Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!!

I know I haven't posted lately - I'm sure you haven't missed me, as I bet you've been busy too!


I hope you have a tremendously blessed Christmas. Christmas is a time to remember Christ’s birth and look forward to His triumphant return!  God created the world, and it was perfect…but we rebelled and there is a penalty for that.  We were separated from God.  But because God loves us SO much, He sent his son, the man Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ sinless life, death on a cross, and glorious resurrection is the key to our restoration.  “Christ died once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”  You have a choice.  You can trust in Christ and have a personal relationship with the God of the universe.  Or you can be eternally separated from God.  I pray that you choose Christ!


See you next year!


Love you all,
Erin

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Spinach Dip

So we had a little get-together tonight, and I made spinach dip.  There's NONE left - the bowl was just about LICKED clean!  So....here's the recipe.  I guess it's good.  <grin>


Spinach Dip

Makes about 1½ cups; I serve it with bread (pumpernickel or rye are always yummy) or wheat crackers.

Partial thawing of the spinach produces a cold dip that can be served without further chilling. If you don't own a microwave, the frozen spinach can be thawed at room temperature for 1½ hours then squeezed of excess liquid. The garlic must be minced or pressed before going into the food processor; otherwise the dip will contain large chunks of garlic.

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons thin-sliced scallions, white parts only, from 3 medium scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill leaves
½ cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ medium red bell pepper, diced fine (about ¼ cup)

Thaw spinach in microwave for 3 minutes at 40 percent power. (Edges should be thawed but not warm; center should be soft enough to be broken apart into icy chunks.) Squeeze partially frozen spinach of excess water.

In food processor, process spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, dill, parsley, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and stir in bell pepper; serve. (Dip can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Rolls & Garlic

All right, garlic first.  My family LOVES garlic.  Even the kids.  I love to feed it to them, because it's so good for you.  Sometimes, though, I'd like to have a little less harsh garlic flavor, so I roast it.  The problem is, roasting takes about an hour and I always forget to do it ahead of time.  Besides, who wants to start up the oven for a couple little heads of garlic?

There are two solutions for this.  First, you can roast your garlic in a crockpot.  I have a teeny one that fits two heads, but I would imagine you could follow the same process in a larger crockpot....perhaps you could just cook up a bunch of heads.  Second, you could toast them in a skillet.  I'll put both methods here.

Crockpot Roasting

Remove all the papery skins, but keep the head together.  Chop off about the top quarter of the head (you want all the cloves to have a little of their inside exposed).  Place in the middle of a piece of foil (my teeny crockpot holds two, so I do two), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Pull the corners together, pinch closed, stick in the crockpot and let cook one hour.


Skillet Toasting

Remove all the paper skins and break apart all the cloves.  Put in a skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes, shaking OFTEN.  Burnt garlic is YUCKY!!  When all the cloves are nice golden brown, remove from the pan and let cool until you need it!


I also wanted to share the recipe I use for my Thanksgiving rolls.  It's from www.urbanhomemaker.com.  They're pretty healthy (you can always adjust the recipe by using more whole wheat and increase the fiber content), and they taste yummy!  If you halve the recipe, you can use your mixer or bread machine to do the kneading for you.

For those of you that grind your own wheat, I have made this recipe successfully with all whole wheat, but my family finds them a bit heavy...so I modified.


Fantastic Whole Wheat Rolls

Halve the recipe for a small batch.

2 1/2 Cups warm water
1/2 Cup honey
1/2 Cup dry powdered milk
2 TB yeast
2 eggs
3-4 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup oil
melted butter

Combine warm water, honey, powdered milk, and yeast in mixing bowl. Allow yeast to activate.

Add eggs and 3 Cups flour (1 1/2 cups each kind). Stir until thoroughly mixed; dough will resemble cake batter. Let rest until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Add salt, oil, and remaining flour. Knead for 6-10 minutes or until dough is soft and pliable. Grease baking sheets.

