the hagma life

Spring-like weather = 3 season porch!

2011-03-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, the glory that is Spring! I had almost forgotten how wonderful these first warmish days can be (what with living in Southern California for a couple of years and all). Winter was really starting to get rough on the ol' psyche, when suddenly, Spring arrived!

Joe has been out of town, so Bacon and I have been spending some quality time together. He's started to actually enjoy taking walks, which means we're venturing out further and further each evening. The extra hour of daylight is helping, too, since we've got at least an hour between the time I get home from work and the time it gets dark. We've met many neighbors (dog and human) and Bacon has yet to meet anyone he did not love at first sight. This dog loves people.

Anyway, back to the original reason for this post - our 3 season porch! This space is a big part of what interested me in our apartment (Joe was texting me and emailing pictures as he looked at about a dozen places last spring - I didn't actually see our place until we moved in, yipes!), so I am thrilled to be able to spend time out there! I've tweaked the space several times since we moved in, but I think now I've got it preeetty much how I want it.

The photo above shows the view looking straight from our back door, through the porch, out to the deck (I know - a porch and a deck?! How awesome is that?!). It's a small space (dimensions are 5'8" by 10'11"), but we've packed a lot into it!

(Standing about as far to the right side of the porch as possible) I "shopped" our apartment for two red dining room chairs (we have no dining room, but love the chairs, so these chairs are strategically placed in pretty much every room) and a small occasional table (which I see from the photos needs to move to the right a couple of inches). That planter on the floor will eventually have a plant in it, and might move out to the deck. No plants yet, though, since I don't want to kill anything in the inevitable brief return of winter weather.

Again, I shopped our apartment for some accessories for this table. The glass hurricane is one that I purchased at TJ Maxx for $5 (or was it Marshalls?) at Christmas time, and filled with bulb ornaments and that same candle). Some of you may recognize the stones that now fill the container; we had a bowl of stones that everyone signed the day after our wedding when we were lounging around our apartment. We've been trying to have our guests continue to sign stones, but I think we're out of blank ones. Anyway, it's something special to us. The Capiz plate is from World Market, I believe. I liked the color, which goes really nicely with the teals in our apartment.

A few tea candles on the window sill...

My favorite BIG canvas print, purchased at IKEA (I know, art from IKEA, kind of lame...) when I moved into the Chicago apartment with Al. It's such a happy print! I originally had it hung next to my TV in the living room, but I tried it here and love it! Good think I've got some other things for the living room. All good.

Also, you can see the door leading into the apartment on the left in this photo.

More tealights, and a pretty little coaster that my Boston cousins (Natalie and Rebecca) picked out for Joe and I for Christmas while we were celebrating Thanksgiving in Door County this year. I love the colors!

This is the other side (so, to the right as you stand in the doorway). We keep tools and other utilitarian items in the red cart with Joe's Very Manly Toolchest on top of it. Not so pretty, but in a small space with no garage, you've got to do what you've got to do. The chair is VERY comfy, though, and I plan to spend many an hour reading and lounging in that chair with Bacon this spring. The chair used to be in our bedroom, but it got banished when I set up a mini office for myself in there. That's all - except for this:

Who's cuter that Bacon, carrying an ice cube? No one, that's who.

Roasted Cabbage with Bacon

2011-02-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

thekitchn.com

I thought I'd post the recipe for one of our favorite foods. It really should be a side dish, but we eat it as the main event (lately with quinoa, Joe's newest obsession)

Roasted Cabbage with Bacon

1/2 head of green cabbage
4 strips bacon, sliced
salt and pepper
a drizzle of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Cut the cabbage into wedges. Line them up in a baking dish. Sprinkle the bacon slices over the top of the wedges. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Roast for 15 minutes, then, using tongs, flip the wedges. They should be browning a bit. Roast for another 15 minutes or until they are tender.

Ta-da! Serve with quinoa, rice, pasta, whatever!

Sunday Soup: Fennel and Tomato with creme fraische

2011-02-27T20:03:00.000-08:00

This Oscar Sunday we had a really nice, rustic, full-o-veggies soup. Delish!

Fennel and Tomato Soup with Creme Fraiche

4 medium fennel bulbs
one medium onion
2 carrots
6 sprigs fresh marjoram
salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)

Creme Fraiche
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Make the creme fraiche first - whisk the ingredients together and let sit until time for serving. You would ideally make this about 6 hours ahead, but I've never actually managed this.

Remove the fennel fronds, quarter, and remove the core. Chop to a 1 inch dice. Onion and carrot should be chopped to a similar size.

Heat the oil in a medium sized soup pot. Add the fennel, onion, and carrot; cook until the veggies start to brown, maybe 10 minutes.

Add about a teaspoon of salt, the marjoram, and the red pepper flakes. Stir and let it get fragrant; add the tomatoes and broth. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the veggies are tender.

