KB's Soup Kitchen

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

2010-01-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

After all that has transpired over the last couple of years, hubby's and my new mantra is "simplify." We have decided that quality of life outweighs quantity of things. There really is nothing we need (well, a cancer cure would be appreciated), and the wants don't count. I have 4 pair of shoes I wear and one purse that I carry. I've never been much of a clothes horse. I've been trying to convince my future daughter-in-law to let me wear jeans to the wedding, but she's having none of that. Anyway, in keeping with this new philosophy, we are getting ready to put our house on the market and divest ourselves of all the expenses and work that go with homeownership. We have decided that the less complicated, less expensive, less stress of apartment living far outweighs the benefits(?) of owning a home.. We already have really noisy neighbors, so we will be ready for that. So, a new journey begins.

Today also ended up being one of those simple days. A couple of days ago we celebrated 37 years together with leftovers. So we thought we would go see a movie this afternoon and then treat ourselves to dinner. Well, as they say about the best laid plans. The movie was sold out, and because I am working on controlling the old blood sugar, we nixed the dinner. Instead we took the money and hit a couple of grocery stores to purchase some healthy food to add to our pantry. In my opinion, a much better choice was made.

Once home I made a simple but yummy fairly low carb dinner. Saturday should really be all about simple. For dinner we had a simple tossed salad and individual pizzas made on low carb whole wheat tortillas. And I must say this about the pizzas...mmmmmm. I brushed a little olive oil on the tortilla, topped with homemade pizza sauce, fresh grated mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, olives, and fresh mushrooms. The sauce I made by sauteing 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 2 grated cloves of garlic in a little olive oil then adding a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, about a tsp. of Italian seasoning, some salt and pepper, and some red pepper flakes. Then I let it simmer for about 15 minutes. When the pizzas were assembled I baked them at 425 degrees for about 7 minutes. It will totally depend on your oven and how done you want them. I just know they were good and simple...and something I could eat!

Now, I have to show off a few of the Christmas goodies I received that will me aid in my quest towards health.

My mom gave me this awesome blender. Yea for soups and smoothies and salsa!

I have discovered that caffeine raises my blood sugar. Talk about cutting my legs out from under me! Son to the rescue with this lovely teapot and a supply of herbal teas.

And this last gift, hmmm. I'm not sure what my daughter was trying to tell me. She says these chefs remind of all the joy I take in cooking. But, could subconsciously she be telling me something else? Hmmm.....

To end this post on simplifying, here's my hubby simply taking it easy with the girls as he waits for his pizza tonight.

2010...What Lies Ahead

2010-01-01T19:56:00.000-08:00

2009...Good-bye and good riddance. You were sucky and crappy and no friend of ours. Thank heavens you're gone. 2010...We are welcoming you with open arms. Please be kind to us.

I have to say that out of all the years of my life, I definitely would not ever want to repeat 2008 or 2009. Initially, my older son was diagnosed with oral cancer, and just as he completed treatment, my hubby was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Whew! Talk about your stressed filled couple of years. But fortune smiled on us. My son is in remission and doing out standing. You can actually read about his experience here. And hubby is still alive and kicking...maybe not as hard as he used to, but, hey, at least now I can keep up with him.

Now, all of this care-giving I did during this time took somewhat of a toll on me. It's like this. Cancer patients have a tendency to lose a bit of weight, which is not a good thing. So, my mission became feeding them, and feeding them well. It was particularly important for my son who had lost part of his tongue. Eating was an all day process for him. Making rich creamy, fattening soups became my purpose in life. And I became very good at it. Then as my hubby became sick, I added more home cooking to the mix. I wanted to eliminate as much processed food as possible. Cooking became an enormous part of my life.

But...and herein lies the problem...I am diabetic. With all this cooking for the guys, I wasn't taking care of me. So, 2010 is going to be for me. I going to get back on that horse and get healthy. It is going to be a journey, and I am going to drag you along with me. Hopefully you won't be kicking and screaming along the way. I kinda figured that if I committed to healthy living here in front of God and everyone, I would stick to it. I need this to keep me honest.

Here's the plan.

1)I will eat healthy. Some diabetics follow the AmericanDiabetes Association diet. Some eliminate all carbs. I am going to basically marry the two. The ADA diet really has too many carbs to be able to control blood sugar without a heck of a lot of insulin. And "low/no carb" really leaves out some essential nutrients. So I will be eating carbs, not many, but some healthy ones.

2) I will monitor my blood sugar, record the numbers and keep a food diary.

3) I will exercise...a big yuck! I hate exercising. Thus probably the diabetes. Anyway, my sis and I are going to do this together. She has a Wii Fit, which might make this palatable.

So this blog is going to basically evolve into a journal of my new healthy journey, the steps forward, the steps backwards, the highs, the lows, the ups, the downs. And along the way, I will still be cooking and posting recipes. I hope you will join this little trip of mine!

Melissa's Heart and Home

2009-11-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

I just found this lovely blog by a Marine pilot's wife. She has a passion and a flare for decorating. Go check out her beautiful blog and enter her grand giveaway!

Squash Harvest Soup

2009-11-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Right up front I am going to let you know that I am not a fan of winter squash. It doesn't cause my gag reflex to kick in or anything like that. It's just if given a choice I choose no thank you. But I was reading through my favorite foodie blogs and ran across this recipe. [In Praise of Leftovers (you will find the link on the right side of this blog) is a really lovely blog, so go check it out.] When I started reading through the recipe, it actually sounded appetizing. So, I thought, what the heck. I'll give it a whirl. Even if I didn't care for it, I knew my hubby would like it. He loves squash and it's always been a big disappointment to him that I rarely prepared it.

This is not exactly the same version as hers. As we all do with recipes, we tweak them to fit our needs, tastes and personality. This has been tweaked to fit me. You can check out both recipes, and add your own tweaks. So, here we go.

Ingredients

olive oil

1 kabocha squash

2 small butternut squash

2 small delicata squash

1 large apple cut into wedges

1 onion coarsely chopped

2 large whole carrots cut into sticks

6 large cloves garlic peeled

2 tsp. curry

1 tsp. garam masala

1 TBS. sugar

salt

5 cup water

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup cream

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Halve squashes, remove seeds, brush with oil, place cut side down on old cookie sheets. Place the apple, onion, carrots, and garlic in a bowl. Toss with a little olive oil, the spices, sugar and salt. Place this mixture around the squash.

This is a kabocha, and I will explain how I handle it in a sec.

Place baking sheets in oven and roast until veggies are tender and slightly charred, about 1 1/2 hours.

OK, I couldn't halve the kabocha...too tough and big. after I did the first roasting, I threw the whole kabocha in the oven and roasted it until it was extremely soft.

Note. put something under it to catch the juice. I didn't and now have to clean the oven. Silly me.

Once everything has cooled, scrape the meat from the squash, and place it and all of the other roasted fruit and veggies in a large bowl. The kabocha will still have the seeds, so you will have to work around that. You won't need all of the meat from it, about 3-4 cups, so it's pretty easy to scoop around.

In batches puree the mixture in a blender adding part of the 5 cups of water as you go. As I finished pureeing each batch, I pushed it through a sieve to make it even smoother. If you have a chinois, you certainly want to use that.

Once everything is pureed and sieved (is that even a word?) and in a large pot, add the oj and cream, more salt to taste and water to thin to the desired consistency. Heat through, stirring occasionally so it doesn't scorch.

When you serve it you could lightly stir in some more cream.

Notes: This turned out better than I expected. It's a rich hearty soup that just smacks of fall. Be warned, though, this is a fairly labor intensive soup. But is makes a lovely starter for a dinner party, or just a nice supper soup served with biscuits. This made about 10 cups so I was able to share with my daughter's family. Nice way to say I love you. Enjoy!

Halloween Treat for My Family

2009-11-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

It's 3 in the morning (before the clocks were set back) and the neighbor dog has been going non-stop. The people next door just got home and have finally taken him in...but, of course, now I am wide awake. Argh!

So, I thought I would take the time and post pictures from Ronan's (our grandson) first Halloween.

Ronan started copying us laughing and it was such great fun I had to capture it. This is the first video I have posted, so bare with the placement. I'll get it figured out eventually.

And I think we get to have him Sunday, overnight, and Monday. So that is really a sweet treat for us. We love that little monkey...and are spoiling him rotten. So...much...fun! The reward for parenthood!

Caldo Verde (Porteguese Soup)

2009-10-30T23:58:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I had planned on making this wonderful soup. It was a drizzly, dreary day...perfect for soup. But the fates conspired against me. First, as I reviewed the recipes and began to check my ingredients, I found that I was out of chicken stock. OK, fine, I'll make some and blog how to cut up a chicken and make the stock. I prep the chicken, grab my camera, and...dead battery. At that point I decided to just make the stock Tuesday and the soup on Wednesday and call it good. And that's what I did. And I am just now getting around to posting the recipe. If you don't like it, reduce my pay. But first make the soup.

For this soup, I combined a couple of recipes from the two new soup cookbooks that I recently acquired, and added a few touches of my own. This is a spicy hearty soup that is guaranteed to stick to your ribs. And be sure to have a good crusty bread to soup up the broth with.

Ingredients

1 lb. chorizo

2-3 TBS. oil, butter or mix of the two

1 onion chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1 large carrot chopped

3-4 cloves garlic minced or grated

6 cups chicken stock

4 medium red potatoes peeled and diced

1 14 1/2 oz. canned diced tomatoes with juice

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 TBS. tomato paste

1 tsp. ground sage

1/2 half small head cabbage shredded

salt/pepper to taste

1/4 cup parsley chopped

If you purchase already cooked chorizo, sliced it and brown it. If you have uncooked, cook according to package directions and slice. I found Johnsonville chorizo, and it worked great. Remove from pan and set aside.

In a large pot heat the oil and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes and add the celery, carrots and garlic. Cook on medium low for about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and heat for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and the next 5 ingredients. Heat to boiling, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour. Add cabbage and salt and pepper. Simmer another 1/2 hour. Add the parsley just before serving. Yum, yum, and yum. Remember what I said about crusty bread.

Notes: This really is a perfect soup for a cold nasty day. It will certainly warm you up. I know this is a soup I am going to make frequently. I hope you will, too. Enjoy!

Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie

2009-10-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated my eldest's son's 35 birthday. Whew! That makes me old. And, yes, Maureen, you and Matt are considered family. We really had a wonderful time with a burrito bar that my second son and his finance put together, a pub type trivia game (that was so fun!), and my hubby's famous pies. He is such a talented piemaker that he really puts me to shame. He made a traditional pumpkin pie and a lemon meringue. I offered to make the pumpkin. I mean, how hard is it to mix the ingredients in a bowl? But, no, he wanted to do both. Do you think he might have a trust issue there? So Saturday morning he was up at the crack of dawn making pies. Do you have any idea how soothing it is to wake up to those aromas? It was as if I had died and gone to heaven.

The recipe that we have used for lemon meringue pie for over 25 years comes from my favorite of the Farm Journal cookbooks, Farm Journal's Best-Ever Recipes. This is the cookbook that started the whole obsession with this series. It was given to us when we were living in a little hamlet in Colorado by my hubby's boss. And it has been one of my go to cookbooks ever since. I have found very few recipes that haven't been absolutely wonderful. So, ta-da, the pie.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup water

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 TBS. butter

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

Combine 1 1/2 cup, sugar, 1 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tsp. salt in saucepan; heat to boiling. Mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water to make smooth paste. Gradually add to boiling mixture, stirring constantly. Cook until thick and clear. Remove from heat.

Beat together egg yolks and lemon juice; stir into mixture. Return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles again. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon rind. Cover; cool to lukewarm.

Combine egg white and 1/4 tsp. salt in bowl; beat until frothy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until glossy peaks form. Stir 2 rounded tablespoons of meringue into lukewarm filling. Pour into pie shell. Top with remaining meringue, spreading evenly.

Bake in 325 degree oven 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes: What makes my hubby's pies so scrumptious are his crusts. The secret is not to overwork the dough (which I always do). Hubby works at turbo speed in everything he does, and though this can be a bit irritating at times, it serves him well when making pie crust. And something we stumbled on to by accident, is using whole wheat flour for 1/4 of the flour required for the crust. We really like the results. Enjoy!

This is kind of a P.S. After he had finished the pies a recipe showed up on one of the blogs that I follow for Pumpkin Oat Scones. So I made a batch last night. They are yummy and healthy.

Go check out the recipe! Pumpkin Oat Scones.

Creamy Tomato Soup

2009-10-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was long day at the hospital as my hubby underwent the last of the procedures required for a clinical trial of a new cancer drug. Let's just say it was not a fun-filled day. We had to be at the hospital by 6 a.m. and finally arrived back home at 2 p.m. That's when the good part of the day occurred! On my doorstep were the two new (slightly used) cookbooks I had ordered from Amazon's used booksellers. Considering I had just placed the order Sunday and they were already here was amazing! But, anyway, it sure cheered up our day.

The two cookbooks I purchased were The Big Book of Soups & Stews by Maryana Vollstedt and The Best Recipe Soups & Stews by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine. I have a method to my madness. I love eating and making good soups and stews. My hubby also loves them...maybe even more than I. My goal is to become accomplished enough in cooking them that I can offer soup and stew cooking classes, basics through advanced, through the community ed and parks and rec programs around here. Good idea, don't ya think? Anyway, both of these books have most of the basics for soup making in them as well as a multitude of recipes. This was also my thinking in registering for a soup cooking class at Sur La Table. Look out soups, here I come.

So, after a rough day of medical yuck, and the weather was rainy and blustery to add to the ickiness, what could be more comforting than tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? I mean, really, isn't that what your mom made you when you had had a rough day? Only it was soup out of a can, right? And cheese from either the box or unwrapped slices. Well! Not for my honey. He needed excellent grilled cheese and tomato soup.

So I started pawing my way through the two books, combined a bit from both and created, sort of, this yumminess. Now, be forwarned, this much more work than opening a can or, nowadays, a box. But it was so worth the work!

Ingredients

5-6 medium tomatoes

1 26 oz. canned whole tomatoes

1 1/2 TBS. brown sugar

4 TBS. butter

1/4-1/2 finely chopped onion

1 TBS. tomato paste

pinch ground cloves or allspice

2 TBS flour

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. sugar

2 TBS. brandy or dry sherry

Salt to taste

Remove the skin of the fresh tomatoes by immersing in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then into cold water for a minute or so. Skins should easily slip off. Then slice in half, and remove seeds and core. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Drain canned tomatoes, saving the juice. Slice these tomatoes in half and remove seeds. Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in 450 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. When they are done, let them cool slightly and remove to a bowl.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions, tomato paste and cloves, and cook 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the flour stirring constantly to make a smooth paste. Let cook a few minutes to rid the paste of the flour taste. Slowly stir in the chicken broth, the juice from the tomatoes and the roasted tomatoes. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl. I just have a large round strainer with a fine mesh. I aspire to a chinois, but have to wait until my ship comes in.

Pour the tomatoes into a blender and puree until smooth. You may need to add some of the strained liquid to help this process out. I then mashed the puree through the stainer to increase the smooth texture. Pour back into the rinsed out saucepan and add the cream and sugar and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the sherry and salt to taste. This can be saved for a couple of days in the fridge.

Notes: As I stated, this is a bit of work, but the rewards make it worth it. This is not the overly sweet soup that comes already made. It has a bit more of a tang which my hubby and I decided we liked. A bit more sugar could be added if you like yours sweeter. We also bumped up the traditional grilled cheese sandwiches a bit by making them with muenster and bacon on English muffin bread. After a tough day we were now thoroughly comforted. Enjoy!

Cherry Tomato Saute

2009-10-21T20:41:00.001-07:00

OK, here's the thing...I don't really care much for vegetables. I mean they are fine in soups, stew, casseroles, anything that has other cool ingredients for the veggies to rub elbows with. But as a stand alone side dish, not so much. Then on my quest for FJ cookbooks, I acquired one with the title Farm Journal's Best-Ever Vegetable Recipes. After perusing the recipes, the thought occurred to me that maybe I just needed more variety in my veggie cooking. What a revelation! So, my first post from that particular FJ cookbook is what my hubby calls a keeper. He told me I couldn't make it too often because he almost couldn't stop himself from devouring the entire bowl.

As I read over the original recipe I felt there were some changes that needed to be made to increase flavor. I exchanged grape tomatoes for the cherry. I also added zucchini and fennel. The original called for fennel seed, but I thought, "What the heck. Let's shoot the moon and use fennel bulb." Pretty brave of me since I have never worked with fennel at all. But ya gotta start somewhere.

Ingredients

2 TBS. butter

2 TBS. olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 large cloves garlic grated

1/3 cup chopped fennel bulb

1 medium zucchini thick sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 cup parsley chopped

1/2 to 1 tsp. salt

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. pepper

grated Parmesan cheese

In a saute pan melt butter with the oil. Add onion and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and fennel and cook another 5 minutes.

Add zucchini and cook and stir until slightly tender. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes are tender, but don't let the skins burst. When serving top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Notes:This really did have a tremendous amount of flavor. I think the next time I make it I will try more fennel. Since it was a new ingredient I decided to go light, but think it could definitely use a little bumping up. But other than that, it was delish and so easy. So, Enjoy!

