I was tagged for three random things by Being Booga.

1. I am moving this summer from the deep south to Illinois
2. One thing I am worried with regards to the move is the fact that many of my favorite cake recipes don’t work with midwestern flour…and no one will understand my need for all-purpose flour from the South. I know this because I lived in WI for four years where cake recipes mysteriously stopped working for those 4 years and the 4 following years on the west coast, only to perk up once I moved back to where I should live-the south. Yes, I know, I can make allowances…measure exactly…fidget…order flour online…use cake flour.
3. I also am concerned about the dearth of important commodities like pimento cheese and sweet tea…but pleased at the idea of readily available pub cheese and cheese curds.

I think I will tag…

Skeeter…because she is also a relocated Southern Girl and surely she is no longer in a twist about that grilled cheese recipe

Lidian

Vered

Rochelle

And ClickMichelle who has a brand new blog Eating Dinner on Grandma’s Plates

The following is totally not retro unless you are interested in newfangled retro foods. It IS what we had for dinner though and quite tasty. The recipe is from the fabulous Crescent Dragonwagon’s Passionate Vegetarian cookbook. (Seriously, everyone should buy this cookbook. Whether you are a vegetarian, like vegetarians or are mystified by vegetarians, this is THE cookbook to own. It is huge and I didn’t even consider ditching it in the great cookbook declutter of 2008. )

Tofu and Marinade

3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu soy sauce (ok, I am heathen and used plain old La Choy soy sauce)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 to 2 dashes Tabasco or similar hot sauce
1 package firm traditional water-packed tofu, pref reduced fat, sliced the short way into rectangles 1/2 inch thick, well-drained

Breading

1 cup crisp bread crumbs
1/2 cup corn or wheat flakes
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crumbled between your fingers
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and plenty of fresh ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
cooking spray or olive oil spray
1 egg, beaten (optional)

Prepare the tofu: Combine the garlic, tamari, nutritional yeast, vinegar, turmeric and tabasco. Rub the marinade into the tofu. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours. (Ok so I threw it all in a ziploc and put it in the fridge)

Make the breading: Combine the breadcrumbs, cornflakes, spices in a zippy bag. (we didn’t have sage and I forgot the thyme) Drizzle in the olive oil and toss together. (errr I missed this step completely)

Preheat oven to 400.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray (or use nonstick sheet). Set aside.

Beat the egg together with 2 tablespoons water and a little additional salt and pepper. (We didn’t have egg. I threw some milk and a little olive oil in my flat bowl for this step. Missed the salt and pepper here)

Drop the marinated tofu into the breading one by one. Shake. Pull out. Dip in egg mixture, then back to the zippy bag of breading. Shake again. Put on baking sheet. Repeat until all is double coated.

Spray top of tofu with a little more cooking spray. Bake 10-12 minutes. Flip over (with tongs or pancake turner) Bake 10-12 more minutes. If it isn’t crisp, run it under the broiler for a few minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes/rice and chicken style gravy.

We have a new Wii at our house. This means that the modern youth and us old folk have spent two evenings in the living room looking rather uncoordinated and silly WHILE having a lot of fun. I think one of the dance games will eventually come to our house… in the meantime just imagine the Retro house family making funny faces and moving sort of like this video except with wii-motes in hand.

It is back to school time around here and it seems that young folk have come out of the woodwork all over town. Hopefully they are off to get an appropriate start to their year and behaving. No food content this week, unless you count the food fight.

I am in the foodblogging session at Blogher. I am in the company of all sorts of great foodbloggers! Both the panel and attendees. I am so excited and will link soon but there is so much to listen to…from the power of food blogging, why food blog + copyright and plagiarism and really interesting comments.

I am going to Blogher 07 next week. I didn’t think I would be going this year but the fates intervened and back I am going. Now thanks to Kelly, I should introduce myself in 10 seconds.

To do this, I thought I would take after Denise and just ask the children. My son said I was so much more than cool that it was hard to describe me in just a few words. Then he added that I was creative and very patient. Then we discussed whether I should share my Runescape stats.

My youngest said I should mention that I am a good knitter. (I just learned this past spring. She just learned this week.)

My middle child said that I was a good mother, kind, calm, easy to manipulate, that I don’t know anything about Pokemon, a good cook and special in my own way.

My 17 yo would say (I haven’t asked her yet) I ask a lot of questions. Weird ones. She might also mention my dancing in the grocery store, or teaching her to polish silver, or cook, or knit, or sew. If with her grandmother and father, she would give a huge list of virtues that made me sound like June Cleaver and Father knows best COMBINED.

My son and my youngest also thought I should mention that I can do the Aunt Jackie and the Pop, Lock and Drop. I reminded my son he will be with me, but unlike his siblings, he seems to find the idea of my dancing in public amusing.

I might add that I either talk too much or talk too little in public. In fact, I am altogether awkward and socially inept at times. On the other hand, a number of people find me utterly charming. I do ask odd questions. I am not good with names, faces or remembering what blog you belong to, so uh please be patient with me. I do adore your blog. I just might think your kids belong to someone else.

Tag: blogme2007

 Because Liz corrupted me into lolcat life and Lorena shared the quiz…

Your Score: Longcat

51% Affectionate, 45% Excitable, 37% Hungry

Protector of truth.

Slayer of darkness.

Loooooong.

Longcat may seem like just a regular lengthy cat, but he is, in fact, looong. For proof, observe the longpic.

It is prophesized that Longcat and his archnemesis Tacgnol will battle for supremacy on Caturday. The outcome will change the face of the world, and indeed the very fabric of lolcatdom, forever.

Be grateful that the test has chosen you, and only you, to have this title.

To see all possible results, checka dis.

But if you are a visual person…and like videos…and food…you may like this new beta- Rouxbe.

I haven’t gotten a chance to wander it yet. Mostly because I really don’t think cooking videos are my thing, but I wanted to share in case they were your thing.

Check out the foodie blogroll widget off to the right. It has links to all sorts of nice food related blogs, all courtesy of the Left Over Queen.

So, just in case you aren’t getting enough cooking daydreams here…you have plenty more places to wander.

I am all about the frugal when it comes to cooking…and household management. At least, I try to be. That is part of what makes retro cooking so appealing. It tends to be frugal.

Check out this week’s Festival of Frugality for some great tips on frugal cooking and money management and short cuts to more money in your pocket.