Invisibility

February 14th, 2012 - Driving home after picking up the kiddos. Miles says, "Mom, can real things be invisible?" I said, "No bud I don't think so. I think that's just pretend in movies and stories." Miles, "I have a friend who's invisible named Ryan." Me, "Oh cool." Miles, "I also saw an invisible pond once. It was just a pond hole." (HAAAA made me laugh so hard. Pond hole.)

Love the Skin You're In

I made a trip home to Chicago which became the speed dating version of visiting my family. With only four days and four households to visit the kids and I spent one night at each family members home. Wheew were we tired when we made it back to Minnesota. Families are complicated, everyone knows that, but they get logistically more complicated when they are spread far and wide across the Chicagoland area. My parents divorced shortly after my ex-husband and I did in 2007 after some 30 years of marriage. I knew, unfortunately, from early on they most likely would not be married forever. Sometimes though this is for the better. Both of my parents now seem happy in their new lives and still have respect for each other and there hasn't been any family drama to emerge out of their separation. The only real challenge for me has been trying to find a way to spend any amount of quality time with them and their new spouses now that I live 400 miles away!

From left to right: My sister, my son, me, my daughter, and my magnificent Grandmother.

The kids and I and my wonderful sister spent a few hours with my fraternal Grandmother on Saturday afternoon. She is completely amazing to me. Into her 80's now she is one of the most intelligent, compassionate, articulate, and motivated women I have ever met. All of my life and all of hers she has been passionate about the environment, working tirelessly to support any cause she thought could make a difference. She is an animal lover to the extreme and was an avid hiker and horseback rider. A gourmet cook and health nut, Dr. Decker is what we lovingly and mockingly call her because of her knowledge and passion for all things health related. Oh and the art oh the art! Her home is filled with her masterpieces and I have been lucky enough to inherit several of her works which proudly hang in my home. She is and always will be a legacy to which I am sure I will never live up to. Visiting my Gram was one of the highlights of this trip.

It dawned on me after my visit home that one of two things generally happens as we age, either our mind goes before our body gives out or our body gives out before our mind is ready to give up. We have little control or choice in the matter of aging. The way I see it we should take full advantage of our mind and body while they both get along. The world is far to big and exciting, colorful and wonderful to allow ourselves to be unhappy or bored. Maybe I'm feeling a bit sentimental with it being Valentine's Day and all but the truth of the matter is our time with our loved one's is limited and the legacy we choose to leave or the one that happens by accident is in fact important. I want my Grandchildren to look at me some day and think the same things and be inspired by the same wonderful motivations my Grandmother has represented to me.

Happy Valentine's Day today and everyday!

Time Saver Ravioli Soup

I literally threw this all in the crock pot in about 10 minutes this morning before I left for work. This easy, filling, healthy soup is a great addition to your weekly menu rotation. It's also easily modified to incorporate ingredients you have on hand.

Time Saver Ravioli Soup

32 oz. unsalted chicken stock
28 oz. can unsalted diced tomatoes
18 oz. frozen ravioli or tortellini
2 small zucchini grated
1 small yellow onion diced
1 large clove garlic chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder

You can use a cheese grater or shredder disc on a food processor for the zucchini or dice it small. Throw everybody in the crock and set on low for 6-8 hours. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and serve with garlic toast and a fresh salad for a complete fast and easy winter meal.

Italian Mac n Cheese with Parm Chicken and Red Wine Deglazed Mushrooms

Love is in the air and I just know you want to spend hours preparing a special meal for that special someone! This should do the trick and put everyone involved in a food coma after it's all said and done!

Ok first let me warn you I cook on the fly adding this and that so some of this may not be exact as I don't typically measure as I go along but here goes: (feel free to improvise adding or subtracting your favorite ingredients) Read all the way through so you don't miss any steps first.



The pasta dish alone I bet would serve 6.

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion (chopped)
1 8oz package baby portobello mushrooms (slice with stems)
1 8oz package button mushrooms (slice with stems)
1 1/2- 2 TBL chopped garlic or garlic paste
(cook onion, mushrooms, and garlic until onions are transparent and mushrooms are firm but cooked through. Reserve approx. 1 - 1 1/2 cups in a separate pan)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach with some of the liquid
1 healthy dash Nutmeg
Salt to taste (the cheese has lots of salt so not to much especially if you are using sea salt)
Pepper
Red Pepper flakes (to taste) I probably used a TBL
1 1lb. box of large elbow macaroni
1lb. mozzarella cut into cubes
3 cups shredded Parmesan and or the Italian cheese blend (that's what I used) (reserve 1 cup)
Butter
Your favorite red wine


Start pasta boiling should take about 7 minutes to aldente.

Pour a glass of wine drink. Cook chopped onions, garlic, and mushrooms until onions are transparent and mushrooms are firm but cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste. Add red pepper flakes. Reserve approx. 1 to 1 1/2 cups mixture in a another pan. Pour another glass of wine.

After reserving part of the mixture add the spinach and tomatoes. If you really like tomatoes like I do I think this recipe could even handle another half can of tomatoes. Cook through.

