Wedding Soup

Having lived away from our extended family for most of the past nineteen years, the responsibility of holiday dinners has been almost entirely mine. Only on a few occasions have we spent a major holiday away with family.

It's been especially fun when my parents have come for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I love working in the kitchen with the two best cooks I know!

As the children have grown & become more adept in the kitchen, my work load has become lighter.

This year, the work of Christmas meal prep was even lighter - for me, at least.

The children did almost all of the baking. I only made one batch of lemon sugar snaps (from Martha Stewart; my first time; marginal results).

We were invited to share Christmas dinner with The Cousins, with "instructions" to bring whatever we wanted.

Nice!

The girls made a couple of quiches and some desserts, and I got over easily.

I decided to make soup, and the girls made a special request:

Wedding Soup.

Being from Pittsburgh, I learned about Italian food (and Polish food and German food) before I ever learned about "soul" food. In fact, growing up, my exposure to "soul food" was relegated to a mere handful of basic options (although, with my parents, even ordinary foods are extraordinary):

Fried Chicken

Ribs 

(I'll ONLY eat my dad's.)

Collard Greens

(I ONLY ate my dad's until Craig learned how to make them.)

As I've already mentioned, my parents are the best cooks I know, and this is true even with Italian food.

However, I never had wedding soup while growing up in their household.

I don't even know anyone else who makes it at home, except for a lady I once met in an Italian market. As a visual learner, I didn't remember much of her verbal recipe sharing that day. So, when I was ready to make it at home just a few years ago, I had to search online for a recipe.

I ended up finding two recipes that seemed promising. Each one lacked something that the other offered, so I combined the best of the two.

For the past several years, this has been a favorite, not only for my household, but also for friends and relatives who've tasted it.

On Christmas Day this year, though, I decided to wing it, and it ended up being the best yet! The Cousins don't eat much beef or any pork; so to be safe, I made turkey meatballs.

Here's what I did:

Turkey Meatballs = ground turkey, crumbled bread (a slice or so of something good - I used my homemade wheat bread and grated it manually), chopped onions, herbs, salt, pepper, egg, milk.

Don't make them too large. I used a tablespoon to scoop mine, and that's about as large as they should ever be.

Cook the meatballs in the bottom of the soup pot you plan to use. Add chopped vegetables when the meatballs are sufficiently browned:

(It'll be necessary to push the meatballs to the sides of the pot & add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.)

fennel

(I was out of celery, and I'm SO glad! Fennel is the way of the future. For sure.)

carrots

onion

garlic

spinach

(Confession: I use frozen spinach.)

I keep a cute little covered dish of coarse salt next to my stove. I always feel more chef-like as I pinch and sprinkle while cooking. Don't be shy, but don't overdo it. That goes for pepper, too. It doesn't hurt to add a bit more herbs and other seasonings along with the vegetables. I added some ground celery seed, as well.

OK, I can hear your question. 

("Which herbs?")

I used rosemary, thyme, sage (all fresh), and dried oregano. I may have thrown in a little savory, but I can't recall for certain.

NOTE: This soup got rave reviews, even from The Cousins (who, surprisingly, had never tasted Wedding Soup before). So, if yours turns out bland, don't blame me. I am a seasoner. I just can't direct you on exactly how much. You'll have to sample as you go.

My only caution is that it is possible to use too much oregano, and it doesn't take much to cross the line. That stuff is powerful, unless it's fresh.

Cute little covered dish (gotta love Polish pottery, eh?)

 When the veggies start to get a little tender, go ahead and add chicken broth. Now, I'm leaving this up to your discretion. It really depends on how many meatballs you have, whether or not you add a mini pasta (I usually don't), and how brothy you like your soup. It's totally a matter of personal preference, but at least use enough broth to cover the ingredients and leave room for evaporation as it simmers.

That's it. That's how I made my wedding soup. It's all in how you season it - and your meatballs really make a difference, too. Please - whatever you do! - DO NOT cheat by buying frozen meatballs. Seriously. It's worth the effort to make them yourself. If you decide to ignore my advice, just don't tell anyone where you got the recipe, OK?

;-)

The girls said that this photo makes the soup look more like swamp water (the camera is still in the shop); but I assure you, it is far superior to that.

What's On Your Thanksgiving Menu?

A loaf of bread awaiting its execution transformation

I have a basic blueprint that I follow each year when planning menus for major holidays, but I like to change a detail or two, just to keep it interesting.

This year, The Cousins will join us for Thanksgiving dinner, and one of them offered to bring the turkey!

Selah.

Even with two ovens, it's a tremendous relief that I won't have to strategically time the use of them in order to accommodate something so large as a turkey and still make everything else in time for dinner.

