Slow Cooker Fun

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When I was at Costco a couple of weeks ago, I invested in a brand new cookbook that is something I've been looking for for quite some time: a decent slow cooker cookbook.

When I first began homeschooling, everyone on the homeschooling forums social network that I frequented swore by their crockpot. In theory, the idea is great, after all. Dump all the ingredients in the crockpot. Educate the Youth of America by reading fabulous books together, and all the while  you are doing so, you and the kids are smelling the wonderful dinner that the crockpot is busy preparing for you. At the end of the work day, your fabulous meal is ready, and one day, your children will rise up and call you blessed for the stellar education you provided them, not to mention the delicious homecooked meals that came from your kitchen. SOUNDS like the homeschool Mom's dream come true, right?

It's a beautiful dream, no doubt about it, but in practice....not so much. The cookbook everyone seemed to own was entitled Fix It and Forget It. It was a book full of pretty pipe dreams, that rarely delivered. The recipes were collected from home cooks, and the vast majority contained a can of Campbell's Creamy Mushroom Soup, or some other processed goo that I didn't want to use. I realized, even then, that if you start out with processed crap, your end result will be: processed crap. I wanted more selections with FRESH ingredients and whole foods. There were a few recipes in that book that were written with fresh ingredients, but by the end of the day, after boiling/simmering all day long, the ingredients were tired and limp. They'd literally had the life cooked out of them. And all the flavor went with it.

What to do? What to do?

I checked out a bunch of slow cooker books from the library, and found a couple that I sort of liked, but nothing really rang my bell in terms of recognizing an invaluable resource. I tried some Slow Cooker recipes from Cook's Illustrated that I fell in love with, (their Beef Burgundy, for one) but it was more of a luck-related thing: I occasionally would stumble upon one, but there was no collection of them.

Until now!

So head on over to the Fun Girls today, and you can get my adaptation of their recipe for Slow Cooker Texas Chili. It's pretty great chili, if I do say so myself.

I Am Not Worthy

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Trying to act nonchalant.

 See this woman?

See what's behind her?

Yeah, at this particular moment, she was feeling pretty darn good about herself.

She was thinking that she, for some reason, had been allowed to hit the jackpot.

Have you ever been someplace, gone someplace, and known that you had risen above your social pay grade?

At the moment that this picture was being taken, I was well aware of that fact: I married a quality human being. He chooses friends (or they choose him) who are quality human beings.

And it happens that his friend - I'll call him Ozzie, is just an amazing guy, married to an equally amazing woman, who I'll call Harriet.

Ozzie and my Bison go hunting together. They write songs together. They make and produce music together.

And because I'm married to The Big Bison, every once in a while, I get to go along for the ride. Sometimes, like on the very evening this picture was taken, quite literally.

Ozzie's son and daughter wanted to celebrate the 36 beautiful years that their parents have been married. So, Ozzy's son and his gorgeous wife concocted a scheme to surprise his parents that involved us all climbing into a Hummer limo at Ozzie's son's house, and riding to Ozzie and Harriet's house to pick them up and take them out to dinner. As planned, it was meant to completely take them by surprise.


First element of surprise: limo arrives at Ozzie and Harriet's door.
Second element of surprise: limo filled with Ozzie and Harriet's kids and their spouses, and grandkids, as well as a few friends.

The surprise worked perfectly, by the way. 

So, this photo of me was taken right at the beginning of the evening, just as we were getting ready to climb in the limo. I'm looking up at the sky, trying to act nonchalant, like I climb into Hummer Limousines all the time.

But YOU can see it for what's really going on, can't you?

Yup. You're right. That hint of smugness. That hint of pride on her face. Why else would she stop and ask her husband to take a picture, right?

Well, as we all know, pride goeth before a fall.

And this woman's about to have one, and she doesn't even know it yet.

Because one thing the camera DOESN'T really do very well is paint the entire picture. There's nothing you can TOUCH to know how slick and shiny that limo was. You can't HEAR the sound of the birdies chirping in the springtime air. You can't SMELL the dog poopie, that unbeknownst to me, I apparently had just stepped in while posing for that picture.

But, about one minute after climbing inside, and duck-walking my way down that limo, you COULD smell it.

