Today is my Grandmother's 89th Birthday.... she is truly the sweetest and dearest soul on earth... and always has been. I am very blessed to be in my 50's and still have both my parents, much less my Grandmother.
My Grandmother was only 15 years old when she married, and had my Mom 2 weeks before her 1st Anniversary. Can you imagine it!!!??? My Grandparents are country folk, and back in her day.... you got married that young and were an Old Maid/Spinster if you weren't married by the age of 18! AGAIN...... can you imagine it? Grandma had a very rough and poor childhood, yet she lived her life continuously giving to others, anything and everything she had.
My Grandparents started a Security Police business and became quite successful with it and for the first time in either of their lives, they had financial security to go along with all the endless hours of hard work they dedicated to this business. Us Grandkids used to love to go to 'The Office' and play office. Grandma would let us play on the typewriters, adding machines, and play in the store room. I LOVED getting a new pad of paper, pencils and pens each time we visited "The Office".
I can't remember a weekend or a week that passed without seeing or being with my Grandparents. My Grandmother always showed up each visit with the newest toy or gadget.... she loves gadgets to this day! I remember most that my Grandmother always talked about traveling the world and learning from her travels since she only had an 8th grade education. And travel around the world is exactly what my Grandparents did. Even after my Grandfather passed away, my Grandmother would trit trot off on trips all over the place with her Best Friend, Nancy, who sadly passed away this past December. Nancy and my Grandmother were Best Friends for over 60 years!!
These days my dear sweet Grandmother is having lots of health issues and also has dementia. It is soooo sad to see her suffer illness and forgetfulness, but she is at the age when the body just starts to shut down and wear out. Grandma has been an inspiration to me my entire life and I continue to strive to be just like her! She is the one who began my interest in cooking and took the time and patience to teach me how to cook.... starting out with homemade biscuits and gravy.
I hope I have my Grandmother in my life for a long time to come (as long as she isn't suffering or in pain) but..... reality is, that isn't likely and while she will be forever missed when she passes on, she will live strong in my heart forever and I will continue to try to be just like her!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BESTEST BESTEST BESTEST GRANDMA EVER!!!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Zoey The Puppy
Zoey joined our household on Valentines Day as a birthday gift to my youngest daughter. Zoey is a mutt, with beagle and bird dog heirtage. She is white with large black spots, black ticking on her legs, HUGE wide webbed paws, she has black ears and eye patches, and a white stripe down her nose and muzzle. TOO CUTE!!!!
Zoey has the sweetest and calmest disposition and has been a hoot to watch grow and learn. Puppies are puppies and have to learn, and as far as puppies go.... she has been sooo easy to train.... all she wants to do is please us 'alpha dog people', and absolutely gets her feelings hurt when she gets punished, however.... it only takes punishing her for whatever offense once... she will not repeat the offense after being punished. She chews only on her toys, she loves to run..... at a full ear flapping gallop..... she loves to dig and bury her bone and loves trotting around with something in her mouth, whether it is her bone, a stick, or an empty water bottle, it doesn't matter.... she is proud of whatever possession she has in her mouth.
One of the reasons we believe her to have 'bird dog' blood in her, is she loves to fetch and actually started playing fetch herself from day one. Her HUGE webbed paws indicate that she will not only be a swimmer..... but a fairly good size adult dog as well. Zoey will be a wonderful pet and companion not only for Lauren and her new husband but also when they have children.
My oldest daughter has 2 dogs (Toby, age 8 and Bella age 3). Zoey has already had a couple of play dates with her cousins and they are all hilarious together. When they all visit, and when they run around playing with each other, I swear it is truly like having a house full of toddlers! They play hard, then snuggle up with each other and sleep hard.
Zoey will only be a member of my household for a few more months, and then will go live with Lauren and her new husband in September. She has been a joy and will be missed, but she will be back to visit often. I think having her around is good training for when the Grandbabies start to arrive...... which.... whenever the girls are ready..... I am totally ready!!! I would end that sentence with a 'hint, hint, wink, wink'....... but..... it isn't any secret at all I'm ready to be a Grandma..... until that time..... I'm just being patient and practicing on my Grandpuppies!
PS..... I'm already spoiled to playing with the Grandpuppies, snuggling with them, and then sending them home and getting a good nights sleep without the responsibility of being their Momma!
Zoey has the sweetest and calmest disposition and has been a hoot to watch grow and learn. Puppies are puppies and have to learn, and as far as puppies go.... she has been sooo easy to train.... all she wants to do is please us 'alpha dog people', and absolutely gets her feelings hurt when she gets punished, however.... it only takes punishing her for whatever offense once... she will not repeat the offense after being punished. She chews only on her toys, she loves to run..... at a full ear flapping gallop..... she loves to dig and bury her bone and loves trotting around with something in her mouth, whether it is her bone, a stick, or an empty water bottle, it doesn't matter.... she is proud of whatever possession she has in her mouth.