I've been back in fitness mode recently, and I'm trying so hard not to load up on lots of heavy fare.

Even my pared-down menu still threatens the waistline, but not as much as in years past.

Trust me.

My dad bought this cute little garlic roaster for me a few years ago. Roasted garlic is a key player in my cauliflower pureé, which will be served in lieu of mashed potatoes, much to Morgan's chagrin. (I've promised to make it up to her on Christmas.)

What this photo lacks in aesthetic value, it makes up in culinary flair. This ordinary scene will morph into Craig's AMAZING collard greens (Daddy's recipe), sweet potato casserole, & cauliflower pureé.

The next generation of apple pie baker has graduated. Morgan normally makes the crust while I make the filling, but today she made the entire thing from start to finish. (It's probably more accurate to say that I've graduated. I wasn't a control freak about it, and she was free to create.)

What's fueling my operation today?
Ethiopia Harar Longberry

These bread cubes will become my stuffing (Mom's recipe), which will fill rolled flank steak (also Mom's recipe).

The remainder of today's prep includes making the topping for the sweet potato casserole, blanching brussels sprouts for roasting tomorrow, making cranberry salad, and mixing "pretty" herb butter to display on a cold plate.

The Line-Up:

Cauliflower Pureé

Roasted Brussels Sprouts


Collard Greens

Cranberry Salad

Sweet Potato Casserole

Stuffed Flank Steak

Whole-Wheat Rolls with Herb Butter


Apple Pie

(And from The Cousins:)

Turkey

Salad

Green Beans

Pumpkin Cheesecake

*  *  *  *  *

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Granola Bars

I finally fell asleep last night after brainstorming some breakfast ideas, and I want to share one with you here.

Although we're still wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts in late October here in the Houston area, there are pumpkins seemingly everywhere.

If you don't roast fresh pumpkin, you should. It's far superior to the stuff in the can, and there's little labor required. Simply cut it in half, scoop out the inside (being sure to save the seeds for roasting separately), and place each half face-down on lightly-oiled baking sheets. Roast at 350°F until the rind begins to sink in the middle. Let it cool, scrape away the rind, and store the pumpkin in freezer bags for later use.

Anyway, as I was lying in bed unable to sleep (my to-do lists tend to rob me of slumber), I suddenly thought of a granola bar recipe that I wanted to convert.

The friend who gave me the recipe uses either honey or orange marmalade in hers, but I've always substituted with apricot preserves.

This morning, I decided to try using pumpkin pureé.

I can't say enough how thankful I am for baking stones. They truly are a kitchen wonder!

To be honest, my bars don't always maintain their shape. It may be a tell-tale sign that I haven't added enough moisture to the mix. This morning was no different. Most of the bars fell apart when I removed them from the pan. When this is the case, I simply dump them all into my big granola jar to be served later with yoghurt! 

See? 

Everybody wins.

I managed to set this relatively-intact bar aside for a quick phone photo before dumping it into the jar with the rest.

Pumpkin Granola "Bars"

4 C oats

(pulse in food processor to resemble quick oats)

3/4 C melted butter

1/2 C sucanat

(or honey granules, aka "Savannah Gold")

1/2 C pumpkin pureé 

(mixed with 1 T agave nectar, if you prefer it sweeter)

1 C chopped pecans

1/2 C flax seeds

1/2 C dried cranberries

(Feel free to use other nuts/seeds of your choice.)

Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes.

Cool and cut into bars... or dump into your granola jar!

(If you're a coffee drinker, check out our friend's site. This is what completed my yummy breakfast this morning.)

ETA: I posted a revised version of this recipe here with some tweaking of the details for better results, thanks to my sweet friend, Lauren. :-)

My Birthday Weekend

Here it begins: the final lap of my thirties.

When I was in my twenties, I was so excited about turning 30. I was eager to put into practice the lessons I learned as a younger woman.

Now, I'm looking forward to my forties, hoping to gain a little more respect wisdom.

Although I'm still very young (and don't you forget it!), I'm starting to notice that I'm not 25 anymore.

The evidence:

* I now use an eyebrow pencil.

* I now use a roll-on puffiness/dark circle remover around my eyes. 

(That was hard to admit.)

* I'm older than my dentist. Significantly.

("Like, totally!")

* I spend a lot of time thinking about the fact that one of my sons is now sporting a moderate Mohawk.

* I often solicit my daughters' input in choosing attire for some occasions.

* Hip pain sometimes causes me to lose sleep, and I just may have to give up running, for keeps.

* When I organize storage areas, I separate items into "Give Away", "Sell", "Throw Away", and "Keep for Future Grandchildren".

* My storytelling often includes lines like, "Well, my generation..."