Use your immersion blender (Yeah!) to puree the soup, or use a regular blender very carefully. Leave it a little chunky if you like (I like). In a small bowl, combine 1/3 c. of the creme fraiche with a ladle-full of soup. Stir this into the rest of the soup.

Serve in big mugs with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of fresh marjoram. I served with a slice of a rustic, seedy bread. It was delicious.

Enjoy!

Sunday Soup: Curried Cauliflower Soup

2011-02-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

This one was a hit - Joe took one bite and uttered a resounding "mmm!" He then stated that this soup was one of his favorites. Nice.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 large-ish cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
about 3 tbsp curry powder
1 head cauliflower, florets roughly chopped
4-5 red skinned potatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (ideally low-sodium)
low-fat/non-fat greek yogurt
lemons
Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan (I used my larger Le Creuset, maybe 5 qt? I don't really know), add enough olive oil to cover the bottom, heat until shimmering. Add the onions, cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for about a minute. Add the curry powder. If you're worried about the mixture being too dry (I was, since the powder seemed to soak up all of the oil), add a little more oil. Cook for a minute or so, until the curry powder is nice and fragrant (don't let it burn). I realized at this point that I wasn't ready to add the rest of the ingredients (I hadn't chopped the veggies yet), so I took the soup off of the heat until I was ready.

Add the cauliflower, potatoes, broth, and enough water to cover the veggies. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the veggies are fork-tender. If you have an immersion blender (I do! Thanks, Joe! Thanks, Costco!) use it to carefully puree the soup in the pot (you can leave some chunks for texture, which is what I should have done). If you don't have one, use a food processor or blender; just work in batches and be careful, the soup is hot!

Taste, and season with salt if needed. I didn't need any, since I did not use low-sodium chicken broth (plus the soup tasted flavorful enough. You only want to add salt to enhance the flavors in the dish, not to taste the actual salt.)

To serve, ladle into bowls and add a dollop of yogurt (using greek yogurt is great since it's thick and creamy without having a lot of fat) and a squeeze of lemon juice. This is key. Do not skip these ingredients. I firmly believe that the yogurt and lemon were directly responsible for Joe's "Mmm!" response. Crack some fresh pepper over it. We think it would be good with some chopped, toasted walnuts as well. And, as always, you could add some chopped, crisp-cooked bacon (but we're partial to bacon. And Bacon.)

I served this soup with one of my favorite salads: arugula with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, a little salt, and a crank or two of freshly cracked pepper. It rounded out the meal very nicely.

Enjoy, and have a good week!

My absence

2011-02-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Rowdy,
Thanks for letting me come to your house to play. You taught me that I shouldn't bite. My parents really like that.
Your friend,
Bacon

Hi all! I think I'm just going to pretend that I didn't disappear from the blogosphere for a month. I'll just jump right back in, like nothing ever happened...after this post.

The past month has been pretty busy, since Joe resumed classes and added some responsibilities as the president of the GBA (Graduate Business Association, for those non-MBA folks out there). I'm still working full time, cooking dinner (usually from scratch) each evening, staying on top of the housekeeping as best I can, and spending lots of time with Bacon.

By the way, Bacon is doing great. He's probably the best decision we've ever made together (aside from the marriage thing). He's so fun, cute, and cuddly! He keeps us on our toes with puppy-proofing and training. He also loves our attention, so when he's not sleeping, he wants to be with one of us and he generally wants to be playing or in a lap. Thus, things like blogging get put on the back burner...

At the moment, he's enjoying a long nap in his crate. Today was the second-to-last class of "Puppy I," which is always super-fun and super-exhausting. He's still the class clown, but he's really well liked. Especially by the kids in the class. One of them brought a camera to take pictures of Bacon today. Four of them asked if they could get Bacon to "sit" and give him a treat. Yes, please! We read that, up until 14 weeks old, puppies get optimal benefit from socialization. The more he's exposed to different kinds of people and animals no, the better. That includes kids, which is great, since we plan to have a couple of those within Bacon's lifetime. Get ready, Bacon! You won't be our "baby" forever, sorry to say!

Bacon week 2, and off to puppy school!

2011-01-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

As of today, we've had Bacon for two weeks. We've been having many fun adventures, and learning many new things!

Bacon says...
1. I know "sit" now!
2. I love my crate!
3. I can go up the stairs, even the ones that are covered in snow (on the porch).
4. Down the stairs is toooooo scary right now. I prefer to stand at the top and bark. When I tried going down a few, I felt pretty out of control (like my butt was going to pass my head!), so my mom gave me a ride.
5. I FREAKING LOVE PUPPY SCHOOL!!!!

