Peckerwood Gravy Company

Poker Night = Man Food

2009-11-07T15:50:00.005-06:00

Tonight is Poker Night for Mr. Wii and his friends. Each guy brings something to snack on while they play Poker. Mr. Wii is quite specific about his Poker Night Man Food. There are rules. The number one rule, it cannot be messy. The guys don't want particles and drips or stickiness all over the chips and cards. It can't be too big, nor too small. The snack must be able to be classified as a Man Food. To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure what is good Poker Night Man Food, so I just follow Mr. Wii's lead. Kinda like dancing in the kitchen.

He wanted Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches. Easy enough. However, I did cut them wrong. I had cut them into sandwich halves on the diagonal. He said they were too big. Too big? Are you kidding me? I thought he was kidding me. Nope, he went and got a knife and cut them all in half again. I didn't tell him they looked like tea sandwiches. I'm not so sure he knows what a tea sandwich is. It would have been wasted humor. I laughed to myself.

The sandwiches are quite easy. All you need is a cheddar cheese of your liking, or Mr. Wii's liking. In this case it was Colby and I used two 8 ounce bricks. A 4 ounce jar of pimientos. The chopped would have been perfect, but the sliced were just fine. Mayo, of course. A pinch of salt, only if you think you need it, and a soft, white bread. Whole grains and artisnal breads are out the door. No sour dough, rye, or baguette. This sandwich requires a doughy soft, stick to your teeth kind of bread. You all know what I'm talking about, don't pretend you don't.

I grate the cheese. I heard you gasp. No, I didn't buy the already shredded stuff. Do you want to know why? Can you handle it? It's not going to be pretty. Okay....Mr. Wii says there is "mold" on the already shredded cheese. That's what he calls that white powder stuff that somebody adds to perfectly good cheese to keep it from sticking together. I call that white stuff "anti-coagulant". I warned you.

It didn't take any time at all to shred the cheese. Make sure it is nice and cold, it makes it easier to shred. Nice, creamy shreds of Colby cheese. Yum.

Next, you drain the liquid from the jar of pimientos. Save the liquid, it can be used to thin out the spread a bit, if needed. Then, add the mayo a couple of spoonfuls at a time. Just lightly stir until evenly distributed, no need to over mix. It will be pasty if you over mix. Add more mayo until the shreds are pretty much covered. Go ahead and add some of the reserved liquid to make it creamy. Give it a taste and add only a pinch of salt, if needed, and you are ready to make sandwiches.

I didn't add any additional butter or mayo to the bread slices. If we were taking these to a picnic, I would have put a thin layer of butter on each slice.....just to keep the sandwich from getting soggy. These sandwiches were going directly down the street to Poker Night at the neighbor's.

They really would have been tea sandwiches if I had buttered the bread and cut off the crust!

Vacation

2009-10-20T21:11:00.006-05:00

I have a couple of blog articles partially written. I have them on hold because they are not finished yet. What to do with tons of tomatoes and my favorite kitchen tips. Don't they sound like exciting topics????? I didn't think so. So, while I am still warm from my lovely sun tan, I shall tell you a little bit about my vacation.

Mr. Wii and I went back to our lovely little place in Mexico. The small resort is cozy and quiet and the view from the veranda is kick butt gorgeous! You already know Mr. Wii and I are veranda people. Well, so did the kind folks at the Villa Premiere. When we checked in, they asked if we had been there before. We told them it was our fourth time and that we were glad to be back. They then asked us if we would like a free upgrade to the honeymoon suite. We were stunned, to say the least. We both looked at each other like "can you freaking believe what they just said", and then we told them we would love the honeymoon suite.

/div>

A pretty hot tub on the veranda overlooking the Pacific ocean. That's what I'm talking about. Call the suite what you must. I called it sweet.

Mr. Wii couldn't wait to soak up the view. We were consumers of the best kind: sun, food, alcohol.

We met some great people from all over North America. Our "next door neighbors" were the best. On the evening of Mr. Wii's birthday, they brought over a bottle of champagne. I must tell you, our room was a zoo when they stopped by. The maid was in to turn down the bed and was telling me about Acapulco, her mom, and what it meant to be jovan. At least that's what I think the conversation was about. She didn't speak English and my Spanish was slightly better at comprehension than speaking. Jim kept asking what she was saying and I kept telling him in English. There was lots of laughter. Then, the room service guy was setting the table and asking where to put the food. During all this, our neighbors came in with birthday wishes and were telling us about their day of snorkeling. There were hugs and kisses all around...including from the maid. Only in Mexico!

We are rested and ready to resume our so called normal life. Fall is in its full glory of color and the oven is ready for a season of baking and cooking. Life is so darn good it must be shared.
Nella

Bedtime Snack at Nanna and Poppy's House

2009-10-11T13:02:00.005-05:00

It's not really a recipe, but it sure is good. Mr. Wii (Poppy) has this almost every night. He calls it a Chocolate Float. He says it is the best with Breyer's. I am not going to argue this one. I have bought other ice cream brands and he says it's not the same. I believe him.

You take the Breyer's vanilla ice cream and put small chunks in a tall glass. Then, you pour the chocolate milk over it. There you go. It's not a recipe, it's a taste thrill.

For the little girls, he chops up the ice cream and then pours the chocolate milk over it. Kind of like ice cream cereal. Or not.

Oh yeah, baby! I think we have a winner here. She likes it!

Good to the last drop. It really is that good. Enjoy.

Note: Mr. Wii took all the pictures with his iPhone.

Ribeye Steak and Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Sauce

2009-09-14T22:33:00.011-05:00

I can just hear you all.....ewwwww, Blue Cheese! Really, I understand your apprehension. Blue Cheese is one of those love/hate foods. But you must trust me on this one. I tested it on Mr. Wii and he L-O-V-E-D it. He loved it before I told him what was in it. He loved it even after I told him what was in it. He is not a big Blue Cheese fan but has been surprised a time or two with a dish containing Blue Cheese.

I found the recipe over at The Pioneer Woman. If you have never been to her site, please stop by and take a look. She does a fine job of cooking and telling stories of the goings on of ranch life. Her food is top notch and her photographs are top notchier.