Oh, Those Farm Wives

2009-10-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

I think in some ways I am a farm girl in a city girl body...at least when it comes to cooking. To me there is nothing more satisfying than a delicious hearty meal that sticks to the ribs, and is made with love and care. It's the kind of food I grew up on. Although I was raised in the city, all housewives seemed to prepare the same type of meals. I am now going to date myself...moms during my childhood were "June Cleaver", usually sans the pearls. Dinners were roasts, fried chicken, pork chops, meat loaf, stews...you get the picture. Fast food was just emerging, and was a treat, not a staple. And I don't even remember take out. As a teen, burger places were saved for date night. Now, homecooked meals are saved for special occasions. I find that somewhat sad.

With the kids all grown and out of the house, I miss cooking for a large group. Every now and then, I command them all home so that I can love them with my cooking. My meals are more Paula Deen than Iron Chef, although occasionally I try my hand at something "fancy". I have made Beouf Bourguignon (and that's really just a French stew). But I love good old fashion farm cooking.

That being said, I am rededicating this blog to the farmwives who made the Farm Journal cookbooks possible. And are giving me a plethora of cooking opportunities. Early last summer I started adding to FJ cookbooks to my collection. At this writing I have seven of them. And the majority of my postings will be those recipes. Those recipes that are decidedly dated I will tweak to give them a more updated presence, although I have found some that still are great as written. To be on the safe side, last spring I received permission to use their books as long as I credited them, which I have done in the past and will continue to do so. So, it's all good.

And because I do like making soups and stews, I will be posting those recipes, also. Heck, I have two new soup and stew cookbooks coming, thanks to Amazon used booksellers, and I most definitely have to put them to use.

So stay tuned for some hearty American cuisine that's sure to satisfy your palate and your belly. Isn't that what we all want?

Beefy Mushroom Barley Soup

2009-10-19T13:15:00.001-07:00

We are just about into soup weather here in the Pacific Northwest. Soon it will be rain, rain, and more rain..or, as we PNWer's like to refer to it, liquid sunshine. When it's cold and dark and dank out there is nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of goodness. My hubby and I love soup. I try to make it as often as possible. But with only two of us at home these days, it takes us awhile to get through a pot. If, on the days I make soup, you can get here you're welcome to some.

Beefy Mushroom Barley Soup is my hubby's favorite, so it gets made often. We prefer it thick with lots of veggies and barley. I am utterly amazed when I read the back of a package of barley, or read some of the barley soup recipes out there and the recommendation is for 1/4 or 1/3 of a cup. I mean, really? What is the point of putting in the barley if you can't even find it in the soup!? So, I am no slouch when it comes to adding the barley...as you will see.

Ingredients

1 lb. stew beef (I had some top round that needed to be used) cut into small cubes

2 TBS. canola or vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1 TBS. butter

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 stalks celery chopped

1 cup sliced baby carrots

1-2 cloves garlic minced or grated

1/2 to 1 lb. cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup red wine

3 qts. beef stock

1 cup barley

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. oregano

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in the bottom of a 6 qt. Dutch oven or soup pot. Season the cubed beef with salt and pepper and c00k in small batches until nicely caramelized. As the beef browns remove to a paper towel and drain.

Add 1 TBS. butter to the drippings. Saute the onion for about 4 or 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook until tender. Then add the wine and the beef and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the stock. OK, here's a confession. Although I make my own chicken stock, I have yet to attempt making beef stock. And I don't like to spend the money on the boxed stocks. Happily, one day in Walmart, I happened on this little gem.

It really makes a nice rich broth. It is a little more spendy than bouillon cubes but more economical than the boxed stocks. I've been very pleased with the results using this product. I added 3 quarts of hot water and once the soup was boiling I added 4 1/2 TBS. of the paste. I stirred for a couple of minutes to make sure it dissolved properly. I then turned to heat to low and let simmer for about an hour.

After the soup has simmered add the barley and spices. Let cook on low for about 1/2 hour or until barley is tender. If it becomes thicker than you like just add a couple of cups of water. Serve with some yummy bread and you have a warm comforting meal on a cool fall day.

Notes:I have tinkered with this recipe for awhile, and this is the best I have come up with. It's filling and flavorful and reheats well...which is a good thing since we will be eating it for a few days! Enjoy!

Broccoli Souffle (And...I'm...Back!)

2009-10-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I have been gone for quite a while. I have reasons, I really do. First, I have an in-home tutoring business (I go to their homes), and summer is my busiest time. Second, when school started and the tutoring dropped off, I was scurrying to find some way to supplement my income. I spent hours running round trying to get paperwork together, fingerprints done, letters of reference from clients, so that I could (shudder) substitute teach. But with the unemployment situation the way it is, I have a suspicion that many other people had the same idea. As of this writing, I have yet to sub. Third, I have been working on a monkey quilt for my grandson. (It's coming along nicely, thank you.) So, I am now finding myself with a little time again, and since cooking and tutoring are my two passions, I turn back to the blog! My goal is to be more consistent in posting. Wish me luck.

This is another recipe from the Farm Journal cookbooks, and my hubby has been after me for months to try it. As I usually do I changed a couple of things. The original recipe called for American cheese. The only excuse I can come up with for that is until the last ten years or so, better cheeses were not readily available at the market. And I remember that when my mother would make a sauce for broccoli or cauliflower she would use Velveeta. At least Velveeta melts nicely...but American? I'm not sure what the thinking was on that one. So I substituted cheddar and Parmesan. Fontina and gueyre would also be delicious in this recipe. Frozen broccoli was also in the original recipe, but I used fresh and first cooked it in my steamer. Make sure it's undercooked.

Ingredients

3 TBS. butter

3 TBS. flour

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt (I use sea salt)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. pepper (fresh ground)

1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 small heads broccoli slightly cooked and chopped

3 egg yolks, beaten

3 egg whites, stiffly beaten (not meringue stiffness)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in saucepan; stir in flour. Cook this mixture for a few minutes to eliminate excess starchiness. Add milk, salt, garlic powder, and pepper: cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Add cheese; stir until melted. Fold in broccoli, onion and egg yolks. Gently fold in egg white. Pour into a buttered (I used a cooking spray) 2-qt. souffle dish. Set in shallow baking pan. Add hot water to pan to 1/2 inch depth. Bake 1 hour or until puffy or do what I did...insert a metal skewer and if it comes out clean it's done.

Notes: My souffle did not rise high and puffy over the top of the dish. I have two thoughts on that. 1. My dish was too big. When I make this again I am going to increase the ingredients. If I am not mistaken, I think the mixture should reach the top of the the dish and mine didn't even come close. But it was still yummy. 2. This had a lot of broccoli in it and that, too, may have inhibited it's rising. I welcome any suggestions as to how to make this more puffy. Hubby thought it was great as is, but I am going to continue to tweak it. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime...Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

2009-07-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Some time has past since I last posted, and for that I apologize. My life has gotten a bit in the way of my cooking and blogging. My job, where I actually make a living, picked up considerably and has really cut into my personal time, dang it! If I could cook and blog about it all day I would be one very happy old woman. But, alas, I have to make some money in order to cook the food. This may be one of those lessons in how to better organize my time. And I suppose sleep is highly overrated. So, I am going to try to do better...promise.

On to the food. I love the versatility of chicken. It probably adorns our plates at least 3 times a week. I mean, my gosh, it can be baked, fried, broiled, boiled, stir fried, used in soup, salads, casseroles, stews, and its bones used for stock. How good is that?! When whole chickens are on sale I always purchase at least 3. None of it ever goes to waste. I also keep packages of breasts and thighs on hand. I am positive there is more chicken in my freezer than any other type of meat. It even beats out ground beef! That being said, you will probably always see more chicken recipes on this blog than beef, pork or fish.

Now, the recipe. This chicken tetrazzini recipe is probably the best I have run across. It's easy, flavorful and creamy. I found it in the Farm Journal's Great Home Cooking in America. This cookbook is devoted to tracing many of the recipes we use today to our immigrant forefathers. This particular recipe, of course, is attributed to Italian immigrants, although I read somewhere that this really isn't an Italian dish. Oh, well, tastes great anyway. And it is really a great family friendly recipe. Kids even like this!

Ingredients

6 TBS. butter

6TBS. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups half and half

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 8 oz. can mushrooms (stems and pieces) you can certainly use fresh

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

12 oz. spaghetti cooked and drained(reserve 1/4 cup cooking water)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in 3 qt. saucepan. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Add half and half and chicken broth; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, mushrooms, and peppers. Toss gently with drained spaghetti and reserved cooking water. Turn into greased 3 qt. casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven 30 minutes.

Notes: This could not be any more simple. It's a great mid week dish for a family meal. Add salad, veggie and bread and you are set. My hubby has been making tetrazzini for ever, using a specific recipe. I actually had him make this one and he declared it much better than the one he had been making. So there's an official endorsement. Enjoy!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

2009-06-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not big on surprises. I like things planned. Surprises make me feel out of control. People coming by with only a little notice drives me crazy. I want my house in order and food planned. Don't call me and tell me you're coming by at a meal time with only a couple of hours notice. I want to be able to plan a wonderful meal for you. Let me know the day before and you will get gastronomical delights. Let me know a couple of hours before and you're likely to get a PB&J sandwich.

But there are some surprises I do like. The other day I thought I was only going to have my grandbaby for a couple hours and, because of a miscommunication, I had 6 hours with him. Delightful surprise!

And this soup turned out to be another delightful surprise! I will reveal the surprise in my notes.

This soup is creamy without being thick. It would be a great starter dish, fairly light and yet has just a hint of richness. I may be late coming to the table, but I had never really thought of cauliflower as being a main ingredient for a soup. But it works very nicely. Try it for yourself.

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower broken into flowerets (2 1/2 cups)

2 cups water

1 TBS. butter

1 TBS. olive oil

1 large onion finely chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped

2 TBS. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup half and half

2 cups packed grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a 3 quart saucepan over high heat bring cauliflower and water to a boil. Cover and simmer 4 minutes or until cauliflower is tender-crisp. Drain cauliflower, reserving 1 cup liquid.

In same saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and oil. Cook onion about 10 minutes until very tender. Add peppers and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in cauliflower, cheese and salt and pepper. If it is too thick use reserved liquid to thin to desired thickness. Cook until heated through. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika.

Notes: Ok, for the surprise. I wasn't that enamored of this soup when I first made it. It sat in the fridge for a couple of days before I reminded my hubby to take some in his lunch. He loved it! He raved about how flavorful it was without being thick. So, I heated up some to give it a second try. Surprise! It's better the second and third days. Aging serves it well. So, if you want this soup when you come to my house, give me a day's notice...no surprises. Enjoy!

Chocolate Molasses Cookies

2009-06-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

My hubby has had a life long love affair with sugar. I swear if he were given the choice of a beautifully grilled steak or pie a la mode, he would choice the pie every time. We come from diametrically opposed eating worlds. When we go out to dinner, we have to alternate...appetizers or dessert. (We try to not to be over indulgent and have both.) I am the stuffed mushrooms; he is the mud pie. I am the artichoke/spinach dip; he is the fudge brownie sundae. I am the jalapeno poppers; he is the fried ice cream. The one time I will make an exception and choose dessert over appetizer is if creme brulee is on the menu. And hubby bakes a killer cherry pie (my favorite!) that I will choose over everything.

And this all works out nicely for us since I don't really like to bake. Too much precision is required. Hubby prefers not to cook other than grill, but he loves to bake. Match made in heaven. So when he is craving something sweet (which seems to be daily), I just tell him he knows what to do about it. So this recipe is his doing. Lucky for him, in my quest for old Farm Journal cookbooks, I found the Farm Journal Cookies cookbook. Now he makes a little piece of his heaven whenever he chooses. This cookie is his maiden voyage into the cookbook. Happy travels, babe!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 cup sifted flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Heat butter and molasses. Add brown sugar; sti

r over low heat until sugar is melted. Cool. Beat egg until light. Add to cooled molasses mixture. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add with chocolate pieces to molasses mixture. Mix well. Spread in greased 13 X 9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. When cool dust with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

Notes: I am not big on overly sweet treats. These are perfect. The molasses/chocolate combination is lovely. And, I say, any time you can make cookies in one pan and and only have the oven on for 20 minutes, great! But you may want to make 2 pans of these yummies. Enjoy!

Pasta and Bean Soup

2009-06-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

When I was first contemplating on what to title this blog, I didn't realize the economy was going to tank as it did. Luckily, I haven't noticed a mass opening of soup kitchens in the recent months as they did during the great depression...thank goodness. I really entitled this KB's Soup Kitchen because, guess what, I love soup. I love everything about it. I love creating it. I love the aromas wafting through the house on a chilly dismal day. I love making a meal in one pot. I love parking my body on the couch in front of the TV with a big hot mug of fresh made soup. And, let's face it, it's a great way to stretch a buck.

Wednesday was a dark and drizzly day...perfect for soup. So I pulled out one of my Farm Journal cookbooks and started looking for soup recipes. This particular one reminded me of a country version of Pasta Y Fagioli. I made a few tweaks and these are the results. Let's just say it was all gone by the end of the day.

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic minced, grated, or pressed

1 cup baby carrots sliced or chopped

1/2 cup white wine

2 1 lb. cans white beans undrained

1 1 lb. can diced tomatoes undrained

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

more chicken broth as needed

1 cup small pasta

Cut the bacon into very small pieces. Fry it up in a large pot (I like to use my Dutch oven for this). Remove to paper towel.

Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the bacon renderings. Saute over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the carrots to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Deglaze the pot with the wine. You can also use chicken broth if you prefer. Add the 1 cup of chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, herbs and spices. Heat to boiling, cover, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove about 2 cups of the soup and puree. Add back to the soup.

Add as much chicken broth as is necessary to cook the pasta. Add the pasta and simmer until the pasta is tender. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Notes: My hubby said this was the best soup I had ever made. My daughter who was here that day hit the pot 3 times. Next time I will double this. And you can certainly use dry beans for this...1 cup for this recipe. If I do say so myself, this was pretty darn good. Enjoy!

Lists! Lists! Lists!

2009-06-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

My hubby is big on lists. He always has some sort of "to do" list going. And always, as he completes a task, crosses it off. And always, as he completes one list he begins another. It is ongoing, consistent, predictable, and endearing. And he completes almost everything he sets out to complete.

Then there's me. I am a huge disappointment in the list area. I've tried. I really have. But, alas, I am a dismal failure in the land of the lists...at least "to do" lists. I get things done, honest...just in my own time and when I think about it. And where my hubby does things in a linear fashion, I attack life from many directions. Some days I finish many things. Other days I finish none. I have a sneaking suspicion that I may be slightly ADD. But it's OK. I think it suits me.

In saying all that, there are lists I do make and do like. I make grocery lists, wish lists, lists of goals for my students, guest lists, and so on. So, on occasion I will blog lists. These kinds of lists are fun, and get my puny little brain just a little more organized.

My inaugural list is a list of the 10 ingredients I always have in my kitchen. Having these items in the pantry makes it possible to always be able to throw together a main dish. These are just basic things, nothing fancy or expensive. But to me, essential.

The order in which the items appear does not denote any level of importance. Essential means just that...and I don't think you can quantify how essential something is. It either is essential or it's not.

My 10 Essential Ingredients for Cooking

1. Stocks

2. Canned tomato products

3. Onion

4. Garlic

5. Parsley

6. Pastas

7. Rice

8. Beans

9. Red Bell Peppers

10. Cheeses

These are very simple, but with them on hand, I feel like I am ready for anything. What's on your list?

Summer Chicken with Peas

2009-06-08T06:54:00.001-07:00

As I contemplate the start of another week, I reflect on what Sundays used to be. In my youth, Sundays were a day of worship...in some faiths that meant church twice on Sundays...and a big Sunday dinner, where the family gathered around the dining table and enjoyed a wonderful meal, good company, and a day free from work (unless you were a dairy farmer). It was a day about family. I don't know about the rest of you, but my Sundays are just as crazy as the rest of the week. Trying to gather my grown family to my house on Sundays is pretty much an impossibility. Naturally, the son who lives 3 1/2 hours from here can't make it. And the other three, well their lives are very full and busy. It is even a struggle for everyone to coordinate their schedules during holidays. I miss those big noisy Sunday dinners. Now a days, it's hubby, my mom, and me. At least they still enjoy the big Sunday dinner.

In honor of the big Sunday dinner I am posting a recipe that is the model of a "Sunday come to dinner" dish. This is a time consuming dish to make, but good things come to those who wait. I have discovered that those dishes that the Farm Journal test kitchens deemed the best found their way into several of the cookbooks. Such is the case with this one. And it does deserve that honor. Round up the family for Sunday dinner and this dish, and I promise they will love you and the chicken.

Ingredients

1 broiler-fryer cut up

1 lb. new potatoes or medium red potatoes

6 TBS. butter

salt

fresh ground pepper

2 TBS. lemon juice

3 green onions sliced

1 lb. fresh peas, shelled (1cup) or 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup dairy sour cream

1 tsp. thyme leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp.pepper

Scrub potatoes. If using new potatoes peel a strip around the center; if using medium red potatoes, quarter into uniform sized pieces. Brown chicken and protatoes slowly on all sides in melted butter in large skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chicken with lemon juice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Add green onions to butter in bottom of skillet. Sprinkle peas and parsley over chicken and potatoes; cover again and simmer 10 more minutes or until

tender.

Remove chicken and vegetables to platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Remove skillet from heat. Pour off excess fat, Add sour cream, thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Stir to loosen pan drippings. Heat over low heat. Pour over chicken.

