The 30-Day DomesticMuse Dairy-Free Challenge!!

Life continues, with Bell's Palsy. I'm feeling a whole lot better! This is Day 15 for me. I am so grateful for everyone's good wishes, supports, prayers, good vibes, and great mojo you are sending my way! I'm here to tell you, it's working!!! So thanks, and please, keep it coming! It takes most people up to 3 months to recover completely (some more, some less of course).

At the point where most people with Bell's Palsy are still getting WORSE, I am about 50% recovered. I've regained a lot of movement and symmetry. And joy of joys, my left eye closes and blinks normally, so I no longer have to sleep with a patch!! Hooray!!! If you want to see the gruesome pics, they are posted on PhitDiva. I'll warn you, I am definitely not winning any beauty prizes with those photos. On the plus side, I figure, this is as bad as it gets!!

I have learned an incredible amount about Bell's Palsy over the past 2 weeks (gee, somehow it seems longer... ;) ) and really want to give a shout out to the Bell's Palsy Network for keeping me sane. I don't know what I would do without their support and knowledge about this strange condition that even most drs. know little about. I am grateful that my recovery is going well, and I've had minimal pain. The biggest issue (besides the obvious disfigurement) for me has truly been fatigue, which is overwhelming at times. But that is getting better too.

After a lot of research and listening to other people's stories, I learned that acupuncture can be very helpful in treating Bell's Palsy. So this week I decided to go for it, and scheduled an appointment with a licensed acupuncturist/Doctor of Oriental Medicine in my area. I had a treatment for the BP, which really helped a lot-- we noticed a lot more movement after the treatment. The treatment itself was a piece of cake-- not painful and actually very relaxing.

The dr. did a thorough evaluation of my overall health and in addition to treating the Bell's Palsy, is also going to address and treat some of my other longstanding and related health issues.

The biggest one for me is allergy and sinus problems, which I feel directly caused me to come down with the Bell's Palsy, so it's all related. Conventional medicine hasn't been able to do much for me except to put me on allergy meds, and I immediately get sick if I don't take them even for a day or two. I'm tired of the endless cycle of medication, sinus and ear infections, and antibiotics several times a year, and of course MOST eager to avoid getting Bell's Palsy again.

The dr. explained to me that according to Chinese medicine, I am showing a pattern where the liver and spleen are in disharmony (I can't recall the actual name of the diagnosis) and producing a condition of too much "dampness" in my body, leading to the production of phlegm, which in my case has thickened and is causing sinus problems. (This is consistent with what my regular dr. tells me-- that my sinus/ear fluids are too thick to drain properly and cause infection.)

Anyway, to finally get to my point, part of the treatment plan is to eliminate dairy products and sugar from my diet. The phlegm is apparently an allergic response to these elements in my diet. I actually was not surprised to hear this, as I suffered from extensive food allergies as a child. However, I must say, I was not thrilled to learn that 2 of my most favorite food groups ever have got to go. Cheese. Yogurt. Ice cream!! I practically live for the stuff!! And come on people, I am from the South-- a HUGE sweet tooth is my birthright!!! A world without cheese and dessert?? A world without sunlight!! A culinary wasteland!!

After my initial shock, I decided I CAN and WILL do this. My health is important. I should at least give this a try. Other people, people who love food as much as I do, have been able to make this kind of thing work. We've all seen the terrific gluten-free blogs out there! (Not that I have to eliminate gluten, thank God!) What's more, I'm going to take my dr.'s suggestion and try it for 30 days.

However, not wishing to completely lose my mind, I am going to do this in stages. First, I'm going to work on getting rid of the dairy. Then I'm going to work on REDUCING the amount of sugar in my diet significantly. Say, by 90%. I really don't think I can totally eliminate that, because it's in just about everything, including restaurant food. And I am not planning on giving up eating at restaurants! And it is just not realistic to think I will NEVER eat the many sugar-containing foods I love. But I CAN work on eating less of them, less frequently.

So, here goes!!! I'm going to undertake the first-ever DomesticMuse 30-Day Dairy Free Challenge. I will post every day for 30 days about my experiences and include dairy-free recipes for all of the delicious new food I'm going to learn how to cook. The first thing I have to do is pick up a couple of cookbooks and probably stock up my pantry, so I will probably have a couple days of prep before I am ready to go dairy-free. But if there's anything DomesticMuse loves, it's a challenge!!

Who wants to join me??? C'mon, this will be fun!

JOIN THE CHALLENGE!!! Win A Fabulous Prize! It's easy and fun.

Here's how YOU can participate! Prepare ONE dairy-free meal during the month of August and post it on your blog. Link your post to this one. Send me the link to your post and a photo to DomestickMuse at Gmail dot com, and I will post a round-up at the end of the month. We will vote on winners, and TWO lucky winners will receive a FREE copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.



