LJ, glad to hear you like the results!

I also enjoy reading about your food adventures. Most of my home life revolves around the exploration of tastes, spices, and making up new dishes. Thanks for posting those fabulous recipes.

Anais

Anais, thanks for the post! Tonight's recipe is the bomb-diggity. And I say bomb-diggity only because my teenaged-stepdaughters love it when I try to use that wacky teen lingo anywhere besides in my own head. So here is a mad shout out to my steps. Angel Spun, I think you're right about the hormones. Not only are big, scary black hairs growing on my head, they have started growing on the right corner of my upper lip, too. Thank God for Jolene creme bleach and tweezers.

I love it when people post in my journal, have I ever mentioned that? Makes me feel like one of the popular girls at school, which in reality I never was!!

Anyway, I COed again today with Vo5 Sunkissed Raspberry mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm love that smell. I bought a clarifying lemon shampoo from Avalon Organics to use once a week for silicone buildup and a shampoo from J/A/S/O/N for occasional use if I feel the need to shampoo. So far so good with CO, although I did CO two days in a row. I would like to train my scalp to wait a few days before greasing up. But I have to say,

I LOVE CO-ing!!!!

Here is what I am making tonight, although I am halving the recipe for our little family:

Broiled Salmon with Chutney and Crisp Spiced Crust
Serves 8 to 10

2 tablespoons unsalted butter   
1 medium clove garlic , minced 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin   
1/2 teaspoon paprika   
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon   
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper   
1/4 teaspoon table salt   
3 slices high-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed 
4 ounces plain high-quality potato chips, crushed into rough 1/8-inch pieces, about 1 cup, (thick-cut and kettle-cooked preferred; ridged chips in a pinch) 
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaf   
1 whole side of salmon fillet , about 3 1/2 pounds, pinbones removed and belly fat trimmed 
1 teaspoon olive oil   
3/4 teaspoon table salt   
Ground black pepper   
3 tablespoons smooth mango chutney   

1. Adjust one oven rack to uppermost position (about 3 inches from heat source) and second rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat butter in small skillet over medium heat until melted. Off heat, add garlic, ground cumin, paprika, ground cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Set aside.

3. Pulse bread in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until processed into fairly even 1/4-inch pieces about the size of Grape-Nuts cereal (you should have about 1 cup), about ten 1-second pulses. Spread crumbs evenly on rimmed baking sheet; toast on lower rack, shaking pan once or twice, until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss together bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, butter-spice mixture, and parsley in small bowl; set aside.

4. Increase oven setting to broil. Cut piece of heavy-duty foil 6 inches longer than fillet. Fold foil lengthwise in thirds and place lengthwise on rimmed baking sheet; position salmon lengthwise on foil, allowing excess foil to overhang baking sheet. Rub fillet evenly with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil salmon on upper rack until surface is spotty brown and outer 1/2-inch of thick end is opaque when gently flaked with paring knife, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove fish from oven, spread evenly with smooth mango chutney, and press bread crumb mixture onto fish. Return to lower rack and continue broiling until crust is deep golden brown, about 1 minute longer.

5. Transfer salmon and foil sling to cutting board, remove sling, and serve salmon from board.

MMMM...sounds really good. Can i come over for dinner...once a month...once a week...everyday

I'm glad you found a good hair routine

Beesan, come on over, girlfriend. You are always welcome. You would just have to put up with the noise factor that comes with having dinner at our place  .

My hair is kind of a mess. It's sectioned and rather greasy, but I am getting used to CO. Maybe I'll try to do some COWing instead to give my scalp a chance to normalize. Or should I just stick it out with COing and just gradually extend the number of days without a wash? So confusing...but at least my hair isn't feeling like straw anymore. I'll take grease over hay any day.

On today's to-do list is...bet you can't guess...LAUNDRY. Also I am going to listen to some wisdom online at www.alcclife.org. Gotta do some filing of old bills and whatnot, start peeling tape off of our kitchen cupboard windows (finally, only four months after having them painted ). It's much too cold to bring the babies outside so we're going to hide out at home. Mmmmm, coffee cake, decaf coffee, maybe some organic Rooibos Strawberry Cream tea...I looooove being in my pumpkin shell.

