I've been making some yummy soups lately. Last night I made a cauliflower soup. It really shouldn't be called cauliflower soup because it's really a vegetable soup with milk & cheese. Delicious. Really delicious. So very delicious I couldn't stop myself; I tasted that soup over and over while waiting for S to return home. We ate the leftovers for lunch today and it was just as good as the night before. Yet another sign of a delicious dinner!
2/3 of a cauliflower head, sliced
2 small potatoes, chunked, skin on
1 stalk finely chopped celery with leaves
1 c sliced baby carrots
1 small chopped onion (about 1/4 c)
3 cloves garlic
3/4 c chicken broth (I used water & Better Than Bouillon) or vegetable broth
3 c milk or cream
1/4 c butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c cheddar (or make it cheesier or less cheesy to taste)
Vegetables: Chop cauliflower, potatoes, garlic, onion, celery, carrots and place in a pot. Pour 3/4 c broth over the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Boil until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
Thickener: Melt butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Once mixed thoroughly cook for a couple more minutes to get a golden color before removing from heat. Stir in milk, reduce heat, and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly.
Finishing Up: Add the vegetable mixture back to the milk mixture. Stir in cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
That Sort of Pace
Saturday evening- I think- Sean and I watched Meet Me in St Louis. There is a song Judy Garland et al sing in the middle that just seems to fit perfectly with life right now.
"Clang clang clang went the trolley.
Ding ding ding went the bell.
Tug tug tug went my heartstrings..."
Life is moving at that sort of pace right now.
"Clang clang clang went the trolley.
Ding ding ding went the bell.
Tug tug tug went my heartstrings..."
Life is moving at that sort of pace right now.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Diapers & Difficulties
I'm unpacking from my long time away. Between Thanksgiving week and last week I've only spent less than a week at my house. Theodore calls all three houses- our, my in-laws', my parents's- "home" now. A good thing I suppose. You can tell, too, when he walks through those doors compared to any other house, he does indeed feel at home.
While unpacking my mind started to wander. Nothing unusual for me. I've always been a bit of a daydreamed. It's one of my faults. An active imagination. Perhaps it's a boon. I like to think it is. Today my mind drifted like the thin layer of snow that is currently blowing outside my window. I'm on one side of the bed unpacking, looking through my open window across the balcony at the busy bees of snowflakes whizzing by. Right now my mind is wandering to a subject that only a mom would dare contemplate: diapers.
Yes, diapers. That subject that is both taboo and in certain circles even addictive and fun. You see, I knew going in to November that I was about to launch full-steam into a flurry of travel. I'd talked to my mom and my mother-in-law and learned they didn't really want me to use their washing machines as often as I needed to bring a partial stash of cloth with me. My mom didn't want me to bring a full stash or a partial because they have propane, which is very expensive, to run their washer. So I skipped the gDiapers, skipped the Flips, put away the delectably soft FuzziBunz, and drove to Babies R Us where I picked up a large box of Earth's Best Chlorine-Free Diapers. Did you know that most diapers are chock full of all kinds of harsh chemicals, including chlorine? In the past, just using them a few days or hours at a time, I'd found I preferred Earth's Best over other chlorine-free diapers like Seventh Generation or Nature's Babycare. Realizing I needed these diapers waiting for me in Arizona and the nearest place selling them was 1 1/2 hours from my mom's, I got on Amazon and ordered a large case of them so they'd be waiting for me when I arrived. As usual, as a preventative, I also made sure I picked up a big tube of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. That stuff is *good*- usually.
A couple weeks went by. In the middle of the flight I found that, for once, Theodore's pants were totally soaked! I changed him, and hoped that was all. But it wasn't. Not quite 3 hours later, as we were high in the skies between Denver and Arizona, he started fussing and scratching. I looked. His whole bottom looked red! The next several days I tried different creams, airings, even eczema lotions. Nothing helped. I called a local doctor's office and managed to get him in to see a nurse practitioner. His poor red bottom- the butt cheeks too!- were bright red. He'd been scratching and there were scratch marks. I'd had to put him in overalls just to keep him from scratching. She took a quick look at it and said since I'd tried a couple different rash creams and nothing had cleared it, it must be a yeast infection. She gave me a prescription, stating it may be a couple weeks. I didn't think to also change the kind of diaper he was in.
Gradually it seemed to clear up. But then come back. Then his bottom totally cleared. A few days later I saw a new rash, in a different spot- more of the usual rash spot rather than the cheeks of the diaper. I put some cream on it, aired it out twice a day, and went to Target. This time I spent more money. Instead of Earth's Best Chlorine-Free, I picked up hypoallergenic with vitamins A & E and aloe vera Huggies Pure & Natural diapers. Things really seemed to clear up.
Not done yet! Yesterday morning his little butt cheeks were red again. A different look to it though. It almost looks dry? Maybe I'm imagining it. I'm letting him run around without anything on down there since yesterday (except for naps) and slathering lotion on it, hoping that I'm right and it's dry skin. If it doesn't clear up in a couple more days I'm calling his pediatrician. I'm hoping this is the end of the story though. Ugh! At least he's not had a single accident and has used the potty like a dream without missing a beat since yesterday. That's a good sign.
