plastic-travel-tumbler-3943.cfm

A Better Recipe for Stuffed Cabbage

Alex Mom’s Stuffed Cabbage
1 head Savoy cabbage

1 pound ground beef

1 small to medium, chopped small

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 carrot, shredded1 celery stalk, thinly sliced1 parsnip, shredded

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 to 4 cups of your favorite simple tomato sauce, tomato juice or V8

Cut the core out of the cabbage but leave it whole. Place it, with the empty core area facing up, in a large bowl. Boil a small pot of water and pour the water over the cabbage and let it sit for ten minutes.

Heat the oil in a saute pan. (I like to use the large one I will cook the final dish in — a deep 12-inch saute pan — to save dishes.) Cook the onions until they are soft, add the carrot, celery and parsnip and saute them for a couple extra minutes — until they are also soft. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool a bit. Mix in the meat, rice and tomato paste and season again with salt and pepper.

Drain the head of cabbage. Pull off large leaves, cut out the large vein — if the leaf is very large, you can make two rolls from each, if it is smaller, you can cut the vein out partially and pull the sides to overlap before you roll it into one roll. Pat the leaves dry with towels. Roll about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling in each leaf (depending on the size of your leaf) and arrange in a large, wide pot. Pour in enough juice or sauce to cover the rolls. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, letting them simmer covered on the stove on low for about 45 minutes. Serve immediately. If sauce has thinned a bit, you can heat up any additional sauce you didn’t use and pour it over as you serve the rolls.
[These also freeze very well.]

http://smittenkitchen.com/

Eggs al Forno (Baked Eggs) For Two

2 miniature casserole dishes (6x4 inches)

4 eggs

1 tablespoon butter, softened

¼ of a La Brea Bakery Demi Baguette or regular sized Baguette (any variety), cut into 4 1-inch thick slices

¾ cup Fontina or mild cheddar cheese, grated

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven 500°F.

Meanwhile, rub the inside of each mini-casserole dish with a portion of softened butter. This will prevent the ingredients from sticking to the dish. For each individual serving, place one or two slices of bread (in a single layer) on the bottom of the butter-lined casserole—making sure the bread fits snuggly—adding or trimming if necessary. Drizzle the bread with one tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add a sprinkling of half the grated Fontina cheese. Gently crack two eggs, adding them to the layer of grated cheese. Drizzle with one more tablespoon of oil. Repeat process for the other dish.

Place the two casserole dishes in the oven (you may place a cookie sheet underneath to protect your oven from bubbling ingredients) on the middle rack. Bake until eggs are set, about 10 minutes.

Carefully remove the casseroles from the oven. Top each serving with one tablespoon of Parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper.Using oven mitts, carefully place each casserole onto a dinner plate topped with a folded cloth napkin (this will ensure a more stable surface for the hot dish to rest on). Serve immediately, making sure to warn your loved one of the dishes' hot temperature!

Here's Zoe!

Left early 02/05/09

Zoe came home today...

Zoe is our new family member and I think we are all going to be very happy. She is jet black like Sissy and Dot, about the same size as Sissy and has the face of sweet Penni. She has already melted into my lap twice for naps and daintily ate a good supper of dry kibble without complaint. She has also found the dog who looks just like her and lives in the mirror in the bedroom
We are getting to know each other and how and where to go to potty...it will take a little time but we will get in our groove and life will be good.
I never would have belived last night at this time that I would have a Zoe asleep in my lap tonight! How amazing is life........everyday.

2009

Have a great 2009 !
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God!
'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

Zoe???

Just sitting at my desk, doing my business I get a phone call! It's Lynda looking for a home for a little black yorkie-poo named Zoe...what could I do but say OMG let me take care of her!!! More later.....

Where are the folks that hate Walmart?

answer - shopping at Walmart!

I am more impressed with Sam Walton everyday...what a vision...works in good times and works even better in the bad times...genius!

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090205/wal_mart_stores_sales.html?.v=2

Yes, I ate again today!

9:30 am
boiled egg banana
11:30
1/2 cup beef stew with noodles
1:30
6 1/2 celery sticks
blue cheese dip
3:30
1/2 cup sausage been stoop
5:30
small apple
7:30
chicken galatte with carrots and peas (should have eaten just half)
1/2 freestone peach
9:30 pm
2 butter rum nips

Feeding Clock ....feed the pig!!!

