blackberry cobbler

i decided it was time to make myself a blackberry cobbler.  the recipe is the same as what i used earlier this year...except this time i didn't use strawberries.

the real difference, though, is that i used less margarine (about 3/4 a stick instead of a whole one), and i also used self-rising flour (as per my mother's original recipe).

i think that using self-rising flour made the biggest difference.  instead of the cobbler being kind of gluey, the crust actually tasted like crust is supposed to be.  on the other hand, i still didn't use enough fruit; i probably could have doubled the amount of berries or halved the crust mixture.  learning experiences, i suppose.

my own opinion is that the cobbler tasted liked blackberry cobbler ought...but other people were of the opinion that i should have added more sugar.  tough cookies, i say!

roasted green beans

i've never really tried to do anything particularly fancy with green beans.  generally, i'll just dump them in a pot of water and cook them on the stove, but i decided to try something different for a change.  i procured some green beans from my dad this weekend, and now i want to see how roasting them works.

in addition to the roasted green beans, i went with my tomato/broccoli salad, some eye of the round steak, and some jasmine rice.  for the first time in awhile, i went with a full blown meal (including multiple sides).  i have been expressly forbidden to show the picture of the dinner guest, but here's what my plate looked like.

 
ingredients:
- green beans, ends snapped off
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- ground hot pepper
- paprika
- black pepper
- kosher sea salt

preparation:
after washing and draining the beans, i drizzled them with olive oil and mixed in the garlic powder, paprika, pepper(s), and salt.  i spread them onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and roasted in the oven at 425°F for 15 minutes (or until the beans start to get nicely browned on the edges).  obviously, the beans got moved to the serving dish thereafter; trying to put a baking sheet on the table (with everything else) just wouldn't work!

verdict:
i had been having problems with underseasoning some of my previous roasted vegetables, so i had tried to compensate accordingly today.  in this instance, i think i got a little too much salt.  not to say that i completely overdid it, but it's more than i would prefer.  lesson learned, i suppose.

also, i had somehow expected a slightly crispier texture overall, but that did not quite happen.  this could be partially explained by my overall poor meal timing; i took the beans out of the oven well before the meat was cooked, and the rice took longer than anticipated.  so the green beans sat a little while before being eaten.  sadness.

still, i think that, in principle, roasted green beans are a good idea.  possibly only for special occasions, though.  because ordinary green beans are nice, too.  and they're so much less fuss and bother.