Something Yummy This Way Comes

I recently saw a group of 8th graders doing an amazing performance of Macbeth. I'd forgotten that the line "Something wicked this way comes," derives from the Scottish play.

Anyway, it popped into my mind as I was writing this blog and switching yummy for wicked certainly fits.

Warning - there is nothing healthy about this post, despite me being known as the healthy writer. Sometimes you just need comfort food.

Are any of you fans of the Stouffer's pizzas?

I used to love the 5 cheese white pizza. I haven't had it in a while, and I wasn't consciously trying to imitate it, but my daughter and I both agreed the result of my experiment tasted remarkably similar (in all the good ways).

The background: it was late, I was hungry. I needed something fast and filling.

I had a loaf of Italian bread. I had cheese.
I opened the cabinet and grabbed my freeze-dried garlic and set it to soften in some olive oil. I spread that mix on the halved loaf of sesame bread.

I sprinkled some cheese over that, mixed in some oregano, basil, and more garlic, then covered with more cheese and baked.

Oh, did it ever smell delicious!

It tasted even better!!!


I did remember to take photos!

A Break from All Things Pumpkin

Shrimp - it's what's for dinner when I need to eat something, have no appetite, and not much time.

I've been fighting the cough that threatened Cleveland for the past week or so. The good thing about having a cough is it really zaps your appetite (good for dumping that summer ice cream weight gain).

The bad thing is, you'd better eat if you're taking cough medicine, or funny things can happen. I still remember the Manhattan skyline twirling in circles around me while I stood on Third Avenue many years ago. Cough medicine + no food = dizzy Cate.



But if I had no appetite, I had even less energy for cooking. 

The one thing I know always helps my cough is my nettle tea with herbs and spices (thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne, garlic).  So I decided to play off that.

I'd thrown a potato in the oven to bake earlier. Once it was done, I took some pre-cooked shrimp from COSTCO, added a bunch of oregano, basil, garlic and lemon. Stirred in the chunks of potato with some butter and bread crumbs, and put in the oven to toast.  All told, prep time was about 5 minutes.

Not bad. Even if my tastebuds didn't care. There was enough flavor to at least make them take notice.

What's your go-to when you need food, but don't feel like cooking????


So, how about some pictures?










I saw this on a rainy, chill Saturday morning when Fenway and I were out walking. So lovely.



















Now, they take Halloween seriously around here -









It glows purple at night! 

This I took for my editor :)

This just reminds me of Miss Havisham.

BUT WAIT!!!!!!!!!  What is this I spy?????????

Less than 2 months, but really????