Today for lunch I fried a whole grain pita in my iron skillet with a little Earth Balance margarine & then, using a serrated knife, gently sliced all the way around the edge of the pita so that I had something more reminiscent of a sandwich. Next I slathered Veganaise on both sides of the pita (Yes, both sides!) & added thick slices of homegrown tomatoes & a sprinkling of salt. I did not grow the tomatoes, nor are they local; tomatoes in this area are just now starting to ripen. These came from south Florida, but were still homegrown, you could tell from the inconsistencies in the skin & such. They aren't as good as the ones that are yet to come, like the ones from Slocomb, Alabama (Those are the absolute best! Sean & I have actually driven the nearly 2 hours to buy some before.), but they were good enough to put a smile on my face. After I was done savoring every last mayonnaise dripping bite, I ate half of a sweet, ripe cantaloupe I bought on the side of the road somewhere between here & Dothan, Alabama on Saturday. I know that summer is not officially here, but these are some of the simple pleasures of summer!

Labels: Brewton Alabama, Destin Florida, Dothan, Earth Balance, Florida, personal chef, pita bread, Private chef, Santa Rosa Beach, Slocomb, summer, tomatoes, Veganaise

I was introduced to the "We Can't Say It's Cheese" products at my local health food store, For the Health of It. I was perusing the cool vegan products when I came across it; I like to look but don't typically buy any of them. I was studying the container when Ed, the owner, asked if I'd like to try some. Free food? Of course I'd like to taste it! He gave me a yummy garbanzo bean chip to dip in it, which was very good, too, but I digress. I was amazed at how good this "cheeze" spread was! I ended up purchasing the Hickory Smoked Cheddar-Style Spread. Sean didn't seem as impressed as I was with my new love. I practiced self-control & came home & only ate half the container. The next day, I ate half of the half that was left. All the while giving Sean ample opportunity to have some. Finally, the third day (okay, maybe it really was the second day) I polished it off! When I mention this spread now, Sean will say he didn't have a chance to eat any--whatever!

The biggest surprise to me? The main ingredient to this thick, creamy dream of a "cheeze" spread is oatmeal. Of course I saved the container as a reference to the ingredients used. I have since been playing around with a recipe, I have made it 3 or 4 times with great success. Saturday I tried to make queso dip or what I grew up calling Rotel dip; basically Velveeta cheese melted & mixed with Rotel tomatoes. This was the dip of my youth; I no longer make Rotel dip, but I must admit, if there is some at a party, I do have a dip or two or ten! I haven't mastered the consistency of the original Rotel dip, yet; but I was in a hurry to get to a cookout, so didn't spend too much time on it. I ended up pureeing the batch with the Rotel tomatoes with a plain batch; the result had a wonderful spicy, smokey flavor. I didn't hoover over the bowl as my husband did at the cookout(he has developed more of an "interest" in this spread since his first taste), but I do think that my "cheeze" was enjoyed by vegans & non-vegans alike (I came home with an empty bowl). Next batch, I'm adding fakin' bacon bits! They can't say it's cheese & neither can I, but we sure do love it at our house!

Labels: Blue Mountain Beach FL, Ed Berry, fakin' bacon, For the Health of It, oatmeal, personal chef, Private chef, Rotel, vegan cheese, vegan cheeze, Wayfare, We Can't Say It's Cheese

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before, but my husband, Sean, tried to get me to take an oath to blog three times a week! And he was serious! I must admit that blogging takes a lot of time for me. I don't just slap some words on the screen, overlook the grammatical errors & move on. I put lots of thought & care into my blogs. However, they do come out quite wordy & very lengthy. Today I am turning over a new leaf; I am attempting to blog more & less...more often, but less words.

So, now to answer the question, where has Jamie been? Being that we live in a seasonal tourist community, winter is my slower season for my private chef business. I do have clients that come into town throughout the year, but I am not as busy as in the summer. This winter Sean & I have worked hard on the Airstream. I should really say that Sean has worked hard on the Airstream. I am so grateful to have a husband who believes in me & loves me so much to work as hard as he has to make my dream a reality. We are converting the Airstream into a commercial kitchen & plan to open a natural foods cafe next month! However, for the record, I will DEFINITELY continue my private chef business; I love it!

In the past several months I have catered some weddings and large charity fund raising events, such as Walton County Habitat for Humanity's Christmas party & Paint A Difference, as well as participated in some cooking demonstrations. (I will include some photos from some of those events.) I have also been developing & testing my recipes for the cafe. It's all very exciting, but lots of hard work. Today was a very exciting day, I finally submitted my building permit application to Walton County! Now I will anxiously await their response! We do have a website for the cafe & Sean has been blogging about his progress in the 'Stream (my loving nickname for the big, silver bullet). Please check out the new cafe website. And for any of my regular clients or potential clients who may be reading this, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email, I am still very much in the private chef business.

And to the foodies out there, more food posts to come soon.





















































































































































(Obviously a cooking demonstration!)

Labels: Airstream cafe, airstream trailer, Dietrich's Cafe, Habitat for Humanity, Paint A Difference, personal chef, Private chef, vegan chef, vegan cooking, vegetarian chef, Walton County