As Christmas approaches, and I've been getting ready to leave for a week, I've been attempting to eat up some of the fresh food in the fridge. I hadn't really planned anything for dinner tonight, since I am here by myself (Joe headed to Grand Rapids on Monday, so I've been solo all week), and I had considered jumping in the car after work and making the drive tonight to G-Rap. Since I decided not to make the drive tonight (I'll be waking up suuuuper early tomorrow, dodging Chicago traffic, and arriving around the time we would have been waking up if I had made the drive tonight), I threw together a little something that makes a great breakfast or dinner: the Omelet!
This can be made using a variety of fillings/toppings (what's the correct term?). Use what you have!
Tonight's version...Cilantro Potato Omelet
Drizzle vegetable oil
1 smallish potato, chopped small
1 tbsp cilantro, plus some extra
2 scallions, sliced (white and light green parts only)
2-3 eggs
glug half and half or milk (half and half was yummy, and needed to be used up!)
Salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a medium, non-stick skillet. Cook the potatoes until tender.
Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cilantro, scallions, and milk/half and half.
Remove potatoes from skillet. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and leave in a thin layer. As needed, push the edges around so that the uncooked egg runs to the sides. When the eggs are mostly set, add the potatoes and extra cilantro, as well as salt and pepper, to one half of the omelet. Fold the other side over. Leave it for a sec.
I added the end of a jar of salsa. Deee-lish!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday Soup: Sweet Potato soup with Orange Creme Fraiche
This week's soup was amazing. Seriously, this might be the best one yet. Which means that it's kind of OK that the post is a day late...
We enjoyed this one with my cousins, Meg and Jeff. Meg is in town for the holidays; Jeff lives here full time, so we have no excuse for not seeing him more frequently (except maybe that he and Joe are both busy students...?). It was also Joe's birthday, but it was pretty much the third night of celebrating, so this didn't really count as his birthday dinner.
The soup is relatively low-intensity in the amount of work it takes to make it. It is also pretty nutritious, as the sweet potatoes are packed with fiber and beta-carotene, and there is not a lot of fat in the soup. It is also vegetarian (but I'm sure Joe would have enjoyed the addition of a little bacon. The food, not the dog).
Sweet Potato soup with Orange Creme Fraiche
Orange Creme Fraiche
Base: 1 C. heavy cream and 1/3 C. sour cream, whisked together and allowed to sit until thickened, about 6 hours or more, at room temp.
3/4 C. base
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced
1/2 tsp orange zest, minced if too thick
Whisk together.
(I actually didn't make the base according to the recipe. I whisked together one part low fat plain yogurt and 1 part half and half. Worked just fine, but maybe was slightly runnier than if I had used the base...oh well, it tasted awesome)
Sweet Potato Soup
4 tbsp butter or olive oil, divided
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced to about a 1/2 in. dice. Bigger is fine, but will take a bit longer to cook.
2 tsp. light brown sugar
2 c. chopped onions (about 2 medium onions, just approximate the amount)
a few stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
about 6 c. vegetable stock/broth, low sodium if you can find it, plus more if needed (as always, you can mix in some water if you don't want to use all that stock. Those boxes of stock are about 4 cups, so if you use one of those and the rest water, it should be fine. Might need more seasoning, but that's easy enough)
1 C. orange juice, plus extra if needed
salt and pepper
chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley for garnish. Don't buy this just for this purpose, but it's nice for color and freshness if you've got it.
Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large, oven proof skillet, melt/heat 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil. Add the diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat with butter/oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then move the pan into the oven (if you don't have an oven proof skillet, you can transfer from the skillet you're using to some sort of baking dish, but then you'd have an extra dish to clean). Roast for 15 minutes, then stir and roast until tender when pierced with a knife and browned around the edges, around 15 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
In your soup pot, heat the remaining butter/oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions, celery, and ginger and saute for around 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and saute for a couple more minutes.
Add the stock and juice, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture almost to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender; 20 minutes or more.
Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender. It should be relatively thick; if it seems too thick, feel free to add more liquid (stock, water, or juice). Taste teh soup and season as needed.
Ladle the soup into large mugs or soup bowls and swirl some creme fraische on top. Sprinkle with a little parsley if you're so inclined. Serve with some crusty, whole grain bread.
I'm off to try the re-heated version, with a rustic grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Nommmm....
We enjoyed this one with my cousins, Meg and Jeff. Meg is in town for the holidays; Jeff lives here full time, so we have no excuse for not seeing him more frequently (except maybe that he and Joe are both busy students...?). It was also Joe's birthday, but it was pretty much the third night of celebrating, so this didn't really count as his birthday dinner.
The soup is relatively low-intensity in the amount of work it takes to make it. It is also pretty nutritious, as the sweet potatoes are packed with fiber and beta-carotene, and there is not a lot of fat in the soup. It is also vegetarian (but I'm sure Joe would have enjoyed the addition of a little bacon. The food, not the dog).
Sweet Potato soup with Orange Creme Fraiche
Orange Creme Fraiche
Base: 1 C. heavy cream and 1/3 C. sour cream, whisked together and allowed to sit until thickened, about 6 hours or more, at room temp.
3/4 C. base
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced
1/2 tsp orange zest, minced if too thick
Whisk together.
(I actually didn't make the base according to the recipe. I whisked together one part low fat plain yogurt and 1 part half and half. Worked just fine, but maybe was slightly runnier than if I had used the base...oh well, it tasted awesome)
Sweet Potato Soup
4 tbsp butter or olive oil, divided
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced to about a 1/2 in. dice. Bigger is fine, but will take a bit longer to cook.
2 tsp. light brown sugar
2 c. chopped onions (about 2 medium onions, just approximate the amount)
a few stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
about 6 c. vegetable stock/broth, low sodium if you can find it, plus more if needed (as always, you can mix in some water if you don't want to use all that stock. Those boxes of stock are about 4 cups, so if you use one of those and the rest water, it should be fine. Might need more seasoning, but that's easy enough)
1 C. orange juice, plus extra if needed
salt and pepper
chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley for garnish. Don't buy this just for this purpose, but it's nice for color and freshness if you've got it.
Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large, oven proof skillet, melt/heat 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil. Add the diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat with butter/oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then move the pan into the oven (if you don't have an oven proof skillet, you can transfer from the skillet you're using to some sort of baking dish, but then you'd have an extra dish to clean). Roast for 15 minutes, then stir and roast until tender when pierced with a knife and browned around the edges, around 15 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
In your soup pot, heat the remaining butter/oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions, celery, and ginger and saute for around 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and saute for a couple more minutes.
Add the stock and juice, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture almost to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender; 20 minutes or more.
Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender. It should be relatively thick; if it seems too thick, feel free to add more liquid (stock, water, or juice). Taste teh soup and season as needed.
Ladle the soup into large mugs or soup bowls and swirl some creme fraische on top. Sprinkle with a little parsley if you're so inclined. Serve with some crusty, whole grain bread.
I'm off to try the re-heated version, with a rustic grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Nommmm....
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Kale Chips
Hi all! I know my posts have been coming more slowly lately. I guess you could call it a writer's block of sorts. Anyway, I've made an early resolution to get back on board with frequent posts. Here's a simple, nutritious recipe to start things off...
