snack machine

Potato, Kale and Leek Soup

2011-02-13T10:41:00.001-05:00

I made this the other day for the girls who are getting over a bout with a nasty cold/flu bug. I've never been one to cook with a recipe so keep in mind that you can adjust the seasoning any way you see fit... And, if you've never prepped a Leek before I've embedded a short video on how to get it done quickly... Cheers

Potato, Kale and Leek Soup

- In a large soup pot saute the following in a small amount of cooking oil on low heat [I think I used Sunflower]. This soup is creamed so there's no need to get fancy with the knife skills.

3 Leeks - Sliced
2 Carrots - peeled and sliced
3 cloves Garlic - peeled and halved
1 Small Onion - sliced
3 Ribs of Celery sliced
Big Pinch of Salt, Thyme and Rosemary
2-3 grinds of black pepper

- Let these saute slowly while you prep the other ingredients, we're looking to get the celery translucent, the onion and leeks slightly browned...

4 Russet Potatoes - Peel and Thick Sliced, Add them into the pot and toss in with the other ingredients
1 Large Bunch of Kale, cleaned and added to the pot*
1 Tsp "Spike" seasoning [if you've never heard of it >> http://amzn.to/cGvNf2 ]

*Note: I wash my kale, then tear the leafy matter by hand away from the stalks and spines and toss it directly into the pot. I dislike stringy things in my soups. blech

- Cover the ingredients with water. Bring to a boil and then set to simmer for an hour
- Puree the ingredients in the pot. Using a blender stick works best. This time I used a strainer and processed small batches in a blender with a little cooking liquid each time and kept transferring it back to the pot

1/2 Pint of Heavy Cream - stir this into the soup
Salt and Pepper to taste

Thats about it. If you think its a tad too thin, like mine was, I used a little corn starch to tighten it up - like 1 tsp diluted in cold water and whisked it in. Enjoy !!

Snack Machine Point Ohhhhhh

2011-02-12T16:25:00.001-05:00

After a long hiatus from posting to the snack machine I have decided to give it another go for two main reasons

There has been a recent uptick in recipe requests and I need somewhere to share those
There has been a recent uptick in friends that are expecting kids of their own this year

And, there's the fact that it was stupid to let it go in the first place. Lucky for me I didn't delete the blog altogether. Even though the posts were few and far between the kids and I got a good laugh over them this morning. Then I thought about how many laughs it will get 5 years from now or 10 or 20....

We even updated the links that have been hanging onto the sidebar since 2006. The new kid snacks replaced the old links to Sailor Moon, Rubba-Dubbers and PBS kids to their more recent fixations like....... Glee [rolls eyes]

So there you have it. Consider the snack machine back on the air....

Shane

Whoops... Sorry

2008-01-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

the Snack Machine needs to apologize for being a bunch of lazy schlumps and not posting in almost a year. Now that the oldest snackette has been practicing her blogging chops, we are ready to tackle this project as a two-headed monster. And, we have just decided to enlist the youngest and get her all trained up on some mini-lifecasting etc

Here's a pic from the Dean Dome last year with Patrick and I acting like a bunch of half-wits in the rafters! That was a great trip

Christmas Fun!

2006-12-11T11:24:00.000-05:00

While shopping for ornaments and other holiday embelishments one of the Snackettes became a Bucket Head with a Christmas Tree stand inverted on her melon!

Snack machine is all prepared and ready for the Holiday hoopla! Tree is up and blinking, gifts are purchased and wrapped, and the stockings are hung up and ready for filling. We'll post Christmas day pictures after the gala event

-S

Halloween Snacks!!

2006-11-12T12:57:00.000-05:00

The girls made their costumes and did a great job! We have one Corpse Bride and a Vampire! Pop was Spinach w/ E-Coli and made it on the evening news. Mom was a beautiful butterfly

Tramp-O-Licious!

2006-08-27T15:55:00.000-04:00

Thanks to our lifelong buddies on an educational mission in Athens GA for letting the girls use the trampoline! Hours of entertainment, bruises, and bloody-noses!

Hello Addie, Alden, Lem, Allison, and the Gregster. Hope you guys are doing well. We miss hanging with you guys and hope to get down to Dawgtown shortly. Tarheels flag is flying high here at the 'Hall of Champions'!!!

Shane and the Snackettes

Separated at Birth?

2006-08-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

Are they twins that have been separated at birth? My girls pointed out this freak occurrence to me when they discovered that their 'Groovy Boy' doll Dylan [who was later renamed 'Ham Baloney'] had striking resemblance to our good friend Scott Fujawa [aka- 'Jammer']

Future Rock Star

2006-07-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

She looks pretty cozy with that hot pink axe! The girls and I get to jam on the weekends with little snacker on lead guitar and yours truly on the drums. Although she hasn't learned any chords yet, she can lay down what sounds a lot like Sonic Youth.

Phil Lesh & Friends, Asheville 06.27.2006

2006-07-01T10:34:00.000-04:00

Went with a group of buds to Phil Lesh and Friends at the Asheville Civic Center this past Tuesday. What a show! John Scofield completely blew my mind in the second set - a Scofield Dark Star!!! Yeahaheahaha! Mike Gordon + the Duo closed the show. I grabbed a few pics with the Razr and eventually made it down on the floor for the second set and up to the end. Saw a lot of old friends, danced, had a few drinks, freaked out and went home very late and buzzing from an epic performance. Downloading the audience recording right now!

