I spontaneously joined Ali on a trip to Costco (and Olive Garden) recently. While there, I picked up a bag of shelled fresh peas -- 20 oz. worth -- without a clear thought as to what I'd do with them, though split pea soup with ham was on my mind, as it usually is at this time of year, especially when we've had ham at Christmas... so why not fresh peas? I did a little searching and found this recipe for Ham & Fresh Pea Soup, which I changed very little.

HAM & FRESH PEA SOUP

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp pesto
4 medium potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
10-12 sprigs fresh thyme tied together w/kitchen string
        I used fresh oregano because it's what was on hand;
        a blend of fresh herbs would probably work great
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
20 oz fresh or frozen baby peas
2 c. fresh spinach
3-4 c. diced ham
Feta cheese & fresh thyme for garnish, if desired
        I sprinkled some grated parmesan on top

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot. Add shallots & cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally; add pesto &cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds.

Add chicken broth, potatoes, herbs, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil & cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Remove tied herbs & bay leaf. Add spinach & peas and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend to desired texture; I like my vegetables a little chunky. If a smooth texture is desired, a traditional blender would be more efficient (but work in batches & be careful because the soup is hot).

Add the ham and stir well to combine & heat. Taste & add seasonings if needed. Serve hot, garnished with cheese & fresh herbs, if desired.

>>This soup was SO GOOD! Ann & family were over for dinner last night and even the boys liked it.

Recent grocery list

I've been meaning to type up my riff on a Chicken & Rice Soup recipe for Ali. The original is from NYT Cooking (a separate subscription to which I will definitely keep if I ever unsub from the Sunday paper delivery). I made it for her & the kids and it was so easy... but I felt it needed a little (kid-friendly) improvement.

CHICKEN & RICE SOUP WITH CELERY (& CARROTS) & PARSLEY

8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken thighs
4 stalks celery, leaves reserved, stalks diced
2 carrots, diced
        My addition to this recipe -- which I did not do but definitely will in the future
3/4 c. unrinsed jasmine rice
salt
1/2 c. fresh parsley leaves
1/2 fresh lemon, zested & juiced
        I used a little Penzey's lemon peel (powder) and juiced the lemon
        (because it's easier*)

In a large Dutch oven or pot, combine broth, chicken, celery, carrots & rice. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat & simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice starts to break down, 20-30 minutes.

Finely chop together the parsley & celery leaves.

When chicken is cooked, transfer it from the pot to a medium bowl using tongs. Using two forks, shred the chicken, the return it to the soup along with the parsley & celery leaves.

*The original recipe instructs to make a mixture from the parsley/celery leaves with lemon & garlic that is used to garnish the soup. Um, first of all, that part didn't register when I read through the recipe, and secondly, there's no way the kids would eat soup with a dollop of green stuff in it -- they balked at the sliced celery! So I just threw the chopped leaves into the soup. One thing it really needed was a little color, so I'll be adding carrots next time! And dicing the celery... so it doesn't look as much like celery!

_ _ _ _ _

I saw this How to Get Unstuck quiz today and quickly skimmed it... nodding YES to every item in Question #2, and finding that so humorous that I couldn't even move on. Haha.

I hope you all have a great weekend... maybe with soup!

I cancelled next week's hotel reservation in Chicago. I briefly entertained the notion of not cancelling, but even a high floor at Sofitel wouldn't be balm enough.

Meanwhile, we're all rolling with the punches and moving on with holiday plans. For Kate, it means planning a holiday feast with her friends Blair & Judson (aka, Bludson), with everyone sharing their traditional holiday favorites. Thus, I had a request this morning for my mom's Heavenly Hash recipe; rare was the holiday table that this dish didn't appear, even if it was made the "day of" instead of begun the day before.

It is the world's most poorly written recipe card! One should not need to make notes such as "reserve juice," or to underline additional ingredients in the body of the recipe, or use asterisks to clarify directions. Not only are components missing from the list of ingredients, they aren't even in order!! GAH!

So I sent her the card, which she appreciated for the "archival quality" ("reserve juice" is in my hand, the larger note at the bottom is in my mom's, many spills and drips), but I also rewrote the recipe and sent it in a separate document. I'm sure it could still use some tweaking, but ohmylord, it is an improvement!

Heavenly Hash
(Begin to prepare a day ahead)

(1) #2 can pineapple chunks (20 oz.), reserve juice
½ lb. green grapes
½ lb. red grapes
½ c. mini marshmallows
1 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour (heaping)
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ c. water
(3) bananas
nuts (pecans), optional
1 pkg. Dream Whip

Cut pineapple chunks and grapes in half. Add to a bowl with marshmallows.

In a saucepan, bring reserved pineapple juice & sugar to a boil. Blend flour, cornstarch & water, and pour slowly into boiling juice & sugar. Cool. Pour over fruit & marshmallows. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, add bananas, nuts, and 1 cup whipped cream (prepared Dream Whip).

For my birthday, Ann wanted to do some sort of online cooking class together, and we finally found something that would work!

We're going to learn to make Pisco Sour -- the national cocktail of Peru -- from Franco, an award-winning mixologist in Lima. The price includes a kit, delivered by courier, with everything you need... unless you live in Wisconsin, and then you're on your own... and hopeful that you can even find pisco! Haha. Some gift, huh?

Well, a hunting I did go, and I found some! I was advised to look for Peruvian pisco, not Argentinian (they're different), and there were two varieties of Peruvian at my go-to liquor store. Naturally, I bought the more expensive one because it had this cool sticker on the back that you viewed through a window on the front... I'm easily enchanted! I did a little research on the website and found that they actually have four varieties, and their Pisco Sour recipes called for a different variety. Awaiting word from Franco...

Meanwhile, Ann sent me an email from the New Orleans School of Cooking and wondered if there was a class there that I'd be interested in. She & Brian had an in-person class there a year or two ago and really liked it. We talked on Saturday and looked over the choices/calendar together and found a class for Meat Pies & Dirty Rice... on Sunday! So we signed up!

I was positively thrilled when the confirmation email triggered a notification on my TripIt app! I got a little "ding-dong" reminder -- something I haven't heard since March!

The shopping list, recipes, and instructions were sent ahead of time, so on Saturday I went shopping. On Sunday, it was all about chopping and measuring for mise en place.

This was my set up for the Meat Pies (puff pastry sheets thawing behind me). I had another tray set up with everything for the Dirty Rice, and all the necessary skillets, pots, and bowls were handy.

I had some technical difficulties, so had the video up on our old laptop but the audio was on my phone (also with video, though, and that was cool because I could see Annie & her set up a little better on my phone while keeping the class feed on the laptop). The last time I used that laptop was for a Zoom class to make my wreath and everything was fine... so I dunno (technology sometimes - ugh!).

The class was 1.5 hours long (we went a few minutes over), limited to 30 participants, and I think we were numbers 26 & 27, so it was pretty full. People from all over, including a group from MN who did it as a Christmas present, which was cool. The instructor was friendly, chatty, knowledgeable, and efficient. Everything was done step-by-step, she gave us options for different ingredients, methods, and presentations.

We got the Dirty Rice going first. Mine is not technically "dirty," as they didn't have chicken livers at the store so I had to sub a chicken thigh (apparently, it's the organ meat that makes it dirty). It's not very picturesque, but oh my goodness, is it tasty!!

The meat pies turned out GREAT! I got a dozen out of the recipe. The class was in the afternoon, so Kate & I split a pie and had a little rice when they were super fresh. We all had same for dinner, and Rusty was warming up some rice this morning to have with an egg for breakfast. I can't wait for lunch today... guess what's on the menu!?!!