Pour out onto a lightly greased surface. Pinch off 2-inch round portions, and roll out to an 8-inch rope. Tie rope in a knot. Place in rows on baking sheets, cover, and let rise until double. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter if desired, and remove to a cooling rack. Makes 2-3 dozen.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Thanksgiving!

Here we go - the beginning of the holiday season.  It is SO easy to get overwhelmed.  Stop now.  Take a breath.  These holidays are to be enjoyed.  Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks to God for His many blessings.  You have a ton - even if you don't think you have any, you do.

Now....try to make your day easy.  One way I make it easy is using Stove Top stuffing.  Yes, I know, I know.  Don't judge me.  LOL.  It takes five minutes and VOILA.  :-)  Here's the rest of my menu.

Turkey (duh)
Mashed potatoes (I do mine in a pressure cooker - it's quicker)
Gravy (I can make part of it ahead of time and add it to the pan drippings from the turkey)
Stuffing (Stove Top - lots!  It takes five minutes!)
Peas (required - Tim's request)
Green bean casserole (trying a new recipe this year - crockpot)
Rolls (making ahead of time)

My mom is bringing turnip (I LOVE turnip)

Dessert (always the biggest part of the meal!!)
Pumpkin pie (made ahead because Tim doesn't like it warm)
Pecan pie (made ahead because I can)
Pudding pie (one of the kids can make ahead of time)
Apple pie (that's a new request from Peter - he's making that!)

Cranberry sauce (from a can - DUH!)

Apple cider
Water
Milk
Coffee & tea

Wow - putting it all down shows me that I really don't have that much to do the day of....cool!!!  Just watch the parade and then the football games!!

What do you have for Thanksgiving?  What food makes it "officially" Thanksgiving for you??

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Homemade Pastrami on Rye

Okay - now before you all freak, please realize that this is SO much easier than it sounds.  


The rye bread is so easy, you're going to be surprised.  It does take some forethought, though.  The pastrami is a little more complicated, requires more time, but not much hands-on time.




Almost No-Knead Rye Bread

An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best results. Use a mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser (mild non-alcoholic lager also works). The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.

1 5/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
1 1/8 cups rye flour (7 ounces)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
teaspoons table salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (3 ounces)
1 tablespoon white vinegar

1. Whisk flours, caraway, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.

2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.


PASTRAMI
A later batch with a bit more fat
This is a LOT less specific, so just be patient with me.  The recipes call for brisket.  I wasn't so pleased with it - it was quite lean.  If that's what you're looking for in a pastrami, then that's perfect, but I was looking for something with a bit more fat.  The spices are going to be very personalized, so I suggest you follow the recipe the first time, then play with it.  This recipe and technique came from the forums at E-Gullet.
A later batch with a bit more fat

You must have saltpeter or Tender Quick (by Morton) in order to cure it.  This recipe is for a 7 lb piece of meat, so you'll have to play with the amount of spices depending on how big your piece of beef is.  The amount of Tender Quick is not up for debate.  Use the amount specified on the package.   

3lbs coarse kosher salt
2lbs peppercorns
½lbs sugar
½lbs coriander seeds
3 Tbs whole cloves
10 whole bay laurel leaves
2 Tbs saltpeter or Tender Quick amount specified on package

Grind all these spices in a coffee grinder.  Rub the meat with raw garlic, then coat with this combination of spices.   Put in a container and refrigerate for three days, turning every 12 hours.  (Mine was turned every day - who can remember every 12 hrs?? - and was in the fridge for about 5 days).  Rinse well, then soak in cold water for 3 hours, changing the water every 1/2 hour.  (Again - I think I remembered every hour, then it soaked for a day in the water because my day got away from me).  Coat with a combination of 2 parts peppercorns & 1 part coriander seeds (cracked/ground), and refrigerate overnight.  Smoke for one - five hours, or until the internal temperature is 165F (Seriously - who has a smoker? I grilled it on low!).  Stick in a container in the fridge for one day.  Steam the meat (the whole thing) for one - three hours, or until warm all the way through.  Put back in the fridge for a day.  Slice thinly, across the grain, and steam to rewarm.  Serve on your yummy rye bread.  And a beer.  <tee hee>   

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Celebrations

I love celebrations.  Doesn't matter what kind, I just like any excuse for throwing a party!  I have some tips for throwing your own celebration - and having fun at it yourself.