I spent the second set up on the rails standing right in front of Joan Osbourne who was swaying and wailing like a banshee in time with the thumping of Phils bass and the titanium screams of Sco's celestial guitar solos. I think I'm 100% in love with that woman now! Joan will haunt my dream life forever.......

Summer's Here!

2006-06-26T07:37:00.000-04:00

The girls and I started off this Saturday on an early adventure. We got the backpacks out of the gear closet and the girls made up the picninc lunch all by themselves.

The Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock is a great place to spend the day. We hiked around the lake, up to the Sandburg's house overlooking the lake, and had our picnic out on the flat rock formations where Carl would write and relax. Then we hiked over to the girls favorite place - the Sandburg's Goat Farm!

'Canes Move On!

2006-06-02T07:25:00.000-04:00

Thank you Rod! The hero of game seven vs. Buffalo!

2006-05-13T10:59:00.000-04:00

Ingrid turns 10! Happy Birthday to You!!

2006-05-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

the Birthday Girl!

2006-05-13T10:56:00.000-04:00

Cake Face Cutie!

Spring Time!

2006-05-11T12:18:00.000-04:00

Latest Developments:

Toilet Crisis has been solved and we have retained nearly half of the funds to complete the project! Thanks for your donations and keep them coming if you feel in the giving mood... Special thanks to the anonymous donations! That was a big surprise

the Snackettes have returned from their journey to Florida and Disneyworld with their grandparents. They are still raving about their first plane flight and meeting Mickey Mouse himself. We have also planted some tasty treats in the garden - all this spring rain is pushing up the corn, beans, pumpkins, and watermelon day by day

I was able to retreat to Wrightsville Beach for a week while the ladies were on hiatus. I had a great time - no laptop, no cell phone, no work calls, no *snacks* except my own! Ha! Hotel on the sand..... my my my my

It's looking like a big weekend here at the Snack Machine: birthdays, parties, Stanley Cup playoffs [Dad treat] and who knows what else. the Snackmaster has had a week+ off of snack duties - I better get ready :^)

-S

Snack Machine Needs Your Support

2006-02-25T17:50:00.000-05:00

About 3 weeks ago the Snack Machine suffered a serious blow to its infrastructure. A clogged toilet led to the discovery that a frost heave under the house has damaged a sewage pipe leading to the city line. We are fine and there is no leakage but the line will need to be replaced before serious damage occurs. I have secured a personal loan for $3,000 to repair the entire line - yikes!

If you see it in your heart to make a donation to the Snack Machine Plumbing Fund we would sincerely appreciate it. Every penny goes toward paying off this loan, please click on the donation button below to help keep the Snack Machine in full service

2006-02-07T18:38:00.000-05:00

Big Hug from the Snackettes! Happy Valentines Day!

Fall is Here!

2005-10-30T09:10:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone from the snack machine inhabitants. The girls were here yesterday and we had a very easy day hanging outside in the leaf covered yard. I think I sat on the bridge above the creek for two hours watching the kids run back and forth and thinking about nothing for a change. The weather here in NC has been unreal the past week - warming up in the daytime and then cold enough for an evening in front of the fire.

The kids are cuddled up on the sofa this morning watching Scooby-Doo and, you guessed it, having a pre-breakfast snack.

Happy Halloween and Fall

- poppa snack

2005-09-06T19:14:00.000-04:00

Untitled - Sep 2005: Ida did this one using MS Paint. She's getting to be a great artist like her big sister. I really like the depth in this one...

Snack Machine 2.0

2005-06-12T12:01:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,

Well, the first house fell through with good reason - I found this one! And, its not a pipe dream because we are already moved into the new domicile with complete Snackitude. Just out of luck we stumbled on this house through a friend of the family and next thing you know we are all moved in and the snack trays are flying

The girls and I want to dedicate this home to my Mother and the girls Mimi, Lynda Remington, who passed away earlier this year. Without her I wouldn't be here, nor the girls, or the start up funds to make it all happen. I had no idea that she had a small egg tucked away for my brother and I and never expected there to be one ever. So, this house is a great miracle for me and my two girls - this house could have been many years away without the universe smiling on us all.....

Thanks Mimi Lynn!

Team Snack Machine

2005-06-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

Snack Machine 2.0 - Plenty of space for the Snackmaster and Snackettes!

2005-06-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

The back patio.... complete with fish pond and plenty of shade.

2005-05-20T16:07:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Shortcake (Ingrdid 2005) - Ingrid is now experimenting with my Macromedia MX Suite and did this one in Fireworks....

2005-04-05T23:02:00.000-04:00

Spring Swing - Pop swings the kids in the park. Check out those cherry trees in bloom! Wow!

2005-04-05T22:50:00.000-04:00

NCAA Champions! - The boys pulled it off and beat Illinois. The best thing about this season was catching them live and nearly every televised game with my friends. Go Heels!!!