One of the reasons we believe her to have 'bird dog' blood in her, is she loves to fetch and actually started playing fetch herself from day one. Her HUGE webbed paws indicate that she will not only be a swimmer..... but a fairly good size adult dog as well. Zoey will be a wonderful pet and companion not only for Lauren and her new husband but also when they have children.
My oldest daughter has 2 dogs (Toby, age 8 and Bella age 3). Zoey has already had a couple of play dates with her cousins and they are all hilarious together. When they all visit, and when they run around playing with each other, I swear it is truly like having a house full of toddlers! They play hard, then snuggle up with each other and sleep hard.
Zoey will only be a member of my household for a few more months, and then will go live with Lauren and her new husband in September. She has been a joy and will be missed, but she will be back to visit often. I think having her around is good training for when the Grandbabies start to arrive...... which.... whenever the girls are ready..... I am totally ready!!! I would end that sentence with a 'hint, hint, wink, wink'....... but..... it isn't any secret at all I'm ready to be a Grandma..... until that time..... I'm just being patient and practicing on my Grandpuppies!
PS..... I'm already spoiled to playing with the Grandpuppies, snuggling with them, and then sending them home and getting a good nights sleep without the responsibility of being their Momma!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Spring Has Sprung
Spring has officially sprung, and after a beautiful week of weather leading up to the official date of spring, and then having very ugly cold dreary bleary couple of days as spring arrived.... the weather is making it's way back up to warmth and sunshine! My jonquils have started to bloom with lots of buds waiting to open.... and my forsythia's are days away from full explosion!!! LOVE IT!!!!
Can't you just feel the love in the air that spring time brings? I have been married to my sweetheart and best friend for over 30 years now, and he still does the sweetest things for me. The other day we were working hard in the yard doing spring clean up in the flower beds and such.... and out of the blue.... he presents me with a single jonquil he picked.... the smile on his face as he gave me that one single flower was as sweet as when a child gives their mother a prized picked jonquil (or daisy, or dandelion). It's not the flower that makes our hearts flitter, flutter with pride and happiness..... it's the act of them doing it for us. I can't think of a single mother I know or have ever known that didn't at one time get presented with a prized picked flower from their child!
And the smells that waft up to your nose the moment you walk outdoors is soooooo fresh and wonderful! This is my favorite time of the year to wash all my blankets and comforters and hang them outside to dry. Then that night as you crawl into bed and draw the blankets up to your chinny chin chin..... you just can't help but to sniff, and sniff and sniff them like a hound dog after a fox! Seems those nights I have the sweetest dreams too!
I for one am beside myself in total glee that spring has finally sprung! My whole body and mind feels electric with excitement and I just wanna be outside all the time!!!! I'm sure we have plenty more dreary bleary rainy days to come...... as they say..... April showers bring May flowers..... so to enjoy the flowers we must endure the rain...... and at least it isn't snow!!!!
Spring has indeed sprung..... the grass is trying to riz...... and no more wondering where them flowers is, cause they are popping their sweet heads up everywhere!
Can't you just feel the love in the air that spring time brings? I have been married to my sweetheart and best friend for over 30 years now, and he still does the sweetest things for me. The other day we were working hard in the yard doing spring clean up in the flower beds and such.... and out of the blue.... he presents me with a single jonquil he picked.... the smile on his face as he gave me that one single flower was as sweet as when a child gives their mother a prized picked jonquil (or daisy, or dandelion). It's not the flower that makes our hearts flitter, flutter with pride and happiness..... it's the act of them doing it for us. I can't think of a single mother I know or have ever known that didn't at one time get presented with a prized picked flower from their child!
And the smells that waft up to your nose the moment you walk outdoors is soooooo fresh and wonderful! This is my favorite time of the year to wash all my blankets and comforters and hang them outside to dry. Then that night as you crawl into bed and draw the blankets up to your chinny chin chin..... you just can't help but to sniff, and sniff and sniff them like a hound dog after a fox! Seems those nights I have the sweetest dreams too!
I for one am beside myself in total glee that spring has finally sprung! My whole body and mind feels electric with excitement and I just wanna be outside all the time!!!! I'm sure we have plenty more dreary bleary rainy days to come...... as they say..... April showers bring May flowers..... so to enjoy the flowers we must endure the rain...... and at least it isn't snow!!!!
Spring has indeed sprung..... the grass is trying to riz...... and no more wondering where them flowers is, cause they are popping their sweet heads up everywhere!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Healing Soups
I totally believe that soups have healing powers.... whether this belief is factual or not.... soups always seem to make the sick feel better.... especially chicken soup. In the past week I have made 8 pots of soup for two separate family members who had to under go wisdom teeth surgery.
For my oldest daughter's boyfriend, I made Butternut Squash, Cream of Mushroom, Broccoli Cheddar (his favorite) and Potato soup. They live an hour out of town, therefore I made all the soups at once and took them to him to survive on all week as his mouth healed from the surgery. Today my youngest daughter's fiance also had his wisdom teeth removed and is also in for a week of soups and soft foods. So for him I made Butternut Squash, Potato (his favorite), Broccoli Cheddar and Chicken noodle. Bless their hearts!! I've personally been there, done that with the wisdom teeth removal and I clearly remember it was no fun at all!