Notes: First, I have to apologize for the photo. With the sauce poured over the platter, it is difficult to tell the chicken from the potatoes. But, let me tell you, it makes no difference in the flavor. My hubby sort of swooned when he ate his first forkful. The one thing I will do the next time is precook the peas slightly. They were a bit al dente for my tastes. I also substituted plain yogurt for the sour cream. Either works well. As I said, this a great dish for Sunday or any family dinner. It will now be a staple recipe in our home. Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

2009-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Summer is just about here. We have had an incredibly warm several weeks in the Pacific Northwest. But the Rose Parade is fast approaching, so I am reasonably sure the heat and sunshine are about to end for awhile. No matter, we PNWers picnic in the liquid sunshine. We're hearty that way. And what picnic, or bar-b-que for that matter, would be complete without the time honored staple of deviled eggs. Everyone loves deviled eggs, don't they? I honestly haven't met anyone who didn't. Kids especially seem to enjoy them. One time we had a family get together...a bar-b-que with all the trimmings....including 3 dozen of my deviled eggs. Should be plenty, I thought. That was until one little 5 year old egg addict discovered the plate! That little thing downed 6 egg halves faster than you can say "Jack Robinson"! We knew from that point on we would need to have more on hand than expected if the little minx was coming.

I have always made the standard deviled egg with little veering from the family recipe. Then, as I was going through my Farm Journal cookbooks, I found a couple of different recipes with many variations offered. The following is what I ended up with....and I have to say,"Wow!" Let me know if you agree.

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs

2 slices crisp bacon

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup plain yogurt

I like to use the food processor for making the deviled part of the eggs. Put the bacon into the bowl of the processor and pulse a few times until the bacon is in small bits. Slice the eggs in half, lengthwise, remove yolks, and add to the processor.

Add the remaining ingredients and blend until desired consistency. I like mine fairly fluffy. Heap into the bowls of the eggs. If you really want to be "uptown" you can pipe the filling in with a pastry bag. And I like to sprinkle with paprika as a final touch.

Notes:Oh My Gosh! These were heavenly! This may be the only way I make them ever again. The bacon added an unexpected crunch. And there were so many layers of flavor. Yum, yum, yum. Enjoy!

Banana Walnut Bread

2009-06-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days I have been reading through foodie blogs. What I have noticed about the majority of the ones I have stumbled across is that they don't deal with ordinary home cooking...the kind of cooking that brings family to the table. I'm not saying all of them. Anyone who follows foodie blogs is familiar with The Pioneer Woman. Now, that is home cooking, the type of stuff most of us can afford and make without a great deal of difficulty. And I like Simply Recipes. For the most part Elise has pretty doable and yummy recipes. (I have posted links on the side of this blog.) It's this type of cooking I want my blog to address.

At this moment in history, when money is tight, we need less expensive, healthy meals that feed a family. That's what I'm all about. Just like millions of other people, we're struggling a bit financially...not because of job lay-offs or loss of investments (what are investments?), but due to illness. Since September my hubby has been off work quite a few times due to hospitalizations, without sick-pay benefits (we do have insurance). It's been tight, but we've handled it. And we've done it without suffering foodwise. Gotta keep our spirits up somehow.

Delicious food is not dependent on fancy ingredients. I use EVOO, but I get it at Costco. I use bacon, not pancetta...personally, I like the flavor better. When whole chickens are on sale, I buy several, cut them up myself and save the backs and wings to make my own stock. I use cheese I can get at Walmart. I try to keep the cupboards stocked w

ith the type of ingredients that can be called into service at a moments notice. I've attempted using fresh herbs, but they end up rotted and slimy in my veggie drawer. Don't suggest I grow my own....been there done that and am a dismal failure. So I have an overstocked spice cabinet. Works for me. And we are so fortunate to have a produce market in the community where I can get fresh quality produce at a reasonable price. It is possible to eat well for less....been doing it for years. Not fancy, buy yummy and wholesome.

So, in that vein, we had some bananas that had seen better days. No throwing those puppies out around here. They screamed banana bread!!! In keeping with my Farm Journal project I pulled out my Country Fair Cookbook from Farm Journal and m

ashed away.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup sifted flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed bananas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 TBSP. flour

Sift together flour (yes, it will be double sifted...just do it), baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients with bananas, beating after each addition. Combine walnuts and 1 TBSP. flour; stir into butter. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until bread tests done. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on rack. Makes one loaf.

Notes:This is not your typical sweet cakelike banana bread. If you like sweeter, by all means add a little more sugar. The notes in the recipe suggest the bread sit for 24 hours before being sliced. I concur. This has a texture a bit more like a yeast bread than a quick bread, and doubles easily (as I did). Just smear some butter on a slice and smile a bit. Enjoy!

Corn with Cream Cheese

2009-05-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

My family hails from hearty mid-western stock...where the best corn in the world is grown, nurtured with love and lots of sunshine. Nobody does corn like those farmers. Whenever I buy corn here in the PNW I am always disappointed. These people have no idea what true "sweet" corn is. My granddad, "Bampa", was a true connoisseur of corn. My nineteenth summer I went back to work in Bampa's firm, and towards the end of summer corn became king. Every evening on our way home from work, Bampa would search out a stand and stop to pick up several ears of corn for my Gaga to cook for dinner. There is nothing in this world sweeter than corn picked fresh from the field. I think by the end of that summer I was a cornaholic.

Possibly my fondest memory of Bampa took place on one of his birthdays which fell right in the middle of corn harvest. The family was there for a birthday dinner, and my aunt presented him with her gift....a huge bag of fresh corn. Gaga immediately prepped and cooked it so that by the end of dinner it was ready to eat. And eat Bampa did! After a full dinner, he sat there and consumed 13 ears! And I am not kidding!!! This is family legend. And I was witness to it. The man loved his corn.

And that, my friends, is what corn is all about.

The following recipe, sadly, is made with canned corn, but come this summer I am going to make this from fresh....even if it was grown in the PNW. After all, beggars can't be choosers. (from Farm Journal Best-Ever Recipes, published 1977)

Ingredients

1/3 cup cream (you could use half-&-half or milk)

2 oz. cream cheese

1 TBS. butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

paprika to make it pretty

Combine cream, cream cheese, butter, salt, and pepper in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and is blended. Add corn and heat. Sprinkle paprika on top before serving.

Notes:This a very simple, very rich dish that would accompany a simple meat or fish entree nicely, and can easily be doubled or tripled. I will absolutely be making this with fresh corn this summer. Hubby swooned over this one! Enjoy!

Broccoli-Rice Bake

2009-05-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

Next to cooking, tutoring, and maybe quilting, the thing I really love to do is read. I'm not a heavy duty, philosophical, non-fiction (for the most part) reader. Pure escapism is where I get my jollies. It's my "Calgon, take me away" fix. I especially love good detective and suspense novels. But recently I strayed a bit from my norm and read an incredibly funny memoir about....drum roll here...cooking! I just finished Julie&Julia...My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell. Seems young Julie, back shortly after 9/11, was feeling some dissatisfaction with her career, or lack there of, and decides she should take on the project of cooking Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, volume 1. And she is going to do it in one year....524 recipes. And she is going to blog about it. This after a full day of work that wasn't very satisfying. What was she??? Nuts??!! The book regales the reader with stories from that experience. And the book is also now a movie being released this summer with Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the movie in August. But be warned, Julie's language is a bit bawdy.

Personally, I am sticking to the recipes from the Farm Journal's cookbooks. Few surprises, and I understand the processes these hardy farm women used. And the majority of people I cook for will eat these dishes. Such as the following.

This is a delicious side that dresses up a main meat dish such as chicken, chops, or fish, but is also great as a meatless entree. And as a dish for a pot luck, you can't beat it. I did some updating to the original recipe, both to add flavor and nutrition. This is one of my hubby's favorite dishes. (Farm Journal's Best-Ever Recipes, published in 1977.)

Ingredients

2 TBS. butter or half butter and half olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 stalks celery chopped

3 cloves garlic grated

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cup chicken broth (if you want to make this vegetarian use vegetable broth)

1 to 1 1/2 cups packed grated cheddar cheese

4 oz. cubed Velveeta (trust me on this)

3 cups cooked brown rice

2 medium to large heads of fresh broccoli chopped in large pieces and cooked until just barely tender (it cooks more in the casserole)

Saute onion, celery, and garlic in butter in a large saucepan until the veggies are very tender. Combine soup, broth and cheese. Add to the saucepan and heat until the cheeses are melted. Combine rice and broccoli in a very large bowl. Gently stir in the soup/cheese mixture. Fold until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole or 9 X 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Notes: This casserole has many layers of flavor. The brown rice and fresh broccoli add another layer of nutrition. It's side dish that can do double duty as a vegetarian main dish. Hurray for versatility. Enjoy!

Meatball Stew

2009-05-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

As life has a tendency to go these days, I've been sidetracked the last few days from posting. It seems hubby needed to have a pesky tumor (which he lovingly named "Curly") removed from his spine today. We've been at the hospital since yesterday (and as I write I am still here), surgery is complete, and, with success, "Curly" is history. So, as hubby sleeps off the effects of anesthesia, I am back to work here.

Ah, meatballs....I love meatballs. There is something so hardy, so satisfying, so versatile about the meatball. And I am sufficiently lazy enough to not make my own. There are so many different brands of frozen meatballs to choose from, that I see no point in wasting precious time gathering all the ingredients, mixing said ingredients, forming the balls, and then browning them. Most days I am pressured for time, so just let me cut open a bag and throw them into a pan to brown. As my younger students would say, "Easy, peasy. Lemon squeezie."

This recipe is for a wonderfully hearty, flavorful stew that totally hits the spot on a cool evening. We like to eat it just about any season, even in the summer. Although this is baked in the oven, we don't mind the extra heat in the kitchen. We have central air, so I am priveleged to cook whatever my little heart desires. And my heart (and belly) desire this dish frequently. At this point I have 9 (yes, that may be a bit of overkill) Farm Journal cookbooks, and this recipe has appeared in at least 4 of them. That should be your first clue as to how good this is!

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. frozen meatballs (or you can make your own favorite recipe)

1-2 TBS. oil

3 TBS. flour

1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried crushed basil

3 or 4 medium red or Yukon gold potatoes (wash but don't peel)

1 1/2 to 2 cups baby carrots

1 onion coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery sliced

Brown meatballs in oil in a large hot skillet. Remove to a 3 quart casserole and drain all but 3 TBS. of fat from skillet. Blend in flour. Add tomatoes and water and stir out any lumps. Stir in rest of the ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Pour over the meatballs in the casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until veggies are tender.

Notes:As I said, "Easy, peasy." Instead of using a skillet, I did this in my dutch oven, first on top of the stove and then into the oven. I didn't put the meatballs on the bottom. I just mixed it all together. Rolls and a salad and total meatball Nirvana. Enjoy!

Beef and Noodle Medley

2009-05-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

In pursuit of completing my commitment (to myself) to spend a year cooking from Farm Journal cookbooks, I have been adding to my collection. Thank you Amazon used book sellers. The range of prices is mind boggling. I purchased one for $00.12, yet some are priced at close to $200! Crazy. You won't catch me paying that for a cookbook. Granted, the 12 cent one is a bit musty smelling, but, hey, the recipes still work, right?

This latest book is Farm Journal's Country Cookbook revised enlarged edition. It was first published in 1959 and reprinted in 1972, and it is a hoot. The running commentary through the book is so standard '50s speak. For example, this little paragraph from the intro.

"Appetizers and snacks have become important. Many a country hostess now serves a beverage as first course in the living room---often tomato or fruit juice, cocktails or wine, with crisp chips or vegetables and dips or dunks. This affords informal visiting for her husband and guests;meanwhile, the hostess puts final touches on the company meal. Smart country cooks tell us this sidetracks well-meaning friends who want to "help," but who often delay dinner instead. So in this edition full chapters are devoted to recipes for appetizers and snacks, and beverages."

Who knew we were supposed to distract our guests? Personally, I can take all the help I can get in the kitchen. We've come a long way, baby!

There are also quite a few recipes I won't be sharing out of this book...things that have to do with parts of animals I don't deal with, and some things I just flat have never heard of. Does anyone know what "salsify" is? It apparently has nothing to do with salsa. I think it is some sort of plant. If you know...share.

On to the recipe. I am really big on one dish meals...dishes that only need a salad and bread. This one is like hamburger helper without the box. It's quick and tasty and heats well in the microwave for lunch the next day. I am all about versatility. (This recipe is from Family Favorites from Country Kitchens, published in 1973.)

"A fast-fix skillet dinner that's served often on a Montana ranch."

Ingredients

1 TBS. olive oil

1 TBS. butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

2 cloves grated garlic

8 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms

1 lb. ground beef

2 cup wide egg noodles (the Country Pasta works great here)

1 15 oz. can kidney beans

2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet (my 12 inch saute pan works great for this) saute onion, celery, red pepper, garlic, and mushrooms in butter and oil until veggies are very tender. Then add ground beef and brown. Drain excess juices. Add uncooked noodles, undrained kidney beans, tomatoes and sauce, and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover. Simmer 20 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Notes:This is so fast and easy to fix. It tastes good and is filling. Works great on those crazy week nights when kids have soccer, piano, homework, and cupcakes to be made for the school carnival the next day. LOOVVEE these kinds of dishes! Enjoy!

Scalloped Potatoes with Pork Chops

2009-05-18T08:32:00.001-07:00

OK, right up front I am going to admit this did not turn out well. I think it was one of those mornings that, as the Mary Chapin Carpenter song goes, the stars were stacked against me and I should have stayed in bed. First thing...my hubby, who seems to have some strange aura that surrounds him when it comes to electronics, clicked something on the computer and sent the desktop on the laptop reeling. Much chastising ensued, and I made dire warnings of what would happen to him should he do it again. Later in the day I finally restored the laptop, and proceeded to start the recipe for this posting. It was late in the day, and I realized I had not read the recipe very closely. The dang dish was going to take 1 1/2 hours in the oven. Dinner was not going to be ready until almost 7. Alright, it was still doable. I assembled everything, and put it in the oven. It had been along day, so I thought a rest was in order so laid down and read for a bit. About the time the foil was supposed to come off the dish for the last half hour, hubby walks in and asks if dinner is ready since the oven was off. HOLY CRAP! Somehow I had managed to turn the oven off when I stuck the potatoes and pork chops into the oven! Dinner gets put off another hour, and hubby laughs his rear off, and decides that after the computer fiasco he now has a "get out of jail free" card.

Fast forward to the dish actually being done....I plate it up to photograph, aim the camera, and...nothing. The stupid camera is on the fritz again. And after all of this, do you think this yummy sounding dish was yummy? Of, course not! I decided these were the pork chops that were destined to not be blogged.

So, today, no recipe. I have some ideas on how to improve this dish, and make it as delectable as it deserves. When I work the kinks out, I will post it, with accompanying photos.

Until then...visualize yummy scalloped potatoes with pork chops. They will be wonderful! I promise.

Raspberry Swirl

2009-05-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Before I go any further, you have to know that my hubby has the most intense sweet tooth ever. He can feel like "death warmed over," as my mother would say, and still want whatever sweet happened to be lurking in the fridge or freezer. After observing his family for over 35 years, I am fairly certain it is genetic. Whenever the gang gets together we all leave in a sugar high! It is a truly lovely feeling. Even in his parents last days in their home, the freezer was never devoid of ice cream. And most of the time neither is ours.

Fortunately, hubby does put his money where his sweet tooth is. He does like to bake. And the following recipe, which is heavenly on a hot summer day, was made by him. (Recipe from Farm Journal's Best Ever Recipes, published in 1977.)

Ingredients

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 TBS. melted butter

2 TBS. sugar

3 eggs separated

1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1 10 oz. package frozen mixed berries (we had marionberries, raspberries, and blueberries)

Combine crumbs, butter, and 2 TBS. sugar. Press mixture into a well-greased 10 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Beat egg yolks in bowl until thick. Add cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and salt. Beat until smooth and light.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites and whipped cream into cheese mixture.

Puree berries. Gently, very gently, swirl half of puree through cheese filling; spread mixture in crust. Spoon remaining puree over top; again, very gently swirl with a knife. (If you are too vigorous in your swirling, you will have a purple mess. Not pretty.) Freeze, then cover and return to freezer.

Notes: This really is a very light and refreshing dessert. And sooooo pretty. It does need to remain in the freezer when not be served. One of the very lovely things about this dessert is that there is a little too much filling for the pie plate so that while you are waiting for it to freeze you can indulge a bit and get a preview of coming attractions. Grab a spoon and dig in! Enjoy!

Basque Potatoes

2009-05-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

Potatoes are one of those foods which is exceeded in it's variety of uses only by chicken and ground beef. As I ponder all the dishes I have made using the humble spud I picture Forrest Gump's friend Bubba as he spews his litany of shrimp dishes. Baked, mashed, oven roasted, oven fried, french fried, au gratined, scalloped, with roasts, in soup, in cold potato salad, in hot potato salad. You get the picture. To not have potatoes every other night as a side dish takes herculean restraint on my part. And now that there are so many more varieties available...well, it's just frickin' endless. But Basque potatoes was a new one for me. As I did some research on the dish I found, of course, that there are endless ways to prepare this dish that ranged from stove top to oven, with a variety of herbs and spices. Too many choices gave me a headache. I decided to stick with the Farm Journal recipe with a few tweaks of my own. And, if I do say so myself, they turned out pretty darn yummy. (This recipe is from Family Favorites from Country Kitchens published in 1973 by Farm Journal.)

