The Art of Crockpot Cooking

Last Sunday, I made French Onion soup in the crockpot, thinking I'd have it for Monday dinner as well, along with some sandwiches. Not. I did not know it was my husband's favorite soup meal. It was gone by Sunday night. So I made more today. And know better than to hope there'll be much left for tomorrow. But hey - that's okay. When you hit on a favorite, it's rewarding enough to see it disappear.

I've been trying to master the art of crockpot cooking. Easier said than done when I leave by 7:30 am and neither of us is rarely home before 6:00 pm. So . . .

• I bought a new crockpot, the kind with the removable crock (after 18 years with my old one, I figured I could splurge on a new one!)
  
• And because the models with the built-in timer are entirely too big for the two of us, I bought a $10 appliance timer from the hardware store, the kind you can use to turn your lights on when you're away from home. I set it to start around 9:00 am and shut off around 5:30 pm.
  
• I also started browning and cutting up ingredients the night before and putting them in the crockpot in the fridge overnight. I set the cold crock into the heating unit in the morning and add any liquid ingredients at that time.

Obviously recipes with the longest cooking times, and without rice, noodles or cream bases work the best. I'm constantly on the lookout for good recipes to try. We both seem to prefer soups and stews right now so if you have some suggestions, I'm open!

Oh, and here's the French Onion soup recipe. I prefer to top the soup with croutons and cheese shavings, as opposed to toasting French bread and topping it with messy slabs of mozzarella. Less complicated and messy - does anyone really enjoy eating soup with cheese hanging out of their mouth? Does the lack of French bread make this un-French onion soup? I think not!

Ingredients:
6 large onions (I've been using 3 large Vidalia or Mayan onions, much better flavor)
1 stick butter
6 cans beef broth
2-3 bay leaves
2-3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Croutons (use the best you can find, I like the Rothsberry Farms brand best)
Fontinella cheese, shaved (can also use Parmesan or other hard cheeses)

Saute onions in butter until tender and sweet. (I've been doing this step on Saturday night and putting it together on Sunday morning). Add onions, broth, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce to crockpot and cook on low for 5-7 hours. Serve with croutons topped with cheese shavings. Enjoy!

Shut Up and Eat It!

For me, blogging is like making soup. It's important to get the right flavors together . . . and give them time to marry. You can't rush good soup. And I can't just toss out a post until it's "soup."

I haven't felt like blogging much in the past few days. But I did feel like making soup today. (And usually when I'm cooking is when the posts come together - go figure!) So I thought I'd make some Manhattan clam chowder. Mmm. I sauteed the vegetables in some butter, added some wine and transferred that all to my crockpot, since I need my stove to start the stuffing for Thanksgiving.

I couldn't find my usual cans of chopped clams at the store and minced clams just don't do anything for me - I don't like having to guess if there really are clams in my chowder or merely the flavor of one! Never one to downgrade, I opted for the "fancy select baby clams." Opened them up and dumped them in the saucepan to saute for a bit - ugh!

Now I am not a squeamish person. Not really. I am the chief bug and spider killer in our house and I don't faint at the sight of blood. But I have always had this thing about ocean life. It freaks me out. Yet there in my saucepan were these whole little creatures that used to be alive! Fancy, my foot! I'm certain they belong in an aquarium somewhere - not in my soup!

Now what do I do? Literally, I thought about dumping them and running to another store to get my chopped clams. But I can't waste money like that, and besides - there's that stuffing to tend to!

So I said to myself, "Shut up and eat it!" And I will, when it's soup (or chowder, or mass murder of tiny little mollusks - whatever you want to call it!) And next time I'll remember, bigger is certainly not always better!

And see . . . I told you I can always cook up a post when I'm making soup!

Nothing But Chocolate!

That's all I got - 2 chocolate recipes! Plenty of other posts "in the oven," so to speak. But God and I have this little agreement that nothing gets posted until he says it's "done."