This sauce was so good, we were trying to come up with other things we could put it on. And this was before we actually sat down to eat! Since we had baked potatoes with our steak, it seemed too good to be true to take a piece of potato and stir it around the sauce. Oh my heavenly gosh!!!! This sauce is going to make the person you make it for, love you even more. I'm not kidding, Mr. Wii said he loved me more for making the sauce!!!!!

Grill your steaks any way you like. Out on the grill or on a grilling pan in the kitchen. Ribeye really is the perfect steak for this sauce.

Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

1 very large yellow onion, halved and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Saute onions in 4 tablespoons butter over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in the cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in the blue cheese until melted. Serve steaks on a generous portion of sauce. Makes about 2-4 servings.

September 11, 2001

2009-09-11T09:31:00.004-05:00

There are events in life we can never forget. Some are so filled with happiness and love we are forever imprinted. Then, there are events that are so stunningly tragic we can never forget, even if we try.

I have seen enough tragedy.

Wine Review: Crios Rosé of Malbec

2009-09-08T14:21:00.006-05:00

I think my quest for the perfect Summer wine has ended. Well, ended for this Summer anyway. My all time favorite pink is Crios, Rosé of Malbec. It is under $15 and so totally good, even your staunchest red wine drinking friends will love it. This wine is strawberry and cherry goodness. A dry wine with lots and lots of flavor....almost unheard of in a pink wine. Served very cold it stood up to the T-bone steaks we grilled. And the grilled corn, and the Caprese salad, and the bread. It is also stand alone good. You can serve this flavorful, full bodied pink as a sitting on the veranda with friends sipping wine or with any food you care to dish out on a summer evening. Chicken, pork, beef, grilled veggies. I'm not kidding, it goes very well with........Summer!

This Argentinian wine is from the Susan Balbo Winery. I could not fine a website for the winery, however, lots has been written about this wine and other wines from the Susan Balbo wineries.

Enjoy!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation....in the Kitchen

2009-09-03T09:26:00.005-05:00

This summer, I helped to get a program off and running at our local community not for profit group. I am teaching a cooking class, Hands in the Kitchen. I know you are all quite surprised. Little did you know I was a woman of many talents. All kidding aside, I am teaching some of the folks who use our community food pantry. Many of these folks also use food stamps. So, I've been teaching basic cooking skills, nutrition, and coming up with easy and inexpensive recipes. Little did I know, when I started this class, that I would have so darn much fun!

Before I started classes I did lots of planning. I had this long list of recipes I was going to teach. I was going to teach seasonal cooking. I was going to teach my class how to use food pantry food items in recipes. I was going to provide nutritional information at every class. I was going to prepare and cook as if I were a Food Network chef. I was going to be a community cooking star. I......I.......I........I. It was ALL about me. Of course it was. WRONG.

I had my first class featuring my favorite slaw recipe. Before I started the class, we just sat around the table and talked about meals and food and lifestyles. I learned what was important to my students. I asked lots of questions and came to the conclusion that this class was not about me.....it was about my students. I immediately threw everything I had planned and perfected out the window. This was about serving. Man oh man was I ever humbled!

The students wanted to be "hands on". They wanted to taste and touch and use the tools. They were willing to open cans, get their hands dirty, and giggle and laugh. They wanted aprons. The first day at class, I was all important looking in my white chef apron. You see, I thought it was all about me. The students looked at me and it got quiet. They told me they wanted to wear an apron too. I felt horrible. As I was getting ready to demonstrate, they asked what they could do. Again, I thought it was all about me....showing them the way. I changed my class plan at that moment and we were all involved.

Before long, we were chopping and grating and measuring and the best part was...when I shared the immersion blender. Eyes lit up and each took a turn blending the dressing. That was the smoothest dressing I had ever seen. It was not just emulsified, I think we actually changed the molecular structure of oil and vinegar! At that moment, the cooking class took on a whole new meaning to all of us. The students were actually glad to be there and to be a part of cooking. And, I realized the class was not about me. It was about what my students needed to be taught, not what I thought they should learn. I ate humble pie as they tasted the first slaw they had ever made.

My students, yes, they are mine. We have begun to look forward to every Thursday. At the end of each class, as we are cleaning up the kitchen, I ask them what they want to do the next week. All I have to do is decide from their long list. The next week they are so excited to see which one I picked for them. Yes, I also bring aprons for everyone. I also bring a little give away for each of them. I love them and they keep coming back for more. More importantly, I am their teacher and I keep coming back for more.

P.S. They want to learn how to make gravy! Isn't that the best??????

Cabbage on the Grill

2009-08-17T11:54:00.008-05:00

Mr. Wii got a new gas grill for Father's Day. He and I are learning the fine art of grilling. So far, so good. Grilled Cabbage is one of our favorites. You can also bake these in the oven as well.

This is my secret ingredient.....Hormel does not compensate me for saying this. I am just saying, I love these bacon bits. I use them in other dishes as well. But, for now, we will just talk about the cabbage. I have never used anything but these bacon bits. If you want to use something else, go ahead. I can't see how using anything else could possibly improve this dish. Can you tell I love these little bits of goodness?

Cut your cabbage into serving size wedges. This little cabbage was so small I cut it into fourths.
Keep the core or cut the core out. I leave it in. It's up to you what you want to do. Now the good stuff, generously butter the two cut sides of the wedge. Sprinkle a few red pepper flakes onto the buttered sides.

Next, press some bacon bits onto the two sides. The very generous amount of butter holds the bacon bits and the red pepper flakes on the cabbage.

Wrap each wedge in some foil. I like to leave a "tail"......makes it easier to pick up with tongs. That way, you don't poke holes in the foil when you take them off the grill. That juicy, buttery, stuff left in the foil after the cooking is so totally yummy. Put them on the top rack in the grill on low/medium heat. Let them cook for about 45 minutes (or longer). I'm not so sure you can overcook these things.

When they come off the grill, let them sit for a bit. How long is a bit? Long enough to round up plates and drinks and napkins and salt and pepper and silver ware, and to open a bottle of wine.

Open with care, you do not want to get a steam burn. Mr. Wii does this so well. He has seen what a steam burn has done........to me!