I firmly believe in "tradition".  Tradition is not only fun to pass down to the kids, but helps you immensely as you plan.  For instance, we have certain things that MUST be done to make birthdays "just right".  We have the "birthday chair".  It's just the chair that the child will be sitting in on their birthday, decorated with streamers and balloons..  We have streamers going from each corner of the dining room into the middle light fixture, two balloons in each corner, a home-made cake of the child's choosing, and a pinata.  I'm not EXACTLY sure how we got into the pinata thing, but I'm not allowed to omit it!  Yes, it might seem repetitive, but I always know that I need balloons, streamers, and newspapers (for the pinata).

Make lists....and try not to lose them.  The very best thing is to have a notebook for all your lists.  Just some random $0.10 notebook that you can pick up before school starts, and you're all set.  Get a big Sharpie and write CELEBRATIONS on the front and voila - a list book!!

I make lists for everything.  Who's invited, what I'll make, EXACTLY what I have to do to prepare the house, shopping lists, thank yous (with columns for "required" and "completed".  Do what works for you, but write it down.  Then you'll know when you're done and won't have a nagging feeling about what you've forgotten to do.

Finally, get as much done ahead of time as possible.  Make the day of the event fun and relaxing for everyone, including yourself.  If you'll have to plate items, get those plates and utensils out and put them where your guests can help (someone always asks to help).  If you have to scoop ice cream, do it ahead of time into little cupcake wrappers, place on a baking sheet and freeze so you just have to serve.  Making punch, but it has to be last minute?  Make sure it's all in the fridge, cold and ready to be poured.

You CAN enjoy parties.  You have to choose to not stress over what's not perfect, and enjoy your guests.  Invite people you care about, have a glass of wine, and enjoy your day!!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Oooh.....chocolate.....cookies.....or....brownies????

So I'm feeling like cookies.  I have so many good recipes, it's hard to choose which is the best.  It really depends on my mood....oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle, peanut butter, regular ol' chocolate chip, or....my whole family's favorite...."brownie" cookies.

Okay, so the REAL name is Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies



Use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to scoop the dough. Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.


2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1¼ sticks), softened
cups packed light brown sugar (10½ ounces)
½ cup granulated sugar (3½ ounces)

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

Melt chocolate in medium heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from heat.  To melt the chocolate in a microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir, then continue heating at 50 percent power for 1 more minute. If not completely melted, heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds at 50 percent power.  Beat eggs and vanilla lightly with fork, sprinkle coffee powder over to dissolve, and set aside.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add melted chocolate and chips in steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer at low speed, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overbeat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudgelike, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Leaving about 1 ½ inches between each ball, scoop dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets with 1¾-inch ice cream scoop.

Bake, reversing position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until edges of cookies have just begun to set but centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets about 10 minutes, slide parchment with cookies onto wire racks, and cool to room temperature. Cover one baking sheet with new piece of parchment paper. Scoop remaining dough onto parchment-lined sheet, bake, and cool as directed. Remove cooled cookies from parchment with wide metal spatula and serve.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Caveat to previous post

Now for a caveat to the last post.  We, as women (or maybe it's just me), have a tendency to take things just a bit too far.  Here's my example.

When we lived in Abilene, TX, I hosted and led a Bible study.  I had three kids, Tim was deployed, and I cleaned the house, led the study, and made a snack (from scratch, of course).  My goal was not to alienate people, but to welcome them into my house, with their children if needed, so they could be refreshed and have some "grown-up" time.  It turned out I was discouraging them.  One woman said something to the effect of, "I'd never host one of these - it's too much work."

All my hard work had been taken too far - and I'm glad she said something.  I started a sign-up sheet for snacks, I stopped worrying about my house being perfectly clean, and I started being more real.