Drain pasta add to a very large mixing bowl. Add onion, garlic, spinach, mushroom, tomato mixture along with cubed mozzarella and Italian cheeses. Add a healthy dash of nutmeg. Mix together thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top off glass of wine.

Coat the bottom of a very large casserole dish with butter. Dish should be about twice the depth of an average 8 x 8 dish.

Mix about 4 oz of bread crumbs and 1 cup Italian cheeses. Coat bottom of casserole dish with about 1/2 the mixture. Reserve other half to top the dish.

Add pasta mixture to the casserole. Spread bread crumb mixture over top. Sprinkle with a bit more Italian cheese blend.

Pinch pieces of butter from the stick and dollop on top randomly on the dish.

Place in a 375 degree over for about 30-35 minutes.

Relax and finish glass of wine.


Part two chicken and mushrooms.

Chicken-Skinless chicken breasts (2)
marinate in your favorite Italian Parmesan dressing. Add a healthy dose of good paprika, salt and pepper. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 2 hours. Bring to room temp before cooking.

Add a healthy dose of red wine to your reserved mushroom mixture, add a tiny dash of nutmeg. Cook over medium to low heat until wine thickens and is absorbed by the mushrooms and onions. Keep and eye on it as the pan will need to be scraped as the wine reduces or it will burn. Add a dash of tarragon and thyme.

While the mushrooms are cooking coat the bottom of another pan with olive oil at medium high temp. Sere the chicken on both sides to lock in moisture then reduce the temp to medium low. (Cook chicken low and slow for best results.) Should take approx. 20-25 minutes to cook through at correct temp. You may want to cover the pan part way through to lock in more moisture. Sip wine while attentively tending the chicken.

Viola serve chicken covered with the mushrooms with a side of pasta. I think this pasta dish would be fantastic with the chicken added to it but would need an additional can of tomatoes for sure to add enough moisture.

I hope I didn't leave anything out. Good luck and let me know how yours turns out :)

Midwest Minestrone

This version of Minestrone makes me chuckle a little as it is such a Midwestern adaptation to traditional Minestrone. I love soups because they are so easy to modify and a classic Minestrone would have been exactly what this recipe represents, a gathering of scraps and leftover vegetables as well as any available pasta. Feel free to modify and let me know how it goes.

Midwest Minestrone

2 TBL butter
1 medium onion diced
3/4 c. cabbage sliced
1 leek diced
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 turnip diced
1 potato diced
1 carrot diced
1 tomato diced
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tsp. chopped parsley
7 c. chicken stock
5 1/2 oz. tomato juice
2 1/2 oz. spaghetti
Pinch celery seed and thyme
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Heat butter in large sauce pan. When hot add onion, cabbage, leek, and season to taste. Add basil, oregano, and remaining spices. Cover and cook for 4 minutes over low heat. Add turnip, potato, and carrot, mix well. Continue cooking covered 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat.

Add tomato, garlic, parsley and pour in broth and tomato juice. Stir and bring to boil. Season soup well and cook uncovered for 5 minutes over low heat. Break spaghetti in thirds and add to soup. Season and continue cooking for 12 minutes over medium heat until pasta is cooked.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Grandma's Turkey Noodle Soup

Classic comfort is Grandma's Turkey Noodle Soup. This is a great use of left over turkey or chicken especially if you have actually cooked the entire bird a day before.

Turkey or Chicken carcass
Water - enough to cover carcass
3-4 stalks celery with leaves chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 small cans chicken boullion soup
1-2 TBL salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1 1/2 c. sliced carrots
1 can cut green beans drained
4 c. egg noodles
1/4 c. butter
1.4 c. flour

In a large stock pot place carcass and cover with water. Add celery, onion, chicken boullion soup, slat, pepper, and bay leaf. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and let simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove carcass, let cool. Add parsley, beans, and carrots to stock, let simmer 10 minutes. Remove meat from carcass and add to soup. Heat soup to boiling, add noodles, cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Melt butter in a small frying pan. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat until flour is browned. Stir flour mixture into soup. Return soup to boiling and stir. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

I'm a big fan of asparagus and even if you aren't give this a try. It's not far off in flavor or consistency of cream of broccoli soup and can be so warm and filling on a cold winter's day. As always this is great served with fresh bread or warm rolls.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

1 1/2 lbs asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
6 c. chicken broth unsalted
2 ribs celery chopped
1 medium onion chopped
3 TBL butter
3 TBL flour
1/2 c. heavy cream
salt and fresh ground white pepper to taste
1 dash cayenne
1 1/2 TBL fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Do ahead steps:
1/ cut tips off asparagus and simmer tips until tender. Drain, set aside.
2. In large sauce pan heat chicken stock, asparagus stalks, celery, and onion. Simmer covered 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and blend in blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender in pot until smooth.

Final steps:
Return stock mixture to pot. In small pan melt butter, whisk in flour and allow to bubble over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in heavy cream, stirring until thickened. Add this mixture to blended stock mixture, stirring constantly. Add asparagus tips and heat soup until very hot but not boiling.

Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Garnish with parsley.