Anyways, sometimes you just need chocolate. Me - I've never really been a chocolate person. I can pass on Reese's cups, M&M's and the like. A box of Valentine candy lasts me two months and that's the 8oz size. Just not a fan of milk chocolate. When I want chocolate, I want it dark and rich. And you only need a little of the good stuff. Give me a piece of Dove dark in the middle of a bad day at work and . . . okay, I admit, I have a piece almost every day -it's my antioxidant! Anyways here are 2 Seriously Good Chocolate recipes:

Starbuck's Chocolate Cinnamon Bread

Chocolate Batter
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups Dutch-processed cocoa (I used Hershey's Special Dark, of course!)
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon Dutch-processed
cocoa powder
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
¼ cup decorating or sparkle sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Make the Chocolate Batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
Meanwhile in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to butter, beginning and ending with the flour and beating just until blended. Divide the batter between the two pans, shake the pans to even the tops and set aside.

Make the Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust: In another small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, ginger and cloves. Sprinkle the surfaces of both batters with the decorating sugar. Sprinkle with the cocoa sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely, run a thin knife around the sides to release the breads and remove from pans. From the kitchen of Marcus Samuelsson

Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 t. baking soda
2/3 cup butter, melted. (1 stick plus 2-2/3 T)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1-1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (I sometimes use 1/2 peanut butter chips)

In large bowl, combine cocoa and baking soda; blend in 1/3 cup melted butter. Add boiling water; stir until well-blended. stir in sugar, eggs and remaining butter. Add flour, vanilla and salt. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from side of pan (do not overbake). Cool and cut into squares.

There's a New Scone in Town! Tomatoes Too!

I went to the local bagel place today, part of a chain of places that offers among other things, free internet wireless and these delicious scones made with ham and cheese. I was in line to buy a few bagels for my husband and a scone for myself when it occurred to me: I could make 8 of these for less than the cost of one! About an hour later, this was the result (the recipe makes eight - I shared!):


All I did was modify this recipe for scones, posted here below with modifications:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup diced ham
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 1 T parsley
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and parsley. Quarter butter lengthwise, then into 1/4 inch slices. Work into flour mixture with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir ham and cheese into flour mixture.
   
3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. They are just as good the next day, if they last that long!

While I'm at it, might as well mention that this idea for roasted tomatoes is out of this world! I made two trays Wednesday night and two more on Thursday night. I also made the sauce Lisa recommends and it is to die for! It's worth the little bit of effort it takes. Each tray makes about a freezer bag worth, and I used half of one bag to make some of the sauce, which yielded about two cups. I took some to work yesterday, with some plain pita chips, fresh mozzarella cheese and roasted red peppers. We killed it! I like how Lisa put it: I'm just saying!

Bringer of Scones

I'm on a scone kick right now. I've been making this recipe over the past several weeks and it's just too good not to share. Not only are they light and tasty, they're quick to make. Perfect for when unexpected guests drop by! The other day I started a batch at 7:00 am and was in my car, on my way to work by 7:40 am, warm scones snuggled under a tea towel in a basket, waiting to be shared with my coworkers.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar plus a little extra for the tops (I use raw sugar for the tops)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp. grated orange peel (if desired)
  
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cherries, etc.)
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking pan with parchment paper.
   
2. Soak fruit in hot water. Set aside.
   
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Quarter butter lengthwise, then into 1/4 inch slices. Work into flour mixture with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drain water off fruit and pat dry with a paper towel. Stir into flour mixture.
   
4. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
5. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
6. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
7. Give some away before you eat the whole batch!

And now I'm headed out to my back porch to enjoy one (or two) with a cup of coffee. Mmm . . . Saturday mornings don't get any better than this!

Tea for Two

Today I experienced a little taste of heaven, I'm certain. I instant-messaged my friend and asked what the chances were of us sneaking away from our work and eating lunch like regular human beings. Usually we eat at our desks, slopping soup all over ourselves and our work, or sometimes it's just too late before it occurs to us that noise we're hearing is our stomachs, begging to be fed. We both agreed we needed a break. I thought we'd grab something at the local grocery hot food line and scarf it down in their cafe. But she suggested a place she had seen down the road.

