Catching Up & Liebster Awards

Hi everybody!

After a much, MUCH needed rest, I am back.

First things first, I want to thank everyone for their support and good thoughts after my diagnosis. It’s been really heartwarming to know I have so many wonderful people in my corner, and I have definitely been keeping all of you in mind while I make my way through getting healthy again. I will be perfectly honest, the past two months have been a huge struggle. I had a much stronger reaction to the anti-seizure medication than I expected, and spent the first month struggling with bad tremors, balance issues, and exhaustion. I was having memory retention issues (makes sense, considering the part of my brain that is most affected by the epilepsy), and even had bouts of stuttering and stammering due to medication side effects. Work was difficult during all this, as I struggled with having the energy just to get through the day. But, it seems the worst of it has passed now. I still have occasional tremors (mostly when I am really tired or stressed), and my energy is not 100% back, but I finally feel like I have some control over my body now. I took a much longer break from the blog than I expected, but I decided that focusing on my health was my #1 priority, and I knew that you would all understand that. So, now that I am beginning to feel back to normal, I will be easing my way back into the blog. I’ve really missed you all.

So, as my first post back from my medical leave, I am going to switch it up a bit. My darling friend Emily has nominated me for a Liebster Award. You like me, right now you really like me!

What is a Liebster Award, you ask? It’s a bit of a blogger chain letter. The blogger that nominates you posts 11 questions for you to answer on your blog. THEN, you post 11 questions and invite 5 blogger friends to answer. It’s great fun, and a lovely way to get to know others throughout the blogger community. So, without further ado, bring on the Liebster!

1. What is your nickname? I have about a million; Jillie, Jay, J-Bird, the Bird (mainly my aunt), Scully (high school nickname), X Files (college nickname), Ladybug (camp counselor name). But, since Emily was the one that posted this question, I will also add Scullybug, a special nickname created for me by Em herself when we were 14. Love you Moemar.

2. If you could live in another era (past or future), which would it be and why? I have always had a huge connection to the 1920s and 1930s; I love the music, the clothing, the art, the culture, everything (well, except the Depression, though I do find it historically fascinating). Anyone who’s known me longer than about 15 minutes knows that I am inexplicably drawn to this period of time.

3. What would your superhero power be? I can never decide between flying and invisibility. Today, let’s go with flying.

4. Where is your favorite place to get away? The coastal redwoods, up near Oregon. I went camping there as a kid with my family and loved it so much, Shawn and I went there again for our honeymoon. So beautiful and serene.

5. What drew you to blogging? You know, not one particular thing. I was interested after talking about it with Emily, but it took me awhile before I decided exactly what it was I wanted to blog about. I finally decided to do a food blog when I realized just how much time and energy I put into food, cooking, recipe experimentation, and eating.

6. Which school subject was your favorite? Well, besides theatre, probably a toss up between English and history, especially world history and California history. I like any subject that involves some level of storytelling.

7. The five phone apps I couldn’t live without are … (In no particular order) Pandora, Instagram, Facebook, Food Network Recipes, and Candy Crush. I am SO addicted to that game.

8. What is your favorite movie? Seriously, Em? This is a really intense subject for me. I am a rapid movie buff, and I have tiers of favorite movies, based on time period, genre, writing, acting talent … but, if I have to name only one, my go-to is “An American in Paris.” One of the few truly perfect films in existence. Watch it. Watch it now.

9. Who would you most want to have dinner with tonight? My husband, of course, but, if I could pick anyone alive, I would probably have to say Stephen Sondheim. Only because I feel like I really need to meet him, and if it means inviting him to Wednesday night dinner, then so be it.

10. What do you like on your sandwich? Sourdough bread, Dijon mustard, fresh turkey, tomato, dill pickle, and green bell pepper, with a little oil and vinegar. Delicious.

11. Who are your blog idols? John and Sherry, naturally. Helene, Aran, and of course, Miss Emily herself. But Em’s been one of my great inspirations and role models for almost 18 years now.