Feburary 3, 2009 Winston-Salem "snow storm"

5:30 pm at the store

barely snowing at 5:00 and this is how quickly the trees were covered

about 6:00 at Bolton Elementary School...black sky over head and blue sky to the west...snow over!

Tuesday eating...

9:30 am
boiled egg
banana
11:30
1/2 cup beef stew with noodles
1:30
oatmeal cookie
3:30
1/2 cup sausage been stoop
5:30
small apple
7:30
1/2 braised chicken breast
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 baked sweet potato
1/2 freestone peach
9:30 pm
4 small gingersnaps

Basic Kitchen Pantry

Here, then, is my little list of items you might spurn, along with some essential pantry and long-keeping refrigerator items you might consider. Note that I’m not including the ultra-obvious, things that are more or less ubiquitous in the contemporary American pantry, like potatoes, eggs and honey.
OUT Packaged bread crumbs or croutons.
IN Take crumbs, cubes or slices of bread, and either toast evenly in a low oven until dry and lightly browned, tossing occasionally; or cook in olive oil until brown and crisp, stirring frequently. The first keep a long time, and are multipurpose; the second are best used quickly, and are incomparably delicious.
OUT Bouillon cubes or powder, or canned stock.
IN Simmer a carrot, a celery stalk and half an onion in a couple of cups of water for 10 minutes and you’re better off; if you have any chicken scraps, even a half-hour of cooking with those same vegetables will give you something 10 times better than any canned stock.
OUT Aerosol oil. At about $12 a pint, twice as expensive as halfway decent extra virgin olive oil, which spray oil most decidedly is not; and it contains additives.
IN Get some good olive oil and a hand-pumped sprayer or even simpler, a brush. Simplest: your fingers.
OUT Bottled salad dressing and marinades. The biggest rip-offs imaginable.
IN Take good oil and vinegar or lemon juice, and combine them with salt, pepper, maybe a little Dijon, in a proportion of about three parts oil to one of vinegar. Customize from there, because you may like more vinegar or less, and you undoubtedly will want a little shallot, or balsamic vinegar, or honey, or garlic, or tarragon, or soy sauce. ...
OUT Bottled lemon juice.
IN Lemons. Try buying six at a time, then experiment; I never put lemon on something and regret it. (Scramble a couple of eggs in chicken stock, then finish with a lot of lemon, black pepper and dill; call this egg-lemon soup, or avgolemono.) Don’t forget the zest: you can grate it and add it to many pan sauces, or hummus and other purées. And don’t worry about reamers, squeezers or any of that junk; squeeze from one hand into the other and let your fingers filter out the pips.
OUT Spices older than a year: smell before using; if you get a whiff of dust or must before you smell the spice, toss it. I find it easier to clean house once a year and buy new ones.
IN Fresh spices. Almost all spices are worth having. But some that you might think about using more frequently include cardamom (try a tiny bit in your next coffee cake, apple cake, spice cake or rice pilaf); ground cumin (a better starting place in chili — in fact, in many bean dishes — than chili powder); fennel seeds (these will give a Provençal flavor to any tomato sauce or soup; grind them first, or not); an assortment of dried chilies (I store them all together, because dried chipotles make the rest of them slightly smoky); fresh — or at least dried — ginger, which is lovely grated over most vegetables; pimentón, the smoked Spanish red pepper that is insanely popular in restaurants but still barely making inroads among home cooks; and good curry powder.
OUT Dried parsley and basil. They’re worthless.
IN Fresh parsley, which keeps at least a week in the refrigerator. (Try your favorite summer pesto recipe with parsley in place of basil, or simply purée some parsley with a little oil, water, salt and a whisper of garlic. Or add a chopped handful to any salad or almost anything else.) And dried tarragon, rosemary and dill, all of which I use all winter; mix a teaspoon or so of tarragon or rosemary — not more, they’re strong — with olive oil or melted butter and brush on roasted or broiled chicken while it cooks, or add a pinch to vinaigrette. Dill is also good with chicken; on plain broiled fish, with lemon; or in many simple soups.
OUT Canned beans (except in emergencies).
IN Dried beans. More economical, better tasting, space saving and available in far more varieties. Cook a pound once a week and you’ll always have them around (you can freeze small amounts in their cooking liquid, or water, indefinitely). If you’re not sold, try this: soak and cook a pound of white beans. Take some and finish with fresh chopped sage, garlic and good olive oil. Purée another cup or so with a boiled potato and lots of garlic. Mix some with a bit of cooking liquid, and add a can of tomatoes; some chopped celery, carrots and onions; cooked pasta; and cheese and call it pasta fagiole or minestrone. If there are any left, mix them with a can of olive-oil-packed tuna or sardines. And that’s just white beans.
OUT Imitation vanilla.
IN Vanilla beans. They’re expensive, but they keep. (If you look online you can find bargains in bulk, which is why I have 25 in my refrigerator.) If you slice a pod in half and simmer it with some leftover rice and any kind of milk (dairy, coconut, almond...), you’ll never go back to extract.