Baked Kale Chips
1 bunch curly kale
about a tbsp olive oil
sea salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 350F. Thoroughly wash the kale and dry with paper towels. Use kitchen shears, a knife, or your hands to remove the leaves from the thick stems and into bite-sized pieces. Line a couple of baking sheets with foil or parchment paper, spread the kale into a single layer on each of the baking sheets, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and toss to distribute evenly. Bake for 9 minutes; longer if needed, but definitely check after 9 minutes. They are done when the edges are crispy. If they are overcooked, they quickly take on a burnt taste, so be careful here.
I made a bunch a few minutes ago, and they are at least half gone already... Yeah for dark, leafy greens!
Stay tuned for some Sunday Soup later this evening...
Baked Kale Chips
1 bunch curly kale
about a tbsp olive oil
sea salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 350F. Thoroughly wash the kale and dry with paper towels. Use kitchen shears, a knife, or your hands to remove the leaves from the thick stems and into bite-sized pieces. Line a couple of baking sheets with foil or parchment paper, spread the kale into a single layer on each of the baking sheets, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and toss to distribute evenly. Bake for 9 minutes; longer if needed, but definitely check after 9 minutes. They are done when the edges are crispy. If they are overcooked, they quickly take on a burnt taste, so be careful here.
I made a bunch a few minutes ago, and they are at least half gone already... Yeah for dark, leafy greens!
Stay tuned for some Sunday Soup later this evening...
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Bacon!
Joe and I have some exciting news to share: We're getting a puppy!
The above photo is our little guy, at about 5 weeks old. We named him Bacon. We pretend he's already home with us, so we get used to the idea. We already know that he is awesome.
He is a Boston Terrier, and will someday look a little like this:
We recently talked to our landlord and got approval to add this little addition to our family. We researched breeds that are appropriate for apartments, and this breed seemed like a good fit. Of course, we'll have to be really diligent about training him, crating him when we are away, and taking measures to reduce any barking, etc that may bother the neighbors. Allegedly, Boston's do not bark a whole lot, but you never know. Since our neighbors have woken us up a couple of times with band practice at 3 AM, we're hoping that they will be cool about the first couple of nights (which we hear are the worst).
I spent a lot of time identifying an appropriate breeder (there are a lot of scary ones out there), and found one that seems really professional and seems to care a lot about her puppies. She's been sending weekly updates since we chose him a couple of weeks ago.
We'll be bringing Bacon home around the New Year. We are just so excited! For now, I'm working on rearranging things in our apartment to "puppy-proof" to the best of my ability. This has also motivated me to finish up some projects around the apartment, so be ready for some posts about those!
The above photo is our little guy, at about 5 weeks old. We named him Bacon. We pretend he's already home with us, so we get used to the idea. We already know that he is awesome.
He is a Boston Terrier, and will someday look a little like this:
 |
| http://www.dogsindepth.com/nonsporting_dog_breeds/boston_terrier.html |
I spent a lot of time identifying an appropriate breeder (there are a lot of scary ones out there), and found one that seems really professional and seems to care a lot about her puppies. She's been sending weekly updates since we chose him a couple of weeks ago.
We'll be bringing Bacon home around the New Year. We are just so excited! For now, I'm working on rearranging things in our apartment to "puppy-proof" to the best of my ability. This has also motivated me to finish up some projects around the apartment, so be ready for some posts about those!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sunday Soup: Squash, Corn and Lemongrass soup
Hello, friends! Since today is my birthday (the big 2-7, yipes!), Joe is in charge of cooking me a delicious steak dinner. This is sort of a rarity around here (both the menu and the chef these days), so I'm pretty excited.
Although I won't be making any soup today, I wanted to share a recipe that I found the other day on thekitchn.com. Give it a try, let me know how it is!
Squash, Corn, and Lemongrass Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Although I won't be making any soup today, I wanted to share a recipe that I found the other day on thekitchn.com. Give it a try, let me know how it is!
Squash, Corn, and Lemongrass Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
serves 4-6 as a main course, 8 as an appetizer
adapted from Gourmet
adapted from Gourmet
 |
| thekitchn.com |
For the soup:
1 fresh lemongrass stalk, trimmed and outer layer discarded, about 6 inches long (you can replace this with fresh ginger and lemon zest, or just the zest)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds butternut squash (about one small to medium squash), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 fresh lemongrass stalk, trimmed and outer layer discarded, about 6 inches long (you can replace this with fresh ginger and lemon zest, or just the zest)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds butternut squash (about one small to medium squash), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
For the spiced pumpkin seeds:
1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or smoked salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or smoked salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
To make soup:
Smash lemongrass stalk with side of a heavy knife. Add butter and oil to a medium heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add lemongrass, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until onion has softened, about 10 minutes. Add squash, corn, 5 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
Smash lemongrass stalk with side of a heavy knife. Add butter and oil to a medium heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add lemongrass, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until onion has softened, about 10 minutes. Add squash, corn, 5 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Discard lemongrass. Puree soup in blender in small batches. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with spiced pumpkin seeds.
For pumpkin seeds:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss seeds with oil and spice mixture. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake until toasted, 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss seeds with oil and spice mixture. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake until toasted, 10 minutes.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Still working on the hall...
I wanted to give a bit of an update on the work - or non-work - that I've done on the hall. This "room" is plaguing me.
Stumbling blocks:
1. After the little jog to the side, the hallway extends about 18 feet. That means, even the longest runners I've found on Overstock.com are still sorely shy of the length I need. Along with this dilema, I can't seem to find pictures on the internet of actual hallways (not staircases or open foyers) that have runners, so it's hard to imagine what this hall would look like with a too-short runner.
This is the runner I've been eyeing, mostly because it's inexpensive (so not a big commitment), natural, neutral in color (except the rust - but we've got tons of rusts/reds/oranges in the living room and kitchen), and 12 feet long (longest I've found).
2. The walls are not "flush" or flat, so my ideas about hanging a picture rail are out. I might be able to do it, but the work involved, possible destruction of the wall, and maybe ugly result are turning me off.
3. The walls have that "sandy" treatment going on. This doesn't really qualify as a stumbling block, but it's so weird. I don't know where this "wall treatment" came from, but it will never go away. And, it makes the walls sharp, which can't be good Feng Shui.
Progress:
1. The new hall table. I love this thing.
2. New "boob" lights. I don't love them, but they are better than the old ones.
3. Art. I've got lots to hang, but I need to mix a few non-engagement, non-wedding pictures in with the bunch. I don't want the entire apartment to be photos of us, even though the pictures are amazing. I'm planning this weekend to create an art wall on one or both sides of the hallway.
4. I'm still working on the DIY pendant light idea. World Market has a large drum lampshade for $30, and I've been looking at ways to cover it with fabric to make it a bit more interesting.
Stumbling blocks:
1. After the little jog to the side, the hallway extends about 18 feet. That means, even the longest runners I've found on Overstock.com are still sorely shy of the length I need. Along with this dilema, I can't seem to find pictures on the internet of actual hallways (not staircases or open foyers) that have runners, so it's hard to imagine what this hall would look like with a too-short runner.
This is the runner I've been eyeing, mostly because it's inexpensive (so not a big commitment), natural, neutral in color (except the rust - but we've got tons of rusts/reds/oranges in the living room and kitchen), and 12 feet long (longest I've found).
 |
| Overstock.com |
3. The walls have that "sandy" treatment going on. This doesn't really qualify as a stumbling block, but it's so weird. I don't know where this "wall treatment" came from, but it will never go away. And, it makes the walls sharp, which can't be good Feng Shui.
