Twas the Day/Night before Christmas and all through the house, Chef V was scurrying to cook the Christmas Feast. I am preparing another Thanksgiving Feast for our Christmas Feast by request of my family. The pies are baked, the cookies are made and my turkey stock is also made. Now to start the rolls and homemade bread, then stuffing the turkey and putting him into the oven. The house will begin to smell wonderful really soon!!
Several are working today, a couple are traveling (only an hour here) and Joe and I are preparing for the gathering. I'm sooooo excited. We have such fun, we laugh soooo much and the evening goes long and the wine flows along with it. All but one of us get to sleep in tomorrow and then lounge around and enjoy a day at home in Christmas jammies, munching on snacks and leftovers, playing games, watching movies and just enjoying the day together. Over the weekend we will travel to Louisville for other family gatherings with extended family.
Wishing everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a VERY HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Butternut Squash Soup
I have fallen in love with yet another new recipe! Butternut squash soup!!!! It is another recipe that I was leery to make, thinking it way too hard and complicated and time consuming.... but it isn't.... it is actually quite simple to make and as quick as making a pot of potato soup! I enjoyed it sooo much, I just went to the store and bought more butternut squash so I can make it again soon!
I had had this soup for the first time last winter at a restaurant in Louisville. I was afraid I would not like it, but loved it so much, I literally slurped the bowl clean. When I asked the waiter what the little zing in the back of my throat was from, she told me it was a dash of cayenne pepper the chef adds to the soup. So...... I too added a dash.... or two..... of cayenne pepper and it was absolutely amazing. A dash is literally all it takes to add the zing and not be too over powering.
I looked at several different recipes for this soup, took parts from each recipe I thought would be good and put together my own blended recipe. Here is how I did it..... I hope you give it a try.... it really is sooooo dagum good! My measurements are all approximate.... you can adjust ingredients as you want/need
Soup
2 - butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1" dice
4 cups of chicken broth (approximately).... vegetarians can substitute with vegetable broth
mirepoix (1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 small onion, small dice or thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup cream (I used heavy cream, but milk will do too)
salt/pepper
red pepper flakes (a pinch)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Garnish
1 granny smith apple (peeled, seeded and fine diced)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp cream or milk
Saute the mirepoix in the 2 Tbsp of butter until just tender, but not browned. Add the squash, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes and broth, simmer until the squash is cooked and tender (like you would for mashed potatoes). Remove the squash chunks with a strainer, put the squash in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the cooking broth to the pureed squash in the blender and puree again. Put the mixture back into the saucepan and add the cayenne pepper and cream and bring the soup back to a simmer and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes longer.
To garnish the soup (which really adds the WOW factor).... Place the diced apple in a small saute pan with the brown sugar and butter and saute until the apple is tender.... takes just a couple of minutes. Stir the sour cream and cream together until the consistency is soupy..... so you can swirl or drizzle a small amount of the sour cream mixture on top of each soup bowl you are serving, then place about a tsp or so of the apple mixture over the swirled/drizzled sour cream mixture. Serve and eat.
If you happen not to like the extra zing of the cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes, just omit them from the recipe, the soup will still be really yummy. It took me about 10 minutes tops to get the soup started, another 15-20 minutes of cooking time before I pureed the soup and another 5-10 minutes to simmer the pureed soup with the cream, which is the same amount of time and effort it takes to make a good pot of potato soup. This soup is soooo good, you don't even need crackers, but if you have a nice hearty bread, that would go well with this soup. I could eat this soup for an appetizer, main meal or even dessert!!!! When I made and served it the other night.... all you could hear were spoons clicking in the bowl, and yumming .... ummmming..... wowing..... and this is so good!... no one paused for a second until their bowl was empty.... just dip, slurp, and ummmm! LOL It was quite musical!
Bon Appetite!!!!