I think women want to know someone who is authentic, transparent, honest, real - whatever adjective you want to use, I don't care.  We are so busy trying to show that we have it all together, that we scare people away from sharing their true selves.  I believe one of Satan's greatest tools against us is to make us think that we are the only one that struggles.  You are not.  If you think you are, you need to find SOMEONE to confide in that can encourage you.  If you can't find one, contact ME.  I am a hateful, horrible person apart from the love of Christ in me.  Just ask my friends from high school.

So here you go - I struggle.  I am a perfectionist, a control freak, prideful, and I have very high standards - that I too often rudely shove onto others.  You might think that "she does everything" - but you don't see my house, my room, my quiet time, my rude mouth to my kids.  I have learned that some things have to be let go - like my idea that I can control things.  I am learning that God's way is INFINITELY better than my way.  Do I waste time on the computer?  Yes!  Do I forget that my FIRST priority should be God?  Yes!  Am I rude to those that are the most important to me?  Yes!  I could go on and on, but I think you get it.

All this to say - yes, we need a clean house to be hospitable.  It doesn't need to be perfect....just try to keep it from being filthy and vermin-ridden.  <just kidding!>

Saturday, October 16, 2010

'Tis the Season...


....no, not for Christmas...for chili!  The weather has gotten cooler (here anyway!), football season has started (go Pats!), and it's time to pull out the more substantial meals that I use for fall and winter.


I make two kinds of chili - red and white.  The red is fine, nothing special, and I find that pretty much everyone has their favorite recipe (with or without beans).  My white chicken chili is delicious, though, and it's good for you.  There's no sour cream and you won't even miss it!  

You'll see that many of the measurements for each ingredients are a range....I like lots of garlic and lots of beans, so I use the higher amount of garlic and beans and the lower amount of broth.  Change this recipe up according to your tastes.

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 tsp cumin
3 cans northern beans
3-5 cups chicken broth
1 small can chopped green chiles
cayenne pepper to taste

Saute onions in a bit of oil; add chicken and cook until no longer pink.  Puree 1 can of northern beans and 1 cup of chicken broth (in a blender or food processor) and set aside for a minute.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the rest of the ingredients, bring up to a simmer and enjoy!  I usually put mine in a crock pot (I recommend the liners - makes clean-up SO easy!).  Serve with a salad and cornbread or cornbread crackers if you need something with it.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Two Other Facets

Wow, can't believe I've not posted in so long!  We've been gone on several little trips here and there, but it is always great to return home.  There's nothing like sleeping in your own bed!

I want to touch on two areas of hospitality that most people probably don't think a lot about - coffee and cleanliness.  How's THAT for a combination?

Seriously, now, let's think about the cleanliness part.  If your house is filthy, people do NOT want to come, and therefore you can't be hospitable.  I'm not suggesting that your house must be pristine before you invite people in, but I do think that a dirty house is repulsive to people.  You should know that I am NOT a good housekeeper at all.  My mom worked outside the house, so I was responsible for "maintenance" at my childhood home.  That meant that I did dishes and laundry on a daily basis - and that's it.  Saturdays were the big cleaning day.  My parents would blast some music on their record player (yes, we had a record player!) - usually the Eagles, Englebert Humperdink, or The Oak Ridge Boys, and we would clean all day.  Great fun, right?  Wrong.  Anyway, when I got married and had kids, I didn't know how to keep up the house.  No idea.  I remember a conversation Tim and I had about it.  He asked if I could do better at keeping the house clean (his mom stayed at home when he was young).  I asked how exactly he wanted me to do that.  He didn't know, but knew that what I was doing wasn't enough.  Now, this isn't the time to crab about how horrible my hubby was - because I knew he was right.  I had NO idea how to clean a house - how often should I dust?  Vacuum?  Mop?  How to work in cleaning cupboards?

Enter Flylady.  Even if you think you're a good housekeeper, you need to visit this site and start getting e-mails.  She breaks everything down into small pieces, gives a great deal of encouragement (which I need to have), and reminds you that your house didn't get like this in a day, it won't be fixed in a day.  She helped me to figure out a cleaning schedule (which I don't stick to religiously, but certainly helps!), and also helped keep me focused.  I'm a cleaner that would find something in one room, go to another room to put it away, find something in THAT room that needed to be done, and so on and so on.  Nothing ever seemed to get clean, because I didn't focus for more than a few minutes.