But I'm not scared! Bring it! I have about five gray hairs - maybe - and I'm proud! The wrinkles on my face are from laughing, because my family cracks me up. I love these people, and I'm grateful for every minute I've spent taking care of them.

Just check out how we celebrated my birthday (which, by the way, was Friday. The 30th. You'll want to make a note of that.)

I got to start a week in advance. I needed a dress for a certain event, and Craig took me to one of my "go-to" stores. People often ask me if I sew clothes. I answer that it would take all the fun out of shopping for them!

On "the big day", we went into the city with Craig. While the boys got haircuts, the rest of us went to a really great nearby cafe to wait.
Don't be deceived by the commonplace appearance of this coffee drink (nor offended by its presentation). It is "The Black Eye": dark coffee with two shots of espresso, and a little cream 'cause that's how I roll.

Isn't that some scar on my knee? It's a reminder of much younger days, when a friend and I flipped a car.

Caelyn was the only one brave enough to try the "Black Eye" with me.

I'm glad that Morgan, the photographer, made it into a photo.

Here's C-Whit, chillin' while awaiting his drink at the cafe.

After stopping by Craig's office for a few minutes (just to make it look good), and waiting even longer for the boys' haircut excursion, we headed to a fabulous Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. Pictured here is the #1. Can't wait to have it again! My actual lunch, though, was a modified version of #82.

Next on my list: Learn to "French Press" the Vietnamese way.

Because my man is super generous (and despite the fact that I already got a super adorable dress) he took me to REI after lunch for another pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes.
(Are you familiar with the term "the bomb"?

Since we were out all day - and because we're nearly 1400 miles away from my parents and their amazing baked goods - we decided to try out a bakery that my cousin recommended. We each chose something different and shared samples. It was OK, but I'm still craving something with either white cream filling or buttercream frosting. I was thinking more of a traditional bakery, but it was actually a deli/cafe setup with a dessert counter. The selections were abundant. I'd still go there, but not for a traditional bakery experience.

We didn't end up getting any more photos of the weekend, but it was surely a blast! When we finally dragged ourselves home, Craig and I headed to the gym for a workout, followed by a trip to Whole Foods. When I get him all alone in that store, it is such a fun time. I can pretty much ask for anything, and he'll say yes. We went on the right day. :-)

On Saturday, our homeschool group sponsored a pancake breakfast at a nearby park. The weather was beautiful, and we had such a great time visiting and meeting some of the other families.

After the pancake breakfast, we drove into the city to explore an exciting new family adventure. I'm not sure if we'll actually do this, but how else will I get a T-shirt and wear it with a clear conscience?

The rest of Saturday was spent visiting the military supply store, grabbing coffee, and a date out with Craig in the evening.

Today was equally wonderful with a great church service in the morning, followed by greasy burgers for lunch, a little of the Steelers/Texans game, and a shopping trip. Our family will be helping with a golf tournament/fundraiser tomorrow, and the boys needed new duds for that. Once upon a time, they always had khakis and polo shirts in their closet. I don't know what happened...

Perfection

In our house, we like to find creative ways to add sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and pumpkin to recipes.

Caelyn and Morgan have a little competition going to see who can yield the best results with sweet potatoes.

So far, I'd say they're 1-1.

Morgan makes some rockin' sweet potato muffins, and Caelyn has absolutely perfected

Sweet

Potato
Chocolate

Chip

Cookies

.

"Doesn't it just sing?"

We normally use Sally Fallon's recipe, but Caelyn wasn't pleased with the texture.

She found this one recently, and you'll hear no complaint from me.

In fact, they're

Absolutely

Perfect, 

with a cake-like texture.

Of course, as her gene pool would dictate, she somewhat changed the recipe to suit our family's preferences; but I don't know exactly how.

Sorry.

Anyway,

Craig believes that anything other than traditional chocolate chip cookies is a horrible misuse of chocolate chips. 

I benefit from that opinion in that the chocolate chips that were removed from part of the batter to leave plain cookies for him, were then added to the rest of the batter, leaving some of the later cookies

loaded with 

chocolaty 

ooze!

Mmmmmm!!

Go ahead.

Try it.

I dare you to eat just four.

Kitchen Memories

I recently posted photos on Facebook of our Family Movie Night with the cousins, and I included photos of Craig's homemade caramel popcorn.

Naturally, there were a couple of requests for the recipe. As I rummaged through my trusty recipe basket - a vestige of the bygone era of Longaberger in my life - I was warmed by the memories of friends and family represented by some of the cards in the file.

Such as:

Frozen Strawberry Dessert

from Denise

Caelyn, as a toddler, used to terrorize her cat. Denise is also the source of the caramel popcorn recipe.

