Soup Soothes The Soul

Nothing makes you feel better than hot, homemade soup and  warm, homemade bread on a cold, frosty day. That's the one thing, and maybe only thing, that I like about winter, making soup, stews and casseroles.

This weekend I made some homemade vegetable, beef soup. It's not a recipe, it's just something that, over time, I have thrown together, tweaked and changed around  ever so many times. But even if I don't always fix it the exact same way every time, it always soothes the soul. That is the beauty of this soup, you can change it up to include or omit whatever flavors you like. You can leave out the meat (ahem, L.R.) for a totally vegetable soup using veggie stock instead of beef. Add whatever veggies you like or even sub chicken instead of the beef. It's totally versatile.

I usually start with browning some stew meat, of course, if you have a roast, you can always cook that and shred it to use in the soup.

Here is the setup to make the soup.

And then I found this in the freezer and decided use some of it also.

Even though this mix had onions in it, I still used the pearl onions. I like a lot of onions.....in almost everything.

I sautéed the mirepoix mixture along with the carrots until they were slightly softened, while scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up all the bits of meat and flavor.

Then it's just a matter of draining and rinsing the green beans and kidney beans and adding them to the pot along with the cut up cabbage (I used about half of the head of cabbage), corn, tomatoes, onions, meat and broth. I actually ended up using  1 1/2 cartons of beef broth. Add a little salt and pepper and I used the season salt when I browned the beef.

After it heats up, this is where you taste and adjust the flavors you want. I added some Italian seasoning and a little tomato paste.

I then let the soup simmer on medium low heat for 3 or 4 hours, until the meat practically falls apart and the soup is steaming hot.

This soup freezes well. I like to freeze it into individual servings, that makes it easy to take work or heat up at home for a quick meal.

Like I said, you can tweak this recipe anyway you like.

It's getting cold out, time to make soup.

Kathy

Sunday Chicken

My experience with just roasting a plain ole chicken has been, at times, frustrating. It sometimes comes out too dry, under done or just not as flavorful as I think  it should be. Now you would think that it would be fairly easy to do.

I've seen recipes that say to just put a little olive oil on the outside along with a little salt and pepper and bake at 350 til the internal temp. is about 182 (that's according to my meat thermometer). But I'm always afraid that it's not going to be cooked all the way that I leave it in longer than it probably needs to be.

Then there are the recipes that tell you to brine the bird, or to put butter under the skin and some say don't put anything on it, just pat dry and put in the oven. Then there's the whole question of that empty cavity. Do you put something in there to add flavor to the chicken or just leave it empty. Once I tried  recipe that called for putting an onion that's been cut in half, garlic cloves and a lemon that is cut in half inside the chicken. I then cooked it til it reached the proper temperature, but the juice from the cavity was still pink and not cooked all the way. Needless to say, I never tried that again.

Well, yesterday I took a different approach. After looking up several recipes, watching several cooking shows and using some common sense, I gave it another go. Apparently, leaving the chicken, uncovered in the refrigerator overnight helps to dry out the skin which makes for a crispier crust. So I did that. I then thawed out some of the chive butter that I made last summer and rubbed it liberally all over the outside of the chicken. Do not be afraid of using a lot of butter for this. I even put some of it inside the infamous cavity. I used some kosher salt for seasoning.

According to a lot of cooks you should first cook the chicken in a very hot oven, about 425F for about 30 minutes and then turn down the oven to 350F to finish. I had a pretty big bird so I cooked it for another 1 1/2 hours until the internal temp. reached 180. After taking out of the oven, cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 or 20 minutes. That way the juices re-absorb into the meat.

I have to say that this was the best chicken that I have ever roasted. It was juicy and perfectly done. Even my son said it was really moist and he's not a big fan of baked chicken.

I really think the difference was leaving it uncovered overnight to dry the skin, cooking it at a high temp. at the beginning and not being afraid to rub it with lots of butter.

