Le Jardin d'Ete

Although I haven't posted anything about the garden this year, it's there. It's definitely there - albeit fairly forgotten. Nate's generally the sower and tender and I'm more of the harvester. With the deck and travel this summer, the garden has been an afterthought. So, the bounty hasn't been as prolific as in years past, but we've still be enjoying fresh veggies.

Tomatoes continue to mystify us. We haven't had a surplus of tomatoes, well, ever. This year, only two of the four tomato plants survived. We've grown them in various raised beds and tried to grow a variety of different kinds of plants. We do have a delicious cherry tomato plant and enough tomatoes on another plant for salads.

The greens are completely the opposite of the tomatoes. Green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, arugula, kale. Although most of the lettuce is finished by now (too hot), the kale keeps us flush with green stuff. I've been obsessed with a certain kale salad all summer, but the kale has also been great steamed on top of pulled pork sandwiches.

Kale and Farro Salad

Ingredients
4 cups kale, ripped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup farro
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. chili peppers
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Cook farro, per instructions on package. Chill the farro and combine with kale, raisins and Parmesan cheese. Mix the dressing ingredients (honey, olive oil, onion, chili peppers, lemon juice) and let sit for at least an hour. Combine all of the ingredients and serve. Delicious!

The most impressive veggie out of the garden so far: Beets. Beautiful red juicy beats. We haven't had much of an opportunity to roast them, but we have been juicing them like crazy. Combined with apples, carrots, lemon juice and ginger, the juice is downright delightful.

While summer is quickly winding down, we're still enjoying the bounty of the garden. And we probably only have about five to six weeks until the first frost, so we better get on it!

The Ham Bone's Connected to the ...

Have you ever tried to buy a ham with the bone still in? It's nearly impossible to buy a bone-in ham at most grocery stores today, which is too bad because the ham bone is the keeper of mystical flavors. Luckily butchers still exist today (although they are disappearing too) and they still carry hams with bones. And luckily, my parents frequent a great butcher in Sterling, Colorado. The best ham and bacon this side of - well just about anywhere. My parents also frequently stock us up on pork products. And I love them for it.

I've made enough chicken stock to know that a cook should never through away a bone or carcass before cooking it down into stock. And ham bone is no exception. Ham bone and bean soup is incredibly easy to make. You just need a solid afternoon (5-6 hours) to boil the bone.

Ham Bone and Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 ham bone

2-3 cups of ham, cubed
3-4 cups of white or pinto beans (or a combination)
1 onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
4-5 carrots, chopped
4-5 celery ribs, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large stock pot, cover the ham bone with water and simmer for at least 2-3 hours. I used dry beans, so I added some prep time (boil, then soak over night, rinse, boil again for 30 minutes). Add the beans, ham, onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the stock. Let simmer for at least an hour. Salt and pepper to taste.

Yes, it really is that easy. And so good. Benny now requests this soup regularly. If I could find more ham bones, I'd certainly make it more often.

Bisque, It's Where It's At

Another butternut squash down, only about 10 to go. At this point, I feel like I'm the only person in the world with a total butternut squash overload. Are you tired of reading about it? Imagine me: I have to live with it. But, after this recipe, I'm cutting the squash some slack. Man, this bisque is where it's at (what does that even mean?)!

Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Bisque

(adapted from a recipe on Epicurious)

Ingredients

One butternut squash, roasted

One head of garlic, halved crosswise

1/4 cup butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tbsp. fresh sage

1/3 cup whipping cream (milk is fine too)

(I keep Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon Cubes on hand because I don't always have a store of chicken broth in the freezer. Using these bouillon cubes makes the recipe vegetarian and gluten-free, if you're into those sorts of things.)

Method

Roast the butternut squash and scoop the innards into a bowl, set aside. Drizzle olive oil over both halves of the garlic and put it back together. Wrap the garlic in foil and bake for 40 minutes on 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large pot. Sautee the onions, carrots and celery for about 10 minutes and then cover with broth. Simmer for about 25 minutes and add the butternut squash puree and sage. Sautee for another 5 minutes. Using a food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and add the whipping cream.

Fresh from the garden: Butternut squash, garlic and sage.

Butternut Squash Feast: Mac 'n Cheese and Muffins

Have you noticed a theme on the blog lately? Lots and lots of butternut squash going on up in here. Because I have butternut squash puree stocked in the freezer and fridge and butternut squash stored in the basement closet, I decided to incorporate it in our Halloween festivities. Turns out that butternut squash is a perfect compliment to macaroni and cheese.

Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese
(adapted from a recipe on Two Peas & Their Pod)

Ingredients

1 large box macaroni noodles
2 cups butternut squash puree
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 cup aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare macaroni noodles as directed on package, drain and set aside. In a small bowl stir 1/2 cup of milk into the butternut squash puree and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Whisk in flour and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining milk and  simmer until the it thickens. Add butternut squash and milk mixture and cook for about 3 minutes.

Pour butternut squash mixture over noodles and stir. Grease a casserole pan and pour in half of the noodles. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top. Pour the remaining noodles in the casserole dish and top with cheese and bread crumbs.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Fresh from the garden/cellar: Butternut squash and rosemary.

Friends brought over apps and salads to add to the feast. We topped everything off with Butternut Squash, Chocolate Chip, Walnut Muffins. Sooo amazing! I would highly recommend that you run out and buy a butternut squash, roast it and make these muffins. STAT!

Butternut Squash, Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
(adapted from a recipe on Take Back Your Table)

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup butternut squash puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin pan.

Beat eggs in large bowl and add sugar, oil, applesauce and butternut squash puree. In a separate bowl combine and stir all of the dry ingredients - except the chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Spoon into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Check here for the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.

The Great American Biscuit (with Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup)

My theory on baking and cooking: The easier, the better. I don't like wasting time with a lot of ingredients or additional steps. I've been looking for a decent biscuit recipe - one that doesn't require any cutting or whipping cream or a mixer. One thing that I've learned about biscuit recipes is that they almost all require cream of tartar. As a result, I have some on hand. I found this incredibly easy and incredibly good recipe online the other night. I made the biscuits for dinner when we had a chicken from the crock.

Dinner (or Breakfast) Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix butter and milk together. Combine all of the ingredients until just moistened. Drop batter on a greased cooking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

There were a few biscuits left today, so I rounded up all of the ingredients for chicken noodle soup, including homemade chicken broth. Homemade chicken broth is ridiculously easy. Simply place the chicken carcass back in the crock pot after making the Best. Damn. Chicken. Ever. Leave all of the grease and extra veggies in the pot and cover everything with water. Set the crock pot on low and let simmer over night. In the morning, drain the liquid and discard the carcass.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups chopped chicken (or whatever is leftover from a crock pot chicken)
Handful wild rice
Handful noodles (I usually use egg noodles, but had farfalle on hand)
Salt and pepper
Fresh herbs

Method

Sautee onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the olive oil until they are soft. Add the broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and simmer for about 20 minutes then add the noodles and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season as needed.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

We grew all of it in the garden this year! I'm particularly fond of the latter three because they are perennials and I don't have to do much to keep them alive. I'm especially fond of sage because it's such a lovely muted color.

I should use it more often now that it's increasing in size. I do throw it in the crock pot with chicken and stock. Tonight's recipe doesn't boast much from the garden, but it's certainly better with fresh sage from out back. I've been making this recipe for several years and I committed it to memory long ago. I'd love to give credit to the original source, but I can't remember that source any more!

Cauliflower, Bacon and Sage Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb. bacon
1 head of cauliflower
handful of fresh sage (or about 1 tbsp. dried sage)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
S&P
1 box of pasta (linguine, spaghetti, etc.)

Method

Fry bacon to a crisp and tear it up into small pieces. Boil the pasta per the package instructions. Pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 2 tbsp. in the pan. Sautee the sage in the grease for about three minutes. Add the cauliflower and 1/4 cup of water and cover for 3-5 minutes. Add the bacon.

Throw the pasta and the sauteed items into the bowl. Add the bacon and Parmesan cheese and mix. Enjoy!

Aside from the time it takes to fry up the bacon, this dish takes a total of 10 minutes to make. Sometimes we'll fry up a bunch of bacon on the weekend and then use the leftovers for this dish.

Next year, we'll definitely try to grow cauliflower in the garden!

Fresh from the garden: sage.

Pork Saves the Day!

Between school drop off, playing with Lila, grabbing coffee with a friend, mowing the lawn, attending a lunch meeting for work, watching Michelle Obama's speech (very important), picking Benny up, running to the library and finally meeting friends at the park, I wasn't sure how I'd fit dinner preparation into my day.

