April Second Half

Oven diced potatoes, cheese sauce, and broccoli
Salmon with maple glaze
Cheeseburgers
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Oven Roasted Eggplant as a side

snacking on: corn tortilla/pepper jack cheese quesadillas

discussion of replacing bedroom windows for egress

http://www.professionalhome.com/Q-windows.html

I am interested in buying a ranch house built in 1955.  I have been told that the bedroom windows won't meet the fire code.  Will this prevent me from buying the house, and what can I do about it? 

The bedroom windows probably do not meet modern “egress” requirements.  Living space rooms require an adequate direct means of escape to the exterior in the case of fire.  A fire that occurs outside a bedroom could prevent escape unless a direct exit from the room exists.  Any room with a door that exits directly to the exterior would of course be acceptable.  If the direct means of escape is a window, there are minimum requirements to ensure that a person really could get out in an emergency.  Some older ranch style homes have bedroom windows that are too small and too high off the floor to satisfy modern codes.  Basically, the opening must be no more than 44 inches off the floor, the minimum opening size must be no less than five square feet, the minimum height of the opening must be 24 inches, and the minimum width must be 20 inches. 

Codes apply and are generally enforced when a house is being built, or if major remodeling is being done.  It is unlikely that anyone is going to require that an older house meet modern “egress” requirements as a part of the sale.  However, it is important that an adequate means of escape is available if you are going to live safely in the house.  It is relatively easy to replace a window with one of the same width but taller.  Window manufacturers have windows designed to meet “egress” requirements that might fit in the existing opening if the sill height is lowered.  Ensuring adequate escape routes is important in every home. 

And this unrelated discussion of ranch architecture in Roanoake

http://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1474

April

Cooking in April is hard.

I made Shrimp Fra Diavolo, and that was delicious.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup with some Kale pureed in.  That was a hit.  But the second time I put too much kale in, which was like too fiber-y.

Pollock Fish Tacos.  It was local Pollock.  W. was sad I didn't provide the radishes or make the white sauce with it.  J worked late and didn't get any, and he's the best audience for this one.

For a birthday breakfast, I made bacon, homemade cornmeal pancakes, poached egg.

For a birthday dinner, I roasted a chicken and made baingan bharta, simply recipe's dal, a new black bean dal, and another vegetable dish.

leftovers of the above dinner for a couple days.

we were sick: I made chicken tortilla soup and a Tom Yum soup with shrimp.

herbed roasted potato bites, broccoli, cheese sauce.

Lasagna Layers for a no-ricotta lasagna

cheese

sauce

noodles

half the veggies

sun dried tomato

sauce

noodles

cheese

pesto

half the veggies

sauce

noodles

sauce

\_____________/

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
Not healthy, Not Vegetarian, Not Quick.
Heavy on the biscuit, Comfort Food.
Kid Favorite

Make Ahead Note: I usually make the meat and gravy one day (or use leftovers), the vegetables another day, and do the biscuits and assemble on a third day.  Especially as I might be serving a choice of chicken or lentil pot pie.

Meat (you can use leftover cooked chicken instead)
vegetable oil--not olive as you are sort of frying chicken.
spices--I like a Herbes De Provence mix.  Poultry Seasoning, or your favorite thyme/oregano/basil
8 chicken thighs, raw, cut into bite-sized pieces

Gravy
2TB butter
2TB flour
4 cups chicken broth (I use Better than Boullion)

Vegetables
1 Onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 pound mushrooms washed and sliced
1 parsnip or 1 fennel bulb, for interest

Biscuits
I used a store brand biscuit mix: 4 cups mix, 6 TB butter, 1 1/3 cup milk.  Mostly because it calls for melted butter and I felt too lazy to cut butter into flour without my food processor.

Cook Meat.
1. Heat oil in skillet and saute dried herbs for 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken and saute 5-8 minutes until cooked.
3. remove meat to large mixing bowl.

Prepare Gravy
4. heat chicken broth in microwave
5. In same skillet used for meat, melt butter.
6. whisk in flour, cook a minute or two while whisking.
7. whisk in hot broth, adding gradually.
8. let simmer 10 minutes.

Cook vegetables in LARGE skillet. (I used two large skillets)
9. Heat oil, saute dried herbs
10. saute vegetables.

Preheat Oven 450F
Assemble in 9x13 glass pan.
11. Mix vegetables and chicken together in glass pan.
12. Pour half the gravy over mix.
13. Bake for first 15 minutes while preparing biscuits--if the filling is piping hot, it helps cook the biscuits from below in later steps.

14. Mix biscuit dough according to package directions, not bothering to knead.
15. Take hot casserole out of oven
16. Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough onto chicken/vegetable mix, it will be mostly covered.
17 Back in oven another 15 minutes or until biscuits are done.

Serve with reserved gravy.

Easy Bulbogi Hamburger

http://damndelicious.net/2013/07/07/korean-beef-bowl/

homemade enchilada sauce

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/
no-tomato restaurant style

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/08/red-enchilada-sauce/
some tomato, and very good.