To Thine Own Self, Be Food

Hey, is anyone else exhausted? Christmas is over, the presents have been unwrapped and oohed-and-aaahed over, and calories have been consumed in excess. It's the circle of life? that Elton John sang about in The Lion King. Today's post will be short, because I am in dire need of a nap.  Then, I'm Date Nighting with my sons to see Star Wars.  But yes, I am continuing with the Kitchen Alphabet Challenge, and I realize I'm way behind. Every year, at my in-laws, one of the "gifts" we bring for my mother-in-law is a meal.  Each of the four brothers and his wife prepare a meal for the family, so that MIL can relax and enjoy the grandchildren.  This year, the hubs and I had Tuesday: Lunch.  And since most of the brothers would be leaving shortly after lunch, we needed to keep it quick and low-key and light. What epitomizes all those things? Hot dogs! Usually, there are no hot dogs in the house unless I'm gone for a long period of time and Brent's ...

Almost three weeks have passed since my last post.  Yeah.  This wonderful, great kitchen alphabet challenge.  And I have fallen off the wagon but hard. I realize I have lost all credibility with my readers.  There is no reason to read Be Food or believe a word I say.  So, while I still write this blog for you, dear readers, I mostly write now for myself. Okay.  At last post, I was enthralled by the whole grain farro.  Which, upon further research, turns out to be sold as a whole-grain...but is a wheat-type grain...bad news bears for any of you gluten-free folk out there (and I know of one). My latest grocery store discovery a couple of weeks ago was this little prize: Freekeh.  I know you want to pronounce it like 'freaky'...but no, it's free-kah.  It sounds so very exotic and Middle Eastern-originating.  It's used in similar ways to farro or quinoa or bulgur or even rice.  I substituted it for farro in a mus...