Progress:
1. The new hall table. I love this thing.
2. New "boob" lights. I don't love them, but they are better than the old ones.
3. Art. I've got lots to hang, but I need to mix a few non-engagement, non-wedding pictures in with the bunch. I don't want the entire apartment to be photos of us, even though the pictures are amazing. I'm planning this weekend to create an art wall on one or both sides of the hallway.
4. I'm still working on the DIY pendant light idea. World Market has a large drum lampshade for $30, and I've been looking at ways to cover it with fabric to make it a bit more interesting.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Happy Holidays!
Sunday, when we returned to Madison after our Thanksgiving visit to Door County, Joe and I spent the afternoon putting up the Christmas decorations. I've been wanting to do this for a couple of weeks now; but have been holding back since I didn't want to jump holidays (you know, like skipping Thanksgiving decorations and going straight to Xmas, Target style).
Our tree...
Reindeer/snowflake felt garland, purchased at a little shop in Egg Harbor, WI this weekend...
Stockings, all hung by the TV with care...
I'm not sure if the photo shows this very well, but I used three green, woven placemats (wedding gift), a couple of glass vases that we purchased for our centerpieces at our rehearsal dinner, and a whole bunch of red and gold ball ornaments that we bought a couple of years ago. The center hurricane was purchased last week at Marshalls for $5 and a subtle vanilla scented pillar candle for $6. I'm imagining changing out the ornaments for something different depending on the season, but using this piece year round. In total, I've spent under $20 to jazz up our holiday decor. Not bad, I'd say!
Our tree...
Reindeer/snowflake felt garland, purchased at a little shop in Egg Harbor, WI this weekend...
Stockings, all hung by the TV with care...
And, the star performer, the coffee table!
Monday, November 29, 2010
A new family dish: Sweet Potato and Sage Gratin
Hello out there to all the folks we saw this weekend! Here is your introduction to my blog (as we probably discussed during our visit), and your access to the very popular sweet potato recipe we sampled. I tripled the recipe and baked it in a 9x13 baker and a smaller baker.
Sweet Potato and Sage Gratin
4 large sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder (optional)
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 casserole or gratin dish. Peel and slice the potatoes. Toss them in a bowl with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a heavy skillet and slowly caramelize the onions. When the onions are dark, add the garlic and cook just until golden. Reserve two tablespoons of the chopped sage and add the rest to the onions, along with the chipotle powder and cream. Cook until the cream is slightly reduced then remove from the heat.
Layer the potatoes in a greased casserole dish with the onions, lifting them out of the cream with a slotted spoon. Pour the cream over the top and bake for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are barely tender.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet and toast the reserved chopped sage and the breadcrumbs until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and toss with the Parmesan. Sprinkle over top of the gratin and return to the oven for about 15 minutes or until brown and crispy.
Sweet Potato and Sage Gratin
 |
| Photo and recipe credit: thekitchn.com |
4 large sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder (optional)
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 casserole or gratin dish. Peel and slice the potatoes. Toss them in a bowl with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a heavy skillet and slowly caramelize the onions. When the onions are dark, add the garlic and cook just until golden. Reserve two tablespoons of the chopped sage and add the rest to the onions, along with the chipotle powder and cream. Cook until the cream is slightly reduced then remove from the heat.
Layer the potatoes in a greased casserole dish with the onions, lifting them out of the cream with a slotted spoon. Pour the cream over the top and bake for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are barely tender.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet and toast the reserved chopped sage and the breadcrumbs until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and toss with the Parmesan. Sprinkle over top of the gratin and return to the oven for about 15 minutes or until brown and crispy.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday Soup: Turkey noodle
I hope everyone out there had a fantastic Thanksgiving! We got back into town earlier this afternoon, unpacked all of the cookware that I lugged to Door County, and spent the rest of the day decorating the apartment for Christmas. Things are pretty festive around here.
Today's soup is a nice one to use up a little bit of extra Turkey, herbs, celery, onions, and stock. It's also super quick and easy to put together, and could definitely be done with chicken in place of the turkey.
Turkey Noodle Soup
- A glug of olive oil
- 2-3 ribs of celery, chopped (include some tops if you've got them)
- one onion, chopped
- 6 c. turkey stock (or 4 c. stock and 2 c. water, that's what I used) (if you've got a turkey carcass hanging around from your feast, try making your own stock. I didn't bring mine back, so I used Trader Joe's turkey broth)
- a handful of chopped cooked turkey meat
- two large handfuls of small pasta, like rotini or egg noodles
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until translucent. Add the herbs and stir to combine.
Add the stock or water. Toss in the turkey and pasta. Simmer until the pasta is done cooking (around 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Today's soup is a nice one to use up a little bit of extra Turkey, herbs, celery, onions, and stock. It's also super quick and easy to put together, and could definitely be done with chicken in place of the turkey.
Turkey Noodle Soup
- A glug of olive oil
- 2-3 ribs of celery, chopped (include some tops if you've got them)
- one onion, chopped
- those last few leaves of sage, chopped
- a couple of extra sprigs of thyme, stems discarded
- 6 c. turkey stock (or 4 c. stock and 2 c. water, that's what I used) (if you've got a turkey carcass hanging around from your feast, try making your own stock. I didn't bring mine back, so I used Trader Joe's turkey broth)
- a handful of chopped cooked turkey meat
- two large handfuls of small pasta, like rotini or egg noodles
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until translucent. Add the herbs and stir to combine.
Add the stock or water. Toss in the turkey and pasta. Simmer until the pasta is done cooking (around 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Coziest spot in the apartment
This is currently my favorite spot in our little apartment:
Yes, that's a sheepskin. I know that this may bring up some feelings for some people about using animal parts... I am more aligned with the belief that natural elements are better for our homes than man-made ones, like faux fur made from glorified plastic. So, I purchased two of these oh-so-cozy sheepskins from Ikea a few weeks back, and looooove them. (The little pillow is from Target, purchased for our bedroom in our Redondo Beach place). I keep this one draped over the arm of the sofa when it's not in use, but when it's time to curl up on the couch and wind down from the day, I spread it under me and get C-O-Z-Y. This is seriously the best spot in the apartment, hands down. I understand why animal furs have been used for centuries to keep humans protected from the elements. mmmmmm.
Yes, that's a sheepskin. I know that this may bring up some feelings for some people about using animal parts... I am more aligned with the belief that natural elements are better for our homes than man-made ones, like faux fur made from glorified plastic. So, I purchased two of these oh-so-cozy sheepskins from Ikea a few weeks back, and looooove them. (The little pillow is from Target, purchased for our bedroom in our Redondo Beach place). I keep this one draped over the arm of the sofa when it's not in use, but when it's time to curl up on the couch and wind down from the day, I spread it under me and get C-O-Z-Y. This is seriously the best spot in the apartment, hands down. I understand why animal furs have been used for centuries to keep humans protected from the elements. mmmmmm.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving decor
I generally place my decorating efforts/budget on Christmas, and this year is no exception. However, I wanted to be a little festive with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, so I created this centerpiece for our living room coffee table. I love the way this table accepts pretty much anything as far as decor goes, so things get switched out frequently.
I used a favorite wood platter (wedding gift from Al), some fake autumn leaves from a few years back, some dried chinese lantern flowers that I had laying around from the farmer's market, along with several varieties of squash (also from this fabulous market) to create a festive, natural decorative element.
This is a little glimpse into the work I've been doing this week. These are the non-fridge, non-pre-cooked groceries that we'll be taking with us to Door County tomorrow, lining my insufferable hallway. Joe and I wish all of you a safe and smooth Travelgiving!