And next weekend, PISCO SOUR!

Ha. And not just any cake... Christmas Cake!

And not just any Christmas cake... Le Bûche de Noël!

And not with just anyone...

My fabulous friend for such a long, long time Kate Gilbert -- former knitwear designer extraordinaire (Clapotis, anyone? 23,400+ projects and counting) and creative director of Twist Collective, currently applying all that amazing creativity to baking as le gâtelier -- is offering a pre-recorded video course with step-by-step instructions with everything from choosing the ingredients to making meringue mushrooms.

Meringue mushrooms!!

This is a limited pre-sale for only $50, and if you're interested in more info or signing up, here you go: Bûche de Noël pre-sale.

We've begun to jot down some ideas about our Christmas menu, too.

For sure, THERE WILL BE CAKE!!

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

I think we're all cooking a bit more, whether we want to or not. Here are three recipes that are high on the rotation list and that we really love... maybe you will, too! There's a little bit more involved than just opening cans (oh, that is a really great reward for opening cans!), but not much!

STEAK AND ONION PIE
(inspo: videojug)

Special note: Thaw puff pastry according to package directions, usually about 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Oven temp: Preheat to 400°

1.25-1.5 lbs. steak, diced (I used sirloin)
1 c. flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
6 T. vegetable oil
2 onions, peeled & chopped
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 T. tomato puree (or paste. I didn't have either, so used a squirt of ketchup)
3/4 c. beef stock (or bouillon)
salt & pepper
1 pre-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Sprinkle the seasoned flour over the meat and mix in well. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the beef and onions. Stir well until meat is browned, about 5 minutes.

When meat is browned, add tomato puree/paste/ketchup and stock. Season with salt & pepper. Stir well, cover, and turn down heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley. Pour into an ovenproof dish and spread evenly. Unroll the pastry and lay it over the dish, pushing down the edges with your fingers. Cut away excess, if necessary. Brush the beaten egg over the pastry.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot!

I had a really good seal, apparently, and it came out of the oven looking a little bit like a roast turkey! Ha! It settled down after a few minutes... and it was delicious!

You can watch this in a video lesson here:

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Tacos
with Creamy Slaw & Crispy Shallots
(inspo: Plated)

Serves: 2
Prep time: 30-40 minutes
Oven temp: Preheat to 425°

1 lime, halved & juiced
2 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4" slices (I recommend using more)
1/8 oz. fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2 scallions, trimmed & thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1-1/2 T. olive oil
6 corn tortillas (or flour, if you prefer)
3 T. mayonnaise
3 T. sour cream
Slaw mix: 1-1/2 c. each shredded cabbage & shredded carrots (or whatever comes in the bag)
3 T. canola oil

Toss mushroom slices with coriander, cumin, paprika and olive oil, along with 3/4 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in oven until lightly browned and tender, 15 minutes.

Warm the tortillas. (Wrap in foil and put in oven, or however you prefer).

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Add the slaw mix and scallions; toss to coat.

Heat the canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots in a single layer and fry without moving until crisp on the bottom, about 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking until crisp all over, about 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to remove shallots to a paper towel-lined plate.

To serve, top the tortillas with the roasted mushrooms, add the slaw, and top with crispy shallots.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Italian Spinach and Tortellini Soup
(inspo: Weight Watchers)

Special note: A one-bowl meal!
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 (or more) zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dry Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (if desired)
45 oz. reduced-sodium vegetable broth (or broth of choice)
1 or 2 14-1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes (I like fire-roasted)
1/2 c. water
1 9-oz. pkg. cheese tortellini (or more, if you like!)
4 c. loosely packed baby spinach, chopped if you like (I usually use a lot more)
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese (or similar)

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften (about 3 minutes). Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp-tender (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and seasonings, stirring constantly until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in broth, tomatoes, and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in the tortellini and cook according to package directions. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted (about 1 minute). Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with the basil and cheese.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I'd love to hear what you think if you make any of these! Bon appetit!

First of all, HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!!

Secondly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my brother MICHAEL!!

Thirdly, HAPPY 12TH QUIT-IVERSARY to ANN, CLAIRE, my sis KAREN, and ME!!

Now then...

Remember on Christmas Eve when I did a little sewing (like you do?)?

I finally finished the last panel on Wednesday, possibly definitely while procrastinating about another task. Whatever. I'm so happy to have that project done, and I love how it turned out!

The -10 lb milestone was indeed achieved this week! One of the things I've found helpful is the new Weight Watchers website and app and, in particular, the recipes I've found there. There hasn't been a dud among them! I'd run across a few "soup for one" and "soup in a jar" recipes that I'd wanted to try, and finally did that this week. This one is a mash-up of a couple because of what I had...

Chicken e Pasta e Fagiole Soup for One

2 tsp. reduced sodium chicken base
2 oz. cooked chicken breast
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup shredded carrots (uncooked)
1/4 cup cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 oz. fresh fettuccine, chopped

Layer ingredients in a pint-size mason jar. Close jar & refrigerate until ready to use.

Fill jar with boiling water (about 2 cups). Stir well, until soup base is dissolved. Close jar and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

That's a quick, make-ahead, 4 SP lunch! Actually the one you're looking at is more like 7 SP because I accidentally quadrupled the amount of pasta!! Ooops. It was hearty!

Look at THIS:

Spring is volatile in NE Wisconsin. According to Intellicast, the record high for the last half of the month is 81F on March 27th (2007), and the low is -5 on March 24th (1974). The average is about mid-40s and we've been well below that, but thankfully there's been some sunshine (not today... gigantic flakes of snow fell on me this morning).

Last but not least (definitely the cutest)...

After I finished sewing the curtain and going out for lunch, then finally buckling down to do the task I'd been avoiding, I spent an hour or so watching these two on Wednesday evening. Instant mood lifter!! That arm around Gin... killing me!! The emotional growth and awareness that Jun's been displaying... also killing me!! I can tell that he's starting to think about things -- cause, effect, consequence -- and modifying his behavior (trying, at least!).

One of the sweetest moments was just before I got ready to leave. Ali was changing Gin on the bed, Jun was there too, and Ali was talking to me about Gin's little rash. Jun rolls over, puts his hand on Gin's chest, and sweetly asks, "Does that hurt you, Gin? Does that hurt?"

And now killing you, too! Haha! Have a great weekend!

Who knew? How have I lived in Wisconsin for the better part of my life and not known about BEER BREAD?

Best extra-curricular use of beer, especially one you may not care for all that much to drink.

It could not be simpler. I used this recipe by Gerald Norman (summarized below). Sift the flour, people!

BEER BREAD

3 c. all-purpose flour (sifted)
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
12 oz. beer
1/4 c. melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease/butter a loaf pan. Sift & combine dry ingredients; mix in beer. Scrape dough into the prepared pan; pour melted butter over the top. Bake for 1 hour; cool in the pan on a rack for at least 15 minutes.

So yummy.

I used one of the two remaining New Belgium/Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ales that I had from Thanksgiving. I'll be adding a cup of chocolate chips to the loaf I make with the last bottle of that beer. And I will have to do some research to see how the flavor differs when using a different type of beer altogether.

For RESEARCH!

The American Thanksgiving, a fantastic article in the New York Times.  I watched every single video (each around 1 minute) and saved every single recipe, and I'm going to make room for at least one if not two on our Thanksgiving menu. Christmas? May be pretty flavorful around here!!

_ _ _ _ _

Today:

 

It's a puzzle kind of day!