Mr. Wii was checking to see if the cabbage was fork tender.........it was.

I love these things. We also had grilled Italian sausages and roasted potatoes, onions, and carrots. I know wine was also served. I just didn't get a picture of it. It was a light red wine. Something fruity and semi-dry. I will have to get more and do a review.

If you don't cook the cabbage on the grill, just pop the little aluminum foil packets into a 350 oven for about 45-60 minutes. Enjoy!

I Love Pizza

2009-08-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

I sometimes feel like the Cookie Monster of pizza. Pizza! I love pizza! I think I could count on two hands, the number of weeks in my life I have not had pizza. When young, it was the pepperoni pizza. As an adult, it is a bit lighter and more on the veggie side. However, sometimes, just once in a long while, I must have a hamburger and onion pizza, on thick crust, with a beer.

I was raised on pizza. In the 50's and 60's there were mom and pop pizza restaurants. No pizza chains. I remember one pizza place had a piano player and my dad had ordered dark beer. We certainly do remember odd things from our childhood! I do remember it was always good. Today, pizza is a very common meal served all over the world.

The Nephew spent some time with us when he was starting his career. One of the meals I made, which he requested often, was this pizza. Not a regular pizza, but pizza made on thick flour tortillas. I had no name for it, so he named it the Gourmet Pizza. Sounds good to me. So that's what we call this pizza.

We've had some cool days and evenings here recently. Cool enough where I actually wanted to turn on the oven. One of our Friday night favorites is The Gourmet Pizza. There really is no recipe, it's just whatever you like. I will try to give you an idea.

What you will need:

Flour tortillas. I like the ones that are thicker. Diameter size is up to you. I get the medium ones because I can fit two of them on my baking stone.
Corn Meal. To put on the baking sheet where you assemble the pizza. The tortillas slide on and off quite well. Do not try to use anything else in its place. You really must use corn meal, there is no substitution.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Brush it on the flour tortilla.
Seasonings. Any kind of Italian seasoning you like. Sprinkle it lightly over the brushed on olive oil.
Salt. A little salt sprinkled along with the seasonings is a good thing.
Toppings. This is where it gets good. I will list some of the toppings we like. You can use any combination you like. Make sure the meats are already cooked. The pizzas are not in the oven long enough to cook any meats to the safe temperature.
Meats: Italian Sausage, Hamburger, Pepperoni, Chicken, Canned Chicken
Thinly sliced veggies: tomato, purple onion, red peppers, olives, squash
Caramelized red peppers and onions
Cheeses: shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, provolone, grated parmagiano reggiano
Whatever you like on your pizza.

Bake on a baking stone, in a preheated oven, at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes. The cheese should be golden and the edges of the tortilla should be browned.

I have not tried to bake the pizza on a baking sheet. If anyone out there has, please let me know how it turned out. I love my baking stone. It looks kind of yucky after years of use, but it works just great.

My wine suggestions to go with this light pizza:

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio

Dry to Semi-Dry Rosé
Any of the somewhat sweet White Zinfandel, White Merlot, etc.

Enjoy.

Family dinners, it's not just about the food.

2009-07-18T10:16:00.003-05:00

I'm thinking there are not enough family dinners going on. You know, the ones where the prefed little kids are under the table re-tying shoelaces or begging for bites. The ones where family stories re-surface. Where grandpa is taking a head bobbing snooze in the recliner and the kids are laughing. The ones where the food flops of dinners past are re-hashed. Yes, the family dinner. And I am including our family of friends as well in this family dinner thing.

I do believe I am hearing moaning from most of my readers. Cowboy up and read the rest of this.

Family dinners have long gotten a bad rap. You know the ones, you've seen the pictures: everyone leaning in toward the center of the table, ties dragging in the gravy, arms around girlfriends and boyfriends, center pieces of unlit candles and plastic flowers, bowls of steaming carbohydrates, and always, somebody missing because they were in the bathroom.

The dinners where your presence was more required than desired. They were always held on a Sunday, right after church, whether you went to church or not. The only legal excuse for missing the dinner was death. Heaven forbid you should ever miss one! Those family dinners are a thing of the past.

Today, the family dinner should be a time to catch up on the goings on of life. Pass the Chardonnay David, we're having a dinner. It is a time where we are finding out who is doing what.....and with whom! We need to hear about school, work, health, vacations, and kid stories. It is how we connect to each other. They should be held on random days as well as on all holidays. Simple as a potluck or very special at a new restaurant. We all need to have more family dinners.

I'm at the point in my life where my attendance to funerals has outnumbered my attendance to weddings. It sucks, but it comes with the territory of having more "ground time" (time here on Earth). This is what I know: most people talked about the last time they saw the deceased. Many more times, than not, it was so long ago nobody could remember when they actually did see the deceased for the last time. And we are talking close friends and family here!!! Shame on us.

I say, let's have more family dinners. Wait a minute....do I hear you saying it's hard to get everyone together? Who said EVERYONE had to be there? Read this very slowly:

Having family dinners often and at different homes throughout the year pretty much increases the odds that all family members will get see each other more than once during the year for dinner. Maybe it is one or two members or maybe it's the whole fam damily.

How hard can this be? Wait a minute...do I hear you saying you can't cook for that many people? Who said YOU had to cook everything? Read this very slowly:

It is all together fitting and proper to ask anyone attending your family dinner to bring a covered dish.

Some don't cook? Have them bring rolls, bread, chips, drinks, or paper plates. Is that Broccoli Surprise, your Uncle Pete makes, your all time favorite dish? Then ask him to bring it. I think you know where I am going with this. It's not that hard.

Our family and family of friends are those who enrich us. They give us a glimpse of where we have been, where we are going, and who we are at this moment in time. They are funny, irreverent, grumpy, naughty, and they are ours!

Some family members are quiet, revelling in the sounds that only a family dinner can make. They sit back and take it all in. Some family members are boisterous. Bouncing around and keeping a smile on our faces. Making us remember a time when we were boisterous as well. There is shared laughter, tears, and wisdom. Quite often all at the same time. That's what I'm talking about, a family dinner.