Then I remembered the pork shoulder waiting patiently in my fridge and this recipe:

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

3-5 pounds pork shoulder
3 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 tbsp. coarse salt

Method

Mix the dry ingredients up and rub on the pork. Let sit for an hour and up to overnight.

Cut an onion into coarse strips. Place half of the onion in the bottom of the crock pot. Place the pork shoulder on top. Cover with the remaining onions. Fill the crock pot up so that about 3/4 of the pork is covered. Cook on low for 6 hours, or until the meat falls off of the bone.

Once the pork is finished, simmer the following ingredients in a sauce pan:

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Pour the sauce over the pork and let sit on warm until you're ready to eat.

I was motivated by Debbie to make this recipe. She suggested that I steam some kale to put on top of pulled pork sandwiches. I steamed/sauteed some kale with a dash of salt. It was an EXCELLENT addition to the sandwich. Thanks for the recommendation, Debbie!

Fresh from the garden: Onions, garlic, kale, green beans and tomatoes.

Easy Peasy

Give me about a month and I'll stop posting all of these recipes from the garden! I'm sure the produce will slow down by then.

A few weeks ago, I was planning to make a quiche, but something went wrong with the crust. Terribly wrong. But I had all sorts of eggs ready for a quiche, so I searched my Betty Crocker cookbook for an egg recipe and came across a frittata. I could use a bunch of stuff from the garden, so I went for it. I don't think I'll ever go back to quiche again!

Garden Fresh Frittata
(adapted from a recipe in Betty Crocker)

Ingredients

8-10 eggs
Handful of basil, cut in thin strips
Small onion
1 cup corn
2 small tomatoes, chopped
S&P
1/2-1 cup cheese

Method

Beat eggs and basil together and set aside. Sautee the onion and corn in olive oil for about three minutes. Add tomatoes and sautee for two minutes. Add eggs and basil. cook by lifting sides up to cook the eggs on top. When the eggs are nearly finished cooking, sprinkle cheese on top and broil for 1-2 minutes.

Fresh from the garden: onion, corn, tomatoes, basil and cucumbers (for salad). Easy peasy.

Goodness, Stuffed in Peppers

Another day, another meal from the garden. Tonight I harvested nearly every pepper from our poblano pepper plant (9 out of 10 total). A bit of a disappointing harvest, considering the size of the plant, but pretty awesome, nonetheless.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers
(adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe)

Ingredients

6-8 peeled and diced tomatoes
4 small onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves (4 whole, 2 minced)
S&P
2 cans beans (I used black and pinto), rinsed
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cup water
2 cups pepper Jack cheese
2 tsp. ground cumin
8-9 small- to medium-sized poblano chiles, halved lengthwise with seeds and ribs removed.

Method

Heat the oven to 425. Put tomatoes, half the onions and 4 whole garlic cloves and salt and pepper in a food processor or blender  for the sauce. Pour it into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Combine the other half of the onions, 2 minced garlic cloves, beans, cornmeal, water, 1 cup cup of cheese and cumin for the stuffing. Stuff the peppers and place in the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Fresh from the garden: Tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic. We also enjoyed the final ears of corn from the garden. Lila has finally mastered eating corn on the cob.

We'll definitely make some modifications to this recipe the next time we make it, including MORE cheese (always) and perhaps a seasoned, shredded meat like chicken or pork.

Modified Margherita

I'm a pizza purist, so this time of the year is a perfect time to make my favorite pizza: margherita. It's clear why tomatoes and basil compliment each other so well - they mature at the same time! Tonight I wanted to try something a bit different, particularly because I found the perfect pesto recipe.

The only things that didn't come from the garden were the flour and yeast for the dough and the walnuts for the pesto. The basil and garlic are fresh from the garden. The pesto also contains a bit of kale, for some extra vitamins. I've been searching for a whole wheat flour for awhile. I like to use whole wheat for nearly everything, but somethings just don't lend themselves to regular whole wheat, pizza dough being one of them. I'm now in love with King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour. It's affordable and is perfect for baking.

I was also very luck to have some harvest helpers:

Modified Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1 packet yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water

3-4 tbsp. pesto
3-4 tomatoes, cut in thin slices
1 cup mozzarella cheese (I use shredded, but I bet fresh mozzarella would be divine)
S&P

Method

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, yeast and sugar. Stir in water and kneed until dough is mixed. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover and place in a warm area for over 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a pizza stone. I use a rolling pin to get mine extra thin.