The potato soup I make is the soup I grew up on and is a family favorite. My Mom always made us potato soup when we were sick or when it was really cold outside and it always, always made me feel better and warmed me up. My own potato soup recipe started from her original recipe, but like most recipes, I have tweaked it over the years and now have my very own version. The Butternut Squash soup is the same recipe I shared on this blog a couple months ago. The Chicken noodle soup is your basic stewed chicken recipe with noodles then added in. The Broccoli Cheddar and the Cream of Mushroom soups I had never made before, but went to Foodnetwork.com and found the recipes. I was never interested in making either of these soups since I'm not fond of broccoli or mushrooms..... but what a find they were! It just so happens that I had to taste these soups myself because I was home alone and my usual tasters weren't around to help out (I always make my family taste recipes of foods I don't like). Which..... ended up being a really good thing..... because I would have NEVER tasted them if I hadn't absolutely had to...... but they were GOOOOOOD!!!! DELISH!!!! I don't think I could eat a regular serving size bowl of either soup, but could totally eat an appetizer size serving of them. They are a bit rich, but quite tasty. I have now discovered two new foods I like!
These soups are definitely not just for the sick and/or recovering, they can be enjoyed by anyone at any time and can actually be served as a main meal or as an appetizer. In fact the broccoli and mushroom soups were soooooo good I thought they would be good recipes to share with you..... so here they are.
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP - (This is an Ina Gartner recipe I have tweaked, the original recipe can be found on the foodnetwork.com)
15 oz - mushrooms, sliced (I used button mushrooms)
4 oz (1 stick) - butter
1 Tbsp - olive oil
1 cup - onion (chopped)
1 sprig - fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 cups - leeks (white and light green parts, thinnly sliced)
1/4 cup - flour
6 cups - water
1 cup - white wine
1 cup - whole milk
1 cup - heavy cream
salt/pepper to taste
Peel mushrooms (or wipe them with a dry cloth) DON'T WASH THE MUSHROOMS!!!! Saute mushrooms, onion, leek in olive oil and butter until tender (15-20 minutes). Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add water, white wine and thyme to mushroom mixture and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the cream, milk, salt and pepper and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.
BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP (This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe)
3 Tbsp - butter, plus 2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup - onion or leek (white part of leek only)
1/2 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - pepper
Pinch - nutmeg
1/2 tsp - garlic, minced
1/2 tsp - thyme, chopped
3 Tbsp - flour
3 cups - chicken broth
16 oz - frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/2 cup - heavy cream
1 1/4 cup - cheddar cheese, shredded
Melt 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat, add onions, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring, saute until soft (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended (about 2 minutes). Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the broccoli and cook, stirring until tender (about 10 minutes)
Remove the pot from the heat and puree in batches in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.
Add the cream and bring to a bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp cold butter, stirring to blend. Serve hot
If it hadn't have been that broccoli cheddar soup was Ben's favorite..... I would have never attempted to make this soup.... sooooo glad I did and was quite surprised how good it is. So if you need to take a soup to an ailing friend or family member, I hope these recipes come in handy. And..... if you just want a yummy soup to serve for dinner or an appetizer... definitely give these a try. They may even become a new family favorite! Slurp, slurp, yum, yum, enjoy!
For my oldest daughter's boyfriend, I made Butternut Squash, Cream of Mushroom, Broccoli Cheddar (his favorite) and Potato soup. They live an hour out of town, therefore I made all the soups at once and took them to him to survive on all week as his mouth healed from the surgery. Today my youngest daughter's fiance also had his wisdom teeth removed and is also in for a week of soups and soft foods. So for him I made Butternut Squash, Potato (his favorite), Broccoli Cheddar and Chicken noodle. Bless their hearts!! I've personally been there, done that with the wisdom teeth removal and I clearly remember it was no fun at all!
The potato soup I make is the soup I grew up on and is a family favorite. My Mom always made us potato soup when we were sick or when it was really cold outside and it always, always made me feel better and warmed me up. My own potato soup recipe started from her original recipe, but like most recipes, I have tweaked it over the years and now have my very own version. The Butternut Squash soup is the same recipe I shared on this blog a couple months ago. The Chicken noodle soup is your basic stewed chicken recipe with noodles then added in. The Broccoli Cheddar and the Cream of Mushroom soups I had never made before, but went to Foodnetwork.com and found the recipes. I was never interested in making either of these soups since I'm not fond of broccoli or mushrooms..... but what a find they were! It just so happens that I had to taste these soups myself because I was home alone and my usual tasters weren't around to help out (I always make my family taste recipes of foods I don't like). Which..... ended up being a really good thing..... because I would have NEVER tasted them if I hadn't absolutely had to...... but they were GOOOOOOD!!!! DELISH!!!! I don't think I could eat a regular serving size bowl of either soup, but could totally eat an appetizer size serving of them. They are a bit rich, but quite tasty. I have now discovered two new foods I like!