Have a family dinner. Start something good in your family. Get the members together you haven't seen since leg warmers and stretch pants were in style. And, remember this last important thing:

If you can't attend a family dinner, know for a fact, you will be talked about. It's only fair.

Go have a dinner! Nella

Summer Vacation

2009-06-19T13:06:00.011-05:00

It's not that I have stopped cooking. Like that would ever happen. It's just I've had other stuff going on. Grand kids needing French Toast, popsicles, sleep overs, and fried potatoes. Their mom needing some laundry done and a little respite. Parents to check in on, family dinners, family visits, and the planning of cooking classes in our community for the food pantry recipients.

Mother's Day, Weddings, Graduations, Birthdays, Father's Day, 4th of July, and a death in the neighborhood.

A niece is planning a life change by moving to the Midwest from the West Coast. Yes, she will be suffering culture shock. Auntie will help get her through it. I did the very same thing thirty eight years ago when I moved to the Midwest from the West Coast. Never to live any where else. The Midwest is the best of all worlds. Life goes on.

I will not forget the blog during the summer, because it is a way in which I communicate with friends and family across the country. I just will be not writing so much during the Summer.

So, here is some info for the niece I'd like to pass on. A few thoughts to keep in mind about the Midwest:

Nella's Top Ten of the Midwest

10. Even though we are geographically far from any ocean, we have the best sunsets I have ever seen. (and I've seen sunsets from all over the world)

9. Kansas City barbecue is quite possibly the best in the world.

8. We have have every kind of weather. That's all I'm saying.

7. Life can be slower paced and the freeway can be fast.

6. Our food choices reflect the world. The center of the melting pot of the United States.

5. Real estate is moving slow, but moving....house values have declined, but much less than the rest of the country.

4. Great culture of art, music, theater, and professional sports.

3. Great hunting and fishing, hiking, camping, boating, and biking.

2. Travel to either coast can be found affordable and can be done in good time.

and......

1. Prime time is an hour earlier and the news comes on at 10 o'clock.

All kidding aside, I do love the Kansas City area.

Home may mean Nevada, but I'm all about the home on the range. Nella

A Wine Review: Alice White 2007 Red Lexia

2009-05-14T13:50:00.007-05:00

I picked up this bottle of wine on a whim. It was under ten dollars and it looked like a great summer veranda wine. Sometimes I find a great wine doing this. Sometimes I find a great wine for somebody else. This wine is definitely for somebody else. Surprisingly sweet. It was my own fault...I didn't read the label. However, that being said, somebody may just love this wine! I will do my best to describe it.

Rule #1

Read the label. The label tells it all. It will tell you what kind of grape or what varieties of grapes were used. It will give you an idea of the flavors. It will tell you where the wine was made.

If I had read the label in its entirety, I would have seen the word Muscat. To all my loyal readers who are relatively new to wines, a Muscat grape means a sweet wine. Enough said.

This was not a bad wine, don't get me wrong. It was just not what I was expecting. It was one of those "Whoa! That sure is sweet!" when expecting a fruity, dry (not sweet) wine. My bad. I decided right then and there that this was going be an unbiased wine review. Here goes.

This beautifully bright Australian wine would be great if you were making a wine cooler, a champagne cocktail, a wine punch, or even a hot mulled wine. It would have been just fine on its own if it were chilled to the max and you were a beginner red wine drinker. The label mentioned something about a dessert of almond cookies. I think this would make a terrific dessert wine. However, I can't say that I have ever had almond cookies for dessert. Chocolate anything, pie, cakes, fruit, and puddings, but never almond cookies.

Served cold, this wine has the flavor of a cherry Jolly Rancher candy. Served at room temperature, the finish has a musky, fruity flavor. If you enjoy a sweeter tasting wine, you will love, love, love this one. There is a place for a crisp, sweet wine. (Just not with Mr. Wii and I when serving barbecue beef sandwiches and baked beans.)

Orange Carrots and the "just because" picture

2009-05-12T15:31:00.005-05:00

This picture of my oldest grand daughter does not have anything to do with today's recipe. I just love it so very much. Mr. Wii was watching this older runt (yes, he let her play in the mud) while I was with the little runt. Their parents were trying to watch the older brother play baseball. When I saw this girl in the mud, I wanted Mr. Wii to get a picture of her. He's the one in the family with the iPhone that takes the clearest pictures I've ever seen. Every time this picture pops up on my laptop screen, I start laughing. My eyes want to tear up every time. If I put it here, I can see it even more often. It's one of those pictures that needs no caption.

I started to do this recipe for the blog back in February. Life happened and I was sidetracked. Nothing drastic or horrible...just life. Grand kids, family, art projects, and the neighborhood garage sale. Also, my computer. As I was starting to download the pictures, my hard drive maxed out. Don't you just hate that? Anyway, I had to archive about three thousand of my favorite pictures from the last three years. I am pretty sure this happens to other people. It hasn't happened to anyone I know, but then, my friends are not as attached to their laptop and camera as I am.

This recipe is pretty good. It is colorful when you need a dish to pack a punch of color. I have also discovered, much to my surprise, that a lot of guys like this. Who knew?

Here is the recipe:

Orange Carrots

6 medium sized carrots, approximatelly 1 pound; cut in about 1/2 inch slices

1 good sized orange: 1/4 cup of juice and 1 teaspoon of zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons of butter or margerine (I prefer the butter)

Zest the orange first. I use what zest I need, then put the rest in a baggie and put it in the freezer for future use.

Juice the orange. If there is any juice left from what you use in the recipe, drink it. I love fresh squeezed orange juice. See the juicer and the measuring cup? I found those at a flea market and just love them. My mom and my grandma both had stuff like that.

Put all of the ingredients into a skillet and bring to a boil on medium high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat down and let it simmer until tender.

It will take about twenty minutes. If the carrots need more cooking time, put a lid on the pan and simmer until they are as done as you like.

I like my carrots cooked rather soft. That way, more of the buttery, sugary goodness gets cooked in.

They really are orange carrots! Enjoy.