That's right, everyone. Bacon had his first day of puppy school today. We were all excited and a little nervous, and Bacon did beautifully while waiting for the class to start. He was so relaxed. Then, we started some training exercises, and we quickly found that Bacon is quite the little class clown! He was so excited to see the other puppies, and REALLY wanted to play. He did not do well with practicing redirecting his attention to us - the teachers say that he is "not really food motivated," i.e. treats are not that helpful. He does not care about treats when there are people or other dogs to sniff and enjoy. We tried several different treats, and they worked for about two seconds each. Toys seemed to be more motivating, so we borrowed some toys from the teachers and rewarded his successful behavior with a few seconds of play with the toys.

After working on redirecting attention and "sit," the puppies got to have some free play time. Bacon was placed in a play group with two other dogs (although he was the smallest, they placed him in the "medium" group because he was so excited, unlike the other small dogs), and he tore around, sniffing butts and inciting the other puppies to play. He was the ringleader of the bunch. I could not believe how energetic he was!

I think the low point came when the instructors were trying to demonstrate how to do the "come" command, and they debated using Bacon for the demonstration (he and maybe two other dogs were still awake at this point). The instructors seemed to be talking in some sort of code about why NOT to have Bacon demonstrate (we see right through you, teachers!), so they chose another of the puppies. We're not offended or anything...

No harm done. Bacon was clearly well-liked by the instructors, other dogs, and other dog parents. They thought he was hilarious. I kind of felt like the parents whom I see in my work: they talk about how excited their children were to start kindergarten, then their kids end up in trouble all day long. What? My dog? The class clown? Nooooo....

It was a very exciting day. We have a lot of practicing to do. Too bad Bacon has been sleeping since we got home....

Bedroom decor

2011-01-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a lazy day around here (think, PJs all day), but we got one little project accomplished.

Up until now, our bedroom has been pretty simple: we painted it a nice, neutral shade of cream (Benjamin Moore's Sail Cloth) when we moved in, since it was periwinkle before; but we haven't done much else. No art on the walls, nothing. We have stuff to hang, but that part takes me awhile, since it feels like a bit of a commitment (even though it's really not).

I've been keeping my eyes peeled for some creative, easy, inexpensive decor ideas that work for both of us. Joe tends to be a little leery of girly stuff, which includes most bedding. Our duvet and shams are a natural linen fabric, thus, the bedroom is pretty neutral.

I saw this post at Apartment Therapy, and showed it to Joe (the man loves sticks). He liked it so much, he went out and bought a bundle of sticks that same day. Crazy, I know.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/diy/megs-diy-wall-art-10-10-minutes-136114

We played around with the arrangement, and came up with this:

We went for horizontal sticks to de-emphasize the short ceiling height and contrast with the vertical lines of the bed frame.

The sconces were added a couple of weeks ago. I found them at Home Depot, and was drawn to them because they plug in (and therefore are do-able in a rental!).

I added a black-framed sepia photo from our engagement shoot. The colors tied in nicely with the decor.

This is a tiny room (though not the tiniest that we've shared - that would be the one in Chicago), but there's not much room for anything other than the bed! So, this makes a nice focal point. Love it!

Sunday soup: North African Couscous Soup

2011-01-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

This soup is really fast, and contains pretty much only ingredients that I keep in my pantry. It could be a weeknight meal, thrown together in about 20 minutes. We had to play with the flavorings a bit, because it was initially a bit bland. After a bit of tweaking, though, it was good enough for Joe to have a second bowl!

North African Couscous Soup:

3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped celery or fennel, with some leaves or fronds
1 T Za'atar (a North African spice blend of dried herbs, sesame seeds, and dried sumac) or 2 teaspoons cumin (which is what I used)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c. couscous, preferably whole wheat
3 T tomato paste (I forgot to add this before cooking the couscous, which might account for some of the bland flavor)
2 quarts vegetable stock (make your own by simmering water with a quartered onion, a couple of celery stalks, and a bay leaf)

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a tightly fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the za'atar or cumin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir constantly to keep the spices from burning, until just fragrant, about a minute. Add the couscous and continue stirring and cooking until the couscous begins to toast and darken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and tomato paste, and stir to dissolve the paste.

Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook without disturbing until the couscous is cooked, 5-10 minutes.

As I said, ours was initially a bit bland. We salted it, but it still needed something (other than more salt). Joe suggested lime, so we gave that a go (success!). We also added a bit of Sriracha (thai chili sauce) for kick. As I type this, I'm thinking about going back for a little more....mmmm....

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. This is a new one for me (I bought it for my sister for Christmas, but so did my mom, and she got mom's copy first. Then, mom and dad bought us a cookbook that we already had, so they "bought" it from us. Therefore, I decided not to return Abby's cookbook, since I like the non-vegetarian version so much). Enjoy!

One week with Bacon

2011-01-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Today is our one-week anniversary of bringing home our Bacon. It flew by!

