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Tag Archives: winter

steak soup weather

11 / 11 / 14

IMG_3289

Right off the bat I’m gonna tell you that I am a believer in recipes, but more as a guide than a rulebook. Sort of a suggestion on how to “begin the process” of creating your own personal culinary masterpiece!!

Or not.

Yep. That’s part of the deal when you allow yourself to be a creative cook. You must take risks, think out of the box, have fun and – yes – be willing to fail sometimes. Boo-Boos happen. So what. One of the biggest problems I have is trying to re-create something that does end up coming out pretty tasty. I start “creating” with a little of this, a pinch of that, a little more of the other and a whole lotta whatever.  At the end of the day, I have NO IDEA how much of this or that is actually in the final product. My poor hubbie… “Hey sugar lump; any chance you can duplicate this?” Ummm… ya… No. Sorry. And, sadly, he does not actually call me sugar lump.

So I’m getting better about tracking my “culinary creativity”. I have always been one to mark all over the recipes in my many, many (many) cookbooks.  Cross this out, halve that ingredient, omit this, sub that… What I have also started doing is making notes on a post it note until I get to the “final answer”. I write down the exact ingredients as I add them, updating the amounts as I go along. For example, I may start out by adding a tablespoon of minced cilantro to a dish; but after two more adjustments I end up at 1/2 cup in the end. The same goes for something you might add that you aren’t so keen on. Make a note. Cookbooks were meant to be tattered and dog eared and scribbled on!! It’s a sign of love and affection!  (Side note: the exception is BAKING.  For the most part, stick to the exact measurements when baking)

So it’s the first really cold day outside today.  All thoughts are on comfort food. So how ’bout some Steak Soup? I am going to give you the recipe as it was given to me, first.  Then we’ll talk.

STEAK SOUP

8 T butter                                                                                                                                                                           ½

1/2 c flour

40 oz. cans beef broth

¼ c diced carrots

¼ c diced onion

¼ c diced celery

½ c chopped canned tomatoes

1 T Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce

¾ t seasoning salt

¼ t black pepper

5 oz frozen mixed vegetables

½ lb lean ground chuck, chili grind, browned and drained

Melt, but do not brown, the butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and stir to form a roux. Cook over medium heat without browning for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beef broth to roux and stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a full boil. Add the carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 20-30 minutes. Stir in browning sauce to achieve a richer color and flavor. Stir in frozen vegetables and cooked ground beef. Simmer an additional 15 minutes, or long enough that the flavors become well blended. Makes about 4 servings.

IMG_3267

IMG_3272

Here’s how I “personalized” this soup to make it mine… I gathered whatever veggies I had fresh, and oven roasted until tender, rather than boiling them in the soup. (In this case that included carrots, onions and tomatoes.) I had frozen peas and corn on hand, so those were my frozen veggies. (On the fresh and frozen veggies – I don’t measure. Just add as much as you want) I also had some oven roasted sweet potatoes leftover from the night before, so in they went as well. I don’t use butter.  I use a combination of a little olive oil and some of the stock.  I use unsalted beef stock, eliminate the seasoning salt and add in 1-2 packets of beefy onion soup mix.  My hubbie likes a meaty soup, so I double the amount of meat… or more!! I also add dried thyme; to taste. (I like a lot) and I double the pepper to 1/2 t (or more).

So there we go.  My version of Steak Soup. Would love to hear what YOU add into your Steak Soup to make it special…

live happy

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creatively comforting

12 / 13 / 13

hot chocolate

There are days when we are just not meant to go outside.  This morning seemed like one of them.

Around 8:30 AM, my daughter let the dogs out for their morning potty.  The steps to the front porch and the sidewalk were a solid sheet of ice.  One of the dogs could not make it back up the two brick steps of the front porch, so my daughter ventured out, slowly and cautiously, to attempt a rescue.  In the process, she managed to strain every muscle in her back and arms attempting NOT to fall!  OUCH!  We decided, at that point, that the second dog was on her own to make it skate back inside.  We stood at the door and watched her, opening the door every 30 seconds or so, to holler HURRY UP! words of encouragement… It was at this point that my neighbors garage door across the street went up.  He started backing up, in a straight line, as one would normally do.  As his tires hit the driveway, however, we watched, in slow motion, as his car proceeded to slide down the driveway sideways, half on the driveway, half in the front yard… landing in the street, facing the wrong way.  It was at this point that I made the decision to forego my morning plans of a trip to the grocery store for dinner.  Nope.  I would simply make some sort of (delicious) concoction out of what we had on hand.  Let those creative juices flow, baby….

About an hour later, I went to the refrigerator to evaluate what I had to work with here.  Now those of you who know me well know that I really do love this game.  I love the challenge of taking what I have leftover and making it into something.  Edible. The problem comes in when you try to play this game two nights in a row.  Last night I made some pasta and used up the chicken breasts and the last of the kale… so they were no longer options.  I stood there for quite awhile… pondering the “hodge-podge” of what was left in the refrigerator.  We had the last of a honey bake ham, leftover whole wheat pasta from last night, a bit of chicken broth,  2 avocados and some carrots.  Hmmm…

creamy ham & pasta

My daughter and I eat dairy free, so creamy sauces are usually a no-no.  However… there is more than one way to skin a cat – Right? (Just realized what a horrible saying that is!  Ewww…!  Who made that up; and why??)  So the avocados went into the food processor along with a little chicken broth and a splash of dairy free milk.  Voila – dairy free “creamy sauce”.  I cut the remaining ham into small pieces, tossed in a large bowl along with the leftover pasta, the avocado sauce and a jar of one of my very favorite “staples” from Trader Joe’s, the tomato Bruschetta.  Now it was time for a little taste test.  The result?  Creamy and delicious!!  Definitely a “thumbs up”!!!   Did you think that I forgot about the carrots?  Didn’t.  I’m going to oven roast those with a little garlic and rosemary when we are warming up the pasta tonight.  (Don’t you just LOVE the smell of garlic??)