NEVER had rash issues with cloth diapers. Fuzzi Bunz are the best for that! Seriously love my Fuzzi Bunz diapers and am seriously considering getting rid of my BumGenius in favor of them. I love my BumGenius and wouldn't blink an eye at having to use them again. But Fuzzi Bunz are just *so soft* and the sized ones are *so trim*. It's like wearing Mama Cloth vs those itchy normal pads that give *me* rashes/itching each time I use them. In all this, I'd say the Huggies Pure & Natural (not regular Huggies) have been better on his little bottom than the Earth's Best. Earth's Best seemed to do better on him than Seventh Generation or especially than Pampers. If you are interested in only doing disposables:
Can't wait to go back to cloth diapers after this rash clears. Although with the way his pottying is going, it may be only for overnight! Can but hope!
While unpacking my mind started to wander. Nothing unusual for me. I've always been a bit of a daydreamed. It's one of my faults. An active imagination. Perhaps it's a boon. I like to think it is. Today my mind drifted like the thin layer of snow that is currently blowing outside my window. I'm on one side of the bed unpacking, looking through my open window across the balcony at the busy bees of snowflakes whizzing by. Right now my mind is wandering to a subject that only a mom would dare contemplate: diapers.
Yes, diapers. That subject that is both taboo and in certain circles even addictive and fun. You see, I knew going in to November that I was about to launch full-steam into a flurry of travel. I'd talked to my mom and my mother-in-law and learned they didn't really want me to use their washing machines as often as I needed to bring a partial stash of cloth with me. My mom didn't want me to bring a full stash or a partial because they have propane, which is very expensive, to run their washer. So I skipped the gDiapers, skipped the Flips, put away the delectably soft FuzziBunz, and drove to Babies R Us where I picked up a large box of Earth's Best Chlorine-Free Diapers. Did you know that most diapers are chock full of all kinds of harsh chemicals, including chlorine? In the past, just using them a few days or hours at a time, I'd found I preferred Earth's Best over other chlorine-free diapers like Seventh Generation or Nature's Babycare. Realizing I needed these diapers waiting for me in Arizona and the nearest place selling them was 1 1/2 hours from my mom's, I got on Amazon and ordered a large case of them so they'd be waiting for me when I arrived. As usual, as a preventative, I also made sure I picked up a big tube of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. That stuff is *good*- usually.
A couple weeks went by. In the middle of the flight I found that, for once, Theodore's pants were totally soaked! I changed him, and hoped that was all. But it wasn't. Not quite 3 hours later, as we were high in the skies between Denver and Arizona, he started fussing and scratching. I looked. His whole bottom looked red! The next several days I tried different creams, airings, even eczema lotions. Nothing helped. I called a local doctor's office and managed to get him in to see a nurse practitioner. His poor red bottom- the butt cheeks too!- were bright red. He'd been scratching and there were scratch marks. I'd had to put him in overalls just to keep him from scratching. She took a quick look at it and said since I'd tried a couple different rash creams and nothing had cleared it, it must be a yeast infection. She gave me a prescription, stating it may be a couple weeks. I didn't think to also change the kind of diaper he was in.
Gradually it seemed to clear up. But then come back. Then his bottom totally cleared. A few days later I saw a new rash, in a different spot- more of the usual rash spot rather than the cheeks of the diaper. I put some cream on it, aired it out twice a day, and went to Target. This time I spent more money. Instead of Earth's Best Chlorine-Free, I picked up hypoallergenic with vitamins A & E and aloe vera Huggies Pure & Natural diapers. Things really seemed to clear up.
Not done yet! Yesterday morning his little butt cheeks were red again. A different look to it though. It almost looks dry? Maybe I'm imagining it. I'm letting him run around without anything on down there since yesterday (except for naps) and slathering lotion on it, hoping that I'm right and it's dry skin. If it doesn't clear up in a couple more days I'm calling his pediatrician. I'm hoping this is the end of the story though. Ugh! At least he's not had a single accident and has used the potty like a dream without missing a beat since yesterday. That's a good sign.
NEVER had rash issues with cloth diapers. Fuzzi Bunz are the best for that! Seriously love my Fuzzi Bunz diapers and am seriously considering getting rid of my BumGenius in favor of them. I love my BumGenius and wouldn't blink an eye at having to use them again. But Fuzzi Bunz are just *so soft* and the sized ones are *so trim*. It's like wearing Mama Cloth vs those itchy normal pads that give *me* rashes/itching each time I use them. In all this, I'd say the Huggies Pure & Natural (not regular Huggies) have been better on his little bottom than the Earth's Best. Earth's Best seemed to do better on him than Seventh Generation or especially than Pampers. If you are interested in only doing disposables:
Pampers Swaddlers OR Tushies for newborns.
Huggies Pure & Natural OR Tushies or Nature's Babycare/Earth's Best (I still recommend them though not as highly) for older.
Skip the regular Huggies, Luvs, Pampers- they're not as gentle.