Let me just say, a puppy is a lot of work. No joke. They need constant attention (when they are awake), and need to be taken outside around 15 times a day (including a couple in the middle of the night). Thankfully, Joe and I have been pretty much devoted to teaching him and taking care of him all week. Mainly, it's been Joe, since he's on his winter break until mid-January.

A few things Bacon has learned:
1. I love laps. Laps are the best. Especially for sleeping.
2. I'm supposed to go potty outside.
3. Although I know about this potty outside thing, I dread going out because it's so darned cold
4. I love my crate. Usually. Laps are better, though.
5. I can let my mommy and daddy have a quiet dinner (I stay in my crate and I don't cry)
6. The vet is not so bad. Plus, my vet thinks I'm really cute. Which is true.
7. If I sneak under the couch, I can escape the area that my mommy and daddy set up for me. It is kind of fun to escape and check out the other areas of the apartment, because I know my mommy and daddy will keep me safe and make sure I don't get into anything dangerous.

Bacon is working on a couple of other lessons:
1. If I ring the little bell in my area, my mommy or daddy takes me outside.
2. My mommy and daddy like it when I sleep for a long time at night (like four or five hours at a time!). It seems like they want longer, but I have to pee soooo bad!
3. It's OK to play bite really gently. I'm still learning the "really gently" part, but I'm getting there.
4. I eat when my mommy and daddy tell me to. It seems to be on some sort of schedule, but I don't have it memorized yet.
5. My mommy and daddy are the "big dogs" here. I'm the littlest. Sometimes, I try to be in charge, but then, they remind me that they are the "pack leaders" and I am supposed to be submissive. That's OK with me, because then I don't have to worry about setting rules and keeping everyone safe.

Recipe: Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties

2011-01-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe awhile back, and found the printed page on top of the fridge (actually, Joe found it. I can't reach up there without some serious step-stoolage). I wanted to share it with you all - but, fair warning: it's not a New Years Resolution friendly dish. This is definitely a treat.

Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties

Dough:
1 1/3 c. all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2/3 c. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
6-8 T ice water

Filling:
8 oz. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 medium onion, diced (red is good)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T finely chopped sage
1 T finely chopped parsley
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 T pine nuts, toasted

Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg, beaten

To make dough:
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or knife, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 T of water at a time, gently tossing between additions, until the dough just holds together. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Before rolling out the dough, let it soften slightly so that it is malleable but still cold. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to 1/8 in. thick. Cut out two circles using a plate or bowl as a guide.

To make pasties:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, onion, garlic, sage, parsley, parmesan and pine nuts. Spoon the mixture over half of each dough round, leaving a 1 inch border around the edge. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Moisten the edges with beaten egg. With cool hands, fold the pastry over and crimp the edges. I just used my fingers to crimp it together, but you could get fancy here and use some sort of tool. I don't have any of those. Cut a small slit in the top of each pasty. Brush all over with beaten egg.

Bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

This recipe is adapted from one I found on thekitchn.com

Bringing home {the} Bacon

2011-01-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a landmark day for the Hagmas.

We now have our Bacon. He is so awesome.

The whole process was quite exciting, and probably did not follow recommended protocols, if I'm being honest. All of the books recommend that you bring your new dog right home, and have a quiet day together to get acclimated and reduce the inevitable stress on the puppy. We did not go straight home, and we did not have a quiet day. Oh, well, Bacon seems OK so far.

(Mind you, this all occurred on New Year's Day, which is traditionally a day of lounging around in pajamas...)

8:00 - Up and at 'em!
9:00 - Car loaded with Bacon's crate, toys, paper towels, special spray for cleaning up messes, leash, collar, bags, everything... Hit the road!
11:30 - Arrive at the Hinsdale Oasis to meet the breeder. Get a call that she's running late. Kill time while excitement builds.
12:45 - Breeder arrives. Exchange of puppy and accompanying paperwork takes a surprisingly short 5 minutes.
12:55 - Back on the road.
1:30 - Arrive at Al and Lexi's place to watch Michigan FAIL at the Gator Bowl. Adios, Rich Rod (hopes?). Bacon meets many new friends and manages to avoid having any accidents! Yeah Bacon!
4:00 - Head to downtown Chicago to visit Ben and Mary Beth and their family (they were visiting from Los Angeles. Great to see them!). Bacon hears his first ambulance (that we know of), and does not like it.
5:30 - Back on the road. No accidents yet! Whew! We make, I think, five stops on the way home. Bacon is really starting to get the hang of the whole, "If I go potty really quickly, my new parents pick me up and take me back inside right away!" Yeah, Bacon hates the cold. Like, hates. As soon as we open the door to take him out, he whimpers. It's pretty pathetic. We're going to get a teeny, tiny sweater for him today to help with this issue. We really don't want him to associate going outside with such hatred.
9:00 - Arrive home. Play a little. Puppy acts a little crazy, but is really just feeling playful.
10:30 - We attempt the crate, think he's fine, then he freaks out and cries like some poor, tortured soul. We read the chapter in our book about crate training, and realize that we've gone way too quickly. Oops.
11:00 - Bacon is sooo sleepy. He snuggles up with the blanket in his crate, and doesn't even realize that we shut the door. Sleeeeeep....