So last night I made a sour cream coffee cake for our regular Sunday get-together at C's house. Have I mentioned that before? Five couples, ten kids...anarchy. Here's a pic of the remains of the coffee cake:

Because the coffee cake was in the oven baking at 350 degrees at precisely the same time that the salmon was supposed to be in the oven broiling, I ended up actually saving the salmon for tonight. Last night I made something else (because I forgot that our new range has TWO ovens in it and the whole fish/coffee cake simultaneous baking thing was in fact possible). And here is that something else:

Dan Dan Mian (Spicy Sichuan Noodles)
Serves 2 or 3 as main dish, if you eat like we do, serves 4 normal people

8 ounces ground pork   
3 tablespoons soy sauce   
2 tablespoons dry sherry   
ground white pepper   
2 tablespoons oyster sauce   
4 tablespoons Asian sesame paste or peanut butter 
1 tablespoon rice vinegar   
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth (see note) 
1 tablespoon peanut oil   
1 inch piece fresh ginger , minced (about 1 tablespoon) 
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons) 
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes   
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil   
12 ounces dried Asian noodles or 1 pound fresh Asian noodles (width between linguine and fettuccine) or 12 ounces linguine 
3 medium scallions , sliced thin (about 1/3 cup) 
2 cups bean sprouts (about 6 ounces) (optional) 
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns toasted in small dry skillet until fragrant, then ground (optional) 

1. Combine pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry, and pinch white pepper in small bowl; stir well with fork and set aside while preparing other ingredients. Whisk together oyster-flavored sauce, remaining soy sauce, peanut butter or sesame paste, vinegar, and pinch white pepper in medium bowl. Whisk in chicken stock and set aside.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large stockpot over high heat.

3. Meanwhile, heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add peanut oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add pork and cook, scraping along pan bottom and breaking up pork into small pieces with wide metal or wooden spatula, until pork is in small well-browned bits, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add peanut butter/chicken stock mixture; bring to boil, whisking to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to blend flavors, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in sesame oil.

4. While sauce simmers, add noodles to boiling water and cook until tender (refer to package directions, but use them only as a guideline and be sure to taste for doneness). Drain noodles; divide noodles among individual bowls, ladle a portion of sauce over noodles, sprinkle with scallions, bean sprouts, and ground Sichuan peppercorns, if using; serve immediately.

A pic of the dish from my cookbook, since taking a picture of our dinner would send my husband over the edge:

And one more thing...
I AM !!!!!

LJ im glad you joined the boards. you sound like a wonderful cook. hopefully i can learn a thing or two.

LOL Trisha, I have the same problem with Anais' journal when she posts recipes. Although when am I not hungry, esp. this time of the month *wink wink nudge nudge*?

Curlygirl, my dear. You flatter me. My cooking is only as good as the recipe, for I have zero ability to deviate from what's on paper. Every time I've tried to improvise w/the cooking it's been an inedible disaster. So basically every dish I know how to cook is from www.cooksillustrated.com. And when I got married five years ago, I couldn't boil water. Fact.

And Beesan, I have three words for you: Starbucks Java Chip.

I am listening to iTunes Radio Absolutely Smooth Jazz, an unfortunate habit. Most days I have that playing in the background on my computer, it makes my house sound like the waiting room of a spa...or a doctor's office. But hey, it calms my nerves. Other frequently played CDs are the Windham Hill: The First Ten Years cds, Michael Hedges cds, sometimes Steely Dan, but mostly this Smooth Jazz stuff that is insidious, working its way into my psyche until I have no choice but to relax.

Today is a no-wash day. My hair looks great! No grease, no tangles, the ends on my canopy are dry but that's to be expected. Gotta glue them together with jojoba or silicone spray or something like that.

We had the salmon last night. Yum. Tonight is Wegman's frozen eggplant parm, spaghetti, green beans and salad. Thank God for Wegman's, and Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing. Mmmmmm...doughnuts... have I mentioned I've gained probably five to ten pounds this winter? My excuses include not having snowpants to take the kids out to play, and this message board. 

Good for you!  I applaud your recognition for the need to discipline your children and your efforts to learn how to do it effectively.  You are obviously a good parent that will raise good children.