Spread pesto over the crust and arrange tomatoes on top. Sprinkle cheese over the entire pizza. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is a light brown.

Fresh from the garden: basil, tomatoes, kale and a garden salad made from lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden. The perfect Friday night dinner!

Funeral Pesto

The family and I headed back to Brule yesterday for a quick trip. My dad's brother, Joe, passed away last week. I'm not sure I've fully processed our family's loss yet. Joe was the oldest sibling in the Struckman family. Although Joe's body was eventually completely wrecked by multiple sclerosis, his mind was at 100 percent capacity. I will remember Uncle Joe as an avid cyclist who adored his daughters and his grandkids.

My extended family rarely gathers any more. My grandpa passed away over 10 years ago and my grandma moved to eastern Nebraska about five years ago. My dad's siblings are scattered around the state and country now. I haven't seen some of my cousins in over 10 years. It's a little depressing that we all allow this much time go by without seeing each other. Certainly Facebook has helped me keep in contact with many of my cousins, but it's just not the same.

So although we gathered under sad circumstances, it was truly a celebration of my uncle's life and family. We cried and we laughed and we caught up with one another. Who knows when we'll gather again for another wedding (hopefully) or funeral (no thanks).

The other upside: Benny and Lila got to know their second cousins. They had a great time running around and staying up late. Watching them made my heart happy.

Benny and his new best friend, Parker.

Lila loved Katie, who has become a lovely young woman.
And Aunt Gloria in the photo bomb!

Lila and Londyn.

When we drove up to our house at 5, I marched straight out to the garden and looked for something to make for dinner. The garden totally delivered! A quick batch of pesto, cucumber and tomato salad and green beans were the perfect post-funeral weekend dinner. The kids, well, they were pretty satisfied customers.

The pesto recipe is from Melissa at Her Green Life and it is far superior to the recipe here.

Basic Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups packed basil
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup olive oil (or more if you like your pesto oily)
1 garlic clove

Method

Put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process away!

See those spaghetti and fettuccine noodles? Yeah, that's what happens when you put the garden in charge of dinner. Sometimes it forgets that it doesn't have one full box of pasta. Rather it has several remnants of boxes of pasta.

We've also been eating A LOT of cucumbers for the past few weeks. I've been experimenting with several salad recipes. This one is our current favorite because it doesn't hide the flavor of any of the fresh ingredients.

Simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

1 large cucumber (or 3 small cucumbers)
1 large tomato
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

Cut cucumbers and tomatoes into thin slices. Combine with equal parts red wine vinegar and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. I usually just poor the liquids on until they seem sufficient for the amount of veggies in the bowl.

Fresh from the garden: basil, garlic, cucumber, onion and tomato.

Rest in peace, Uncle Joe. You will be missed.

Got Basil?

Check out the size of these basil plants!

Two enormous bushes, plus three or four smaller plants. Never in my life have I produced so much of the herb. What to do with all of it? Why, eat and drink it, of course.

My first attempt at homemade pesto went OK. Pine nuts are uber expensive, so I opted for walnuts. Not too shabby tossed with some fettuccine. However, I'd love a better pesto recipe. Anyone have a good, easy method?

As for the libations: Gin Basil Smashers. I've attempted to perfect these since the basil plants were small. I think I finally found the right concoction:

Gin Basil Smashers

This recipe makes two small martini-sized drinks.

1 hearty handful of basil
1 lemon, cut in half

Muddle the basil and the lemon in a shaker. And when I say muddle, make them one with the shaker! Then muddle some more. I usually put one lemon half in with half the basil to start the muddling process. After the first half is sufficiently muddled, add the second half.

2 oz. simple syrup

Muddle away again and top with ice cubes.

4 oz. gin (this drink is gin heavy, so the better quality the gin, the better the drink will taste)

Pour on top of the ice. Shake until you can't hold the shaker any more.

Serve over ice. Delish!

Apparently this was the drink of the summer in 2008.

Oh, and check out the jungle of a garden we have going on right now!

What's that you see? Broccoli, pumpkin, basil, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, bolted lettuce, carrots, beets, lavender, oregano, cabbage, peas, beans, cucumbers and much more!

Best. Damn. Chicken. Ever.

