they're coming for you, Barbara...

I could spend a couple of paragraphs gassing on about where I have been and what a terrible, naughty little blogger I am but I think we are all above that, right? I mean, really.

Ah, owls. Aren't they cute. I made one of these a few months ago for my friend Heather and now I am seem to be making them in large batches to sell in a local shop and I actually listed some on Etsy! Who am I, right? Generally, I look at my handmade items and I think that they are just not really worth selling and I seriously lack confidence on this topic. Fortunately, there has been a very positive response to these, so I am feeling a little better.

The title of this post is from Night of the Living Dead -- one of my favorite, very scary movies. I usually don't go in for seriously scary movies but that one is a favorite. The husband and I get all snugged up under the covers and watch it together. It's the best. Every time I look at all these owls all together, I think of that part where Johny is teasing his sister Barbara in the graveyard, saying, "they're coming for you, Barbara... they're coming for you..." I just love it. Of course Johnny gets eaten by a zombie but he really had it coming what with teasing his sister like that.

I guess it's time to breath some new life back into the old blog.

bells are ringing

Two very dear friends of mine are getting married on October 10th. No, they are not getting married to each other, they are each getting married to someone else. It's a tad bit confusing but I am so overwhelmingly happy for the both that I held one party for both of them to share!

Whenever someone I know gets married, I always find myself reflecting on my own wedding day and my marriage in general. I don't know if that makes me self centered but I suppose it is natural to some extent. Honestly, my wedding day is really the first major life milestone that I really, honestly felt like a different person afterward. Graduation didn't make my any different, really. I think it is because the wedding ceremony itself if what makes one technically married. Right? Walking in a graduation doesn't earn the diploma, the years of schooling that proceeded are what's important. The wedding ceremony for me really looked to the future that we would share together as husband and wife, not back at the time we spent dating, so I supposed that has something to do with my feelings.

My wedding day was a sunny, windy Tuesday in March and I recall it as one of the happiest days I remember. I wish all the best to my friends and their future husbands -- lots of love, laughter, and companionship.

Ok, enough of my musings. I promised folks at the party recipes for the items I made. Here is the menu and some recipes. I will post more later.

Lemon pesto goat cheese dip with crudites
Cherry tomatoes stuffed with marinated feta cheese
Hummus with pita
Chicken kabobs marinated in yogurt and coriander
Roasted shrimp scampi
Sherry and mixed berry trifle



Cherry tomatoes stuffed with marinated feta cheese
1 7-to 8-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 pound large cherry tomatoes

Toss cubed feta, oil, shallot, and oregano in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the tops off of 24 tomatoes. Scoop out tomato pulp with melon baller or small spoon. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on serving plate.

Stuff hollowed cherry tomatoes with marinated feta. Drizzle with additional olive oil.

I thought these were really very good! I think I got this recipe from Bon Appetit like eons ago and it originally included a slice of kalamata olive in each tomato.


Lemon pesto goat cheese dip with crudites

10 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup homemade or purchased pesto
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
Assorted vegetables (I used cremini mushrooms, red pepper, and broccoli)

Blend cheese, sour cream, 1/4 cup pesto, lemon juice, and lemon peel in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl.



Sherry and mixed berry trifle
1 1/2 cups dry sherry
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pound of fresh strawberries, ashed and sliced
2 pints of fresh blueberries
3 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Fresh raspberries, for garnish, optional
Mint leaves, for garnish, optional
1 angel food or pound cake (really, you can buy this already prepared at the bakery)cut into 1 inch cubes

Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and remaining 1 cup sherry into the top of a double boiler. Whisk until completely combined. Place the top pan over simmering water (do not let water touch the bottom of the top pan). With a wooden spoon, stir over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until the custard is quite thick, about the consistency of mayonnaise. Let cool. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar. Take half of the whipped cream and add it to the cooled custard, stirring well. To assemble: In the bottom of a trifle bowl layer 1/3 of the cake cubes, 1/3 of the berries, and 1/3 of the custard. Continue layering, ending with custard. Take the remaining whipped cream and completely cover the top of the custard. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with additional whipped cream, fresh berries and a sprig of mint, if desired.

sick as...

I wonder where the saying, "sick as a dog" originated? My dad was really good at knowing the origins of cliches -- especially if they were of military origins. Why not sick as a beaver or sick as an ox? Hmmmm... I suppose I could Google it but it just seems to require too much effort just now.