So, how does this go back to hospitality?  The most pressing example in my head is the bathroom.  Flylady encourages you to "swish and swipe" each day.  It takes all of two minutes to swish the toilet with the toilet brush and to wipe down the sinks and seat of the toilet with a rag and cleaner.  And then it's ALWAYS clean enough for company.  I have been to houses where the bathroom is repulsive.  Not just dirty, repulsive.  It takes all of two minutes to clean it...and if you do it daily, it's even less difficult to clean.  It makes me not want to return to houses like that.  And that is most CERTAINLY not giving the gift of hospitality.

Okay, enough of that yucky subject.  I still hate cleaning, but Flylady's made it manageable.

Now, onto coffee.  I hosted home group (a Bible study) in my home for several years.  I remember SO many times people would say, "you make great coffee".  What???  I could never figure it out.  I have now.  I have had several cups of "brown water" at other people's houses.  I will give you the secret to good coffee....it's really hard, so get ready to take notes....are you ready?  Okay, it's....MORE.

Yes, I said more.  One tablespoon per cup.  At least.  I've started adding a bit extra and it's even better.  For example, I normally make 6 cups every day.  So...that's six tablespoons (I've recently started doing seven - yum!).  If you have a coffee scoop, figure out how many tablespoons it is and convert.  It's really that simple.

This goes back to hospitality because quite often, we'll serve coffee to people....and if it's brown water, it's not tasty.  We want people to enjoy being at our house (cleanliness, conversation) and enjoy what they eat and drink (properly seasoned, pleasing to the palate and the eyes).

I'm off to drink MY coffee now (with a bit of hazelnut creamer).

Monday, August 30, 2010

Menu Planning and Pantry Stocking

So, this might not seem like a "hospitality" thing, but I think it fits.  Menu planning makes hospitality MUCH easier.  If you have taken the time to plan your meals for the week (or month, or even a few days), and if your pantry is stocked with some essentials, then when people pop in unexpectedly, you can quickly be prepared to feed them (even if it's not time for a meal, it's always nice to have a little snack).

Menu planning is so much easier than you might think.  Simply keep track of your favorite meals over the next few weeks.  Mine change a bit due to the weather (for example, I don't usually do hamburgers and hot dogs in the winter), but you get the idea.  Then fit them into your calendar.

Here's a typical week for me -

  • Sundays - chicken wings, popcorn, and finger foods
  • Mondays - pasta (this is obviously a very flexible day!)
  • Tuesdays - chicken 
  • Wednesdays - leftovers
  • Thursdays - pork or beef
  • Fridays - pizza
  • Saturdays - fish or whatever I feel like (Chinese, try a new recipe, etc.)
Now to the other part - pantry stocking.  There are weeks that don't have any good deals at the store, so I work from the pantry and freezer.  I buy pasta on sale, so that's always something to eat.  Canned tomatoes, canned soups, tuna fish (I like the pouches), spaghetti sauce, salsa....things like that.  I also buy meat when it's on sale - as much as I can afford, then freeze in smaller portions.  Don't forget that you will eventually EAT your pantry and freezer items, so don't buy things you and your family don't like!!

Menu planning also gets rid of the "oh CRAP, what's for dinner" at 5:30 when everyone's starting to get hungry.  And wouldn't that be great??  

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Leftovers

I don't know about you, but I get a bit frustrated with leftovers.  Either it's a tiny amount that I'm not thrilled with saving, but also don't want to waste, or I made way too much food and the family doesn't want to have to eat it every day for a week.  What to do?

We have leftover night on Wednesdays (or once a week).  It's kind of a buffet and the kids actually like being able to pick and choose.  I also do leftovers after church on Sunday.  Why should it be a day of rest for everyone but me?!?!?!