A video posted by Vicki Mothes (@vicki.knitorious) on Nov 20, 2016 at 10:44am PST

The Think-Write-Thursday topic for today is "a favorite recipe."

I've made Melissa Joulwan's Fried Chicken Meatballs from her new book Well Fed Weeknights (we love her cookbooks) a couple of times recently! Oh, my, are they ever good -- you could say that they're a new favorite! They taste like chicken nuggets -- but are so much better!! We've enjoyed them in or alongside minestrone soup and spaghetti.

I made them most recently for my birthday dinner. (I snapped a photo of my cart that day -- the checkout line was a little longer than usual, so I had time to fool around). Along with the meatballs, I also cooked up pasta and topped it with fresh tomato sauce & burrata cheese, and made my favorite chocolate cake, La Bete Noire.

So good.

I walked in the kitchen door the other night and saw every spice container we own lined up on the kitchen counter. I wish I'd taken a photo of that -- I really meant to! I'd had some difficulty finding chili powder the other day and I guess it was time to do something. Rusty took them all out of the cupboard, I consolidated or tossed and put it all back! Obviously, I'd never really KonMari'd the spice cupboard before! That wasn't really on my list, but I must admit that it's much easier now to find what we're looking for.

Here's the stripped down recipe for the meatballs. Mel's full recipe includes a side of greens, along with some cooking options and tips.

Fried Chicken Meatballs

1-1/2 lbs. ground chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. tapioca starch/flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. rubbed sage
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
pinch dried marjoram
pinch ground cayenne pepper
pinch ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the ground chicken, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl; mix well.

Combine the tapioca starch/flour, salt, paprika, pepper, sage, garlic & onion powders, marjoram, cayenne pepper, and cloves in a small bowl.

Moisten your hands, then measure and roll rounded tablespoons of ground chicken into balls. Roll each ball in the seasoned tapioca starch/flour, then set aside on the baking sheet.

Melt 1 tablespoon oil in a large, nonstick skillet over high heat, 2–3 minutes. Place half of the meatballs in a single layer in the pan; do not crowd. Cook, occasionally turning, until browned on all sides, 4–5 minutes; transfer to the baking sheet. Add more oil (1–2 teaspoons) to the pan and brown the remaining meatballs; transfer to the baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Bon appetit!

If it's Sweater Weather, then it's certainly also Soup Weather.

It's chilly today, a little breezy and rainy... I'm making soup tonight!

I shared this recipe almost 7 years ago... you might have missed it! It's so good, and so quick. I'll sub a whole bunch of fresh spinach for the frozen, and might add some fish or shrimp to the pot.

QUICK MINESTRONE SOUP

16-oz. can cannellini beans
16 oz. can red kidney beans
16 oz. can seasoned-for-pasta tomatoes
4 c. chicken broth
1 box frozen chopped spinach
1/2 c. orzo
season to taste

Combine beans and tomatoes in a large pot.  Add chicken broth, spinach, and orzo.  Bring to a boil, stirring to break up spinach.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until orzo is tender.  Makes about 10 cups of soup.

SEWING

Oh.My.Word. I am so in love with this Alabama Chanin swing skirt project!

I don't remember whether I mentioned it here, but I was SHOCKED when I opened my kit and found Burgundy & Dark Grey (exactly what I ordered) instead of Dark Grey & Dove (which is what I was going to order right up 'til the last minute, when I daringly changed my mind).

There was nothing to do but DO, which is exactly what I did... not only is it a work-in-progress, it is also a design-in-progress. 

One thing's for sure: these colors are working for me!!

KNITTING

Well. I finished a pair of Dimorphous Mittens a while back (except for buttons), and still have my Scoreboard Cowl to finish, but hadn't been too inspired to knit much lately (or have been more inspired to sew). But now...

• I am well underway with Romi's Mystery Shawl 2016. I had to find & fix a little mistake at the end of Clue 2 last night (employing all the stitch markers) to keep on track!
• Casting on of LOLA is imminent! I will be knitting this sweater in pieces, and beginning with a provisional cast-on (keeping options open... because designing as I go seems to be A Thing). All the materials are gathered and I'm finally ready to go!

• I'm not sure where Werifesteria will fit in, but it's not the knitting that I'm most interested in at this point, anyway. This is the second mystery Knit-Along/Walk-Along presented by Christina Campbell and I thoroughly enjoyed both aspects of the first. A March Through Time is probably my most-worn winter knit this year! Mostly, though, I am interested in the motivation to get out and walk this spring. Let's go!! (By the way, this KAL/WAL begins tomorrow! It is automatically 20% off through 3/31 -- that's today!)

COOKING (and Eating)

Beef & Lamb Meatballs over Green Pea Risotto a la Plated. Yum. Our box also held the ingredients for a wonderful skillet-roasted chicken with some fennel and potatoes. I was a bit unsure about the new subscription plans, so have sat out deliveries for a bit, but decided to get back in; I am in charge and can skip whenever I like (such as the next two weeks, for various reasons) or even suspend deliveries for a lengthier period of time, but I really do enjoy not having to think about what I'm going to cook sometimes -- or even having to shop for it! Plus, I get to try new things or prep methods and have reasonable assurance that it's all going to turn out fine great. I have a few  invitations available (up to $72 off with subscription); if you're interested in trying Plated yourself, let me know and I'll send you an email invite!

I ordered Fish Tacos at Houdini's Escape Gastropub at 5th Tuesday Knit Night; also in the frame are pub fries, a grilled veggie sandwich, and tortellini with portabello mushroom. Also yum. I really need to expand my horizons beyond the tacos at this establishment, but... SO GOOD!

SKY-WATCHING

Arriving at work - view to the east - March 18, 2016

Arriving at work - view to the east - March 22, 2016

Arriving at work - view to the east - March 29, 2016

The weather has been decidedly chilly, dreary, gray, and wet and looks to be that way for a while (perhaps even some snowflakes flying), so I'll just park these photos here so I can easily visit until nice weather returns.

Today is Day 4 of a new Whole30. I have more to say about that, but not today.

I'm not really very organized about it, at the moment, but I have a cohort who is also motivated and that's helping to keep with the program.

The internet is also very helpful. Like yesterday, away from home, when it was decided that salmon would be good for supper... with dill. So I googled "Whole30 salmon dill" and came up with Dill & Lemon Baked Salmon in Parchment from paleogrubs.com.

Chop & slice some zucchini, season, drizzle with olive oil, add lemon and salmon, season a little more, seal it up in parchment paper, and bake.

COULD.NOT.BE.EASIER. And clean up is a breeze.

Every time I cook in parchment, I wonder why I don't do it more often. 

Seeing the similar Paleo Shrimp Baked in Parchment Paper recipe guarantees that I'll do it again soon!

Ten on Tuesday:  10 Favorite Kinds of Cheese

Not only is Wisconsin America's Dairyland, I live in a city known for cheese! And when I moved for a while to Oregon, I ended up in another city known for cheese!! I can't seem to escape the cheese...

A lot has changed in Wisconsin. The state used to be dotted with tiny independent cheese factories -- and I mean they were everywhere! That's sadly not the case anymore. I miss them!

Goat Cheese Curds from Caprine Supreme Creamery, Black Creek, WI

1. Squeaky cheese curds. You can find fresh cheese curds at some farmer markets, every grocery, and even at gas/convenience stores. 