Easter eggs, the girl way

2009-04-13T12:21:00.007-05:00

This is the first time, in a good many years, that we did Easter eggs with just girls. One boy was at a Royals game and the other was spending time with his dad. It meant beautiful eggs with beautiful colors and textures. A girl's Easter egg. The guys made fun of my cups. They were Christmas cups. Hey, Christmas and Easter go together...they are both Jesus holidays. So there.

The guys who were present, followed the lead of the little girls. We had shimmers and glitters to apply. New crayons were a must have. I even found Easter color Sharpies. I love Sharpies! And the best of all...glitter glue. Oh yeah baby, more glitter!

Three generations of girls were now calling the shots. It was controlled, calm, and so much fun. No colors were mixed in the end. There were no camo eggs. However, my son in law, Mr. Bass, did represent when he made the football, the baseball, and the basketball eggs. We did allow the mixing of a couple of colors to get "sports ball brown". Dot also payed homage to the boys by making the annual eyeball egg. Hey, some traditions are hard to break.

We did miss the boys. The talk was how we missed the cracked eggs, how nobody was injured in the process this year, that no dye was spilled on the floor, and that the last egg was not put in every color...just to see what would happen. My fellow blogger, Rechelle, over at The Country Doctor's Wife had Easter eggs done the boy way. Check it out.

I made the obligatory potato salad and Dot made the deviled eggs. Hard boiled eggs will be eaten all week. Spring is here.

Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

2009-03-30T14:47:00.002-05:00

These are Mr. Wii's most favorite cookie. He ate so many of them at one sitting (one time a long time ago) that he gave them a different name. Colon Blows. He has pretty much said it all. In fact, family members refer to them by this name. I have no control over my family either.

This cookie is a different sort of oatmeal cookie. As you can see, there is no brown sugar nor is there any shortening. This is a crunchy, sugary cookie. I like them with no raisins and most everyone else likes them with golden raisins. Either way, give them a try.

Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

2 sticks butter or margarine (1 cup), softened to room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream the above ingredients in a mixing bowl. Sift the flour, soda, and salt together and then add to the creamed mixture along with the oats.
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats (any style of rolled oats just not the instant in the envelope kind)
small bowl with extra granulated sugar

Optional: 1 cup plumped golden raisins or chopped nuts

Mix together then add optional nuts and/or raisins. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls then roll the balls in the extra sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375° for 10-13 minutes until very lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.

You just can't have too much sugar........can you?

You really don't want to over bake these. Lightly golden brown on the edge is what you are after.

I like to sprinkle a little sugar on them right when they come out of the oven.

Aren't they yummy? I like sugar on cookies.

Enjoy.

A Wine Review: Toad Hollow, Eye of the Toad

2009-03-20T20:30:00.012-05:00

Hi everyone! I've been doing lots of things but not much real cooking and baking. Oh, I've cooked meals and baked a little. However, none of it has been blog worthy. My creativity has been consumed by painting. It's been a cold winter with a few days that teased us into thinking Spring was around the corner. I have been painting my way through the post holiday winter. I've painted three tables and a foot stool. A table for my bathroom, a heart shaped table painted with whimsical flowers and shapes for the grand daughters, a shelved table painted in geometrics for Mr. Wii and the man cave, and a little foot stool for the bathroom painted in the most fun colors in the world.

Tonight is a Friday night. We are such homebodies on Friday night. Mr. Wii has worked hard all week and I, well, I have played with grand daughters and painted all week. I made an easy chicken quesadilla for dinner. (I wanted to say dang quesadilla) Mr. Wii went to the wine garage, where we store our wines, to pick out a nice wine to go with the quesadillas. He came in with Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad, a 2007 Sonoma County Dry Pinot Noir Rosè. It was corked with a fun, yellow plastic cork. You all know my feeling about plastic corks.......I don't care! They work for me.

I've been on a Rosè kick lately. The thought of another red wine, so full bodied it makes me feel skinny, is just enough encouragement to try something new. I'm tired of tannins, over the oak, sick of the smoke. The only berries I want to taste had better have whipped cream on them. I think you get the picture.

This Rosè was outstanding. A $10 bottle of wine that was $30 good. At first sip, while cooking the quesadillas on the grill, I wanted to eat something spicy with it. Even Mr. Wii was pleasantly surprised. He got rid of his beer and replaced it with the Rosè. He is very picky about his wine. He pretty much sticks to his favorite Pinot Gris and that's about it. He will have a red if we are out with friends having a special occasion meal, but it's not his first choice. He really liked this one, as did I.

The wine stood up to the spicy quesadilla. It had a burst of fruitiness that tasted even better with a bite of quesadilla. Definitely not a stand alone Rosè. This Rosè could be the perfect side dish to spicy sausages, peppery arugula, or green chiles and tomatillos. No sugary taste to hang around and cause a conflict. Just a pure, fruity, bold wine that could have been a red in another life. It turned out to be a beautiful, dark pink, pure Rosè.

On a fun note, Mr. Wii and I had a Dove milk chocolate after dinner. Then, we each finished off the last couple of sips out of our glasses. We both looked at each other and grinned. After letting the milk chocolate melt in the mouth, we took a sip of wine. A burst of cherry hit us both at the same time, thus producing our smiles. We then finished the last of the wine....that same burst of cherry hit again. It was great! The finish tasted like a chocolate covered cherry. I think we would have kept eating chocolates and sipping wine if we had had more wine. But we didn't. We had discovered a Rosè that could stand up to chocolate. Who knew?

For information about the winery go to the Toad Hollow website. The site gives a bit of history about the winery and descriptions about its different wines. Give this wine a try. You won't be disappointed.

Toasted Coconut Shortbread Cookies

2009-02-21T13:08:00.003-06:00

It's been a great week. The weather has been mild some days and cold others. The family is doing great and I have been able to do a few of my favorite things. My dear friend, Miss Bliss, and I went over to the Greenwood Country Tea Room for lunch. For a review look over to the listings on the left side of my blog. Just click on it. We also took a trip down to the country to check on her dad. I have noticed that my friends and I all have folks to check in on. Our conversations not only include how are the kids and grand kids, but how are the folks.

