I had a great chat with a cookbook customer yesterday. Sarah M. from Bellingham was telling me about her success with the Warehouse Gourmet method. Her girls are grown up and out of the house now but her teenage son and husband sure are enjoying all the great meals she has on hand. Sarah is also a blessing to so many other people in her life; it is not uncommon for her to scoop up some of the newly marrieds she knows and feed them dinner. With meals made ahead, it is easy to spend more time with her guests and less time fussing over the food. Recipes compliments of Warehouse Gourmet, her generous, giving spirit compliments of her Creator

One great tip Sarah shared is this: when she pulls out her Warehouse Gourmet cookbook to make a recipe, she slips it inside a one-gallon freezer bag. Any drips or spills are easily wiped off. Terrific idea! I made Chicken Broccoli Bake that afternoon and I tried this tip right away. It was so nice to have the book right there in the midst of all my sauce making and chicken cutting and not have to worry a bit about mucking it up.

Thank you, Sarah, for your gracious, giving heart and your tip, too!

Our local Costco has a coupon right now for $3.00 off Ziploc freezer bags. If you need to stock up, now is the time!

Several concerns about plastic bags have been brought to our attention in the last week, since this article came out in the New York Times. It suggests research is showing that chemicals are leaching out of plastic bags and into the food.

Specifically, the article mentions the chemical BPA (bisphenol A) and pthalates. Both of which researchers are linking to “endocrine disruption.” In an interesting research finding recently, BPA was also linked to insulin resistence in laboratory animals. And the beat goes on…

Bag manufacturers are beginning to dislose to consumers the compounds used in their plastics. Ziploc cites on its website (click on FAQ):

SC Johnson does not use BPA in its plastic products, Ziploc Brand bags and containers, and Saran brand wraps.

Our goal here isn’t to alarm you but rather, to share what we learn so you, as a consumer, can make the best choices for you and your family. I am digging and doing more research on BPA, plasticizers, and PVC. I will be testing products which do not contain (or contain less of these) compounds to see how they compare.

It’s getting warmer here in the Pacific Northwest. The daffodils are up and rhodies are looking to bloom soon. All of this means the rains will become less and less and the opportunity to grill outside increase. Yippee!

I’m making my favorite kebob recipe this week and thought I’d pass it along to you. It takes a little extra time since the longer you “let it swim” (Kati-speak for “marinate”) the better it will be. I usually make it the night before and stir it occassionally the next day.

You can use this marinade with chicken or tofu and vegetables. In fact, when I’m making this for my family, I do both proteins at the same time in separate dishes. I’ve learned that if I just do chicken, I don’t get any! Tofu tends to keep the kiddos at bay, for some reason..

Kati’s Kebob Marinade
My favorite non-freezable grill recipe. If using chicken, make sure it marinates in it’s own dish for food safety reasons. Serve with orzo.

1 lb. of chicken or tofu

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
5 cloves of garlic, crushed (use fresh cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
pepper to taste
Assortment of fresh vegetables
Skewers

Cut chicken or tofu into 1-inch pieces/blocks and set aside.

Whisk the vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, thyme, basil, and pepper in a shallow 9×13 baking dish. Pour off a small amount of marinade into a separate bowl if you are using chicken. In the remaining marinade, add an assortment of fresh vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, red onion, patty pan squash, zucchini, bell pepper, etc. Be sure to cut the vegetables large enough so that you can easily thread them on the skewers.

Place the chicken in the separate bowl of marinade. If using tofu, you can add it to the large 9×13 with the vegetables and marinate it all together. Cover and refrigerate all in the fridge overnight. Use a spatula to stir the mixture once or twice on cooking day.

To cook:
While grill is preheating on low, thread the kebobs in whatever combination you desire. Be sure to leave a small space between pieces to ensure proper cooking. Grill, turning frequently until done (usually it takes me 15-20 minutes).

Notes:
This recipe is very flexible. Sometimes when I have company, I make skewers of all chicken and tofu and use the central grill only for those. Meanwhile, I have a wok for the grill and, using the side burner, I stir fry the vegetables while the proteins are cooking. Delish!