God's little way of reminding me that, indeed, I am NOT worthy. I'm the idiot from the sticks who brings the dog poop on her shoe to the party.

The good news? I did discover it before we left Ozzie's son's house. They gave me some Clorox wipes, and my shoe and hands were duly Clorox'ed. The limo itself was made free of all traces of doggie-doo stench, before we began rolling down the road.

And I came back inside the limo a chastened, humbled, and more sanitized woman.

Although the fact that it takes a public humiliation to remind me to be humble is just a touch annoying. But apparently, some of us need just a little more work than others of us.

To sum up the evening: Ozzie and Harriet were beautifully honored by their children. We all had a rip roaringly great time, and story after story was told, each of which is worth writing down, and being re-told. But they aren't really my stories to tell. I'm just hoping that Ozzie and Harriet have them written down somewhere. Their marriage, their children, and their life's work are all beautiful testimonies to the grace of God.

Both the Bison and I have lost our parents. Every once in a while, there is a temptation to feel sorry for ourselves in that regard. But then, I am reminded of Ozzie and Harriet's beautiful family, and of how they have welcomed us in to special evening after special evening in their home and within their circle, and I wonder how I EVER got so blessed as to be included into their orbit in life.

And then, this morning, this verse came to me:

God sets the lonely in families,
   he leads out the prisoners with singing;

Just want to say how grateful I am to have been allowed a seat at their family's table. Sharing part of my life's song with this family has been freeing indeed.

And, um, sorry about the dog poopie.

Typical.

~shakes head mournfully~
 

I Need *People*

Pin It And Barbra Streisand  would tell you that makes me one of the luckiest people in the world. (Don't miss the dreamy eyed look that Robin Williams gives her at the beginning of this song!)


Gosh, she has a lovely voice.

Unfortunately, I don't think that what Barbra had in mind in that song was exactly what I had in mind, when I mentioned that I need *people*.

What I need, and, what I'm pretty sure Barbra herself HAS, by the way, is *people*.  As in staff. Minions. Lackeys. Flunkies. Employees.

I need *people* to go out and do my laundry, cook my meals, educate my children, and clean my house,  Honestly, I'd just settle for someone to come in and clean my house. That would be enough. The kids do a certain amount, but their standards in regard to what "clean" is, and mine, differ.  I could go on (and on) but you'd get bored listening to me whine, and honestly, it's too boring for me to type, so. let's just say that I could really use some  *people*. I want to be able to say: "I'll get my *people* right on that,", and it will be done.

Ramses had *people*.

So let it be written. So let it be done.

The reason this subject came up is because I was thinking about what I want to share with you today, and I thought of a wonderful recipe that I have been serving for many years, maybe 3 or 4 times a year, called Nicole Kidman's Pasta. The full title is Nicole Kidman's Crispy Orecchiete with Broccoli and Pine Nuts. It's really divine stuff. Heavenly. And the other day, I happened on a version of it on the internet that actually had the calorie count.

SHUT UP!!!!!!

Some things in life you really wish you had never learned. Seriously.

But...only 3 or 4 times a year, I still think it's worth it. It's that good.

What does this have to do with my need for "People"?

Well, look at Nicole Kidman, if you will:

Mrs. Urban in a size 0.

I am having a hard time believing that Nicole eats very much of her scrumptious pasta.
I think she either has *people* who absorb calories for her, or, more likely, *people* who train and help her sculpt her exquisite body. I also suspect that the size of her portions of pasta must be markedly different from the size of MY portions of her pasta. Because eating this pasta on a regular basis in mass quantities would super-size you faster than Keith Urban can pick his guitar.

Gratuitous Keith Urban  image.

 So...do you want the recipe, or not?

I'm going with "you do".

I have altered it somewhat to cut a bit of the fat, believe it or not. (You may not believe it, but it's true. The original recipe calls for adding MORE BUTTER at the end. Unnecessary gilding of the lily in my opinion.)

THE SECRET TO THIS RECIPE: (that I didn't understand the first couple of times I made it) Get the pan where you sauté your orrechiete really hot, and then don't touch the orrechiete for several minutes. You want it to develop a golden, crispy crust. I find my cast iron skillet works nicely for this. Also, for 1 pound of pasta to be spread out with the most pasta coming in touch with a hot surface of a pan, I heat up two skillets and do both at once. The downside: another dish to wash. The upside: more efficient use of your time. We have *people* to feed here, and this stuff smells good. Let's get this eatin' show on the road!!!

