Amazing Night at The Highland Inn

My husband must have been tired of hearing me go on and on about how amazing the food is at The Highland Inn, located in Highland Maryland. My birthday was on Thanksgiving this year, so we spent our day with family celebrating and cooking. The next night, he took the family to The Highland Inn. 

O.M.G.  (if I may) the food was amazing. Even my almost four year old was well behaved upon his first bite of duck fat french fries. "Mama", he said "These are AWESOME!". What can I say? My son has good taste. 

Seamus digging those fries!

There were three adults, and we each ordered the four course tasting dinner. Apparently my colleagues were not as well versed in these types of meals as they ordered a lot of meat proteins. Needless to say they were bursting by the time we finished eating. So my tiny piece of advice is to not get more than two meat proteins as it will just be too much food. However, you can order four of any items on the menu, some of which are considered entrees and some are salads. I wish I could say that we took pictures of everything and they all came out beautiful, however the truth is that the food was so incredible we often started tasting it right away...completely forgetting to document its amazingness.

Shrimp and Grits

It seemed unbelievable to me that after being with my husband for over a decade and never once seeing him eat grits, that he ordered the Shrimp and Grits. He was blown away. Later that evening the Chef, Brian Boston, came to our table and we discussed his amazing grits. Seems they are shipped up from Norcross, Georgia and are a very rare kind indeed if my husband inhales them. 

Another really cool thing about Chef Boston coming to our table was that we got to discuss the lentils he served with the salmon plate. Can I just say they were amazing? I thought they were flavored with lemongrass and while I was wrong the flavor was similar, he agreed. (I won't disclose all the man's secrets!) Either way they were amazing. 

Duck Sausage

Anyone who has read anything I have ever written about The Highland Inn will remember how I rave about the Duck Sausage. It was once again rave worthy! I did also discuss this with Chef Boston, and he also loves it. It really is my favorite thing! So amazingly decadent but not so much of a portion that you feel gross and over-sausaged. The braised red cabbage was also about amazing, and the cherry mustard, well, to die for. 

I would also like to add that Chef Boston and his other restaurant, The Milton Inn, in Sparks, MD, have received numerous awards and accolades, including 2011 Chef of the Year. I am FULLY aware that he does not have to take the time to speak with me. I also appreciated it as a one-time cook and understudy of another Chef years ago when a Chef isn't a pompous jerk. Many of them seem to be, and I can tell you that this man is not. He is very humble and appreciative of his "fans", which somehow made the food taste even better. 

Pan Roasted Mahi

My niece ordered the pan roasted Mahi and was not even close to disappointed. The pumpkin puree was again just to die for and we had all just filled up on pie the day before! That's how you know it's darn good pumpkin. 

Other plates that we did have that we were just unable to document due to the deliciousness when it hit the table included the following: 

Root Vegetable Gnocchi - This was one of those things I could not wait to get on my taste buds on, and I was not disappointed. The menu lists the ingredients as Sweet Potato, Rutabaga, Hazelnuts, Ginger-Sweet Potato Nage, Fried Sage and Parmesan. They were light and slightly dry, which is nice as often they are overcooked and soggy. The sauce was just enough to flavor, and not overpower the already incredible gnocchis. 

Beets - I didn't order these, but I did have the pleasure of tasting them. I was kind of taken aback when my niece (one of the adults at the table) said "Oh man! I LOVE BEETS" as that is not something I usually hear. Well she was not disappointed and if I had gone in for a second taste I may have been bitten.

Figs - These were hot on my list of things to taste. I used to enjoy them in Adams Morgan with an Egyptian friend when I was younger, and have really developed a taste for them. These were served with bleu cheese and prosciutto. They did not disappoint, and I could only have wished the plate was bigger to satiate my own twisted desire for them. 

Lobster Mac & Cheese - Not one to miss out on two awesome flavors, my husband ordered the lobster mac and cheese. He raved about it, and even stated the next time he would order just this full entree. It passed muster and won as his favorite dish of the evening. 