OUT Grated imitation “Parmesan” (beware the green cylinder, or any other pre-grated cheese for that matter).
IN Real Parmigiano-Reggiano. Wrapped well, it keeps for a year (scrape mold off if necessary). Grated over anything, there is no more magical ingredient. Think about pasta with butter and Parmesan (does your mouth water?). But also think about any egg dish, with Parmesan; anything sautéed with a coating of bread crumbs and Parmesan; or asparagus, broccoli, spinach or any other cooked vegetable, topped with Parmesan (and maybe some bread crumbs) and run under the broiler; how great. Save the rinds to throw in pots of sauce, soup, tomato-y stew or risotto.
OUT Canned peas (and most other canned vegetables, come to think of it).
IN Frozen peas. Especially if you have little kids and make pasta or rice with peas (and Parmesan!); not bad. Or purée with a little lemon juice and salt for a nice spread or dip. In fact, many frozen vegetables are better than you might think.
OUT Tomato paste in a can.
IN Tomato paste in a tube. You rarely need more than two tablespoons so you feel guilty opening a can; this solves that problem. Stir some into vegetables sautéed in olive oil, for example, then add water for fast soup. Or add a bit to almost any vegetable as it cooks in olive oil and garlic — especially cabbage, dark greens, carrots or cauliflower.
OUT Premade pie crusts. O.K., these are a real convenience, but almost all use inferior fats. I’d rather make a “pie” or quiche with no crust than use these.
IN Crumble graham crackers with melted butter and press into a pan. But really — if you put a pinch of salt, a cup of flour, a stick of very cold, cut-up butter in a food processor, then blend with a touch of water until it almost comes together — you have a dough you can refrigerate or freeze and roll out whenever you want, in five minutes.
OUT Cheap balsamic or flavored vinegars.
IN Sherry vinegar. More acidic and more genuine than all but the most expensive balsamic. Try a salad of salted cabbage (shred, then toss with a couple of tablespoons of salt in a colander for an hour or two, then rinse and drain), tossed with plenty of black pepper, a little olive oil and enough sherry vinegar to make the whole thing sharp.
OUT Minute Rice or boil-in-a-bag grains.
IN Genuine grains. Critical; as many different types as you have space for. Short grain rice — for risotto, paella, just good cooked rice — of course. Barley, pearled or not; a super rice alternative, with any kind of gravy, reduction sauce, pan drippings, what have you. Ground corn for polenta, grits, cornbread or thickener (whisk some — not much — into a soup and see what happens). Quinoa — people can’t believe how flavorful this is until they try it. Bulgur, which is ready in maybe 10 minutes (it requires only steeping), and everyone likes. If you’re in doubt about how to cook any of these, combine them with abundant salted water and cook as you would pasta, then drain when tender; you can’t go far wrong.
OUT “Pancake” syrup, which is more akin to Coke than to the real thing.
IN Real maple syrup, an indigenous gift from nature and the north country.
YOU SHOULD ALSO STOCK:
REAL BACON OR PROSCIUTTO Or other traditionally smoked or cured meat of some kind. If you have a quarter pound of prosciutto in the house at all times you can make almost anything — simple cooked grains, beans, vegetables, tomato sauces, soups — taste better. And, tightly wrapped, it’ll keep for weeks in the fridge or months in the freezer.
FISH SAUCE You have soy sauce, presumably; this is different, stronger, cruder (or should I say “less refined”?) in a way — and absolutely delicious. Use sparingly, but use; start by sprinkling a little over plain steamed vegetables, along with a lot of black pepper.
CANNED COCONUT MILK Try this: cook some onions in oil with curry powder; stir in coconut milk; poach chicken, fish, tofu, or even meat in that. Serve over rice.
MISO PASTE Never goes bad, as far as I can tell, and its flavor is incomparable. Whisk into boiling water for real soup in three minutes; thin a bit (with sake if you have it), and smear on meat or fish that’s almost done broiling; add a spoonful to vinaigrette. Etc.
CAPERS, GOOD OLIVES (BUY IN BULK, NOT CANS) AND GOOD ANCHOVIES (IN OLIVE OIL, PLEASE) The combination of the three makes a powerful paste, or pasta sauce, or dip.
WALNUTS And/or other nuts, but walnuts are most basic and useful. Try a purée with garlic, oil and a little water, as a pasta sauce, or just add to salads or cooked grains.
PIGNOLI With raisins, they make any dish Sicilian.
DRIED FRUIT For snacking, in braises (braised pork with prunes is a classic winter dish), or just soaked in water (or booze) or poached for dessert. Don’t forget dried tomatoes, too.
DRIED MUSHROOMS Don’t even bother to reconstitute if you’re cooking with liquid; just toss them in.
FROZEN SHRIMP Incredibly convenient.
WINTER SQUASH AND SWEET POTATOES These store almost as well as potatoes and are more nutritious and equally interesting. A sweet potato roasted until the exterior is nearly blackened and the interior is mush is a wonderful snack. The best winter squashes (delicata, for example) have edible skins and are amazing just chunked and roasted with a little oil (and maybe some ginger or garlic). For butternut- or acorn-type squashes, poke holes through to the center with a skewer in a few places and roast in a 400 degree oven until soft. Let cool, then peel and seed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07mini.html?_r=1&em