I had had this soup for the first time last winter at a restaurant in Louisville. I was afraid I would not like it, but loved it so much, I literally slurped the bowl clean. When I asked the waiter what the little zing in the back of my throat was from, she told me it was a dash of cayenne pepper the chef adds to the soup. So...... I too added a dash.... or two..... of cayenne pepper and it was absolutely amazing. A dash is literally all it takes to add the zing and not be too over powering.
I looked at several different recipes for this soup, took parts from each recipe I thought would be good and put together my own blended recipe. Here is how I did it..... I hope you give it a try.... it really is sooooo dagum good! My measurements are all approximate.... you can adjust ingredients as you want/need
Soup
2 - butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1" dice
4 cups of chicken broth (approximately).... vegetarians can substitute with vegetable broth
mirepoix (1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 small onion, small dice or thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup cream (I used heavy cream, but milk will do too)
salt/pepper
red pepper flakes (a pinch)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Garnish
1 granny smith apple (peeled, seeded and fine diced)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp cream or milk
Saute the mirepoix in the 2 Tbsp of butter until just tender, but not browned. Add the squash, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes and broth, simmer until the squash is cooked and tender (like you would for mashed potatoes). Remove the squash chunks with a strainer, put the squash in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the cooking broth to the pureed squash in the blender and puree again. Put the mixture back into the saucepan and add the cayenne pepper and cream and bring the soup back to a simmer and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes longer.
To garnish the soup (which really adds the WOW factor).... Place the diced apple in a small saute pan with the brown sugar and butter and saute until the apple is tender.... takes just a couple of minutes. Stir the sour cream and cream together until the consistency is soupy..... so you can swirl or drizzle a small amount of the sour cream mixture on top of each soup bowl you are serving, then place about a tsp or so of the apple mixture over the swirled/drizzled sour cream mixture. Serve and eat.
If you happen not to like the extra zing of the cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes, just omit them from the recipe, the soup will still be really yummy. It took me about 10 minutes tops to get the soup started, another 15-20 minutes of cooking time before I pureed the soup and another 5-10 minutes to simmer the pureed soup with the cream, which is the same amount of time and effort it takes to make a good pot of potato soup. This soup is soooo good, you don't even need crackers, but if you have a nice hearty bread, that would go well with this soup. I could eat this soup for an appetizer, main meal or even dessert!!!! When I made and served it the other night.... all you could hear were spoons clicking in the bowl, and yumming .... ummmming..... wowing..... and this is so good!... no one paused for a second until their bowl was empty.... just dip, slurp, and ummmm! LOL It was quite musical!
Bon Appetite!!!!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Returning to the Nest
My youngest daughter moved to LA California nearly 3 years ago at the ripe age of 19 to pursue a degree in fashion from FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising). She had seen this school on many episodes of "The Hills" and "Laguna Beach", and decided that this was the place she needed to go for the best fashion education possible. At the time, she had been struggling in college with her grades, and I truly didn't think she had a chance of getting into this very prestigious school...... but like anything else this child puts her mind to...... she made it happen.
After Lauren was accepted to attend FIDM, the 3 of us (Joe, myself and Lauren) flew out to LA to check out this 'supposedly' prestigious school. I must admit I was leery because I knew of her academic woes, and doubted a prestigious school would accept her, so I figured it must be one of those 'you pay, you get to play' kinda of deals. But no!!!! I was completely surprised to find that this school is indeed quite prestigious when we toured the facility...... awed and impressed would be better adjectives to describe my reaction. Lauren's advisor told us that she was not qualified to enter their program because of her grades, but...... she had to submit 4 pieces of creative artwork to turn in with her application, and it was her talent that got her accepted into this school. She would have to work very hard to get her grades up to snuff, but she indeed did get accepted. So at the young age of 19, she moved to LA all on her own and started her fashion education.