Ingredients

1 TBS. butter

1 TBS. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup shredded carrot

2 cloves garlic grated or minced

2 cups chicken broth

2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1" cubes

1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

chopped fresh Italian parsley

Saute onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in the butter and oil until very tender. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, salt and pepper to pan. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove cover and add herbs and paprika. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or until broth reduces and thickens. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Notes:This is an excellent side dish for oven fried chicken that does not afford the opportunity to make gravy. These potatoes come equipped with their own. And since there is no flour or milk it is half way to being figure friendly. Enjoy!

Farm Journal

2009-05-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

As I stated a few days ago, I am devoting this blog to Farm Journal cookbook recipes. I emailed Farm Journal to ask about copyright issues. The kind woman who responded said she didn't think there was a problem as long as I cite the cookbook in which the original recipe appeared, and I provided a link to the Farm Journal website. The link is now posted under Favorite Links. The Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken is from Farm Journal's Best-Ever Recipes published in 1977, and the Sweet and Sour Green Beans is from Family Favorites from Country Kitchens, published in 1973. Both of these recipes have been altered to be more contemporary, but not more expensive. And that is my goal here...update the recipes, keep them economical and tasty. Wouldn't the whole world improve if families actually sat down to dinner together a few nights a week? I think we should all make that a goal. Who and what are at your table tonight?

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

2009-05-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

Before I launch into these lovely green beans, let me take a few moments to impart my philosophy and reason for cooking. Cooking keeps me sane! That's pretty much it in a nutshell. For me creating something tasty and beautiful that I can share with others from essentially a hodgepodge of ingredients is almost as fulfilling as creating a new life...almost. During huge times of stress, cooking has been a great relief and release. Granted, it hasn't done much for girlish figure, but, oh, well. As my hubby would tell you, I am financially pretty low maintenance. I don't drink, smoke, carouse, spend ungodly amounts on clothes or shoes, require being taken to dinner and movies or vacations on any kind of regular basis, or even spend much on cosmetics. But I do love my kitchen supply shops. Food brings people together...and I am not talking purchased prepared foods. I'm talking belly filling, aromatic, eye pleasing meals. And this is what I am about.

Now, with that out of my system...on to the green beans.

These are a bit time consuming, much like risotto. But like good risotto, worth it. The levels of flavor in these will knock your socks off.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh green beans
2 strips bacon cut into small pieces
1/2 half small onion chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (do not substitute)
2 TBS. sugar (I actually used Splenda)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Wash and snap the ends off the green beans. Set aside. Cook the bacon until about half way to crisp in a large skillet. When the bacon is about half way done add the onion and continue to cook until bacon is crisp. Add the green beans, 1/2 cup broth, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook on medium low, stirring often, letting the liquid reduce. As the liquid reduces continue to add a bit of the broth at a time until beans are tender/crisp. They should be a dull green in color, much like what you see in canned beans. But don't let them get mushy! There will be very little liquid left. If you need to add more than the cup of broth, feel free. These will be a bit brown looking because of the balsamic. Just a warning lest you think you burned them.

Notes: The flavor of these green beans is incredible. As I noted above...do not substitute another vinegar. These are our new favorite green beans. A great side dish for any meal. Enjoy!

Crisp Oven-Fried Chicken

2009-05-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! Who doesn't like fried chicken? It is totally unAmerican to not love it. But who likes to stand over a hot skillet, tending it, keeping it from scorching, making sure it isn't raw in the middle? I spent too many years trying to fry the perfect fowl. Sometimes success, sometimes disaster. Then I stumbled upon this recipe in a Farm Journal cookbook. I played with it, added a few of my own touches, and now can be fairly assured of success every time. Caution...naturally it is not low cal. Ask me do I care? For picnics, this is perfect.

Ingredients

2 (3 lb.) broiler/fryers cut up
3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers

3/4 cup crushed white cheddar Cheez-It cracker

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS. minced fresh parsley (I used Italian)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup melted butter

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan or sheet with sides. Mix the dry ingredients together. I always use a couple of pie pans for this part. I put the crumbs in one pan and the half-and -half in another. Dip the pieces of chicken first in liquid, then coat with the crumbs. Lay skin side up on baking sheet. And here's the best part...drizzle that melted butter over the chicken. Yuuummmm.

Bake for 1 hour.

This is going to be so crispy and juicy, it will be hard for you to resist chomping right into it. But do let it cool for 5 or 10 minutes so you don't do damage to your taste buds and roof of your mouth. You really want to be able to revel in the flavor.

Notes: I used 1 whole chicken and 8 thighs. But after I cut up the whole chicken, I froze the back and wings to make stock at a later date. This left me with a total of 14 pieces of chicken. The above amount of crumbs and liquid were just the right. And this is absolutely delectable cold. Enjoy!

Cooking Old School

2009-05-10T21:25:00.001-07:00

I love Farm Journal cookbooks. I love the recipes. Those farm wives really knew how to cook filling, flavorful, and economical dishes. They had to. They were often cooking for a great deal more people than we city dwellers do. But I have decided in these tough economic times to take a page from their (cook)book. I am going to devote the next year of this blog to cooking and posting from the Farm Journal cookbooks...I have lots. But...I am going to put a more contemporary twist on each recipe that I try. That does not mean that instead of bacon I will use pancetta. This is farm cooking, for Pete's sake, not haute cuisine. And I want the recipes to be "finances" friendly. And I have to say, I have never met a Farm Journal recipe that I didn't like. So stay tuned.

Big News!

2009-04-12T13:25:00.001-07:00

Kris popped the question to Dina and Dina said she had nothing better to do, so....we are going to have a wedding. Yay! Welcome to the family, Dina. We love ya, and don't think Kris could have done any better. (Don't know when the doin's are yet. We'll keep all posted.)

Happy Birthday to My Honey

2009-04-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today is hubby's 60th birthday and I just wanted him to know how special he is. This man is one of the kindest, most thoughtful persons you would ever meet. Why he has put up with me for almost 37 years is beyond me. He has always been supportive of everything I have wanted to do, and believe me, there's been a lot of nutty things to support. He has always been the rock I could count on. He's extremely giving and compassionate. He is often the first to volunteer to help others, and he would do anything for his family. One of his sisters once said to me that she just realized no one in the family ever gets mad at him (he's has 7 siblings and so there are plenty of opportunities for that). Phil has always been pretty good at staying above the fray. I am blessed that he is a beautiful pianist. I am treated to beautiful music all the time. How cool is that?!

At this point in our lives, with all that has gone on in the last year, I am grateful for every day more that I have with him. I am looking forward to at least another 10 years with him...right, honey? I love and appreciate all you are. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My "Job"

2009-04-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was checking in with my sister-in-law to the north of us to see how she was doing after some surgery. (She's doing fine.) As we were chatting back and forth she asked me how my tutoring was going. I proceeded to tell her it was going well, and I had a pretty full roster (8 students at this moment). And then, as I continued to fill her in on things, I realized that when I am out working with my students it is the best part of my day! I truly love working with these kiddoes. Many days when I get up and am going about my business of the day, i.e. cleaning, getting dinner ready for that night, prepping for my students that day, I think, "I wish I could just stay home and not have to spend my time running around the county." Then I start my day with the kids and, wow, the time just flies, and I realize what a good time I am having. I have always connected to kids better than adults. It's probably the total honesty with which they approach you. There are very few punches pulled, and the majority of them have such great senses of humor. I really really have fun with them. And it is such a joy when they succeed. So often in school they don't, so I become their private cheerleader. You would be amazed at how many of them feel that they are stupid. It's very sad what school environments can do to a child's self esteem. But my students and I celebrate every little success so they can realize that they can learn and succeed. How cool a feeling is that?! How many people can say all of that about their jobs? And one of the best parts is....drumroll...I have no boss! It's up to the parents and me as to what we work on and how we approach it. Love it, love it, love it.

OK, my day is just beginning so need to get to work prepping for the 3 guys that I have today. I hope all of you have as joyful a day working as I will.

Family Togetherness

2009-04-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have a tutoring client that is a very successful broker...candy broker, that is. He brokers deals between places that need candy, say, Dairy Queen, and places that produce candy, say, Hershey's. Evidently the world needs a lot of candy, because he does really well. He owns a gorgeous 6,000 square foot home here and another one in a resort area in central Oregon. For a couple of years now his wife has been urging me to take advantage of it and take the family there. So, last weekend we did. I don't think we have all been together for more than a few hours at a time in probably at least 10 years. We can never get everyone's schedules to jive. But, wow, let there be a life threatening illness and everyone comes running! There are some definite silver linings in life's trials.

We had a wonderful time! Didn't do much other than hang out, eat, play games, and listen to Kris's music. It really was relaxing and no blood was shed. I was a little worried when 2 of the kids started a heated discussion on the merits or lack of in Twilight. It was pretty funny.

Now, this is how we looked upon arrival.

And how we looked when it was time to go!

For those of you who don't remember who is who...back row, Phil, Brent and Thomas. Front row, Karen, Sara, Janet, Ronan and Kris.

Kris and Dad share a penchant for chic PJs

And, of course, no post would be complete without pictures of Ronan. I am only a little bit prejudiced.

And my own personal favorite...Ronan kisses for Nana.

My own camera is broken so I took a disposable one with me. When I get it to Walgreen's and put on CD I will post some more pics. It really was great to be together and a time that will be treasured.

Baby and Man's Best Friend

2009-04-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my grandbaby and I had to run up to my sis's house to pick up some mail she had gathered for me while we were gone on a family getaway. Sis has the cutest little Pekinese named Gizmo, and Ronan finally met him. Best buds from the get-go. My sis has 6 grandkids, so Gizmo is used to being manhandled. And like Ronan, loves everyone. When we first walked in and Ronan spied him, he couldn't get out of my arms fast enough. And although he can't walk yet, he made a valiant effort with me holding onto his chubby little hands. He and Gizmo finally settled on my lap as being a suitable playground. It was so fun watching Ronan discover something new. Grandbabies are definitely the best!

Shout Out for Spelling

2009-03-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

In my daily business of trying to meet the needs of various students with a variety of learning issues, I am continually learning something new, whether it is about a specific disability or product. Today I am in a sharing mood, so I want to share with all of you a great learning tool I discovered.

About a year and a half ago I was working with a young student who's mother was fairly certain her daughter was dyslexic...and I have to say, that after a bit of research on my part, I concurred. So I set out to find a way to work with her. Now, contrary to popular belief, dyslexia is not just the reversal or transposing of letters. Actually, it's much more than that. And there is evidence that approximately 80% of children diagnosed with reading disabilities are likely to be dyslexic. Unfortunately, the schools are not equipped to deal with diagnosing, let alone working with, dyslexia.

I started scouring the internet looking for a way to work with this child. The program I found is the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching what is basically phonics to dyslexic students. The simplistic explanation is that in the dyslexic child, the brain doesn't recognize the sound/letter relationship. So this program approaches the teaching of phonemes (sounds) and phonics (using the sounds to connect to letters) by utilizing visual, auditory, and tactile learning styles simultaneously. It is very impressive, very successful, and very spendy. There just was no way I could afford it.

Back to the internet looking for something comparable and affordable. And, Voila, I found it. It's called All About Spelling, and my students and I love it. It is a leveled spelling program that teaches ALL the spelling and phonics rules, ones you probably didn't even know existed. The program is scripted, easy to implement, and affordable. I can't recommend it enough. The author of the program has even started an online community for users of her program. It seems that there are a lot of homeschool moms and a few tutors like myself that use this program. But if you have a child who seems to be really struggling with spelling and getting the print up off the page, so to speak, it would definitely be worth your while to take a look at this program. And to get an even better insight into the how-tos and benefits of the program visit this on-line community.

Thanks for letting my share! And seriously check it out.

In My Past Life....

2009-03-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

I have a very strong suspicion that in one of my past lives I must have been a governess. That's a live-in tutor, right? And if they still have those jobs I would be soooo tempted to do find one. Unfortunately, now they are called nannies, and I am so past the diapers and toddler stuff (except where it concerns my grandson, of course). I love teaching! And by tutoring I also am able to forge some wonderful relationships with whole families. My parents are so committed to helping their children to succeed. The majority of the students I work with have some sort of learning issue, so we celebrate every little success. Tonight, we celebrate for sure.

I have a fifth grade student that I dearly love. I have been working with him for a couple of years. He really struggles with processing information and then expressing it. He can read fairly well, although he often doesn't understand what he has read. I've been working closely with his classroom teacher to ensure that we are on the same page. So, she lets me know that he has a book report due in a couple of weeks, and I ask if she would mind if we read a book together and discuss it, then I would help him with the report. Absolutely, she says. So, being the conscientious tutor that I am, I make a trip to Borders and find a book I think he will like. I choose the book The Chocolate Touch. Heck, what kid wouldn't like a book about candy?! We started the book tonight, and he informed me that he has never read a chapter book before. He said he always sticks to books with lots of pictures so he doesn't have to read them. But, Hallelujah ! he likes the book. He said, and I love this, it was like watching television in his head! He said maybe he would like reading after all. I assured him that I would find more books that he would like, and he was totally good with that. We read two chapters together, and his assignment is to read 4 more chapters by Monday. And I am doing the same.

This is what teaching is all about, waiting for the moment the light bulb goes on, even if it is 45 watts and not 100. I cannot envision myself doing anything else with my life. And I don't want to.

Goodbye Revolving Door

2009-03-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

Unless the economy goes belly-up so that we all have to move in together like they did during the Great Depression, hubby and I have locked the revolving door. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a heartless witch. It's just our house is basically what you would consider a cottage...1155 sq. feet to be exact. There's just enough room for an old couple (us). It has 3 bedrooms, but 2 of those bedrooms are about the size of a large walk-in closet. One of those is my office...I'm self-employed...and the other...well, it has been the camping out area for just about all of my immediate family. Two daughters, one son, and my mother have all graced that room for extended periods over the last four and a half years. It seems like once I had plans for the room someone else needed it. The last guest moved out in November. So, I held my breath and removed the futon that has been used as a bed for the last couple of visitors, and turned the room back into....drumroll....a sewing/craft room. Yay!

I quilt...and for the last year I haven't been able to do it. I tried do it out in the garage one year during the winter, with a space heater. I had to wear gloves with the fingers cut out. Very clumsy. So that option tanked. Summer wasn't too bad in the garage, but people really aren't impressed with sweat spots on their gifts. So I put the sewing away.

And now it's back. I am so happy. This is such a great stress reliever for me. And I have a myriad of projects that I need to finish. My goal is to get three projects done by the end of the year. About 11 or so years ago I started a queen size quilt for my second son. Silly me, I decided to hand quilt it. I have one and third borders left to finish it. After about 8 or 9 years of him asking when he was going to get it, he has given up. HA! I'll surprise him. Three years ago I started a wedding quilt for my oldest daughter. She's now been married 2 1/2 years and has a baby and no quilt. Project number 2 this year. And when my oldest son was diagnosed with a serious illness and came home for me to care for him this past year, I started a quilt for him. Project number 3. At least I won't have time to get bored!

So the door is closed except for dinners and such. And I get to go back to creating things that won't put inches on my already robust body. When I get my camera fixed I will post some pics of my creations. And I do continue to cook. Just have many other things to do now.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

2009-03-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! Theodore Seuss Geisel was born on this day in 1902. What a marvelous effect he has had on generations of children. I still have quite a few books of his, and off course, read them to my kids. Millions of children in schools around the nation will be celebrating his life. It really was quite a lovely life, too. To find out more about this imaginative and influential author and illustrator go here. It'a a wonderful interactive site devoted to Dr. Seuss. Kids and adults both will enjoy it.

What are your favorite Dr. Seuss' books? I loved The Sneetches and The Butter Battle Book. So many of his books taught such important lessons in such an entertaining way. Even in my tutoring I try to throw in a Dr. Seuss on occasion.

So, in honor of a wonderful children's (and can we also say adult's) author, go find a child, and enjoy a Dr. Seuss book together!

School House Rock

2009-02-23T21:35:00.000-08:00

So, how many of you either grew up with or your kids grew up with School House Rock? I loved those little 2 or 3 minute teaching moments between Saturday morning cartoons. That was how, as an adult, I finally understood how a bill became a law. That little cartoon explained the whole process much better than my 9th grade Civics teacher (no, that is not a Honda). Do they even teach Civics any more? And who could forget Conjunction Function?! Anyway, the highlight of my week was receiving the 30th anniversary collection in the mail today. I'm really looking forward to watching these and then picking some out to share with my students. It doesn't take much to make me happy...kitchen gadgets, educational stuff, Hugh Jackman.

P.S. I wanted to load an image on the page, but when I click on the add image on the top bar nothing happens. If any of you "geeky" type readers (and I definitely mean that in a good way) know how to fix this....HELP! Thank you all!

Stroganoff and Love

2009-02-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day was lovely except for one thing...my camera died. I am so unhappy about that. I was really looking forward to posting pictures of hubby's and my afternoon with Paul and my stroganoff. Instead, as I often tell my students that I tutor in writing, I will have to paint pictures in words. Besides, you all know what stroganoff looks like, right?

So, first, Paul. He arrived with his movie, "Madagascar 2," and his baby, Michael, diaper bag, and play yard. Here's the story. Paul has 3 older brothers, 2 of whom are married with children. As these siblings have married and produced babies, he began to feel as though he was being denied something. The summer that my oldest daughter was married it all came to a head. Paul was so enraptured with the whole wedding thing that he began to plan his own. He made lists of items he would need, who would be invited, even where the ceremony would be held...on his parents backporch/deck. The one hitch in the plan...no bride. That didn't seem to bother him in the least. He just wanted a wedding. And after that he wanted a baby to take care of. My sis was beside herself trying to figure out how to quash all of this. She finally decided to try doing the baby thing first to see if that would help quell his desire for a wedding. So she bought him a boy babydoll that is very lifelike. And, thus, Michael is born. He is the eternal newborn, and goes almost everywhere with Paul. He doesn't talk wedding plans any longer. But I guess there is going to be a baby shower in June. Hope my sis knows this.