Nicole Kidman's Pasta

Ingredients:

Servings: 4
4 4

Servings Size

• 
  

• 1 lb orecchiette (Orecchiette means "little ears"; it's shaped like little shallow bowls; if you can't find it, you want a thick sturdy pasta; I've also used gemelli, for example)
• 7 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 ounces broccoli florets (I use the stems, too. I just slice them and sauté them for a couple of minutes before I add the "tree tops")
• 2 garlic cloves slivered
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse & drain.
2. In a 12 inch skillet (I use two skillets, remember) heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until skillet is hot, add half the cooked pasta and cook until medium brown on the outside-about 3 minutes. Stir pasta, then cook until browned on the other side. With slotted spoon return pasta to saucepot.
3. Repeat with the remaining pasta and 3 more tablespoons of oil. Cover saucepot to keep warm.(Obviously, this step gets skipped if you've had two skillets going instead of one.)
4. In the same skillet heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on medium. Add broccoli stems and saute for one or two minutes. Then add broccoli florets & garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook until broccoli is tender crisp about 3 minutes longer.
5. Add broccoli mixture, vinegar & pine nuts to pasta in saucepot and toss.
6. Add half of the parmesan cheese and toss to combine.Serve with remaining parmesan cheese.

The YouTube video of Barbra Streisand came from here. The Yul Brynner image came from here , the Scream image came from here, the Nicole Kidman image came from here, and the Keith Urban image came from here.

That'll Learn Me

Pin It Be careful what you wish for.

Isn't that what you've always heard?

Me, too.

Why won't I listen???

Remember how I said I was longing to be interviewed?

Jack knows better than to wish for something like that. Some donkeys are smarter than others.

Well, my wish has done gone and come true.

I've been skewered  interviewed over on The LG Report.
 

Go visit my very funny friend Lazarus over at the LG report, and enjoy watching me and the entire state in which I reside get lampooned be interviewed.

Leave Lazarus a nice comment, if you will. It would mean so much to him!!! And that way, I'll know who my REAL friends are.

My apologies to the fine citizens of the wonderful state of Tennessee. I hope you'll forgive me someday.

Love,

Guilty Pleasure or Just Plain Good Fun?

Pin It Well, it's happened. I've been twice smitten.

I got another runner-up mention in Hilary (The Smitten Image) Posts of the Week.
The Smitten Image: An Inspiring Video and Posts of the Week

And the humbling part of it is, that when you're aspiring to be a writer, you hope to be recognized for those writing abilities: for the elegant turn of phrase.

But me? Well, this time, Hilary picked this post , "Guilty", because the video, (originally posted by foodplot on YouTube, and brought to my attention by Christi/callmecordelia on a forum we frequent) was dang funny, and most definitely good for a laugh.

Which is kind of the story of my life: "That Susan: she's always good for a laugh, She's so much fun."
And, really, it's true. If I excel at anything, I excel at fun.

Which leads to a STUNNING ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Well, actually, it won't be THAT stunning to a few of you Nancy Drew types, since it has already been leaked here, and here. Loose lips sink ships, girlfriends.

Anyway..."What is this 'stunning announcement'?", ask the rest of you Bess types. (Bess was Nancy Drew's best, but perpetually puzzled friend, which is just the kind of best friend you want to have if you like solving mysteries and getting all the glory for yourself.)

I'm harnessing my Fun Factor for Good!!! Yes!!! It's true!!!
I.  AM. A. FUN GIRL!!! 

(And if you click no other link in this post, for heaven's sake, you should click that last one!!!)

AND YOU CAN BE ONE, TOO!!! (Unless your name is Abe, or Lazarus, in which case, we'll maybe nominate you as an honorary Fun Girl.)

My three friends Anne, Chloe, and Robin and I are starting a "Fun Girls" group blog, and we'd love to have you add us to your Google Reader, or your daily routine, or whatever. We're just getting going, and you'll likely see lots of changes in days to come, as we actually figure out how to operate WordPress, but we're pretty excited about it, and would love to take you along for the ride. We promise to do our best to make it worth your while.