Cheesy Apples

from Michele

She was my Longaberger consultant in Pennsylvania.

(Confession: I've never actually made this recipe, but the memory of knowing Michele is a pleasant one.)

"Older Than Dirt" Sandwiches

from Gena

These made many a happy tummy as we spent lazy days at her family's lake house.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Renate, my spiritual mother

These are no ordinary cookies, & the recipe is huge! I have many fond memories of spending timing "sitting at the feet of" Renate in California, & gleaning her wisdom.

Sweet Potato Casserole Topping

from Cornelia

Affectionately known to us as "Sugar", Cornelia has been one who encourages me to diligently study the Word of God.

Granola Oatmeal Bars

from Jenan

Several of us ladies were privileged to visit Jenan's kitchen in Alabama and learn about Lebanese cuisine.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

from Grandma Betty

Countless memories flood my mind when I think of my wonderful grandmother who passed away in May '10. How thankful I am to have this family favorite in her very own handwriting!

Pap's Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Daddy

I'm pretty sure that this is worth money!

Crab & Cheddar Clam Chowder

from Erica

Erica was our neighbor in California. We only knew each other briefly, but she was very kind to share her family's recipe for clam chowder. It's definitely a favorite.

I've enjoyed reflecting on kitchen memories. It's such a blessing to share food & fellowship with special people.

I'll leave you with a recipe:

Lemon Velvet

from Mom

(This gets annihilated every time!)

Layer 1:

1/2 C chopped walnuts (I use pecans)

1 stick butter (Mom's recipe reads "oleo" - which certainly dates it. I don't touch the stuff.)

1 C flour

Blend & press into a 13x9-inch pan. Bake @ 350˚ for 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Layer 2:

1 C Cool Whip

1 C powdered sugar

16 oz. cream cheese

Blend & spread over 1st (cooled!) layer.

Layer 3:

2 pkgs. instant lemon pudding

3 C milk

Blend & spread over 2nd layer

Layer 4:

Cool Whip

Optional: sprinkle with chopped nuts. I don't.

Enjoy! 

Then run a few miles.

*Many thanks to Cristie, who pointed out that I had originally typed "1/2 stick chopped walnuts"! Duh! It's 1/2 C.

Superfood

I've read and heard that the mind is most active and creative during the stage just between asleep and awake. I've experienced this phenomenon more than once, so I believe it to be true.

A couple of days ago, I had in mind to make a grilled chicken salad for dinner. We've had our share of cookies and ice cream lately - and probably another family's share, too - so I thought that we should have some lighter fare that was power-packed enough to give our systems a boost.

I once read an article by a guy who hikes more than the average "crunchy" person. He claimed that if he could take only one superfood on the trail with him, it would be

quinoa.

That's "keen-wah".

A Google search will yield many articles citing the nutritional benefits of quinoa, but I first heard of it through my friend, Becky. She was the first person whom I ever met that cooks and bakes with fresh grains.

I purchased this book that highlights the main super grains, along with a bit of history of the uses and benefits thereof.

Anyway, back to my brainstorming. 

I awoke with the idea to have a quinoa salad with our grilled chicken salad. 

(I also thought about how to season the chicken for grilling, rather than marinating it. Yum!)

Quinoa can be eaten as a hot breakfast cereal - best, in my opinion, with cinnamon, ginger, almond milk, a dash of salt, dried blueberries and agave nectar - but I've seen recipes for salads and other sides made using this versatile grain.

In fact, I once made it as a yummy side dish with mushrooms, and my friend, Lauren, makes amazing cookies using quinoa. 

AMAZING!

When I made the salad, I wanted to merge a few different flavors, so I included dried cranberries for a bit of sweetness, as well as slivered almonds, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil.

These were added after cooking 1 C quinoa in 2 C salted water, which I brought to a boil, then simmered, covered, until the water cooked out, and let it cool in the refrigerator while working on other preparations.

I found it a bit salty as I "poison tested" it, so I drizzled just a tad of agave nectar for balance.

The final assessment?

Lots of positive feedback from the natives.

I forgot to mention that during my half-awake brainstorm, I came up with an idea for sun-dried tomato dressing for the grilled chicken salad. I didn't write it down, but here's what I remember:

sun-dried tomatoes (the kind in a jar of oil & herbs)

red wine vinegar

balsamic vinegar

minced garlic

Greek seasoning

lemon juice

Dijon mustard

pepper

a hint of soy sauce

Tweak this per your own taste. I made this in the Vita-Mix, which made it a little thick and caused it to somewhat resemble Thousand Island dressing, which I absolutely do not like. So, I had to remind myself that I'd enjoy the end result.

And I did. 

We all did.