I used a favorite wood platter (wedding gift from Al), some fake autumn leaves from a few years back, some dried chinese lantern flowers that I had laying around from the farmer's market, along with several varieties of squash (also from this fabulous market) to create a festive, natural decorative element.
This is a little glimpse into the work I've been doing this week. These are the non-fridge, non-pre-cooked groceries that we'll be taking with us to Door County tomorrow, lining my insufferable hallway. Joe and I wish all of you a safe and smooth Travelgiving!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thanksgiving: bring this dish!
This is a great dish to bring to a Thanksgiving potluck. It's pretty easy, can be made ahead, and is a real crowd pleaser. Not your traditional, can-shaped blob of cranberry gel!
Curried Cranberry Sauce
1 T vegetable oil
2 c fresh cranberries (about 8 oz)
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 c Pinot Noir
1 1/2 c sugar
3 T chopped crystalized ginger
1 t curry powder
large pinch Chinese 5-spice powder
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, about 3 minutes. Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2, about 30 minutes. Add crystalized ginger, curry powder, and five spice powder. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold, or, if desired, reheat over low heat, stirring often.
Curried Cranberry Sauce
1 T vegetable oil
2 c fresh cranberries (about 8 oz)
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 c Pinot Noir
1 1/2 c sugar
3 T chopped crystalized ginger
1 t curry powder
large pinch Chinese 5-spice powder
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, about 3 minutes. Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2, about 30 minutes. Add crystalized ginger, curry powder, and five spice powder. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold, or, if desired, reheat over low heat, stirring often.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday Soup: Butternut squash or "Thanksgiving in a bowl"
I'd like to thank Carrie, long time friend and author of Sunshine and Fresh Cut Grass, for the Sunday Soup shout-out, and the inspiration for this week's recipe!
Joe and I headed over to Ann Arbor for the football game between our Alma Mater and his current school, The University of Wisconsin. Sadly, Big Blue lost (and NO, Joe was NOT cheering for the Badgers!). We hit the road early this morning, but still came home to lots of work to do to get ready for the week ahead. Because of that, I needed a soup recipe that required few ingredients, all readily on hand.
I've been sitting here, planning the menu and shopping list for my family's Thanksgiving celebration, which will be held in Door County, WI (northern Wisconsin), in a couple of rented condos. So, not only am I planning the menu and doing the shopping, I will be schlepping all of the essential cookware with me! It's looking pretty delicious...but a lot of work. I'm thinking that there is a big shopping trip in my near future, like tonight.
But I digress...
This week's recipe: Butternut squash soup or "Thanksgiving in a Bowl"
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 small sweet potatoes (because the regular potatoes were all sprouty, whoops!)
1 onion, chopped
1 quart veggie broth ('cause that's what's in the pantry, you could also use chicken broth or make your own veggie stock by simmering a quart plus a little extra water with a carrot, celery stalk, onion, and bay leaf)
1/2 to 1 cup whole milk (I'm stirring together some 2% and some half and half, since I don't have whole)
- preheat the oven to 400 F
- toss the squash and potatoes with olive oil and salt/pepper in a baking dish; bake for 45 minutes to an hour while blogging until tender
- transfer veggies and any juices into your favorite soup pot; add the broth and simmer over medium heat
- remove from heat and use an immersion blender, if you've got one, to puree the soup until smooth; or in batches in your regular blender (being careful to keep that lid on tightly!). As always, I like to leave a few chunks for texture.
- stir in the milk to your desired thickness; season with salt and pepper.
And since I know Joe will say, "You know what would make this even better?" I'll fry up some chopped bacon for a garnish.
Joe and I headed over to Ann Arbor for the football game between our Alma Mater and his current school, The University of Wisconsin. Sadly, Big Blue lost (and NO, Joe was NOT cheering for the Badgers!). We hit the road early this morning, but still came home to lots of work to do to get ready for the week ahead. Because of that, I needed a soup recipe that required few ingredients, all readily on hand.
I've been sitting here, planning the menu and shopping list for my family's Thanksgiving celebration, which will be held in Door County, WI (northern Wisconsin), in a couple of rented condos. So, not only am I planning the menu and doing the shopping, I will be schlepping all of the essential cookware with me! It's looking pretty delicious...but a lot of work. I'm thinking that there is a big shopping trip in my near future, like tonight.
But I digress...
 |
| Photo from Carrie's blog post, above |
This week's recipe: Butternut squash soup or "Thanksgiving in a Bowl"
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 small sweet potatoes (because the regular potatoes were all sprouty, whoops!)
1 onion, chopped
1 quart veggie broth ('cause that's what's in the pantry, you could also use chicken broth or make your own veggie stock by simmering a quart plus a little extra water with a carrot, celery stalk, onion, and bay leaf)
1/2 to 1 cup whole milk (I'm stirring together some 2% and some half and half, since I don't have whole)
- preheat the oven to 400 F
- toss the squash and potatoes with olive oil and salt/pepper in a baking dish; bake for 45 minutes to an hour while blogging until tender
- transfer veggies and any juices into your favorite soup pot; add the broth and simmer over medium heat
- remove from heat and use an immersion blender, if you've got one, to puree the soup until smooth; or in batches in your regular blender (being careful to keep that lid on tightly!). As always, I like to leave a few chunks for texture.
- stir in the milk to your desired thickness; season with salt and pepper.
And since I know Joe will say, "You know what would make this even better?" I'll fry up some chopped bacon for a garnish.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tailgate fare: Chili!
Hi all! We are heading to Ann Arbor for the Michigan-Wisconsin football game this weekend. Since it'll be a little (ahem) chilly, I decided to whip up a batch of Chili for our tailgate!
The plan is to bring the chili in the cooler, and throw it in the slow cooker to heat up in the morning before we head out to tailgate. Fingers crossed, it'll stay hot long enough for us to enjoy before we head to the game.
This is my mom's chili recipe, one that I grew up eating. It is, by far, the best chili recipe out there. (Don't let Joe even talk to you about Chili by George, bleh).
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 lb sausage (I usually use hot Italian sausage, but today it was sweet because that's what Trader Joe's had)
1 large onion, chopped
1 sq unsweetened chocolate
1 green pepper
1 T salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 T Paprika
1 1/2 T Chili powder
1 T Cumin
2-3 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
Saute the onion and brown the beef; drain, set aside. Brown the sausage separately; drain. Combine all ingredients, simmer ~2 hours.
If I've got some to use up, I throw in a tablespoon or so of ground cinnamon. Nommm. Enjoy with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, saltines, lime, baked potato, tapatio, whatever! And Go Blue!
The plan is to bring the chili in the cooler, and throw it in the slow cooker to heat up in the morning before we head out to tailgate. Fingers crossed, it'll stay hot long enough for us to enjoy before we head to the game.
This is my mom's chili recipe, one that I grew up eating. It is, by far, the best chili recipe out there. (Don't let Joe even talk to you about Chili by George, bleh).
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 lb sausage (I usually use hot Italian sausage, but today it was sweet because that's what Trader Joe's had)
1 large onion, chopped
1 sq unsweetened chocolate
1 green pepper
1 T salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 T Paprika
1 1/2 T Chili powder
1 T Cumin
2-3 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
Saute the onion and brown the beef; drain, set aside. Brown the sausage separately; drain. Combine all ingredients, simmer ~2 hours.
If I've got some to use up, I throw in a tablespoon or so of ground cinnamon. Nommm. Enjoy with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, saltines, lime, baked potato, tapatio, whatever! And Go Blue!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday Soup: Lemony chicken and rice
Tonight's Sunday Soup was chosen for its comforting qualities, as I contracted a little bit (ok, a lotta bit) of a tummy ache over the weekend. Also, it was easy and quick, which was necessary since we got home at about 4 from being in Michigan all weekend for Joe's Grandma's funeral.