That's it!!! Hopefully we'll collect lots of great recipes and have some fun. If any of you are interested in guest posting, shoot me an email (DomestickMuse at gmail.com)

So come on, people! Let's get movin' and groovin' on the DomesticMuse 30-Day Dairy-Free Challenge!

What Happened to DomesticMuse???

Dear foodie friends: you are the best, and I have sadly neglected you over the past few weeks. Many exciting things have been happening, which I will update you on shortly.

AAAAAARGH!!!!! I just realized I have my camera with me, but forgot my magic cable that puts the photos into the computer. Oh well, I'll think of somethin'!

I am writing to you at an altitude of 30,000 feet in the beautiful skies somewhere between NC and Chicago. Yes, there is Interet access on the plane-- how cool is that???

I am on my way to the biggest library event of the year, the American Library Association Annual Conference, which is in Chicago. I will be here in the Windy City until Monday night and plan to submit short posts of my gastronomical experiences each day. It should be a great conference and chance to reunite with friends I have not seen for a long time. There will be 20,000 librarians attending the conference-- look out, Chitown!!

I am also planning to announce the winners of my BD BASH GIVEAWAY tonight.

You all are the best friends anyone could have-- thanks for your continued support of DomesticMuse!!

Lots of love and light,
Karen, the DomesticMuse

Birthday Bash Giveaway!!! 5 Fabulous Prizes!

It's my birthday and I'm giving away fabulous presents!!!

This has been a wonderful, blessed year! We've moved into a house, which has given all of us much needed space and peace and quiet, besides upgrading me to a wonderful new kitchen with TONS OF STORAGE SPACE!!! My family is healthy, I have the best job ever, and the best friends anyone could ever have-- which includes all of my wonderful friends in foodie blogland! In my culture, one of the ways we show gratitude for our blessings is by giving gifts. So I would like to host a giveaway in honor of my birthday.

A few weeks ago, I approached Lynn at The Handmaiden's Cottage about helping with a giveaway for DomesticMuse. I know you all just adore Lynn's gorgeous aprons-- each one is an original work of art!! Lyn was extremely generous!! With special thanks to Lynn-- here is what we came up with: I am giving away a beautiful and unique set of "Me and Mommy" aprons: there is a big sister, a little sister, and a mommy apron in this sweet, handcrafted set.


Birthdays are also times for reflecting on what the kind of life we want to create. Mojo Spa in Chicago organizes all of their fantastic, home-made products into categories of "desires," and, just for fun, formulates the ingredients to help you attract what you desire into your life. So I am giving away TWO of their incredibly soothing lip balms.

Sweet Success lip balm is infused with orange, cinnamon and vanilla, and energized with a carnelian crystal, which in crystal lore is thought to attract energy, power, and abundance into your life.

Strike it Rich lip balm is infused with mint, pachouli, bergamot, and nutmeg, and energized with a green aventurine crystal, thought to attract wealth. You can get your Mojo on with one of these soothing and fun lip balms!

Birthdays are times for acknowledging our special mentors. Gloria Chadwick, of Tex-Mex Foodies and Foods and Flavors of San Antonio, is a published cookbook author and all around-amazing person. Gloria has also been a fabulous friend and mentor to me this year, and is a source of inspiration to me! To honor Gloria, I am also giving away a copy of her new cookbook,

Foods and Flavors of San Antonio.

Birthdays are times for bringingNEW things into our lives. I have recently been learning to work with gemstones and make jewelry, and am planning to open an Etsy store this summer. I'll post details when the shop is up and running. As my final and special gift, I am offering one of my Harmony necklaces, custom-made especially for the lucky winner. Each necklace is created to harmonize and balance one of your own personal energy centers, known as chakras.
Keeping the chakras balanced and clear is believed to promote optimal well-being. Each chakra is associated with certain colors, gemstones, and even foods!

For example, this simple and beautiful necklace is created to balance the second, or sacral (Hara) chakra, which governs creativity, fertility, desire, and intuition.


It includes a red aventurine on an orange silken cord, one of the gemstones attuned to the vibration and color (orange) of the second chakra. I will work with the winner to design a special Harmony necklace just for you!

So, here's all you have to do to win:

1. Leave a comment on this post, and tell me which gift(s) are your favorite and I will enter you in that category to win. Winners will be chosen randomly.
2. Sign up to follow my blog, if you aren't already a follower. All followers will get "2" entries for the gift(s) of their choice.

All gifts, except for the Harmony necklace, will ship directly from the original retailer. I will notify winners and ask you to send me your shipping addresses so I can have the gifts shipped to out to you immediately.

I will announce winners on June 28!

Here's a lineup of the fabulous gifts!!

