Happy Holidays, Scramblers!

Hey you Scramblers, happy holidays and thanks for all your suggestions and support in '08. We're working on some terrific new updates to the site that we hope to launch in January, and I've got some great new recipes coming up soon (baked coconut ginger chicken, all American stir-fry, ravioli with sundried tomatoes and spinach...yum). Let me know if you have any ideas to share or any great appetizer recipes that aren't too rich.

Thank you for helping us make this the most successful year yet for The Scramble!

Warmly, Aviva

P.S. Last December, I'm not sure I would have thought that this year I'd be twittering (@thescramble), blogging, and facebooking, all in one day! I feel young again!

Fun Mango Geography Game for Kids

This is totally adorable and your kids may even learn a thing or two about Central and South America and delicious and healthy mangoes: http://www.mango.org/en/mango-kids/jangogeography.aspx.aspx

Beyond Wine: Host and Hostess Gifts that Make you a Welcome Guest

Now is a time of year where parties seem to be a dime-a-dozen, whether it’s a holiday party, a family gathering or a social get together with friends. As we’ve ventured our way into adulthood, we’ve realized that it’s nice to bring a small gift for the host/hostess of the party. While there’s always the old stand-by of a bottle of wine (which is always appreciated), I like to branch out sometimes with more interesting or memorable gifts (in hopes I'll be invited back!). Maybe the suggestions below can give you a little inspiration:

Cocktail Tags: For those of you who may not know what these are, they are little “hooks” that you can attach to the bottom of your wine/cocktail glass to differentiate yours from everyone else’s. What I love about these is that there are so many different kinds out there and you can buy a pack that reflects an interest of the host. An example is, if they love the beach, you could get cocktail tags that have a beach- related theme. Pier One always has some great affordable options at holiday time.

Beautiful Candles: Fortunately there are so many choices, that you can find something as simple or as ornate as you want.

Gourmet Olive Oil or Vinegar: If you’re attending a party at someone’s home, chances are, they cook at least a little bit! Someone who enjoys cooking probably always appreciates having a special bottle of oil and vinegar for dressing salads, dipping breads, or making almost any dish taste a little better.

Tapenade or other Gourmet Spread: If you’re lucky, maybe they host will put it out that night with the other appetizers and you’ll get to sample your purchase!

Do you have other ideas for host/hostess gifts? If so, please share your idea by leaving a comment here. (Thanks to Scramble Customer Advocate and consummate guest, Betsy Goldstein, for her contributions to this column!)

Barney Butter--Great Stuff!

One of the neat perks of having my own food website is I occasionally get to try new products for free, as companies hope that if I like their product I'll tell you about it. Once in a while this clever marketing tactic even works, as in the case of Barney Butter, the peanut free, all natural almond butter created by Calfornia mom, Jennifer Barney.

First, let me assure you that I am open-minded, but choosy. I recently tried Better'n Peanut Butter and almost gagged on that fakey sweetey tasting stuff. I also have no problem with regular peanut butter, love it in fact. But for those of you who can't eat peanuts, or who love almonds and their health benefits, or who just want to try something different, I wholeheartedly recommend Barney Butter. I've tried it on a spoon, on a cracker, and most recently, on a chocolate rice cake for an afternoon snack--delightful! B.B. is available on the website or in many stores in the Western U.S.

Cookies in a Jar

This is straight from Family Fun magazaine, and makes a wonderful homemade holiday gift:
How to Make It: In a 1-quart widemouthed jar, add the ingredients in the order listed. Pack them down firmly after each addition (the layers should be as flat as possible).
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup M & Ms or other candy coated chocolate (holiday colors are fun)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup cocoa crisped-rice cereal (or regular flavor)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Screw on the cover and prepare a decorative gift tag with the following instructions:
"To make your holiday cookies, cream together 1/2 cup of butter or margarine, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1 egg in a large bowl. Add the contents of the jar and stir until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

My family ate a Frozen Dinner!

Yes, it's true, I took a store-bought frozen meal out of the freezer tonight, heated it in the oven and served it. But this was no ordinary frozen meal! We enjoyed delectable Sofrito Chicken Breasts with Apples in a Red Wine Reduction Sauce by renowned Spanish chef, Jose Andres. What's more, this frozen dinner cost more than $40 (I had to buy 2 to feed all 4 of us) and proceeds from the sale of the dinner benefit DC Central Kitchen, which trains low-income DC residents in professional cooking careers.

While this meal cost about 4 times what it usually costs to feed my family dinner, I wanted to support this creative initiative between DC Central Kitchen, Cuisine Solutions, and famous DC chefs. I looked at this as an alternative to a dinner in a restaurant. My dauther, Celia, who is 9, thought the best part was that she didn't have to wait ages after ordering for the food to arrive.