Since Michael was with us yesterday, we had to put the Wiggles dvd that I have for my grandbaby on until Uncle Phil was done at the computer and could watch "Madagascar" with Paul. It was so adorable to see Paul stretched out on the loveseat with Michael on his lap facing the TV. Both were very content and relaxed watching the Wiggles perform their musical magic. (Personally, those guys creep me out.)

Later during dinner Paul kept telling me what a good cook I was. Must have been true. He had two pretty healthy servings of the stroganoff. Unfortunately, he didn't get to spend as much time with us as we would have liked. He had to take his dessert with him. But my sis was sure appreciative of being able to have some grownup time, and I'm glad I could do it for her. Hopefully, things have settled down for awhile so that Paul can spend some more time with us.

Now, on to the stroganoff. This is one of hubby's favorite dishes, which made it a wonderful choice for Valentine's. I don't like to skimp on the ingredients with this recipe. I want the meat as tender and the sauce as flavorful as possible. And I have a particular brand of noodles that I use that I can only find, so far, at Walmart. It's called Country Pasta and you can find out more about these noodles here.

Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2-2 lbs. beef sirloin sliced thin
2 medium onion sliced thin
2 TBS. oil
1 TBS. butter
3 cloves garlic minced
8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
2 TBS. flour
a little broth to mix flour with
2 TBS. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
wide noodles cooked according directions

Season the sliced beef with salt and pepper. Lay out 1/2 the sliced onion on a plate. Lay the sliced beef on the onions and cover with the other half of the onions and let rest for an hour. Go ahead and get the sour cream out and let it warm to room temperature. After the rest period, remove the meat from the onions, and quickly cook the meat in a large saute pan in the oil and butter. Remove the meat to a bowl and put the onion in the pan and cook until pretty well caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add back the meat and mix together thoroughly. Then add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the broth. Let heat through. Mix the flour with a little extra broth or water until smooth. Make sure the liquid is boiling in the pan, push aside the meat and veggies and mix in the flour mix in gradually, stirring to keep it smooth. Heat until thickened. Stir in the Dijon mustard. Right before serving stir in the sour cream. Serve over the noodles. This stuff is to die for all. Just ask Paul.

Happy Heart Day

2009-02-14T08:07:00.001-08:00

I hope this finds all of you with a loved one of your choice today. I am actually going to be with 2 of my most loved people. Hubby, of course, and my nephew, Paul. Paul is a very special member of our family. My big-hearted sister and her husband adopted him almost 23 years ago. And what makes it so special is that he had Down's syndrome. He is actually the most fun member of my extended family to be around. This kid has the most developed sense of humor I have ever run across. He is so quick with the comebacks it keeps us all on our toes. And Paul and my husband have quite the mutual admiration society going. It's really a riot to watch! They are both constantly baiting each other.

After the day is finished today I will post pics. And for a special Valentine dinnerI am making beef stoganoff with roasted asparagus. Recipe to come.

We are having Paul today because my poor sis never gets to go to a truly grown-up movie. Bless her heart, she takes him everywhere. And her hubby doesn't really care to go to the movies. So she wanted to take our mom to the movies and dinner, but they were going to have to go see "Hotel for Dogs," even though they have both been dying to see "Slumdog Millionaire." When she told me that, I, having the huge generous heart that I have (not!), said Paul needed to come and visit with hubby and me. So, EVERYONE was down with that. Now for Valentines, hubby and I get to watch "Madagascar 2" and what ever other movie he drags over here. That's OK, though, because I never get to see the kid movies. And he likes to cook and work, so I'll have some free labor for the afternoon. Woo Hoo! I really am looking forward to some time with Paul. With all the stuff that has been going on for the past year, he hasn't been down here with us much. He brings it up every time I talk to him. So it's a win/win for everyone.

On the update front...we had a meeting with hubby's oncologist yesterday. In a few weeks, he will begin a trial chemotherapy that will take about 6 months. Luckily, it's not one of those with absolutely horrendous side-effects. But, you know what his burning question to the doc was..."Will I lose my hair?" Not worried about if he will have debilitating nausea or fatigue or pain. No, not him. It's all about the looks. He was happy to hear that with this particular drug, that wasn't one of the side effects. Sigh....He did come through his surgery well and will be back at work next week And the fight for health continues.

Happy Valentine's Day to All.

Back Home

2009-02-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks again. Just to give you all some background, hubby was diagnosed with malignant melanoma last September. This is an internal type, not on the skin. They have never been able to find the primary source of the melanoma. After a surgery to remove a tumor in his lung (which was aborted), 2 different rounds of a biotherapy treatment that didn't appear to be rendering any results, they also discovered a tumor in his small intestine that had been causing a bit of pain. This past Monday the tumor was removed as well as his gall bladder, and the doc did a lot of looking around to make sure there wasn't anything missed. For the first time we had some good news...nothing else was found. We meet with the oncologist this Friday to see what is next. They did take the tumor to harvest cancer cells to make a vaccine as part of a trial, but we don't know if he is supposed to get that vaccine. We should have some answers this week. It was just nice for a change to get some good news (no other tumors).

Hubby has an amazing attitude. He is bound and determined that he will beat this. It is quite humbling to watch this, and to see how many people love and admire this man. We have so appreciated everyone's love, prayers and support through all of this.

We do have some fun planned for the end of next month. I have a client who has an amazing vacation home in central Oregon, and she has graciously insisted that our family take advantage of it. So we are headed there for a weekend of relaxation and recouping. We are so looking forward to this. The kids and grandbaby are joining us, so I know it will be absolutely wonderful.

Random stuff.

New pics of the newest love of my life.

This one cracks me up.

Also, this week on the Today Show I saw this story that brought me tears...which actually isn't all that hard to do. This is the video.(I haven't figured out how to post videos on here yet.) It is the sweetest story. I have a Down's Syndrome nephew so it really hit home. There are great lessons to be learned from this story. We can all take something away from Patrick and his high school!

Party Doings

2009-01-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

No food posts...just family.

This weekend I decided it was time to get out of Dodge. For about the last 6 months the only thing we have had to look forward to was doctor and hospital appointments. So we headed for parts north to meet up with a great deal of family. Hubby comes from a very large family. He is one of eight progeny, so you can imagine the myriad of nieces, nephews, greats and so on. Even one of our own offspring made it to the fun family dinner that hubby's awesome bother and sister-in-law hosted. We had a great time sharing food, tales of misspent youth, and holding a couple of adorable members of the newest generation. Here's a few pics to get a couple of chuckles from.

Our hostess(and host who is also hubby's brother) with the mostest

A couple of hubby's sisters

The proud hubbies of the beauties above

And lots of cousins!

Oldywed cousins

And newlywed cousins

Sister cousins

Like mother like daughter.

And like father like son.

When I saw these two pictures I was taken slightly aback. I didn't realize how much my son and hubby resembled each other. When I pointed this out, hubby asked if he was where our son also got his brains. My reply was, " Sure, because I still have mine." I am not sure the humor was appreciated.

My son's lovely girlfriend

The next generation

I'm not totally sure, but I think at last count there were about 20 biological great grandchildren and about 7 added by marriage greatgrand children. That is quite the progeny and much for Grandma and Grandpa Bell to be proud of. These pictures represent only a portion of the extended family. It is really wonderful to be part of such a huge loving supportive group, especially at a time like this. We really love all of these people and are so thankful for them...and hope they all know this.

And this was the end of the party!!

We really did have a wonderful evening and it was great to get away. Sorry if this makes any of the Utah family jealous. And, Nalani, sorry about no pictures of your hubby and sweet little guy. I handed my camera to some one else to take pics kind of late into the event and so missed them. But they were there and totally enjoyable. Jed had some great stories about his notorious youth! Fun! We also shared tales of shoplifting, spankings, fights and various other great family times. You had to be there. And for those of you that wanted the jalapeno popper thingies recipe, go here.

And, of course, it's always great to get home again. This is the view hubby and I have everyday as we come home from work...OK, everyday that is clear. Today was one of the those incredibly clear days when you feel all is right with the world. Lately, we don't get enough of those. So this was a gift.

Braggin' Rights

2009-01-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

This has nothing do with cooking, but who cares. I just had to share pictures of my little angel...my one and only grandchild. I may be prejudiced, but then, so what. I waited a long time for him, so deal.

I was feeding him oatmeal and applesauce and couldn't resist taking some messy pics. I am totally in love with the little guy...but then you couldn't tell, could you?

Mac and Cheese...The Ultimate Comfort Food

2009-01-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

This is definitely NOT low carb. But sometimes one just has to indulge. There is nothing better, as far as I am concerned, when all the world seems to have gone to hell in a hand basket, than piping hot homemade mac and cheese. The stuff from the box is just pathetic when compared to the real stuff. When I was growing up my mom would make mac and cheese as a side dish to go with baked fish, usually perch or cod, and I really looked forward to the mac and cheese. The next day I would even eat it cold right out of the fridge. You certainly can't do that with the boxed mac and cheese. Now, I have to admit that for convenience sake I would use the boxed kind for my kids and to make into casseroles. But these days, I don't even buy the stuff. And you really have to love the versatility of mac and cheese. You can use just about any type of cheese, add meats, make it cheap or expensive. It's just a great dish to have in your repetoire. And so here's my version.

Mac and Cheese

8 oz. any short pasta cooked to just shy of al dente I used rotini
4 TBS. butter
4 TBS. flour
2 cups milk
4 oz. sharp cheddar grated
4 oz. Velveeta cubed
4 slices Swiss (I was adding ham so I thought "why not some Swiss." I had some for sandwiches)
1 tsp. dry mustard
dash of hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups cubed ham
1 cup dry bread crumbs
3 TBS. melted butter
a palm full of smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with Pam. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour and let cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the milk, whisking to break down any lumps. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens. I usually do this over a medium heat. Don't be tempted to increase the heat or you run the risk of scorching the milk. Once the sauce has thickened stir in the salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and mustard. Then stir in the cheese. Turn heat to low and keep stirring until all the cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Mix the cheese sauce, pasta and cheese together either in a large bowl or, if your casserole dish is big enough, you can mix it together in that.

Now, for a crunchy topping! At Christmas, I bought loaves of French bread that I let set out to get stale. Then I cubed them and let them get even more stale. I used this for my stuffing and froze what was left. I pulled outt enough to make a cup of bread crumbs and pulsed the cubed bread in my processer. I then added the melted butter and paprika and sprinkled it over the mac and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Comfort food! Enjoy!

CrockPot Pulled Pork with Bar-b-que Sauce

2009-01-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like a warm, succulent, tasty bar-b-que pork sandwich? I love them in the winter because they remind me of summer. And considering how winter has been so far, I need all of the summer memories I can gather.

This is really a fairly simple recipe that can be started early and finished off when you're ready for dinner. When I was explaining how to create this yummy dish to a family member, she thought it sounded like a great deal of work. But trust me it isn't. And some of the prep can be done the night before if you wanted. It really is worth the work...if you think this is a lot of work...which I don't.

CrockPot Pulled Pork

3-4 lb. boneless pork picnic or pork butt
sea salt, fresh ground pepper, bar-b-que grill seasoning
3/4 cup water
1 TBS. Kitchen bouquet
1/4 cup prepared coffee or cola (it's the acid in these liquids that tenderizes the meat)

Rub the pork with the seasonings and put in the crockpot. Add the liquids. Cook on low for 8 hours. Now, honestly, can that be any easier?

Here's what you need to finish it off.

1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 red pepper thinly sliced
2 TBS. butter or olive oil
3 cups barbque sauce or however much you feel gives you the desired consistency

When the pork is done remove it from the pot and let cool for a few minutes. As it is cooling, melt the butter in a large skillet or saute pan. Add the sliced onion and cook on medium to medium low for about 15 minutes. Don't forget to add salt to the onions as they start to cook. This speeds up the caramelization process. Then add the peppers and cook for another 5 minutes or so.

While the veggies are cooking, thinly slice the pork.

Add the pork to the veggies along with bar-b-que sauce. I use the low carb sauce that I make myself, but you can use any you prefer. If my body could tolerate the sugar, I would totally use Sweet Baby Ray's. I love that stuff. Anyway, after you have mixed all together, cover and simmer on low for 30 to 60 minutes. See, not so hard and totally delicious.

Serve this on hamburger buns or kaiser rolls or whatever your bread of choice is. Since I can't have the bread I just ate it from a bowl. Still delish! Enjoy!

Cheese Crackers...Sort of

2009-01-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

We all need to have crunch in our lives. Me, I live for crunch....peanuts, potato chips, pickles, ice cubes. Eating low carb can present a problem in that area. I crave the crunch of potato chips, but, alas, they are verboten. Thank goodness, one of my low carb/diabetic cookbooks has offered an amazing solution. Cheese crackers...literally. These crunchy morsels can double (or triple) as crackers, chips, and even bread. Just be aware that these do not necessarily have the same concistency as the afore mentioned yummies, just as spaghetti squash does not taste like its namesake pasta. But they are a good substitute. And, even better, they are so simple to make it's ridiculous. So here goes.

Cheese Crackers

1, or as many as you want to make, slice of American cheese....NOT American processed cheese or cheese food.You want the thick sliced stuff, not the thin individually wrapped stuff. I buy the big package of it at Costco. It is not always the easiest cheese to find. Just be sure to read the label. The cheese food will not work. Trust me on this.

a piece of parchment paper or freezer paper. I think in the long run freezer paper is more economical. The piece needs to fit in the microwave.

That's it, that' all you need. Crazy, huh.

Place the slice of cheese on the parchment paper or freezer paper (freezer paper needs to be shiny side up.)

Place in the microwave and cook on high for approximately 1 minute. My microwave runs pretty high, o for me 1 minute is perfect. Keep an eye on your cheese so that you don't cremate it. This is what it should look when it's done.

This is 2 full size pieces of cheese. Prior to cooking, these could be cut into smaller cracker or chip sizes. I used these to make a chicken salad sandwich. When using these for sandwiches, the crackers will be crumbly so hang on tight to your food! These are quite tasty and help to satisfy that crunch that we all so craze. Try these and Enjoy!

Three Bean and Brat Soup

2009-01-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

This is just a filling, stick to your ribs, want it in the middle of winter, type of soup. Oh, did you know it was winter? Speaking of which it's SNOWING again! I know winter just got started, but that last go 'round was enough for 10 winters in this area. Sheeesh!

OK, back to soup. This not low carb, but it is full of fiber and protein and flavor. Really great in the dark dead of cold winter. I ate it without any bread or crackers, but my husband indulged in both. He's allowed. Either way, it is delectable.

Three Bean and Brat Soup

1 lb. dry navy beans
1 cup dry baby lima beans
1 cup dry red kidney beans
2 TBS. olive oil
2 TBS. butter
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium red and 1 medium green bell peppers chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 quart chicken broth
3 TBS. brown sugar (I use the Splenda blend)
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 29 oz. can or 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
1 package brats (I use Johnsonville uncooked)
salt and pepper taste

In a large, at least 6 quart, pot prepare the beans either by an overnight soak or a quick soak. I prefer the quick soak, then rinsing the beans really well. It seems to reduce the gassiness. After the beans are soaked and rinsed, add enough liquid to cover the beans well. I use about half chicken broth and half water. Heat to boiling and reduce to simmer. While the beans are simmering, cook the brats and then cool while sauteing the onions, peppers and garlic in the the oil and butter. You can also substitute precooked brats, smoked sausage, kielbasa, or any turkey type sausage. The cooking police will not be there to check. After the sausage is cooled chop it into bite size pieces. Add the sausage, onions, peppers, garlic, brown sugar, and cloves to the beans. Heat to boiling, cover and simmer for an hour. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper, cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the beans are tender. And there, you have a seriously yummy soup. I put all self control aside and had two bowls. Oh, and if you are like my hubby and I, this is way to much soup to eat at one time. So we freeze part of it for later. Great time saver for crazy days! Enjoy!

New Year and Resolutions

2009-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

As far as years go, 2008 was pretty much a dismal time for our family. We have dealt with and continue to deal with some life threatening illnesses. The economy is pretty much in the toilet for just about everyone I know. The weather to end the year with was a nightmare. I could go on and on, but I won't. Everyone has their own tales of woe. These are the things that build our strength of character. I have discovered that I am a pretty strong woman and able to handle (for the most part) most things that life throws at me....and without drugs or drink....although sometimes I am tempted. I am learning to look at the good things that have happened this year and count those blessings: our first grandchild, my oldest son getting through his health crisis with grace and dignity, the continuing love and support from so many corners of our lives during my hubby's health crisis, especially from both sides of our family. I could go on and on, but I won't. Just know that at this point in my life I am choosing to "see the glass as half-full." And if it becomes empty it is because I drank it up. Let's drink to a better year in 2009!

Now, in considering resolutions, I try not to make them, mainly due to the fact that I don't keep them. But this year I am making two. The first one concerns my health. I am resolving to make a concerted effort to eat very low carb. It is really the only way to keep my blood sugar under control. My other resolution is to do all I can to build my in-home tutoring business. Between the economy and caring for ill family members it has taken a bit of a hit. I know that I can work it and build it, because if it don't get it functioning well, it's back to substitute teaching...which I really hate. So, there you have it. My only two resolutions.