I freeze meals in portion-sized containers.  My hubby can take those to work, or I can have them on crazy nights when hubby's away and the kids just eat cereal.  :-)

I also have a couple of "refrigerator cleaning" recipes.  One is spaghetti sauce - you can add a ton of stuff to that and no one will be the wiser if you chop it up enough.  :-)  My other favorite is jambalaya.  I always have a snibble of peppers, a half an onion, some extra chicken, some chopped up tomatoes from taco night, etc., etc.

I'd love to hear what you do with YOUR leftovers!!

Now this recipe has chicken and sausage, but you can make it seafood or pork or.....let your imagination run free!!

JAMBALAYA

1/3 cup butter (I know, I know - but it's SO good - you can use oil if you prefer)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic ( I usually use 5-6)
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped (I usually don't have any - so I leave them out!)
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 1/2 cups sliced andouille sausages or 1 1/2 cups kielbasa or 1 1/2 cups smoked sausage
1 (28 ounce) cans canned diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup chicken broth ( 1/2 can)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaves
1 cup brown rice (you can use white rice, but this is a very sneaky way to add extra nutrition - you can't tell because of all the great flavors!)

Melt butter in deep skillet or saucepan.  Saute onion, pepper, celery and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until tender.  Stir in scallions, chicken and sausage.  Saute 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients except rice, then reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.  Stir in rice, cover and cook 45-60 minutes or until rice is tender.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Salsa Season!!

Usually I have my own garden, but many circumstances led to a lack of one this year.  Last year I planted 40 tomato plants and canned diced tomatoes, salsa, and froze a lot of tomato sauce.  This year, I have been buying boxes of "canning tomatoes" at the market to fill our pantry.

I found this recipe several years ago.  It's delicious!!  However, I will warn you - two years ago, I planted what were labelled jalepeno peppers.  They turned out to be habanero.  For those of you that don't know, they're MUCH hotter.  Beautiful, but HOT!  I used ONE pepper in a batch that called for a CUP of jalepeno.  It was so hot, my lips burned for a while!!  So, you can choose whatever hot pepper you want, but beware of the Scoville scale.  :-)

 8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2½  cups onions, chopped
1½ cups green peppers
1 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/3 cup sugar (optional - I NEVER use it when I have fresh tomatoes - so taste first!)
1/3 cup vinegar
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
Mix all together and bring to a slow boil for 10 minutes.  Seal in jars and cook in a hot water bath for 10 minute.  This is a medium salsa. This is also a chunky salsa, so if you want a smoother salsa cut your veggies into smaller pieces.


What is Hospitality?

Hospitality is kind of hard to define, don't you think?  It's inviting people into your house, but it's more than that.  It's making them feel welcome and loved.  So how do you do that?  I'm not sure it's the same for everyone, but here are some ideas from my experience.


  1. Don't have your house TOO clean.  Yes, for the "special" event, you want your house to be clean, but for the "everyday" invite, you don't need your house to be spotless.  It can be very intimidating for people to come over and see your perfectly clean home.  They will then think THEY can't have people over without having a perfect house.  
  2. Get as much stuff done before people arrive as you can.  If you can't spend time with your guests, they won't feel welcomed.
  3. Whatever you don't or can't get done, be sure that you allow your guests to help if they offer.  Don't get so wrapped up in doing it perfectly that you ignore the human factor.  People like to feel useful and like they're a part of the fun.
  4. Be flexible and be willing to laugh at yourself if something doesn't go quite right.  If you stress, your guests stress.
  5. Last, but not least, HAVE FUN!!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Oatmeal Scones

I used to bring these to Bible Study in WV - with my homemade jams they were a huge hit!  They can be a hit for you even if you have store-bought jam!!


1 1/2 cups rolled oats (4 1/2 ounces) or quick oats  
1/4 cup whole milk   
1/4 cup heavy cream   
1 large egg   
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)  
1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 1/4 ounces)  
2 teaspoons baking powder   
1/2 teaspoon table salt   
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 1/2-inch cubes  
1 tablespoon granulated sugar for sprinkling  

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oats evenly on baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes; cool on wire rack (honestly, I skip this part sometimes!). Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Line second baking sheet with parchment paper. When oats are cooled, measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside.