2. Cream cheese. I don't think there's a single thing on earth with cream cheese as an ingredient that I don't like. The one thing that immediately comes to mind, though, is the Philly Cream Cheese & Welch's Grape Jelly sandwich of my youth. Oh, sooo good. I'm sure we only had those in desperation, and if the cupboard was really bare it was a Butter & Honey sandwich in my lunch, but those are still numbers 1 & 2 on my list of favorite sandwiches! (#3 is Peanut Butter & Banana.) (I sense a Ten on Tuesday topic!)

3. Kraft American cheese, but never individually-wrapped singles. I like peeling the layers on a sliced block. I love a good ol' fashioned grilled cheese sandwich -- with tomato soup, of course! This was also the cheese on the bologna sandwiches of yesteryear, as well as many a dinner when paired with saltine crackers! The kids always loved my sister Karen's American Cheese Soup.

4. Cheddar cheese. There was a time when there was always a block of cheddar in our fridge. If the word "cheese" is on the grocery list, it means cheddar! So many varieties...

5. Colby cheese. A very smooth and mild cheese, similar in flavor to cheddar but perhaps a bit softer. A favorite variation is Co-Jack -- a swirled combo of Colby and Monterey Jack.

6. Mozzarella! In all shapes and sizes. I can adapt. It's the reason I grow tomatoes and basil!

7. Brie & Camembert. Thanks to Mom! A favorite lately is a bit of cherry preserves atop a smudge of brie on a thin cracker. Mmmm.

8. Bleu. Yum... I'm sort of craving a good Wedge Salad right now.

9. Swiss & Provolone. Different cheeses, but sandwich favorites for numbers 4 & 5 on my list: Ham & Swiss and Roast Beef & Provolone.

10. Limburger. (On occasion.) Thanks to Grandpa Blum!

Grated Parmesan finishes Cream of Spinach Soup.

I could go on and on. Cheese!

And this just in: As Far As Cheese Goes, We're Still America's Dairyland

I went to a Knit In and came home with yarn... and a beer glass! My friend had an extra, so also the matching wine glass! Welcome to Wisconsin!!

I had a great time at and around the 2015 Madison Knitters' Guild Knit In over the weekend! Ann & I made a few stops along the way. Susan's Fiber Shop -- incredibly, for the very first time* but not the last. Bradbury's for coffee and crepes -- we split one savory, one sweet. The Sow's Ear, not exactly on the way but worth the stop; we shopped and knit and sipped away the remainder of the afternoon.

On Friday night, we had dinner at Red Sushi. My nephew Dylan is on the wait staff there and it was fun to have both his guidance and Ann's, especially since I'm basically a sushi newbi. I can definitely proclaim myself a sushi lover, though, and I'm already looking forward to next time. Great cocktails at Red Sushi, and also at Merchant, where we went after dinner; I'd like to eat there sometime!

Saturday was full of classes. Ann & I both took Annie Modesitt's "Mad About Plaid" and enjoyed it very much! It was fun and informative; Annie is a great teacher, not to mention entertaining, brilliant and creative.

I also had a class in the afternoon about working with hand-dyes -- identifying techniques and patterns to help them sing to you as much when knitted up as they do when they land in your shopping cart! I thought this would be beneficial, not only as a yarn collector and knitter, but also as a sometime dyer.

Ann had both the Wine & Yarn Pairing and the Beer & Fiber Tasting events on Saturday afternoon... I'd signed on to take part in only the Beer event on Sunday.

Each event had its own custom pattern and a mini-skein kit designed by Jimmy Beans Wool and custom dyed at Koigu. And that glass! We tasted beers from Wisconsin Brewing Company: #008 - Old Reliable, #002 - American I.P.A., and #003 - Brown & Robust Porter. I've had the I.P.A. before (I love a hoppy beer right now and can't wait to find PSYCHOPATH!) and the Amber Lager -- good brews!

We visited the marketplace between classes and during our free times. I was delighted to finally lay eyes on (and even hug) some long-time virtual friends, including Kathleen Pascuzzi who is Annie's partner at ModeKnit Yarn, and Emily Parson from Sophie's Toes!

There were same changes to the event this year -- a new, larger venue that cost a ton of money, I'm sure. That cost was passed on to attendees and vendors alike. Unfortunately, it was not very walk-in friendly and people who wanted only to shop were not too keen on paying $15 admission on top of $7 parking just to get in the door. I think some of the vendors did okay, but I'm afraid that many may have done less than okay; booth fees, travel, lodging -- and some came a ways (Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, New York) -- I'm all too familiar with this scenario from Rusty's art fair days! I hope something can be done to make vendors more accessible to the public; they're not going to come back if they're not making (or, in the end, only breaking even or losing) money, and I think they're a big attraction.

On Saturday evening, we were joined by others, including Ann's long-time friend Lisa, caityrosey, and Java Jennie/Kitchen Counter Crafter (great bags and fun fabrics!). We went to Grampa's Pizzeria and OH MY... that's not my grandpa's pizza, but it is some of the best pizza I've had in a while! One of our pies had brussels sprouts and chunky bacon, another had pesto, and we all tasted/shared a ginger cake for dessert. Delicious. Afterwards, we made our way to Old Sugar Distillery Tasting Room for a taste and some shopping. I had a delicious and refreshing drink based on the Brazilian caipirinha but made with Old Sugar's Honey Liqueur.

I may have had two. *clink*

My main knitting project over the weekend was Deep End II. I managed to work the sewn bind-off by lunch time on Sunday! I need to weave in some ends, give it a soak, and lay it out to dry.

On the way out of town, we stopped at Jamerica for a bite to eat before heading home. That was an unexpected but delightful stop!

I was asked a few times what my favorite part of the weekend was and I really couldn't single anything out -- it was ALL my favorite part:

Friends Old & New, Fiber & Yarn, Food & Drinks!

 It doesn't get much better than that.

*I have visited the large Susan's Fiber Shop booth at all three NY Sheep & Wool Festivals, as well as at WI Sheep & Wool, so not a complete stranger!

We entered the kitchen at 8:30 a.m. and didn't leave until a bit past 5:00. We measured, mixed, stirred, chopped, patted, poured, rolled, sprinkled and baked our little hearts out with varying success... mostly great!

There were three large stainless steel work tables pushed together in the main work area and it worked perfectly for each of us to claim one as our own. There was plenty of room to spread elsewhere, and a couple of us also employed rolling carts. That's everything I brought to make the following:

An almost-double batch of Ina Garten's Ultimate Ginger Cookie.

Each batch is supposed to make 16 cookies, and I ended up with 29. An unequivocal success, I will definitely make these again... maybe next week! Next time, though, I'll keep in mind that a double batch pushed the tilt-head KitchenAid mixer to the limit. There was a big Hobart commercial mixer available, but total overkill. I think that my bowl-lift mixer at home is just a bit larger than the tilt-head.

Paleo Fat Bomb Coconut Brownies by Caitlin Weeks. They are delicious! I used both the coconut and walnuts, but was just a little shy of the 1 cup of melted coconut oil called for in the recipe -- my fault -- so they look dry and are a little but crumbly, yet, at the same time, are also incredibly moist. I think the missing oil would help hold it all together. I would make them again, but also maybe cut them into the suggested 9 squares, rather than 16.

Sweet & Salty Fudge Bombs by Melissa Joulwan, author of my favorite Well Fed series of cookbooks. 

I may have processed a bit longer than needed -- I don't have much experience with food processors! My able assistants helped with both rolling and garnishing, resulting in a wide range of sizes... from rabbit poop/Cocoa Puff size to shooter. I was a little distracted, and they were so happily rolling and dusting and dipping, that I just let it roll. So, they look a little wonky but they taste great! Kids love to help in the kitchen!!

