January « 2012 « Too Much To Do; So Little Time…

Christmas Gift

By Stef, on January 31, 2012

I’ve mentioned before how much I love Le Creuset and how Hubby calls it “Le Crack” because I’m “addicted” to it. Remember a year ago I when I asked if Do I need to be committed? and how since then, I have either received new pieces as kitchen warming gifts, Christmas surprises or found great deals at Marshalls. I even had a Le Creuset giveaway.

Well, Ma is now feeding my habit! Look at the wonderful gift she bought me for this past Christmas!

Can’t tell what it is??? Let me show you…

Still can’t tell what it is? Does this help?

I love the loop! It’s for a towel!

I feel like a real kitchen pro! Isn’t it a cool apron? Thanks, Ma!! You know how much I love Le Creuset AND aprons!!

Do you have a cool apron?
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Friday Funny – Just Standing Around

By Stef, on January 27, 2012

FridayFunny

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Apple Pie in an Apple

By Stef, on January 26, 2012

Greetings this fine January day! WOW! That really sounds chipper and upbeat! I think it is because there was this GIANT BRIGHT ORB in the sky this morning and on top of the SUN shining I’m actually starting to feel better!!! YIPPPPPEEEEEEE!!!! I really really really hate being sick. It lasts “forever”! It’s been a month TODAY! Anyway on with today’s post…

Back in November I was chatting with my friend Nicole (you know Nicole from Life’s a Beach… wish I was on one) and she referred me to an amazing blog post by Renata about an Apple Pie in the Apple. I was intrigued. Nicole is always sharing links to some great posts – thanks, Nicole!! I had hoped to make it for Thanksgiving Dinner, but we had so much other food so I didn’t get it done. Then I had planned on it for Christmas and well in our usual fashion… too much food again. I did make them, but not for a fancy dinner. I thought you might be interested in how it went.

Renata’s recipe was actually inspired by Paper Plates and China who used a lattice top and both of theirs are quite lovely. They’re slightly different and since Hubby isn’t much of a “pastry fan”, I opted for Renata’s version. Both of their photos are much, much better than mine – Renata’s are amazing!!

This was my first attempt so my results were less than stellar… but they tasted AWESOME!

Cast of characters (sorry no photo):
Filling: Apples, Flour, Sugar, Cinnamon
Sweet Pie Dough: All purpose flour, whole wheat flour, corn starch, sugar, butter (cold), egg, salt, baking powder

Make the dough (again no photo, sorry), roll it out between wax paper and place in fridge…

Hollow-out the apples, being careful to not pierce sides, and use the bits for the filling. This is so much easier said than done (if anyone has any suggestions, please share). I pierced the sides of the apples a couple of times which will be evident soon.

Mix the apples, four, sugar and cinnamon. Put filling in hollowed-out apples and place in parchment lined pan…

Use “something” to cut out tops. I was lame and used a glass. I didn’t have a large cookie cutter (I do now though!). Be sure to poke venting holes in tops before putting on top of apples. You can use a straw. BTW, my OCD is having fits at the fact that these aren’t identical! UGH!

You can see after they cooked where I pieced the sides too closely… they split…

One broke open…

Several broken, some not…

But… add ice cream and you forget about broken apples…

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!!!

One downside that all three of us though was the blossom end of the apple has this little piece… If you’re not careful, you’d eat it.

The Offspring and I loved the taste, but digging out the apple bits was really hard and I’m not sure if the effort is worth it. I have some adorable ramekins and I think I want to try the recipe again, but just not put it in actual apple. That would alleviate the blossom end, too.

I’ll let you know how that goes when I get that done. I’m feeling better so maybe this weekend… or for “Girls’ Night” on Friday.

Have you tried making anything like this?
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Babybel OCD and Making a Wax Heart

By Stef, on January 25, 2012

I have a bit of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Sometimes I can’t help myself; other times I really don’t care. It’s WEIRD!!! What is really weird is I have “Babybel OCD”. What’s that? you ask… It’s easier to show you…

Just about every time I eat a Mini Babybel cheese round this is my process… (NOTE: forgive the photos… crappy lighting at my work desk)

I open the round just like you’re supposed to… pull the little pulls….

…then I put the “cap” underneath the “bottom”…

…and then eat the cheese… (guess it’s better than “cutting the cheese”… sorry… I couldn’t resist! )

… put the pulls inside…

…fold in front side…

…fold in the back side…

…fold the left edge in…

… fold the right edge…

…and Voila! a Babybel wax heart…

It’s complusive… when I try to just toss it my stomach starts flip-flopping and I have been known to get it out of the trash and fold it! Then I wash-wash-wash my hands! UGH! I’m nuts, right? (Rafael, you be nice!)

