Winter and Soup!

Winter and soup! Go together like PB and J, Christmas and tree, Eskimos and igloos, penguins and the North Pole...scratch that one :)

I love soup! Paul does not think soup is a meal and stew is pushing it - so I don't get to make it very often. Whenever I think soup I always think of my Mom making corn chowder with spam and that it's way delicious. I always think...mmmm corn chowder! And then I make this instead :)

One of my favorites comes from Olive Garden their Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup) - while messing about I was able to figure out a sort of recipe for it and then found some back up recipes online. However this is a way easy soup with very basic ingredients and the flavor doesn't change much even if you throw everything in and hope for the best - so don't worry! It's easy and delicious!

1 - Brown 1 lb Italian Sausage in heated oil.

*Add a little extra fennel seed if you've got it. I love fennel seeds!

Use your favorite kind of sausage. I do not have this luxury anymore, because the best ground Italian sausage I've ever tasted was from Macey's in UT. Go figure.

2 - Scrub up 2 russet potatoes and slice 1/4 inch thickness (I like lots of potato, so I use three).

3 - Add two 15oz cans of chicken stock - or use homemade (YUM!). Cover pot with lid and let come to gentle boil to cook potatoes.

*If you've used three potatoes, you're gonna want to use more chicken stock or just add water and bouillon cubes. Just use however much to barely cover the potatoes.

4 - Rinse thoroughly many times your favorite collard green - take all ribs off and make sure they're very clean - greens are notorious for hiding grubs and mud.

*I use mustard greens to cut down cooking time, but you could use kale which actually takes as long as the potatoes - so you would put the kale in with the potatoes. If using mustard greens put in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time for the potatoes.

5 - Put greens in soup and cook!

6 - Yum it's cooked! So now you add the heavy whipping cream. Just put in enough to make it white - 1/2 cup to 1 cup. I just pour and look.

7 - While it's warming back up, skim off the fat from the sausage.

8 - Plate and serve with warm buttered french bread.

Can I just say again YUM!

Making my list....

Hello family! Here is my annual Christmas list :) Money is always great too... this is in no particular order.

Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven

Le Creuset 5-Qt Braiser

Complete Set of Ruffoni Hammered Stainless Steel pots and pans

Wusthof Classic Ikon 22-Piece Knife Block

Peugeot Chateauneuf Salt and Pepper mills

Trinity de Cartier Fountain Pen

Tiffany Keys fleur de lis

Jack Arnold Old Romantics Designs

Louis Vuitton Tivoli PM

Louis Vuitton Tivoli GM

Rosemary and Thyme Complete Series

Jane Austen's Persuasion 2007

Faberge Egg: Lilies of the Valley Rose Quartz Egg

Faberge Egg: Imperial Lilies of the Valley Musical Egg

Hawaiian Quilt

Cottage in England

Silver Honda Pilot 4WD Touring

Animaniacs DVDs

Janacek: The Eternal Gospel CD

Globe or Gemstone Globe

A Years subscription to Consumer Reports (Magazine)

I've had this list for around 12 years - adding and taking things off as I get them. So far I've taken off 9 things from my list which I've gotten. I'm crossing my fingers! Paul says I'm so funny.

But here's his list :)

Kamaka Ukulele Tenor Four String HF-3 with Fishman pickup and custom low action

Marshall AS50D 50w 2x8 Acoustic Guitar Combo Amp

Making A Good Old Fashioned Pot Roast

Every time I make a pot roast, I always do something different. I try to figure out how to improve it. I've done it so many ways, in a roasting pan, in a plastic bag in a roasting pan, in a crock pot...I could go on but won't.

All the previous times before, I would cook the carrots, celery and potatoes together with the meat. But, in doing that they're more mushy or like boiled vegetables, I'm not too big on that. I like my potatoes actually roasted with a little bit of olive oil, thyme, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper - can't do that while it's in with a pot roast.

So, this is what I tried this time - it was delicious!


Of course you have your basic mirepoix (mixture of diced carrots, celery and onion - some chefs call this the holy trinity - kinda sacrilegious - so Mirepoix it is). I've also added leeks to this, because there were some amazing looking leeks in the store and they begged to come home to my kitchen :)

Paul bought me an awesome large pan, that can go from the stove top to the oven. I recommend getting one for your kitchen http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/283150/?cm_src=hero I recommend this type. I have several key pieces I need for my kitchen and they're amazing!