Whisk milk, cream, and egg in large measuring cup until incorporated; remove 1 tablespoon to small bowl and reserve for glazing. 

Pulse flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about four 1-second pulses. Scatter cold butter evenly over dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, twelve to fourteen 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; stir in cooled oats. Using rubber spatula, fold in liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Mix dough by hand in bowl until dough forms cohesive mass. 

Dust work surface with half of reserved oats, turn dough out onto work surface, and dust top with remaining oats. Gently pat into 7-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Using bench scraper or chef’s knife, cut dough into 8 wedges and set on parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush surfaces with reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes; cool scones on baking sheet on wire rack 5 minutes, then remove scones to cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Bagels


Do yourself a favor - make these.  It costs extra to buy hi-gluten flour.  It is WORTH it!!



Bagels
By Cooks Illustrated
Description:
SO much better than store-bought! Don't double, and don't try to mix by hand.

Ingredients:
4 cups high-gluten flour (no substitutions - King Arthur flour sells it - or try an "Amish" store)
2 teaspoons salt
 
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or powder
 
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
 
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (80 degrees)

Directions:
Mix flour, salt, and malt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Add yeast and water, mix at lowest speed until dough looks scrappy, like shreds just beginning to come together, about 4 minutes. Increase speed to low; continue mixing until dough is cohesive, smooth, and stiff, 8-10 minutes. 

Turn dough onto work surface; divide into 8 portions. Roll into smooth balls and cover with towel or plastic wrap to rest for 5 minutes.
 

Form into bagels - I just poke a hole in the middle and stretch. :-)
 

Place on cornmeal-dusted cookie sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (12-18 hours).
 

About 20 minutes before baking, remove dough rings from refrigerator. Be sure oven racks are in the middle. Heat oven to 450F. Fill large soup kettle with 3" depth of water; bring to rapid boil.
 

Working four at a time, drop dough rings into boiling water, stirring and submerging rings with slotted spoon, until very slightly puffed, 30-35 seconds. Remove rings from water; transfer to wire rack, bottom side down, to drain.
 

Transfer boiled rings, rough side down, to baking sheet lined with parchment paper or to baking stone. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp, about 14 minutes. Use tongs to transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Clam Chowder

I spent a good deal of my life in New England, so when I say clam chowder, you'd better believe it's WHITE clam chowdah I'm talking about.  Because of hubby's job, we haven't spent much of the last 15 years in New England, so I've been looking for something to take care of my cravings for chowder.  Snow's (in a can) is the ONLY acceptable substitute for homemade, but that's not available everywhere either.  So, after many years and many tweaks, here is my recipe.  It is, I will confess, amazingly delicious.  Enjoy!



Add a bunch of black pepper at the end and serve with a crusty bread and a nice salad. Yum-O!
Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, chopped finely
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 ribs celery, chopped finely
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 bottles clam juice
2 cups chicken broth
4 cans chopped clams
6 cups half-and-half (or 3 cups milk and 3 cups cream)
6 baked potatoes, peeled and diced
1-3 cups mashed potato flakes (depends how thick you want it)
Directions:
Saute the bacon over medium heat until brown and the fat is rendered. This will take a good 10 minutes, so be patient!! Drain most of the fat. Leave a bit, maybe a tablespoon. Put in the butter, add the onions and celery, and saute until tender, but not brown. Turn down the heat if they are browning. Mix cornstarch with the clam juice, add to pot. Add half-and-half and chicken broth. Add chopped clams and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL or it will break (look curdled). Add potato flakes slowly (or you’ll get clumps). Simmer very, very gently. Add plenty of pepper to taste. 

Stuffed Jalepenos

I have my very dear friend, Victoria, to thank for this little obsession I now have.  :-)  These are totally easy - halve a jalepeno, scoop out the seeds and membranes to adjust the spiciness to your specifications, stuff some cream cheese in there, wrap with a piece of bacon and bake (or grill - although I think grilling is too messy) at 450F till bacon is crispy.  I get impatient and broil after a few minutes.  :-)