1. You can only eat one food for the rest of your life. All health and allergies aside, what do you eat?

2. What is the one book you can read over and over?

3. What are your top-three must read blogs?

4. What celebrity do you look the most like?

5. What is your favorite article of clothing in your closet?

6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

7. Who would be at your dream dinner party (dead or alive)?

8. What was the last thing you ate?

9. What is your favorite flower?

10. If you could go back to school and major in any subject you want, what would it be and why?

11. What would you consider your “signature color?”

1. Kat from Mekatsu Mekatsu

2. Andrea from Tomato Tango

3. Karista from Karista’s Kitchen

4. Kristianne from My San Francisco Kitchen

5. Rachel Fawkes from FawkesHunter

 

The Past Two Weeks

It’s been awhile. You’ve all been on my mind the past couple of weeks. I know I’ve been quiet, but I wanted to tell you why. Explain a little what’s been going on in my life recently because, a lot has happened.

Two Saturdays ago, I went with Emily to a Blog Brunch, organized by Nichole and her bf Brian of Vanilla Extract. Bianca, Camille, and Ana were also in attendance. It was such a great meet-up; discussing food and fashion and blogging with a group of (mostly) ladies who are just as passionate about this world as I am. I left feeling inspired and like I’m really becoming a part of a real community. Afterwards (that night really) Emily and I went to a Prohibition-themed party for our twin friends’ birthday. Such fun.

I was so excited to write posts about both last week. I had made some treats for the party (I’ll do a belated post next week), and was just so geared up about blogging and cooking and networking. I was feeling like I was finding my pace and groove with this lil ol’ blog, and was really excited to start moving on things.

Then, on Tuesday, I had a seizure.

I didn’t know at the time it was a seizure. It wasn’t your Hollywood-convulsing-on-the-floor seizure. I was walking home, and I was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of extreme deja vu. I got dizzy, and nauseous, and incredibly disoriented. It lasted about a minute. I don’t remember what triggered the deja vu feeling, or what was going through my head at the time, but I distinctly remembered this happening once before, when I was about 12. The deja vu, the nausea, the dizziness. When I got home, I texted Shawn (who was working late) that I had just had a weird experience. We both chalked it up to my being hungry, tired, just generally weirdness. I sat down on the couch, had some soup, and tried to relax.

Then I had another.

And another.

And another.

All the same, all with that deja vu disorientation, lasting from about 15 seconds to a minute. I was confused and really, really scared. I had some trouble breathing, and I felt completely out of control of my body.

On Wednesday (the day after they started), I went to my doctor. She thought that I was maybe having an atypical migraine, one that manifests as neurological symptoms rather than a headache. That didn’t sound right to me; I’ve been having migraines for about 10 years and they’re fairly routine. This was very, very different. So my doctor sent me to the ER for an MRI just to be safe. Several hours later, I was being injected with contrast dye and slid head-first into a brain scanner. The MRI came back normal, no tumors or bleeds. Just a little asymmetry between the left and right sides of my brain. The ER doc gave me the name of a neurologist and said to call him if I had anymore episodes. Ten minutes after leaving the hospital, I had another seizure.

And another.

And another.

Over the course of 48 hours, I had more than 20 seizures.

Then, Thursday morning, I had a big one. I wasn’t responding to Shawn when he was saying my name, and I was apparently saying some very cryptic things that I don’t remember saying at all. Shawn was afraid I was having a psychotic episode.

That was the final straw. I called the neurologist and said I needed to see him because I was having more and more of these episodes and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. That afternoon, Shawn and I made our way into the city to see the neurologist. I did all the typical neurological tests (reflexes, push/pull, smile, walk in a straight line), tests I’d done about 8 times already in the past two days. They decided that since my MRI came back clean, the next step was to have me hook up to an EEG. They said that the EEG may not determine anything definitively, but that it would help rule out a few things. Because I hadn’t prepared ahead of time, the EEG might not be as helpful as if it had been planned, but it wouldn’t hurt. So I went down, had 26 electrodes hooked up to my head, and hoped for the best.

Then, like a stroke of sheer luck, it happened. I had a seizure while I was hooked up to the EEG. Another big one, one where I was unresponsive and incredibly disoriented. You guys, this is neurological pay dirt. My doctor told me most people go through 3-4 EEGs, including being admitted to the hospital to be constantly monitored for 48 hours, before they have a seizure. I had one within 20 minutes of being hooked up. Of everything that had happened in the past two days, this was the best possible situation. They had, on record, a full recording of one of my seizures. Sheer luck.