The Me and Mommy Apron Set from the Handmaiden's Cottage


Sweet Success Lip Balm from Mojo Spa


Strike it Rich Lip Balm from Mojo Spa


Foods and Flavors of San Antonio by Gloria Chadwick


A custom-made Harmony Necklace

Chipotle Cheese-Fries Chili

I am so furious with Chase Bank right now I could just spit. I really need to get some work done, but I'm so mad, I can't concentrate. So I'll finish this post for the Chili Cook-Off Challenge, and I'll feel better, LOL!

Yes, it's time once more for Gloria's Chili Cookoff over at Foods and Flavors of San Antonio. This month has really flown by!


I recently watched DC and DS eagerly devour a plate full of greasy french fries covered with melted cheese goo and some chili, with apparent enjoyment. Perhaps it's because I lack the Y chromosome, but the charm of chili cheese fries simply eludes me. For one thing, the chili and cheese make the fries soggy. Then when you pick up a french fry to eat it, all the chili and cheese fall off, leaving you with a naked piece of sodden potato.

There really must be a better way to enjoy the tastes and textures of chili, cheese, and fries. So just for fun, I decided to create a recipe for

Chipotle-Cheese-Fries Chili
By DomesticMuse

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb. ground sirloin
1 lb. hot pork breakfast sausage
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced
2 T chili powder
1 t. oregano
1 T dark brown sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t, freshly ground black pepper
1 T ground cumin
2 t. chipotle chile powder

1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
2 cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
1 1 lb. bag frozen corn
5-6 c. V-8 juice
1/2 bag mini tater tots
1/2 lb. Velveeta, cut into 1/4 in." cubes

For serving:
sour cream
chopped scallions
crumbled bacon
finely shredded Mexican-blend cheese

First, brown the pork sausage and the ground sirloin. When well browned, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add 2 T extra virgin olive oil and saute the onion, pepper, garlic, and serrano over medium heat.

Return the ground sirloin and sausage to the pot. Add the chili powder, chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Cook together for 1-2 minutes. Then add the Rotel tomatoes, the Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, the chipotle peppers, the kidney beans, the corn, and the V-8 juice. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 -2 hrs., until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chili is just starting to cook:


Ready!!


About 3o minutes before serving the chili, preheat the oven to 450F. Spread the tater tots on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and crisp.

Now it's time to build our chili masterpiece!

Put some of the hot tots in an individual serving bowl.

My velveeta cubes: You know, the Mexican-style Velveeta would have been really good here, but the Teeter didn't have it.

Put some of the cubed Velveeta on top of the tots.

Ladle some of the hot chili over the cheese and tater tots.
Then add some of this:

And some of this:

And some sour cream and some shredded Mex blend cheese.

Voila! Chili heaven!


I was amazed at how delcious this chili turned out to be! We really enjoyed the combination of flavors, from the smoky heat of the chipotles to the creaminess of the Velveeta to the earthy crunch of the potatoes. Yeah, I know Velveeta isn't real cheese. But some dishes just wouldn't be right without it! The melting factor is kind of critical here. Perhaps I should have called this "White Trash Chipotle-Cheese-Fries Chili." :)

Between the serranos, the chipotles in adobo, and the chipotle chile powder, this is some seriously spicy chili! The heat from the chili and the tater tots melts the Velveeta cubes, which blend right into the chili and, along with the sour cream, tame the spiciness perfectly. For maximum crunch, you could put the tater tots on top of the chili rather than underneath it.

To go with the chili, I made a very refreshing salad of julienned jicama and pineapple tidbits tossed with the juice of one fresh lime, salt, pepper, ancho chile powder, a litttle pineapple juice, and some olive oil. I'm crazy about the juicy crunchiness of jicama, so I was glad that DC and DS enjoyed the salad too. The anchopowder had an unfortunate effect on the color of the jicama, but it tasted good!


For dessert, I made homemade lavender and lemonade ice cream, but we ate dinner so late we didn't get around to dessert. I'll have to report on that another time.

!Buen provecho!

Apron Giveaway + Stuffed Sea-Bass Fillet Wrapped in Chard with Pomegranate-Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Well, my food photos for ths one really did not turn out well. So disappointing, as I had such high hopes for this, too! This is my Royal Foodie Joust entry for May! This month's Royal Foodie Joust, presided over as always by The Leftover Queen has been quite a challenge.
Rather than specific ingredients, tThe theme for this month's joust is Red, White, and Green. When I heard it, I instantly imagined snowy white fish filets wrapped up in ruby-veined chard. I guess there must be some slavic or scandinavian blood in this here Indian, because I am just crazy about beets and chard. Chard is actually a variety of beet that is raised for its leaves and yummy stems. Every spring I just seem to crave beets in all guises. I decided it would be colorful and fun to add some beet slices and a garlicky crabmeat stuffing to the chard packets as well.

