It's Time to Read This and Understand

Please read the Declaration...Especially with the election upon us...no matter who you are voting for...I know this is not about food, but sometimes there are things we need to stop and think about!
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.
Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the Present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People; unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.
He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.
He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and Amount and Payment of their Salaries.
He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance.
He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislature.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:
For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond the Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule in these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Powers to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.
He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic Insurrections among us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.
Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Signed by ORDER andin BEHALF OF THE CONGRESSJOHN HANCOCK,PRESIDENT.
ATTEST.CHARLES THOMSON,SECRETARY.
PHILADELPHIA:

Mikee rides to the Blue Ridge Mountains

Michael took a quick bike trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains and brought me back wonderful butters, preserves,& honey from Mercier Orchards. They make everything right there & it's all so delicious! Michael told me they make great fried hand pies filled with fruit.

Mercier Orchards

8660 Blue Ridge Drive

Blue Ridge, GA 30513

(706) 632-3411

Friday is Sushi Night!

Friday night Mikee and I usually hang at home, but it is a night off from cooking. We like to have a little cocktail hour and I make him a snack and Mom likes to fuss over him...I had nothing special in the house to make him so I looked around to see what I could put together...Well I resorted to the tried and true all American Ritz Cracker! Where would the U.S. house babe be without them! I found some blue cheese, cream cheese, and real bacon bits. Piled up on the Ritz and right in the toaster oven. There ya' go!

Then came the Sushi! Bliss!

The Ultimate Chocolate....OOOH AHHHH!

Dear Readers,

I would like you to meet Stowaway Sweets! Our family have been enjoying these very special chocolates for over 30 years...They melt in your mouth!

Stowaway is located in Marblehead Mass. and has been making handmade chocolates since 1929.

FDR had these chocolates shipped to the White House on a regular basis and if you take a look at their website,http://www.stowawaysweets.com/, you will see some of the other dignitaries that have sent for these heavenly treats! They ship and will keep a record of your favorites for next time.

Stowaway Sweets

154 Atlantic Avenue

Marblehead,Ma o1945

800-432-0304

Fax-781-639-1303

Ask for Alicia & tell her Gabby sent you!

Did ya' miss me?

Dear readers,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but there was alot going on here healthwise...Mom came back from her boston trip with a bad stomach flu and I got an infection, & the dog went on a hunger strike! Diva!...It is never dull around here!
We are all on the mend & Gidget has decided that we are better so she started eating again thank heavens!
Michael was on his yearly motorcycle trip to The Blue Ridge Mountains while all this was going on...I had him take pictures since we have been sharing his camera...(I was never the picture taker, but now I need my own camera!), hope to be posting those tomorrow. I have been living on sushi during this ordeal, so you have not missed anything fabulous.
I am starting to think about Thanksgiving and I will share all my plans and thoughts with you about the holiday. I am going to buy a Kosher turkey this year...did a regular one last year and it just wasn't as flavorful or juicey. I am going to scale back the menu, I always make way to many dishes...they will be less complicated leaner and cleaner! Thanksgiving has always been a very important holiday with us and this year even more!

Kitchen Fun

I wanted to show everyone my favorite room in the house, the lab, the palace, the temple of my creations!

We renovated our house that we have lived in for 16 years and hubby built me this fabulous kitchen.

As you see we put the ovens & microwave down below creating much needed counterspace.

Some of my favorite toys...my 11 cup KitchenAid food processor, my mega cool gray metal KitchenAid 6qt Mixer, (Why should Michael have all the horsepower!), panini maker, and my FoodSaver. The FoodSaver is a great machine and pays for itself very quickly.

My stove backsplash is special to me, it has a dressed up country look...it weighs 30 pounds and took Mikee and a couple guys to get it up there!

At 64 inches wide, my built in fridge and freezer was a great buy...instead of busting the budget with a Sub Zero, we went with what I call "the twins" by Frigidaire....$2000 for both...with icemaker!

We can have multiple cooks working and it is so great for entertaining.

Light Bite for Mikee & Me

So Mikee & I were empty nesters tonight with Mom on her Doctor approved trip to Boston and Lexi at school.
We are so happy that Mom was able to visit all her girls up in beautiful Swampscott Ma., home of the Big Blue. She called to tell us she had her first Vodka in a long time...Cancer be damned! Let's party!
I didn't like what I saw at the market today so I pulled out some Gabby staples that I always have on hand and made a Mediterranean snack platter
Mozzarella & Tomato drizzled with Balsamic, salt, pepper, & olive oil
Prosciutto
Thin sliced pears drizzled with lemon & honey
Marinated Artichoke hearts (Drained)
Hummus (store bought)
I served it with pita and a simple mixed green salad. It was simple easy and fun to eat with my honey. Considering whats going on in the world simple dinner with your love is what it's all about!

Asian Noodles and Chicken

Ah the pleasures of the wok...I wokked myself silly last night. This will feed a family of six!

Here we go...