I must admit it was kind of fun to just wait for a meal to heat in the oven, though aside from steaming some peas to serve with it, I didn't really know what to do with myself while dinner baked. But tomorrow I'll be glad to be back to making homemade dinner.

For more information about this innovative partnership and these delicious frozen diners, visit http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/article.php?id=174.

New Feature Update: Custom Menu Plans can now be Edited

Okay, Scramblers, you asked for it and now you've got it. Your custom menus can now be edited and deleted. Please give this new feature a try and let me know if all goes smoothly before I announce it more widely in the newsletter. Thanks for your help! (And thank you, Sarah, for making this happen.)

Revisiting a great recipe--Mulligatawny Stew

Last night, I hosted my book club for our monthly dinner and discussion. A few of the women in the club are great cooks and really go all out for the dinners, so I get a little intimidated when it's my turn to host. For the meal, I revisited a recipe I hadn't made in a long time, Mulligatawny Stew, and served it over basmati rice, garnished with lemon wedges and fresh cilantro. I served roasted cauliflower on the side, and the kids made a beautiful apple crisp for dessert, which I served with low-fat vanilla ice cream. All in all, it was a great meal, and one I would definitely repeat:

Mulligatawny Stew (Indian Lentil Stew)

Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (30 minutes)
6 servings, about 2 cups each

Ever since watching Kramer and Elaine rave about it on the “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld, I’ve been intrigued by Mulligatawny stew. Now, after making a batch, I can see what all the fuss was about. This Indian stew is rich, aromatic and delicious. Serve it with Roasted Cauliflower Poppers.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 tsp. minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 Tbsp. minced ginger (or 1 tsp. ginger powder)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
3/4 cup dried yellow or green lentils, soaked in water overnight, if possible
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes with liquid
1 box (32 oz.) chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati or long grain rice
1/2 cup light coconut milk (you can freeze remaining coconut milk for a future need)
lemon wedges for serving (optional)
1 cup fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)

(If you have soaked the lentils for faster cooking, drain them before proceeding with the recipe.) Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder and garam masala and sauté it, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the lentils to coat them and add the tomatoes and chicken broth (if you presoaked the lentils, you may only want to use 3 cups of the chicken broth because the lentils have absorbed extra water). Bring the soup to a boil and simmer it, stirring it occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes (or 10-15 minutes for presoaked lentils). Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package directions (and prepare the cauliflower if you are making it).

Puree the soup to desired thickness in a blender or right in the pot using an immersion blender—it can be smooth or chunky, depending on your preference. Stir in the coconut milk until it is heated through, and ladle it over the rice, squeezing fresh lemon juice over it, if desired, and garnishing with fresh cilantro (optional).

Side Dish Suggestion: To make Roasted Cauliflower Poppers, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets. Toss them with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. (or more to taste) chili powder, 1/4 tsp. (or more to taste) cumin, 1/4 tsp. salt. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes until they are browned and soft, tossing once.

Tip: If you can’t find the Indian spice mixture, garam masala, at your store, use extra curry powder or
make your own garam masala by mixing coriander, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and cloves.

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):
Calories 230, Total Fat 10g, 15%, Saturated Fat 4.5g, 23%, Cholesterol <5mg, 2%, Sodium 105mg, 4%, Total Carbohydrate 28g, 9%, Fiber 10g, 40%, Sugar 8g, Protein 11g

Nutritional Information per serving (with 1 cup cauliflower) (% based upon daily values):
Calories 275, Total Fat 12g, 18%, Saturated Fat 5g, 25%, Cholesterol 5mg, 2%, Sodium 368mg, 15%, Total Carbohydrate 33g, 11%, Dietary Fiber 13g, 50%, Sugar 10g, Protein 13g

Bye-bye farmer's markets--boo hoo

Thanksgiving weekend has passed, and that also means that the last farmer's market near my home has shut down for the winter. I'm trying to steel myself for 6 months without fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, and other delicacies. I must admit that I envy my mom, sister, and all you Scramble subscribers that live in places with year round produce markets. Maybe this will be the year I find a sunny patch to plant my own vegetable garden in the Spring. Either way, I'll be counting down the long cold days until asparagus, artichokes and peas arrive in Maryland once more.

Note from a 10 year old to a Scramble subscriber

This is an excerpt that Scramble subscriber Jeanne R. shared with me, from a note her 10 year old son left on her desk this weekend:

"Here are some reasons you are the best mom ever! First of all, you make better meals than most of the other moms because you've got Aviva's Six O'clock Scramble recipes."

Thank you for all of us...

Jeanne