These soups are definitely not just for the sick and/or recovering, they can be enjoyed by anyone at any time and can actually be served as a main meal or as an appetizer. In fact the broccoli and mushroom soups were soooooo good I thought they would be good recipes to share with you..... so here they are.
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP - (This is an Ina Gartner recipe I have tweaked, the original recipe can be found on the foodnetwork.com)
15 oz - mushrooms, sliced (I used button mushrooms)
4 oz (1 stick) - butter
1 Tbsp - olive oil
1 cup - onion (chopped)
1 sprig - fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 cups - leeks (white and light green parts, thinnly sliced)
1/4 cup - flour
6 cups - water
1 cup - white wine
1 cup - whole milk
1 cup - heavy cream
salt/pepper to taste
Peel mushrooms (or wipe them with a dry cloth) DON'T WASH THE MUSHROOMS!!!! Saute mushrooms, onion, leek in olive oil and butter until tender (15-20 minutes). Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add water, white wine and thyme to mushroom mixture and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the cream, milk, salt and pepper and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.
BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP (This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe)
3 Tbsp - butter, plus 2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup - onion or leek (white part of leek only)
1/2 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - pepper
Pinch - nutmeg
1/2 tsp - garlic, minced
1/2 tsp - thyme, chopped
3 Tbsp - flour
3 cups - chicken broth
16 oz - frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/2 cup - heavy cream
1 1/4 cup - cheddar cheese, shredded
Melt 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat, add onions, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring, saute until soft (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended (about 2 minutes). Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the broccoli and cook, stirring until tender (about 10 minutes)
Remove the pot from the heat and puree in batches in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.
Add the cream and bring to a bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp cold butter, stirring to blend. Serve hot
If it hadn't have been that broccoli cheddar soup was Ben's favorite..... I would have never attempted to make this soup.... sooooo glad I did and was quite surprised how good it is. So if you need to take a soup to an ailing friend or family member, I hope these recipes come in handy. And..... if you just want a yummy soup to serve for dinner or an appetizer... definitely give these a try. They may even become a new family favorite! Slurp, slurp, yum, yum, enjoy!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
A Really Good Day
Even though yesterday was an overcast, cloudy and rainy day..... all day..... it was also one of those really good days too! It started out with me waking early from a good nights rest and feeling full of energy. I went to pilates and had a wonderful workout as well as giggles and social time with the other ladies in class, then I went to lunch with a dear friend... that we lingered over for 2 hours just chatting, then home to a quiet and clean house to freshen up for date night.
Joe and I went to see the movie "Young Victoria" last night for date night. Joe was out of town all day and arrived home too late for dinner and a movie, so we wizzed in to McDonald's for a quickie bite on our way to the movie. My favorite fries in the whole world are fresh and hot straight from the fryer..... as in burn my mouth hot fries. I really hate being disappointed with cold whimpy fries..... I mean seriously.... if you are known for your french fries, they should ALWAYS be hot and fresh, but lately the few times I have stopped by a fast food joint the fries are awful and I end up going hungry and wasted my money. I've gotten to the point of being 'irritating' when giving my order, because I specifically ask for 'fresh, hot from the fryer' fries.... which should be a given and shouldn't have to be specifically asked for. Any hooty.... last night the fries were really good and I was quite pleased.
Joe and I discovered this quaint little movie theater near the University that shows mostly independent films or films that aren't on the main circuit. It is a very old theater and quite small, but sooooo charming and they make fresh popcorn continuously! Which is another of my favorite things..... popcorn!!! I LOVE popcorn!!!! I can not go to the movies without popcorn and a cola. This theater also offers real butter to pour on top.... not imitated butter flavored oil..... but real honest to goodness butter...... WOW!!! Delish! The theater is very small so there isn't much seating in each screening room, but it just makes you feel very snug and cozy.
The movie theater is in a very artsy area of town with delightful shops all around it. There isn't parking on the streets and you have to park in this lot down the hill that requires climbing a flight of stairs and walking in an alley between to buildings to get to the street, but again.... it's all part of the charm. Most of the people we have seen going to this theater tend to be older or among the artsy crowd..... not many children or teens. This is a fun street to stroll, window shop and browse in the shops, or grabbing a nibble and/or beverage at one of the several eateries on the street. It's just soooo much more fun going to the movies at this theater than going to a big modern theater. Joe and I always have the best time and see the best movies at this place.
So even though it was a cloudy overcast day that turned into a stormy rainy night..... it was a really good day. I love Friday night date night! My favorite day of the week! Hope yours was good too!
Joe and I went to see the movie "Young Victoria" last night for date night. Joe was out of town all day and arrived home too late for dinner and a movie, so we wizzed in to McDonald's for a quickie bite on our way to the movie. My favorite fries in the whole world are fresh and hot straight from the fryer..... as in burn my mouth hot fries. I really hate being disappointed with cold whimpy fries..... I mean seriously.... if you are known for your french fries, they should ALWAYS be hot and fresh, but lately the few times I have stopped by a fast food joint the fries are awful and I end up going hungry and wasted my money. I've gotten to the point of being 'irritating' when giving my order, because I specifically ask for 'fresh, hot from the fryer' fries.... which should be a given and shouldn't have to be specifically asked for. Any hooty.... last night the fries were really good and I was quite pleased.