Now here it is nearly 3 years later, she is all grown up, matured and ready to start her career in fashion. Her ultimate goal is to be a personal shopper or personal stylist, having her own shop with a regular client list. This is truly where Lauren's gift lies, she is very talented at putting pieces of clothing and accessories together to match a person's age, body and lifestyle. In fact she has been my personal stylist for the past few years and my reputation of being "stylish" has boomed under her guidance. She has given me more confidence in my fashion sense and I just love being 'chic'. I see clothing and accessories in a totally new light thanks to Lauren.
So for the next few months or so....... however long it takes for her to get settled and established in her new career (she starts work at Talbot's Monday..... this job has the potential to lead her in the direction she wants to go with her career), she is back home with us and our nest is no longer empty, but will have bubbly joy in it again. I'm sure there will be plenty of days that Joe and I miss our quiet moments and routines, but honestly...... I've always enjoyed my girls being home.
Lauren has her life wide open in front of her with many possibilities..... will be interesting and fun to see where it all takes her. WELCOME HOME Lauren!!!! Lauren is a big, big, big hugger and I will be very happy to receive as many hugs as she can give!
After Lauren was accepted to attend FIDM, the 3 of us (Joe, myself and Lauren) flew out to LA to check out this 'supposedly' prestigious school. I must admit I was leery because I knew of her academic woes, and doubted a prestigious school would accept her, so I figured it must be one of those 'you pay, you get to play' kinda of deals. But no!!!! I was completely surprised to find that this school is indeed quite prestigious when we toured the facility...... awed and impressed would be better adjectives to describe my reaction. Lauren's advisor told us that she was not qualified to enter their program because of her grades, but...... she had to submit 4 pieces of creative artwork to turn in with her application, and it was her talent that got her accepted into this school. She would have to work very hard to get her grades up to snuff, but she indeed did get accepted. So at the young age of 19, she moved to LA all on her own and started her fashion education.
Now here it is nearly 3 years later, she is all grown up, matured and ready to start her career in fashion. Her ultimate goal is to be a personal shopper or personal stylist, having her own shop with a regular client list. This is truly where Lauren's gift lies, she is very talented at putting pieces of clothing and accessories together to match a person's age, body and lifestyle. In fact she has been my personal stylist for the past few years and my reputation of being "stylish" has boomed under her guidance. She has given me more confidence in my fashion sense and I just love being 'chic'. I see clothing and accessories in a totally new light thanks to Lauren.
So for the next few months or so....... however long it takes for her to get settled and established in her new career (she starts work at Talbot's Monday..... this job has the potential to lead her in the direction she wants to go with her career), she is back home with us and our nest is no longer empty, but will have bubbly joy in it again. I'm sure there will be plenty of days that Joe and I miss our quiet moments and routines, but honestly...... I've always enjoyed my girls being home.
Lauren has her life wide open in front of her with many possibilities..... will be interesting and fun to see where it all takes her. WELCOME HOME Lauren!!!! Lauren is a big, big, big hugger and I will be very happy to receive as many hugs as she can give!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wrapping, wrapping, and more wrapping
Not only is it 'tis the season to be jolly', but tis also the season of decorating, shopping and wrapping. Wrapping is one of my very favorite things to do. I love to put on old Christmas movies, sit on the floor and wrap away.
I like to get my area all organized with my wrapping needs, such as, boxes, bows, paper, scissors, tape (the wrist holder tape dispenser) tape refills, tissue paper, and name tags. Start the movie and the wrapping begins. I love the 'surprise' part of unwrapping a gift, so I never wrap gifts in 'predictable' packages.... one never knows what they will find inside the boxes. I can get a tee shirt into a jewelry box and I can hid jewelry in shirt boxes. I will add weights and/or marbles or such just to throw the person off if they decide to squeeze or shake the packages trying to guess. It's all about the element of surprise along with the prettiness of the package.