What fun!!!
What?
Fun???

We sure hope so!

And, from one Fun Girl to another, thanks again, Hilary, for the nod.
Can I spot a funny video, or what???

April 4, 1999

Pin It I'm in love, all over again.

People with whom I engage in PDA on a regular basis.

Click to make it larger. It just gets better.

Spring: When a Young Man's Fancy Lightly Turns to PDA

Pin It PDA. PDA??? What the heck is PDA, you ask???

A long, long, time ago (cue Don McLean's American Pie), I can still remember...

I went to an extremely upright Christian Junior College. Really, really uptight. And they had rules in regard to Public Displays of Affection. No huggie, no kissie,...(and if you are of a certain age, now THAT song's playing through your head)....well, at least, not in public. Which caused most couples there that I knew to scurry like cockroaches  to the darkest corners of the campus to say their loooooong goodnights. But even if you weren't at present dating anyone, most girls I knew longed for nothing more than to be hotly pursued by the Hugging Police, who would perhaps, if the girl was really, really lucky, find them guilty of PDA: Public Displays of Affection. (No, there weren't OFFICIAL Hugging Police, but teachers were likely to call you down for it.)

Fast forward 10 years: I met and began dating my wonderful future husband, the Big Bison, and we engaged in quite a bit of PDA. Enough so, that we decided that PDA for life was in order, and we got hitched. We enjoyed 7 years of childless PDA and marital bliss, PDAing to our heart's content, and then, came our very first living and breathing product of PDA: our son, who is now a 17 year old Man Cub.

Back in his toddler days, my boy was inordinately fond of a particular soft baseball style cap. He wore that cap, day in, day out. We had to make him take it off at bedtime. It gave him a jaunty air. I think it may have reminded him of Rolf, the Nazi soldier boy with whom Liesl exchanged PDA in the Sound of Music. He watched that movie at lunchtime, the exciting part where Rolf rats the Von Trapp family  out to the Nazis ("Lieutenant!!!") day, after day, after day. He even wanted a whistle to wear around his neck like Rolf had.

One day, the BB and I were standing in the kitchen exchanging PDA, and my toddler man cub came around the corner, and saw us standing at the kitchen sink, enjoying a long, lingering embrace. "STOP HUGGING!!!" came the imperial command from the two foot tall toddler in the baseball cap with the outstretched arm, and the pointing finger,  which caused us to dissolve into a fit of giggles. Caught again!!! In my own house!!! Dang!!! I really thought at SOME point, I would be old enough to escape the clutches of the Hugging Police, but no, they were on my tail again.

My friend Anne says that there is scientific research to back up the claim that PDA/hugging is GOOD for you. She says that you need to do at least a 30 second hug in order to obtain the endorphin release that is so good for your body chemistry, and so every day when her husband comes home, they endeavor to engage in a good long 30 second hug. I don't know if the Hugging Police come around at her house to try to discourage this good work, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit. Somebody's always out to spoil a good time, not to mention a perfectly good endorphin rush.

Which leads me to the little incident that spurred this post. Back in November, the Man Cub and his friend Chris had an adventure, in which they pushed and drug this chair, a casualty of the May floods in Nashville, one mile uphill from the creek. It was buried in brush at a bend in the creek, and six months after the flood, since no one had claimed it, they harvested it out of the brush pile, and brought it to our house, where it now resides on our porch.

Hey, Mom, look what followed us home!!!

 (Much more utilitarian than having a puppy follow you home. And we don't have to feed it or take it on walks.)

So this chair sits on our porch, and despite having one warped arm, and wobbling a bit, it is actually quite comfortable, and we have been enjoying our lovely view of life here in the Boonies from the comfort of that chair. The sunsets, since our porch faces west, are particularly nice.

Last night, in fact, the BB and I were sitting in that chair, admiring the sunset, and I had occasion to wrap my arm around my Bison and place my head on his surprisingly non-hairy chest. And sighed many deep sighs of PDA contentment. About which time the door to our house flies open and from the doorway, our son announces in a voice dripping with sarcasm and disdain: "Thanks for letting the dogs in, Cuddlers."

Cuddlers??? Cuddlers!!!

Hey, we still got it goin' on!!! Our faces lit up like a thousand watt light bulb had been switched on. "We're Cuddlers!!!"