Joe and I discovered this quaint little movie theater near the University that shows mostly independent films or films that aren't on the main circuit. It is a very old theater and quite small, but sooooo charming and they make fresh popcorn continuously! Which is another of my favorite things..... popcorn!!! I LOVE popcorn!!!! I can not go to the movies without popcorn and a cola. This theater also offers real butter to pour on top.... not imitated butter flavored oil..... but real honest to goodness butter...... WOW!!! Delish! The theater is very small so there isn't much seating in each screening room, but it just makes you feel very snug and cozy.
The movie theater is in a very artsy area of town with delightful shops all around it. There isn't parking on the streets and you have to park in this lot down the hill that requires climbing a flight of stairs and walking in an alley between to buildings to get to the street, but again.... it's all part of the charm. Most of the people we have seen going to this theater tend to be older or among the artsy crowd..... not many children or teens. This is a fun street to stroll, window shop and browse in the shops, or grabbing a nibble and/or beverage at one of the several eateries on the street. It's just soooo much more fun going to the movies at this theater than going to a big modern theater. Joe and I always have the best time and see the best movies at this place.
So even though it was a cloudy overcast day that turned into a stormy rainy night..... it was a really good day. I love Friday night date night! My favorite day of the week! Hope yours was good too!
Monday, March 8, 2010
GRILL OUT!!!
Even though we still 'officially' have 12 more days til spring...... it sure feels like spring has sprung here today! Beautiful sunny day... birds chirping... windows open... fresh air smells.... ummmmmm!!! So of course the first thing I thought of this morning was....... GRILL OUT!!!!! Our first official grill out of the season! I've been drooling thinking about it all day.
The hardest part was deciding on just what to grill out tonight. Should it be steaks, hamburgers, country style ribs, chicken..... but after mentally tasting all those other meats....italian sausages w/peppers and onions seemed the most perfect.... so italian sausages it is! For the side dishes... I'm going to have boiled new potatoes (or roasted... still deciding on this part), corn on the cob, a fresh crispy salad and for dessert my future son-in-law made a strawberry delight dessert that is yummylicious.... he is going to give me the recipe and when he does, I will post it for you all.
Before I grill my sausages, I always pre-boil them first. I do this so that the sausages will be cooked fully on the inside and grilled nicely on the outside. It also speeds up the grilling time and prevents the sausages from getting dried out. Then I cut up a trio of peppers (red, yellow and green) with a couple of onions, place them in a foil packet, season with salt/pepper and a squirt of lemon or lime juice and grill them til tender.
The first official grill out of the season is a big deal in our house. It's kinda like we are celebrating the un-covering of the grill from it's long winters nap! I secretly think the grill too is quite happy to be in use again too! Many many many more grill outs to follow after tonight, but the first one..... seems to always be a celebration to winters end. And I'm betting there will be more grills fired up tonight than not..... so to all you other grillers tonight! WOO HOO!!! It's grill time!
The hardest part was deciding on just what to grill out tonight. Should it be steaks, hamburgers, country style ribs, chicken..... but after mentally tasting all those other meats....italian sausages w/peppers and onions seemed the most perfect.... so italian sausages it is! For the side dishes... I'm going to have boiled new potatoes (or roasted... still deciding on this part), corn on the cob, a fresh crispy salad and for dessert my future son-in-law made a strawberry delight dessert that is yummylicious.... he is going to give me the recipe and when he does, I will post it for you all.
Before I grill my sausages, I always pre-boil them first. I do this so that the sausages will be cooked fully on the inside and grilled nicely on the outside. It also speeds up the grilling time and prevents the sausages from getting dried out. Then I cut up a trio of peppers (red, yellow and green) with a couple of onions, place them in a foil packet, season with salt/pepper and a squirt of lemon or lime juice and grill them til tender.
The first official grill out of the season is a big deal in our house. It's kinda like we are celebrating the un-covering of the grill from it's long winters nap! I secretly think the grill too is quite happy to be in use again too! Many many many more grill outs to follow after tonight, but the first one..... seems to always be a celebration to winters end. And I'm betting there will be more grills fired up tonight than not..... so to all you other grillers tonight! WOO HOO!!! It's grill time!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Winter Funk and Spring Fever
Beginning on March 1st I am ready for winter to end and spring to begin.... in other words.... my annual case of 'spring fever' officially starts! I don't mind snow in January or February but once March arrives..... getting any more snow just ticks me off. And each year I swear dealing with the winter funk gets worse! And actually winter funk is a diagnosed condition, which comes from the lack of sunlight exposure. S.A.D. is Seasonal Affective Disorder and the remedy is simply light treatment. I am sooooo ready to move my hinnie to a warm state during the winter months and avoid any cold weather! I do like the seasons, but I really really like sunshine sooooo much better! I hunker in and am pretty much a hermit during the cold winter months and get restless to be outside again once March rolls around.