I love buying wrapping paper on clearance, so I always have lots of choices when selecting the perfect paper for the perfect gift. I only wrap one gift per person in the same paper, because I like having lots of colorful packages under the tree. However..... I wrap all the 'to take' gifts in the same paper. Like the gifts I take to the Grandparents houses are all wrapped in the same paper. This helps keep me organized to know what gifts go to what house, and whatever paper I use for those 'take away' gifts, I don't use for any of the gifts here at home. This method has been working well for me for years, having to travel as much as we do during the holidays, it does help to be organized.....and/or anal..... I've been called both and I do wear those badges proudly! : )
My husband..... as wonderful as he is..... and he IS WONDERFUL!!!!.... has absolutely no clue what goes into putting Christmas together. His rule of thumb is...... he doesn't start shopping for his gifts (which basically are my gifts and the two gifts he needs for our parents gift swap game) until Dec. 20th!!! EVER!!!!! But, I must say, he does an excellent job in the 4 days of shopping that he does endure, he sweats over the few gifts he has to purchase and usually gets it all done in one day. I however, shop for months with a list for his parents, nieces/nephews; my parents, nieces and nephews, our friends, all our girls and their significant others, all the stocking stuffers, and all the gifts for the paper delivery boy, postman...etc. It is exhausting!!!!! And of course this is on top of all the Christmas baking, Christmas card writing and coupon cutting and sale flyer scouring for the best prices and deals.
I 'endure' the shopping part, but I absolutely and immensely enjoy the wrapping part. Each gift is like a creation all in itself and a work of love. I know that the gift wrapping will only be admired for split seconds before being torn to shreds to discover the treasure inside..... but..... for those split seconds, the package does present itself in as much glory as is possible..
I myself love being surprised. I don't want to see or know how many, how few, how big, how small any gift I have is until Christmas. My husband wants to buy, wrap and stick gifts under the tree as soon as he is done with his duties..... I however, refuse to put a single gift for anyone under the tree until Christmas Eve, so the tree goes from a beautiful decorated tree with just a tree skirt, to a beautifully decorated tree with a colorful mound of gifts underneath.... and then there is no question about whether or not Santa has or has not visited yet!
I'm all wrapped up for this year. While Joe is on his road trip with our baby (Lauren), driving her home from LA, I pulled everything out last night, sorted the items per person (I have to have the same number of gifts for each person to open) and watched "It's a Wonderful Life", "White Christmas", "A Christmas Story", and "Love Actually" as I wrapped. It was a late night, but..... I finished wrapping every single gift and even managed to get the wrapping mess all cleaned up and stowed away. Now.... I'm ready to start making the chex mix and the Christmas cookies!
Merry Christmas!!! And Happy Wrapping!!!
I like to get my area all organized with my wrapping needs, such as, boxes, bows, paper, scissors, tape (the wrist holder tape dispenser) tape refills, tissue paper, and name tags. Start the movie and the wrapping begins. I love the 'surprise' part of unwrapping a gift, so I never wrap gifts in 'predictable' packages.... one never knows what they will find inside the boxes. I can get a tee shirt into a jewelry box and I can hid jewelry in shirt boxes. I will add weights and/or marbles or such just to throw the person off if they decide to squeeze or shake the packages trying to guess. It's all about the element of surprise along with the prettiness of the package.
I love buying wrapping paper on clearance, so I always have lots of choices when selecting the perfect paper for the perfect gift. I only wrap one gift per person in the same paper, because I like having lots of colorful packages under the tree. However..... I wrap all the 'to take' gifts in the same paper. Like the gifts I take to the Grandparents houses are all wrapped in the same paper. This helps keep me organized to know what gifts go to what house, and whatever paper I use for those 'take away' gifts, I don't use for any of the gifts here at home. This method has been working well for me for years, having to travel as much as we do during the holidays, it does help to be organized.....and/or anal..... I've been called both and I do wear those badges proudly! : )
My husband..... as wonderful as he is..... and he IS WONDERFUL!!!!.... has absolutely no clue what goes into putting Christmas together. His rule of thumb is...... he doesn't start shopping for his gifts (which basically are my gifts and the two gifts he needs for our parents gift swap game) until Dec. 20th!!! EVER!!!!! But, I must say, he does an excellent job in the 4 days of shopping that he does endure, he sweats over the few gifts he has to purchase and usually gets it all done in one day. I however, shop for months with a list for his parents, nieces/nephews; my parents, nieces and nephews, our friends, all our girls and their significant others, all the stocking stuffers, and all the gifts for the paper delivery boy, postman...etc. It is exhausting!!!!! And of course this is on top of all the Christmas baking, Christmas card writing and coupon cutting and sale flyer scouring for the best prices and deals.
