Cooky Cooky

With one exception, today was a "what do I have" and "what will I do with it" cooking day. I'm really glad, now, that I didn't have to go out of town. I would have returned to a vegetable bin resembling a science project.

So...instead we have..... my exquisite (OK Richard Simmon's Chicken Noodle Keep-Away-The- Flu Soup) chicken noodle soup with chicken, carrots, zucchini, celery, mushrooms and onions; a beautiful red cabbage slaw with carrots, green onions, red cabbage; a fabulous quiche with fresh spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, potato and onions; and four-cheese (supposed to be five, but I didnt' feel like the 5th was worth a trip to the store) stuffed shells (also has some spinach).

My exception (of on hand) is a clementine cake. I read about it last night and it was worthy of a trip to the store for the clems. OMG - the base is very much like my Tarta de Santaigo, but has clementines in it - all of the clementine. It is a real, real, real, real orange cake. Amond and Orange - orgasmic. I'm thinking one little drizzle of chocolate and I will....not going there.

This gem of a recipe came from one of those "church" or "school" cookbooks that I picked up in Pittsburgh. The bookstore had hundreds, if not thousands, of the fund-raising cookbooks families, churches and schools have printed with "old family recipes". I carefully selected my books from regions - New York: Italian with all the contributor's names ending in "ini" a Christmas Favorites, a "Treasured Recipes from..." meaning that I, at a clearance rate, purchased a half dozen "secret recipe" cookbooks. This cake is no exception.

The best part of all of my weekend food adventures is that the food is fresh and healthy. I haven't gained an ounce (quite the opposite). And I'm learning a lot!