The next day I was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Immediately, my life was changed. I was put on anti-seizure medication, my driver’s license was revoked, and I was being prepared for a life of random limitations due to my new disease. No swimming alone. No baths. No cooking food on the front burners (I fought him on that one…how else can one properly monitor a roux?). And then the conversation about children.

Shawn and I have been married for 4 1/2 years. Babies have always been on the horizon for us, and recently it has become a fairly regular topic of conversation. Women with epilepsy are considered high-risk for pregnancy. Basically, it’s a delicate situation. They don’t completely know the affect that anti-seizure medication has on the fetus (some are definitely bad, some they don’t know yet), but seizures are definitely detrimental to the baby’s development. Labor can trigger seizures, and the seizures can cut off the baby’s oxygen supply at an incredibly crucial time. It’s just a really, really sensitive area, one that has to be closely monitored.

This was the most devastating for me. I’ve always wanted children, wanted to be pregnant, wanted to have a natural childbirth, wanted to breastfeed. Some or all of these things may not be possible now. We don’t know yet, but it’s something that’s going to require a lot of monitoring and conversation amongst us and my new team of doctors. I’m trying my best to keep positive, look to the bright side and be thankful for what I have, but I’m still reeling a bit from the diagnosis and sudden life change.

This past week, I’ve been shaky and weak. I’ve been very tired, walking long distances with a cane and sleeping about 10 hours a night. A combination of new medication (I’m pretty sensitive to meds anyway) and recovering from 20 SEIZURES has left me a shaky little bag of bones. Wednesday night was the first time I cooked in over a week: white beans and quinoa. Despite being so tired, it felt good to be chopping and stewing and salting. Like I was finding my way back to myself. Back home.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be easing back into the blog, a few recipes and some smaller, life n’ such posts. Finding my way back. I hope you’ll all be here with me; I’d love to have you on the journey. THG

 

Friday Instagram Round-Up 6

Oh, Friday. You know what that means…Instagram round-up! And weekend. Oh, I love me the weekend. The weather has been so beautiful lately here, I can’t wait to get out in the sunshine. Our yard is definitely in need of some de-winterizing (i.e., get rid off all the brown), but we already have blossoms on the plum tree and jasmine bushes. The jasmine smell in the morning is enchanting; great way to wake up. I also have a Prohibition-themed birthday party for some friends this weekend… Post to follow next week!

In the meantime, let’s get to Instagramming, shall we?

Celeriac and artichoke heart soup with some crusty bread. Perfect winter to spring transition dinner.

Working on my presentation: grilled chicken, sautéed Brussel sprouts on a baked polenta cake.

Discovered in my make-up case: Jane brand cosmetics circa 1998. Hello my name is Jillian and I’m a hoarder.

Reinventing the wheel, or rather, the rice bowl; broiled salmon and steamed asparagus over rainbow quinoa.

Dinner at The Vine, a wine & tapas bar in San Leandro. Those beans are ridic.

Avocado-chocolate mousse, recipe courtesy of A Cozy Kitchen. Super creamy and rich. You must make this.

The little things in life: opening up my dictionary at work to the EXACT page I needed. I may have squealed in excitement.

Fried brown rice, roasted pork tenderloin and soft boiled egg yolk. Delish.

 

Blood Orange Marmalade & The Best Granola Ever

So, what are your thoughts on breakfast? I’m actually not a huge fan; I tend to get really nauseous if I eat too much in the morning, so I have to keep the food light. Shawn, on the other hand, is a huge fan of breakfast. So, this post and the recipes are for him.

This has been one of my first forays into preserves. A few years ago, I made a batch of ginger-pear preserves that were delicious. Unfortunately, I did not can them correctly and they went bad pretty quickly

After doing some good marmalade researching, I developed a pretty simple and tasty recipe: blood oranges, rosemary and ginger. A little heat, a little herb, a lotta citrus. It’s sort of tangy-sweet, with the ginger and rosemary coming in at the very end. Shawn has been using it on toast this week, but I’m planning on heating some up and pouring it over vanilla panna cotta soon. Yum, yum, yum.

If you too are new to preserves, marmalade is a great way to start. Simple and easy recipe; there’s no pectin in marmalade since the citrus creates enough of it on its own, so just cooking it down sufficiently will result in a thick, jelly-like spread.