There is this short sweet poem my Dad always recited during early spring and again.... once March rolls around I can not get this dang poem out of my head! It's like a chant that won't go away until the wonderful beautiful spring flowers actually arrive. The poem goes like this.....
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz
I wonder where them flowers is
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this chanty poem because it always reminds me of the spring times of my childhood. I grew up on 8 acres out in the country and the hillsides of our home were literally covered in thousands and thousands of jonquils that my brother and I would go out each morning and pick a bouquet for our Mom and our special teachers. I remember our hillsides were yellow for an entire month and once they started to die out... I remember thinking I would be sooo sad because they were such joy.... but I didn't because the sunshiny days distracted me too much.
So now I'm chanting that poem in my head and trying to be patient for the arrival of spring. This week is going to be one of those teaser weeks, where we are expecting temperatures in the mid to high 50's with lots of sunshine! WOO HOO!!! Bring it on!!!! I can not be outside enough once nice weather comes.... everything smells good, we grill out every night and the food tastes soooo much better and fresher, birds are nest building and one of my all time favorite things is to watch a nest go from it's construction all the way through to when the baby birds fly away. There is soooo much color in springtime that I wish I was artistic like my father and could put to canvas what I see. But..... while I am creative (both my parents are artistic and creative) I can not draw a straight line with a ruler..... nor can I carry a tune in a bucket with a lid. But I do appreciate beauty and art.
My hibernation period is coming to an end.... and WOO HOO for that!!!! And in just 14 days..... we can all start to chant...... Spring has sprung, the grass has riz.... I wonder where them flowers is!!!!!
There is this short sweet poem my Dad always recited during early spring and again.... once March rolls around I can not get this dang poem out of my head! It's like a chant that won't go away until the wonderful beautiful spring flowers actually arrive. The poem goes like this.....
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz
I wonder where them flowers is
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this chanty poem because it always reminds me of the spring times of my childhood. I grew up on 8 acres out in the country and the hillsides of our home were literally covered in thousands and thousands of jonquils that my brother and I would go out each morning and pick a bouquet for our Mom and our special teachers. I remember our hillsides were yellow for an entire month and once they started to die out... I remember thinking I would be sooo sad because they were such joy.... but I didn't because the sunshiny days distracted me too much.
So now I'm chanting that poem in my head and trying to be patient for the arrival of spring. This week is going to be one of those teaser weeks, where we are expecting temperatures in the mid to high 50's with lots of sunshine! WOO HOO!!! Bring it on!!!! I can not be outside enough once nice weather comes.... everything smells good, we grill out every night and the food tastes soooo much better and fresher, birds are nest building and one of my all time favorite things is to watch a nest go from it's construction all the way through to when the baby birds fly away. There is soooo much color in springtime that I wish I was artistic like my father and could put to canvas what I see. But..... while I am creative (both my parents are artistic and creative) I can not draw a straight line with a ruler..... nor can I carry a tune in a bucket with a lid. But I do appreciate beauty and art.
My hibernation period is coming to an end.... and WOO HOO for that!!!! And in just 14 days..... we can all start to chant...... Spring has sprung, the grass has riz.... I wonder where them flowers is!!!!!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Crepe Appetizer's
Last weekend for our OTBN Party, I tried a couple of new appetizer/hors d/vours recipes that I thought were worthy enough to share and easy enough to make.
The first recipe I tried was "Herbed Crepes with Smoked Salmon and Radishes". This a recipe I found in an old "Gourmet" magazine that was lying around the dentist office. Since the magazine was over a year old..... I ever so slying.... ripped it out and stuck it in my purse. This is not something I normally do..... but.... it was my turn to go into the dentist chair and I didn't have time to jot the recipe down..... and had it been a recent copy of the magazine, I would have gone out and bought it.... but seeing that it was over a year old.... I didn't think anyone would be too upset with the missing page. That is my story and I'm sticking to it! LOL : ) I think you might be happy I snatched it and gave it a try tho!
You will first need to make the crepes before you make the filling because they need to cool completely, but you can make both the crepes and the filling ahead of time and refrigerate until assembly, which should be right before serving. I suggest making a standard crepe recipe and practicing with one batch before making the crepe recipe you need for the appetizers. Crepe making is actually very easy with a couple of practice crepes.... they are like pancakes.... even for well trained Chefs, the first ones rarely ever turn out properly and it takes a crepe or two to fine tune the level of heat under your pan.... a non-stick pan is preferred... but using a stainless steel pan with clarified butter will work too.... stainless steel pans just tend to be a bit more temperamental and require closer attention than the non-stick pans do.
After trimming off the ends of each filled crepe, I cut them into 4ths.... appetizer/hors d'vours size. This recipe only makes 2 crepes, but for the OTBN party I quadrupled the recipe. Here is the recipe.... I hope you enjoy!