The nice thing about this one, as well, is that most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so I had them all on hand without taking an extra trip to the store.
Lemony Chicken and Rice soup
32 oz Chicken broth (the amount in one of those resealable boxes, or two regular sized cans)
2/3 c. white rice (probably could use brown or some wild rice, but this is easy on the tummy and quicker to cook)
1/2 c. cooked chicken, chopped to 1/2" pieces
3 eggs
1/4 c. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Combine the broth and rice in a largish saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer (not a boil).
Cook 15 to 20 minutes until the rice is done. Add chicken.
While the rice is cooking, beat the eggs until frothy (I used my trusty Kitchenaide here, but I'm sure you could do it by hand). Whisk in the lemon juice. Ladle 1 c. of broth from the pot, then slooowly wisk this in (not too fast, or you could scramble the eggs, bleh).
Whisk this mixture into the rice/broth/chicken mixture. Cook on low-medium heat for 4 minutes (boiling here could lead to curdling of the eggs).
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley if you've got it.
Joe recommends serving in a bread bowl (his request for our future renditions of this recipe).
Friday, November 12, 2010
Lighting inspiration
I found what I want for my hallway lighting situation. OOOOOh I'm inspired.
I've been thinking about how to add some flair to my light fixtures (thanks for the idea, Andrea). I needed something that would be inexpensive and that I could take with me when we leave the apartment. I found this post from younghouselove, where they used a boring boob-light to create a custom drum pendant.
They converted this...
This was done using a large drum shade.
Kind of like this one, which would go nicely with my decor...
Alas, the $125 price tag might be a bit steep. I think I'm on the right track, though, since I found some boob lights for 2 for $10 at Menards last week, and the landlord will be installing them next week (and since they'll stay when we leave, I included the receipt with the rent check, so this part was free for me!). I'll keep looking for a more affordable version of the above lampshade, then use the hardware of the boob light to customize a fun light fixture to jazz up the hallway.
I've been thinking about how to add some flair to my light fixtures (thanks for the idea, Andrea). I needed something that would be inexpensive and that I could take with me when we leave the apartment. I found this post from younghouselove, where they used a boring boob-light to create a custom drum pendant.
They converted this...
 |
| http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/06/office-progress-let-there-be-light/ |
Into this...
 |
| http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/06/office-progress-let-there-be-light/ |
This was done using a large drum shade.
Kind of like this one, which would go nicely with my decor...
 | ||||
| http://www.shadesoflight.com/carnival-wonderland-lamp-shade-2-colors.html |
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Cure my hallway: New hall table
In an effort to cure my long, bare hallway, I addressed a couple of issues: created a designated "landing strip" for thing like keys and sunglasses, as well as improved the little "jog" in the hall. I purchased a console table (with a %25 off coupon) from none other than World Market, my source for affordable, rich looking, solid wood furniture.
The table works perfectly because of the curved shape (less likely to graze the corner with a hip or something). I feel like the curve is easier to walk around than a rectangle table, so it works nicely with the narrow hallway. Also, it's the only one I found, through some pretty extensive searching, that is just 12.5" deep. Again, works well with the 39" hallway.
TA DA!
I used several accessories that were already on hand, such as the candle stick, gerbera daisy plant, and bowl of stones (we try to have friends write their names on a stone when they come to our house, although I think we're out of blanks at the moment). We also have a wooden bread server that, for a long time, has served as a catch-all spot for random pens, coupons, tape measures... This has found a new home on the shelf of the console. I bought a new candle, a li'l arty thing, and a really pretty ceramic bowl that will catch our keys and sunglasses.
Plan is to add some more art and possibly remove the full length mirror from the wall across the hall from the table... I have to convince the husband that this is a good idea, and that there is somewhere else better suited for the mirror. We'll see.
P.S. Please keep the Ypma family in thought and prayers this week. Joe's grandmother passed away today. He and I will be making the trip to Michigan tomorrow and Thursday, respectively.
 |
| Photo credit: World Market |
The table works perfectly because of the curved shape (less likely to graze the corner with a hip or something). I feel like the curve is easier to walk around than a rectangle table, so it works nicely with the narrow hallway. Also, it's the only one I found, through some pretty extensive searching, that is just 12.5" deep. Again, works well with the 39" hallway.
TA DA!
 |
| To give you an idea of how it works in the little "jog" |
I used several accessories that were already on hand, such as the candle stick, gerbera daisy plant, and bowl of stones (we try to have friends write their names on a stone when they come to our house, although I think we're out of blanks at the moment). We also have a wooden bread server that, for a long time, has served as a catch-all spot for random pens, coupons, tape measures... This has found a new home on the shelf of the console. I bought a new candle, a li'l arty thing, and a really pretty ceramic bowl that will catch our keys and sunglasses.
Plan is to add some more art and possibly remove the full length mirror from the wall across the hall from the table... I have to convince the husband that this is a good idea, and that there is somewhere else better suited for the mirror. We'll see.
P.S. Please keep the Ypma family in thought and prayers this week. Joe's grandmother passed away today. He and I will be making the trip to Michigan tomorrow and Thursday, respectively.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Keep up with housework: 20 minutes per day
I wanted to share this Apartment Therapy post outlining a 30 day schedule for keeping your home clean. The suggestion is to set aside just 20 minutes per day to tackle these tasks, which should be adjusted according to your home's needs. My plan, since I just discovered this schedule yesterday, is to start with #7 (get it? it's November 7 today) and tackle the windows. I will probably spend a bit of extra time cleaning the bathroom window, as I have been slowly but surely tackling each window and scrubbing the heck out of the windows, sills, etc. They were filthy when we moved in, and take about 45 minutes each to clean. I will also be heading to the laundromat, sigh.
The 30 day schedule
1. Surface clean living room and kitchen (pick up stray items, dust, sweep, vacuum)
2. Clean bathrooms (toilets, showers, floors, walls, mirrors)
3. Surface clean bedrooms (put away toys, clothes, dust)
4. Surface clean "extra" rooms (basement, office, play room)
5. Surface clean living room and kitchen
6. Clean bathrooms
7. Clean all interior windows (white vinegar and newspaper works great and is cheap!)
8. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house (don't forget stairs)
9. Surface clean bedrooms
10. Deep clean living room (mirrors, baseboards, dust artwork)
11. Clean bathrooms
12. Clean out closets (hang up clothes, mittens, jackets, hats)
13. Surface clean "extra" rooms
14. Deep clean bedrooms (organize drawers, check under bed, tidy closet, dust artwork, fans, lights, mop)
15. Surface clean living room and kitchen
16. Deep clean bathrooms (clean inside drawers, inside of trash cans, tops of mirrors, tile, mop)
17. Clean all door knobs, phones, entertainment equipment (remote controls), switch plates, banisters and other things that are repeatedly touched.
18. Clean out the refrigerator, take stock of food, organize pantry
19. Clean entryway, sweep porch (if you have one), clean out car (because they're often our home away from home)
20. Surface clean living room and kitchen
21. Surface clean bathrooms
22. Surface clean bedrooms
23. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house
24. Clean linen closet, straighten towels, sheets or regular closet if not applicable
25. Surface clean living room and kitchen
26. Deep clean kitchen (scrub appliances, wash trash cans, base boards, wipe down and straighten cabinets)
27. Surface clean bathrooms
28. Surfaces clean bedrooms
29. Clean one item you've been meaning to get to and haven't (deep clean your stove, wipe down all light fixtures, tackle a particularly unruly area)
30. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house
I figured this is just what a full-time workin', part time domestic, MBA student wife like me needs to stay on top of the chores!