We walked into Sister's Special Teas and absolutely gasped with delight! The owners have succeeded in creating a spot reminscent of grandma's kitchen. An array of old-fashioned metal-top tables awaited our choosing, and the friendliest of servers greeted us as though he'd been waiting just for us. It was so charming I think we both just felt like giggling! We decided to share the special of the day, a roast beef panini-type sandwich on marbled rye with a hummus-blue cheese-horseradish spread. Sounds odd but believe me, it was to die for! We also shared a birds-nest croissant, a quiche-type dish that appealed to my breakfast-loving friend, which was served with an apple cranberry salad (think Waldorf salad with just a very light dressing). Are you hungry yet? Our beverages were served in real glasses (okay, we opted for water over tea!) and the meals on cut glass tea plates.

Between "mmms" and "aaahs", we chatted about things like an easy way to make meatballs and how we wished we'd taken more time to write down some of our grandmas' special recipes. We drooled a bit over the dessert case, and settled for a scone and nuthorn cookie to go. We left much fuller than we came, and certainly refreshed in spirit. We both agreed this is going to be our little secret (well, at least we don't plan to share with any coworkers)!

I honestly don't know what was the best part: getting away from work, the wonderful meal and charming atmosphere, or just some time spent with a good friend. Possibly the combination of all three. I apologize for sharing a secret most of you will never be able to visit, but if you can't, I hope you'll be encouraged to seek out such a place, or better yet - create such a space for yourself and someone you cherish. Those of you real-life friends who read this blog, you can bet I have a new spot to share with you!

Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup

I got a hankering for this the other day to go with some homemade bread (yes, the bread machine is back in business)! I tossed the ingredients together in about 5 minutes.

3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 can water
1 can great Northern beans, undrained
1/2 tsp white pepper (black will work)
1 lg. bay leaf
2 cups diced ham

Put ingredients in slow cooker on High for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Enjoy!

That Little Whippersnapper and Other Musings

Ever since I was a little girl, my dad promised a quarter or fifty-cents to the first one to see a robin in the spring. Even as an adult, I've still been quick to cash in on that challenge. Well, this year he extended the challenge to my niece and nephews ,and didn't my 9 year old niece B call him already to let him know she'd spotted a robin! The little whippersnapper!

I don't know if there's a runner-up prize or not, but I'm still looking for that robin! Heck, I'm on the lookout for any sign of spring! But today it looks pretty far away - we're under a "freezing rain" alert in my city today. Don't know if I will still be shopping and visiting with my sister as planned.

Speaking of weather alerts on the news, do you ever wonder why they call it "news"? I mean, when you have to hear it five or six times, is it really new? I've seen the same lady now three times saying she hopes the new casinos in our area pay off!

I spent last evening with my parents and some house guests of theirs. They're visiting from Spain and very eager to learn and improve their English. Among other things, we discussed the custom of engagement. In Spain, there's no such thing. The churches have a waiting list for people to get married. Once a couple decides to get married, they head for the church and get their name on the list! I couldn't imagine marriage without several months to prepare; they couldn't fathom the whole engagement ring and waiting period!

They also found it amusing that our cat is diabetic and needs shots several times a day! I guess that is kind of bizarre but I don't find it amusing! She's seventeen years old. I mean, she's a nice enough cat (when she's not hissing at my dog), but how many lives does she get?!

One last thing, and I promise I'm working on a real post soon. Yesterday I made some awesome vegetable soup. Neither Mike nor I really care for beef in our vegetable soup, so this is truly vegetable soup. Here's the recipe in a nutshell, but understand, I really don't measure when making this!

