One of the many great accomplishments awarded to Julia Child  was her ability to do food demonstrations on live television.  50 years later we still follow her recipe for success.  Given a short time segment during the morning news Julia came prepared with her dishes in various stages of preparation, walking the host and viewers through the steps of making the dish to completion where she and the host would share a few bites of the finished product.  Child's 1961 cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" became the New York Times #1 seller, 48 years after it was published. 

We're certainly glad Julia chose to follow her stomach and her heart.  Transforming the way America ate, supermarkets were forced to meet the demands of housewives suddenly demanding such exotic items as "escarole" and "olive oil".  Changing the way women thought about cooking and taking the mystery out of the task of cooking, Julia inspired an entire generation to create wonderful meals for their families.  We too are inspired by Julia and traveled to the Smithsonian in Washington DC to view her kitchen, own several tattered copies of her cookbooks, and follow her motto, "Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun"  Julia Child.

I learned to boil water at an early age, but for some reason I can't hard boil eggs.. I forget to set the timer and my eggs always have that green tinge around the yolks.  I've convinced myself that this is normal and I enjoy my overcooked eggs.   When my overcooked eggs are pointed out to me, usually by a well meaning co-worker or Jeff it reminds me of how we get set in our cooking ways.  Jeff is a stickler for details in the kitchen.. the glaze must be perfect, the balance of flavors must tickle the taste buds.  While I am an accomplished cook I am in charge of setting the table and plating the food, after all we eat with our eyes first so really I have the most important job of all. Take that Chef Jeff!  As we plan for a birthday party tonight, the table is set, serving dishes are lined up ready to go spoons and forks poised for use in each one, the oven is preheating, and Jeff... well he is taking a quick nap.  As for me, I am going to hard boil a few eggs for a garnish.

Perfect Hard boiled eggs:  Place your eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and set aside 8 to 10 minutes.

Take it easy out their folks! Avoid eating a heavy meal before shoveling and make sure you carry light loads. The snow is wet and heavy today.   We recently learned that it's dangerous to eat before shoveling.. apparently eating before shoveling put extra weight on your heart.  Think of shoveling snow as you would your daily workout... stretch and warm up, drink lots of fluids (and we don't mean hot chocolate and schnapps!)   http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/Shoveling-Snow-Health-Hazards_UCM_426562_Article.jsp#.VrEZz_krK71