The first resolution will be fairly well documented here with my cooking. This posting really was going to be about low carb meatloaf, but I digressed as I started writing. So....now to the meatloaf.

This is a meatloaf from my favorite low carb cookbook..."Carb Wars." I don't feel comfortable giving out Judy's recipes from her book when that is how she makes a living. So I'll just give some descriptions of what I did to make it low carb. You basically could take your favorite meatloaf and make just one little change to make it low carb. Instead of adding bread crumbs or cracker crumbs, just grind one Wasa cracker (very low carb/high fiber) in the food processor and add. I also used some of Judy's sugar free bar-b-que sauce and grated cheese. After I formed my meatloaf I drizzled more of the bar-b-que sauce over it and covered it with 3 strips of bacon. Hey, bacon works for everything! Then I baked it at 350 degrees for roughly an hour. It was very moist and flavorful and held together well.

Now, if you all read the last post you know that I have to bulk up food for hubby. So this is what he had as side dishes.

And this is what I had....I see a great deal of brown and green in my future.

Stay tuned for some easy cheese crackers that can double as bread and some fascinating ways to have no carb coatings for fried foods. Occassionally, I may cheat and do a good old fashioned comfort food dish. Enjoy!

Odds and Ends

2008-12-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

Apparently I am going to have some cooking challenges coming my way. This arises from the fact that my husband's treatment for his illness is causing a decrease in his appetite which in turn is causing some weight loss. Now, he wasn't big to start with, so he really can't tolerate much weight loss. I, on the other hand, am type II diabetic, which means I need to watch carbs among other things. Carbs are the last thing I need, although according to no/low carb followers fat isn't a problem. Anyway, I have to figure out how to cook to accommodate both our needs. Could prove to be interesting as well as challenging.

One solution is to have hubby just eat small amounts all day long. And that is pretty much what he is doing. Since the holidays are over, we (well, me) are going to a fairly low card lifestyle. I froze all the leftover Christmas cookies for him. I am keeping ice cream around for him...fortunately, I am not that big a fan of ice cream. I will be using a great deal of cream and butter...mmmmmm. I guess this isn't so bad after all. Most of my recipes will be low carb and yummy. I think I am going to work on developing recipes that are fairly simple with easy to find ingredients. Low carb cookbooks are standard in my kitchen, and I will credit recipes that are not original. Oh, and guess what, you can make low carb desserts! How cool is that!? So stay tuned.

On another note, Judy Barnes Baker, the author of "The Carb Wars" cookbook, is developing recipes for a new cookbook and is looking for people to make her dishes and evaluate the recipes. You can read more about it here. I have volunteered to be a tester. Yay! Another reason to cook. But due to confidentiality I won't be posting any of that here.

Now to leave you with some of my favorite photos.

No captions, just fun. 'Til later!

Christmas...2 Days Late

2008-12-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

As I always say, better late than never. We finally had our Christmas dinner together. Between the weather and work schedule and a whole myriad of other reasons, the holiday was postponed a bit. But after 2 days of non-stop cooking, digging out cars as they arrived at our home, retrieving our car from the Safeway parking lot and picking up those who don't drive, we made it. And it was amazingly worth it. This year because of several different sets of circumstances we decided not to exchange gifts. It was so nice to not have that stress this year. And I was able to focus completely on my cooking. And if I do say so, I out did myself. The sad part is, I was so caught up in the preparation and serving that I didn't take any pictures. Oh well. I definitely have a long way to perfection. I'll still tell you a little of what I did.

This year I tried that brining thing with the turkey thing that seems so popular. OH MY GOSH!!! I will never do another turkey any other way. I used this recipe from All Recipes.Then I opened up my newest edition of the "The Joy of Cooking" and followed their recipe for the baking of a brined turkey. I rubbed the turkey cavity with salt, placed fresh onion, carrots, celery, and parsley inside, and basted it with melted butter to which I had added smokey paprika. I had a 24 lbs. turkey, so I roasted it breast side down for 3 hours at 325 degrees. Then I flipped it over, and roasted it for another 2 hours. During this time I basted it about once every hour, sometimes with the butter mixture and sometimes with pan juices. Now I cooked this the day before...that's a whole 'nother story. After I let it cool I removed the meat from the bone, and saved the carcass (it took 3 Ziploc bags) for stock, and put the pan drippings in a bowl to save for gravy the next day. I was amazed at how juicy and flavorful the turkey was! Juice literally dripped out of the breast meat as I sliced it. And it was just as good the next day. And the drippings made incredible gravy. And thanks to reading my husband's niece's blog, I knew that I should not put the hot pan with the brine in it outside on a glass patio table to cool. Evidently, cold glass and hot pan bottoms don't mix. Thanks for that head's up, Carrie.

One other new thing I tried this year was from The Pioneer Woman blog. One of her many readers who hales from the Netherlands sent Ree a scrumptious recipe for braised red cabbage. It was a definite hit at our house. You all should really try it.

Everything was really your typical fare and very informal. But you know, as my second son observed today, food is just the excuse to get together. It really doesn't matter what you have to eat as long as the family is there. So true... so next year...PIZZA!

Now, I want to leave you with a picture of the best part of the day.

My grandbaby in his new sweater and hat from his uncle with a monkey in matching outfit. I mean, really, can you get any cuter?

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law says that God decided that since we sing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" so often, He would grant us our "dream", in spades! Due to the weather and my hubby's work schedule we are not celebrating until Saturday. All my kiddoes are getting together right now over in the next town and having dinner at my eldest daughter's home. This is her first time fixing a holiday dinner, and I hate missing it. They wanted us to come, too, but it just isn't feasible today, so I am going to prepare a special dinner of shrimp risotto for us. We will sit and enjoy the quiet of snowfall, and be thankful for all of our gifts...our 4 wonderful children, our new grandson, an awesome extended family, a warm home, and food to eat. What more could we ask for (other than my hubby's health return to normal)? So at this time I want to wish you all a very Happy Holiday and hope for a better next year.

In the meantime, I am going to share with you what it is doing outside at this moment.

"C" is for Christmas Cookie...That's Good Enough for Me!

2008-12-23T22:07:00.000-08:00

As I wait for the next snow storm, I am making cookies for the Christmas that in all likely hood is going to be postponed until Saturday. This first round of cookies will go to neighbors that have been so kind and helpful during this kind of stressful period we are going through. And I am sure I will save some for our dinner on Saturday. The thing is, making cookies is not my favorite thing to do. But since everyone seems to expect it, I do it. I am much more looking forward to cooking the dinner on Saturday. But these are good cookies. So I'm sharing.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time and then extracts. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. It is really important that this part is done by hand and not mixer. It helps to keep the cookie dough tender. Chill for at least 1 hour. With the weather the way it has been, I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and set it out on top of the deep freeze in the garage overnight. Worked great!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. I always bake my cookies in a slow oven. Years ago I acquired a Mrs. Fields Cookie cookbook and she bakes all her cookies at 325. It keeps them tender and less likely to burn.

Another tip I ran across was to roll the dough out on lightly floured parchment paper, cut out the cookies, pull off the scraps, and lift the paper onto the cookie sheet. For the most part it works pretty well. I did have to roll out the last few cookies of each pan on a separate floured surface and transferred them to the pan.

Bake cookies for 13-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookie. My cookies were between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick and took about 15 minutes. Let cool for a minute or two on the sheet and then remove to racks to finish cooling.

I then frosted them with a butter-cream cheese icing. I used 8 oz. of cream cheese, 1 stick of butter, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, powdered sugar to make it stiff enough to spread (probably about 1 1/2 lbs.), and about a tablespoon or so of evaporated milk. And I used lots of red, white, and green sprinkles. I decided to just stick with white icing, but you could certainly add food coloring to it. I just didn't want to deal with the extra mess. I think the cookies turned out quite lovely anyway.

This recipe makes a huge amount of cookies. You could easily half the recipe. My cutters were about 2 1/2 inches and I ended up with about 7 dozen cookies. Hope my neighbors like cookies!
Enjoy!

Progression

2008-12-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Starting day 10 of the snowstorm. You notice I didn't title this post "progress." There's been none in the weather. I'm posting more pics of this "delightful" crap. When these are compared with the previous two postings of snow pictures, you will definitely see the progression. We have lived here 20 years and not seen anything quite like this. It has certainly been one for the books. I know that this isn't as bad as in other parts of the country, but, hey, they are used to it and expect it. We are used to drippy stuff, not fluffy. One day of the stuff is great, but this is starting to border on irritating. This area is not mentally or physically prepared for such weather. So few people are driving around here that it is eerily quiet. I say, be done already!

Here are the cars before the shoveling.

Front yard

Front of our house

Neighbor getting around the easy way

The hard way...he couldn't even peddle

Backyard...compare with previous postings!

The birds will definitely have plenty to drink when this melts.

Waffle chairs

Finally, after a visiting neighbor, several guys from our church and me (yes, you heard right) shoveled the snow from the driveway and walk, put chains on the car, and cleaned off the car, we did something we haven't done in over 20 years....put Phil's car in the garage! I'm telling ya, the end is near!

Spaghetti "Squash" Pie

2008-12-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

I have made traditional spaghetti pie for, oh, I don't know, about 25 years. It has always been one of my favorites. With my new found love of spaghetti squash, I thought, hmmm, why not try substituting the squash for the pasta. Couldn't think of a reason not to try it. It actually worked pretty well. I didn't have to do a lot of adjusting and the end result was quite tasty.

Spaghetti Squash Pie

1/2 cooked and shredded spaghetti squash
2 TBS. butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 well beaten eggs
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 chopped green or red pepper
2 gloves garlic grated or pressed
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

After the squash has been prepared place it in a bowl, stir in butter, add Parmesan cheese and eggs. Press the mixture into a crust in a greased (I spray with butter flavored Pam) pie pan. In a skillet saute onion, peppers, and garlic in a little olive oil. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and salt. Heat through. Spread cottage cheese on top of the squash crust. Fill pie with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (I used sliced fresh mozzarella cheese). Bake uncovered at 350 degree for 30 minutes.

Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes before slicing. Now the big difference from the pasta pie is that the squash pie doesn't quite slice as nicely. But it is still yummy! Hubby really liked it. Serve with a salad and a crusty bread and you have a great supper. Enjoy!

Evidence

2008-12-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

I thought I should post some evidence of the snow that pretty much has shut down the Portland/SW Washington area. We don't get snow often in this neck of the woods, but when we do it hits with a vengeance. For the most part the snow is over, but now we have freezing rain and the lovely wind to look forward to. Can June be far behind? I really feel for the retailers. As if the economy hasn't dealt them a huge blow, now the weather is keeping the Christmas hordes away. Are we being hit by the seven plagues this year? Just wondering.........

Back to snow.

This is what I discovered when I opened the back door to the patio.......

Garage door.....

Backyard.....

Frontyard.......

The neighbors across the street......

And finally....how my hubby does inclement weather.

I say more power to him. Sit and chill and enjoy an excuse to not do anything!!

Change of Direction

2008-12-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

After being MIA for a few weeks, I've decided to change the direction of this blog a bit. I am still going to post recipes, 'cuz I love to cook, and it is extremely therapeutic. But sometimes I find myself just wanting to talk about life. And since the rest of my hubby's family post their day to day lives I thought it would be nice to keep his family caught up on our doings...boring as they may be. Although I can't always post a recipe I can always wax loquacious about our lives. Just wanted to throw a few big words out there.

For those family members who live in Utah, this winter you don't have the corner on snow. The fates decided it had been too many years since we got hit with the white stuff. Winter has stalled here for the past week and doesn't seem in any big hurry to leave. I thought I would give you a taste of what is happening here. I tried to upload a video, but I haven't figured out how yet. Please, everyone feel free to tell me how to do it. In the meantime, I'll just post some pictures.

In this one if you notice the blur on the right side of the picture...that's the wind blowing. We are supposed to get wind gusts of close to 50 mph. No playing out in that stuff today.

My indoor cat Ellie sneaked out of the door while I was taking pictures the other day and decided to explore the snow. She is almost 6 and has never been in the snow, and I think she actually liked it. She does have a lovely coat for being out in the elements. I should have something so beautiful.

Now, here's what I do when the weather outside is frightful.

I found the recipe for these delectable little guys here. They really are one of my favorite Christmas cookies.

And finally, an update picture from my darling grandson's family.

I adore Ronan, but I sometimes wonder if his parents aren't slightly WHACKO.

Turkey Day...In a Restaurant

2008-11-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

Given all the nonsense that has gone on this year with the family cancer, hubby and I decided we really didn't want the stress of trying to do a dinner at our home. So, my dear sweet sister-in-law proposed that she and her husband drive the 2 1/2 hours our direction and meet up at a restaurant that does a T-Day buffet. Hurray!! No cooking. Of course, that means no leftovers. But, never fear. I still loaded up on turkeys. I hit a couple of the local super markets and grabbed a couple. I would like one more, but I don't think my freezer can handle another one.

My wonderful children are totally understanding of this decision and have made other plans. Their dad came home Saturday from a week stay in the hospital, and we celebrated by having the kids over and chowing down on Thanksgiving pizza! Awesome.

Needless to say, I am not posting any Thanksgiving day recipes. I am saving them for Christmas. We are going to do the big dinner then. Until then, here is a previous post I did using leftover turkey for some absolutely delish soup.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and don't forget to be thankful for all the blessings you do have. Remember, it's the little things that count, like truly incredible family all around. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Black Bean Chicken Soup with Rice

2008-11-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

November

In November's gusty gale
I will flop my flippy tail
And spout hot soup-I'll be a whale!
Spouting once, spouting twice
Spouting chicken soup with rice

Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak

I loved reading this poem to my kids when they were little. A fabulous way to teach children the months of the year. And since today was such a blustery day, I thought of chicken soup with rice, but, of course, with a twist. Maurice, I hope I did you proud.

Black Bean Chicken Soup with Rice

oil olive or canola

1 lb. large dice raw chicken (I used 1 package of boneless skinless chicken breasts from Costco.)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped green or red pepper
3 cloves minced, grated or pressed garlic
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans black beans
1 cup whole kernel corn canned or frozen
1 cup brown rice
1 16 0z. jar salsa or 2 cups homemade salsa
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
2 TBS. white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat about 3 TBS. oil in a large soup pot. Brown the chunks of chicken. Remove from pot. Add the onion, garlic and peppers and cook until very tender. If needed add some more oil. Using about a quarter cup of the broth, deglaze the pot. Then dump back in the chicken, beans, corn, salsa, rice, the rest of the broth, the cumin, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat to low and cook for about an hour. Add in the sour cream before serving. Top with some grated cheese and serve with either cornbread or fresh fried tortilla chips. This really is yummy on a cold blustery day.

I told you once, I told you twice
All seasons of the year are nice
For eating chicken soup with rice.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti.....Squash

2008-11-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

This time of year is perfect for a multitude of squash recipes. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a squash eater, other than pumpkin and spaghetti squash. I tried my hand at butternut squash soup. If you noticed, there is no recipe for it on the blog. I didn't like, and, although my hubby ate some of it, he wasn't wild about it either.

But spaghetti squash is a whole 'nother story. This is really a versatile gourd. Is it a gourd? Anyway, for people who are watching their carb intake, this is a great low calorie, low carb substitute for pasta. Now, you have to be aware that it doesn't really taste like pasta, and is a bit more crunchy...but it does get the job done.

I found a great way to prepare the squash on Recipezaar. Thanks Bent Slightly for the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash
1 bulb garlic
salt
pepper
olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350. With a sharp sturdy knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. I find it easier to do if I poke holes in the squash with a fork and then microwave it for about 5 minutes. It makes it a bit more tender. After you have cut the squash in half, scoop out the guts and discard. Place the halves in an oven proof dish or baking sheet. After separating and peeling the cloves of garlic, thinly slice the cloves. Layer the slices around the bowl of the squash.

Generously cover the halves with olive oil, salt (Kosher works nicely for this) and fresh ground pepper.

Place on middle rack of oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the meat separates easily with the tines of a fork. When done, let cool for at least 20 minutes. It's much easier on the hands this way. Use a fork to scoop and separate the strands. Depending how devoted you are to garlic you can either remove the slices or leave them in...date night, take them out.

And, Voila, spaghetti!

You can add just about anything you want to this. Just be sure that if you are adding a loose tomato based sauce don't mix them together prior to serving. The squash will get mushy and fall apart. Just let people add there own sauce to the top of the squash. I served it with a bolognese sauce and it turned out really well. I've used it in a hot chicken salad recipe that is yummy. I am going to try it in spaghetti pie. I will let you know how that turns out. Enjoy!

Chicken Salad on Croissants and Pasta Salad....Elegant

2008-11-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday two of my sisters-in-law came to visit, and I wanted to serve them a nice lunch. After all, they made the three hour trip to see us, the least I could do was to feed them well. And chicken salad is one of my favorites! When dressed up it makes an elegant lunch dish. Both of the ladies loved it. Before anyone was allowed to eat though, I had to photograph it for the blog. If it is a loved dish, it has to have its picture taken.

I served the sandwiches with homemade pasta salad, which really added to the menu. My hubby and I were at the store looking for sides to go with the sammies, and he suggested checking out the deli section for salads. I saw the pasta salad and realized I had everything but artichoke hearts to make it myself. So grabbed a couple of small bottles of the marinated hearts (and low and behold! they were on sale...score!) and headed home to finish up the lunch. Here are the two recipes. Now keep in mind...I didn't measure much of anything. I tend to dump. So I will try to guesstimate the proportions.