1 large onion, chopped
4-6 stalks celery, chopped
6-7 carrots, peeled and diced
1-2 turnips, peeled and diced
4 cans vegetable broth
1 large & 1 reg. can of stewed tomatoes (or whole tomatoes - you can crush them yourself)
1 large can V-8 juice (I try to use low sodium if I have it)
1/2 - 3/4 cup cooking wine
2 cups savoy cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 cup baby spinach
dried basil, pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, saute onion, celery, carrots and turnips in about 2T olive oil until the onions and celery are tender. Slowly add the broth, tomatoes, V-8 and cooking wine. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat and add cabbage and spinach leaves. Season to taste. Simmer for at least an hour. Enjoy!

This goes really great with homemade bread, unless you've lost the kneading blade for your bread machine!!!

If I Were a Bread Machine Kneading Blade . . .

Where would I be?

The thought crossed my mind as I searched frantically for this little part today, that Jesus cares for me with the same intensity when I lose my way. Not that he misplaces me or loses track of me. I manage to get lost on my own.

Well, anyways, the thought was comforting, but I never did find that darn part. So I ordered a new one. I can't live without my breadmaker, although I don't use it nearly as much as I'd like to!

So in lieu of baking bread, I opted to make some oatmeal raisin cookies. I wanted to have something yummy on hand in case my husband brought his six year old nephew by after an afternoon of sledding.

I tried a new recipe I found on Allrecipes.com and I'm pretty happy with the way these ones turned out. I made them with a medium scoop (gotta use a scoop if you want perfect cookies) so they're a nice size. Next time I'll put more nuts in, more coarsely chopped. These would be great with dried cranberries too. I think the ticket was soaking the raisins in hot water with the vanilla before adding them to the batter. The recipe doesn't call for that but I saw it noted in several other recipes, and it does seem to make a difference. And I always use old-fashioned oats. Mine turned out better looking than the picture on Allrecipes, I think. In fact, they're pretty similar to the giant one I had at Starbucks earlier this week! (shhh!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Make sure you get some, because they don't last long!

Slow Cooker Thursday: Lazy Potato Soup

This is one of my favorite things to make in the crockpot. It's something I threw together in a pinch once and voila! He (dear hubby) liked it!

Scrub 4-6 large potatoes. Leave the peels on unless you really hate them! Cut potatoes into 1-1/2 in. cubes. Put in crockpot along with 1 large onion, quartered, 2-3 cans of chicken broth, and some smoked sausage (Eckrich or Hillshire farms), cut into 1" chunks. Add a bit of dill weed, salt and pepper. Heat on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Mash potatoes slightly, trying not to mash the sausage but don't worry if it happens. Add 1/2 to a cup of half & half. That's it! The amount of ingredients can be adjusted to the size of your crockpot or the needs of your family. The goal is to have the potatoes and sausage just covered by the broth, not swimming in it. This will ensure a nice consistency.

Enjoy!

Craving Red Meat

So about four times a year I really, really want a piece of red meat. Steak, lamb, veal . . . today I had a hankering for pot roast. Good succulent, melt-in-your-mouth, falling apart, tender pot roast. Now my husband hates red meat. In fact, it's safe to say if he has to chew it - he hates it. His tastes run towards pasta and ground meat dishes. Your basic soups and sandwiches easily satisfy him. Heck, he loves hospital cafeteria food. So pot roast is very low on his toleration list. I think I've made it about four times in the ten years we've been married. THAT probably factored into the results tonight.

I got home from the store with that precious piece of promised to be tender chuck roast. In my hurry to start the feast, I totally forgot to sear the meat. And it was just the biggest piece of shoe leather you ever tasted. I wouldn't even let my husband near it, for fear he'd never try it again . . . not even when I finally make that knock-your-socks off roast. I called my sister and she confirmed - there's no hurrying pot roast. Gotta cook it in the crock pot or three hours on the stove top.

So that's the story of my red meat craving. Now what should I do about this chocolate craving?