Can't wait to go back to cloth diapers after this rash clears. Although with the way his pottying is going, it may be only for overnight! Can but hope!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Pies for a Merry Christmastide
Brie, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, tore apart the new toy Dad and Jenica gave her for Christmas, mere seconds after Jenica pulled it out of the bag. Now the stuffingless faux-lambswool "doll" is her favorite rag to toss around. Merry Christmas, Brie!
This Christmas I'm having fun baking a pie a day- or so the plan goes. Day 2 is a success. Here's what I've made so far.
Day 1- Natchitoches Meat Pies.
I narrowed the recipes down to two. Recipe one was by Emeril. Turning away from his due to his more Cajun influence, I chose to use the recipe from the Natchitoches, LA town website. After all, I reasoned, a town would put the best recipe they knew online to represent their town.
I made a dough and rolled it "thin" as the recipe directed. Apparently it wasn't thin enough. But I didn't know this until much later!
Using a saucer I made circles which were cut out to form individual meat pies.
These pies were filled with a little over a tablespoonful of meat mixture. It had ground beef, ground sausage, a large onion, full head of garlic, and bell peppers. MMMMM!
Folded over.
Frying the pies. I also tried to bake them. Healthier. You know. Quickly I discovered that baking just didn't cut it. There's a reason the meat pies are supposed to be fried. My compromise was to use vegetable oil instead of shortening.
Leftover meat pies. They were *very* tasty. What would I do differently next time? Well, I think I would use 1/2 or 2/3 of the required meat. I think there was a little too much meat compared to the vegetables. I *tasted meat*. Yes, they are meat pies. I know that! But I believe a little more balance is required to the flavors. Perhaps that's why Emeril added so many extra seasonings to his recipe. Overall they were quite flavorful and yes, I believe I would make them again in the future.
Day 2. Pizza Pie!
Tonight, Sunday, Day 2 of Christmas. (You DO realize that whatever the retail industry says the 12 days of Christmas are Christmas Day and the 11 following days that lead up to Epiphany on January 6, which is the celebration of the Magi arriving to worship the Christ Child, right?)
We made pizza! Oh, was it ever tasty. Made the pizza crust, my mom's traditional recipe which comes from Julia Child's The Way to Cook. Basically, take 1 package yeast (room temp), proof with 1/2 c lukewarm water and a splash of sugar, then add some milk (about 1/2 c or a little more if necessary). Meanwhile mix the dry ingredients: 3 c flour, 1 tsp salt. Mix together, add a couple tbls olive oil, let rise for an hour or so.
As Mom was out of sauce I had to make some. Mixed a tiny can of tomato paste, 15 oz can of tomato sauce, some oregano, pepper, garlic powder, paprika. Rolled out the dough, spread the sauce across through to the edge, then a layer of cheeses in the center. A thin layer of colby/jack followed by a thick layer of mozzarella, pepperoni, olives, green onions, some pepper.Roll the crust with a little mozzarella inside and brush the edge of the crust with melted butter. Sprinkle a little Parmesan on the top, all over the pizza allowing a little to land on the buttered crust. Here's the result!
Merry Second Day of Christmas!
This Christmas I'm having fun baking a pie a day- or so the plan goes. Day 2 is a success. Here's what I've made so far.
Day 1- Natchitoches Meat Pies.
I narrowed the recipes down to two. Recipe one was by Emeril. Turning away from his due to his more Cajun influence, I chose to use the recipe from the Natchitoches, LA town website. After all, I reasoned, a town would put the best recipe they knew online to represent their town.
I made a dough and rolled it "thin" as the recipe directed. Apparently it wasn't thin enough. But I didn't know this until much later!
Using a saucer I made circles which were cut out to form individual meat pies.
Day 2. Pizza Pie!
Tonight, Sunday, Day 2 of Christmas. (You DO realize that whatever the retail industry says the 12 days of Christmas are Christmas Day and the 11 following days that lead up to Epiphany on January 6, which is the celebration of the Magi arriving to worship the Christ Child, right?)
We made pizza! Oh, was it ever tasty. Made the pizza crust, my mom's traditional recipe which comes from Julia Child's The Way to Cook. Basically, take 1 package yeast (room temp), proof with 1/2 c lukewarm water and a splash of sugar, then add some milk (about 1/2 c or a little more if necessary). Meanwhile mix the dry ingredients: 3 c flour, 1 tsp salt. Mix together, add a couple tbls olive oil, let rise for an hour or so.
As Mom was out of sauce I had to make some. Mixed a tiny can of tomato paste, 15 oz can of tomato sauce, some oregano, pepper, garlic powder, paprika. Rolled out the dough, spread the sauce across through to the edge, then a layer of cheeses in the center. A thin layer of colby/jack followed by a thick layer of mozzarella, pepperoni, olives, green onions, some pepper.Roll the crust with a little mozzarella inside and brush the edge of the crust with melted butter. Sprinkle a little Parmesan on the top, all over the pizza allowing a little to land on the buttered crust. Here's the result!
Merry Second Day of Christmas!
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