HERBED CREPES WITH SMOKED SALMON AND RADISHES
Crepes - makes 2 crepes
1/3 cup whole milk (the milk MUST BE whole milk)
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tsp vegetable oil + additional for cooking the crepes
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped (dried chives may be substituted)
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped (dried dill may be substituted)
Filling
1 oz = (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) cream cheese (room temperature/softened)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
1/4 tsp pepper
1 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 medium radishes, cut into matchsticks
1. Stir together the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Place 1 crepe, browned side up (browned side is usually the 2nd side cooked, first side cooked is usually the presentable side), on a work surface and spread with 1/2 of the cheese mixture (if you have doubled, tripled or quadrupled this recipe, use enough of the cheese mixture to cover crepe).
3. Arrange salmon in an even layer over bottom half of the crepe (side nearest you)
4. Scatter radish over salmon.
5. Beginning at the bottom, tightly roll up crepe, then cut into 4 pieces, trimming ends if desired.
The second crepe recipe I tried for the OTBN Party was Smoked Chicken with Sundried Tomato Crepes. I found this recipe in my good ole "Professional Cooking" textbook from culinary school. I'm not a salmon or dill fan, so this was my favorite of the two recipes, but the party guests loved them both. The recipe calls for smoked chicken, but I am sure you could use canned chicken breast if you prefer. I used a roasted savory chicken from Kroger, which made this much more simple in preparing. I just shredded the meat from the roasted chicken, easy cheesy!
Crepes - makes 36 crepes
8 oz flour
1 tsp salt
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 oz butter, browned (melt butter in a saucepan until it starts to turn brown, remove from heat and let cool... it will brown slightly more as it cools.
oil for cooking crepes
Whisk flour, salt and eggs together. Gradually mix in the milk to make a smooth batter. Strain batter thru a fine sieve and whisk in browned butter. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat nonstick pan to moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, brush with oil. Holding the skillet off heat, pour in 2-3 tbsp of batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. Return skillet to heat and cook until crepe is just set and pale golden around edges, 10-15 seconds. Loosen edge with plastic scraper and flip crepe carefully with fingertips. Cook until underside is done, about 20 seconds more.
Sun Dried Tomato Mayonnaise
6.5 oz jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
3 1/2 oz oil from the sun dried tomatoes
1 oz sun dried tomatoes
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Place the sun dried tomato oil and sun dried tomatoes in blender. Blend until smooth. Strain through fine sieve. In stainless steel bowl, whip together the egg yolk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Gradually add the flavored oil in a steady stream, whipping to a stiff mayonnaise.
Filling
7 oz chicken breast, shredded or coarsely chopped
2 oz sun dried tomato, coarsely chopped
1 oz basil, chopped
Place a crepe browned side up on work surface. Spread a layer of sun dried tomato mayonnaise over crepe. On bottom half of crepe (side nearest you) place a layer of chicken on mayonnaise, then sprinkle with the chopped sun dried tomato and basil. Tightly roll crepe. Cut crepe into 4 pieces, trimming ends if desired.
Both of these crepe recipes can be used on a luncheon menu by placing each rolled up crepe on a bed of lettuce and served whole. The reason it is important to let the crepe batter rest for 30 minutes, is to allow the flour to absorb the liquids and create a smooth, lump free batter. The crepes used in the sun dried tomato recipe can be used for dessert and can be wrapped tightly and frozen. Or they can be used for any other filling because it is a plain, unflavored crepe. The fillings can be sweet or savory and the possibilities are endless. Also, if you become quite practiced and brave, you can flip these crepes instead of turning them with your fingertips. I find even when flipping them, I need to help them level out using my fingertips, but I think it is lots of fun to flip them.... especially if anyone is watching! As Julia Child says..... when flipping food in a pan, be confident, wait for the batter to set before flipping and then.... in a scooping motion, extend your arm straight out in front of you and then quickly jerk your arm/pan back towards yourself. It takes a bit of practice, but is easily mastered. You can always take a piece of sandwich bread and place it in a small skillet and practice flipping the bread before you move on to cooking batter.
Good Luck with crepe making and flipping and I hope you enjoy these delish nibbles.
The first recipe I tried was "Herbed Crepes with Smoked Salmon and Radishes". This a recipe I found in an old "Gourmet" magazine that was lying around the dentist office. Since the magazine was over a year old..... I ever so slying.... ripped it out and stuck it in my purse. This is not something I normally do..... but.... it was my turn to go into the dentist chair and I didn't have time to jot the recipe down..... and had it been a recent copy of the magazine, I would have gone out and bought it.... but seeing that it was over a year old.... I didn't think anyone would be too upset with the missing page. That is my story and I'm sticking to it! LOL : ) I think you might be happy I snatched it and gave it a try tho!
You will first need to make the crepes before you make the filling because they need to cool completely, but you can make both the crepes and the filling ahead of time and refrigerate until assembly, which should be right before serving. I suggest making a standard crepe recipe and practicing with one batch before making the crepe recipe you need for the appetizers. Crepe making is actually very easy with a couple of practice crepes.... they are like pancakes.... even for well trained Chefs, the first ones rarely ever turn out properly and it takes a crepe or two to fine tune the level of heat under your pan.... a non-stick pan is preferred... but using a stainless steel pan with clarified butter will work too.... stainless steel pans just tend to be a bit more temperamental and require closer attention than the non-stick pans do.