And so, my wish for you, Gentle Reader:

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the Hugging Police be ever on your tail,
May the Endorphins of PDA set your spirit free,
And in your heart, may you always be,
Forever young.

Enjoy yourself some good PDA, just as soon as you can, ya hear?

Guilty!

Pin It Could any dog be more guilty?

Apart from my own, mentioned in an earlier post, could any dog be so guilty???

I don't think so! Oh, the shame!!!!

(And, to avoid any confusion - in the words of Inspector Clouseau: "Eeee ees not my dooug".)



This video was posted on YouTube by Foodplot. Hilarious stuff!

Pin It It's 72º outside right now in the Boonies! Can grilling season be far behind???

If you're a vegetarian, or object to hunting in general, you might want to click away now. This post isn't for you. I do eat meals that are vegetarian fairly often. In fact, I did so last night! So please, stop back by soon if you're interested in recipes.This particular one that I'm posting today won't be for you, however.

Now to those of you are made a bit squeamish by hunting, will it help you to know that I am, too? I really don't have any desire to do it, and it makes me sad to think about it. On the other hand, I will say this: we eat what my dear husband hunts. And, personally, since I do eat meat, I would rather eat meat from an animal that has led a happy life up till the moment he leaves this life. So, as a consequence of being married to a hunter, I've had to come up with some recipes for using this meat, and over the years, I have developed more than one.

The Big Bison (my husbyman) loves to hunt with his best hunting buddy, Steve, and together they have trudged through the hills of Tennessee, and the mountains of Colorado, in search of deer, elk, duck, and turkey. They've had plenty of successful hunts, too, and the contents of my freezer testify to that fact. But their friendship has been just as much a mentoring relationship, where my husband has been blessed to have been encouraged by a man who is not only a seasoned hunter, but an excellent husband and father as well. We feel mighty blessed to know Steve, and his wonderful wife, Annie. Just wanted to insert a little paragraph letting them know how appreciative we are of not only the meat in our freezer, but for the deep impact they have both had on our lives.

Now, with that aside, I'll progress onward to the recipe. I've gone through about 3 versions of my recipe for "hamburgers" but I believe I have finally found burger nirvana with this one. I have borrowed heavily from the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for burgers, but I assure you that mine has a significant difference: bacon! (Yay!!!!)

This recipe can be used for beef, venison, or elk, but I would only add the bacon if you are using venison or elk, which are both extremely lean meats.  (If you were using super lean beef, I guess you could.)

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE CARAMELIZED ONION RECIPE THAT FOLLOWS: it will push your burger plum over the top into the heavenlies.

Alternatively, if you're trying to cut the fat, you can do what we did here, which is grill onions, peppers, and portobello mushrooms that have been tossed with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. And yes, those are Bambi Bratwurst grilling on the side.

Brats, Burgers & Veggies Grillin' in the Boonies

Bambi Burgers

Prep Time: 20 min

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground venison, elk, or low fat beef
• 2 slices uncooked bacon, minced (cut up into teeny pieces)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Caramelized Onions, recipe follows

Directions

Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.
Place the meat in a large bowl and add the mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with a fork to combine, taking care not to compress the ingredients. Shape the meat into 6 (3 1/2-inch) patties of equal size and thickness.
When the grill is medium-hot, brush the grill grate with oil to keep the burgers from sticking. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Using a big spatula, turn the burgers and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until medium-rare or more, or cook longer if you prefer hamburgers more well done.
I like to toast my hamburger buns on the grill briefly, and then top each burger and then with a heaping tablespoon of caramelized onions, and maybe a squirt of barbecue sauce. Serve hot.

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and sliced in half-rounds
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar (you could substitute balsamic)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large shallow pot, add the onions and thyme and toss with the oil. Place the lid on top and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes to sweat the onions. Remove the lid and continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and golden brown. If the onions are cooking too fast, lower the heat. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, scraping the brown bits from the pan. Season to taste (they should be very highly seasoned).
Yield: 6 servings

I Know Now Where I Went Wrong

Pin It Yesterday, I read this verse from Isaiah, in regard to the Servant of the Lord (the Messiah):

"The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious. I have not drawn back."