I ate some moe of it tonight for dinner and it was still moist and delicious. Seems like just a few tweeks to what I had been doing made the biggest difference .........who knew!


Kathy

Reboot

It's been two weeks since I've been on here, I've just been really unsettled. First there was the break-in at my house. After that "violation" of my sanctuary, I felt disconnected from the whole experience. Yes, I was angry, feeling violated, upset etc. But I felt oddly disconnected.

I was coming to terms with the whole incident, then earlier this week my Mom was mugged and her purse stolen right on her own front porch. She had just returned from the grocery and was getting ready to unlock her front door when a woman ran into her fenced yard and pulled her purse away from her and knocking her down in the process. She hit her head on the concrete but it wasn't bad, just left her with a small knot on her head.

Luckily, they caught the girl just yesterday and she admitted to my Mom's mugging and two others. She would follow these elderly ladies home from the grocery and then steal their purses, One lady broke her shoulder when she was pulled down and the other was knocked down and kicked.

After my Mom's mugging, I started to feel like you couldn't be safe anywhere, in your home, your yard or just going to the store. Everyone walking down the street made me suspicious, I was constantly looking around to see if anyone was following me. I felt like I should carry all my valuables with me because they might not be safe at home, but then again, I could be mugged anywhere. I was starting not to feel safe no matter where I was. I was starting to really, really stress out and be on edge all the time.

So I've decided to give myself a (imaginary) slap in the face and say "SNAP OUT OF IT". I can't go around being afraid and distrustful all the time. Yes, I will be more aware of my surroundings, but I'm not going to let it make me on edge.

While the people who broke in my house may never be caught, the news that my Mom's mugger was caught gave me the little shove I needed to stop obsessing about it.

So Friday night I wallowed in it for a while and ate a big bowl of  homemade popcorn with lots and lots of real butter and a coke for dinner and watched some trashy TV.

This morning I decided what I needed was something joyful. So I decided to start decorating for Christmas. I don't usually do it til the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I am starting early this year, just because I can. Now, I probably won't put up the tree until after Thanksgiving, but today I took my dishes down to the basement and got out my Christmas dishes and coffee mugs. I love my Christmas dishes. Tomorrow I'm going to get out my little Christmas village and set it up and put my wreath on the door and who knows what else. It's already made me feel better. I can't wait to light my pine scented candles and get out my collection of Santas. It's just what I needed.

I'm including this picture of a tree that I can see from my office. I find it fascinating how the leaves that have turned for Autumn are in three different colors. And they stay that way, they don't gradually all turn one color. They stay 3  distinct colors until they fall off. I just think it's interesting.

Here's to better times ahead and lots of good cooking.


Kathy

Ahhh..Sunday Cookin'

This is the first Sunday in a while that I feel like I can do what I really want to do, cook something. Last weekend was...well, I think you remember what last weekend was all about..security. Although, I did cook Sunday before last, but it seems like is was a lot longer than that. I guess that it was stress does to a person.

Today I am making some Chipotle Chicken Chili, a recipe from the tastykitchen.com website. It's a wonderful resource for recipes. It's in association with thepioneerwoman.com blog. This chili really looks good and while I like my own chili recipe, which I will share on here soon, I wanted to switch it up a bit and this fit the bill.

Here are the players for this soup/chili.

This is the finished product and I must say, it has a little "zing" to it. Yummy, here is the recipe.


2 tbl of olive oil
1 whole onion diced
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 lbs of boneless chicken breasts
1 (12 oz) bottle of good beer
1 can of diced tomatoes (I had crushed tomatoes so I used those)
3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
1 can of kidney beans
1can of black beans
1can of pinto beans
(I just used the black and pinto beans, I found that two cans would be plenty)
1 tbl chili powder
1 tbl ground cumin
1tsp salt
1/4 cup of masa (corn flour, it can be found in the Hispanic section of the grocery)
1 lime

Heat olive oil in pot, add onions and sauté for several minutes, then add garlic and stir for a minute or two.