I 'endure' the shopping part, but I absolutely and immensely enjoy the wrapping part. Each gift is like a creation all in itself and a work of love. I know that the gift wrapping will only be admired for split seconds before being torn to shreds to discover the treasure inside..... but..... for those split seconds, the package does present itself in as much glory as is possible..
I myself love being surprised. I don't want to see or know how many, how few, how big, how small any gift I have is until Christmas. My husband wants to buy, wrap and stick gifts under the tree as soon as he is done with his duties..... I however, refuse to put a single gift for anyone under the tree until Christmas Eve, so the tree goes from a beautiful decorated tree with just a tree skirt, to a beautifully decorated tree with a colorful mound of gifts underneath.... and then there is no question about whether or not Santa has or has not visited yet!
I'm all wrapped up for this year. While Joe is on his road trip with our baby (Lauren), driving her home from LA, I pulled everything out last night, sorted the items per person (I have to have the same number of gifts for each person to open) and watched "It's a Wonderful Life", "White Christmas", "A Christmas Story", and "Love Actually" as I wrapped. It was a late night, but..... I finished wrapping every single gift and even managed to get the wrapping mess all cleaned up and stowed away. Now.... I'm ready to start making the chex mix and the Christmas cookies!
Merry Christmas!!! And Happy Wrapping!!!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Office Christmas Parties
Last night Joe and I went to not one, but two business Christmas parties, both were surprisingly more fun than I expected and at both parties I saw friends I haven't seen in months and did not expect to see on this night. The first party was a quieter party that was held at the home of the host, the second party was held at an event venue place in the middle of the city.
The first party had soft Christmas music in the background, hor devours and beverages, in a gorgeously decorated home, the second party had a buffet dinner (beef tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, caesar salad, mixed sauteed veggies and lots of sweet treat nibbles..... food was really DELISH), and a really good live band, however..... the volume knob must have been missing from their equipment, because the sound level was so high, you literally could not speak with the person next to you without shouting and saying..... "excuse me..... I didn't hear what you said'! This morning our ears (mine and Joe's) are actually still ringing and we both have a raspy voice!!!
However...... loud music, libations and a Christmas party atmosphere always leads to DANCING!!!! And dance we did!!!! Ellen Degeneres would have been sooooo proud of our older generation business suited men with no rhythm dancing to the oldies and looking like goobers flailing on the dance floor...... but it was a BLAST!!!!! And I mean OLDIES!!!!! Music from the 50's that still get you up out of your seat bobbing, shuffling, snapping our fingers, shaking our booties and feeling like we were at a highschool dance kinda dancing!!!! FUN FUN and more FUN!!!! We laughed til we cried at each other, watching those brave souls doing their 'signature break out moves', with the look of pure enjoyment splattered across their faces. And the funniest thing we watched all night was the only female member of the band try not to let her bulging boobs pop out of her dress!!! We were all waiting for the 'costume malfunction' to happen.... and I believe there may have even been some sideline bets on not only "if" her puppies would show, but at what time they would present themselves to the public.