Irish Coffee Brownies.

My helpers were not only handy, but very happy, too!! These brownies looked quite different than what I was expecting. From the photo that accompanied the recipe, I was expecting a very rich, dark brownie, but they are not that at all. Variation in cocoa used? Perhaps. It made a lot, and they taste good even if not quite as chocolatey and chewy as I thought they'd be.

Lastly, I made Granny Wallace's Shortbread Cookies.

I almost didn't make them... there's a lot of intermittent refrigeration in this recipe. Pat the dough and refrigerate; roll the dough and refrigerate; refrigerate, refrigerate, refrigerate. I was pretty exhausted by that point, and I may have skipped a couple of those steps at the end. Rolling to an even thickness has never been my forte, either, and we'll just say these are all 1/4" thick, more or less. I was able to get two pans, mostly full, into the oven and they turned out wonderfully! I didn't get anywhere near the quantity the recipe says, but these are 3" cookies, at least, rather than 2" -- I had to use cutters at-hand -- along with the aforementioned challenge with consistent rolling. But I think I'd make them exactly the same next time!

My intention was that most of this would be gifts, and I might have been more successful with some if I hadn't had to pack and travel. The cookies were by far the most successful in that department -- and all-around -- they're truly my favorites of the day!

New rule for food gifts: nothing that needs to be cut. And think twice about frosting/glaze, too. Also, packaging. Those fudge bombs would look good, four or six in a small box; just sprinkled in amongst other goodies, they just look like... not good.

What a great day, though. There were two large convection ovens at our disposal, a gas range and another oven, a walk-in freezer, large refrigerator, mixers and food processors, three sinks, plenty of work space. We love to do, and this is something we'll definitely do again!

I've been saying "yes" to almost every good thing that comes my way this summer, so when my friend Ann invited me to a dinner at her CSA farm... well YEAH! This type of event has been on my bucket list for a while.

On my 57th Happy Day, I took one of "grandma's dishes" to Park Ridge Organics to share a fabulous farm-to-table meal prepared by Jill Chisholm of Paddock Club in Elkhart Lake.

Due to unsettled weather, our dinner was served in the barn. It cleared up from time to time, but also poured buckets, so the decision to move indoors was sound! And it was so cozy and cute.

The event began with a social hour, featuring a lovely nectarine sangria or fresh lemonade and appetizers. Oh yum.

I mostly ate my food instead of photographing it, so I'll have to use my words.

My favorite appetizer was a pea pod with a lovely mixture of small-dice cooked beets, fresh basil & fresh mozzarella spooned onto one end (above). It looked as if the pea pod had been used as a scoop. Very neat to eat, and so tasty! I think goat cheese would be fun to try sometime -- I love goat cheese with beets.

Another fave was heirloom grape tomatoes -- every single one cut on the bottom so it would sit flat on the plate, seeds and pulped scooped out -- filled with a mixture of small-dice green beans, preserved lemon, parmesan cheese, parsley and dill, and drizzled with olive oil. It was such a pretty plate with all the colorful varieties!

The hot appetizer was a mushroom cap stuffed with tasso smoked pork shoulder, okra, cabbage, and celery, with creole seasoning. Delicious!

I've driven by Park Ridge Organics many times on my way home from points south; it's located on my favorite side of the lake -- the side less traveled. I live at the north end of Lake Winnebago and if traveling from points south, until I'm through Fond du Lac at the bottom of the lake, I have options -- continue racing up US Hwy 41 on the west side of the lake, or take a right for a more leisurely drive up the east side. It's 2-lane state highways that mosey through small towns, picturesque farmland, the Bible Belt of Wisconsin, and offers some of the most beautiful views of the lake.

The 3-course meal was simply spectacular. For several days afterward, it was the standard by which I seriously judged every morsel that dared come near my lips, lest my tastebuds and the memory of that wonderful meal be sullied. Hello, FOOD.SNOB.

We began with a salad - green beans, romaine lettuce, pickled walla walla onion, cherry tomato, Sartori BelliVitano Gold cheese, dressed with a macadamia nut-dill vinaigrette.

The beverage pairing was a choice of 3 Sheeps Cirque du Wit wheat ale or Guild White Wine (there was a local connection, but I don't remember what it was). I chose the ale.

The entree was fresh grilled pork loin and lemon-braised pork shoulder from Golden Bear Farm, served with snow peas and pickled kohlrabi, caramelized green and purple kale with carrot, celery and walla walla onion, and deer creek cheddar grits.

Um. We pretty much licked (in a manner of speaking) all of the service plates clean!

The beverage choice was 3 Sheeps Really Cool Waterslides I.P.A. or Guild Red Wine; again, I chose the beer.

The final course was dessert. Oh my.

Brachetto cherries and Berry Dairy black & red raspberries served with oatmeal crumble, and topped with celery and lemon balm ice cream.

Um. Yes, you read that right:  CELERY ICE CREAM! It was so fabulously different and delicious. I loved it.

And then it was time to drive home.

They have a 5-course farm dinner coming up next month... I've been invited and am so tempted, but not sure it'll work out.

But someday I shall return!

And someday, somewhere, I shall also be Outstanding In the Field.

I squeezed about 20 lemons by hand (4 full cups) and grated a half-dozen small beets (1 cup) to make Beet Lemonade!

Rusty, Maddy and I each had a little taste, and it declared it DELICIOUS!

About mid-morning, I loaded it and a bunch of other stuff into my car and ran off to do the next thing.

And everything was great until the jug fell over and dumped the lemonade all over the back seat. I heard it, realized what was happening, and watched it slosh, but there was nothing I could do about it. Ugh. It was a quadruple batch, so that would be about two gallons. There was maybe a quart that didn't spill. The rest was on the floor, soaked into the seat, dripping out of the pocket on the door.

Not good. A big mess. I was hurrying = not thinking. I also had to change my clothes about 3 times in the span of :30. There was about an hour where I was coming off the rails!

DEEP BREATHS... and ReaLemon to the rescue. I just didn't have it in me to start over with the lemonade. I floated a sliced lemon and some strawberries on top to make it look pretty. meh.

Meanwhile...

It was a beautiful day. No doubt Mom would have made a few tweaks, but I think she'd have approved of our 4th of July decor. I am especially happy about the two small buntings on the window box -- she'd have loved that!

There was plenty of food! We had grass-fed beef patties and Johnsonville Brats (the best), and I made some pulled pork with some of my favorite Howling Wolf BBQ Sauce, along with baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, chips, lots of fruit, some cheese, cookies, and...

PIE!! Apple, Blueberry, and Cherry! Rusty made them on Friday morning; the cherries freshly plucked from Ali & Rod's back yard tree on Thursday.

The main reason I cooked our spatchcocked turkey well in advance of Thanksgiving was because I needed to make Turkey Soup for our family gathering after Saturday's baby shower and that's how the timing worked!

It turned out that Maddy was such a huge help with party prep on Saturday morning that I actually had time to run home and get a pot of Chili All Day started before the shower began. I'm so glad I did, too, because even though "turkey soup" is different than roast turkey or turkey sandwiches... it was still only two days after Thanksgiving and some people were turkey-ed out! Guests were gracious and tried both soups, but were very grateful for the non-turkey offering.

The get-together was the perfect cap to a rather drawn out and different Thanksgiving... more like a season than a day, with cake and baby gifts. Maddy, my sister Karen, brother Mike and his wife, Ali and Rodney, Rod's two brothers and their families, and his parents all came over... it was pretty great.

Christmas is going to be drawn out and different this year, too, but I'm sure it will also turn out pretty great!