white christmas

Good news: As it ends up, the perfect “comfort food” kinda meal for an icy cold winter day… We are gonna snuggle in for a toasty night by the fire with a glass of red wine and a movie classic… Either “White Christmas” or “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

Bad news: Tonight’s weather update – It’s supposed to start snowing here soon, and continue through most of the night.  (More) Bad news: After two nights in a row of “creative refrigerator concoctions”,  we are down to 4 eggs, almond butter, hummus and half of an apple.  Let’s face it – If we get snowed in… we’re screwed.   

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a birthday to remember??

5 / 5 / 13

april showers 2When I was writing my May newsletter, I mentioned how much I loved May.  And springtime.  And flowers.  The grass is green, the trees are budding, the warm sunshine a welcome reward after a cold, never-ending winter.  I feel especially blessed to have a May birthday.  May 2 to be exact.

I awakened on my birthday to the sound of our local weather forecaster, Joel, sharing the good news for the day; “An absolutely miserable day ahead…drizzly, dreary, raw raindrops…”  Wait – Did he just say RAW raindrops?  What the heck…?? He was, obviously, confused.  This is May, and May is warm and “springy”. There was only one thing to do.  Change the channel.

BD snow 2013 tree

Well – looking on the bright side (huh?) – It appears we have very accurate weather forecasters here in Kansas City (on “KMBC”; Channel 9. And BTW – Just kidding about changing the channel – TeeHee!)  Yep – They were spot on.  “Raw” was certainly an appropriate adjective to describe the moisture that was falling from that dark, dreary (May) sky. All. Day. Long. By afternoon, my “Happy Birthday” songs, via family phone calls, had joined chorus with a rather unique style of “background music”… the ping, ping, ping of sleet and ice pellets whipping against the window.  This sleet and ice soon turned to (gulp!) SNOW… at which point I declared that my birthday had been officially postponed. 

BD snow 2013 TV

BD smow 2013 fireplaceOnce that had been decided, we settled in for a cozy evening at home.  It had been a crazy couple of days full of unexpected surprises; so a warm blanket, a glass of wine, a fire in the fireplace and an episode of Downton Abbey was just what the (birthday) doctor ordered.  Especially when there is a winter weather advisory.  In May.  At the end of the night, the hubbie had an idea.  We went outside and “wrote” the date, 5-2-13, in the snow as documentation… of a birthday to remember.  And just the beginning of what (obviously) promises to be a very exciting year!!!

BD snow 2013BD snow 2013 2

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who agrees with “grumpy cat”…?

3 / 22 / 13

grumpy cat 2Have you met the newest internet sensation; “Grumpy Cat” (aka “Tardar Sauce”)??  Well I have a hunch that this cute little kitty is simply SICK. OF. WINTER.  Am I right?  Let’s be honest… We are ALL a little grumpy.  Or a LOT grumpy.   “Spring” arrived this week… Really???  So what about the 5-9″ of snow that is forecasted for tomorrow?  Well, I have really been trying to kinda, sorta be positive about the winter thing with the whole “good moisture for the spring flowers” thingie… OK.  That’s a lie.

snow hands

Truthfully, I find it extremely difficult impossible to even remotely feign any semblance of positive thoughts when it comes to cold. snow. ice. sleet. winter. Period.

So what to do…???

Well, first of all, we vow to never, ever, EVER believe “Punxsutawney Phil” again.  EVER. (Sorry, Phil.  Nothing personal)

philSo here’s my master plan.

I think that we need to just storm heaven with positive SPRINGTIME energy and thoughts…  So simple; Right??  OK.  Since we’re being really honest here, I’m going to make (yet another) confession.  I have already (kinda) made the attempt to project these positive spring thoughts via my Facebook page for quite some time now.  In fact, I think we’re coming up on winter storm #3 since I started my little “campaign“.  OK, OK… before you start thinkin’ what you’re probably already thinking… I am not the one to blame!  I simply need HELP!!! This is not a reason to STOP!!  Oh no, no, no.  This is simply our motivation to BUMP IT UP!!!  Are you with me, friends???  I’m gonna get us started today with some happy little “springlike” images.  We need to smile.  We need warm, happy thoughts to project out into the universe.  WE NEED SPRING…!!!!  So here we go.  Hey, we’ve got nothing to lose; Right?  And to start off the whole “smile thingie”, watch this quick video clip of sweet little “Grumpy Cat”.  Too cute.  She is really just sleepy in this video, but I find her to be adorable.  HAPPY SPRING, my friends!!

spring boy with bunnyspring sheep black & whitespring scrabblespring kids toeshamockspring chickpillowcase stackHibiscus-Mint Iced Tea

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Hello, friends!!

I love mismatched chairs and organized closets; springtime thunderstorms and Sunday morning coffee; pearls and puppy breath; welcome home hugs and walking the beach; fresh flowers and flea markets; autumn leaves and afternoon tea.

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