Crispy Skinned Salmon - This is the dish that came with those delectable lentils. I was so engrossed in the lentils I didn't remember to sample anything else on the plate! I was assured it was incredible though. 

French Onion Soup - Onion soup is actually one of my all time favorite soups so I wanted to see how it was done at the Highland Inn. I was not disappointed! It was just really good, and the only soup I have had that can even compare is my own. Of course mine isn't AS good, but its a darn close second. 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin - My husband ordered this and announced it was delicious. He is a huge non-fan of cabbage however, which was great for me because I got to eat the portion that came with his pork. It was also served with apple butter and granny smith chutney. Just really, really good. 

Hand Crafted Vanilla Ice Cream (AMAZING)

I can not have more to say about the dessert plate they sent out to the table. There was not much more than a dollop of vanilla ice cream presented to me, yet it was so flavorful and rich I couldn't bear to put another bite of food in my mouth. It was served on a small crush of Oreo cookies, flanked by a split white chocolate cookie and whipped cream. I would have licked the plate if I were not in mixed company...

 Thankfully they also had leftover chocolate ice cream from their Thanksgiving feast the night before. Seamus is a huge fan, and since they gave him two heaping scoops to contrast my tiny dollup I was jealous. Well, until I learned it was not home made. It can't be expected that small children would ever be satisfied by anything less. Once again, Chef Boston came through and his front of house staff was nothing less than stellar.


Want to make a reservation or book a catered event? Contact The Highland Inn TODAY! 

How to Tell if You Have the Greatest Husband Ever, or What I Am Most Thankful For This Year.

So, how can you tell if you are married to possibly the greatest man in the world? Well, you have to have a little back story. So let's go back to the 1970's. My mother was a recently divorced nurse trying to raise three feisty daughters on a farm with little money or hope of getting any child support.   Holidays pay better if you work, and Christmas was the most coveted in our very Christian home town. My mother worked pretty much every Christmas in order to be able to spend Thanksgiving at home with the family. It was her favorite holiday and never missed by anyone. 

Years later, after I had my son and my cousins had their kids and we had spread around the country, my beautiful mom, Gertrude, brought us together one last time when she passed away Thanksgiving morning. It was devastating to say the least for the entire family, and a few days away from my 40th birthday. Now I still celebrate the day, and this year am cooking for my mother's sister and her family and all the kids. I have prepped for years for this, and feel I know all the family's favorite recipes by heart. I am even ready to start teaching my almost four year old son so that someday, when I am gone, he will teach his kids. Recipes are one of the best ways to keep the ones we love alive. 

Now what does all this have to do with my husband? Well as you can imagine my birthday has gotten to be kind of a depressing time. Not because of my age, but because it made me so sad thinking about my mom and the holiday and all that sort of thing. The year Gert died, he threw me my first surprise party...ever. Actually it was really only one of a handful of birthday celebrations I had ever experienced. I think I had a sleepover when I was seven, and maybe one other, but it usually got mobbed into the Thanksgiving meal. 

This year, I know he went out of his way to make it special again. I have been trying to get this food blog up and running, money is tight because I am working from home, all of these things. I was once in Executive Level Management for a large company, I made male wages and worked hard to fight my way to the top. Now I am in charge of laundry and the household, as well as somehow making enough money to pay for my son's private pre-school. Having said all that, I wanted to add a new angle to the blog. I wanted to open up a whole new world of old school recipes by using a tool I didn't have the money to buy...A PRESSURE COOKER.

So my husband comes home yesterday and says he wants to give me my gift early. What could it be? Not just a regular old pressure cooker, but an automatic pressure cooker! Oh I love this man! According to the instructions, a pot roast can be cooked in 20 minutes, along with the potatoes and carrots! So my faithful readers, I foresee some new and exciting recipes in the future.

As I have been reading my mom's old recipes and dissecting her cookbooks and side notes, I have periodically come across items that require a pressure cooker. I am sure that this item will not only be awesome in helping me whip up dinner after working all day (hey, these things don't write themselves!), but also will help renew more old school cooking skills that we know create healthier meals.