After trimming off the ends of each filled crepe, I cut them into 4ths.... appetizer/hors d'vours size. This recipe only makes 2 crepes, but for the OTBN party I quadrupled the recipe. Here is the recipe.... I hope you enjoy!
HERBED CREPES WITH SMOKED SALMON AND RADISHES
Crepes - makes 2 crepes
1/3 cup whole milk (the milk MUST BE whole milk)
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tsp vegetable oil + additional for cooking the crepes
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped (dried chives may be substituted)
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped (dried dill may be substituted)
1. Blend the milk, flour, egg and 2 tsp vegetable oil in a blender until smooth. Add chives and dill and pulse 1 or 2 times to just combine. chill batter, covered for 30 minutes.
2. Stir batter to redistribute herbs. Lightly brush a 10" nonstick skillet with oil, then heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
3. Holding skillet off heat, pour in 1/4 cup batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom.
4. Return skillet to heat and cook until crepe is just set and pale golden around edges, 10-15 seconds.
5. Loosen edge of crepe with a plastic scraper, then flip crepe over carefully with your fingertips. Cook until underside is set, about 20 seconds more. Repeat for other crepes.
Filling
1 oz = (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) cream cheese (room temperature/softened)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
1/4 tsp pepper
1 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 medium radishes, cut into matchsticks
1. Stir together the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Place 1 crepe, browned side up (browned side is usually the 2nd side cooked, first side cooked is usually the presentable side), on a work surface and spread with 1/2 of the cheese mixture (if you have doubled, tripled or quadrupled this recipe, use enough of the cheese mixture to cover crepe).
3. Arrange salmon in an even layer over bottom half of the crepe (side nearest you)
4. Scatter radish over salmon.
5. Beginning at the bottom, tightly roll up crepe, then cut into 4 pieces, trimming ends if desired.
The second crepe recipe I tried for the OTBN Party was Smoked Chicken with Sundried Tomato Crepes. I found this recipe in my good ole "Professional Cooking" textbook from culinary school. I'm not a salmon or dill fan, so this was my favorite of the two recipes, but the party guests loved them both. The recipe calls for smoked chicken, but I am sure you could use canned chicken breast if you prefer. I used a roasted savory chicken from Kroger, which made this much more simple in preparing. I just shredded the meat from the roasted chicken, easy cheesy!
Crepes - makes 36 crepes
8 oz flour
1 tsp salt
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 oz butter, browned (melt butter in a saucepan until it starts to turn brown, remove from heat and let cool... it will brown slightly more as it cools.
oil for cooking crepes
Whisk flour, salt and eggs together. Gradually mix in the milk to make a smooth batter. Strain batter thru a fine sieve and whisk in browned butter. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat nonstick pan to moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, brush with oil. Holding the skillet off heat, pour in 2-3 tbsp of batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. Return skillet to heat and cook until crepe is just set and pale golden around edges, 10-15 seconds. Loosen edge with plastic scraper and flip crepe carefully with fingertips. Cook until underside is done, about 20 seconds more.
Sun Dried Tomato Mayonnaise
6.5 oz jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
3 1/2 oz oil from the sun dried tomatoes
1 oz sun dried tomatoes
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Place the sun dried tomato oil and sun dried tomatoes in blender. Blend until smooth. Strain through fine sieve. In stainless steel bowl, whip together the egg yolk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Gradually add the flavored oil in a steady stream, whipping to a stiff mayonnaise.
Filling
7 oz chicken breast, shredded or coarsely chopped
2 oz sun dried tomato, coarsely chopped
1 oz basil, chopped
Place a crepe browned side up on work surface. Spread a layer of sun dried tomato mayonnaise over crepe. On bottom half of crepe (side nearest you) place a layer of chicken on mayonnaise, then sprinkle with the chopped sun dried tomato and basil. Tightly roll crepe. Cut crepe into 4 pieces, trimming ends if desired.
Both of these crepe recipes can be used on a luncheon menu by placing each rolled up crepe on a bed of lettuce and served whole. The reason it is important to let the crepe batter rest for 30 minutes, is to allow the flour to absorb the liquids and create a smooth, lump free batter. The crepes used in the sun dried tomato recipe can be used for dessert and can be wrapped tightly and frozen. Or they can be used for any other filling because it is a plain, unflavored crepe. The fillings can be sweet or savory and the possibilities are endless. Also, if you become quite practiced and brave, you can flip these crepes instead of turning them with your fingertips. I find even when flipping them, I need to help them level out using my fingertips, but I think it is lots of fun to flip them.... especially if anyone is watching! As Julia Child says..... when flipping food in a pan, be confident, wait for the batter to set before flipping and then.... in a scooping motion, extend your arm straight out in front of you and then quickly jerk your arm/pan back towards yourself. It takes a bit of practice, but is easily mastered. You can always take a piece of sandwich bread and place it in a small skillet and practice flipping the bread before you move on to cooking batter.
Good Luck with crepe making and flipping and I hope you enjoy these delish nibbles.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
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.