Do you have any unusual habits when you eat something?
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Mama’s Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

By Stef, on January 23, 2012

As I have often discussed the Oregon rainy winter skies SUCK. I HATE the dark dreary days. This is what I saw when I tried to look out our front window on Sunday.

YEP… it was raining so much that the windows were streaked with rain. UGH! All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball in front of the fireplace. Well… we don’t have a fireplace!

Instead I watched Pioneer Woman’s Food Network show on our DVR and she talked about fixing meals with stuff she had around the house. I realized I had some food that I needed to use or soon would be tossing.

I also was in “What would my mom make if she was here?” mode. Mama lives half a continent away so she could not come over to pamper me. So instead I decided to make just what I knew she’d make… potato soup. Actually, I deviated We like garlic quite a bit and I still had leftover Roasted Garlic so I decided I’d add some so to her recipe. You could use diced or minced garlic.

Cast of Characters: potatoes (about 8-12 potatoes, I used yellow and would have used more but didn’t have enough), onion, parsley, butter, water, salt, pepper, butter, Roasted Garlic, milk and cream (yes, I know I have half & half in the picture; it’s what I had on hand). Mama adds ham, but I don’t really like ham in my potato soup – Hubby and The Offspring do, but I didn’t have any scraps leftover so I skipped it.

In a heavy pot, sauté the onions in butter until they are translucent…

While the onions are sautéing, dice the potatoes into bite-size pieces…

After the onions are done and the potatoes are chopped, place potatoes in the pot and if desired roasted garlic (I added 3 tablespoons – if garlic upsets your stomach or causes “digestive distress” don’t use this much).

Add 2 Cups of water, or enough to just cover the potatoes…

Add a couple pinches of salt…

… and pepper…

Add a handful of parsley…

Stir and bring to a rolling boil. Then turn down to a slow boil or simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir occasionally…

After potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork, add 2 Cups (pint) cream (or half and half) and 2 Cups of milk…

Taste and add more seasoning as desired… I needed to add more pepper.

Stir and re-heat to a gentle boil…

Grab a bowl and enjoy… YUMMMMMMMM! (Mama, the Roasted Garlic was an awesome add!)

Have you ever made potato soup? Does it help make the gloomy day go away? Mine did… until I looked at the window again!
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Friday Funny – Sloppier Than Fiction

By Stef, on January 20, 2012

This is sooooo true!
Sloppier Than Fiction
Comic and hover title courtesy of xkcd.com.

Do you have a Friday Funny to share? Please put it in a comment
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Roasted Garlic

By Stef, on January 19, 2012

For Thanksgiving I made Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. They were such a hit that I made them again for Christmas. The downside is that unless you buy roasted garlic, you have to plan ahead. It is REALLY REALLY easy to roast garlic.

I have a garlic roaster made by Progressive, but you do NOT need one to roast garlic.

It’s really funny, I bought it way back “when” (maybe early 1990s), but before Thanksgiving I had only used it twice maybe three times since then. It had been tucked away in a corner of a bottom cabinet. As part of packing for our remodel I discovered it… well, put it in a big box of stuff to sort through.

Well, guess what?! I’ve used it three times since Thanksgiving!!! I’m not sure why I never used it because seriously… it’s super duper easy…

Cast of Characters: Garlic Roaster or Foil, Garlic (DUH), and Olive Oil

Pre-heat oven to 350° F (167°C).

My roaster is terra cotta and it is highly recommend that you soak the lid in water for 15 minutes – I do it while the oven is pre-heating. The soaking is not required, so if you forget, no worries!

While the lid is soaking and the oven is pre-heating, prepare the garlic. For the demonstration, I roasted five garlic bulbs for each method (roaster and foil). My garlic mashed potatoes (recipe coming soon) calls for four bulbs. Slice off the top quarter of the bulb. This is to expose the garlic cloves. The root end remains in tact to keep the cloves together.

If I run into some “bad” garlic cloves, I pick them out with a “butter knife”. If they look nasty like that dried up black one, I toss the whole bulb. Normally I wouldn’t do that, but I’d already cut the garlic and well I was stupid. In hindsight, I should have saved the good cloves… oh well… silly me!

If you’re using foil, place a sheet of foil on the counter.

Place the garlic in the roaster or on the foil and drizzle olive oil over the garlic.

If using roaster, remove lid from water and put lid on roaster. If using foil, wrap foil up in around garlic to form a “ball”.

Place roaster/foil in hot oven and roast for one hour. Do not open roaster or foil while roasting.

Your house will start to smell A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! After an hour, remove roaster/foil ball, remove lid/open foil and let cool. Doesn’t this look YUMMY!!! The smell was GREAT!!