Julia Child, Julie Powell and Me

In the 80's I remember sitting in front of the TV watching Julia Child's cook on her TV show. Her sense of humor was great. Her food always looked so good. I took Home Economics in Junior High and High School because of her. 

When I found out there was a movie about someone who blogged about her I had to see it.

I finally watched Julia & Julie. Funny great movie. Was disappointed to learn that Julie Powell no longer does her blog site. I would loved to have read the whole thing from her experiences of learning to cook Julia's way. Was very disappointed to read that she also had an affair, but her and her husband worked it out. Very happy about that. But still.... was hard to picture her doing that after watching the cute little Ami portray her in the movie. I wish her the best of luck in what ever she does in life!

So after after watching the movie for a second time...a few days later I was browsing the cooking section when I happened to think, "I wonder if they have any Julia Child cookbooks!" After searching for about ten minutes, my husband wondered over and asked what I was looking for. I told him, he actually laughed at me, well not "at me, at me" he chuckled. He started to look as well and found a book almost right in front of me. Julia Child's How To Cook Cookbook, Hard bound and fairly thick. I couldn't wait to get it home and start pouring over it.

I love to cook, but I have a fairly small kitchen. I always seemed to be limited in my first marriage on really good kitchen supplies. So this time around I am blessed with a husband who indulges me when he can.

He showed up after work with a few new kitchen toys for me! I black ceramic holder for stainless steel kitchen utensils! A stainless steel food processor and a wooden roll cart with lift out shelf, drawer and cabinet! It took him and my son almost an hour to put it together. There are small bits of Styrofoam all over the living room. Glad I don't own a cat!

I had sent him a text requesting spices...I was trying one of the recipes in the cook book. He brought them home with the new kitchen toys. :)
 
The dinner came out wonderful! I was very surprised at myself at how wonderful it came out!

THE COOK BOOK

 The original price for that book was $50.00!

THE RECIPE

I was thrilled at how well it came out! (shameless plug for Half Price Books, where I bought the book)

KITCHEN CART

I already put the new food processor inside the cart :). As you can see by the pans drying on the stove Julia always seemed to use a lot of pans in her recipes so you can cook everything all at once.

THE FOOD PROCESSOR

I was so flustered trying to put that thing together! I figured it out though! (Ignore the piece of Styrofoam behind it...lol) (did you know spell check does not like the Styrofoam unless it is capitalized...ugh)

After putting that together and finishing up the pots and pans from dinner I was pretty much wiped out.

I use a chair when cooking so I don't hurt too much from my back problems. I do most of the prep work sitting at the kitchen table, getting up every 5 minutes or so so I don't get stiff. Tonight it sort of helped, because there was a lot of prep work, my son helped grind spices too.

I think I ruined my blender because I missed a footnote in her book about grinding your own spices. I forgot I had a small coffee grinder in the corner of the kitchen (probably why I forgot I had it, it's tucked away in a corner!) Anyway....I used my blender to grind CLOVES. Ugh, my plastic blender seems to be coated with a gritty substance that no matter how hard I scrub it won't come off. :( Off to wal-mart I go this weekend in search of a new blender. Sorry babe!

Well I guess I should head off to bed...it as after all after midnight.

See you next time for more Coffee and Conversation!