I also have been able to get some furniture painting done. I buy pieces at flea markets, garage sales, and antique stores. Pieces that are beyond stripping and refinishing. Pieces that a coat or two of paint can bring them back to life. I paint in a whimsical style. Nothing too serious. I've sold some of my pieces and others have made their way into the bedrooms of the two granddaughters. One of the tables I am working on will go into my bathroom.

As I was reading food blogs this week, I noticed Smitten Kitchen had come up with another winning recipe. It was easy and I had all the ingredients on hand. I am always looking for a good cookie recipe. Something a little out of the ordinary and yet not off the wall. These cookies worked. We tried a little chocolate drizzle, but honestly, these cookies are stand alone good. They do not need the chocolate. Can you believe I said no to chocolate? Mr. Wii, my resident critic and fellow chocolate lover, even thought they were great on their own. Who am I to argue with genius?

Toasted Coconut Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are so good. Salty and sweet. Crunchy. Even those who don’t like coconut love these cookies. They don’t need chocolate drizzled on them, but you could. The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen. She adapted the recipe from Bon Appétit, April 2004.

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (see notes below)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely, then grind in a coffee grinder, food processor, or blender until coarsely ground.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in two additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together, flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill at least one hour. (Can be prepared two days ahead. Keep chilled.) Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough disc on lightly floured work surface to scant ¼ inch thickness. Using 1 3/4” to 2” diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to the baking sheet spacing one inch apart. Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut additional cookies.

Bake cookies at 325 degrees until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week. Makes about three dozen cookies.

Note:

If you use sweetened coconut, just decrease the sugar by a tablespoon or two.

This recipe doubles nicely.

The Cousin's Pulled Pork Recipe

2009-02-15T16:49:00.014-06:00

In spite of the trauma and drama involved it getting this recipe completed, it really was the best pulled pork I've ever eaten. A big thank you to The Cuz! This is definitely cookbook worthy. I took some over to Mr. Wii's parents and they loved it too. Here is the recipe:

1 5-6 pound Pork Butt (this is the shoulder and is also called Boston Shoulder)

For the dry rub:

2 Tablespoons salt

40 grinds of black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds

2 teaspoons ground mustard seed

Combine the rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub all over the pork butt. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and as long as overnight.

After the pork butt has soaked in the rub, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Unwrap the pork and place in a roasting pan. Cook 45 minutes until darkly browned and even blackening in places. (It will look like this, hopefully your pan will not break in the oven)

Next ingredients:

12 ounces of your favorite beer. Dark works well.

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

Remove from the oven. Lower the temperature in the oven to 325 degrees. Pour the beer over the top and add the chopped garlic around the pork. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil or cover twice with regular foil. Poke about ten holes all over the top of the foil. Cook the pork butt three hours until so tender that it comes away very easily from the center bone. Isn't this a nice butt?

Place the meat on a platter and pour the pan juices into a saucepan. To the pan juices add:

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Bring to a simmer until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, pull apart the pork with two forks. Remove any large pieces of fat. Pour the sauce over the pulled pork and work through until fully absorbed. I didn't use all of the sauce. Serve with buns.

This is the last picture I was able to get of the pork. Mr. Wii did the pork pulling and I went and got ready. We went over to the daughter's for Super Bowl watching. It was the best Super Bowl game I had ever watched. Too bad Arizona didn't win. That's all I'm going to say.

After thought: It took a week for my house to smell somewhat normal. In fact, I even baked a dessert with lots of cinnamon, hoping that it could mask the burned, smokey, barbeque smell that had permeated my entire house. It helped a little.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T16:05:00.000-06:00

I'm always trying to come up with ideas to introduce cooking to my grandchildren. This Valentine's Day, I decided to do something with the girls. One of them is three years old and the other is a year and a half. We needed to do something that didn't take too long and that would hold their interest. I'm thinking icing and lots of it!

I baked six heart shaped cakes in the new pan I got for Christmas from Mr. Wii's mom. I took the naked cakes over to the daughter's house and we decorated cakes for their family. All six of them.

There were four generations of Wii family girls decorating cakes. The Great Grandmother, the Grandmother, the Mom, and the Two Little Girls. We had so much fun. Lots of icing, pink and white. Lots of sprinkles, pink and white and fuschia. Decorator tips to pipe out the icing and two little girls in charge of the decorating.

Some of the cakes had to be poked and then decorated again. It's what you do when you run out of cake. You take the decorating tube, suck out the icing and then poke the cakes. We would fill the holes with icing and more sprinkles were added to the cakes. The girls could hardly wait for their two brothers to get home from school so they could all eat the cakes. Yum!

Note to self: Next time, make more cake.

Are you ready for some football? $%&! yes!

2009-02-01T11:04:00.008-06:00

I marinated a pork butt last night. Food for the big game today. Food to celebrate Arizona winning the Super Bowl. The first thing I did when I got up this morning was to go to the fridge in the garage and get my lovely piece of pork. Wrapped up in plastic wrap with all the good spicy goodness soaked in. It was ready for the oven.

It was going for the 45 minute, 500 degree pre-roast. Mr. Wii and I settled in our chairs, Sunday paper in hand, fresh coffee brewed, English muffins toasted. The Sunday morning ritual. Then, we heard this "sound". We each peeked over our paper looking at each other. Neither of us could identify the sound, so we went back to the paper. It's winter, the house creaks and snaps. We have two cats who knock things over and open closet doors. Odd noises are more the norm than the exception at this house.

About 40 minutes into the pre-roast, smoke starts billowing out of the stove. Not being a stranger to a billowing stove, I went in to check. I pulled the baking dish out and noticed something very strange...part of the baking dish was missing. My twentysomething pyrex baking dish had lost almost a quarter of itself. When the corner blew off the pan (the "sound" we heard earlier) the juices dripped to the bottom of the oven, creating yet another mess in my oven. $% &!

I shut the oven off, pulled out the racks, turned on the attic fan, turned off the furnace, opened the slider, put on a sweatshirt, and drank coffee. After the oven had cooled off, Mr. Wii and I got the oven scraped clean. We turned off the attic fan, cranked up the heat, and I proceeded on with the recipe. What really irritated me was not the broken baking dish, nor the mess. I was lamenting over the loss of the baked on goodies that give the most flavor to the sauces made from roasted meats. Those goodies are called fond and I am quite fond of fond. It could not be safely salvaged from the bottom of the dangerous pan. $%&!