Ok - So I preheated my pan with some olive oil and canola oil, tied my meat up added a little kosher salt and pepper, browned each side 3-5 minutes, then I also browned the edges. I moved the meat to the side and slightly sauteed the mirepoix and leeks with a little bit of butter and a clove of garlic, minced. Deglazed the pan with some chicken stock. Added the roast back into the pan on the bed of veggies with some fresh thyme sprigs. Covered and cooked in the oven at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

The last half hour I put in the oven on the bottome rack a baking sheet loaded with large cubes of potatoes which were peeled and lightly covered with olive oil, sea salt, thyme and freshly cracked pepper. After I took the roast out of the oven, I shifted around the potatoes and put them back in the oven while the roast rested for another 10 minutes.

I took the roast out of the pan along with the sprigs of thyme and placed it on a serving platter covered it with foil. For the gravy, I used my awesome everyday food blender http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku9968108/?pkey=celectrics-cuisinart|eltcuifod which Paul got me for my half birthday to blend up the mirepoix and leeks. I put all the left over liquid in a bowl so I could make my roux in my awesome pan added the liquid back in with the last of my chicken stock. I then added the blended up mirepoix and leeks to the gravy for a bonus thickener. Tasted it for salt and pepper.

So, I finally got my wish: lovely roasted potatoes, yummy real roasted pot roast, freshly made rice and gravy that's so deliciously flavorful. Now, to try to beat perfection - next time I'm gonna try to sneak in parsnips or turnips with the potatoes, carrots and summer squash....mmmmmmmm.

Croissants Part I

Okay - so part of Thanksgiving for my family are the croissants. They're a big part actually. My Mom still makes these and takes them to some of our close family friends. Some of them don't even start their meal until the croissants are there, lol!

They're all sorts of wonderful for the leftover turkey sandwiches....a little warmed turkey, stuffing and gravy gently placed on the sliced in half croissant, add a little homemade cranberry sauce and a good layer of sprouts......YUM!

If you want the actual recipe - ask. It is a little labor intensive, but if you're up to it - go for it!


Get your flour ready with the sugar and salt. In a separate bowl get your warm milk and yeast going.

Get your preliminary mixing done with the paddle attachment.

Once you get to the serious mixing, you're gonna wanna switch out to your dough hook attachment. Mix in the flour one cup at a time.

After all 4 cups of flour are kneaded in, make sure that your dough is a very soft dough.

Put in a bowl and let rise for the first time about 1 1/2 hours.

Croissants Part II

Ok - so now your dough has risen for the first time about 1 1/2 hours - it looks good!

Roll it out into a rectangle - rectangles will be key throughout the whole process :)

You're gonna layer your rolled out butter now into the dough. I roll out two sticks (1 cup) of almost room temperature butter between two sheets of waxed paper, stick it back in the fridge, until the dough is ready for you. Remove one layer of waxed paper, place that side down on the dough. Take off the last layer of waxed paper.

Now, you're ready to fold into layers, as shown. Do this in thirds.

Fold this in thirds. Flatten out and fold in thirds again. So you've done it three times. Which is great, because you want layers of butter to make your croissants flaky.

Fold up nicely and place in bowl to raise for the second time for at least 1 1/2 hours out on the counter, or three or more hours in the fridge.

Croissants Part III

After rolling out the dough, cut dough into rectangles with floured pizza cutter. Then cut into triangles.

Roll each triangle starting with the longer edge, roll towards the pointy tip. Let raise for the third time for at least 1/2 an hour. Then bake 400 degrees or 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes

Tahdah! Yummy, buttery, flaky croissants :)

Prep for Thanksgiving - Mashed Potatoes

This is a recipe for Sundance Mashed Potatoes. Now the Sundance recipe calls for all red potatoes. But red potatoes have a lower amount of starchy gluteny type stuff - you want starchy gluteny type stuff to make good fluffy mashed potatoes - so 2/3 of the potatoes were russetts and 1/3 were reds. So 12 potatoes - if using all red, you're gonna need maybe 12-15 of the large ones. Cover in cold water while you're prepping them (peeling and cutting).

Cut them up to pretty much the same size and cover in cold water and salt (kosher) liberally. Bring to boil and cook until tender, but not weird tender - I don't know how to explain it but don't overcook - so you release all the starch from the potatoes, you want the starch!