Overall, he did great. He woke up twice during the night to go potty, then got us up for the day around 7. Getting him to settle down in the crate is the biggest challenge, but really only takes some TLC and about 5 minutes. We are figuring out our routine today, which seems to be involving lots of naps. He already slept for about an hour, and is now snuggled up on my lap snoozing. He's so adorable. Hearts!!

I'll post more pictures soon. For now, he's so wiggly that it's hard to capture a good photo while he's awake, and I don't want to wake him with a flash and the camera click when he's asleep. He's kind of like a baby, you know.

Simple, easy meal: The Omelet

2010-12-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

As Christmas approaches, and I've been getting ready to leave for a week, I've been attempting to eat up some of the fresh food in the fridge. I hadn't really planned anything for dinner tonight, since I am here by myself (Joe headed to Grand Rapids on Monday, so I've been solo all week), and I had considered jumping in the car after work and making the drive tonight to G-Rap. Since I decided not to make the drive tonight (I'll be waking up suuuuper early tomorrow, dodging Chicago traffic, and arriving around the time we would have been waking up if I had made the drive tonight), I threw together a little something that makes a great breakfast or dinner: the Omelet!

This can be made using a variety of fillings/toppings (what's the correct term?). Use what you have!

Tonight's version...Cilantro Potato Omelet

Drizzle vegetable oil
1 smallish potato, chopped small
1 tbsp cilantro, plus some extra
2 scallions, sliced (white and light green parts only)
2-3 eggs
glug half and half or milk (half and half was yummy, and needed to be used up!)
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a medium, non-stick skillet. Cook the potatoes until tender.

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cilantro, scallions, and milk/half and half.

Remove potatoes from skillet. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and leave in a thin layer. As needed, push the edges around so that the uncooked egg runs to the sides. When the eggs are mostly set, add the potatoes and extra cilantro, as well as salt and pepper, to one half of the omelet. Fold the other side over. Leave it for a sec.

I added the end of a jar of salsa. Deee-lish!

Sunday Soup: Sweet Potato soup with Orange Creme Fraiche

2010-12-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

This week's soup was amazing. Seriously, this might be the best one yet. Which means that it's kind of OK that the post is a day late...

We enjoyed this one with my cousins, Meg and Jeff. Meg is in town for the holidays; Jeff lives here full time, so we have no excuse for not seeing him more frequently (except maybe that he and Joe are both busy students...?). It was also Joe's birthday, but it was pretty much the third night of celebrating, so this didn't really count as his birthday dinner.

The soup is relatively low-intensity in the amount of work it takes to make it. It is also pretty nutritious, as the sweet potatoes are packed with fiber and beta-carotene, and there is not a lot of fat in the soup. It is also vegetarian (but I'm sure Joe would have enjoyed the addition of a little bacon. The food, not the dog).

Sweet Potato soup with Orange Creme Fraiche

Orange Creme Fraiche

Base: 1 C. heavy cream and 1/3 C. sour cream, whisked together and allowed to sit until thickened, about 6 hours or more, at room temp.

3/4 C. base
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced
1/2 tsp orange zest, minced if too thick

Whisk together.

(I actually didn't make the base according to the recipe. I whisked together one part low fat plain yogurt and 1 part half and half. Worked just fine, but maybe was slightly runnier than if I had used the base...oh well, it tasted awesome)

Sweet Potato Soup

4 tbsp butter or olive oil, divided
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced to about a 1/2 in. dice. Bigger is fine, but will take a bit longer to cook.
2 tsp. light brown sugar
2 c. chopped onions (about 2 medium onions, just approximate the amount)
a few stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
about 6 c. vegetable stock/broth, low sodium if you can find it, plus more if needed (as always, you can mix in some water if you don't want to use all that stock. Those boxes of stock are about 4 cups, so if you use one of those and the rest water, it should be fine. Might need more seasoning, but that's easy enough)
1 C. orange juice, plus extra if needed
salt and pepper
chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley for garnish. Don't buy this just for this purpose, but it's nice for color and freshness if you've got it.

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large, oven proof skillet, melt/heat 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil. Add the diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat with butter/oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then move the pan into the oven (if you don't have an oven proof skillet, you can transfer from the skillet you're using to some sort of baking dish, but then you'd have an extra dish to clean). Roast for 15 minutes, then stir and roast until tender when pierced with a knife and browned around the edges, around 15 more minutes. Remove and set aside.