The meat was transferred to a pristine seventysomething baking pan for the remainder of the cooking process. I went back to finish reading the paper. The coffee was cold, the paper was blown around the sitting room, and the house stunk. It was deja vu all over again. Sunday morning had lost its allure. $%&!

I was going to write the blog about The Cuz's recipe and show these really great pictures. I was going to tell you about the addendum to my family cookbook which would include this great recipe. I was going to have pictures of me grinding spices, applying the dry rub, and the wrapping and the preparation of the hallowed piece of meat for the oven. It ain't happening. My enthusiasm has been replaced by the vision of pork carbon, blasted by 500 degrees on the bottom of my oven. Enthusiasm replaced by the lingering smell of a burnt carcass permeating my home. My house is only five years old and it smells like an eightysomething smokehouse and barbecue joint. Not quite the image I was going for when I decorated my lovely home. May I curse again? Of course. $%&!

I wish I were playing football today. I have billowing smokes of anger ready to be unleashed on a football field. I could be the twelfth team mate for the Cardinals. Wait a minute, I'm a fiftysomething grandmother of four. I need to compose myself. I can't even take a deep breath. If I do, pork carbon will burn my nostrils. As soon as it is noon somewhere, I am going to have a martini and finish the Sunday paper. I should be about as tender and yielding, as the pork butt, in three hours.

Recipe tomorrow.

How I know my kitchen mojo is back

2009-01-22T09:19:00.005-06:00

I'm back to the blog after a self imposed moratorium. I was still making dinners and such, it's just that my heart hasn't been in it. I had a cooking class for my nephew's girl, AB. I made a couple of recipes from other bloggers, I did simple dinners for Mr. Wii and I, and we went to Tucson for a few days. The last eighteen days were not food free, I was just free from the food. No pictures, no writing, no enthusiasm. I now think the kitchen mojo is coming back and this is why.

My dear friend, Scooter Girl has been sick since Christmas. When she finally went to the doctor she found out she had pneumonia. I found out while I was in Tucson. Needless to say, she hasn't felt all that good. She is not a cook and is the first one to tell you. She bought boxes of chicken stock and beef stock thinking the broth would make her feel better. Boy was she in for a surprise! She called me and asked why it tasted so.....not good. I told her she needed just plain old bouillon stuff. Since she had the Chinese style noodle packs, I suggested she use the flavor packet in hot water. It would save her a trip to the store. What to do with the boxes of stock? Why, give them to me. Problems solved.

I decided to send food over to her. Chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, steak soup, and banana nut bread. Here is the email (names were changed to protect the not so innocent) she sent me before I even got home:

Nel,

Well, you weren't out of the driveway before I hit the banana bread! Girl, you didn't tell me you did it from scratch!!!! I don't know how many pieces I ate before I had to remind myself that I was just "sampling" before dinner!!!

Still somewhat full from banana bread at dinner time didn't deter me from heating up the chicken and mashed potatoes....you didn't warn me that those taters were from scratch, too! (I consider myself being a wild "cook" if I heat up instant mashed potatoes once a year!) So much on the "just a taste" theory of eating that too!!!

Let's just say I'm glad you didn't start feeding me until the end of my pneumonia....I would have been 2 ton Tessie if you had found me out weeks ago!!

Many thinks for the food and the laughter, dear Friend. You made my day.

love,

Scooter Girl

That's what cooking is all about...cooking for those you love, cooking what they love, and then, cooking it with love. My mojo is back.

The case of the disappearing strudel and the missing kitchen mojo

2009-01-05T18:05:00.003-06:00

Today is day three. This is all that is left of the Friday night strudel adventure. I have only eaten one piece. The two grandsons each had a piece. That's it. Mr. Wii has been true to his word, once again. He has eaten strudel three and four times a day since Friday evening.

I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight. Store bought sauce, homemade meatballs. I am taking baby steps. I really do want my kitchen mojo back.

Baking under duress or Mr. Wii and the strudel factory

2009-01-03T10:36:00.010-06:00

Okay, so Mr. Wii takes me the Mexican restaurant, again. The dent in the seat exactly matches my butt. My guys at the restaurant must have been talking to the guys over at the Chinese restaurant. Both places are seating us at the same table each and every time we show up at their eating establishments. The entire world knows I am in a slump, have cooker's block, and that I am suffering from the kitchen yips. Is nothing sacred? Must the whole world know? Word travels fast in the foodie world.

Back to my story. Mr. Wii has been wanting apple strudel. After dinner, we didn't go directly home to put on our winter lounging wear. He didn't turn down our street, he kept going straight until we ended up in the Vegas-lit parking lot of my favorite grocery store. I do believe he was toying with my food emotions. Did I want to wait in the car? Heck no, this was my territory...and he knew it. The man is shameless.

He knew we always needed a couple of things from the grocery store since there is a never ending grocery list on the counter at all times. Plus, we had another discussion, and I do use the term lightly, about the apple strudel. He was telling me again about this business trip to Minnesota or Wisconsin or some other cold state that makes great pastries and the freshly made strudel that was on the conference table and how small the pieces of strudel were. Small enough that you didn't need a fork. Bite sized, and he wondered how in the world could they make a strudel that small. Oh that man. He knew how to play me like a brand new apple peeler on the day after Christmas. First, he drove me to my favorite store, then, he threw a cooking challenge out to me. He showed me no mercy. The man is shameless.

There was no way in hell I was going to make strudel dough at seven in the evening. I also knew I was not going to get out of this one with a cold oven. Mr. Wii was winning. We picked up some puff pastry dough, apples, and vanilla wafers. I was on the road to strudelville whether I liked it or not and there was no turning back.

I'm no stranger to puff pastry but I had never made a strudel with store bought puff pastry before. It was to be the night of surprises. Mr. Wii couldn't get the grocery bags unloaded fast enough. The puff pastry was frozen and needed about forty minutes to thaw. He then got the brand new apple peeler out and began to peel apples while I fired up the oven, squeezed a lemon, melted butter, crushed vanilla wafers, measured out the dry ingredients, and made a bit of icing. We still had more thaw time.