So, I started writing this post on December 2nd and nearly had a heart attack when I went to link Abbey's Chili All Day recipe, as I have countless times over the years, and found that her long-neglected blog has now been entirely removed! I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later; that original post is from October 2004! Thank goodness for the Wayback Machine! I don't want to depend on that, though, so I'm sharing it here for all time (which is, obviously, a relative term in blogging).

Chili All Day

1 ½ - 2 lb. beef stew meat, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 large onion, diced large
6 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
2 Tbsp. dark chili powder
3 Tbsp. ground cumin (more or less)
2 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
¼ tsp.(or more) ground cayenne pepper (if you like it hot)
½ bottle of beer

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of Bush's chili beans w/sauce
2 14 oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 oz. pkg. of sliced mushrooms

In a large pot, over high heat, sauté beef in olive oil until browned. (Or roast it, as I sometimes like to do.)

Add onions and continue to sauté until golden.

Reduce heat to medium and add all spices, stirring well and sauté until garlic is tender, but not browned.

Add beer and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, beans, and sliced mushrooms.

Stir well and let simmer with cover on for 30 minutes or longer (longer is better....the meat will be more tender).

* If the chili is too thick for your taste, add the remaining ½ bottle of beer (if you didn't already drink it).
* If the chili is too thin, add a small can of tomato paste.

Enjoy!

And here is the summarized story of Chili All Day, in a nutshell (because my kids people always ask):

Abbey's kids were getting ready for school one cold morning in 2004, and as they were waking up she told them, "Dress warm because it's going to be chilly all day."

After dropping the kids off at school, Abbey decided that it would be the perfect day to cook a pot roast for dinner.

When she went to pick the kids up from school that afternoon, the first thing her daughter said was, "I can't wait to have chili for dinner!"

Abbey said, "I didn't make chili for dinner."

Her daughter replied, in that pre-teen argumentative tone, "Yes you did! You told me this morning that you were going to make chili all day!"

Ha! If she had made chili that day, she'd have used the recipe shared above.  :)

Bon appetit. And happy weekend! I feel unsettled with a weird work schedule and not really prepared for next week. There's sort of a plan, but it's very loose and then there's the weather throwing a slippery layer of ice and snow on top. It'll work out, I'm sure, and perhaps some clarity will come over the next couple of days. Let's be merry!

SPATCHCOCKED!

Therefore, I must BE.

Crisp-Skinned Butterflied (spatchcocked) Roast Turkey: here. The slideshow immensely helpful -- doubt I'd have tried it, otherwise.

It's still in the oven. That's a fresh 13-lb turkey and it will cook in about 90 minutes. I haven't done all the pre- stuff, because I haven't been very good lately at reading *all* of the directions and fine print, but I'm confident that it will be amazing. It sure smells amazing in here. I also have the beginnings of an awesome soup (not gravy) on the stove.

I love trying new things in the kitchen.

First of all: ROASTING!

Lord knows, I'd eat almost anything drizzled in oil, beautifully seasoned with plain salt and pepper, and ROASTED. Whatever it is, roasting makes it a million times better.

I used my new* favorite cookbook, Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat by Melissa Joulwan, and made Belly Dance Beet Salad. The original/prototype recipe can be found here, with lots of good discussion in the comments.

Ahem. Do as I say, not as I do: put the pistachios on the upper rack for toasting in the oven (not the lower, as shown above). Those burned, of course, and I had to quickly shell more nuts to toast on the stove (which is probably what I should have done all along).

I think I had slightly more than 2 lbs. of beets. Most of them were VERY small, so I chopped top and bottom and roasted them whole; others were halved or quartered and there were a couple that were pretty large, chopped to make more or less uniform. I loved that I didn't need to peel!

After roasting, the beets were cooled a bit and chopped again to about 1/2-inch size pieces. Actually, I was a bit behind, so I chopped them so that they would cool down quicker!

Dressed with a combo of orange juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and spices, and tossed with the toasted nuts and sliced green onions, it was DELICIOUS! I don't have an aversion to beets, as do some, including my husband, but even he gobbled this up like crazy -- loved it and said they were the best beets he's ever had!

Using another recipe in WF2, I dressed up some grass-fed ground beef and made Italian burgers. They, too, were delicious; moist and full of flavor. This book couldn't have arrived at a better time!

*One of my old favorite cookbooks is the original Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat, which I have in electronic form... and would really like in physical form! That book is home to the recipe for The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat. Ever., which is still one of our hands-down favorites! I haven't made every recipe in that book, but I love every recipe I've made -- one of the best features in both books are the the options and "You know how you could do that?" ideas that Melissa includes for almost every recipe.

Ten on Tuesday:  10 Foods I Regularly Eat That Were Exotic (or Unheard Of) When I Was a Kid

Hm. The foods of my childhood were mostly limited, but there were flashes of the exotic. Artichokes, for one thing; thanks to my Aunt Cece, we were introduced to artichokes quite early and we all *loved* them! They were truly exotic, as in hard to find in good shape in NE Wisconsin at any time of year -- the grocery clerk always needing to ask what it was in order to properly ring it up.

With a bunch of German farmers and wanna-be-farmers in my not-too-distant ancestry, I would occasionally hear stories about farming... and the raising & butchering of livestock. The fact that every bit of a hog, for instance, was used in some way -- that nothing went to waste -- made a big impression on me. True to her upbringing, Grandma Blum would serve her precious sulze with other cold cuts for lunch; my dad always had a jar of pickled pigs' feet in the fridge.

Dad liked smoked fish, anchovies, and sardines, too; I remember many sardine sandwich picnic lunches with my dad -- sardines, yellow mustard, white bread.

While Grandma preferred cheddar and colby, Grandpa (and also his son, my dad) had a fondness for the stinky Limburger and sharp Brick cheese.

Grandma Koenig died when I was only 8, but I remember gigantic boiled dumplings with gravy at her table -- my mother never made them, but I've had them since from the hand of my Aunt Arlene. My mother had some influence, too; there were the memorable Camembert cheese and smoked oyster phases of my youth!

Now, I didn't *love* all of these foods, but I tried them all (and did actually like most) and they were definitely a part of my childhood -- I'm sure that each one helped me be a bit more adventurous as an adult.

1.  Fresh vegetables. I'm serious. I think I grew up in the golden age of commercially canned vegetables. Thinking about it (esp. creamed corn) makes me want to hurl.

Fresh roasted broccoli & cauliflower.

2.  Avocado. This was a very rare and special addition to a salad in my youth. For one thing, they were very high in calories & fat and that was a no-no. Not so now! I eat and enjoy avocadoes on a regular -- almost daily -- basis.

3.  Salmon. My dad was a fisherman, so we had plenty of wild lake fish at the table but never salmon; he didn't care for it, my mother didn't like its lingering aroma after cooking. I don't care for the aroma, either, but I love to eat salmon!

4.  Turkey burgers. Are you kidding? We had turkey at Thanksgiving -- whole, stuffed, roasted. Sandwiches & soup for a week after. Period.

Feeling nostalgic, or maybe it's that Thanksgiving is approaching, but all of a sudden, I've a hankering for a cold turkey breast sandwich on white bread, slathered with mayo and with a piece of iceberg lettuce!

5.  Any lettuce or "salad" green that isn't iceberg lettuce.

6.  Liver. Of course. I should clarify... BEEF liver was awful as prepared by my mom (everyone's mom); my dad would sometimes fry up chicken livers and they were great!