From my research I know you can buy a regular pressure cooker for about $20-30 if money is tight. I was saving up for the super awesome model, which I got. I hesitate to look up what my husband spent because that's tacky but in the interest of information, it seems the ultra model costs around $80.  

In closing, this year I am thankful for having such an awesome husband who wants to support his wife during a weird time of career change, life change and household change. My mother has been gone for three years already, and it's been tough to get through the holidays and birthdays.  Many couples facing such hardship and loss (we lost his mother about six months after mine) while dealing with a new son, well, it doesn't usually go well. With my staying home our income has declined significantly, but together we are strong enough to make things work another way. And that is why I know I am married to the best husband in the world. Thankfully it is a class of man and not limited to just one. That means you too can be married to the most awesome man in the world as well. I can come from something as small as a pressure cooker, or even smaller like just knowing they support you. Be thankful. Love each other and enjoy your holidays.

 

The specific model I will be using from this point on is the Power Pressure Cooker XL.

I cannot WAIT to get to canning!

Its Almost Thanksgiving! Do You Have Your Turkey?

The Thanksgiving Holiday is upon us, and we are getting down the the wire on getting the turkey. So where will your turkey come from this year? Many shoppers will be hitting grocery stores and Target and Walmart to get their holiday meal and trimmings. So what precisely are you eating?

I am not making an argument for or against eating turkey on Thanksgiving, because that is your personal choice. If you are going to have a bird this year, from whence will it hail? A production farm and jammed full of chemicals, or farm fresh and free range?

Frozen turkey has added chemicals, water and if it is self-basting it has other chemicals added in for "flavor". Providing that you do your homework and purchase from a natural farm that does not use antibiotics in the feed, these turkeys are generally exactly what they say...Turkey.

Please check out the USDA guidelines on turkey for further review. Additionally we have recommended some farms in the Maryland Area on our Local Stuff page where you can find great fresh turkey with no weird additives.

Annie's Amazing Tomato Base

Yes, its finally done! My wonderful recipe for my tomato base. This takes some time, but the prep is minimal and the cooking process itself actually does the work. I am thinking that this can also be made in a crock pot, however that is not my particular cooking instrument of choice.

This amazing recipe takes nine pounds of fresh tomatoes (NINE POUNDS???) Yeah but it lasts for at least 6 meals. I make this regularly and from it we can make an amazing beans and rice, spaghetti sauce, lasagna, curry or whatever. I refer to this recipe a lot and so no worries, I will tell you how to use it!

For less than $25 you will have six quarts of amazing sauce. Its fresh, no corn syrup added and no funky chemicals. Tomatoes are full of lycopene which is great at fighting heart disease, Vitamins A & C, and Choline which is great in fighting inflammation. Tomatoes are purported to help fight cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure. I found this great info-graphic on tomatoes online:

So without further adieu, here is the recipe! 
Annie's Amazing Organic Tomato Base

Annie's Upside Down Apple Cake

I lovingly call this upside down cake for people whose husbands don't like pineapple. As soon as I presented it to the family, I heard "BUT I DON'T LIKE PINEAPPLE". Because I didn't know that after 10 solid years of hearing you gripe about my love of pineapple.

Having said that, it really is a delicious cake. I found it to be a little dense, but not in a bad way. Dense in a way that it was begging me for a scoop of ice cream with the next slice. I can even narrow it down to cinnamon or vanilla flavored ice cream.

Another really nice aspect of this cake is that I had all the ingredients listed already in my kitchen. A well prepared cook should be able to just pick up a recipe and make stuff, well, unless it involves meat. I must say that I prefer to pick up fresh the day I am cooking it.

Annie's Upside Down Apple Cake

Gert's Onion Soup

My mother and I both really love(d) Onion Soup, and we were forever looking for the ultimate recipe. I have been going through many of her recipes now that she is gone, and stumbled upon this one yesterday. Of course, its rainy and chilly here in Maryland which makes it perfect soup weather.

Once I looked at this recipe and realized I had absolutely everything already in my kitchen, I decided it had to be done. Its so easy by the way to be able to jump on a yummy recipe when you already have the basics in the kitchen. Whenever I see stock, beans or anything else that comes in a can or is rice or pasta, that is on sale; I jump on it.