I love getting all gussied up and gathering with friends from work, or the neighborhood and/or family and spending the evening nibbling, chatting, and dancing. The night was soooo much better than I expected, and I was expecting a fun night. But there is something sooo special with Christmas parties that have a magic, sparkly and good cheer atmosphere to them. I saw friends that I didn't expect to see and that alone was a Christmas gift in itself. My wish for you my fellow bloggers, is to get the opportunity (or two or three) to gather with your closest friends and family and enjoy the holiday season in good cheer with each other and celebrate the reason for this season. Hopefully really good food will be involved too!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
The first party had soft Christmas music in the background, hor devours and beverages, in a gorgeously decorated home, the second party had a buffet dinner (beef tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, caesar salad, mixed sauteed veggies and lots of sweet treat nibbles..... food was really DELISH), and a really good live band, however..... the volume knob must have been missing from their equipment, because the sound level was so high, you literally could not speak with the person next to you without shouting and saying..... "excuse me..... I didn't hear what you said'! This morning our ears (mine and Joe's) are actually still ringing and we both have a raspy voice!!!
However...... loud music, libations and a Christmas party atmosphere always leads to DANCING!!!! And dance we did!!!! Ellen Degeneres would have been sooooo proud of our older generation business suited men with no rhythm dancing to the oldies and looking like goobers flailing on the dance floor...... but it was a BLAST!!!!! And I mean OLDIES!!!!! Music from the 50's that still get you up out of your seat bobbing, shuffling, snapping our fingers, shaking our booties and feeling like we were at a highschool dance kinda dancing!!!! FUN FUN and more FUN!!!! We laughed til we cried at each other, watching those brave souls doing their 'signature break out moves', with the look of pure enjoyment splattered across their faces. And the funniest thing we watched all night was the only female member of the band try not to let her bulging boobs pop out of her dress!!! We were all waiting for the 'costume malfunction' to happen.... and I believe there may have even been some sideline bets on not only "if" her puppies would show, but at what time they would present themselves to the public.
I love getting all gussied up and gathering with friends from work, or the neighborhood and/or family and spending the evening nibbling, chatting, and dancing. The night was soooo much better than I expected, and I was expecting a fun night. But there is something sooo special with Christmas parties that have a magic, sparkly and good cheer atmosphere to them. I saw friends that I didn't expect to see and that alone was a Christmas gift in itself. My wish for you my fellow bloggers, is to get the opportunity (or two or three) to gather with your closest friends and family and enjoy the holiday season in good cheer with each other and celebrate the reason for this season. Hopefully really good food will be involved too!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Tis the Season!
OMGoodness...... has it really been a week since I last blogged? It's because of the Christmas season and all the distractions and obligations.... and a few days of the tummy flu too. But then..... it is..... "Tis the Season!"
I've been decorating the house for Christmas, shopping on-line and in stores for all the gifts, planning menu's for all the holidays gatherings we are attending that requires "bring a dish", as well as the gatherings with family we will be hosting here at the homestead. The decorating took me longer than expected because I decided to purge and organize the storage room at the same time I was pulling out all the holiday decorations..... but in the end.... it was soooo worth it to have everything nice and neat and organized.
I think purging of old Christmas decorations are the hardest choices since each and every item has the sweetest memories attached. Even the old scraggly and/or broken items are hard to toss out because at one time they were treasured and adored and just the memory of who gave you the item or that fact that it was a favorite item makes it impossible to throw away. But now with my children grown, it was finally time to detach my heart feelings and approach the project in a 'sensible' way and toss the broken/over used items but keep the memories.
This was also the year to re-vamp my decorating style. Every year I typically pull out and put out on display every single decoration I have collected over the past 30 years, and each year the decorating looks more and more crammed and cluttered. This year I decided to downsize, put out fewer things and retire those items long past their service, which of course meant I had to also buy new bigger stuff. So...... it's like when you buy a new home and decorate for Christmas for the first time and it takes forever because you have to decide where everything goes, instead of just unpacking it and putting it in the same ole place of the old house each year. It took me a couple of weeks and several trips to various stores, but...... I truly think this is the nicest this house has looked for the holidays in the 6 years we have lived here.