For the Chicken

4 split boneless skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Tbl of Prepared Ginger in the jar

1/3 cup of Soy Sauce (Low Sodium)

1Tbl Granulated Garlic

1 Tsp Thai Fish sauce

1 Tbl of Honey

1/2 Tsp Sesame oil

Slice chicken crosswise in thin pcs

Put the ginger,soy,garlic,fish sauce,oil & Honey in a jar and shake well

Throw all the above ingredients & marinade into a large zip lock bag and toss chicken around in the marinade.

Put in Fridge about 2 hours ahead

Noddles

Make 1 lb of angel hair according to package...you want it Al Dente (firm), It will cook more in the wok. Set aside

Veggies

Any fresh (Not Frozen) in the bag stir fry mix.

1/2 Onion Very thinly

3 Scallions sliced on the bias

Stir Fry Sauce

Make the same amount of marinade as above and shake well in jar

2 Tbl Canola oil

2 Tbl Toasted Sesame Seeds for garnish

Put 1 Tbl of the Canola oil in the wok

Get wok very hot till oil is rippling and smoking

Empty bag of Chicken into wok away from you...it will splatter

keep Chicken moving till done about 7-10 minutes

Take Chicken out & set aside

Add another Tlb of canola to wok and put all veggies in and keep them moving for about 4 minutes...they will still be crisp and bright

Add noodles and stir with veggies for about 2 minutes mixing well

Add Stir sauce and chicken and keep the whole thing moving for another 2 minutes.

Place on platter as you see in the Picture & sprinkle Sesame Seeds over top.

Enjoy!

Football Snack

Love making football snacks for my team! Michael always enjoys my surprise snacks during the game.

Today I went Asian with Beef Negamaki the easy Gabby way...

4 thin slices of best quality Roast Beef cut in half crosswise (I used Boars Head)

3 Scallions slit down lengthwise several times then bunch together and cut in half crosswise

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup Ponzu sauce (In Asian Section of the Market)
1/2 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

1 Tbls Scallions sliced very thin

Pinch of Red Pepper flakes

Preheat toaster oven to 450 degrees

Lay Roast Beef flat put a few of the Scallions on an end and just roll

Put the Beef rolls on a foil lined toaster oven tray

Cook for about 5-7 Min. or until crispy on the edges

Put all Dipping sauce ingredients in a dipping bowl.

Serve

I garnished with carrots, which is one of the Miami Dolphins team colors.

Go Dolphins!

Chicken Soup My Way for Lexi

As I have mentioned my daughter Alexis is away at school, but not to far...She came down with the flu on the first night of the Jewish New Year...Oye Vey...her boyfriend was sweet enough to drive the 35 minutes to pick her up and bring her home...Thank you Jacob!

She was a mess poor thing! You know the achey bones ,fever, and just plain yuck... So when she woke up I made her Chicken Soup a special way that she loves!

This method makes all of the Jewish mothers in my family very testy...it is not the standard Jewish Chicken soup...I caremalize the chicken in garlic first...(Can you hear the Matzoh Balls exploding??!!!)

As you see in the picture the broth looks a little darker in color and it smells great while its cooking, like a roasted herb smell.

Ok, lets get to it...

One whole cut up Chicken*

4 peel whole Garlic cloves

2 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Carrots chopped in chunks

Parsnips Chopped in chunks

1 medium Sweet Onion quartered

1/2 cup Beef Broth boxed (Organic is better)

32 oz Box of Chicken Broth (Organic)

Water

Kitchen Twine

3 sprigs of Dill chopped for garnish

Bouquet Garni (Fresh herbs in a cheese cloth Bundle)

5 sprigs of Dill

2 sprigs of Tarragon

2 sprigs of Thyme

2 sprigs of Rosemary

Fold all the herbs into a double layer 6 x 6 square and tie with twine leaving slack to tie to pot handle

*Use the breasts, thighs, wings, and drum sticks. I discard everythong else...

Peel about 4 cloves of garlic and give them a whack with a knife to break them a little.

Heat on high a dutch oven with 2 Tbls of Extra Virgin olive oil.

Season the chicken pcs with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Place chicken skin side down in the pot with the garlic...don't turn until the chicken releases itself and is nice and brown.

When you have turned the chicken, add carrots, parsnips, & onion, as soon as the other side of the chicken is brown stir so that the veggies are on the bottom and the chicken is resting on top of them...let the veggies carmelize for a few minutes, just keep an eye on it...

Give the pot another stir check to make sure everything has carmelized and then add the beef broth, chicken broth, and water to just cover the chicken. Stir the pot again...

Check for seasoning and cover...temp still on high bring it all to a boil.

Prepare the Bouquet Garni...Tie it with twine to the pot handle so it is easy to remove.

When the soup comes to a boil lower temp to a simmer and let her go for an hour and a half. (You will not have to skim this soup!)

When the soup is done take out the carrots, and parsnips. Set aside.

Take out the chicken, let is cool so that you can get all the meat off the bones. Set the meat aside.

Strain the soup twice and discard everything else.

Put the strained soup, carrots, parsnips, chicken meat, and fresh dill back into the pot.

Ladle into a bowl and garnish with chopped dill!

You will see a Matzoh Ball in the Picture... I make those right from the package. I use Streits.

Enjoy!