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I just tried this a few months ago and it is awesome. It's become my new favorite soup! IMO, you can't beat Allrecipes.com when you're looking for a certain recipe. I love Q'doba's tortilla soup and have been looking for something similar to make at home. I think I found it. The only thing I did differently is add 1/2 small can of tomato paste. Keeping diced cooked chicken breast in the freezer makes this a snap to throw together. You might like to kick the heat up a notch; my husband prefers it mild. We topped ours with shredded cheese and tortilla chips instead of tortilla strips.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken (make sure you shred the chicken breast!)
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 7 corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

P.S. This is a great "take and make" recipe if you need to take something to work.

A Blaahgy Tour of My Yet to be Christmas House

While everyone else in the blogosphere is touring Boo Mama's Bloggy Tour of Chrismas homes today, I'm just waking up to the fact that Christmas is indeed almost here. Ten days to be more or less exact, depending on when you happen to read this post. Ten days. And no tree up here yet. A few Christmas decorations out. And a few - just a few - cookies baked.

I started off with my favs this year. Giant Ginger Cookies and Shortbread. I've found two recipes that are in my opinion equal to or better than the same offerings by Starbucks, and much cheaper, ha! Here's the link to the Shortbread cookie recipe. I roll the dough into 2 logs, roll in raw sugar, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. Then I slice and bake - make sure you let them get a little brown around the bottom edge. Mmmm!

And here's the recipe for the Ginger Cookies.

4-1/2 cups flour
4 t. ginger
2 t. baking soda
1-1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
1-1/2 c. shortening (I use butter-flavored Crisco)
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
3/4 c. coarse or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, stir together first 6 ingredients. In another large bowl, beat shortening for 30 seconds. Add 2 cups granulated sugar and beat until combined. Beat in eggs and molasses. Add flour mixture gradually. Using a med. scoop, shape dough into balls. Roll in coarse sugar and place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 12 minutes, until cookies are light brown and puffed and starting to crack. Do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. The original recipe calls for using 1/2 cup scoop, which makes 4" cookies. I prefer smaller one; mine are about 2-1/2 inches.

And while not much Christmasy has been going on inside the house, my husband has been busy stringing lights outside. Unfortunately someone (me) failed to get the lights OUT of storage while we had 60F days around Thanksgiving and so he spent several hours outside in 30F weather one night last week. No pictures of those efforts yet but to give him credit, he's also been busy ensuring we have that fire for which to roast chestnuts by throughout the holiday season and then some! Here are pictures of his growing woodpile(s). And remember, "you can never have enough wood!" (This is for Bev - yes, we're into the wood thing!)

Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style: Nut Rolls

Overwhelmed with Joy is graciously inviting us to "gather" at her place and share our best holiday recipes. I think this is a great idea and am looking forward to trying out some tried and true recipes from my friends in Bloggyland.

This is one of my favorites, and I must admit, I take some pride in having mastered this recipe. See, I remember my gram always in search for the perfect nut roll recipe. Either the dough wasn't to her liking or the filling left something to be desired. Her old cookbook is filled with cuttings and scraps of recipes. Of course, we (except for my allergic-to-nuts sister) willingly tried them all but I never managed to learn which she considered "the one." Several years ago, a co-worker brought in some nut roll his mother made and I shamelessly begged the recipe from him. So here it is, compliments of my friend Nick, and as good as any Gram ever made.

Nut mixture: Combine 1-1/2 lbs. ground walnuts, 2 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add just enough hot milk to make a paste. Set aside.

2 envelopes yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 lb. butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour

Combine yeast with warm milk, allow to sit. Combine butter, salt, sugar, eggs and cream. Add part of the flour, then yeast/milk mixture. Mix in remaining flour. Blend well. Divide into 4 equal parts. One at a time, roll into 12x8 rectangle. Spread with nut mixture to within 3/4" of edges and roll up from long side, sealing edges with a bit of water and tucking ends under. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm (80 deg) oven for about an hour. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle tops with sugar if desired. Bake at 350 deg. for about 35-40 min.

For lots more great recipes, click on the graphic above.

