16 March 2014
by vicki
0 comments

French Onion Soup, c’est magnifique!

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We wanted to stay home last night to watch Iowa State play for the Big 12 Championship.  I wanted something rich,  warm, and effortless for dinner.  Hmm, soup sounded good and with the thought of onions and garlic sauteing and wafting from the kitchen… it was a Slam Dunk!   French Onion Soup it would be!

I have posted this soup before, which is a compilation of at least three recipes. And with winter finally waning I thought it would be a nice little swan song before we dust off our trusty grills in preparation for our summer fare.

French Onion Soup

5               mild yellow onions, sliced thin

1               large garlic clove, minced

1               stick of butter, unsalted

3              cups of good white wine, 2 cups for the soup, 1 for the cook

1 bouquet garni of parsley, thyme, and bay leaves tied with a kitchen string

3                cans of good beef stock and a dash of Worcestershire

2                cups of Gruyere cheese, grated

slices of Swiss cheese and the best textured bread you can find

Pour yourself a glass of wine, then in a soup pot,  saute’ the onions and garlic in the butter for at least 45 minutes.  Until your onions become that great mahogany color.  Add 2 cups of wine and the bouquet garni and let it cook down a bit.

Add the beef stock and a dash of Worcestershire and simmer for 20 minutes then remove the bouquet garni.  It will still smell heavenly, but you have to toss it.

Slice the bread in generous chunks, butter lightly and broil until toasty brown.

Before serving add the Gruyere cheese to the soup pot and stir until melted, pour into oven proof soup bowls, add the chunky bread, top with Swiss cheese, and broil to perfection!  Yum!

If I am not mistaken, there is 1 glass of wine left in the bottle.

How about that game!

28 February 2014
by vicki
0 comments

Chicken Noodle Soup—Special Delivery

EasyRecipe

IMG_3483Our midwest winter has been brutal and along with the weather arrives the ever present flu bug.   Most everyone I know has been stricken at some point this season,  so I have made gallons of my Chicken Noodle Soup to deliver to my fallen comrades.  This is the easiest recipe ever, write it in your favorite  ‘Go To” cookbook and share with your loved ones.

 

Express Chicken Noodle Soup

2      14 1/2 oz.  cans            Chicken broth (or your own)

dash of pepper and a dash of thyme

1                                            medium carrot (sliced into coins)

1/2  cup                                uncooked egg noodles

1   cup                                   chicken (cooked)

preheat oven to 350 degrees

I use organic everything, including chicken, I rub chicken breast with a little salt, pepper, and thyme.  Bake for atleast 30 minutes, when done remove from oven and let cool.  I shred the chicken with two forks, I just prefer that to chunks.  Up to you.

Heat broth, spices, and carrot coins in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil, stir in noodles and chicken, continue cooking at a low simmer until noodles are nice and tender.

Serve with saltines or crusty bread and you will have prepared pure goodness!  Yum!

And I swear to you that this little soup will knock that nasty old cold down to 14 days instead of the usual two weeks!

13 August 2013
by vicki
Comments Off on Tuna Salad on a Toasted Ciabatta Bun

Tuna Salad on a Toasted Ciabatta Bun

Hot & Crusty Ciabatta Buns with Smoked Pepper Tuna Salad

Hot & Crusty Ciabatta Buns with Smoked Pepper Tuna Salad

I will always get my family's attention when they hear that tuna salad is in the making.  I will share with you… I don't make run of the mill lazy or boring  TSS!  Never!  Ever!  Not allowed!  An array of crisp, fresh, and snappy vegetables are chopped then mixed lovingly into the awaiting bowl of tuna.

The minute I feasted my eyes on these fresh ciabatta rolls at our local market, the decision was made… Tuna Salad Sandwiches today!    My good friend Susie Burt kindly gifted me a jar of smoked black pepper (sexiest stuff on this planet!) and ever since I have been giving it a shake here and a liberal shake there and loving its exotic flavor.  Thank you, dear Susie.

Smoked Pepper Tuna Salad with a twist

I large can of white water packed tuna, rinsed and drained

1/4 mild onion, finely diced    I used red for its cute nip and color

1/2 stalk of celery, finely diced  (more for the crunch than the flavor)

1-2 T. of dill relish,

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

liberal plop of Mayonaise

Salt and Smoked Pepper to taste

a small shake of Cavender's Greek Seasoning

Mix all ingredients together, cover, and cool for atleast 1/2 hour.

Right before serving, I baked the Ciabatta buns at 375 degrees for 7 minutes

Slice buns and spread a small amount of mayo on both sides.  Pile with a generous scoop of the tuna salad, add a few crisp slices of cucumber (if that trips your trigger).

Cover with the top bun,  hold this little beauty in both hands, close your eyes and take a bite… then take a moment to savor all of the unique flavors melding together and oozing between those chewy warm buns.   Yum.

Oops, almost forgot!   Lunch is ready!”

collagetuna salad collage

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987zzz321

9 August 2013
by summer
1 Comment

Friday Field Trip; Denver Botanic Gardens CSA Farm

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If you would ask me my favorite day of the week I would quickly reply; THURSDAY (OK, maybe Friday, Saturday and Sunday would be at the top of that list too)!