Because I am a Christ-follower, and have determined that I want to be more like Him, I thought about His relationship to His Father. I thought about how He got up early in the morning, and went out, to be alone and pray. I thought, "That is the time when the Sovereign Lord spoke to Him, when He was able to listen to Him. But me? I fear I HAVE drawn back from spending time with my Father in heaven."

So, this morning, I got up early, prayed and sat down to spend time reading my Bible, and trying to hear from God.

And this is what happened:

Sooze. I NEED you.

Good Morning, Susie.

Jesus didn't have any stupid dogs.

THAT'S where I went wrong.

How am I supposed to become a spiritual giant, when they NEED???


~sigh~

In as much as you have done it for one of the least of these, you've done it unto me, right?

This morning, apparently, Jesus needed to go outside, and when He needed to be let back in, He needed a treat.

He can be awfully demanding some mornings.

Just a few short years ago, it was babies that needed to be nursed, and then toddlers who couldn't fix their own breakfasts, and then, slowly, my kids have become more independent, and now, they do a lovely job of caring for their physical needs in the morning.

But these dang dogs STILL haven't grown thumbs. And their fine motor skills are wagging lagging way behind.

Seriously, Lord, I'm TRYING to listen. I'm TRYING to incline my ear, but it's hard to hear you over Deacon D. Dawg's raucous, eardrum-piercing, insistent DEMAND of a bark at the door. And Pillie's endless, sucking emotional NEEDINESS for a hard head scratch and a deep soulful look into my eyes.

Sheesh.

Dear Lord, speak to me, anyway. Use me, anyway. Give me Your love, because I'm about a quart low, and I've got a full day of loving ahead that I need to do. Holy Spirit, breathe into me, and through me today, the love of the Father. I love You, my dear Father in heaven. Thank You for loving me first. Despite my dogs. Amen.

St. Paddy's Spuds

Pin It

I don't have a good photo for potatoes, so, here's a phreebie photo from my porch. Enjoy.

Boonie Sunset: You can click to make it bigger.

I'm pretty sure I promised you a recipe for potatoes to go with your corned beef on St. Patrick's day, right?  If you're in a hurry, and don't have time to fiddle, the potatoes will do just fine cooking with the corned beef and cabbage. Just put them in when you put in the carrots and the onions. But if you like your spuds mashed, then I have the perfect Irish potato dish for you, and it's called Champ.

Also known as "poundies".

It's Irish mashed potatoes!
This is what I serve with my own corned beef, and there's plenty o' green (from the green onions in the dish) for a menu designed for the wearin' o'the green.

This recipe comes originally from a restaurant in Ireland, by way of Bon Appétit magazine, by way of the epicurious.com website by way of Susan in the Boonies. But who knows whose mother the chef at the restaurant in Ireland learned it from, right?

Anyway, here's the recipe:

Champ

(Green Onion Mashed Potatoes)
Champ is traditionally served with a well in the middle that has a dab of butter melting in it. The potatoes are usually eaten from "outside" to "inside," dipping each bite into the butter. From the Tinakilly Country House & Restaurant in Rathnew, Ireland.

Yield: Serves 4

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced (about 1 1/3 cups)

Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Mix in green onions. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep while potatoes cook.
Drain potatoes thoroughly. Return potatoes to same pot and mash. Add cream mixture and stir until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat, stirring often.)




I've found that if I need to make mashed potatoes early, they keep very nicely in my crockpot, on warm.

There ARE No Bad Questions

Pin It I will never forget the time when I was 17 years old and working in the Merle Norman cosmetics studio, trying my utmost to please my hate-filled, desperately unhappy employer. I asked her about a product we were selling, and she replied venomously that I had asked an idiotic question. I knew enough, even at that point in my young life, to reply to her as my eyes filled with tears, that I had always heard there was no such thing as a stupid question. She back-pedaled, answered my question, and within a month, thank God, she had sold the business, and I went to work for the lady who bought the business, who was a heck of a lot nicer.

I was the kitten that day. Picture obtained from Motifake.

One of my first brushes with the cold cruel world. But it made an impression on me. The moral of that story is: don't go to work for a crazy woman if you can possibly help it.

Oh, yeah, and the moral of the story that goes with this blog post is: y'all asked me a lot of REALLY good interview questions, and it was so hard to pick a winner, that I had to resort to putting all your names into a hat and drawing one out!