The crock pot is slowly becoming one of my most used kitchen accessories. Knowing that summer heat is here to stay and the oven is not comfortable to use for the next two months or so (no A/C in this here house), I've been collecting crock pot and other oven-less recipes to get us through the hot months. I've made this chicken recipe several times over the past few months and I'll make it again tonight.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken

Method

Combine the dried spices in a small bowl. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker. Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid. Cook for 4 – 5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to make your homemade chicken stock! I made stock for the first time last time I made this dish. It lasted me several rice and orzo dishes and it freezes fabulously.

Mad Greens

The garden is in full swing now - especially with the hot weather we've had since, oh, mid-March. It's one of my favorite phases of the garden - the first loot of spring. Lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes and sweet peas. Tonight we're having quiche with garden spinach (recipe to follow) and a salad of fresh greens (ditto on the recipe) from our significant green patch. Oh, and there's a bit of lavender in the patch too.

Quiche

I've  been using my Better Homes and Gardens quiche recipe for years. I just use it as a base. I typically throw in whatever we have in the fridge, including carrots, zucchini, prosciutto, broccoli - you get the picture. Tonight we happened to have some ham and fresh spinach.

Crust Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of white flour
1/3 cup shortening
5 tbsp. water

Method
Mix the flour and shortening with a pastry blender, then add the water one tablespoon as a time. Roll it out and bake it at 425 degrees for eight minutes. Set it aside.

Base Quiche Ingredients
8 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (or your favorite cheese)

Method
Pour into the pie crust and bake it at 325 degrees for 50 minutes, or until it is set up. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
 

Fresh Greens Salad

Ingredients
1:1 salt and pepper
1:1 olive oil and balsamic vinegar
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced

Method
Cover the bottom of a medium bowl with a light layer of salt and pepper (very light if you don't like things salty). Then put in a 1:1 ration of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The amount will depend on the amount of lettuce you use. Throw in the sliced tomatoes and onions and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Cover with lettuce and toss when ready to serve.

I learned how to make this salad when I studied abroad in Tours, France, and lived with a host family. We ate this salad regularly. Now it's a staple of our summer diet and my signature dish at BBQs in the early summer!

Quality Comfort Food

Quality comfort food. Sounds a bit redundant, right? Comfort food is sometimes less about quality and more about the food we ate as kids. I'm thinking about mac and cheese from the blue box, Velveeta cheese, which never goes bad, cinnamon toast with margarine and super processed sugar.

Nate and I have been making a delicious potato corn chowder for nearly our entire marriage. I'm fairly certain that we got the recipe from a flyer at Whole Foods; I wouldn't know. I make the recipe from memory now. Side note: Making recipes from memory is a GREAT way to save time!

On with the potato corn chowder - it has a total of seven ingredients - all but one of them processed (the cheese). We make it so much that Benny considers it comfort food now. I do have a warning: Because this is from memory, the amounts are just guestimates. Enjoy!

Potato Corn Chowder from Memory

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced
 6-7 large potatoes, cubed
6-8 cups of water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn
S&P to taste

Method

Saute the onion in olive oil for about five minutes. Add the potatoes, water and bouillon cubes, bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash the potatoes, add the milk, cheese and sweet corn and simmer for about five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

If we have leftover bacon from a weekend brunch, we'll add some bacon bits to make this comfort food even more comforting.

What's Up Chuck (Roast)?

Benny, Lila and I spent last weekend with my parents in Brule. We were all getting over a cold, so I'm sure we weren't the most enjoyable company. My parents, however, reveled in spoiling Benny and Lila with attention. I got some reading done for my class, Benny visited Bud the Barber for a haircut (check out the pictures below of Benny's first visit to Bud) and my dad cleaned out his freezer and sent me home with a cooler full of meat. This seems to be a new past time of his. I don't know if it's a vestige his shock about of my being a vegetarian several years ago or if he just thoroughly enjoys giving people food (I think it's probably a combination). At any rate, he included a chuck roast.

I've heard of chuck roast, but never considered buying, much less preparing, one. This particular cut of meat is from a butcher in Arthur, Nebraska. That means is legit. Arthur is still cattle country, home to cowboys and cowgirls. I don't say this disparagingly either. I believe ranching and farming is a wonderfully complex lifestyle that has so many positive attributes. On that note, please check out The Whittaker's blog. I went to college with Hailey. She's now a mother of three cowgirls and her husband competes in rodeos all over the country.