Every Thursday afternoon, the girls and I head over to pick up our farm share at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield.

My girls love the adventure of going to the farm, feeding the pony’s and goats, watching the chickens and ducks chase each other around the coops, and running through the gardens. We try our best to introduce them to a lifestyle that embraces the good in life, to let them know that branching out of the norm can be quite tasty!

collage 1Elle’s goal each time we are here is to get the chickens to talk back to her; priceless!

collage 2I love watching my girls eyes filled with wonderment, there is nothing better than watching a child explore and learn about the world around them.

collage 3A look into our sweet little farm.

collage 4While the girls are excited to explore the farm, mom is excited to explore the weeks bounty! I love how this CSA is set up we are able to choose each and every thing that we bring home with us, so if I decide that yes, in fact I have had enough beets I can just leave them behind in a bin for someone else to grab!

collage 5Tis the season for peppers and tomatoes, my mouth was watering as I choose my vegetables.

In a weekly email we get a pretty good idea of what we will be getting for our vegetable, fruit and mushroom shares, this way I can plan my meals around our weekly bounty.  I am still  and will always be vegetarian (borderline vegan, I just cant give up a good slice of cheese pizza) so to me this is a gold mine, nothing taste quite as good as fresh veggies just picked from a local organic garden.

collage 6After Elle went to bed last night Cameron and I sorted through our bounty, she proudly told me each and every vegetable that we had gotten that day.  There were a couple of new ones that she had never seen before like lemon cucumbers and patty pan squash, she says can not wait to try them!

csa 131I encourage everyone to tap into their local farms, be it through a farmers market a road side stand or a CSA, not only are you supporting small business, but you are also getting the opportunity to eat fresh grown veggies, a pretty amazing treat!!

5 August 2013
by vicki
2 Comments

Just like a ‘Walk in the Park’

collage of lake house        I don’t know anyone that takes life for granted,  for we work hard and live with purpose.

How many times though, have you accomplished everything on your ‘to do’ list?   Never!  And, we all  have a tendency to put ourselves at the bottom of these lists, because there are so many more important chores to chisel through.  At the end of the day… what have you done for yourself?  Not much really.

So… this weekend I put my camera strap around my neck and set out to photograph the little things I love, but may overlook as I am racing here and there.

After documenting … I sat back, perused,  and renewed my appreciation for the very treasures that show up for me every day.  Then the epiphany appeared… I had just spent a very fine hour!

collage of lake 2       I am going to toss a challenge your way… carve out some time for you this week.  You deserve to capture the nuances that fill you up.  Then pass it on.

 

IMG_2506tiger lily

4 August 2013
by vicki
0 comments

Morning Frittata

vegetable frittata

vegetable frittata

A cool morning on the lake urged me to want to dig into something a little different from our normal breckfast fare.  So I decided to create a veggie filled frittata.  Sauteing the vegetables in the same pan in which your frittata will eventually bake,  makes the whole dish more robust.    As with omlettes and egg casseroles, your frittata can be made with anything that happens to trip your fancy or whatever is available in your fridge.

 

My Vegetable Frittata    ( Yours can be any concoction you desire!)

 

6 eggs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

mushrooms, sliced

1/8 onion, sliced thin

1/2 zuchini, sliced thin

1/4 red pepper, sliced thin

 

Lightly oil a saute pan and bring it to medium heat on the stove top,  add your vegetables or you meat eaters… bacon or sausage.  Saute for 4-5 minutes until the veggies are softened.  In a bowl add 6 eggs and whip them together until well blended, add the parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture into your anticipating pan of vegetables and stir together lightly.  As the eggs begin to set lift the edges with a fork, cook for about 5 minutes.  Put the pan into a preheated 400 degree oven and bake until firm about 5 minutes or until center is done.

Remove pan from oven and slide this litte marvel onto a serving platter.  Cut into generous pie shaped wedges and serve with english muffins or toast.  YUM!

Or better yet!  Add a salad and crusty bread and call it dinner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 August 2013
by vicki
0 comments

Sun Kissed & Fresh! From My Garden

Cast Of Characters

Cast Of Characters

Finally, the time has arrived for Pico de Gallo from my kitchen garden.  Delish!   I have been cheering on the jalapenos and coaxing the Romas all summer long.  Watering, weeding, primping, and propping to remind them how important they are.  Today my Romas are enjoying a well deserved standing ovation and the jalapenos… ahem….appears they are getting a little  fresh with that cute little tomato.   Pico de Gallo fresh from garden to table is the real deal.

 

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Pico de Gallo for Two
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 -2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
  • 4-5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup mild onion, finely chopped
  • juice from 1/4 lime
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. combine the jalapenos, tomatoes, and onion in a mixing bowl. salt and pepper to taste then stir gently together. squeeze the lime over this amazing mixture of color and texture.
  2. allow the flavors to meld together for a bit in the fridge.
  3. serve in an attractive bowl with fresh tortilla chips for dipping.
  4. of course an icy margarita only adds to the scrumptous flavors of your appetizer! and your mood

 

 

 

 

 

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Taa Daa!