In a separate pan heat 4-6 minced garlic cloves, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup chopped FRESH thyme, 1/3 cup BUTTER, 2 cups FRESH corn (or canned, NOT Frozen unless it's the yummy Costco kind), kosher salt and pepper to taste. Heat so butter melts but do not bring to boil or even a simmer.

Drain potatoes and mash in the liquid mixture - try not to get the corn in until the last. You're probably not going to use all of the liquid, but definitely use all the corn and stuff. I forgot to take a picture after I put it into the serving dish, but it was pretty with the melted butter on top. Yummy!

Anyways, on Thanksgiving Day, you could make these 2-3 hours ahead (or any mashed potatoes) then set them in a double boiler (I just put them in a tempered glass bowl and set them over the pan with water that I just cooked them - the steam cleans the pot nicely for me) - cover with foil and set the flame on very low and let them sit until you're ready for them! They won't get all weird and clumpy like homemade mashed potatoes, usually do.

*Note - Sundance Mashed Potatoes recipe comes from Sundance, UT from the Foundry Grill - it is a recipe that they've discontinued a while ago, but it's still way delicious. If the corn freaks you out, then just do the other stuff, that alone is very delicious!

Taking SF by Storm

Last weekend Paul decided to get me out of San Jose and make our way up to the "big city". We got up early Saturday morning and I made musubi's while Paul went and got the car washed and serviced. We made our way up to Oakland to go to the Oakland temple. We barely missed the 9am session, so hung out until the 10am started. Glad we had to wait, because we saw one of Paul's friends from BYU. It's always nice to see friends!

We changed into everyday clothes over in the Visitor's Center :) We do this all the time, it's kinda funny having the Sister missionaries greet us and try to talk to us, when we're in an out of there. Then we very slowly made our way down to San Francisco. Traffic was horrendous, it always is. We went over the Bay Bridge and that took about 1 1/2 hours.

We then had to make our way all the way across town to Presidio for the Hawaiian Festival. Which took another 1 1/2 hours. That made it about 3pm. Parking was very exciting, we got to wait in a huge line and finally got a parking space around 4pm (the Festival closed at 5pm). Paul and I waited in several different food vendor lines (not together-saved time). We got a kalua pig plate, lau lau plate, lumpia, pancit (which was not half as good Marvel's - my mother-in-laws) and cascaron (a Filipino dessert) which had too much brown sugar on it, but I wiped some off and it was delicious. It was all good! Yum!

Paul and I walked around the festival and got a couple of things. I got an ipu (dried gourd) that was decorated. Paul got some Hawaiian weapons, little ones to go on our Christmas tree. We've decided that we want a Hawaiian Christmas tree this year, and we're gonna have a big one! I love planning for Christmas...even this early! Funnily enough we stayed about 45 minutes then made our way across town to the Hilton in the financial district (which is right below Chinatown). The above and below pictures are the views from our 24th floor room. It was breathtaking! Coit Tower and Alcatraz.

We went speed sight-seeing. Luckily we had our car. We walked through a bit of Chinatown and decided to drive instead of walk all those hills. We went to Ghiradelli Square, which to be honest was very underwhelming...so they make chocolate and sell ice cream, two things I'm not very excited about.

However, Paul enjoyed the ice cream and chocolate. To be completely honest though, I did get a hot chocolate, carmel de sel or something (carmel with sea salt) it was awesome! But I don't think it was worth the $7 parking fee. We made our way down to Pier 49, got some clam chowder in a bowl from a street vendor and yucky crab cakes, but hey it's really about the experience.

We drove about seeing sights. Before we went to SF I asked Paul to look up some restaurants to visit and this was one of them. It's called Emporio Rulli, fresh Italian food. Paul of course got a pizza with prosciutto and arugula. I got the handmade gnocchi with fresh tomato, basil and mozzarella. It was so delicious, the couple next to us, ordered the same thing and they loved it too! We were all sorts of full by the time we left the restaurant around 10pm. So we took dessert (picture above) back to the hotel, mini fruit tarts and a pistachio infused panna cotta with fresh strawberries....can I say, "YUM!" one more time, for the cheap seats in the back, "YUM!"

