Soup's on~

Sorry, but I  laughed out loud at the irony of this: Three Americans Win Nobel Prize In Economics. HUH?

                                                      

 

 

 

 

Is there anything prettier to eat than a bowl of soup?  I don't believe I have every followed a recipe for soup.  It is so freeing to make these hearty dishes because the are so forgiving. I feel creative and free of paper cards instructing me to do this, add that, season to taste.  I am sure that when people ask for these recipe that they think I don't want to share.  The point being,  not one of my soups can be duplicated.  They are all different.  Beth asked for the barley mushroom soup recipe today and it is easier for me to make it than write it down.  Some of my Otterbein sisters want that recipe too, but I did not have a chance to explain that I don't have a soup recipe of any kind.  The request was easily forgotten because we were all talking at once, stirring this and plating that, so I hope they did not think I had become stingy. I have found my niche with soups and stews and roasts.  I don't bake as much as I used too because it is so exacting.  I lose interest pretty quickly in that arena while a pot of soup or stew can have things added and taken away with no harm done to the end result.  Too much salt?  Add potatoes...that kind of thing.

 

Sunday. I'm in a soup and stew making mood.

 

 

 

Long noodles !

 

An autumnal apple and ginger tart.

Le Palais des Poulets

                                                          

Not too many years ago we had chickens.  Their palace was an elegant place where many people said they could easily live.  My good neighbor across the road and I were excited each spring when the babies arrived by US postal service, usually on Sunday.  We would get a call from the main post office in Columbus to PLEASE COME GET THESE BLASTED CHICKENS, they are driving us nuts. (If they had just pecked their way out of an egg, were thrown in a box with 25 other chickens with no food or water, one would guess they might be a tad noisy as well.) Pauline and I loved our chickens and for a few years named them, fussed over them and mourned them when they died. We had green eggs, blue eggs, brown and white eggs, all delicious and lovely to see. However, chickens are needy.  They are not like cats that take care of themselves if left with food and water, these girls needed attention ,and, heat lamps in the winter. So after a several years, we stopped ordering chickens and then we had none.  We didn't eat chicken for quite some time and never one of our own. I suppose we could do with two or three chickens, but now I think the dogs might be too interested in chasing them into the bad neighbors yard and then all hell breaks loose...again.

                                                    The chicken palace for many years.

Below is dinner tonight, plus, I just made the recipe for ginger syrup that is listed and shown on the Otterbein sisters section of the blog.  It can rest in the frig and I am already dreaming of ways to use it in cocktails and other drinks and dishes.

Andy bought a  packet of those darn tiny, tasteless carrots, so I am using them  with this pork and potatoes roast, hoping to get some flavor out of them. Oven ready.

Ginger syrup for drinks and dishes...let your imagination go wild.

Under the pergola~

                  “Ah! There’s nothing like staying home for real comfort.” ~Jane Austen                                           

While several family members are getting ready to journey to the Citadel to see Brooks during Parents' Weekend, I am planning on nesting. There is so much going on here on a daily basis that I cannot see how anyone with a brain can get bored. So I am deciding how to spend this valuable time. It won't be cooking, I can reveal that right now! Nate jokes that after a week of entertaining the Lechler kitchen is closed for several days and I am in my woman cave with the dogs, my books, and as in the last retreat,  the Breaking Bad marathon. I am considering going to Sam's to get the Game of Thrones series...am I too lazy to hold the fat book(s) or should I buy the dvd(s)?

 

The time will not be spent putting the property to bed for the winter either.  The days are glorious, so the dogs and I will putter around the yard in the golf cart, sit in the sun watching the plethora of butterflies that have found our yard once more, and maybe a snooze or two which is a very different scenario for me. I have discovered I can actually nap in day light, something I have never been able to do. How did that happen?

 

I might start planning Thanksgiving which is turning out to be another big event.  George and Pam are coming the day before to help.  George is now the official turkey(s) wrestler.  There may have to be three turkeys this year, or maybe two and a ham.  Tom will be disappointed if there is no rib roast, that's for sure, so maybe I'll work that in.  Hopefully there will be Beth's family from New Orleans coming too this year.  Many things to consider after a short, refreshing nap under the pergola.

 

I am going to have to get some books for sure.  I've been plowing my way through David Baldacci's Simple Genius.  After the latest Lee Child's book, however, no author has caught my interest. Child's is back!

 

So much time, so little to do...life is good. 

 Nate's moon flowers this evening.

