Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm

Meet Bill. Bill loves Tabasco. The man puts it on everything, like stuff normal people don't put Tabasco on. Bill also loves all other things hot, spicy, and peppery. Bill thought he hit the jackpot when he saw this beer at the liquor store the other night. Seeing that we live in Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain where you cannot buy cold beer in liquor stores, he was giddy about getting it home to chill. He even packed it in snow 'cause God know we have had our share this week.






See how innocent it all looks?






Still looks rather promising.







Until now. The floating pepper was quite a surprise. Kind of like Cracker Jacks for adults: a surprise in every bottle. But even more surprising? He was grossed out by it. The same man I described above. The same man who puts jalapenos or some form of hot sauce on 99.9% of everything that crosses his lips. One would think that this particular libation would be the perfect one for him. Kind of like a signature cocktail for Wild Bill (as we like to call him.) The man loves beer. The man loves spicy food. The man loves beer with his spicy food. The man HATES beer with said spicy food in it. Let's all say it together..."HMMMMMMM!"

The Best Thing I Ever Ate...this week

I have long wanted to copy the weekly menu concept ala Kate and Rachel. I read these blogs religiously, and this feature is a favorite of mine. I have tried more than a few new recipes thanks to these gals. However, doing the same on my blog has proven to not really fit with our lifestyle and how I cook. I don't always plan ahead, and when I do, plans often change. With teenagers in and out and here and there, I never know if I am cooking for 2 or 4 (or more if the kids have a friend with them.) I often find myself eating a meal and thinking "hey, this would have been a good one to blog about", but I didn't take pictures or I let to much time pass and the inspiration is gone. I am able to cook pretty much on the fly because I abide by the well stocked pantry theory. I firmly believe if you learn to stock your pantry with some essential ingredients, you can cook most anything. I know many of my friends protest this theory, but after cooking for as long as I have you also learn how to make substitutions or modify a recipe to your liking or to use ingredients you have on hand.

Hence, my new feature, The Best Thing I Ever Ate...this week. I got the inspiration from this show . I will post on Sundays about the best thing I ate for the week. I cook most nights, so this will definitely be home cooked food I blog about. I want to keep it real, so if it's a crazy busy week, the best think I ate might just be "Tuna Roona" or "Gruel" (Both names coined by my family. Both delicious despite their names and a few too many processed ingredients.) Hey, a girl's gotta have some old standy-by's, right? I've been cooking a long time, long enough to have let my cooking evolve. I started simple and cooked foods I grew up on or that my kids would eat. READ: too many cream soup and Velveeta cheese laden casseroles. If this is the way you cook, pleeeeeease don't be offended by my above statement. It's just that MY taste has changed and the way I think about food has changed. I try to cook healthy meals that include more whole grains, lean protein, and if it's laden with cheese sauce, it's homemade, not cream soup based. So...without further adieu The Best Thing I Ate...this week is this French Onion Soup. I watched this episode of Kelsey's Essentials on Cooking Channel and thought I would try her soup. Kelsey was on The Next Food Network Star a few seasons back. She didn't win but now she's got her own show. This show is one that would be helpful for novice cooks out there, she's very detailed and keeps things simple. She's young and a newlywed so her shtick is kind of "how to hone your cooking skills and impress your friends and family". It's not my favorite show, but this recipe caught my attention. The only changes I made to the recipe were that I didn't have any thyme so I used 2 T. of Italian Seasoning and I used slices of Havarti cheese (right from the deli case next to all the other cheeses) instead of the grated Gruyere.

I love caramelized onions. Here is what 3 pounds of sliced onions start out looking like. You can see the flecks of the Italian Seasoning that I substituted for the Thyme. I would also say be sure to season generously with salt and pepper.

After about 15 minutes, the onions have sweat out their moisture and the smell of the onion, the butter and the herbs is heavenly!

About 30 minutes into cooking, the sugar from the onions mixes with the butter and gets all brown and the onions almost melt. You can take this further but I like actual onion pieces in the soup.

After adding the rest of the ingredients don't discount the importance of letting the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes. This is where you will really deepen the flavors. After simmering I still added a good amount of salt, so taste it and see if you think it needs it.

Be sure to get your oven proof bowls ready because you will put the soup under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese. Set on a cookie sheet for easy transport in and out of the oven and to catch any spills if you overfill your bowls.

Yes, I already stirred it up and took a bite before I took this pic. Sorry, I couldn't wait.