Meanwhile, dice the chicken into whatever size you want, I cut mine into medium size pieces. (L.R., this picture is for you.)

Then add chicken to onions and garlic and cook til just browned. Add 3/4 of the beer to the chicken mixture and let cook for about 10 minutes.

Chop up the peppers, drain and rinse the beans and then add the peppers, beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and salt to the pot. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour.

Then you take the 1/4 cup of masa and stir in the remaining beer. Add this to the pot and stir, it will thicken it and give a very subtle corn taste. Also, squeeze the lime into the soup. Let it simmer for about 10 more minutes and serve. The recipe suggests serving with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

I grew up eating chili with peanut butter sandwich/crackers but I'm stepping  out of my box and using the shredded cheese and if I'm really adventurous, I'll use a little sour cream.

I really like chili, it is spicy and is quite different from any chili I have ever made before. Now I have to give some to my special taste tester and get her review of it.

Autumn is in the air.....


Kathy

Sanctuary

A sanctuary is a place of peace and quiet, where you can feel safe and secure, be yourself and relax. For most of us our home is such a place. It's our personal space, a place we long to go to at the end of the day, where we can let our hair down, put our feet up and reboot. When that place of sanctuary disturbed and our personal space is invaded, it can be traumatic.

My home, my sanctuary was broken into last Friday, during the middle of the day. I had a doctor's appointment and was gone for about 3 hours. When I came home, I noticed a few odd things, a fan in my son's room had been knocked over, the security bar on the back door was removed. At first I thought my son had come home from work during his lunch hour and was in a hurry and knocked the fan over. I wondered if I had been in such a hurry to leave that I forgot to lock the back door. But something didn't seem right. I walked back through the rooms again, then I saw it. There was broken glass on the bathroom floor and it hit me. I turned and saw my son's tv was gone, his laptop was gone from off his dresser. I had left my laptop on the kitchen table, it was gone, along with a crystal necklace that my son had bought me for my birthday last year.

It must have been a quick job, probably one person, since only a few things were gone. I'm thinking maybe Lola scared the thief off when he came out of my son's room and started through the living room towards my room. He broke the bathroom window and climbed through. He/they didn't go through any drawers and left a few other items that I was surprised weren't taken.

I am grateful because it could have been a lot worse, more things taken or he could have hurt Lola or let her out the front door. But I don't know that I will ever feel the same about my house, hopefully I will in time, but it's going to take a while. My sense of security has been shattered, my sanctuary doesn't seem so peaceful.

I spent the entire weekend replacing the glass in the bathroom window, buying and putting up security bars on some of the windows, and extra locks on the doors. I still need to buy some more security bars for the rest of the windows. I will do that one at a time, but at least they're up on the bathroom window and my son's bedroom window. If I could afford to get a security system installed I would, but  I just can't do it right now.

I've been trying hard to get out of debt and this sure has set me back. Between getting the locks and security bars. I did have to get a new laptop. not only for me but my son uses it also for his college classes. I still feel traumatized by it all.

My son's laptop had actually crashed a couple of years ago and he just uses his phone unless he needs to do something for a class then he uses my laptop,  so I guess the thieves will get a big surprise. I was most upset by losing the necklace my son gave me and the pictures that were on my laptop that I lost.

It's a sad thing that you have to barricade yourself inside your own home to feel safe. That people who are too lazy to work feel entitled to take things that other people work hard to be able to have.  That I don't feel a sense of peace in my home. That I have lost interest in the plans I was making to work on making a bigger garden next summer. That I look with suspicion at everyone who walks down my street. That I have to hide things when I leave for work in the morning or take them with me.

I'm sure a lot of those feelings will go away with time, but will my home ever feel like my sanctuary again? I hope so.


Kathy

Walnut Oil

I bought this walnut oil a couple of years ago. Well, not this particular can, another can, this is a new can.....you know what I mean. Anyway, I bought it for a recipe I saw in a magazine for walnut bread. I never did make the bread but I did use it to make my own salad dressing.