OSU over night party with family~

I let myself go today and really went all out.  Three different soups, a seafood pasta dish, cauliflower gratin, Italian monkey pull-apart pizza bread, the last of fresh sliced tomatoes from the garden, a salad and fresh peach cobbler with ice cream. This cider caramel vodka drink is delicious.  It and the Italian pizza bread recipes are on the previous post. So good.  Guests arrive by 2:30.

 

 

 Pizza Bread

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) tube refrigerated flaky biscuits

1 tbsp. olive oil

16 slices pepperoni, quartered

1/4 cup shredded pizza-blend cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

t tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

pizza sauce, for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Note: The original recipe states to line your bundt pan with aluminum foil, then spray with nonstick cooking spray. I just used the nonstick spray and I did have to kind of go around the edges with a butter knife before it would release. But it did end up coming out just fine.

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces, place in a bowl. Toss biscuit pieces with oil and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients; mix well.

Add biscuits; toss well to coat. Arrange in the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake at 400F degrees for 15 minutes (or until golden).It takes much longer than 15minutes to get this baked through in a tube pan. But, the results are delicious if you bake them on a baking sheet as shown below.

Turn bread out of pan onto a serving plate while still warm.

Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Makes about 2 dozen pieces.

 

 

This is the best way to do the pizza bites.

The recipe calls for a tube pan for the bites, but I could not get them done.  They were piled up and doughy.  Spread out, it bakes in just a few minutes and they are easy and delicious.

More to come. This is OSU day and the party will begin at 2:30.  Then the girls are taking me out this evening for an all girls night out. Dinner and the movie at the Fork Theater.
Note: People say the funniest things leaving a movie after the show.  The movie was Prisoners, a dark, black and white, rainy movie about the abduction of two little girls and the parents' search for them. There was nothing obviously cheerful about it.  On the way out of the movie one woman said I wish it could have been a more cheerful ending...like that's going to happen! 

☾ °☆ 　. * ¸.　　　★　

Doris Lechler

Hot Caramel Apple cider for Grown-ups

4 mugs worth of apple cider
1 mug worth of Caramel Vodka
1 T. cinnamon...
1/4 C. brown sugar

Mix all ingredients above in a large pot
Heat over med-low heat, stirring occasionally
until liquid just begins to steam
(don't over heat or else the alcohol will burn off)

While cider is warming up, take your mugs or glasses
and rim them with brown sugar

Pour cider into glass and enjoy

We made this and had it today and it is fantastic.

Angela, Johnna's sister from Florida, Tom and Chee (married), Johnna (David's wife from Fla.) Pam and George, (married)

 

Andy, married to Doris, Angela from Fla., Pam, Beth, Johnna and Chees is hidden.
 

My Otterbein sisters came for lunch~

 



What a glorious afternoon we had with eleven of my sorority sisters and dorm mates from college. The day was perfect, but to be sure I had the table set in the dining room for lunch and then we had coffee and Glenda's (my sister-in-law's cake recipe which is now called a poke cake) outside on this wonderful autumn day. It is always with trepidation that I see people from long ago because I like to remember them as they were in college.  It made no difference, however, because these women were just so kind and happy. We had never had a disagreement and they were so accepting.  I adore them still.

                                             ☾ °☆ 　. * ¸.　　　★　
Laughter is timeless,
Imagination has no age,
And dreams are forever☾ °☆ 　. * ¸.　　　★　
~Tinkerbell

(These picture won't mean much to some of you but I need them here for my 3rd blog book.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish I had known about this recipe from David Lebovitz before our luncheon.  I would have made the iced tea with this recipe.  I actually used crystallized ginger in the tea I served, but this would have been better and a good thing to have on hand.  I am making this right away for the week end guests that we are anticipating, with pleasure.

 

 

"Fresh Ginger Syrup (I just made this and it is wonderful!)
About 2 cups (.5l)

I don’t automatically peel ginger; if you choose not to, it will give the syrup a slightly darker color, which I don’t mind. If you wish to peel it, you can. The leftover ginger can be added to a batch of marmalade, or patted dry and chopped further, then added to just-churned ice cream or gingersnap cookie dough. If you plan to reuse it, you should peel it before making the syrup with it.

This syrup is quite spicy and if you find it a bit too zippy and want to tone it down, the next time you make it (or the first time) you can blanch the chopped ginger first in boiling water, let it simmer for a couple of minutes, then drain it and proceed with the recipe.