PDF Magic

Great site for converting pdf files to text, images and more

http://www.convertpdftoimage.com/

Keep your stuff safe!

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad.

We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards. Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thievesordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

What I ate today...

9:30 am
Boiled egg
Banana
Coffee w/half and half

11:30
Small Stuffed Cabbage
1/4 cup Spanish Rice

1:30
Celery - 6, 3" stalks
1 tablespoon blue cheese dressing

3:30
1 broiled chicken leg

5:30
small apple

7:30
1 cup noodles and beef stew
1/2 piece bread
small lettuce and cuke salad w/oil & vinegar

9:30 pm
1/2 bread slice and cream cheese

White Bean and Sausage Stoop

Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew with Tomatoes and Basil

(I am making today for this week's lunches.)

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/recipe-for-cannellini-bean-and-sausage.html

2 cups cooked cannellini beans (see options below for cooking beans or use canned beans)

4 links Aidell's Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cheese Chicken Sausage (or use any pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage)

2-3 tsp. olive oil (use more or less, depending on your pan)

1/2 large onion, choppped

1 T minced garlic1 (14.5 oz)

1 can petite dice tomatoes with juice

1 tsp. dried Greek or Italian oregano

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

2 cups chicken stock (I used my homemade chicken stock, but you can use 1 can chicken broth and add a bit of water)

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn't use any salt)

1/4 cup chopped basil (I used my frozen basil, 1/4 cup purchased basil pesto would work here too)

1 T balsamic vinegar

fresh grated parmesan for serving (optional, but good)

For cooking dried beans: Whether you use the pressure cooker or cook beans in a regular pot, start by soaking 1 cup dried cannellini beans over night. Discard that soaking water and start with fresh water, whichever cooking method you're using.

To cook beans in pressure cooker: Add beans to pressure cooker with water to cover, 1/2 onion and 3-4 bay leaves. Bring to high pressure and cook 2-3 minutes (depending on how soft you like your beans.) Then turn off heat and let beans reduce pressure slowly while you prep other ingredients and simmer the base of the stew. When pressure is completely reduced, drain beans in colander in the sink.