In one corner of the sitting room he played games on his new DS and in the other corner I was catching up on my food blog reading. Actually, that sounded so much better than what I was really doing. I was really surfing the net looking for a food therapist in my neck of the woods...........for Mr. Wii!!!! Did you know there is no such thing as a food therapist? There should be, he needs one.

The dough was finally thawed...let the assembly begin. I rolled the dough as thin as I could and made two small strudels, as Mr. Wii watched closely. He was starting to show some fear. It had just occurred to him that I was baking under duress. He knew, from past cooking attempts, that when I did not cook with love, the food sucked big time. He asked me if I had any food love left to add to the strudel. I told him I really didn't know and we would just have to find out. It baked for an hour, cooled off, was iced, and then, it was ready to eat. Mr. Wii did not even get the first piece. I did. Oh my, was it ever good. It was way good. It was better than it should have been since it had been made under duress. Mr. Wii cut a piece and took his first bite. He had the look of sheer relief as he smiled, nodded, and made those "good food noises". It was a good thing.

Before we tucked in for the night, he told me he was going to have strudel with coffee in the morning, have it for a snack in the afternoon, and that he would also have a piece with a glass of milk before he went to bed tomorrow night. He said he would probably eat both strudels in a handful of days. I'll let you know exactly how long it lasted. Oh yeah, he loves me too. The man is shameless.

Since strudel dough is a dough that requires someone to show you the technique in person and I am not going to everybodys kitchen at nine o'clock at night for a round of midnight strudel, I will adapt my recipe to use the store bought puff pastry dough. I hope you enjoy this at least as much as we did.

Quick Apple Strudel

1 box of frozen puff pastry (two sheets), thawed to room temperature

some flour for rolling out the pastry

3 cups chopped apples which have been peeled

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup melted butter plus a bit more for basting the strudel

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup of your favorite icing for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove pastry dough from box and let set on a cooling rack to thaw.

In a bowl, pour lemon juice over the chopped apples and mix it to coat all the apples. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla wafers, and cinnamon. Set both bowls aside.

Roll the pastry dough out on the counter with a little flour so that it doesn't stick. Roll it out until it is about half as thick as it originally was. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

Using half of each mixture on each piece of dough do the following:

Brush the entire surface with the melted butter. Sprinkle the sugar, vanilla wafer, cinnamon mixture over the entire surface. About 2 inches from the shorter edge, arrange the apples in a row, the entire width of the pastry. Do not cover the entire surface like you did the butter and sugar mixture. You just want to have a thick row of apples. This is where you start rolling. Take the 2 inch space and flip it over the apples. Keep rolling, much like a sushi roll without the mat, until you get to the end. You will have to lift the the apple roll a bit as you roll. Tuck in the ends and lay it on a greased baking sheet in a horseshoe shape. Baste with the extra melted butter until the entire surface is basted. Bake for one hour until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before taking off the baking sheet. Drizzle with icing, serve to the hungry masses.

It's a Happy New Year and I don't want to cook for awhile

2009-01-02T15:17:00.003-06:00

I think I am burned out. I need to recharge my cooking batteries. I have baked, cleaned, cooked, burned my thumb, decorated, undecorated, gifted, been gifted, and I am just plain worn out. Currently, I have lost the desire to bake and create. Mr. Wii wants homemade strudel and I can't even muster up enough enthusiasm to tell him no. I kind of just ignored the request by changing the subject. We went to my sister-in-law's house for New Year's Day, I usually bring a food item. This year I brought champagne and orange juice. Mimosas were all I could do.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to cook sooner than later. We can't just keep going out for dinner.....or can we? We've had every daily special at our favorite little bar and grill except for the Wednesday chicken fried steak. I'm not so sure I can handle that yet. The guys at the Mexican restaurant know us by name, the Chinese restaurant always seats us at the same table, and Waffle House is starting to look good to me. Is that a bad thing?

I received a few food inspiring gifts for Christmas: a cookbook, food processor, blender, Wilton cake pan, and an apple peeler that you crank and the peel comes off in one long length. But, alas, I'm still not inspired to cook or bake. I even owe people biscotti and cinnamon rolls. I just can't get motivated.

For the time being, I am going to shift my attentions to organizing the pantry and the baking cupboards. They have taken a real beating in the last couple of months. I have furniture to paint and things to frame. I have a quilt to make for grandson number two and I also owe one to my little niece.

My kitchen mojo has been: melted, chopped, sliced, and diced, baked, fried, roasted, and sauteed, scrubbed off the floor, scraped off the counter, wiped off the walls, and burned off the oven, iced, drizzled, crumbled, and bammed. Put a fork in me, I am so done.

Let them eat cereal.

Oh baby, it's cold outside

2008-12-20T10:58:00.003-06:00

Here in the Midwest it has been cold. I mean, really cold. Some days there is the mess that goes with. Like wind, ice, black ice, snow, and our arch enemy...freezing rain. Tomorrow is supposed to be a high in the single digits. I digress.

When it is that cold, all we want to do is hunker down for the evening in sweatshirts, thick socks, and soft pajama pants. Maybe I was a bear in my former life. I really do fight the urge to hibernate in the winter.

Anyway, tomato soup is the comfort food of choice on those nights. Served with a grilled cheese sandwich and you would think mom was in the kitchen and Leave it to Beaver was on TV. This soup is a variation of a couple of recipes. I can't really claim it as my own. Give it a try.

Tomato Soup

1 carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 teaspoons, minced garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 14-15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14-15 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

In a medium saucepan, sauté onions and carrots until tender, add minced garlic and cook just a few minutes until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, pepper, and thyme. Warm thoroughly. Using an immersion blender, or the appliance of your choice, puree the entire mixture until most of the carrots are pureed. Taste to see if it may need salt. It is usually salty enough on its own. Makes 3-4 servings. May be doubled or tripled or whatever.

Note:

You may add 1/2 cup of cream, half and half, or milk to the soup after it has been pureed. Resulting in a Cream of Tomato Soup.

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, chopped parsley, or any other fresh green herb.

I like oyster crackers.