• 8 ounces (225g) fresh ginger, unpeeled
• 4 cups (1l) water
• 2 cups (400g) sugar
• pinch salt

1. Cut the ginger into thin slices. Run a knife over it to chop it into rough, smaller pieces. (As shown in the post.)

2. Place the ginger along with the water, sugar, and salt in a nonreactive saucepan. Heat to a boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer, and cook for 45 minutes to one hour.

3. Let cool, then strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer. Store the strained syrup the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use. The syrup should keep for at least two weeks under refrigeration.

To make ginger soda: Fill glasses 1/3rd full with syrup and add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. Fill the glasses with ice then top with sparkling water or tonic water (or a not-too-sweet citrus soda). Stir gently to mix the ingredients and garnish with a round of citrus or fresh mint.

Other Uses: You could also make a terrific cocktail with this as a base, using bourbon, whiskey, or rum."
Picture and recipe by David Lebovitz.

My friend, Celina, sent me this recipe.

Hot Caramel Apple cider for Grown-ups

4 mugs worth of apple cider
1 mug worth of Caramel Vodka
1 T. cinnamon
1/4 C. brown sugar

Mix all ingredients above in a large pot
Heat over med-low heat, stirring occasionally
until liquid just begins to steam
(don't over heat or else the alcohol will burn off)

While cider is warming up, take your mugs or glasses
and rim them with brown sugar

Pour cider into glass and enjoy

Whole Foods may mean whole paychecks. 

 

I have a love hate relationship with these stores.  Most of their food is outstanding but so are the prices. I was spoiled by the good prices and excellent choices when a new store opened on Sawmill. Now I see red.  However, my former cooking teacher, Betty Rosbottom, author of several well know cookbooks, wrote that there are bargains to be had there. She listed maybe five or six and that still is not enough to warrant the blood pressure issue when I view the prices of other things.  The $1.99 baguette does not take the edge off the other items in my book.  It's good, but not special. (We enjoyed a very tasty baguette from Trader Joe's for less.) I remember when a Whole Food Danish was 89 cents (each) and the next time I looked the same item was $1.89 each.  I don't know how much they are now, I have not been in the store in two years. I lust after them, but won't give in. For the savings according to Betty check out her blog: http://bettyrosbottom.com/2013/09/25/whole-foods-isnt-always-whole-paycheck/

 

 

Mushroom soup with harvest grains

Remember this? Speaking of memories:
Next Tuesday ten or more of my sorority sisters and former dorm mates are coming for lunch.  I haven't seen them for over fifty years.  They meet once every fall and I have never made the date, so I invited them here. There seems to be a set of rules for this and I am only allowed to make one dish as my contribution to my own luncheon.  This is difficult for me because I am used to cooking big.  I am trying out dishes all week much to my family's delight, although not so much today for Andy, who dislikes mushrooms with an intensity.  Maybe since he is once again a student at OSU, at age 78, his horticulture class may lend an insight to this delightful specimen. His other class is Political Science, so they may debate the issue on break. Nonetheless, today it is mushroom soup with harvest grains.

                                                                    

The harvest grains are a savory blend of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa. This blend comes in a bag from Trader Joe's and it is going to be added to many of my soups from now on.  I created this recipe this morning and only hope I can remember how I did it because it is scrumptious and I want to be able to do it again exactly the same way. Only the grains came in the bag from Joe's, the rest is from scratch in a few easy steps.

Salty Caramel Cheesecake

                                                         

 

 

If I had a food truck I would sell only soups and cheesecakes.  There are only two more shows after tonight of the food Truck Race.  I like it but I have found something I like even more and that is Facebook's food truck game.  I only wish you could buy it out right and play it as much as you like.  Facebook keeps wanting you to spend real dollars playing this game and there are ways around spending real money, but the road is fraught with time elements that drive me crazy. The Big Fish games allows you to buy a game and play it forever without out any more money factors, but they don't offer the food truck game.  Anyway, I am enjoying the game which is difficult but not as hard as it would be putting food in that truck every day and selling it to cranky people waiting, hopefully, in line. The show is fun too because several family member drift in to watch this fast-paced hour show on Sunday nights. Togetherness. That's nice.