My review of this recipe is that it's as good or better than the best French Onion Soup I have ever eaten. This is not a recipe you can rush. It isn't difficult, just takes some time.

In high school, one of my friends and I used to frequent a restaurant that served Bottomless French Onion Soup and Salad. We went there weekly and I have to think they hated to see us coming! The restaurant has been out of business for many years (possibly because my friend and I took "bottomless" bowls of soup to a whole new level) and I have not since had French Onion Soup that tasted as good. This one came pretty close. When I order it out I find that it really is lacking whatever gives it the richness and deep flavor that I loved about that soup from my days of old.

When All Else Fails...

JUST DANCE!

I do believe we are the very last people on earth that didn't have a Wii. With all the snow we have gotten, we have been home bound for going on a week now. I have cleared my DVR, gotten my money's worth on Netflix (like, for the year), tried new recipes, ate plenty of junk, and cleaned my house from top to bottom. I was really beginning to feel like a slug. So many of my friends have been talking about Just Dance 2 on Wii...yes, I AM almost 40. We ventured out to Walmart yesterday after collecting Hallie from a friend's house. With more snow falling we decided it would be fun to get a Wii to keep us entertained and to get my a__ __ of the couch. We ended up getting Just Dance 2 and Super Mario 8. I danced a little last night, the hubs even caught me on video. Note to self: do not wear pajama pants with bright colored lips all over them when you are shaking your ample groove thing alongside 3 of the cutest, skinniest 16 year olds alive. Here are the girls BEFORE I joined them, you really don't need want to see that.

Snow Ice Cream

I've had a few friends ask me how to make snow ice cream.

I am by no means an expert, but this is how I do it:

Send your sweet husband outside to fetch you a batch of clean snow.

Thank him profusely.

*I only used about half of the snow. Hubby didn't want to go back out in the blizzard to collect more snow is an over achiever.

To the snow add at least 1 cup sugar. I start with 1 cup and just taste as I go along, I don't like it overly sweet. Stir in 1 T vanilla extract and start adding milk as you stir. The amount of milk you use will depend on the consistency you like. I would say I used a little over 1 cup for this batch. It's best to eat snow ice cream right away, once it's been put in the freezer it loses it's fluffy consistency.

I did make enough to freeze though...

it WILL get eaten around here!

Blizzard 2011

Come sit a spell!

I need a friend to drink mimosas with toil these snowy days away with. It better be someone I like because if they ever make it over, they ain't leavin' for awhile! It's times like these that I really miss my sister.

Extended Vacation

They say a storm's coming! My kind of storm, too...to the tune of 12 to 15 inches of snow. I love it. Bring it on!!!!

Does This Make Me Weird

1. We buy fresh shrimp when it's in season. I have 3 bags frozen in my deep freeze that I hesitate to use because it'll be awhile before I can get more. My plan for stocking up for the winter sounded good in theory, but the fact that I don't want to use what I have because then it will be gone wreaks havoc on the theory. This recipe may change my mind.

2. I love to eat healthy and always try to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into our meals. I have never met a veggie I don't like, honestly! I am also cutting out processed foods as much as possible and watching my sugar intake. However, I crave McDonald's double cheeseburgers frequently.

3. I am a clean freak and I hate clutter. I can't relax to watch a movie if I happen to look across the coffee table and see that it needs dusting. I have been known to freak out over unswept floors or dirty bathroom mirrors...but I NEVER make my bed (unless company is coming, so call first!)

4. The smell of popcorn used to gag me. I hated walking into a movie theater because of the overwhelming smell. In the last few months, I can't get enough popcorn.

5. I like well done hamburgers and very rare steaks.

6. I can quote Urban Cowboy and Grease word for word. I have had folks challenge me, but no one has taken me.

7. I often wish I had lived in a past era, mainly the 20's or the 40's. I could totally have rocked those clothes and hair do's.

8. I can't sing a lick, I mean, I'M BAD... yet I love to karaoke.

9. I love listening to 1980's country music. It reminds of my dad's "cowboy" phase. He was quite the rhinestone cowboy, right down to his Wranglers starched to a razor sharp edge. He also wore Aramis cologne and Consort hairspray...oh how the scent would linger in the halls (and oh, how I loved it!)

10. I'm terrified of frogs. My little sister used to chase me around with them when we were young. Once, I jumped into the pool to get away from her and she threw the frog in the pool. I about had a panic attack!