In your soup pot, heat the remaining butter/oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions, celery, and ginger and saute for around 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and saute for a couple more minutes.

Add the stock and juice, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture almost to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender; 20 minutes or more.

Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender. It should be relatively thick; if it seems too thick, feel free to add more liquid (stock, water, or juice). Taste teh soup and season as needed.

Ladle the soup into large mugs or soup bowls and swirl some creme fraische on top. Sprinkle with a little parsley if you're so inclined. Serve with some crusty, whole grain bread.

I'm off to try the re-heated version, with a rustic grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Nommmm....

Kale Chips

2010-12-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I know my posts have been coming more slowly lately. I guess you could call it a writer's block of sorts. Anyway, I've made an early resolution to get back on board with frequent posts. Here's a simple, nutritious recipe to start things off...

Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch curly kale
about a tbsp olive oil
sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F. Thoroughly wash the kale and dry with paper towels. Use kitchen shears, a knife, or your hands to remove the leaves from the thick stems and into bite-sized pieces. Line a couple of baking sheets with foil or parchment paper, spread the kale into a single layer on each of the baking sheets, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and toss to distribute evenly. Bake for 9 minutes; longer if needed, but definitely check after 9 minutes. They are done when the edges are crispy. If they are overcooked, they quickly take on a burnt taste, so be careful here.

I made a bunch a few minutes ago, and they are at least half gone already... Yeah for dark, leafy greens!

Stay tuned for some Sunday Soup later this evening...

Bacon!

2010-12-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Joe and I have some exciting news to share: We're getting a puppy!

The above photo is our little guy, at about 5 weeks old. We named him Bacon. We pretend he's already home with us, so we get used to the idea. We already know that he is awesome.

He is a Boston Terrier, and will someday look a little like this:

http://www.dogsindepth.com/nonsporting_dog_breeds/boston_terrier.html

We recently talked to our landlord and got approval to add this little addition to our family. We researched breeds that are appropriate for apartments, and this breed seemed like a good fit. Of course, we'll have to be really diligent about training him, crating him when we are away, and taking measures to reduce any barking, etc that may bother the neighbors. Allegedly, Boston's do not bark a whole lot, but you never know. Since our neighbors have woken us up a couple of times with band practice at 3 AM, we're hoping that they will be cool about the first couple of nights (which we hear are the worst).

I spent a lot of time identifying an appropriate breeder (there are a lot of scary ones out there), and found one that seems really professional and seems to care a lot about her puppies. She's been sending weekly updates since we chose him a couple of weeks ago.

We'll be bringing Bacon home around the New Year. We are just so excited! For now, I'm working on rearranging things in our apartment to "puppy-proof" to the best of my ability. This has also motivated me to finish up some projects around the apartment, so be ready for some posts about those!

Sunday Soup: Squash, Corn and Lemongrass soup

2010-12-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends! Since today is my birthday (the big 2-7, yipes!), Joe is in charge of cooking me a delicious steak dinner. This is sort of a rarity around here (both the menu and the chef these days), so I'm pretty excited.

Although I won't be making any soup today, I wanted to share a recipe that I found the other day on thekitchn.com. Give it a try, let me know how it is!

Squash, Corn, and Lemongrass Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

serves 4-6 as a main course, 8 as an appetizer
adapted from Gourmet

thekitchn.com

For the soup:
1 fresh lemongrass stalk, trimmed and outer layer discarded, about 6 inches long (you can replace this with fresh ginger and lemon zest, or just the zest)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds butternut squash (about one small to medium squash), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

For the spiced pumpkin seeds:
1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or smoked salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika

To make soup:
Smash lemongrass stalk with side of a heavy knife. Add butter and oil to a medium heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add lemongrass, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until onion has softened, about 10 minutes. Add squash, corn, 5 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Discard lemongrass. Puree soup in blender in small batches. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with spiced pumpkin seeds.

For pumpkin seeds:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss seeds with oil and spice mixture. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake until toasted, 10 minutes.

Still working on the hall...

2010-12-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give a bit of an update on the work - or non-work - that I've done on the hall. This "room" is plaguing me.

Stumbling blocks:

1. After the little jog to the side, the hallway extends about 18 feet. That means, even the longest runners I've found on Overstock.com are still sorely shy of the length I need. Along with this dilema, I can't seem to find pictures on the internet of actual hallways (not staircases or open foyers) that have runners, so it's hard to imagine what this hall would look like with a too-short runner.

This is the runner I've been eyeing, mostly because it's inexpensive (so not a big commitment), natural, neutral in color (except the rust - but we've got tons of rusts/reds/oranges in the living room and kitchen), and 12 feet long (longest I've found).

Overstock.com

2. The walls are not "flush" or flat, so my ideas about hanging a picture rail are out. I might be able to do it, but the work involved, possible destruction of the wall, and maybe ugly result are turning me off.