Today I'm on a mission to complete the shopping and start the wrapping. I have my list ready and my game plan mapped, so right after my pilates session I'm off and running, determined to get this accomplished today. It helped that yesterday I spent the entire day inventorying what I have and what I still need to get and for whom I need to get. Wrapping is my favorite part! I love to put in Christmas movies and watch while I wrap. "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story" are both must watch movies while I wrap.
Tonight instead of going on Friday night date night, I'm fixing a big ole pot of chili and when Joe gets home we will have a quick bite and then will tackle the task of putting up and decorating the big Christmas tree as beautiful Christmas music plays in the background. Then Sunday we will put up the family tree and get everything decorated on it except for the ornament hanging that we will save for when our youngest (Lauren) moves home from LA on Dec. 21st and then she can be a part of the decorating of the family tree..... her favorite thing and she has missed out on doing it for the past 3 years.
I'm just amazed that it is already December 11th! Now that I am so close to having all my obligation duties done, it has snowed and gotten sooo cold, I'm starting to feel like it really "Tis the Season"!!!
I've been decorating the house for Christmas, shopping on-line and in stores for all the gifts, planning menu's for all the holidays gatherings we are attending that requires "bring a dish", as well as the gatherings with family we will be hosting here at the homestead. The decorating took me longer than expected because I decided to purge and organize the storage room at the same time I was pulling out all the holiday decorations..... but in the end.... it was soooo worth it to have everything nice and neat and organized.
I think purging of old Christmas decorations are the hardest choices since each and every item has the sweetest memories attached. Even the old scraggly and/or broken items are hard to toss out because at one time they were treasured and adored and just the memory of who gave you the item or that fact that it was a favorite item makes it impossible to throw away. But now with my children grown, it was finally time to detach my heart feelings and approach the project in a 'sensible' way and toss the broken/over used items but keep the memories.
This was also the year to re-vamp my decorating style. Every year I typically pull out and put out on display every single decoration I have collected over the past 30 years, and each year the decorating looks more and more crammed and cluttered. This year I decided to downsize, put out fewer things and retire those items long past their service, which of course meant I had to also buy new bigger stuff. So...... it's like when you buy a new home and decorate for Christmas for the first time and it takes forever because you have to decide where everything goes, instead of just unpacking it and putting it in the same ole place of the old house each year. It took me a couple of weeks and several trips to various stores, but...... I truly think this is the nicest this house has looked for the holidays in the 6 years we have lived here.
Today I'm on a mission to complete the shopping and start the wrapping. I have my list ready and my game plan mapped, so right after my pilates session I'm off and running, determined to get this accomplished today. It helped that yesterday I spent the entire day inventorying what I have and what I still need to get and for whom I need to get. Wrapping is my favorite part! I love to put in Christmas movies and watch while I wrap. "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story" are both must watch movies while I wrap.
Tonight instead of going on Friday night date night, I'm fixing a big ole pot of chili and when Joe gets home we will have a quick bite and then will tackle the task of putting up and decorating the big Christmas tree as beautiful Christmas music plays in the background. Then Sunday we will put up the family tree and get everything decorated on it except for the ornament hanging that we will save for when our youngest (Lauren) moves home from LA on Dec. 21st and then she can be a part of the decorating of the family tree..... her favorite thing and she has missed out on doing it for the past 3 years.
I'm just amazed that it is already December 11th! Now that I am so close to having all my obligation duties done, it has snowed and gotten sooo cold, I'm starting to feel like it really "Tis the Season"!!!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Puff Pastry
After years and years of being intimidated of puff pastry and having no clue what so ever what to do with it..... I learned all about it yesterday in culinary school...... I think it has become my new favorite thing! It is amazing and soooooo yummy!!!!