I am sick as a dog. Not a happy little beagle in a basket sick but miserable, homeless stray dog sick. I haven't felt like cooking and even if I did, I don't feel like eating. It's very sad. My stomach is hurting like crazy and I have a constant low grade fever for a week now. I will see my doctor for the 4th time in a week today. Sigh. I dread the thought of going to the hospital because frankly it is a horrid place full of sick people and it really smells terrifically bad.

Happy birthday Heather!

My fabulous friend Heather had a birthday last week. I made her this reusable grocery bag. This was a rather daring move on my part since Heather makes handbags. I was feeling a little intimidated but I was betting she would like it and that it was something she would not make for herself. I only made her some linen produce bags to go with it and she seemed to really appreciate those. I hope to see her using this bag at the local farmer's market this Saturday!!

Update - I should mention that I did take some heavy inspiration on this (especially the polka dots) from Posy Gets Cozy but did not use her pattern. I am sure it is fabulous but I didn't think I needed a pattern for something like this... I just used an exsisting, ugly reusable bag that I got from the store for the pattern. I would rather figure it out on my own than spend $8 on a pattern.

and then you stir it some more

Few foods are as comforting to me as risotto. It is comforting to eat and for me, I find it terrifically comforting to prepare. I know folks seem to carry of about how terribly difficult risotto is to make but I think that is to scare away any would be future risotto chefs from discovering the immense pleasure of eating homemade risotto. I think they want you to spend 25 bucks a plate for it at the local Italian bistro!

The secret to making really good risotto is to add the liquid slowly and stir it continuously. Yes, continuously. The jar of arborio rice from which I prepared the pictured risotto called for it to cook for 30 minutes and to have 3 cups of liquid added to 1 cup of rice. My cooking time was closer to 45 minutes and I added closer to 8 cups of liquid. I needed substantially more liquid since I had other items in there besides the rice... like mushrooms, shallots, etc. Much like when you make chicken and rice, it requires much more liquid than the normal liquid to rice ratio of 2 to 1. Same idea here.

I do not recommend trying to saute or boil something while stirring the risotto. I prepared a roast in the oven to accompany this since it really did not require any attention from me. I wanted to give the risotto my full attention. The results are well worth the effort.

Mushroom risotto

8 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh white and crimini mushrooms, sliced, set aside about 1 cup of these
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons butter, divided
Salt and pepper
1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms, wiped of grit
1 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated


Directions

Heat the chicken broth in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Pour 1 cup of the hot chicken broth over the dried porcinni mushroom. Let stand for about 30 minutes, and drain reserving the liquid.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms (fresh and dried, reserving about a cup of the fresh mushrooms), and herbs. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir quickly until it is well-coated and opaque, 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook until it is nearly all evaporated. Stir in the reserved mushroom liquid. Now, with a ladle, add 1 cup of the broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to cook and stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. The risotto should be creamy, but not mushy at all. Like rice pudding. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter.

In a separate pan, saute the reserved mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of butter and add them at the end when the risotto is cooked. This gives multiple layers of mushrooms through the dish.

Enjoy this with beef or roast chicken or all by itself.

this dog

This dog, Pebbles, is a sweet, silly little thing. She has taken to hiding between the sham pillow and the other bed pillows every morning while I am in the shower. I come pack into the bedroom and wonder where that silly dog could possibly be. The tip of her tail gives her away every time.



She did not seem to mind me moving the pillow a bit and taking a couple of pictures. She does love the camera.



The camera does love her at well.



I took the pillow completely off and she rolled on her back to show me how submissive she really is! A truly submission puppy would not have gotten in the bed in the first place but would have gotten in her crate like a good little girl.



But what can I do?



I love this dog.

blog! blog!

A recent conversation between my better half and me...

Better half: "Are you ever going to blog again?"

Me: "Yes."

Better half: "..."

Me: "..."

Sometimes I have nothing to say and really not a good way to well... not say it! Sometimes I have to go on a diet and really scale back on the serious cooking. Sometimes I do that.

Until I find some inspiration, I might suggest these blogs -
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/ - funny!
http://aliceandkev.wordpress.com/ - compelling and amazing!
http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/ - hilarious!