The Last of the Iced Tea

Summer has come to a close and the other day was my last glass of Iced Tea. The kids were starting to get sniffley from the change of weather so I made green tea. With a sprig of mint from my garden, it was ready to cool me off on the last warm day of the season.

Homemade Pickles!!!

I finally found a beautiful cucumber in my garden!!! Unfortunately, it also had a yellow friend that I didn't catch in time. :( I still kept it in the picture in remembrance of what could have been. So, what to do with one lone cucumber?

                                                                                                                      Make pickles, of course!!!

I used my most favorite Red Wine Vinegar made by Rozendal. You have to order it online, but it's my one "must have" treat to myself that I get each year. 

I had some dill drying above my stove and some fresh garlic lying around. A pinch of sugar and some sea salt and voila! Of course, my son ate about 3/4 of them...but what I had was delicious!!!

Procrastinating

I'm supposed to be studying Chemistry and working on homework in my other classes, but instead, I picked my first watermelon. I don't know if I picked it too soon or not, but I had to get it out of my garden since some critter decided to munch on it.

I can't cut it yet, though...I promised my daughter I would wait and cut it with her. 

I guess I just work on my school work for now. Ugh...

My Favorite Season of Cooking is Coming!!!

The weather has cooled substantially, and quickly and I am FULLY EMBRACING IT! Fall is my most favorite season. When I lived in Arizona we got Fall weather for maybe three weeks. Growing up in Wyoming prior to that, I had my fair share of season changes and felt like something was always missing. Now, being in NJ, I'm able to experience the warm days and cool nights.

So, how am I embracing it you ask? I broke out the Evergreen Candle. The fragrance smells like the holidays (I know...I'm a sick person - who wants the holidays to come so soon???) and makes me want to COOK!!!! 

Right now, I have a few windows open and I've got an artichoke dip baking in the oven. It smells delicious! Next, I'm running to the store to get some free range boneless/skinless chicken breasts and I'm going to crock pot it up tonight! I got this recipe from a good friend of mine and tweaked it to make it my own. It's SO DELICIOUS!

                                                                                                                        All done!!! 

Before:

                             Waiting for food

After:                                                           Ta Daaaa!!!

Southwestern Chicken in a Crock Pot

8-10 Boneless Skinless chicken thighs or 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

(3) 8-oz cans black beans (you can also add in a can of pinto beans as well)

(2) 8-oz cans corn

(1) 16-oz can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles

1/2 Jar Salsa Verde 

(1) 16-oz can Hominy

½ Cup Spicy Hot V8 juice

1 Tbls Cumin

1 Tbls Chili Powder

***(you can also substitute the chili powder & cumin with a packet of Taco seasoning)

2 Garlic cloves

1 Cup Chopped onion

Salt & Pepper to taste

***Add all ingredients into crock-pot and cook on high for 4 hrs, then medium low to low for another 2-4 hrs

Catering Gig for Little League Parents

I believe this is the beginning to a strong career in catering.
Catering a 100 person Little League Beef & Beer Fundraiser

 It smells so delicious in here!  The menu you ask? Check it out below!

MENU

Main Dish

-        Roast Beef “IN” Beer on rolls

-        Sausage & Peppers

-        Vegetarian Baked Ziti

Side Dish

-        Tossed Salad w/ various dressings

Condiments

-        Horseradish

-        Parmesan Cheese

-        Dijon Mustard

I've finished searing all of the Sweet Italian Sausages.

While the sausages were searing, I was boiling ziti & setting up my storage area for the "trillion" rolls for tomorrow night's feast!

Finished chopping all of the onions & peppers, then sauteed, & joined them with the sausages. They're all ready for the stove.


Stay tuned...

THE NEXT DAY:

It went off without a hitch! I had such a great experience!!! Everyone loved the food and even went up for THIRDS! I still had food left over and didn't run out of anything. This was a great evening.

Time to replenish the food

These are the gifts I made for the Little League Board members. Tea cups with cupcakes & a cute bag of tea. Didn't forget my business card for future consideration!

I LOVE TO COOK!

Homemade French Onion Soup

Fall is here! It's my most favorite season and it's getting chilly - it's Soup weather!!!!

I've made some delicious French Onion Soup and I'd like to share it with you. 

First, you will need some ovenproof crocks. 




 
Slice about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of yellow onions. 

 


In an extra large pan, on medium high heat, pour in about 1/8 Cup of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When the oil is rippling, add the sliced onions and stir. 

While those are cooking, pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Next, diagonally slice a French Baguette - about 1 inch slices and place on a cooking sheet. (I prefer stoneware - food cooks faster and more evenly) bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until toasted.

While the onions are cooking and the bread is toasting, prepare your broth. In a large pan, add 2 boxes of organic-free range broth of your choice (chicken or beef). I added 2 chicken broths and used 4 beef bouillon cubes to add salt and beef flavor. 

(I ended up needing to transfer my broth to a larger pot)

Once the broth comes to a boil, add about a cup of red wine and a cup of white wine. 

Stir the onions only a few times. You want them to get nice and brown - after they start to appear clear, add about 1 Tbs of sea salt and 1 tsp of sugar - helps to brown the onions. Patience is key on this step.

When the onions are just about finished (about 20-35 min) they will really start to brown on the pan - add about 1/2 Cup to the onions and stir. Cook another 10 min or so. 



 
While you're waiting on everything to finish - shred about 2-3 Cups of Gruyere. You can also use Mozzarella balls in addition to the Gruyere. 

In the meantime, pull out your toasted baguette pieces and set aside.

  

Once my onions were finished and beautifully browned, (smells soooo good!) Add the onions to the broth and bring to a boil - then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Prepare the crocks by adding 2 pieces of toasted baguette to each. Turn on the broiler to High in your oven.

Next, using a ladle, add the onion soup 

to the crocks and fill to the top.

Place the crocks on a sturdy baking sheet and add a lot of the Gruyere and mozzarella to the top of the soup. 

And place under the broiler for about 5-8 minutes, or whenever the cheese starts to bubble & brown.

Carefully, pull out the soup and allow to sit for a couple of minutes.

Once you can't stand it anymore, ENJOY!!!