I may not post a recipe today. I hope you don’t mind. My heart is elsewhere right now.

Making Zwieback with Oma, Jill and Abby.

My Oma was an amazing woman. I don’t have a single bad memory of her. We saw her often, growing up. She woke early every morning to prepare breakfast, and would be waiting when we came upstairs, so she could give us a hug. She was always so happy to see us. I will never forget her voice as she said, “Oh! Hi Rachel. Did you sleep well?” (If you knew her, you might hear her sweet voice in your mind.) She made the best oatmeal… she made the best everything. She was the best Oma I could have ever asked for.

Oma was beautiful, loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, full of goodness, faithful, gentle, controlled, strong, courageous, compassionate. She was a woman of faith and love. Oh and when she laughed! What a sound. She was the kind of woman I hope to be.

She died this morning. I miss her terribly.

Today, I will cherish the memories. They are many, they are all wonderful.

Oma and Opa. A few months before he passed away.

Life will never be the same without her.

Happy Monday to you! Hope you’ve had a great weekend! I know it’s still continuing for some who have today off. For those who don’t, I’m sorry to rub it in… It’s not intentional. Since I work for myself, I don’t have the day off really, so don’t feel too bad. 🙂

One of the things on my to do list for today is to cook. I want to make granola, French bread and chicken stock… Things that I like to have on hand, that I like to make from scratch. I’ve shared one of my versions of granola on here before (adapted from my friend, Sheila‘s version). Today I’ll share my most recent version, and what I’m making right now (it’s in the oven, and smells wonderful).

Granola

Last modified on 2012-06-02 00:10:16 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Have you made my Leeky Pizza yet? If not, you should. It’s awesome! I had a slice just now, cold. Still good. Although it is best hot out of the oven. And, I didn’t put bacon on it, and it’s just fine.

Do you like leeks? I love them! I use them like I would an onion. I use them instead of onions, when I have leeks and when I don’t have onions, like right now. Or I use them if I just feel like something a little different. They can be used in things like Stir Fry, in soups and Borscht, in chili and stew, in Shepherd’s Pie, added to this pizza or this one… You get the picture. Right?

Here are some recipes I’m just dying to try from Mireilee Guiliano, who is the author of, the French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook. I was given this cookbook for Christmas, and have very much enjoyed what I’ve read so far. The recipes all sound delicious! For example, Potage d’Hiver sounds divine (plus I have all of the ingredients), her Leek and Spinach Quiche would be awesome, and her Mimosa Soup sounds healthy and hearty, just to name a few.

To start, with leeks, it is essential to make sure they’re clean… no one wants to eat grit (I didn’t say grits… those are different). It’s not all that difficult. You should give it a try! I usually chop the leeks, stopping where the dark green part is about to start, and place them in a bowl. Cover them with water, swish around with your hands. The leeks will float and the dirt will fall to the bottom. Scoop leeks out and use.

Our Pizza Friday is going to be on Sunday this week, since we’re going to see a movie and eat some Thai food with some friends tonight. My plan is to make a caramelized leek pizza. I’ll try a stronger cheese to contrast the sweetness of the leeks, maybe add a few walnuts… it would be good with bacon too, but I won’t have any until Tuesday. Sad, but I’ll survive. I haven’t made a pizza exactly like this before, so I’ll make any changes if necessary. 🙂 Enjoy!

Leeky Pizza

Last modified on 2012-06-02 00:02:16 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Rachel’s Pizza Crust