But I did! And so, without further ado, the winner is:

Kelly!!!

Kelly, I'll be in touch to get your mailing address so we can get these beans winging their way toward you before you can say, "What the heck am I going to do with a bunch of dang coffee beans?" (As I recall, you husband likes coffee, so he may kiss your feet for being the winner. Also, I know someone else who lives in your area who would be glad to take these little beans of coffee goodness off your hands, if you don't want 'em.)

Errol Flynn Woulda Loved Him Some Corned Beef.

Pin It First order of business: no, I haven't forgotten about the coffee bean giveaway. But we've hit a little obstacle in the bean roasting process. Our gas grill, which was down to only working on the spare burner, finally gave up the ghost. May it rest in pieces, preferably somewhere other than my patio. So, we've been forced to rely on local coffee bean roasters in town for the last week or so. And, I have to say, my hubby, the Big Bison really, really knows what he's doing - I prefer his beans to the other two types we've tried so far.

So, anyway, we ordered an outdoor camp stove/burner type of thing JUST for roasting beans, and we've been tracking its shipping progress. It seems to have reached our local Walmart, so I suspect the BB will be picking it up soon, and resuming roasting operations before you can say, "Honey, would you mind fixing me a cuppa Joe?". So, rather than making the winner wait impatiently on her fresh-roasted coffee beans, I'll make all of you wait! So much better that way! (I really haven't chosen the winning question yet, so there's still time to enter if you'd like.)

But I've had a St. Patty's day post on my mind that I wanted to publish before the day, so that YOU have time to do a little grocery shopping, if you decide you'd like to give it a try. Every St. Patrick's day, I make this recipe of Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Champ (Irish style mashed potatoes) and Irish soda bread, and the whole family loves and looks forward to it. And since I discovered a couple of years ago that I actually have more than a wee bit o' the Irish blood runnin' through me veins (sorry - my brain just lapsed into an Irish brogue - hope you can hear it yerself in yer own brain), I think it only right and proper that I share the love.

Erin go bragh!

Or go braless! What do I care? Because I'm gonna have me some corned beef.

I got this recipe on the epicurious.com  website, but I have altered it some, just because I wanted to.   It was originally published in House & Garden magazine, and the recipe was given to them by James Beard, one of the Founding Foodie Fathers of the Food Revolution that's been going on for a while now. Vive La Révolution! (Uh oh. Wrong culture.) Anyway, it was published in 1965. Now I know what you're thinking: can any recipe that comes out of the '60's be good? Oh, ye of little faith! Would Sooze steer you wrong? You know I wouldn't!

I think today, I'll give you my recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage, and for the Horseradish Sauce that I make to go with it, and if you're really nice, and leave me a comment with your thoughts on corned beef, tomorrow I'll give you another recipe for St. Patrick's Day. How would that be?


This recipe is so EASY. Easy, easy, easy. You need a big pot, a few swipes of the knife, and you're In Like Flynn. Was he Irish?

How'dja like to sit down to share a little corned beef with this guy?

I googled. Indeed he was. About as much as I am. Born in Tasmania, parents who were native Australians, of Irish descent. Ya see? If that ain't 6º of separation, I don't know what is. Corned beef and cabbage is pretty much the food of the common man, but honestly, with the prices of beef today, it's gotten a little bit more daunting. You'll be tempted to buy the smallest package of corned beef that you can find, just to save money. That happens to me every year! And every year, I always regret buying the smallest piece, because #1) this is so yummy, it will probably be all gobbled up, and #2) when my kids were small and we DID have leftovers, I made a fabulous Corned Beef on Rye Sandwich with Carmelized Onions and Sauerkraut that was good enough to make you want to turn around and smack your Momma. So, if you want that recipe as well, you're just going to have to beg me for it.