Now THIS, this granola, is not a new recipe. I’ve been making this for a couple of years; it’s the best. A balance of sweet and salty, a nice mix of oats and seeds; pepitas and almonds for crunch, flax seed and coconut for taste. It makes a nice big batch, but it keeps well in an airtight container. A little almond milk, some blueberries; you have yourself a nice, light breakfast. Shawn likes to just grab a handful to snack on throughout the day. It’s pretty hard to stop eating this granola.

This has been a week of stress and anxiety. My dad (my beloved Papa) has been in the hospital having surgery for diverticulitis. It’s been a stressful and emotional few months leading up to this week, but he’s on the other side of the surgery now and recovering. He’s had to strictly modify his diet to avoid pain and inflammation. I’m hoping that once his recovery is done, he can go back to eating those foods he loves without discomfort. I plan on making some of his favorites once he gets the go ahead from the doctors. Mainly, I just want him home and healthy. My immediate family is pretty healthy, this is really the first major health issue any of us have dealt with, so it has definitely taken its toll on all of us. I just do better when the people I love are living their lives with no issues. Is that too much to ask for? I hope not.

In the meantime, just breathe deep and eat comfort foods. Like granola. And marmalade. And maybe a little (lot) of chocolate. THG

Blood Orange Rosemary Ginger Marmalade
4 large blood oranges
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 stalks fresh rosemary
4 cups cold water
1/2 cup sugar

Peel the oranges, being careful to keep the white pith on the orange. Cut into 1/4 inch slivers. Remove the white pith from the oranges and slice the fruit, widthwise, into 1/4 inch slices.
Add the orange slices, peel, ginger and rosemary to a medium saucepan. Pour cold water over fruit, cover pot and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat pot over medium high to a rolling boil and boil for 5 minutes. Strain liquid and remove rosemary, ginger, and any skin from the oranges (leave the pulp and peel). Return liquid, pulp and peel to the stove and boil. Reduce heat to medium and add sugar. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until liquid has reduced by half and thickens, about 15-20 minutes.
Can marmalade according to instructions on canning set.

Makes approximately 2 cups

The Best Granola Ever
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced raw almonds
1 cup pepitas
3/4 cup unsweetened shaved coconut
1/2 cup flax seed
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, mix oats, almonds, pepitas, coconut and flax seed. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat molasses, honey, brown sugar and vegetable oil over medium high heat to a boil. Whisk in cinnamon, sea salt, cardamom, nutmeg and ginger. Pour half the spice mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the remainder and mix well. Spread mixture over a large cookie sheet and smooth out even. Bake in the center of the oven until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool, then break up into bite sized pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Makes approximately 6 cups

 

Friday Instagram Round-Up 5

Hello! So, I missed last week’s round-up. But, I only had a couple of photos (what with a week of late work nights and eating out), so I thought I would roll last week’s into this week’s. So here we go!

I am currently trying to grow out a pixie cut while trying to avoid that whole Justin Beiber/mullet look. I find dark red lipstick helps.

Sunday movie night: Bernie with Jack Black and curried kobucha squash and quinoa and kale soup.

Easy Dinner 1: chicken and sweet pepper stir fry over rice.

Easy Dinner, The Sequel: penne and pork tenderloin in tomato sauce.

Saturday night, couple’s dinner with Kat and Kris: veggies with hollandaise.

Me. Instagramming Kat. Instagramming dinner. Meta.

Pork and cucumber meatballs with yogurt sauce. The best.

And, of course, boeuf bourguignon to finish us out.

Have a great weekend friends!

Follow me on Instagram @thehumblegourmet

 

Persimmon Steamed Pudding

Awhile back, we had our friend John over for a dinner and a movie night. We made squid ink pasta (my fave) in vodka sauce and watched “Sunset Boulevard”. Have you seen it? Norma Desmond? It’s the best; a little campy, a little noir, and full of Gloria Swanson at her most awesome/insane.

Even if you haven’t seen it, I’m sure you’ve quoted the most famous line at some point: “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.” Actually, the real line is slightly different, but funnily enough, that’s what the famous line has been turned into. Just like Mae West’s line “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” She never said it like that; she actually said “Why don’t you come up some time…and see me.” But, that’s not how we remember it. Even “Casablanca” has a misspoken line…Bogart never says “Play it again, Sam.” He only says “Play it.” and Bergman says “Play it Sam.” But no one says the line the way it became famous. Isn’t it odd how we remember and change iconic lines?

