Saying Goodbye to The Picky Eater

I want to thank all of you for the kind thoughts and wishes you have sent my way since The Picky Eater’s passing. They have brought me a great deal of comfort and helped to ease the sadness that has settled over my heart.

Please indulge me one more time as I share my sweetheart with you. As a writer, I feel compelled to put words on paper about how much Mike meant to me. By sharing those words with you, he will not only continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew him, but also out there in you who only knew him though my words.

The following is the piece I wrote for his memorial service this past Monday:

On November 11, 2010, at 4:30 p.m., I pulled into the North Topeka Dillons parking lot to meet a man named Michael Ditch. We connected on Match.com and this was my first date ever from an internet dating site. We had exchanged emails for a week and talked on the phone in the days leading up to the date, but I was still nervous about what to expect.

That chilly autumn afternoon, I met the love of my life.

The following June, Mike pulled into the same Dillons parking space and asked me to be his wife.

On December 24, 2011, I married my soul mate on a beautiful Christmas Eve morning surrounded by family and friends.

A few days ago, I was honored to be the person he reached for as he passed from this world into Heaven.

Mike Ditch was the most loving man I've ever known. Not only to me, but to many others as well. He made friends out of strangers, from waitresses in our favorite restaurants to the people we only saw for a moment each evening on his courier route. He was so trusting he would buy any sales pitch offered on an infomercial, and believed advertisers couldn't possibly be lying to him.

He gave money to people digging in dumpsters, even if it was the last $20 he had until payday. He would buy meals for people down on their luck. Every year, he adopted a single mom and child through the United Way of Greater Topeka’s Christmas Bureau, and instead of giving the standard $30 in gifts and $30 in food, he would take them to the store they requested and let them pick out the gifts and food themselves, often costing double what was expected.

In Mike’s final gift to others, he was an organ donor. I was told he could help up to 50 people, with 50 families thanking God for his gift.

Our time together was so short. Too short. Unbelievably short for the love we had for each other. I feel as though we were able to experience decades of love in the 3 years, 7 months, 4 hours, and 14 minutes we had together.

Many, many times, when I would say to him how lucky I felt to be his wife, he would reply, “Don’t you know? I’m your guardian angel.”

Now he truly is.

Hard to Say Goodbye

This is just a short post to let you know The Picky Eater, also known as my beloved husband, Michael Ditch, passed away early Thursday morning. His loving heart just wasn't strong enough to survive one more heart attack. Now I'm feeling a sadness that words can't describe.

Once I get through these crazy days of saying goodbye and return to my new normal, I will post again. Cooking can ease the soul. And thanks to my fellow bloggers who have sent messages of support and encouragement. 

Mint Double Chocolate Cookies in the Friday Cookie Jar

Don’t you just love it when one solution solves multiple problems? My first issue was what to do with an abundance of spearmint from the farmer’s market that was left over after making a strawberry mint soup for a newspaper article. The other dilemma was how to satisfy The Picky Eater’s need for treats without him buying packaged cookies.

The solution was these Mint Double Chocolate Cookies!

I was inspired by the mint white chocolate chip cookies I've made in the past. This recipe is basically a traditional chocolate chip cookie with cocoa powder and chopped spearmint added to the mix. If you don’t want to spend the time chopping the mint into tiny bits, do what I did and whiz it in the food processor with the granulated sugar. Easy!

The mint flavor is very subtle, with a fresh feeling that lingers on your tongue. If you’d like a stronger mint taste, just use more or add mint flavoring to the mix instead of vanilla.

The Picky Eater loved them! I was passing a few out to our neighbors in the apartment building when he said, “Don’t give them all away!”

I didn't. Hey, I liked them, too!

I created the Friday Cookie Jar as inspiration to spend time in the kitchen with family and friends (especially children, since they love to make cookies), or to make something to share with others. I post cookie recipes on Friday so you can plan ahead for the weekend. Imagine baking cookies with the kids on a Saturday morning. My intention was to post a recipe each Friday, but honestly, life got in the way. However, I'll do my best to keep your cookie jar full! 

Mint Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen

1 cup loosely packed mint leaves (I used spearmint, but any mint would work.)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s.)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli.)

1 cup chopped nuts, optional (I didn't use them, but I think walnuts or pecans would taste great!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Add the mint leaves and granulated sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Whiz until the mint is finely chopped into the sugar. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a time or two to make sure all the mint is processed. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, brown sugar, mint sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Add the chocolate chips and nuts (if using) and mix for just a moment to combine.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the cookie sheets and swapping shelves halfway through baking. Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to sit on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Then place them on racks to cool. Store in an air-tight container. 

     

Lasagna for Two

When it comes to meal preparation, I have two issues that must always be addressed. 

First is the size of the recipe. Dinner most evenings is just for two people.

Second, The Picky Eater is, well, selective about what he wants. Often that means I forgo recipes I would like because there would be enough leftovers to last a month.

So I was thrilled when the folks at America’s Test Kitchen sent me The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook. Last year I posted about how much I liked the 2013 edition, with two great recipes. This cookbook is a combination of all the previous yearly versions.

Inside I not only found many favorite recipes downsized for two, but there were also a lot of new ones to try. I love the idea of making brownies and cakes that are just big enough for two. Perfect for my middle-aged household. Plus, the front is full of shopping tips, kitchen supply suggestions, and food storage ideas, which would make this cookbook a terrific wedding gift idea.

Now I can make recipes that fit my tastes and dishes we both like without the fear of massive leftovers. 

This lasagna recipe was a big hit. Absolutely delicious! Who would have ever thought to make it in a loaf pan? Perfect! 

Since The Picky Eater has to watch his sodium intake, I used low-sodium diced tomatoes and sauce. Also, he doesn't like chunks of tomato in dishes, so I pureed the diced tomatoes to smooth out the sauce and just let it simmer a bit longer than the original recipe to thicken. The only other change I made was to use ground sirloin instead of the recommended meatloaf mix.

 

Yield: 2

Author: Linda Ditch

Lasagna for Two

Adapted from The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can low-sodium diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• Pinch of salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces ground sirloin
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons, grated
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla)
• 1 cup grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Move an oven rack to the middle.
2. For the sauce: In a blender or food processor, puree the can of diced tomatoes until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and salt, and saute until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds, and then add the ground sirloin. Cook until browned. Stir in the cream and cook until it evaporates, which takes about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pureed diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and allow it to cook while you prepare the filling, about 15 minutes.
4. For the filling: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, and pepper.
5. To assemble: In the bottom of a loaf pan, spread 1/2 cup of the sauce. Lay one noodle on top, and then spread a third of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the grated mozzarella, and top with another 1/2 cup of sauce. Do this two more times. Lay the final noodle on top and cover with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
6. Spray a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray and use it to tightly cover the loaf pan. Set the loaf pan on a baking sheet to catch any spillover, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles around the edges of the pan. Take the foil off the top and keep baking until the cheese has browned to your liking, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

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