The 30 day schedule
1. Surface clean living room and kitchen (pick up stray items, dust, sweep, vacuum)
2. Clean bathrooms (toilets, showers, floors, walls, mirrors)
3. Surface clean bedrooms (put away toys, clothes, dust)
4. Surface clean "extra" rooms (basement, office, play room)
5. Surface clean living room and kitchen
6. Clean bathrooms
7. Clean all interior windows (white vinegar and newspaper works great and is cheap!)
8. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house (don't forget stairs)
9. Surface clean bedrooms
10. Deep clean living room (mirrors, baseboards, dust artwork)
11. Clean bathrooms
12. Clean out closets (hang up clothes, mittens, jackets, hats)
13. Surface clean "extra" rooms
14. Deep clean bedrooms (organize drawers, check under bed, tidy closet, dust artwork, fans, lights, mop)
15. Surface clean living room and kitchen
16. Deep clean bathrooms (clean inside drawers, inside of trash cans, tops of mirrors, tile, mop)
17. Clean all door knobs, phones, entertainment equipment (remote controls), switch plates, banisters and other things that are repeatedly touched.
18. Clean out the refrigerator, take stock of food, organize pantry
19. Clean entryway, sweep porch (if you have one), clean out car (because they're often our home away from home)
20. Surface clean living room and kitchen
21. Surface clean bathrooms
22. Surface clean bedrooms
23. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house
24. Clean linen closet, straighten towels, sheets or regular closet if not applicable
25. Surface clean living room and kitchen
26. Deep clean kitchen (scrub appliances, wash trash cans, base boards, wipe down and straighten cabinets)
27. Surface clean bathrooms
28. Surfaces clean bedrooms
29. Clean one item you've been meaning to get to and haven't (deep clean your stove, wipe down all light fixtures, tackle a particularly unruly area)
30. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house
I figured this is just what a full-time workin', part time domestic, MBA student wife like me needs to stay on top of the chores!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
A switcheroo
Awhile back, I posted this post showcasing my un-packed kitchen. After living with it for a couple of months, I decided to do a little switcheroo (is that how it's spelled? no idea).
See, the kitchen table used to be in the middle of the room, allowing us to pull four seats up to it (even though it's a little tight). The butcher block island lived next to the windows and served as our primary prep space. This worked fine, but I wanted to try a little experiment: I swapped the placement of the table and the island (dramatic, I know).
Here's how it looks, now.
Here's how it looks, now.
The island now floats in the middle-ish of the room and continues to provide lots of prep space. The pantry is about 18" to the right of the island (can't see it in the photo), and there is plenty of space to easily stand between the island and the pantry, take out what we need, and set it on the island for prep.
The table and chairs are tucked away against the wall, which seems to work pretty nicely. We moved the extra stools below the wire rack that stands over the radiator. There, they can easily be pulled up to the island while one or the other of us (let's be serious, while I) cooks for a glass of wine and a chat. Or, if we have friends over, we can pull the table out and add the two stools. This works much better for our daily needs.
This adjustment in furniture placement seems to give us a lot more space to walk around, and is a lot more efficient. I think I was originally grieving the loss of our separate dining room, so I wanted to have plenty of room for friends to eat with us. The reality is, though, that company is on the rare side, and we mainly use the table for our dinners together. Someday I'll have a dining room again, though, I'm sure of it!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Slow cooker, to the rescue!
I knew when I woke up this morning that it would be a busy evening. Joe and I each had a couple of errands to run after work, Joe has a volleyball game, and I needed to whip something up for a book club meeting tomorrow. Little time would be available to make dinner. So...
SLOW COOKER, TO THE RESCUE!
Chicken with mixed dried fruit
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, frozen solid (just kidding, this isn't a requirement, but mine were a brick!)
a couple of leeks, sliced (could chop a medium onion, if you wanted)
a couple of handfuls of dried fruit (I used raisins and dried apricots, which I roughly chopped)
a couple of shakes of ground ginger (or fresh, if you want)
a couple of shakes of cinnamon
a couple of shakes of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
a spoonful of honey
about 2 c. water
Throw it all in. Turn on the slow cooker to low. Cook for 9 hours.
When you get home, throw some rice on the stove, then eat in 15 minutes with minimal effort!
How's that, MBA students?
SLOW COOKER, TO THE RESCUE!
Chicken with mixed dried fruit
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, frozen solid (just kidding, this isn't a requirement, but mine were a brick!)
a couple of leeks, sliced (could chop a medium onion, if you wanted)
a couple of handfuls of dried fruit (I used raisins and dried apricots, which I roughly chopped)
a couple of shakes of ground ginger (or fresh, if you want)
a couple of shakes of cinnamon
a couple of shakes of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
a spoonful of honey
about 2 c. water
Throw it all in. Turn on the slow cooker to low. Cook for 9 hours.
When you get home, throw some rice on the stove, then eat in 15 minutes with minimal effort!
How's that, MBA students?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Cheesy Beer Bread
As promised, Cheesy Beer Bread!
Cheesy Beer Bread
3 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
about 4 oz. shredded cheese (I used gruyere because that's what I had)
1 12 oz. bottle lager-style beer (I used a New Glarus Spotted Cow that was languishing in the fridge)
2 tbsp butter, divided, melted
Preheat the oven to 375 F
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add the cheese and the beer. Stir just until combined.
Place the batter in a 9x5 in. loaf pan and drizzle 1 tbsp. melted butter over the top. Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp butter over the loaf, and return to the oven for another 25 min. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes. Enjoy with your tomato soup!
Cheesy Beer Bread
3 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
about 4 oz. shredded cheese (I used gruyere because that's what I had)
1 12 oz. bottle lager-style beer (I used a New Glarus Spotted Cow that was languishing in the fridge)
2 tbsp butter, divided, melted
Preheat the oven to 375 F
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add the cheese and the beer. Stir just until combined.
Place the batter in a 9x5 in. loaf pan and drizzle 1 tbsp. melted butter over the top. Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp butter over the loaf, and return to the oven for another 25 min. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes. Enjoy with your tomato soup!
Sunday Soup: Creamy Tomato Soup with Cheesy beer bread
Hi friends! At my husband's request, today's soup is a tomato-y one. I still haven't jumped on the "slow cooker" soup recipe wagon, but this is a really easy one. Like, 15 minutes of total time in the kitchen, easy. And once I realized that I was all out of homemade bread (the original plan involved grilled cheese sandwiches), I decided to throw together a loaf of cheesy beer quick bread. You get two for the price of one today!
Creamy Tomato Soup
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium leeks, sliced
4 garlic cloves (or in my case, a palmful of garlic powder. Who runs out of garlic??)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste (I found some in a tube, yeah!)
2-3 cups hot vegetable stock (I made my own while the soup cooked, just throw a carrot, a celery rib, and the ends of your onions and leeks in a saucepan and simmer for awhile. Saved like $3!)
2/3 c. half and half
Heat the oil in a large pot, like a cast iron dutch oven or something. Add the onions and leeks and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and tomato paste, stir, then simmer for about 30 min.
Add the stock, bring the whole thing to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 min. Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the mixture. As usual, I like to leave some chunkiness in there, so I don't puree all of it. Taste and season again.