 

I have a pet peeve, well one of several, but hoarding recipes and not sharing bugs me.  A friend from my teaching days was a good family style cook.  I always thought it was a compliment if someone asked for a recipe but she acted as though I had asked to keep one of her children. I managed to squeeze two out of her with a promise, not quite in writing, that I would not give them out. Now that was around 1966 and I think the time limit has run out. This basic cheesecake is one of them. The salty caramel is an addition of mine which I am sure she would not approve. She always topped hers, and I did as well for years, with canned pie filling or fresh fruit or with a raspberry sauce. But anything caramel and I'm a goner.

 

Here is the recipe for the cheesecake--the other recipe I managed to get from her takes THREE DAYS TO MAKE and I am never doing that one again.

 

Bake 375 for 35 minutes and then turn off the oven and leave the door open and the cake in the oven without touching it for an hour.

 

I think it might be even better with plain caramel sauce now that I have had a piece of the salty caramel.  Put the topping on that pleases you. Swirl in what you like, you cannot go wrong here.

I may have to put the recipe on later because this computer is acting up...but I will get it on.  (Maybe it doesn't matter because I don't know if any one is reading this or not.)

• (2) 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• cream these two items together
• 3 eggs
• small pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/ 2 teaspoon almond extract
• beat and add these items to the above mixture
• after all combined add one pint (2 cups) sour cream and mix
• Pour over a ready made crust of crushed cookies or nut mixture or gram crackers which has been mixed with soft butter--a crumb crust of your choice in a spring form pan.
•  
• With the caramel I first pour a layer of the cheesecake over the crumb crust, then a generous drizzle of caramel and then more cheese cake mixture.  After the cake has chilled, after baking, I drizzle more caramel, either salty or plain over each slice. I like it with pie filling or fresh fruit or a fresh raspberry sauce in a puddle with the cake sitting proudly on top.

I am so making this today.  Love cauliflower and every roasted vegetable! Thank you Martha.

Visit marthastewart.com

Cauliflower Steaks with Roasted Pepper and Tomato Salad

 

                                                sweet peppers and onion jam
I have recently fallen in love with sweet peppers and sweet onions jam.  I would not have been caught dead eating that until just recently and now I am slathering it on everything, well, not cheese cake, but everything else it seems.  We have a plethora of peppers and onions on hand and one simply sautés this mixture with a little butter and olive oil, salt and pepper until it is on the thick side.  I put in a little sugar to help caramelize this mixture. I had left over brussel sprouts (if you can believe I had left overs of this wonderful dish) and I combined them with the jam, some couscous, and WOW, I had a new and delicious dish. A variations of the above.

I must be hungry today.  Everything looks tasty.



*Escalloped Potatoes*
Serves 4 to 6

                                     

                                                                                   

  

 

Pumpkin oatmeal breakfast pudding

The minute I read the recipe and saw the pictures on The English Kitchen blog I got out the ingredients that I had on hand and with some variation I made this dish this morning.  It is delicious and different and a treat. I used my home made granola which the family calls crack, because I did not have plain oats having used them in the granola recipe. I used Trader Joe's sesame almonds because I had no plain pecans.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal* Serves 4


 Indulgent and delicious. Makes a change for breakfast! Treat your family today!

3 1/2 ounces (1 cup) old fashioned oats, not quick cook
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter, softened
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) pumpkin puree
6 ounces (3/4) cup milk

Streusel Topping;
1 ounce ( about 1/4 cup) pecans, chopped
2 tsp butter, softened
1 Tbs brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a baking dish. Set aside.

Combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, lemon zest and salt together in a medium sized bowl, stirring all together well. Whisk the vanilla, butter, pumpkin puree and milk together in another bowl. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats, and stir together until well combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and then bake at for 10 minutes.

While it is baking, combine the ingredients for the topping together until crumbly. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over all. Bake for an additional 7 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a splash of cream and some dried fruit, if desired.

 

 

                                              

Picture from The English Kitchen. She nestled her dollop in a puddle of cream, but it would be good alone or with any form of cream you like...custard, milk, ice cream, on and on. Love it!

 

Bella of the corn~

                                                         

                                                             

We are up to our hips in sweet corn since four dozen ears were forgotten on Labor Day and so I have been making chowder like crazy.  Andy took the used ears back to the compost and Bella, a dainty little dog, carried an ear back to the house for a private banquet. She is not too proud to compost dive when there are left overs to be had for the taking.