3. The walls have that "sandy" treatment going on. This doesn't really qualify as a stumbling block, but it's so weird. I don't know where this "wall treatment" came from, but it will never go away. And, it makes the walls sharp, which can't be good Feng Shui.

Progress:

1. The new hall table. I love this thing.

2. New "boob" lights. I don't love them, but they are better than the old ones.

3. Art. I've got lots to hang, but I need to mix a few non-engagement, non-wedding pictures in with the bunch. I don't want the entire apartment to be photos of us, even though the pictures are amazing. I'm planning this weekend to create an art wall on one or both sides of the hallway.

4. I'm still working on the DIY pendant light idea. World Market has a large drum lampshade for $30, and I've been looking at ways to cover it with fabric to make it a bit more interesting.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

Sunday, when we returned to Madison after our Thanksgiving visit to Door County, Joe and I spent the afternoon putting up the Christmas decorations. I've been wanting to do this for a couple of weeks now; but have been holding back since I didn't want to jump holidays (you know, like skipping Thanksgiving decorations and going straight to Xmas, Target style).

Our tree...

Reindeer/snowflake felt garland, purchased at a little shop in Egg Harbor, WI this weekend...

Stockings, all hung by the TV with care...

And, the star performer, the coffee table!

I'm not sure if the photo shows this very well, but I used three green, woven placemats (wedding gift), a couple of glass vases that we purchased for our centerpieces at our rehearsal dinner, and a whole bunch of red and gold ball ornaments that we bought a couple of years ago. The center hurricane was purchased last week at Marshalls for $5 and a subtle vanilla scented pillar candle for $6. I'm imagining changing out the ornaments for something different depending on the season, but using this piece year round. In total, I've spent under $20 to jazz up our holiday decor. Not bad, I'd say!

A new family dish: Sweet Potato and Sage Gratin

2010-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hello out there to all the folks we saw this weekend! Here is your introduction to my blog (as we probably discussed during our visit), and your access to the very popular sweet potato recipe we sampled. I tripled the recipe and baked it in a 9x13 baker and a smaller baker.

Sweet Potato and Sage Gratin

Photo and recipe credit:
thekitchn.com

4 large sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder (optional)
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan

Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 casserole or gratin dish. Peel and slice the potatoes. Toss them in a bowl with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

Heat the butter in a heavy skillet and slowly caramelize the onions. When the onions are dark, add the garlic and cook just until golden. Reserve two tablespoons of the chopped sage and add the rest to the onions, along with the chipotle powder and cream. Cook until the cream is slightly reduced then remove from the heat.

Layer the potatoes in a greased casserole dish with the onions, lifting them out of the cream with a slotted spoon. Pour the cream over the top and bake for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are barely tender.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet and toast the reserved chopped sage and the breadcrumbs until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and toss with the Parmesan. Sprinkle over top of the gratin and return to the oven for about 15 minutes or until brown and crispy.

Sunday Soup: Turkey noodle

2010-11-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone out there had a fantastic Thanksgiving! We got back into town earlier this afternoon, unpacked all of the cookware that I lugged to Door County, and spent the rest of the day decorating the apartment for Christmas. Things are pretty festive around here.

Today's soup is a nice one to use up a little bit of extra Turkey, herbs, celery, onions, and stock. It's also super quick and easy to put together, and could definitely be done with chicken in place of the turkey.

Turkey Noodle Soup

- A glug of olive oil
- 2-3 ribs of celery, chopped (include some tops if you've got them)
- one onion, chopped

- those last few leaves of sage, chopped

- a couple of extra sprigs of thyme, stems discarded

- 6 c. turkey stock (or 4 c. stock and 2 c. water, that's what I used) (if you've got a turkey carcass hanging around from your feast, try making your own stock. I didn't bring mine back, so I used Trader Joe's turkey broth)
- a handful of chopped cooked turkey meat
- two large handfuls of small pasta, like rotini or egg noodles
- salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until translucent. Add the herbs and stir to combine.

Add the stock or water. Toss in the turkey and pasta. Simmer until the pasta is done cooking (around 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Coziest spot in the apartment

2010-11-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is currently my favorite spot in our little apartment:

Yes, that's a sheepskin. I know that this may bring up some feelings for some people about using animal parts... I am more aligned with the belief that natural elements are better for our homes than man-made ones, like faux fur made from glorified plastic. So, I purchased two of these oh-so-cozy sheepskins from Ikea a few weeks back, and looooove them. (The little pillow is from Target, purchased for our bedroom in our Redondo Beach place). I keep this one draped over the arm of the sofa when it's not in use, but when it's time to curl up on the couch and wind down from the day, I spread it under me and get C-O-Z-Y. This is seriously the best spot in the apartment, hands down. I understand why animal furs have been used for centuries to keep humans protected from the elements. mmmmmm.