Chicken Salad on Croissants

2 cans white chicken breast meat I used the 12.5 oz. size from Costco. You could totally use leftover cooked chicken. I just like the texture of the canned for the salad
1/3 to 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 t0 1/ cup craisins chopped
1 stalk of celery finely diced
mayo...I don't even know how to you how much. I just add until I like the consistency
2 TBS. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Just mix it all together and spread on sliced croissants. Top with lettuce. This makes about 5 good size sandwiches or 6 smaller ones. You can adjust the proportions to fit your tastes.

Pasta Salad

12 oz. rotini pasta cooked to package directions and rinsed with cold water.
2 6.5 oz. jars marinated artichoke hearts drained....I cut them half lengthwise
1/2 regular size can of black olives sliced...you can munch on the rest while you make the salad
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
Newman's Own Balsamic Vinagrett dressing (or any brand you like)
salt and pepper to taste
lots of fresh grated Parmesan cheese The stuff in the green can works fine for some things...not this

Mix all the ingredients together. Just add the dressing until everything is moist. Don't drown it. Let chill for several hours. You made need to add more dressing when you serve it as the pasta will absorb the dressing.

I served the sandwiches and the salad with chips and a deli pickle. And we were stuffed! This really is a great guest lunch. Enjoy!

Hot German Potato Salad, Brats and Sauerkraut! YUM!

2008-11-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

My family will attest to the fact that I LOVE hot dogs. They tend to give me a bad time about this fetish of mine. "EEWWW! How can you eat those things? Do you know what are in those?" Yep, and don't care. Now, I have to say that I am not indiscrimanet in the ones I eat. My favorite are Hebrew National, and I find the Ballpark Black Angus quite delightful. And I really felt vindicated when Martha Stewart dedicated an entire show to the lowly hotdog. So there!

So, for someone with such a deep fondness for the dog (you do realize that dog spelled backwards is "god"....think about it), it is only natural that I should feel the same about the brat. Johnsonville are my favorite. And if you're going to go brat might as well do a theme. So last night we did the full on German dinner. If I do say so myself, it was mighty tasty. One thing to keep in mind, my hubby doesn't much care for sauerkraut, but he loved the way I fixed it last night for the brats.

We'll tackle the brats and kraut first. I know that many people like to grill the brats, but I find that they dry out and are in danger of getting too charred. I follow the directions on the package. And I will get into that after the ingredients.

Brats and Sauerkraut

1 package Johnsonville brats...the package contains 5 brats
16 oz. bottle sauerkraut...I like Steinfelds
2 TBS. brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. caraway seeds
hot dog buns and condiments

Cook the brats according to package directions. I cook them in the skillet for this recipe. Heat 1/2 cup water on medium in a skillet. Add the brats and cover. Turn once. Cook for 10 minutes, remove cover, and cook about another 10 minutes turning often to brown. Remove from skillet to plate. See how pretty they turn out.

I know! OK, but you're not done. Dump the kraut into the skillet, using the juice to somewhat deglaze the pan. After the skillet is fairly deglazed and a bit reduced add the brown sugar and caraway seeds. Heat for about 5 minutes. Return the brats to the pan and keep it all warm until ready to serve. When ready place brat in bun, add stone ground mustard, top with kraut. You can also add sweet relish and grated cheese, or anything else that will make your heart sing.

Now for the potato salad. These two dishes really compliment each other well.

Hot German Potato Salad

5 medium red potatoes
6-8 slices bacon
1/2 medium onion chopped
2 TBS. flour
2 TBS. white sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

In a pot of boiling salted water add the potatoes and cook about 30 minutes until fork tender. I don't peel the potatoes. It adds a nice level of texture to the salad. And I find the red potatoes hold up better than russets. When done drain and let cool and slice. They will fall apart a bit.

Fry the bacon. Remove to paper towel to drain. Cook the onion in the bacon drippings until caramelized. If your bacon is fairly lean you may need to add more fat. I always have a cup of drippings in the fridge, but you could also use some butter. Mix together the flour, sugar, celery seeds, salt and pepper. When the onion is done and the fat is bubbly, whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the water and cider. When thickened, carefully stir in the potatoes and crumbled bacon coating everything. Definitely serve warm. This is great the next day. You can microwave it to heat up. This really was a nice meal on a cool fall evening. And it is fairly easy to do, although clean up is a bit much. But my hubby says it's the price he pays for good food. We have a great deal where I cook and he cleans up. What could be better?! Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2008-11-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

And I'm back. Hubby's surgery basically didn't work out and so now he will start treatment for the cancer. And life goes on. Cooking and working on this blog is good therapy for me so I'm going to get back to work here.

I've decided to change things around a little. Nothing huge. I have just decided I should give the recipes names. Looking for specific recipes should not be a treasure hunt (although I think these are treasures). Through the coming weeks I will go back and edit my posts to reflect the names of the dishes I am posting. Sound like a plan?

Today's dish is a twist on one of my family's favorites. I have been making Green Chicken Enchiladas for about 35 years, slowly improving on it over the years. The one thing I find really time consuming is rolling the enchiladas. When one considers how my hubby dishes them up it is really an exercise in futility. So I have begun layering them instead. Much easier to dish up and just as tasty. And another one of those great budget stretching comfort dishes.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups salsa verde, either purchased or homemade
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder

Mix the above ingredients together in a saucepan and heat through.

2 TBS. olive oil
2 TBS. butter
1 small diced onion
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
4 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 tsp. cumin
1-2 tsp. dried cilantro
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
16-18 corn tortillas
3-4 cups shredded cheese...cheddar, monterey jack, or combination of the two
sour cream

In a large skillet melt the butter and oil together. Add the onions and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until onion is fairly caramelized. Add the can of chilies and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Add the chicken and spices and heat through...about 5 minutes. On the subject of the chicken...I like to use leftover chicken. I will freeze leftovers until I have enough to make a casserole. The night before I made the casserole I had made a rotisserie chicken in the crockpot and used the meat from that for this dish. I also freeze the carcass after I strip it to make chicken stock at a later date. In light of the current economic situation I feel obligated to make use of everything.

Back to the casserole.

In a small skillet heat a small amount of oil and quickly heat each tortilla in the oil...just a few seconds on each side. You want the tortillas to stay flexible. Drain on paper towels.

In the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Lay out 6 of the tortillas in the dish. Top with half the chicken mixture, then 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the cheese. Layer 6 more tortillas, the other half of the chicken, 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the cheese. Top with remaining sauce and then cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until the casserole is all melty and bubbly. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. This is really Mmm! Mmm! Good! Enjoy!

Inactive

2008-10-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

I am not going to be posting for a bit as my husband is having surgery tomorrow. Between taking care of him for a few weeks and trying to keep my business up and running, I am going to have my hands full. But never fear, I shall return. Until then..............

Supper Corn Chowder

2008-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Between the economy taking a bite out of my tutoring business and my husband's surgery offering him a 3 to 4 week unpaid vacation, I really have to get serious about budget meals. I am tapping into my great resources of will power and pantry to avoid hitting the supermarket. Making meals out of what you have on hand is a great yet satisfying challenge. The one imperative that you must obey is have an ample supply of basics on hand. Items such as rice, pasta, potatoes, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, cream soups, bouillon or broths, dried beans, canned tomato products, and, if you have a separate freezer, chicken and ground meat. I also like to keep several packages of bacon. Oh, and cheese..gotta have cheese. I try to get to Costco once a month to replenish anything I have run low on. But to make Costco cost effective you have to be aware of prices at other grocery chains. Certain items are worth the trip, others are not. I also use WalMart and another huge grocery store here in the northwest called Winco. Taking advantage of the offerings of these 3 stores in keeping my pantry stocked with basics really helps in creating cost effective meals. (I am not even going to get into the baking items.)

The following recipe is one from a 35 year old Betty Crocker cookbook. The book long ago met its demise, but the recipe lives on. This was titled "Supper Corn Chowder". I would rename it "Super Corn Chower" as it really is super. I make this at least once a month. It's easy, economical, and very tasty. And you should have everything on hand.

Ingredients

5 slices of bacon sliced into small pieces
1/2 medium onion diced
1 cup diced cooked potatoes (I like to use either red or Yukon gold...they hold up better)
1/2 can whole kernel corn
1 10 1/2 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
2 2/1 cup milk
salt to taste

Cook bacon in a large pot until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot to a paper towel. Drain off the bacon grease reserving 2 TBS. Add onions to the grease and cook until tender. I like to let mine slightly carmelize for more flavor. Add the corn, potatoes, soup, and milk. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add in part of the bacon, reserving some for garnish. Add salt to taste and heat through. Be careful not to scorch. When dished up top with a bit of the reserved bacon.

This recipe is easily doubled. I don't think I have ever made just the single recipe. As with most soups, it definitely is better the next day. And again, it is flexible. You can absolutely add more potates, corn, bacon...whatever makes you grin. And this is really good with hot biscuits. Enjoy!

What Do You Mean...Budget? Tater Tot Casserole

2008-10-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Since times are getting a little tough for many people, and it appears that it may last for awhile, I started thinking about how to cut expenses. Food is often one of the first places we start. One of the websites I follow, Simply Recipes, posted about this and it inspired me to look at my own cooking habits. I actually was pretty good at feeding a family of 6 on a shoestring for years. Then as the kids began to leave home, I was able to be a bit more extravagant. The last few years I have really gone all out with my cooking. Haute cuisine isn't my cup of tea, but I did get a bit fancier. For awhile we subscribed to cable, and I lived on the sumptuousness of the Food Network. I learned so many new things about cooking from Rachel, Paula, Giada, Tyler, and the rest. Sadly, cable is one of the cuts we've made, so now I search PBS for cooking shows, and devour Rachel and Martha on network television. And I pick up cooking magazines and peruse the internet for cooking sites. Gotta love the internet! So now, I will try to take the many lessons I have learned and apply them to budget cooking.

One of my methods for keeping a tight control on the grocery budget years ago was to make a weekly menu and then make my purchases accordingly. But I have totally lost sight of that little technique. I have for the last few years just peered into the pantry to see what I "wanted" not what I "needed." So, new resolution...plan, plan, plan. When I was planning meals ahead I seldom had to make extra trips to the store. Over the last several years it seems as though I have been going daily. And do you ever just pick up the one thing you go after? I think not. I can end up spending 3 times what I should have. As of this weekend (I go shopping mostly on the weekends just so I can fight the crowds...good for getting out hostile aggression) I am going to plan the work and work the plan. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

As we all try to curb our lifestyles a bit, I will give tips that I find useful and links that have recipes and ideas. Today's link is the Simply Recipes one from above. She also has several links that are great for this. I checked them all out and actually bookmarked them. With a little researching you all will be able to help yourselves cut some corners.

Now...FOOD! I find that often those cost cutting recipes are comfort foods in disguise. With all the kids around I did a fare share of casseroles. One of their favorites was "Tator Tot Casserole." I mean, really, who doesn't like tator tots. The following is my version and I have now idea where it came from. I've been making it for over 30 years and my kids still like it.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice (I use brown rice)
1 cup chopped onion
1 large clove grated garlic
EVOO
1 lb. ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, pork, mixture....knock yourself out)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 box frozen peas
2 cans cream of chicken soup (you can use the healthy stuff)
1 cup milk
approximately 1 lb. tator tots or tator rounds (I accidently picked up a bag of the rounds instead of the tots but they worked fine) enough to cover the top
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Saute the onions and garlic in EVOO. When tender add the ground meat and brown. Add the oregano and cook for about a minute. Drain off any excess water and grease. In a large bowl mix together the meat, rice, peas, soup, and milk. Spread in a 9x13 casserole dish. I usually spray my dish with a cooking spray just to be on the safe side. Top with the tots and finally sprinkle the cheese over the tots. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Yummmmm.

There are so many ways that this can be changed. The veggies are purely based on preference. I just really like rice and peas together, but I have seen green beans in this also. Any cream soup can be substituted. So do whatever floats your boat and take comfort in eating with your family.
Enjoy!

Which Came First? Red Pepper, Spinach Omelet

2008-10-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm not one for breakfast foods. Cereal is at the bottom of the list...unless it's Captain Crunch right out of the box. But I haven't indulged in that little sin in years. Over the last couple of years I have found, what the experts are now espousing (yea! I was ahead of the curve), I need protein in the a.m. I now pretty much avoid carbs in the morning. As a result I eat many eggs, although occasionally I have been known to chow down on hot dogs or leftover meat from the night before, but that isn't very often. Brother! I would never make it as a vegetarian. So what I am going to share with you is my favorite way to cook my eggs.

Ingredients

EVOO

1/3 cup of chopped red peppers

2 cups of baby spinach

2 eggs beaten

1 slice American cheese torn in small pieces

a sprinkling of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

When I make this I use a non-stick 7-8 inch skillet. I found an Emeril one at Bed, Bath and Beyond that is great! Do a couple of rounds of EVOO. Heat skillet to a medium heat. Add the peppers and cook for a 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Slowly pour the egg/cheese/pepper flake mixture over the top of the veggies. Lower your heat to medium low.

Do NOT stir the eggs in the pan. As the eggs cook, gently lift the edges of the omelet and tilt the pan to let eggs in underneath. Continue to do this until all liquid has been distributed. Does this make any sense at all? The top of the omelet will still be soft and shiny. Let it slowly cook for a few minutes. Then fold the omelet over and let cook to a golden brown. Flip it and repeat. Then slide on to a plate. Now, I love heat so I drizzle some Frank's Red Hot sauce over the top. And that is breakfast! I do this many times a week. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of minced shallots or mushrooms. This little omelet keeps me from running to the fridge mid-morning. I promise it works! Enjoy!

New Age Chicken and Dumplings

2008-10-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

I had originally planned to post a different recipe this weekend, but after making it I decided it needed some more tweaking. It is a really delish dish, but it just needs some refinement. Now you have something to look forward to.

Instead you are getting my take on a recipe Jessica Simpson made for Rachel Ray on TV last month. This is incredibly easy to make and quite flavorful. And on a chilly autumn night very comforting. Boy, with the world in the mess it is right now we could all use some comforting.

Ingredients

3 cans crescent rolls (use the Pillsbury. I initially was going to make this a few days ago with some Walmart brand rolls and ended up throwing the rolls out. Sometimes you just have to use name brands.)

12 oz. cream cheese softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 TBS. minced chives

2 TBS. minced parsley

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. salt

2 cans chicken breast meat (I get the 6 pack from Costco) you could also use 2 cups of cooked chopped chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

Pre-heat oven to 400 degreees. In a bowl mix cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add in chives, parsley, onion and garlic powders and salt. Mix well. Fold in chicken.

Open the crescent rolls. Stretch each one a little and then put a small spoonful of the chicken mixture in the middle of the roll.

Roll it into a little pillow.

Place in a 9x13 casserole dish. I sprayed mine with some canola oil spray. Use 2 of the cans of rolls. That will fill your dish. You should have a cup or so of the mixture left. Add the can of cream of chicken soup to this, and then spread that sauce over the top of the little pillows. If you don't feel you have enough of the chicken mixture left you can either add sour cream to the soup or another can of soup. It's whatever you prefer. Now take that final roll of crecsent rolls and cut them into strips and lattice them on top of the sauce. Bake for 40 minutes. If the lattice begins to brown too much cover with foil.

This turned out very yummy. Even my son who still has to everything blended threw some in the blender. Both he and my hubby said it was blog worthy and said it definitely needs to be repeated. So, Enjoy!

Veggie Heaven...Roasted Veggies with Pasta

2008-10-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I haven't neglected my blog because I'm lazy, or because I have nothing to say. I've been a bit busy with worrying and doctor's appointments for my hubby. It turns out that little mass in his lung that I posted about a few weeks ago is cancer...a melanoma to be exact. Who knew that skin cancer can actually be on the inside of the body? There isn't anything on the outside to indicate that he had any problems. So anyway, we're dealing with that now. Waiting to hear about treatments. But since I have to cook, I might as well continue to post.

On to cheerier topics.

I have newly discovered roasting veggies. WOW!!! I love this way of cooking them. I seriously doubt I will ever pot a veggie again. I can't believe how tasty they are. So tonight I decided to combine them with pasta and cheese. I have to say this was really good. The recipe is pretty loosey goosey, but, then, that's what makes cooking so exciting!

Ingredients (subject to change depending on your taste)

2 baking sheets full of assorted veggies cut to uniform size....I used broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and red peppers but any of your favorites could be used...any squashes, parsnips, turnips, cauliflower, carrots. Well, you get the picture.
EVOO
kosher salt
rosemary or any other herb you like
5-7 large clove garlic chopped
3-4 cups baby spinach
about 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan
1 pound pasta cooked according to package directions reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid
salt and pepper to taste

This is so super easy, and healthy to boot! Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Adjust the oven racks to the center of the oven. You are going to need both racks.

Drizzle EVOO over the bottoms of the baking sheets and spread to ensure the sheets are thoroughly covered. Place the veggies on the sheets, drizzle more oil generously over them, sprinkle with the chopped garlic, herbs of your choosing, and kosher salt.

Place on 2 racks in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes rotating the racks once

While the veggies are roasting cook your pasta, reserving a cup of the liquid. It's fun to use different shaped pastas for this dish. I used a radiatori. Place the pasta in a HUGE bowl. Quickly wilt the spinach in olive oil and the balsamic vinegar in a large skillet. Add all the veggies and the reserved cooking liquid to the pasta along with the cheeses and any salt and pepper you think you need (I didn't add any), and toss. And there you go! A healthy, delicious and economical meal. All you need (well, maybe not "need") is some yummy bread. Dinner!