I'm also not much for meat and potatoes, so I wanted to shake it up a little. Here's what I settled on:

Spicy BBQ Chuck Roast in a Crock Pot

Ingredients
1 chuck roast (between 3-4 lbs.)
1/2 cup water

3/4 cup ketschup
1/2-3/4 cup cola
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. mustard
1/5 tbsp. liquid smoke
1/5 tbsp. Tobasco
cayenne pepper (as much or as little as you want)
S&P

Method
Cook chuck roast in 1/2 cup water on low in crock pot for 6-8 hours. Rip meat off bone and combine meat with sauce. Cook on high for an hour. Enjoy!

Mom's No-Fail Hashbrowns

Like I said, I'm not a fan of traditional meat and potatoes. But, since we have some potatoes leftover from Christmas that I really need to use up, I figured I could prepare them with a twist. My mom's method for making hashbrowns is no-fail. She pierces them and microwaves them until they're soft. Then she refrigerates them, grates them on a cheese grater and fries them in butter. They are perfect.

Since I'm covering starches with the potatoes, I'm skipping buns for the meat. Plus, I forgot to pick them up at the store today. So much for having a list. I meant to make a salad for dinner too, but heated-up frozen veggies won that battle.

The meat was to-die-for. I can't decide if it's because I crock potted (verb?) the hell out of it, if it's legit cow from cattle country, or because I'm just that good. Let me know how it turns out for you!

Benny's FIRST haircut. He's wearing a Salt Lick onesie!

Merry, Merry Minestrone

This is the first year that Nate and I have spent Christmas in our own home. No traveling, no planning, no schedule. Nate's dad and stepmom are in town, so we are doing a bit of hosting, but the house feels comfortably full and happy.

Now that we have kids and we aren't traveling, I decided to start some of our own traditions, which include a mishmash of our own family traditions. We are opening presents tonight. Santa will visit when everyone is in bed, so we'll have more presents tomorrow morning (new tradition). The naughty and nice list has come in very handy this year. Benny is acutely aware that I have Santa on speed dial. I've made a few calls. Tomorrow we're smoking a ham for lunch and we'll go to a matinee of The Muppets (Nate's family tradition). Tonight we'll have some warm soup (my family tradition) and go out to see some lights in the neighborhood.

My mom always made potato soup, chili, and chicken noodle soup on Christmas Eve. I'm adding a twist to the Christmas soup tradition. We're making minestrone. It's hearty, it's fully of good stuff, and everyone loves it. Nate and I have been making this minestrone since we received a great vegetarian cookbook for our wedding. Enjoy the Merry, Merry Minestrone!

Merry, Merry Minestrone

Ingredients
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, finely chopped
6 cups veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 zucchini, chopped
1 lg. can chopped tomatoes
1 can white beans
3 tbsp. pesto sauce
salt and pepper

freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Method
1. Heat oil, stir in onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

2. Add broth and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook for 12 minutes.

3. Stir peas and zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cover the pan to simmer for 8 minutes.

4. About 10 minutes before serving, uncover the pan and add the beans. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pesto sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Voila! A relatively healthy, hearty Christmas soup. We're serving ours with some yummy bread. Can't wait to report out on our Christmas feast and activities! Have a great night!

Giving Experiences (Plus a Great Recipe!)

Benny is four yeas old and had not experienced a Christmas light show until last night. There's really no excuse - lots of places in and around Denver have light shows for the holidays. We did try to go to Zoo Lights two years ago, but the line of cars was so long that we opted for Thai food instead. Benny was none the wiser. However, he's such a fan of lights that we really should have humored him before now.

We decided to skip the crowds at the zoo this year and experience the lights at the Denver Botanic Gardens. We became members this summer and I haven't regretted it yet. I love the gardens. We've visited as a family three times already and we took advantage of our free tickets to the harvest festival around Halloween. We invited Benny's friend Toby and his family to join us. It was a magical night - the reason for the season, without the whole Christ part! (Can you tell from Benny's enormous smile in both photos? He told me, "Mom, I really love this!" as we walked through the gardens.)

And then we made this great Coq au Vin recipe courtesy of the Whole Foods recipe website.

We served the dish with sour dough bread, simple French salad (I will write about this amazing side some day), and noodles coated in olive oil. It was a delicious, if fast, feast! We had to chow down in order to get the kids to bed at a decent time!