To cook beans in regular pot: Add beans to pot with water to cover by several inches, 1/2 onion, and 3-4 bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook beans until soft, probably about 45 minutes, but cooking time will depend on the freshness of the beans. When beans are soft, drain in colander in the sink.

To use canned beans: Put 2 cans cannellini beans into colander placed in the sink. Rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears. Let beans drain and use in recipe. (This is slightly more beans than the 1 cup of dried beans; you can freeze a few for another recipe if you like.)

While beans are cooking (or draining) cut sausage into half lengthwise, then cut into half-moon shaped slices. Heat about 1 tsp. olive oil in heavy dutch oven or soup pot, then saute sausage until well browned, about 5 minutes. (See note above if you're using sausage with cheese.) When sausage is well-browned, remove to bowl, then add chopped onion and saute about 2 minutes, adding more oil if needed. After 2 minutes, add chopped garlic and saute about 2 minutes more.

Add tomatoes and juice, dried oregano, dried marjoram, and chicken stock to pot with onions and garlic. Add sausage back to pot, then cook at very low simmer about 30 minutes, until flavors are well blended and liquid is slightly reduced. After 30 minutes. add drained beans and simmer about 15 minutes more. (If the mixture seems too dry at this point, add a bit more chicken stock or a little water.)

When beans have simmered 15 minutes, add chopped basil and balsamic vinegar and simmer 5 minutes more. Taste beans for seasoning and add salt and fresh ground black pepper as desired. Serve hot, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Scallion Flat Bread

An easy and quick homemade flatbread that you can whip up while your dinner warms in the oven or the pot. With only 5 ingredients, these could qualify as a Flash in the Pan recipe–once you get the method down pat, that is.

3-3/4 cups (525 g.) light spelt flour
about 5 Tbsp. (75 ml.) peanut or olive oil, divided
10 scallions, cut into rounds (both white and green parts)
1 tsp. (5 ml.) fine or coarse sea salt
1 tsp. (5 ml.) pepper, or to taste

Put the flour in a bowl. Add about 1-1/4 cups (300 ml.) of warm water, mixing as you go to make a soft dough. Collect all the dough together and make a ball. Knead very briefly [spelt will toughen faster than wheat if over-kneaded] and make a ball again. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
Flour a large work surfact thoroughly. Put the dough ball in the center. Put some flour on top of the dough ball and roll out a 20-inch (50 cm.) round. (Dust with flour whenever you need to). First spread about 4 Tbsp. (60 ml.) of the oil on the round, and then scatter the scallions evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Now roll up the round tightly into a long fat snake. Pinch the “snake” into 4 equal parts.
Take one of the snake “logs” and put it in fron of you. Put your hands on either edge (ie, the cut edges). Twist one end away from you and one end toward you in order to close the ends tightly shut [I thought of a wrapper on a piece of hard candy]. You will be twisting the entire log slightly, but that is as it should be. Now stand the log on one end and push down to get a patty. Make all the patties this way and keep them well floured.
Flour the work surface again. Roll out one of the patties, always going outward from the cetner and dusting with flour whenever you need to, until you have a 7-inch (18 cm.) round. Roll out all the cakes this way, making sure you keep them all in a cool spot well dusted with flour.
Heat a nonstick frypan over medium heat. Brush one side of the first cake with oil, and place oil-side down in the frypan; then brush the top with oil as well. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until dark brown in spots on the bottom. Flip the pancake and cook another 3 minutes or so, until that side is browned as well. Place on a plate (line with paper towel to absorb some of the oil, if desired). Make all the cakes this way.
Cut each pancake into 4 and serve immediately. Makes 4 large cakes.

from:
http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/chinese-scallion-pancakes/

Orange Cabbage Salad

Purple Cabbage Salad
½ head purple cabbage
1 orange, peeled and sliced into ½ inch segments
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
dash chili powder
Slice the cabbage as thinly as possible
Place cabbage in a large bowl, add the orange segments
Toss with olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice then sprinkle with a dash of chili powder
Serve
This simple yet stunningly colorful make ahead dish tastes even better the next day after the flavors have marinated and blended together.

from: http://www.elanaspantry.com/salads/cabbage-orange-salad/