ANYWAY, since I’m sure you weren’t looking for a Hollywood movie line lesson, back to food. For dessert that night, I decided to go with a twist on a classic: steamed pudding. I had some fresh persimmons from the farmer’s market, so I steamed them, pureed them, and folded them into the pudding. A little cardamom and we were on our way.

I love cardamom in desserts. It’s such a distinct flavor and can really cut through the sweetness of a dish like this. It’s got that great earthy, spicy quality to it, which pairs so nicely with winter fruits like persimmon and pear.

Whipped cream and pomegranate seeds. I can get overwhelmed by too sweet a dessert, so the tart pomegranate and the spicy cardamom balance this dish out nicely. The consistency is really great too; similar to a clafoutis, but much more moist. Definitely like a cross between a custard and a cake. Super yummy.

 

What old movies do you like? What movie lines do you find are often misquoted? THG

Persimmon Steamed Pudding
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup persimmon puree
3/4 cup milk

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Brush the inside of 4 small ramekins with the butter. Refrigerate until butter sets.
Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, sea salt, cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat remaining 6 Tbsp. butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolks one at a time, beating between until incorporated. Add vanilla and beat. Add persimmon puree and beat until well combined. Add in the flour mixture in 3 sets, alternating with the milk. Beat well between each addition until all is added and well combined. Scoop mixture into prepared ramekins to just below the lip.
In a lidded casserole dish, add a dish towel to the bottom. Set ramekins on top of towel, being careful to keep about 1 inch space between each dish. Add hot water 2/3 way up the ramekins. Place lid on the casserole dish and carefully transfer to the middle of the oven.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Remove from water bath. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream and pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4

 

Red Currant & Goat Cheese Tart

So, I’ve been sitting on this post for awhile. Quite awhile. Case in point? This dessert was made for Christmas Eve dinner. So…yeah. I’ve been lazy getting around to it.
But, I figured, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. And this dessert is decadent, and involves chocolate, and red fruit. And, it’s pretty. Really, really pretty. And if you were going to eat a pretty dessert any day, it should be Valentine’s, right?

I’m going to be alone this Valentine’s Day. Shawn is going away for a work conference, so it’s just me, the dogs, and some terrible/awesome rom-com I’ll find on basic cable. I’ve never been very into Valentine’s Day; it’s a great day for eating chocolate and smelling pretty flowers, but otherwise, I can take it or leave it. So, I’m not destroyed over spending it on my own. Shawn has a standing tradition to give me a bag of Skittles each year on Valentine’s, so as long as I get those tasty little fruit candies, I’m a happy girl. But I’ll miss my guy, just cuz

The sweetness of the chocolate versus the tang of the goat cheese and tartness of the currants is such a great combination. It’s complex and unexpected. Plus, as I mentioned before, pretty. This is a dessert to make to impress your Valentine.

I love the currants in the goat cheese filling. Fancy, like little rubies.

Beautiful. And delicious, let’s not forget that.
What are you doing for your Valentine this year? THG

Red Currant & Goat Cheese Tart
Tart Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water
Chocolate Filling:
6 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
Goat Cheese Filling:
8 oz. goat cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
Juice and zest of 1/2 an orange
2 eggs, at room temperature and beaten
1/3 cup half and half
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups fresh red currants, stems attached

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Add cubed butter. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add in ice water, 1 tsp. at a time, until dough just comes together. Dump dough onto a well-floured surface. Roll out into a 1/4″ thick rectangle. Press dough into a 4.25″ x 13.75″ tart pan. Fork the bottom of the dough. Line pan with parchment paper and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake in oven until just beginning to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
While crust is baking, heat 1/4 cup heavy cream to simmering. Pour over chopped chocolate and mix until chocolate completely melts.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together goat cheese and sugar until fluffy and well combined. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, orange juice and zest. Add egg mixture to goat cheese mixture. Whisk half and half and heavy cream into cheese mixture until well combined.
Spread chocolate in a thin, even level at the bottom of the tart shell. Pour in goat cheese mixture on top. Tap tart pan to remove any air bubbles. Carefully add red currants to the top of the goat cheese mixture, making sure not to let them sink to the bottom of the tart. Bake in the center of oven until goat cheese sets, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.