I am quite fond of chard, even though it's a bit of a pain to wash and chop. It's really important to wash it well, as it is very sandy. I always drop the leaves into a sinkful of lukewarm water and let soak for 3-4 minutes, long enough for the dirt to sink to the bottom.

Then carefully lift the leaves out of the water. Wow, just look at all the sand that got left behind!


Here's my original recipe for

Stuffed Sea Bass Wrapped In Chard Leaves
with Pomegranate-Hazelnut Vinaigrette
by DomesticMuse

Ingredients:
8 large Swiss Chard leaves, preferably ruby or rainbow chard
4 6 oz. sea bass filets
1 med. beet
8 T softened boursin cheese
zest of 1 lemon
1/8 c. fresh basil leaves
1 lg. shallot
4 0z. "crabmeat" (I used the fake crab flakes)
2 T freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1/2 t. Cholula or other hot sauce
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:
1/2 c. pure pomegranate juice, such as Pom Wonderful
juice of 1 fresh lime
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T fresh basil leaves, preferably purple basil
4 T extra virgin olive oil
4 T walnut oil Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. chopped toasted hazlenuts

First, roast the beet. Preheat the oven to 400F. Trim away any leaves, leaving 1" of stem, and wash the beet well. Rub with some vegetable oil and add salt and pepper.

Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 30-35 min., or until the beet is easily pierced by a knife. When cool, remove from the foil and remove the beet skin gently with your fingers. Slice into paper-thin slices. (I used my food processor, fitted with the 2mm blade.)


To prepare the chard leaves for stuffing, remove the stems and reserve for another use. Dip the chard leaves in boiling water for 5-10 second to blanch, and drop into an ice water bath.


Dry on kitchen towels. With a sharp paring knife, carefull pare down the thick ribs on the back side of the chard leaves so the leaves are of even thickness.

Spread the leaves out and set aside.


To prepare the stuffing, place the boursin cheese, the lemon zest, the shallot (chopped), the basil leaves, hot sauce, cayenne, parmigiano-reggiano and the crab meat in bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste.
My fininshed stuffing:


To prep the fillets: Preheat the oven to 400F. Spread the 4 filets on a work surface.


Season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover 2 of the filets with beet slices. Then add a generous layer of stuffing, and top the stuffing with more beet slices.

Top with the remaining fish filets.


Cut each of the two stuffed filets in half cross-wise, to make 4 stuffed pieces.
Lay 2 chard leaves on the work surface to form an X. Place one of the stuffed filets on top of the chard leaves, and wrap tightly in the leaves.

Repeat with the remaining filets.

Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 T olive oil. Add the chard packets and sear for 1 minute. Then place the skillet in the oven and roast the chard packets for 12-16 minutes.



Meanwhile, prepare the pomegranate vinagrette. Place the pomegranate juice, the lime juice, the basil, the red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Turn on the machine and add the walnut and olive oils slowly. Taste and correct seasoning as needed.

When the chard packets are done, serve drizzled with the pomegranate vinaigrette and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.






To go with the fish packets, I made braised new potatoes and an old family favorite, that sounds weird but is quite delicious. I find myself craving it every spring: Balsamic Beet and Apple Puree.

It's an old standy-by from The Silver Palate that is really simple to make. For 3 servings. roast 2 medium or 1 large beet in foil at 400F, as descibed above, until very tender. Let cool, peel, and cut into several pieces. Meanwhile, chop one yellow onion and saute slowly in 2-3 T of butter with salt, pepper, and 1 T. of sugar. Add 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped, and saute until the onions and apples are very tender. Add 1-2 T balsamic vinegar. Puree the beet with the apple and onion mixture in the food processor.




We really enjoyed this meal, even if the entree didn't turn out to be as photogenic as I had hoped. It is actually pretty simple to prepare, and goes together quite quickly, once the beets are roasted. The pomegranate vinagrette and chopped hazelnuts added just the perfect tart, tangy and rich touch to the fiinshed dish. It was delicious!

I think this vinaigrette is one of the best uses I've found thus far for the case of Pom Wonderful that the company generously sent me. I will be experimenting with it more this week, now that we are mostly settled into the new house. (Not that there isn't still plenty of unpacking to do, LOL!!)



Happy Spring, All!

Just found out about a great APRON giveaway!! A Wrestling Addicted Mommy is giving away a Carolyn's kitchen hot pink sweetheart apron, deadline is May 5!

Get the details here. As you all know, I am wild for vintage aprons, and Carolyn's Kitchen's aprons are sizzlin'! So don't miss Wrestling Mommy's giveaway!

Yours in culinary love,
DomesticMuse