Five Ingredient Friday: Spaghetti JMW

Spaghetti JMW is a longtime family favorite around our house. Growing up, my mother often made this dish which she referred to as "Spaghetti John's Mother's Way" - the way my dad's mom used to make spaghetti. At some point, I decided the name needed to be shortened, hence Spaghetti JMW. It's quick, it's easy and it works with a variety of pastas & meats. (To my knowledge, we've never written this down before so pardon the estimates)

1 lb. cooked pasta (spaghetti works, but I've also used penne and macaroni)
1 large can whole tomatoes (stewed tomatoes also work but I prefer the chunkier whole ones)
1/4 - 1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, sliced (the light version works just fine)
1/2 lb. bacon cooked and coarsely chopped (1-2" pieces) (do not overcook!) (I've also used kielbasa or turkey kielbasa)

Empty tomatoes into a bowl and crush by hand. Cover the bottom of 9x13 pan with some of the juice. Layer pasta, tomatoes and cheese until pan is full. Sprinkle chopped bacon over the top. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, then baked uncovered a few more minutes until bacon is crispy.

I've also made this in a crockpot, and I think it's equally delicious with turkey sausage or kielbasa, sliced into 1/4" medalions. My mom used to use cover the top with whole sliced bacon and then drizzle the bacon drippings over the top before baking. I think it's easier to serve and it with chopped bacon and I skip the bacon drippings.

Now I'm hungry but it's 2:00 am.

Amazing Ribs

I don't get to cook as near as much as I'd like to, but this weekend, my aunt came for dinner and I wanted to go all out for her. Gone are the days when I actually spent an hour or so each week planning my menus. So I headed for the meat market that had baby back ribs on sale. THEN headed home and looked for a recipe. Seems a little backwards, eh? Thankfully there's always allrecipes.com where I found this recipe for ribs. I had neither whiskey nor liquid smoke, but the recipe turned out just fine. The trick seems to be slowcooking the ribs in the oven first, which worked out perfectly because that's when I ran around making my house presentable. I never made ribs before, and I'm sure they're downright unhealthy but wow, these turned out great. I also made some steamed green beans in a light sweet-n-sour sauce, grilled potato planks and that spinach & strawberry salad that seems to be so popular right now. Topped it off with some fresh strawberry shortcake.

We ate on our newly remodeled back porch (of which I really need to post some pictures - Mike did a great job on it) and enjoyed a nice peaceful evening outside. Later on we headed in and watched Beyond the Sea, the life story of Bobby Darin. I'm a big Kevin Spacey fan, and my husband is a big Bobby Darin fan, so this movie will likely be one we watch again. The smile on my aunt's face (actually she's my great-aunt) as she tapped out the beat to Hello, Young Lovers and Mack the Knife made our night!

If ribs don't tickle your fancy or you're looking for something health - try these banana-blueberry muffins at Stacy's site. They're actually on my list to try this week.

Tabouleh

I'm on a Greek food kick right now. I remember my gram getting on different kicks and making the same dish over and over again until she mastered it. Well it's true - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I made this middle Eastern salad for work today and thought I'd share it with my blogging pals.

I used Hodgson Mill Bulgur Wheat w/Soy - got it Shop & Save in the hot cereal section. But here's the jist of the recipe (which I altered a bit from the box anyways)

1-1/2 cups bulgur wheat
1-1/2 cups boiling water (I'd use more like 2 - should be covered)
Cover wheat with water and let sit at least 2 hours or overnight - i just put it in the fridge.

1 bunch parsley (I ended up using close to 2 of the curly type)
1 green pepper
1 cuke (I seeded it)
3 tomatoes, seeded (I used 6 Romas)
Onions - 1/2 cup or so, red is nice if you have it, or green onions

Chop all vegetables very fine. Drain any excess water from wheat and mix in vegetables. Mix together 1/2 cup oil (I used olive), 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp salt (I used 2 of kosher salt). Pour dressing over salad and let chill for 2 hours.

It's easy to make but you have to allow time for the soaking and chilling! It's wonderful with homemade hummus! And in case you're wondering, the above picture is a record-breaking dish of tabouleh at some Greek food festival!