In the meantime:

Corned Beef and Cabbage à la James Beard

5 pounds corned brisket of beef (I never buy that much; I think most packages are closer to 3 lbs.)
6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices (these come inside your package of corned beef; don't be afraid to use them; there's usually a bay leaf in there, too)
3 carrots, peeled and quartered (or more, if you like)
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 medium sized green cabbage, cut into wedges (I always feel like I end up with too much cabbage, and not enough carrots, so adjust according to what you like)
4 T. melted butter (although this much may be overkill - I don't usually use that much - it's a fatty meat)

Place the corned beef in water to cover with the peppercorns or mixed pickling spices.
Cover the pot, (you'll need a big one), bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or until tender, skimming occasionally. During the last hour, add the carrots and onions and cover again. During the last 15 minutes, add the cabbage. Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and brush the vegetables with the melted butter.

Horseradish Sauce

James Beard didn't suggest this, but we love it with the corned beef. The horseradish adds such a nice ZING! Just need a small spoonful on the side to dip your meat into. I also serve this on the side at Christmas when we have a standing rib roast.

1 c. whipping cream
1 T. prepared horseradish (you'll find it in jars in the refrigerated section of your supermarket)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 T. Dijon mustard
pinch of sugar

Whip cream till peaks form; fold in the rest of the ingredients.

Sometimes a sock isn't just a sock.

Pin It  I didn't write this blog post. Bossy Betty did.

But boy, oh, boy. Did I ever enjoy it!!!

BOSSY BETTY: Sock it to Me

A Shift in Focus

Pin It

Who says self-tanning lotions turn you orange???

Like my navel? It's lovely, isn't it?

I've been gazing at it a lot lately.

Thinking about how very deep my thoughts are. Longing to be interviewed, for crying out loud, as if I had much of importance to say.

This morning, God got my attention through the 48th chapter of the book of Isaiah, as I was reading about the persevering grace of God towards his stubborn, rebellious people Israel.

Way back in the book of Exodus, God tells Israel that He chose them, and He reveals for what purpose He chose them, and that the reason why He chose them  wasn't because they were the cutest little trick in sandal leather. He chose them out of all nations to be His treasured possession that they might be for Him a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. Priests facilitate our worship of God. They point us to God. And the entire nation of Israel was set apart to point the rest of the world to God: to reveal His glory, and His splendor to the rest of the world. For it was through them that Messiah would come, and draw all men unto Himself. Israel was set apart, and not due to their own righteousness, God tells them, but because He loved them. Why did He love them? I have no idea. Why does He love any of us? I have no idea. But the fact remains that He did love them, and He does love them. And He did love the rest of us, and He does love the rest of us.

 So this is what I gathered this morning from reading Isaiah 48, that despite Israel's stubbornness (vs.4), their treachery, and the fact that they had been called rebels from their birth (vs. 8), (and boy, can I relate to them!!!) that He still loved them, and was about to go to miraculous lengths to prove His love for them. He elected to demonstrate His omniscience and omnipotence to them by telling them over 150 years before it happened that He was going to raise up a pagan king named Cyrus, who would do God's bidding. For King Cyrus the Mede would conquer the Babylonians who had carried the Israelites off into exile in Babylon, and then Cyrus would send those exiled Israelites back home to Israel to live again, and commission them to rebuild  God's temple.

And then God says to them (and this is the verse that caused my shift of focus this morning, that caused me to momentarily, at least, pull my eyes away from my own navel):

"See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this;
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another."

As much as it pains me to admit it? It's really not all about me.

Dang it!!!

And I was so sure it was!!!!!!!!

God's purpose in allowing us to go through suffering IS to refine us. There is no doubt about it. So, it's partially about us, and for our benefit. But sadly, it's not all about me. For His purpose is twofold. It is also true that He's the One who's God around here. And He is concerned for the sake of His name.

So as I go through trials, and as you go through your own trials, are we looking for the good that God will bring out of them in our own lives, as well as for the glory that we will bring to Him? Because, ultimately, (~sigh~) sadly, it's really not JUST about us.

How thankful I am to belong to a God who could love Israel despite all her rebellious ways. Parents don't quit loving their children just because their children rebel. The rebellion grieves the parent's heart, but the love for the child never ends. And God says He treasures us. So, today, at least for this moment, I'm shifting my focus away from my own self-importance, and turning my attention toward the persevering love and grace of my Father's heart toward all His stubborn, rebellious children.

Thank You, Father.



Oh, and P.S.: I WILL be announcing a winner on my coffee bean giveaway contest soon, so keep watching for upcoming posts. I haven't yet chosen the winner as of this morning, so if you'd like to enter, there's still time.