This is blatant plagarism:

Chicken in Wine (Coq au Vin) 

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon, roughly chopped*
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided*
1 (12-ounce) package white or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 large sprigs thyme

Method

Arrange chicken on a large sheet of waxed paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken all over with flour and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until golden and just crisp, 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Discard drippings and wipe out skillet. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (or heat oil, if using) in same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate as done and set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter or oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften. Transfer vegetables and broth to crock pot. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle bacon over chicken. Add wine and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

Creamy, Easy Dinner

Doesn't everyone want a creamy, easy dinner recipe every once in awhile. I know I do. So, I made Amanda's Tomato Sausage Risotto the other night. It's easy and fabulous (even if I mistakenly bought Santa Fe chili sausage instead of Italian sausage).

Check out Amanda's food blog. And check out the recipe here:

Ingredients:

• 1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1 lb. Italian sausage, mild or sweet (if in casings, remove)
• 1 small-med. onion, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 bunch of spinach, finely chopped
• 2 TB butter
• Garnishes: more parmesan cheese or parsley, goat cheese, basil

Directions:

1. Drain the tomatoes over a bowl to reserve all the liquid. Set tomatoes chunks aside.
2. Combine juice from tomatoes with 3 cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and keep warm on your back burner.
3. In a large-medium saucepan, heat oil, add sausage and onion, and season with S & P. Cook sausage, breaking it up with your cooking utensil until sausage is pretty much cooked through and onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remember this will just keep cooking, so no need to cook everything through and through right now.
4. Add rice and tomatoes, stirring to combine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, letting the rice coat and lightly toast.
5. Add wine. Cook and stir until absorbed, about 1-2 minutes, while stirring.
6. Add about 2 cups or 3 big ladles full of tomato liquid to the risotto. Cook this over a soft simmer, stirring occasionally to re-distribute the liquid and make sure all the rice is being cooked, about 5 minutes.
7. Add 1-2 ladles full of liquid at a time, waiting until the prior batch is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Stirring to combine and re-distribute after each addition, until rice is creamy and tender, about 25 minutes (you may or may not use all of the juice, I didn't on this batch). Taste testing is strongly encouraged.
8. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, parmesan, butter, season with S & P and add some crushed red pepper if you like some spice! We served with parsley and goat cheese on top.

I skipped the spinach and goat cheese since we didn't have either. It turned out great. The secret to great risotto? Keep the broth hot and keep the stirring consistent. Easy. I could even do it while holding a not-so-happy toddler the WHOLE time. My left arm was sore, but the creamy goodness made up for it!

Save a Pig, Eat a Chicken

Over the summer, Nate and I spent way too much money on meat. We get so excited about grilling, we tend to overdo it a little for roughly five months. And anyone who knows me well, knows how much I love all things pork. Pork chops to be specific. Recently, we've realized that chicken is much more affordable. Typically I detest chicken. However, my good friend Jen opened our eyes to the magic of a roaster chicken (i.e. a whole chicken). My brother then sent me the most amazing chicken recipe that we'll be making tonight for some friends. My brother, Luke, is one of the best cooks I know. He makes a lot of stuff from scratch, so we try to exchange recipes whenever we think of it.

While pork will probably always be my number one love (I'm pretty passionate about it), chicken is starting to make some inroads. So tonight, we'll save a pig and eat a chicken.

Senegalese Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (leave the skin on) (or 8 pieces of chicken of the type you prefer, i.e. legs and thighs)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or any other vegetable oil)
4 medium-sized onions, sliced crosswise
8 tablespoons lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
8 tablespoons vinegar (cider vinegar is best)
1 bay leaf
8 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons regular or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons black pepper

Optional Spices:

1 hot chile pepper, cleaned and finely chopped -OR-
cayenne pepper powder

Optional Vegetables:

1 small cabbage, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks

Instructions

Poke holes in the chicken pieces with a fork to allow the marinade into the meat.

Mix all the ingredients (except the optional vegetables) and allow the chicken to marinate in a covered glass dish in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Remove chicken from the marinade and SAVE the marinade. Cook according to one of the following methods:

Cooking method 1: Grill chicken on a gas or charcoal grill until skin is crispy and meat is cooked through.
Cooking method 2: Broil the chicken on high in an oven using a wire rack or a broiler tray (About 40-45 minutes. Turn over at 20 minutes.)

While chicken is browning, Remove onions from marinade and sauté them in a large saucepan for a few minutes. Add remaining marinade and the optional vegetables and bring to a slow boil and cook at a boil for ten minutes. Cook the marinade into a sauce. Reduce heat.

Serve with boiled white rice. Garnish with sliced vegetables or a green salad.