This is really versatile. Tonight I sauteed some chopped chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, grill seasoning and garlic powder in olive oil. After they were cooked on the outside I added about 1/2 cup white wine and cooked it until it was reduced a bit. Then I dumped it all into the leftover pasta from last night and heated individual portions in the microwave. And we still have enough for a couple of more meals. But my hubby says that is fine. He was very happy with this dish. If he will eat something more than twice, you know it's good. Enjoy!

Bolognese...Who Knew?

2008-09-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

For years I have heard of "Bolognese" sauce, but didn't actually know what it was. I have made "spaghetti" sauce since I was a teenager (before dirt). Back then in the typical WASP household that meant a meat flavored tomato based sauce...emphasis on tomato and usually very saucy. This weekend I decided to venture past my spaghetti boundaries and research bolognese and try it. It was worth seeking out the new.

Bolognese sauce, as the name would lead you to assume, is from Bologna, Italy. It consists of more meat than tomato, and, as a result, is very hardy. The sauce typically has several types of meat. It often has chicken or goose liver added, but I opted out of that one. I looked at several different recipes for the sauce, and then , as I often do, took what I liked from each and went to work. The result was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. But then, it is pretty hard to go wrong with pasta, meat, and tomatoes.

Ingredients

2 TBS. EVOO
1 medium onion chopped
3 large cloves garlic minced
3 oz. pancetta chopped
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 stalk celery chopped
1 cup carrots grated
8 oz. mushrooms sliced (I used crimini but porcini would be good)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomato
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup water with 1 TBS Kitchen Bouquet added (you could use beef broth but I felt this gave
it a richer back flavor)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. pasta...traditionally this is served with a short pasta...I used the Dreamfields penne pasta,
but, hey, if you want to use spaghetti, go for it

You really need a good sized, 5 or 6, quart pot for this. In the pot put in the EVOO. Add the onions, garlic and pancetta. Saute until the pancetta is fairly crisp. Remove the mixture from the pot and set aside. You could do this in a separate skillet, but I just hate having more pans to clean. And you get the added benefit of a little flavor already in the pot. Now, brown the ground beef and sausage. Toss in the rest of the veggies along with the pancetta/onion mixture, mix well, and cook for 5 or 10 minutes to let the flavors blend. Next, add in the tomato products, the wine, and the water/Kitchen Bouquet mix. Stir until mixed well. Let this simmer for about an hour with the lid on. After an hour remove the lid and add the herbs, salt and pepper. Mix again, leave the lid off and simmer for about another hour.

When you feel you have this cooked to your liking (it should be very thick, not runny), cook the pasta al dente, drain, dump it on a big platter (well, you could use a bowl, but I really love the presentation on a platter), and cover with the sauce. For added color and a little extra boost in flavor, top with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a basil chiffonade. Oh, so pretty! Not to mention yummy. This will definitely fill tummies to capacity. Enjoy!

Spicy and Saucy Shrimp

2008-09-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

I love shrimp...any size, shape, or form. One of my favorite memories is of going with my family to a family style restaurant when I was about 15 and living in South Carolina. This restaurant served its food in bowls and platters, and you helped yourself. The meal started with all you could eat shrimp cocktails, but these weren't the cocktails served in dainty little glasses with the shrimp perched precariously on the sides. Oh, no. There were small bowls of shrimp scattered about the table along with bowls of sauce, and you just helped yourself. And the servers obligingly kept the bowls filled. Well, I was in shrimp heaven! Then my dad, always the competitor, challenged me to a shrimp eating contest. And the game was on. I had permission to make a pig of myself, which I did. The problem was there was no way I would ever outeat my dad. Instead, I just made myself sick. But it was so worth it! And I still love shrimp. So I look for opportunities to cook shrimp.

The local Safeway had large shrimp (such an oxymoron) on sale a couple of weeks ago and I purchased a 2 lb. bag of the of the 21/25 shrimp per pound size. I had seen a recipe on A Year of Crockpotting for spicy shrimp. And she freely admitted that she took it from The Pioneer Woman's recipe. So, now, I am putting my own spin on it. This is really, really addicting! Who knows, I may serve this for the main entree for Christmas dinner.

The Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh or thawed rinsed shrimp unpeeled
1 stick butter
1/4 cup olive oil (I use extra virgin)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS. Frank's Hot Sauce
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
juice from 3 lemons
1 TBS. Old Bay Seasoning

This is so easy it's almost shameful. I did this in my new Dutch oven and it took no time at all. Put the shrimp in a 5-6 qt. pot.

Slice the butter top and throw everything else in the pot. Give it a toss, put the lid on the pot, and turn the heat on medium. When it starts to gently boil, turn down the heat and check it often. When the shrimp is pink it's done. I think it took about 10 minutes.
Now what makes this especially yummy is this...and you must do this. You get a loaf of crusty bread and dip pieces of it into the sauce from the shrimp. OH MY GOSH! You will think you have died and gone to heaven. I served the shrimp with oven roasted broccoli, a semolina bread and the sauce in custard dishes for dipping. This was truly a delectable meal, definitely to be repeated. Enjoy.

P.S. You might want to put a bowl out for the discarded peels of the shrimp. And we basically ate the entire meal with our fingers. How good is that?!

Fall Comfort Food Chicken and Noodles

2008-09-23T08:59:00.001-07:00

With yesterday being the first day of fall I really needed something warm and soothing. Can food be soothing? And I wanted to show off my new Dutch oven. Isn't it pretty? I love red. My mom had a Dutch oven when I was growing up, and I remember some pretty tasty pot roasts coming out of that sucker. I have always wanted one, just hadn't ever gotten around to getting one. And I did it on the cheap, getting it at Walmart. I am in love.

Anyway, one of my favorite fall and winter dishes is "Chicken and Noodles." There is nothing that says "love" and "home" better. This is my mom's recipe that I have tweaked a bit.

Ingredients

1 4-5 lb. chicken
1 medium onion cut in eighths
2 or 3 stalks celery with leaves cut in thirds
2 or 3 springs of fresh thyme
4 cloves mashed garlic

Later you will need
2 TBS. olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced, grated or pressed
1 cup sliced baby carrots you can add more if you like
1/2 cup white wine
2 cans cream of something soup...mushroom, chicken, celery whatever you have will work
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. egg noodles...I found a brand at Walmart called Country Pasta that is outstanding for this recipe
2 cups cream
salt and pepper to taste

Wash chicken, remove innards, and place chicken, not innards, in pot. You can do whatever you deem necessary to the innards. Me, well, I throw them away. Add onions, celery, garlic and water to almost cover the chicken. My Dutch oven is 6 qts., and the water was about an inch from the rim. Cover, bring to a boil, reduced to simmer and let her cook. I can't really give you a time on this. I think mine cooked about 4 1/2 to 5 hours. I just let it go while I was doing other stuff. When the meat starts falling off the bones, you know she's done.

Remove the chicken to a bowl and let cool for awhile. You are going to remove the meat from the bones, and you don't want to acquire 2nd degree burns doing it. Strain the broth into another bowl and also let cool. Throw away the veggies. After everything has cooled enough to handle, remove meat from the bones and skim grease from the broth.

In the bottom of the pot heat the oil and saute the new veggies until all but the carrots are tender. Use the wine (broth will also work) to deglaze the pot. Add the broth, chicken, and cans of soup. Heat to a gentle rolling boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente. Add thyme, cream, and salt and pepper. Stir until everything is well mixed and heated through. Voila, a great one dish dinner for the weekend that just warms the belly through and through. You can definitely leave out the cream. I added that to boost the fat and calories for my son. It is just as good without. Warm crusty bread and you are good to go. Enjoy!

Life and Magic Soup Mac and Cheese Soup

2008-09-16T17:59:00.001-07:00

OK, I know that I haven't posted for a bit, but I have reasons. And I think they are pretty good ones. But I'll let you judge for yourselves.

Reason #1....Our oldest grown son has been living with us this summer as he fights oral cancer. He's done with treatments and now the healing begins. It's gonna take awhile, but he's got the stuff to kick this. On a side note...if you didn't watch the "Stand Up 2 Cancer" telethon, you missed something very special. Go there and donate. Anyway, cooking soups for him and doc appointments, etc. have kept me somewhat busy with him.

Reason #2....I try to keep my adorable grandson one day a week to help out his parents.

Reason #3....It seems my husband was feeling neglected and developed a tumor that is hindering his breathing, so now we have all the doc stuff to do with that coming up.

Reason #4....I work for myself as a private in-home tutor, and after taking most of the summer off for family issues I am trying to get build my clientele back to what it was.

As they say, "Man makes plans and God laughs." He must be really killing himself about now.

But amidst the chaos arose what my son calls "the magic soup." See, he had radiation on his neck and mouth and can only handle extremely pureed foods. Yummmm! He still has his taste buds, so I have diligently worked at trying to develop tasty yet smoooooth soups. As I was pondering what to make for him next my little brain had a thought. Mac and cheese are like the ultimate comfort soup, so why not a mac and cheese soup? And I did, and it was yummy, and it goes down my son's gullet with great ease. Thus, the nomer "magic soup."

Now, a few words of warning....this soup is EXTREMELY loaded with fat. That is by design. My son needs as many calories as he can get down. And so far, we have done well in that department. So, with that said, here's the how to of the soup.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 large onion sliced in strings
1 TBS. bacon fat (reserved from frying the bacon)
1 TBS. butter
2 1/2 qts. chicken broth or vegetable broth (boullion cubes work well for this)
1 box Dreamfields rotini (or any other small pasta...about 1 lb.)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 qt. half and half or any type of milk you want (I am trying to calorie load)
1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese grated
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup Guyere cheese grated
1/2 pound Velveeta cubed
1 TBS. fresh savory minced
fresh grated nutmeg
fresh ground pepper

For efficiency, have all the cheese grated and herbs minced before you start.

Fry the bacon. When the bacon is done remove it to paper towels to cool while finishing the soup. Drain most of the bacon fat leaving about 1 TBS. Add 1 TBS. butter to skillet and the thinly sliced strings of onion. Caramelize the onion. While the onion is caramelizing, cook the pasta in chicken broth according to package directions. When the pasta is done DO NOT drain. Just leave the pasta in the broth. You will wanted to cook the pasta al dente so it doesn't turn to mush.

Now some juggling comes into play. Before the pasta is finished, make a roux of the butter and flour, then add the onions. Add the half and half slowly, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. When thickened add to the broth and pasta. After these are mixed well, add the cheeses fairly slowly, stirring until melted. If it seems a bit thick you can add more liquid. Water seems to work just fine. At the end add the savory, chopped fried bacon, some grated nutmeg (don't get carried away with this...a little goes along way), and fresh pepper. Between the chicken broth and the cheese you most likely won't need to add salt.

This is one of those recipes you can really adjust to fit your tastes. You can use any melty type of cheese, but be sure to include the Velveeta. That gives it the really smooth texture. I used the savory because it is growing in my little window herb garden, and it just smelled like it should go into the soup. The nutmeg really adds a nice touch. And be warned, this makes a huge batch of soup. Be prepared to give some away, although my son wouldn't let me. In fact, come Friday I have to make another batch. Enjoy!

Kris's Hot Damn No Ham Chili Chili

2008-09-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

For about 10 years my second son was a vegetarian. During that period we both had to get a bit creative with cooking. I have to say that usually he was better than I was, although I didn't do badly. This was a chili recipe he came up with one day. I would like to say that he spent years developing it, but I think it actually occurred over the period of, say, one day. But it is the only one that I ever use. And it is awesome! I know I sound 14, but it is the only word I can think of to describe it. I have done some tweaking, but I will tell you what I did different after I give you his version.

The Ingredients

3 TBS. olive oil
1 large red onion chopped
2-4 jalapenos chopped, seeded for milder heat
8 tomatoes chopped
4 mushrooms chopped
8-10 cloves garlic minced
2 green bell peppers chopped
2 red bell peppers chopped
2 16 oz. cans black beans
2 16 oz. cans kidney beans
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 TBS. chili powder
2 TBS. cumin
1TBS. cinnamon
1/2 bar of chocolate...like a Hershey's bar
Any other spices like oregano, basil, red pepper flakes...anything you prefer

Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot. Saute all the veggies until tender. Add some salt to get the flavor going. Add in the beans with juice, the tomato sauce, the tomato paste and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer at least 3 hours. Good chili has to age! (Just like the rest of us.) Check often for heat. You can always add more peppers and chili powder if you like to 4 alarm. You can add water if it gets to thick.

OK, here's what I did that was just a bit different. I added a pound of ground beef and half of the red and green peppers. And I had leftover roasted jalapeno and poblano peppers from the salsa verde from an earlier post, so I used those. I only used 3 tablespoons of chili powder...1 was chipotle chili powder and the other 2 were regular. And I only had 4 tomatoes so I also added a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes. Other than those changes I did everything else the same. The chocolate and the cinnamon are key. Don't even think about leaving them out. As my son said...trust me on this one.

This really is a great versatile chili recipe. It really isn't important what type of beans you use. And you can control the heat to whatever your taste buds can handle. Add a batch of homemade cornbread and you really can't go wrong. We also like to add sour cream, grated cheese, and tortilla chips our individual servings. With fall approaching we will be definitely chowing down on this often. Enjoy!

Warning...Not Figure Friendly Funeral Potatoes

2008-09-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

I was going to post this yesterday, but I got a little sidetracked. There was a bit of a distraction at my house yesterday...a good one, but nevertheless, a distraction.

By the time he left I was exhausted and decided I would wait until today to post. But it was so worth the exhaustion! Anyway, on to the dish.

My mother-in-law, bless her heart, was not an imaginative cook. But she did have a few dishes that were wonderful and just plain comforting. Following is one of them. I remember having this dish at her home early in my marriage and immediately demanded the recipe and have been making it ever since. Since then I have run across recipes that are somewhat more convenient, but they just don't taste the same. I'll elaborate as I go.

My MIL called this recipe simply "Sour Cream Potatoes", but we renamed it "Funeral Potatoes" simply because it's the type of dish you find at a funeral. See...comforting.

The Ingredients

5 or 6 baked russet potatoes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup butter
1 pint sour cream
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (more if you like it extra cheesy)
1/2 lb. bacon (this is my own addition...ham is also good)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (I'm not big on onion so I usually leave it out)

I have seen this recipe done with frozen hashbrowns and it just isn't the same. It doesn't have the same creamy texture and is rather crunchy. This is more labor intensive but so worth it.

After the potatoes are baked and cooled, peel them and then grate them with a box grater into a 9x13 dish or a 3 quart casserole dish. I try to plan ahead (yeah, right) and bake them the day before. That way I can just start making it right away.

Now the rest is easy. MIL had to cook for farm workers and a passel of kids, so she didn't have time to mess around with complicated...except for making bread pre-bread maker days. I never could make bread. OK on to the easy part.

Just mix the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook until melted. Oh, yeah, cook the bacon first and cut into pieces...almost forgot.

Fold the sauce into the potatoes. MIL's recipe says to smash down with a fork, but I just use a big spatula to get it thoroughly mixed.

One other addition my MIL made that I don't is topping it with crushed cornflakes before you bake. Do people still buy cornflakes? I have added homemade croutons, but, frankly, I like it plain.

Now bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. And them...MMMMMmmmmmm.

I like to add the meat to it so that I can use it as a main dish. Last night we had it with just a simple mixed greens salad. I think it would also be outstanding with Pioneer Woman's green beans. This is a great dish for a cool autumn night. Enjoy!

Salsa Verde

2008-09-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

The other day as I was perusing my favorite foodie blogs, I came across a recipe for chicken enchiladas with salsa verde. Now, I've made my own version of chicken enchiladas since before there was dirt. But I had never actually tried my hand at making the green version of salsa. So, I said to myself, "Why not?" After spending several days looking at a myriad of recipes, I came up with my own version. And it wasn't half bad. My hubby found it a bit on the hot side, but then his palate is kind of wussy. Sorry, hon, but you know it's true. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can control the heat. And I will guide you through that. Actually, there's nothing to that. But I wanted to sound like the expert that I'm not. Here we go.

The Ingredients

about 2 lbs. tomatillos
4 poblano peppers
4 jalapeno peppers (you aren't necessarily going to use all these peppers but you can save what you don't use for something else)
about 1/4 bunch of cilantro
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 TBS. lime juice

I know, I know, I didn't put the onion or garlic in the photo. Oh, well.

Here's what I did to my salsa to make it a little different from most of the other recipes. I am sure others have done this, but I didn't see it. I roasted all the peppers. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and brush it with olive oil. Also brush the peppers with the oil. Place the cookie sheet in the center of the oven. Cook until fairly blackened, turning often.

While the peppers are roasting, husk and rinse the tomatillos. Place them in a pot just covered with water and cook until they change color to a dull green. I think those little tomatillos are so cute. I had never worked with them before and found them pretty darn interesting. I digress. Anyway, here's what they look like from start to finish.

About the time you start cooking the tomatillos, the peppers will probably be done. Remove them from the oven and the cookie sheet and place in a paper bag to cool for about 15 minutes.

When the tomatillos are done cooking remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, onion, cilantro, cumin and lime juice. When the peppers have cooled peel and remove the seeds and veins. Start by adding 1 of each pepper. Believe me, you will definitely want to start on the cautious side when adding the peppers. Pulse the blender until the mixture is smooth. Then check for heat and salt. You can keep adding the peppers until your mouth can't take anymore heat. And, voila, salsa verde!

This made around 5 cups. It is a versatile salsa that you can use with chips, fish, beef, or, as I did tonight, to make chicken enchiladas. And, boy, did I have one happy hubby!