Our whole weekend for me was relatively a surprise. I had had a difficult week before and Paul decided to surprise me with this weekend away. He planned it of course for the weekend of the Hawaiian Festival and a matinee showing of Wicked. The show was awesome! The lady playing Glinda was the understudy, but she was amazing. I think everything fell into place for her, because it seemed like it was her first standing ovation, because she cried. It was a great weekend! To be completely honest though I'd rather have been at Church. Church was great today though, good talks and my kids in Primary were good. Loves to all!

Frutta Fresca

Well, what do you do with 8lbs of strawberries when you have a freezer full of homemade fresh frozen strawberry jam? Apparently, I tried my hand at strawberry juice or as the Mexicans would have it Fresa Fresca...something like that, how would I know?

Blend up a bunch of strawberries...that's already yum! I blended about 6 or 8 cups...I still have 5lbs of strawberries left!

Then you're gonna have to strain it, to get all the seeds out. You don't have to do that if you like seeds. I don't, so I strained it.

Mix it up with simple syrup and water or sugar and water, I don't think it matters that much. Add juice from a couple of limes. Taste it and see if you like it.

I've been to a couple of Farmer's Markets where they sell this. It's so delicious! It also brings back the memory of reading "A Girl of the Limberlost" by Gene Stratton-Porter. There is a part of the book where she offers her guests a drink compounded of different types of berries mixed with cold spring water...it sounded so delicious, I've always wanted to try it! We didn't get too many berries is Hawaii..but I ain't in Hawaii now. So now I have finally tried it out :) All I have to do now is figure out how to make dandelions with bacon!

Making Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their favorite recipe, some like them crispy, some like them soft...I like them somewhere in between. But there are basic rules in cookie making.

1-Cream together a mixture of butter/margarine and crisco with the sugar. Why a mix of fats? It makes the cookies softer. Butter doesn't hold up that well under heat, so you get a way crispy cookie. If you want a nice buttery flavor but also a soft cookie, you need something that has better heat resistance. Why cream? It also makes a softer cookie and allows the flour to evenly hold onto the fats and sugars.

2- Add your eggs and flavoring (I use vanilla). Mix, mix, mix. After mixing, DO NOT scrape down the sides, if you do that it will take a longer mixing time when you add the flour and that is the last thing you want, unless you like hard almost non-chewable cookies.

3- Sift in your flour, baking soda and salt, then dump on your chocolate chips...actually you could use almost anything here except oatmeal - white chocolate with mac nuts, chocolate chips and raisins, M&Ms, Andes Mints, Reeses Pieces, toffee...whatevers.

4- When I mix in the flour I cover my mixer with a damp kitchen towel, to keep the puff of flour contained. I mix in the flour between 10-15 seconds, anymore than that, you risk forming complex strands of gluten which is great for bread, but makes a cookie tough.

5- Here it is all mixed up. This is really the time to eat it...it's easier for me to take out the chocolate chips, which I don't like.

6- I use a 1" ice cream scoop to scoop up my dough. Because the recipe I use makes a lot of cookies, I keep a damp kitchen towel over the bowl to keep the dough moist.

7- Space your cookies nicely and put into pre-heated oven. I use 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, just until I see that they are getting firmed, but the middle is still a tad raw. I bring them out of the oven and let them sit on the cookie tray for another couple of minutes, while the pan is cooling, it is still slowly cooking the cookie but not to the point that it would get over-done.

8- Eat your warm, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies with a nice tall glass of cold milk!

And yes, you're right, when my life is boring I blog about food.

My First Real Tart

I think that it's very important to try new things. As you know I've had issue with the making of pie crust, so making this tart for friends was a little nerve racking. But, it was (even if I do say so myself) quite good. Although it's not that difficult to follow a recipe...now.

Make the pastry cream with real vanilla and vanilla bean the day before. Most people add cognac for the flavor in addition to the vanilla, I added lemon. Also, make the crust the day before, so it will be nice and cool. This crust was more of a cookie crust.

Start layering your berries from the outside inwards. I like the two berry effect - blackberries yum! Although, I should have put golden raspberries on here also, but I opted for lemon zest, since it was also in the filling.

I then made it all shiny with melted guava jelly. Some people use apple or apricot jelly. I had guava on hand, so that is what I used. The recipe said to leave it out on the counter until time to serve (up to three hours). But I think I might have liked it a little better if it had been chilled. Next time!

Enjoy the pictures, while I enjoy the real thing :)