I know salad dressing seems like such an easy thing to make from scratch, basically it's oil and vinegar, but for some reason I never could get it just right. But on the back of the can was a "recipe" for salad dressing:

4 Tbl. of walnut oil
1 Tbl. of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of mustard
salt and pepper
and just shake it up

Pretty simple right? Yes, yes it is. One thing that I like about it, besides that it tastes good, is that it makes just enough for an individual salad. I don't like my salads swimming in dressing and the portion is just enough. I have seen recipes for homemade dressings before, but it's always way more than I need.

I've played around with this recipe by substituting different vinegar, like champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar. One thing that is really good is using lemon or lime juice in place of the vinegar. Something else that I've thought about but haven't tried yet is maybe using lemon and then honey instead of the mustard as a dressing for fruit salad......hmmmmm.

Lots of times I will add different flavors of Mrs. Dash seasoning to the dressing along with the salt and pepper, maybe the fiesta lime, lemon pepper or the extra spicy flavor. It really does make it tasty. Plus an added bonus to using this oil is that it's got lot's of omega 3 being it's made from walnuts, the good for you fats.

Now I must tell you that this oil is a little pricey. I believe I paid about $7 or $8 for it, but it will last me quite a while because I only use it for salad dressing and I don't eat salads everyday. It may last me a couple of months so I feel it is well worth it, being healthy and all.

Kathy



I must tell you though that this

Sunday Cookin'

Here it is Sunday again and I've got time to cook. I'm actually roasting a turkey breast in the oven for supper tonight, but I wanted to get something cooked ahead a time for later in the week and to put in the freezer for a couple of future meals.

I decided I had a hankering for nachos. Yummmmy. So I figured if I could cook up some "taco" meat ahead of time then I would just have to throw it on some chips, add some cheese and there it is. The meat could also be used in actual tacos or burritos. See how versatile it is and it freezes well too.

So I browned 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck. I got a 3lb package at the grocery that was on sale. I'll use the 1 1/2 to make chili at a later date.

These are the spices I used to make the meat taste "nacho-y". But later I decided not to use the basil.

1 1/2 tsp of cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
Add crushed red pepper to taste, depending on how much heat you want.
salt
pepper
1 medium diced onion

Once the meat is browned and the excess grease drained off, add the spices and onion, stir around and let simmer for a couple of minutes.

This is a new ingredient that I saw used on a cooking show, so I bought it and was very anxious to try it. It is Mexican tomato sauce, found in the Mexican section of the grocery store (duh). It is nice and spicy. I poured it little by little into the meat mixture, letting it simmer for a while before I added more. I didn't want to make it too soupy. But I ended up using the whole can, it's only a 7oz can. Then I let the meat simmer for a while.

I had planned on soaking some black beans over night and cooking them today. But I was on the go a lot yesterday and was too tired to do it last night. But, you can always improvise, so I used a can of kidney beans that I had. I just drained and rinsed them and threw them in the meat mixture. No problem.

I let this all simmer for a while and even though I hadn't plan to eat any today, I had to have a taste for lunch. But there is still plenty for another meal of nachos or burritos during the week. I'll then freeze the rest in individual portions for future use, when I'm in a hurry and don't feel like cooking!

I shredded some of this cheese to put on my nachos. But you can always change it up by using Mexican cheese, pepper jack or any other kind of cheese that you like.

This was my quick lunch today, I just had to have some because it smelled so good. I did stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to melt the cheese. When I will fix it for dinner, I'll add some diced grape tomatoes, and have a little salad with it, you could maybe add olives if you like them ( I don't!).

I hope you will try it, it's pretty simple to make and you can add anything you like.

On a completely note, this is what my kitchen table looks like after a week of just throwing the mail and assorted things onto it instead of dealing with it daily.

Later......

Kathy