At this point, you could freeze a couple of portions of this (I'm talking to you, MBA students!). If you decide to go this direction, be sure to let the soup cool completely before you put it in the freezer.
Stir in the half and half, and serve! Enjoy with the Cheesy Beer bread, to be posted next.
Creamy Tomato Soup
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium leeks, sliced
4 garlic cloves (or in my case, a palmful of garlic powder. Who runs out of garlic??)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste (I found some in a tube, yeah!)
2-3 cups hot vegetable stock (I made my own while the soup cooked, just throw a carrot, a celery rib, and the ends of your onions and leeks in a saucepan and simmer for awhile. Saved like $3!)
2/3 c. half and half
Heat the oil in a large pot, like a cast iron dutch oven or something. Add the onions and leeks and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and tomato paste, stir, then simmer for about 30 min.
Add the stock, bring the whole thing to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 min. Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the mixture. As usual, I like to leave some chunkiness in there, so I don't puree all of it. Taste and season again.
At this point, you could freeze a couple of portions of this (I'm talking to you, MBA students!). If you decide to go this direction, be sure to let the soup cool completely before you put it in the freezer.
Stir in the half and half, and serve! Enjoy with the Cheesy Beer bread, to be posted next.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Quick, healthy, easy dinner - by popular demand
At the party following the big finance midterm last night, I heard from a few business students that the blog needs quick, easy, nutritious recipes. I got a couple of requests for slow cooker soups and other meals. I'll keep my eyes peeled for those, and be sure to share them.
Tonight's dinner did not include the use of a slow cooker, but it fit the other criteria. Easy, peasy.
Shrimp, scallion, and edamame fried rice
- A drizzle of canola oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 inch or so piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 scallions, white parts and most of the green parts (omit the very ends), sliced
- A couple of handfuls of frozen, shelled edamame
- Trader Joe's frozen organic brown rice (comes in a box with 3 bags, each with about 2 c. cooked rice), warmed on the stove or in the microwave
- a couple big handfuls of frozen shrimp (the fully cooked, peeled kind)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- soy sauce
In a Wok or skillet, warm the canola oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and cook until aromatic and softened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice, edamame, and shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are heated through (this shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes). Make a 3" well in the rice, drizzle a little more oil into the well, and add the egg. Leave it alone until the egg is almost fully cooked (scrambled). Stir the whole dish to combine and add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce. Enjoy!
Tonight's dinner did not include the use of a slow cooker, but it fit the other criteria. Easy, peasy.
Shrimp, scallion, and edamame fried rice
- A drizzle of canola oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 inch or so piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 scallions, white parts and most of the green parts (omit the very ends), sliced
- A couple of handfuls of frozen, shelled edamame
- Trader Joe's frozen organic brown rice (comes in a box with 3 bags, each with about 2 c. cooked rice), warmed on the stove or in the microwave
- a couple big handfuls of frozen shrimp (the fully cooked, peeled kind)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- soy sauce
In a Wok or skillet, warm the canola oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and cook until aromatic and softened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice, edamame, and shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are heated through (this shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes). Make a 3" well in the rice, drizzle a little more oil into the well, and add the egg. Leave it alone until the egg is almost fully cooked (scrambled). Stir the whole dish to combine and add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday soup: Bean and Kale soup
Wow, it's been a busy weekend! It was the first weekend we've spent in Madison in three weeks, so I had a lot to catch up on around the house. As you may know from previous posts, Joe has a Finance midterm on Monday, and this happens to be the most notoriously challenging class he will take in his MBA program (we'll see!). He's been studying away all weekend, and I'm doing my best to take care of things around the house and make him some good, hearty brain food.
Today's soup was a basic Bean soup, with the addition of some yummy and nutritious kale.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture before we ate and cleaned up. Let's just say, it looked pretty delicious!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A hearty meal in support of Finance
In preparation for the ominous Finance Midterm on Monday, it seems the entire business school is hard at work. I'm supporting my meat-and-potatoes husband by making my first Pork roast. Keep in mind that all veggies (except the celery and garlic) were purchased at the Dane County Farmer's Market.
Pork Loin Roast with Root Veggies
Pork Loin Roast with Root Veggies
1 boneless pork loin roast, about 2 lb (I got mine at Trader Joes for about $7, not bad considering this will probably feed us dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow, and probably a couple of lunches next week)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
2 medium, or 3 small, yellow onions, sliced, not too thin
1-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 carrots (yes, I put these in voluntarily. I'm trying, people!)
3 parsnips (I added more carrots instead - really!)
6 medium red potatoes, or 2 large potatoes of another variety, roughly chopped (you can peel if you want, but I think the skins are good, and they add nutrition)
2-3 turnips (or more potatoes), peeled and roughly chopped
a few stalks of celery, chopped to about 2" pieces
1 c. chicken or veggie broth, plus more as needed
Season the pork with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the canola oil. Sear the meat on all sides, until browned, about 10 minutes. During this step, I worked on the chopping and other prep. I just tossed the veggies into the slow cooker as I chopped them. Remove the pork from the pan, place it in the slow cooker.
Pour off most of the fat in the pan. Add the onion and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add these to the slow cooker.
Add salt and pepper and the broth (watch your salt if your broth is not low-sodium). Cover and cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours, until the pork is very tender and the veggies are fully cooked.
To serve, carve the pork into slices. Spoon the veggies and cooking juices over the port. Enjoy while wearing your slippers, since it's probably a chilly day.
(Recipe adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Cure my long, bare hallway
This month, I am participating in the Apartment Therapy (apartmenttherapy.com) Apartment Cure. This means that each day, I'm assigned a small (supposedly 20 minute) task toward "curing" my apartment's ails. I've posted a couple of rooms, and a couple of others are coming down the pipelines, with a few tweaks to go. The cure is happening in a very timely manner, as I need that last bit of motivation to complete all the little tasks to make this apartment a home.
Today's task: Search for inspirational photos to help with a design dilema.
My dilema: my loooong hallway. I painted it a nice, pale blue when we moved in, and I'm happy with that. I'm also happy with the first part of the hallway, which I've treated as an extension of the living room. I found zero pictures that I liked.
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Today's task: Search for inspirational photos to help with a design dilema.
My dilema: my loooong hallway. I painted it a nice, pale blue when we moved in, and I'm happy with that. I'm also happy with the first part of the hallway, which I've treated as an extension of the living room. I found zero pictures that I liked.
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I'm finding myself really challenged in this little jog in the hallway. It adds character, yes. It keeps the whole apartment from feeling like a bowling alley, sure. But it takes up so many square feet! I mean, it would be a whole additional room if it were smushed into a different shape!
I need help.
A couple things I'd like to accomplish here:
1. Find some way to tack down that cord that runs across the hall. There is no grounded outlet in the 2nd bedroom/office, and that is where the desktop computer is kept. Obviously, it needs to be plugged into an appropriate outlet, and it doesn't seem likely that the landlord is going to be fixing this issue any time soon. Hence, the extension cord across the hall.
2. While I do want to keep the paint, I need some sort of wall treatment that would make this space interesting. I'm open to hanging art, however, it's a narrow hall so I would be pretty limited in the size of art (since you can't stand back and look at it).
3. I'm open to a floor treatment/rug, but I need to keep the jog in the hall and $$ in mind. As in, no fancy expensive rugs, since we don't know whether we'll be needing anything like that in the next place.
4. I'd love to have a very narrow console table in the space where the hall jogs. This would serve as a "landing strip" where we could put mail, keys, etc.