7.  Quiche. The eggs of my childhood were made only to be boiled, deviled, scrambled, or fried!

8.  Brown rice -- or any rice that wasn't preceded by "Minute" on the package!

Shrimp on the barbie -- also unheard of in my youth (though I do recall steamed lobster)

9.  Sushi. I don't regularly consume sushi, but it was completely unheard of in my youth!

10.  Paprika... for anything other than to pretty up deviled eggs. My spice cupboard is bulging these days, thanks in part to at least three or four different types of paprika -- Hungarian, California, sweet, sharp, etc.

Bon appetit!

I made slow-cooker BBQ ribs last weekend, but the weekend before saw the first pot of soup for the season:

Before & after adding the coconut milk.

Moqueca! Almost just as I learned to make it in Brazil. I used a little less cod and a lot more shrimp... because that's the way I like it! Maybe one of these days I'll find what I need to make farofa, which would definitely be served with this soup.

Dinner is served!

And lunch the next day!

It's been overcast, rainy, and much cooler here the last few days... Soup Weather is definitely here and there'll be another pot bubbling on the stove today.

{ m e s s y  k i t c h e n }

I've made this a couple of times in recent weeks -- a little different each time, but basically Bella's Carrot, Orange and Fennel Soup from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery.

Carrot and Fennel Soup

2 T. coconut oil
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped fennel
Sea salt
3 lbs. carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
4 c. organic vegetable broth
4 c. organic chicken broth
1 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. maple syrup

Heat the oil in a soup pot, then add the onion, fennel and a bit of salt. Sautee until golden. Stir in carrots, orange zest, spices, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Sautee for a few minutes, stirring until well combined. Add 1/2 cup of broth and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Pour in the remaining broth, another dash of salt, and cook for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

Puree with soup until very smooth. I've used both a hand-held blender, blending the soup right in the pot, and in small batches using a traditional blender, and they both worked fine.

Return the soup to the pot over low heat, stirring in the orange and lemon juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Taste and made adjustments as needed.

It's a lovely soup! Next time, I might add coconut milk to make the "creamy" variation.

* * * * * 

Random.org says it's Lucky #7! Dcalaneknits, look for an email with a request for your mailing address, and I'll get a copy of Keep Out!: Build Your Own Backyard Clubhouse: A Step-by-Step Guide in the mail to you! Thanks everyone, it was a blast to read all those comments and memories about clubhouses and forts.

Well, it's "the holidays" and, considering that it's the holidays, I think I'm doing okay. My weight has fluctuated a bit but given the added imbibing and indulgences, I am very okay with that; last Saturday I finally hit 30 pounds lost.

Thirty pounds! That translates to something like over 100 pounds of pressure taken off of my knees (and, I suppose), ankles, and toes.

My back is finally feeling better. I was beginning to wonder if I had a kidney stone. Oh! You want to know what my sweet daughter said? She told me that my sore back could have been my body adjusting to the weight loss -- Whoa!! Isn't that the sweetest thing?

So, what's working? I've been trying to use my Yummy - Paleo Pinterest board more, especially for things I find online. The stellar Bacon-Wrapped Smoky Chicken Thighs and Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potatoes that I made at Thanksgiving are both there. They both made encore appearances at Christmas and were devoured! I've recently pinned, made, and loved Balsamic-Glazed Drumsticks and Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Vinaigrette (once with added carrots) -- balsamic vinegar obviously being my new best friend! The brussels sprouts also were requested at the Christmas table, also, and I was happy to oblige.

And I've finally made cauliflower "rice." I'm SO happy that I found this video... OMG, so fast & easy! It takes longer to get the equipment out than it does to chop and "rice." (I have an old Osterizer commercial blender, so that's what I used and it worked great!)

(And isn't that funny? I have a Big Red Kitchen, too!)

I usually rice a whole head at a time. Sometimes I cook it all up (in batches) and store the leftovers that way, but I've also stored the extra uncooked. It's super fast to prepare, either by sauteeing or just throwing it in a pot with some butter. Most important of all, it was very well-liked by all -- including Rusty, never a huge fan of cauliflower and an almost daily consumer of real (brown) rice!

I've roasted cauliflower (and broccoli - sometimes together), too, and it is SO yum. I have been winning people over with the roasting, especially when I do it with my new best friend (balsamic vinegar), and even the previously detested brussels sprout has been declared "delicious."

I'm still motivated and eager to try new things.

What's not working? OMG, the sugar!! It's hard to avoid right now, and I've indulged, but waking in the middle of the night with horrible heartburn tells me how much I've OVER-indulged -- as do some other "systems" conditions. This all serves to remind me how far I've come and just how much better I feel overall! I won't have time for a Whole30 before leaving for Brazil, but a Whole15 is looking pretty good!!

Also not working are some overly involved "weeknight" meals I've prepared. One of the things I like best about "paleo" is rediscovering how delicious and satisfying a simply prepared meal can be -- season, roast, steam, saute, or bake, sometimes serve with a simple sauce or glaze. I enjoy putting together an elaborate meal occasionally, but definitely not the norm.

Just for the record, it was a mid-afternoon Christmas Day meal this year at my house:

• HoneyBaked Ham (Mom)
• Rolls (Mom)
• Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potatoes (minus dairy components)
• Steamed Green Beans
• Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Vinaigrette
• Cauliflower Rice
• Tortilla Wraps (Katie)
• Gluten-free Bread w/Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar (Ali)
• Apple Pie with Rice Flour Crust (Rusty)
• Everyday Paleo Pumpkin Pie w/fresh whipped cream

And before I even knew it, Annie had the kitchen all cleaned up! That works!!

It's what's for dinner... yesterday... and lunch today! I've made them before, and here is the recipe I've been using.

At this point in the process, all of a sudden, I realized that the light wasn't too bad and I could take pictures! I'd already cooked the prosciutto and steeped it in half & half. I'd also realized that I didn't have any spinach, but found some left-over peas in the fridge. Hey, why not?

So there's a tiny bit of butter at the bottom of each dish, prosciutto, peas, a spoonful of half & half, an egg, another spoonful of half & half, a smidge of sea salt, and some pepper.

Last time, I'm sure I used a whole lotta butter and the heavy cream. Next time, I will probably cut the butter even further, perhaps just "greasing" the dish, or possibly using olive oil; I think I'll still use half & half, because I like the richness, but maybe only half... of the half & half.

I love a recipe I can play around with.

Last time, while not overcooked, they were cooked very well. This time, I baked them for just a little less time and they were perfect -- the whites thoroughly cooked, the yolk still soft.

I have to say that I love love love the Pampered Chef 1-cup Prep Bowl Set that I bought from my cousin's wife, Jane. I don't remember if my sister Karen was a one-time consultant, or just hosted now and then, but I've purchased a few PC items over the years. I have some favorites, and these bowls shot right up to the top -- not only are they are PERFECT for this recipe, they also have COVERS, so I've been using them for leftovers and for packing my lunch. Love.

Do I need to say that I'm not getting paid to say that? I'm not. Jane doesn't even know that I'm talking about/linking her!

Happy weekend, ever'body!

Such a tasty, beautiful, colorful plate that I had to shoot it twice.

We were pretty into dessert, apparently: I made poppy seed cake, Kate came over and made lemon bars, Kevin made carrot cake, and Mom had a small cheesecake from the store.

Easter Bunny brought a small bag of jelly beans, some Andes mints, and "bunny ear" Kit-Kats.

I believe I consumed more sugar yesterday than I have in the past month. I'm amazed that I didn't wake up with terrible heartburn at 3 a.m. Must've been good quality sugar, or the little bit of cheese and the (only slightly exaggerated) half-gallon of milk I consumed in the evening hours helped to neutralize and/or dilute it.