We made fruit tarts, cream horns, cookies, savory bread straws and puff pastry shells.... plus the filling that goes inside them. Puff pastry can be used for savory or sweet foods and their possibilities are absolutely endless. Joe and I host a wine party in February and I already have many of my menu items for the party just from my baking class this term.
The easiest thing to do with puff pastry, and something that any of you can do and present an appetizer that will wow your friends and family at any event, is the bread straws. All you need is some frozen puff pastry dough, some spices and a touch of water. That's it! Let the pastry thaw, but keep it covered so it doesn't dry out. With a knife, pastry cutter or pizza wheel, cut from the long side of the dough, cut 1/2" -1" strips. With your finger dipped in water, barely rub some water along the strip and then sprinkle on any seasoning/herbs/spices of your choice. I did italian seasoning, kosher salt and parmesean cheese (the only savory spices available in class yesterday), but these bread sticks can also be made as a sweet treat by using a mixture of sugar and cinnamon instead of the spices/herbs/seasonings. Fold the strips together longways (spices/flavorings should be inside the strip and touching each other) then twist the dough, then roll the twisted dough on the counter top between your fingers until it is a long twisted rope shape. Bake at 400 degrees until done..... approx. 10-15 minutes. Voila that's it!!!!
They are sooooo amazing you just can't stop eating them. You can make them with a variety of flavorings to accompany any meal you are serving. Or you can just make them as an appetizer, snack or hor dourve. Everyone will think you are brilliant and will think you have slaved all day to make them!
I'm going to stock my freezer with some frozen puff pastry. I did learn how to make it from scratch and I will make it from scratch as well..... but making it from scratch literally takes a day or two because it involves a lot of rolling, folding and resting in between in the refrigerator. But having some frozen puff pastry on hand, I can make a quick nibble anytime, which is perfect for when you have unexpected company. I hope you enjoy this new trick for a quick treat.
We made fruit tarts, cream horns, cookies, savory bread straws and puff pastry shells.... plus the filling that goes inside them. Puff pastry can be used for savory or sweet foods and their possibilities are absolutely endless. Joe and I host a wine party in February and I already have many of my menu items for the party just from my baking class this term.
The easiest thing to do with puff pastry, and something that any of you can do and present an appetizer that will wow your friends and family at any event, is the bread straws. All you need is some frozen puff pastry dough, some spices and a touch of water. That's it! Let the pastry thaw, but keep it covered so it doesn't dry out. With a knife, pastry cutter or pizza wheel, cut from the long side of the dough, cut 1/2" -1" strips. With your finger dipped in water, barely rub some water along the strip and then sprinkle on any seasoning/herbs/spices of your choice. I did italian seasoning, kosher salt and parmesean cheese (the only savory spices available in class yesterday), but these bread sticks can also be made as a sweet treat by using a mixture of sugar and cinnamon instead of the spices/herbs/seasonings. Fold the strips together longways (spices/flavorings should be inside the strip and touching each other) then twist the dough, then roll the twisted dough on the counter top between your fingers until it is a long twisted rope shape. Bake at 400 degrees until done..... approx. 10-15 minutes. Voila that's it!!!!
They are sooooo amazing you just can't stop eating them. You can make them with a variety of flavorings to accompany any meal you are serving. Or you can just make them as an appetizer, snack or hor dourve. Everyone will think you are brilliant and will think you have slaved all day to make them!
I'm going to stock my freezer with some frozen puff pastry. I did learn how to make it from scratch and I will make it from scratch as well..... but making it from scratch literally takes a day or two because it involves a lot of rolling, folding and resting in between in the refrigerator. But having some frozen puff pastry on hand, I can make a quick nibble anytime, which is perfect for when you have unexpected company. I hope you enjoy this new trick for a quick treat.
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About Me
- Vickie G
- I am a short little lady with a passion for cooking and pilates. I have been married for 31 years to my high school sweetheart (my soulmate and love of my life!!!) and we have 3 amazing daughters. I am 50 years old and love living life with as much zest as possible.