5. I'm thinking it would be really cool to paint both doors (front and back enterances, not the interior doors) a bold color. The paint job is pretty crummy at the moment, so anything would be an improvement.
Please send me your ideas!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Le Creuset
As promised, I am here to update you on what is happening with my Le Creuset braiser.
When I bought the thing, I was told that Le Creuset has an amazing customer service system. Thought I'd never need it (considering they guarantee these things for a lifetime, I figured that meant the products didn't self-destruct). Turns out, I do need them, and, it turns out to be true!
I immediately emailed the customer service department (their hotline closes pretty early, I think at 4:30 EST). I woke up to an email asking for a bit more information. By the end of the day, I had instructions to ship the pan to Le Creuset and expect a replacement in 2-4 weeks. Crisis averted, I think.
In the meantime, I have been busting out the old Emerilware skillet, which I don't think I've touched since I bought the Le Creuset. Good thing I didn't get rid of it when we moved! I am taking this as an opportunity to rediscover what the skillet can do. I'm seeing it as a sign from the heavens that I need to expand my mind when it comes to my cooking utensils. Sign taken.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday soup: Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Walnuts
It's fall here in the midwest! It's been a couple of years since we've been a part of this amazing season (since Los Angeles seems to have only two seasons: June Gloom, and everything else). We experienced the contrast first hand this weekend, with Joe heading to Los Angeles for the Reaching Out MBA Conference, and myself making the trip to central Michigan. I met up with the Hagen parents for the weekend at the Hunting and Fishing Club where they are members (i.e. one of the most beautiful, serene places I've been). The fall colors were at their peak, and let me tell ya, it was stunning. Those flaming trees had me inspired for the evening's soup.
A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a little Pie Pumpkin at the Dane County Farmer's Market. It was a cute little guy, a little bigger than a grapefruit. I played with the recipe a bit, and I will say, I made a couple of mistakes this week.
Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Walnuts
One small Pie Pumpkin
1 1/2 c. chopped leeks
6 c. chicken stock (I used about 4 c. of stock and 2 c. of water, partly to save $$ and partly to keep the sodium content down, since I did not have low-sodium stock on hand)
2 tsp. dried rosemary (I used ground sage, since that's what I had. This was a mistake. The flavor was fine, but it really took the color down a couple of notches...)
2 tsp. kosher salt (taste and add little by little so as not to oversalt!)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 c. creme fraiche (I actually used greek style yogurt, but I think it was a little too tart)
1/3 c. walnuts, chopped and toasted
6 fresh rosemary sprigs (I omitted these, didn't have 'em. They would have been good, though!)
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rinse and dry the pumpkin, cut it in half and remove the seeds/muck. Quarter it, then slice into 3-4 in pieces. Arrange them in a baking pan, cut side down. Add water such that it comes about 1/4 in up the sides of the pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45-50 min, until they are fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the skin with a sharp paring knife. I realized I needed to be careful and only cut off the peel, since my pumpkin was pretty small. Cut the pieces into 1 in. pieces. If you've got more than, say, 8 cups, reserve the extra for another project (pie? bread?).
Melt butter in a large, heavy, lidded pot. Add leeks and cook, stirring, until they become translucent and soft. Add the pumpkin cubes, stock, salt, herbs and spices. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender (or an immersion blender if you are so blessed). Whisk in about 3/4 of the creme fraiche. Taste and season as needed.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche, rosemary, and chopped walnuts (these are key - they add texture and a nice flavor, yum!)
Serve with some crusty bread, or in tonight's case, some onion pan bread... that recipe is a'comin!
A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a little Pie Pumpkin at the Dane County Farmer's Market. It was a cute little guy, a little bigger than a grapefruit. I played with the recipe a bit, and I will say, I made a couple of mistakes this week.
Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Walnuts
One small Pie Pumpkin
1 1/2 c. chopped leeks
6 c. chicken stock (I used about 4 c. of stock and 2 c. of water, partly to save $$ and partly to keep the sodium content down, since I did not have low-sodium stock on hand)
2 tsp. dried rosemary (I used ground sage, since that's what I had. This was a mistake. The flavor was fine, but it really took the color down a couple of notches...)
2 tsp. kosher salt (taste and add little by little so as not to oversalt!)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 c. creme fraiche (I actually used greek style yogurt, but I think it was a little too tart)
1/3 c. walnuts, chopped and toasted
6 fresh rosemary sprigs (I omitted these, didn't have 'em. They would have been good, though!)
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rinse and dry the pumpkin, cut it in half and remove the seeds/muck. Quarter it, then slice into 3-4 in pieces. Arrange them in a baking pan, cut side down. Add water such that it comes about 1/4 in up the sides of the pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45-50 min, until they are fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the skin with a sharp paring knife. I realized I needed to be careful and only cut off the peel, since my pumpkin was pretty small. Cut the pieces into 1 in. pieces. If you've got more than, say, 8 cups, reserve the extra for another project (pie? bread?).
Melt butter in a large, heavy, lidded pot. Add leeks and cook, stirring, until they become translucent and soft. Add the pumpkin cubes, stock, salt, herbs and spices. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender (or an immersion blender if you are so blessed). Whisk in about 3/4 of the creme fraiche. Taste and season as needed.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche, rosemary, and chopped walnuts (these are key - they add texture and a nice flavor, yum!)
Serve with some crusty bread, or in tonight's case, some onion pan bread... that recipe is a'comin!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sunday soup: taking the week off
I just wanted to let my readers know that I did not forget about your Sunday soup post this week. We simply took the week off of soup because 1. we were out of town until late afternoon, and 2. it is about 80 degrees outside. Next week is another question mark, because Joe will be coming back from a conference in LA, and I will be coming back from visiting family in Michigan. If I do make some soup, it will be a simple, likely rustic soup. Have a good week, everyone!
A little kitchen project
On our way back from a weekend in Chicago, we decided to stop at Ikea for a few things for my office. Needless to say, we quickly realized that we needed so much more for our apartment!
I'd been meaning to do something to corral my dish washing/kitchen cleaning equipment. It's been sitting on the edge of the (grubby, old) sink since we moved in. Here's what it looked like before...
Note the messy arrangement, bleh.
A new hanging bar/basket, an S hook, and a couple of screws later, voila! Tidy, organized, and purposeful!
Now, if I could just get a new backsplash/counter/sink/cabinetry/entire kitchen, we'd be in business...
I'd been meaning to do something to corral my dish washing/kitchen cleaning equipment. It's been sitting on the edge of the (grubby, old) sink since we moved in. Here's what it looked like before...
Note the messy arrangement, bleh.
A new hanging bar/basket, an S hook, and a couple of screws later, voila! Tidy, organized, and purposeful!
Now, if I could just get a new backsplash/counter/sink/cabinetry/entire kitchen, we'd be in business...
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Kitchen disaster!
This evening, I was being a very responsible wife, cleaning the dishes while the stuffed eggplant was in the oven, and I discovered this disaster:
The enamel is disintegrating. Before I used it tonight, it was fine. The suface was smooth and beautiful. What happened?!? This is horrible!
We sat down to eat dinner (the eggplant looked sooo good), and gingerly chewed away. I picked out one piece of enamel from mine. Joe had to spit out two mouthfuls because things were a little...crunchy.
After dinner, I immediately pulled up the Le Creuset website, as well as a google search for others to whom this happened. The good news is, Le Creuset will likely fix or replace it. I sent them an email, begging for help.
Stay tuned for more details as the drama unfolds...
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