Busy week. How 'bout you?

It's no secret that I love stuff that's roasted.

I love Roast Beef Soup.

I love roasting the beef for Chili All Day.

I love roasting tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, herbs, etc., for Vicki's Roasted Tomato Sauce.

I love roasting veggies for Roasted Vegetable Soup.

I love making Smashed Roasted Potatoes.

New favorite: Ina Garten's Roasted Asparagus. (God, I love that woman!) I have done this several times already this spring! It could not be simpler... preheat the oven to 400F; wash and prep as for any other method; I dry the spears off a little bit and then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with just a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt; I shake and rattle the pan a little bit to distribute it evenly and so the spears are "coated" all around. Since it's often just two of us, I usually make only a pound at a time and decrease the cooking time a bit. But not too much, because OMG, the ROASTY YUM!! I just love how some of the smaller spears get kind of CRISPY -- and especially the tips -- and I even said to Rusty tonight, as I gobbled 'em up, that parts of them are almost like ASPARAGUS CHIPS!

Strange but true, and so delicious.

You're welcome.

Happy weekend, people!

Ten on Tuesday: 10+ Favorite Soups

1. Potato -- including all variations, such as Potato-Leek. I don't make it often, but I sure do love it.

2. Split Pea Chowder. My mom makes this using a recipe in the Picture Cookbook from LIFE Magazine, circa the year I was born. This is an orange, oversized cookbook that is integral to my childhood and development, as is The Torch Is Passed and a gigantic Michelangelo art book that was so heavy we always looked at it two-at-a-time. This soup calls for a tablespoon or two of whole peppercorns and, though not always successful, I've been dodging peppercorns in my soup ever since I can remember and can't imagine it any other way!

3. Chicken -- also including all variations, such as what we throw together using leftovers after roasting one (some better than others), and Chicken Dumpling Soup from a local restaurant called Mary's.

4. Chili All Day. I have praised this soup year after year, sometimes numerous times a year. Delish!

5. Beef Stew. This is another recipe from the LIFE cookbook. Also, Carole's Roast Beef Soup -- I love the flavor! And, because of Carole's Roast Beef Soup, I have roasted beef in the oven (rather than browning on the stove) for other recipes -- such as Beef Stew and Chili All Day.

6. Vegetable with or without ham, always with lots of cabbage, carrots, and celery; often with potatoes; sometimes with rutabaga.

7. Bean With Bacon -- Campbell's.

8. Tomato -- also Campbell's, though I've made homemade Cream of Tomato Soup and it is divine. I like to make mine with milk and it is best served with a grilled cheese sandwich (made with white bread, butter, and sliced, but not ever individually wrapped, processed American cheese).

9. Cream of... almost anything. When we were kids Mom used Cream of Mushroom soup... as soup. Most people have an "Ew" reaction to that, as they've always only ever used it as an ingredient. When I met my husband, he used Cream of Celery soup as... soup... and I had an "Ew" reaction, having never used it in any way, shape or form EVER. Well, I ate it. And it was good! And now my kids have grown up eating Cream of Celery soup, too! (No one around here was ever a fan of the 'shroom as much as me.) I've also made Cream of Spinach (shown above) and Cream of Asparagus soup from scratch -- and I should like to do that again this spring when it's in season again.

10. Quick Minestrone.* I have a recipe at home that's almost nothing but opening cans of beans and tomatoes and chicken broth, adding some spinach (frozen or otherwise), and some orzo (or other small pasta) -- it was always a great stand-by recipe for busy weeknights!

11. Cioppino -- or any fish soup, stew, chowder, or boil. A whole bunch of my favorite worlds collide right there -- I love to make it, and to eat it.

12. Turkey. You might think, Isn't this the same as chicken? But no, it is not the same. There's a recipe in an old Holiday Cooking magazine that started us on a (somewhat lapsed but not forgotten) tradition of making it with homemade noodles -- good ones can be found at the grocery, but homemade... Mmm.

*I just found this recipe in a post from December of '09, so thought I'd share again. 

QUICK MINESTRONE SOUP

16-oz. can cannellini beans
16 oz. can red kidney beans
16 oz. can seasoned-for-pasta tomatoes
4 c. chicken broth
1 box frozen chopped spinach
1/2 c. orzo
season to taste

Combine beans and tomatoes in a large pot. Add chicken broth, spinach, and orzo. Bring to a boil, stirring to break up spinach. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until orzo is tender. Makes about 10 cups of soup.

See? Couldn't be easier. You've never tasted a more delicious "homemade" soup that came from so many cans.

I made Roasted Potato Stacks again for our Christmas Eve dinner (photo recycled from Thanksgiving).

The first time I made them, I had help; the second time, I was on my own. There's a lot of slicing and layering of potatoes with brushing of garlic-infused olive oil and it's a perfect-for-teamwork recipe.

Not only was I working by myself at Christmas, I was also a little behind and needed to find a way to speed up the process. I needed to get the oil on the potatoes quickly. My first thought was to go the shake-and-bake route, but that works best when there's a dry component... not so much with only garlic and oil.

I ended up going old-school with a big bowl and a spoon (and no plastic waste) and just stirred it all up. I'm sure some potato slices were oiled up slicker than others, but in the end it worked out great. An empty platter and calls for more were testament to that. I sprinkled with sea salt, pepper and, this time, a little rosemary in place of thyme. Yum.

I need another 12-cup muffin pan!

I had a great track for a post going in my head while I was in the car this morning, but I lost it along the way and I haven't been able to find it again. So, I'm falling back on photos today... photos of food. It's a good thing the blog doesn't ever have to weigh in.

These are some I took last summer for Ali at the coffee shop. I don't think I've shown them before -- maybe a couple. If I did, think of it as going back for seconds.

Sandwiches and salads. That's not so bad. I think that's a Goud-Asparagus panini.

Coffee is good.

Coffee drinks are yum, especially frozen blended ones that include chocolate and a little fresh whip!

Mmmmuffins.

Remember, photos have no calories!

My search for the Pumpkin Lasagna that I remember has been unsuccessful; even a request to the source didn't come up with exactly what I was looking for... the one that I remember. She sent a LOT of other great, savory squash recipes, though, and is one of the few people I know who is an actual Gourmet Cook, so it's entirely possible she just made it on the fly with whatever she had that day.

I made this: Butternut Squash Lasagna*

I used acorn squash instead, because that's what I had. I partially cooked it this afternoon, in the same manner that I'd cook a pumpkin (halved, cut-side-down in a pan w/1/4-inch of water at 350F) and then stored it in the 'fridge until I was ready to assemble. Lemme just say that acorn squash isn't really something you want to peel. I sliced one and then cut off the shell, but mostly I just scooped it out as slab-like as I could. There's that to keep in mind. I used two small and one large squash.

I used a combo of grated mozarrella and gruyere, and didn't use the Sage/Lemon Brown Butter, but otherwise followed the recipe and IT WAS SO GOOD! I had to share... and record what I did before I forgot.

The recipe in my mind did not use lasagna noodles, did not have meat of any kind, and the squash was not mashed, pureed or cubed -- it was sliced. It took a few intensive searches to finally find the recipe above, and I found it on Pinterest! Yay!!

*No photo... that time of year is here! It is my goal, before too long, to have a semi-permanent lighting set up that I can haul around to wherever in the house I'm working... sewing in the front room, knitting in the living room, cooking/dyeing in the kitchen (never at the same time), whatever, wherever!