Thanksgiving decor

2010-11-24T06:56:00.000-08:00

I generally place my decorating efforts/budget on Christmas, and this year is no exception. However, I wanted to be a little festive with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, so I created this centerpiece for our living room coffee table. I love the way this table accepts pretty much anything as far as decor goes, so things get switched out frequently.

I used a favorite wood platter (wedding gift from Al), some fake autumn leaves from a few years back, some dried chinese lantern flowers that I had laying around from the farmer's market, along with several varieties of squash (also from this fabulous market) to create a festive, natural decorative element.

This is a little glimpse into the work I've been doing this week. These are the non-fridge, non-pre-cooked groceries that we'll be taking with us to Door County tomorrow, lining my insufferable hallway. Joe and I wish all of you a safe and smooth Travelgiving!

Thanksgiving: bring this dish!

2010-11-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

This is a great dish to bring to a Thanksgiving potluck. It's pretty easy, can be made ahead, and is a real crowd pleaser. Not your traditional, can-shaped blob of cranberry gel!

Curried Cranberry Sauce

1 T vegetable oil
2 c fresh cranberries (about 8 oz)
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 c Pinot Noir
1 1/2 c sugar
3 T chopped crystalized ginger
1 t curry powder
large pinch Chinese 5-spice powder

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, about 3 minutes. Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2, about 30 minutes. Add crystalized ginger, curry powder, and five spice powder. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold, or, if desired, reheat over low heat, stirring often.

Sunday Soup: Butternut squash or "Thanksgiving in a bowl"

2010-11-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

I'd like to thank Carrie, long time friend and author of Sunshine and Fresh Cut Grass, for the Sunday Soup shout-out, and the inspiration for this week's recipe!

Joe and I headed over to Ann Arbor for the football game between our Alma Mater and his current school, The University of Wisconsin. Sadly, Big Blue lost (and NO, Joe was NOT cheering for the Badgers!). We hit the road early this morning, but still came home to lots of work to do to get ready for the week ahead. Because of that, I needed a soup recipe that required few ingredients, all readily on hand.

I've been sitting here, planning the menu and shopping list for my family's Thanksgiving celebration, which will be held in Door County, WI (northern Wisconsin), in a couple of rented condos. So, not only am I planning the menu and doing the shopping, I will be schlepping all of the essential cookware with me! It's looking pretty delicious...but a lot of work. I'm thinking that there is a big shopping trip in my near future, like tonight.

But I digress...

Photo from Carrie's blog post, above

This week's recipe: Butternut squash soup or "Thanksgiving in a Bowl"

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 small sweet potatoes (because the regular potatoes were all sprouty, whoops!)
1 onion, chopped
1 quart veggie broth ('cause that's what's in the pantry, you could also use chicken broth or make your own veggie stock by simmering a quart plus a little extra water with a carrot, celery stalk, onion, and bay leaf)
1/2 to 1 cup whole milk (I'm stirring together some 2% and some half and half, since I don't have whole)

- preheat the oven to 400 F
- toss the squash and potatoes with olive oil and salt/pepper in a baking dish; bake for 45 minutes to an hour while blogging until tender
- transfer veggies and any juices into your favorite soup pot; add the broth and simmer over medium heat
- remove from heat and use an immersion blender, if you've got one, to puree the soup until smooth; or in batches in your regular blender (being careful to keep that lid on tightly!). As always, I like to leave a few chunks for texture.
- stir in the milk to your desired thickness; season with salt and pepper.

And since I know Joe will say, "You know what would make this even better?" I'll fry up some chopped bacon for a garnish.

Tailgate fare: Chili!

2010-11-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hi all! We are heading to Ann Arbor for the Michigan-Wisconsin football game this weekend. Since it'll be a little (ahem) chilly, I decided to whip up a batch of Chili for our tailgate!

The plan is to bring the chili in the cooler, and throw it in the slow cooker to heat up in the morning before we head out to tailgate. Fingers crossed, it'll stay hot long enough for us to enjoy before we head to the game.

This is my mom's chili recipe, one that I grew up eating. It is, by far, the best chili recipe out there. (Don't let Joe even talk to you about Chili by George, bleh).

2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 lb sausage (I usually use hot Italian sausage, but today it was sweet because that's what Trader Joe's had)
1 large onion, chopped
1 sq unsweetened chocolate
1 green pepper
1 T salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 T Paprika
1 1/2 T Chili powder
1 T Cumin
2-3 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
1 15 oz can tomato sauce

Saute the onion and brown the beef; drain, set aside. Brown the sausage separately; drain. Combine all ingredients, simmer ~2 hours.

If I've got some to use up, I throw in a tablespoon or so of ground cinnamon. Nommm. Enjoy with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, saltines, lime, baked potato, tapatio, whatever! And Go Blue!