As a side note I should point out that Harris Teeter was selling ORGANIC beans this week (as of 10/12/14) for $.99 a can, and non-organic were 10 for $5. This is the kind of sales I am talking about. As always, try to buy organic whenever possible!!

Gert's Onion Soup

Awesome Apple Bread

Want the most incredible apple bread recipe? I have the world's greatest right here! I was able to use almost all organic ingredients, as well as fresh apples from Falcon Ridge Farm in Maryland. Can I just add that these apples, usually found at the Olney Farmers and Artists Market, are the bestest I have had in YEARS.

 Yummy Apple Bread

Awesome healthy cookie recipe!!

OMG I just found this recipe and it is not only dairy free but also gluten, dairy and sugar free. DANG! Now that is a cheap cookie to make. Check out this recipe for them:

Cranberry Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Harris Teeter organic food

I went to HT yesterday and picked up some food. Prices were as follows:

Dole GMO free pineapple bits 4 pk -- $2.29
HT brand organic frozen corn -- $1.89
HT brand organic.sweet. peas --2 for $5
Stonyfield organic yokids squeezers -- 2 for $6 (16 total)

And non organic but staples around here:
HT brand honey wheat sandwich bread -- $1.99
HT brand natural ice cream -- $3.99
HT brand 1 dozen eggs -- $.99

I have flour. I have baking soda and I have brown sugar at home. Recipe for this fourth of July. ..cookies and mama and Seamus time. Sidenote is that its easy to teach science and math concepts while cooking!

Olney Farmers and Artists Market

The OFAM crew is always a good time, and the music is always on point. The food is excellent and this year they have added a lot of clothing vendors who really have very nice items for sale. Check it out!!

Olney Farmers and Artists Market

Holy Smokes! This looks like fun!

Now here is a super family event being held at Clark's Elioak Farm in Howard County. Its free, but whatever you can donate whatever you wish at the door. Its a fundraiser for the Howard County Food Bank so don't be a chump and not donate. Give what you can. They will be serving locally sourced produce and showing agricultural films.



 Link to Howard County Film Feastival

Did you know that white vinegar (under $3 a Gallon) is awesome?

If you use white vinegar and baking soda in your rinse cycle as opposed to fabric softener you will come up with cleaner and softener clothes every time. I have a front loader and it also keep it from stinking. I put vinegar in the bleach and fabric softener loading area and baking soda in the pre rinse area. Its incredibly cheap and keeps all that extra detergent out of the ecosystem. White vinegar usually runs me about $2.67 a Gallon and baking soda is about $.47 a box. How much is that Downy again??

Organic Bananas $.69 every day?!

Shoppers food warehouse bringing you organic bananas every day for $.69. Thats a steal!

Great place for special occasions!

Ricciuti's Restaurant

What an excellent place to eat. Also Ricciuti's sources electricity from wind farms and carries all local and organic foods. I believe they also sell items at Roots Markets. This place can get pricey, but for that special night out it is worth the price.

Introduction

"It is just impossible to eat organic and cheap". I come up across this mentality every day, and it makes me feel awful when people say "I can't afford to eat that way". I wonder how they can afford not to!? With food associated diseases such as diabetes and cancer running rampant in America, when will people wake up and realize that good food choices mean a longer and healthier life?

My rant is done. The next real point is that it is possible to eat healthy and also live in one of the most expensive counties in the United States. It does sometimes require a crock pot, and always requires some cooking, but if you are eating out every night, most likely you don't care if it is organic or not.

I am all about going organic whenever possible, staying as GMO free as possible and as Natural as possible. Why do I keep saying "as possible"? Because a rum and Coke just isn't a rum and Coke...without Coke. I feel as though I should be able to choose my poison as they say, and try to gamble as little as possible with my son's food intake also. I have found ways to cut corners, save money and eat healthy on a small budget. I will be sharing these tips as well as businesses that are local and all natural or organic.

I welcome any advice or tips as well to share with others. Unless you are sippin on haterade, then please stay to yourself.