I must say sweet corn is forgiving.  Our basement is very cold and the ears kept beautifully.  I know you are to use them right as they are picked from the stalk, but hey, I am not about to throw away this lovely corn.  I started off by taking the corn off the cob.  I sauteed (is that spelled right?) it with onions and colorful peppers and we had a nice meal of that along with sliced tomatoes from the garden.  Then I got down to the business of making pots and I mean pots of chowder.  Chowder with bacon, chowder with shrimp, chowder with bacon, shrimp and Nate's potatoes from the garden.  If you come here this week, you know what you'll be eating.  I am freezing bags of it as well for the time when the snow falls and I am dreaming of an ear of corn and a slice of tomato...that time is not far off.

                                        

 

My friend, Celina, emailed this recipe for corn relish.  She took pity on me. LOL

 

Doris
I have a son that can't get enough of this "Corn Relish"
Very easy to make and goes with everything and keeps well in the jars,

Corn Relish  (makes about 5 pints)

I never made it with fresh corn or tomatoes because I didn't have them on hand
but, it could be done.

Two 1-lb cans of yellow whole kernel corn, drained
Two 1-lb cans of tomatoes, drained
1 cup chopped unpeeled cucumber
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon each of mustard seed, celery seed and salt

Mix all ingredients in large pot. Bring to a hard boil...remove from heat.
Ladle at once into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Got this from Stephenson's Restaurant in Kansas City

Your Bella reminds me of our Roxie; if it's food, she wants it.

Take care,   Celina

Full, in more ways than one~

If it's going to happen, it will happen to our son David.  He came to Columbus to celebrate his 50th birthday bringing his son, JD. We had a glorious long week end with over twenty guests coming for the day on Sunday. (The pictures are on after this post.)  Today Andy took the guys to the airport around 5:30 in the morning and it is a good thing they went early.  Look what happened! His suitcase was so full it exploded. I have the picture, I am having trouble getting it on here.  Twenty-five packets of Cincinnati Chili flew hither and yon to say nothing of the rest of the items packed so tightly in the one suitcase.  Luckily JD's new bat was secure in his bat case, or so I hope.  So much for male packing.         
                                          

Sunday could not have been better.  The food and family coupled with the perfect weather was another memory to hold near and dear. The food hit was the salty caramel cheesecake, a new invention of mine, using salty caramel sauce that Barefoot Contessa raved about on her blog. I bought it on line to try and intend to stock up on that. I have also made this new recipe, of three-bean (or more) salad with herbs, from Cook's Corner.  The addition of fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme and sweet corn cut closely from the cob so it nestles in squares in the salad add such color and spark--and, it is good the next day.

Caramel and salt. Yum
Chocolate is the ideal foil for salt – as is caramel – both are richly flavored and fill your mouth with the best tastes you can imagine. And a generous pinch of salt works to balance them out like nothing else can. Because all salt isn’t the same (nor are people’s tastes), it’s not always possible to tell people exactly how much salt should go into something. (David Lebovitz) But Trader Joe knows--buy some today and put it in your cheesecake recipe.       
                                                     

I will put the recipes and hopefully the suitcase picture on as soon as my computer allows it.  Enjoy this glorious day.

Oh, I was about to cancel the sorority sister/dorm mates get together until I found out at least fifteen are planning to attend from all over the USA. (That's a lot considering our ages.)  I thought only two or three signed up, but was informed late last night that twelve have responded and more are planning their busy lives around a visit for the day here at Many Branches.  I haven't seem them for fifty odd years, so it will be fun. Life is good and it is FULL!



Recipe tested by Dispatch staff  Three bean salad with herbs and fresh corn
Vegetarian recipe
Makes 6 to 8 servings
The addition of fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme gives this standard bean salad a fresh flavor. And, even with the sugar in the dressing, it contains less sugar than most baked beans recipes.
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or other white beans, drained
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
I also added corn off the cob, cut closely from the cob so it would be in squares of sorts.
Rinse all the beans. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add onion and herbs. Toss to combine.
Whisk vinegar and sugar in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk in oil. Add to bean mixture. Toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

They are eating high on the hog (cow) this morning as I have 'come to' after the long busy week end and decided to send the crew off to work and school with left over steak, peppers, and onions in just a touch of wine sauce.

                              

                                          

Labor Day at Many Branches 2013

 JD,Mary, David and Glenda Lechler

 Mary, David, Jd Lechler

Glenda, Joe, Nate, David, Jd Lechler

 Mary and Kathy just arriving.

David and Posy

 Marvin, JD and David

Pat, Kathy, Joe, JD, Joe, Jim

Over view of party's beginning.