Well, it finally happened, I woke up and ran downstairs to get the morning newspaper and wham! It hit me like a load of bricks. Our really big snow, (sounds like something Ed Sullivan would say), was everywhere. I wasn’t ready yet for this. Doesn’t anyone know that they have to ask me first?? You don’t just start snowing without my permission. Oh well, you can see how far that got. At least I gave it a try. Do you remember your first introduction to snow??? Well I sure do. I was about 4 years old and we lived in Southern California, you know that place that has year round warm weather. Well, my Dad took the family on an outing. Now mind you there were 7 of us packed into this Studebaker. What an experience that was. It only had 1 seat in the back, so I got the honors of sitting up front with my Mom and Dad. (I would occasionally look over my mother’s shoulders and give the back seat group a big ha ha, “I’m sitting with Mom and Dad look”, you know the kind all of my siblings would kill me over). It is amazing how inventive you can get when you are on a long trip. My Dad wouldn’t stop for anything, if you know what I mean. He said if we had to go, he had a extra empty coffee can in the back. (I hope he was joking), I found out later he wasn’t. He wouldn’t stop for anything. He was a very focused man, especially driving. I remember looking out the windows and taking in all of the greenery, and there it was, SNOW. I was amazed, at first it was a little patch here and there and suddenly it was all over. My dad let us all out of the car. My brothers ran behind a big rock and took care of what they have been holding onto until we stopped, (remember the coffee can), that was my first experience with yellow snow. When we got back to normal snow, we didn’t have gloves, because we didn’t need them in S. California. So we brought some pairs of socks and used them instead, (which didn’t last long, you can’t make and throw snowball with those on). It was great fun, we laughed and played for about an hour and my Mom said we had to go and get back into the car. I was having so much fun, I didn’t want to go. When I got in, I felt something wrong with my hands they started to hurt and then burn. It was like they were stuck in a fire or something. They must had the first stages of frost bite and didn’t hurt until I got into a warm place and then they started to warm. I cried and cried because it hurt so much. My parents didn’t know what to do, so they let me cry, something my siblings enjoyed listening to the whole way back. Too, say the least. I didn’t go back into the snow until I was in my early twenties, when I was in the army in Korea and it snowed there, but that time I had gloves. Well since there is snow outside and a nice fire in our (gas) fireplace, what a good time to share some recipes. These are good old hand/stomach warming:
Baked Potato Soup
This thick and creamy soup that has all of the flavor of a baked potato that is loaded with all the usual fillings. Your family will beg you to make it again and again! Don't plan of eating anything else after eating this soup - it is very filling!
Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
5 slices bacon
1/2 cup butter1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups milk
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups (6-ounces) grated cheddar cheese, divided*
1 cup sour cream
* I usually use a combination of cheeses that I happen to have in the refrigerator.
* I usually use a combination of cheeses that I happen to have in the refrigerator.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub potatoes well and prick several times with fork; bake approximately 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out potato pulp; set aside. Discard skins.
Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble, and set aside.
In a large soup pot over low heat, add reserved bacon dripping and butter. Add onion and sauté approximately 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Stir in flour until well combined; cook for several minutes, but do not let brown. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, crumbled bacon, and 1 cup cheese. Stir and cook until cheese is melted. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if necessary, for desired thickness.
NOTE: At this point, soup may be refrigerated until ready to serve. When ready to serve, warm over low heat, stirring until hot. Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls.
To serve, serve in individual soup bowls garnished with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Additional crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and/or chives may be served to sprinkle onto the top of the soup.
This recipe makes approximately 6 to 8 servings (10 cups).
Favorite beef stew
Nothing is better on a cold winter evening than old-fashioned beef stew like mother made! This stew will make you think of your childhood.
Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble, and set aside.
In a large soup pot over low heat, add reserved bacon dripping and butter. Add onion and sauté approximately 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Stir in flour until well combined; cook for several minutes, but do not let brown. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, crumbled bacon, and 1 cup cheese. Stir and cook until cheese is melted. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if necessary, for desired thickness.
NOTE: At this point, soup may be refrigerated until ready to serve. When ready to serve, warm over low heat, stirring until hot. Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls.
To serve, serve in individual soup bowls garnished with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Additional crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and/or chives may be served to sprinkle onto the top of the soup.
This recipe makes approximately 6 to 8 servings (10 cups).
Favorite beef stew
Nothing is better on a cold winter evening than old-fashioned beef stew like mother made! This stew will make you think of your childhood.
Ingredients:
5 slices thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless beef chuck or sirloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups boiling water
2 cup red wine (possibly, Pinot Noir wine)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 dried bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 carrots, sliced
1 pound small white onions 6 potatoes, cubed
Directions:
In a large soup pot or cast-iron Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, cook bacon until browned; remove bacon to a dish and set aside.
Add olive or vegetable oil to bacon fat and heat until hot; add beef pieces and sauté until brown; remove beef pieces to a plate. NOTE: Don't try to rush when you're browning meat for a stew. It's a very important step that will take at least 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure that you dry the meat thoroughly on paper towels before browning, and don't crowd the pan. Damp meat won't brown, nor will pieces that are too close together in the pan.
Add garlic and onion; sauté until soft. Stir in water, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt, pepper, sugar, allspice or cloves, and paprika; add bacon and browned beef pieces. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. NOTE: You can also place your pot with the stew in the oven to cook. Cook at 325 degrees F.
After 2 hours cooking time, remove bay leaves; add carrots, onions, and potatoes. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.
NOTE: Always cook stews at low temperatures; the surface of the liquid should barely move. When you simmer very gently, the fat melts out of rich meats and mingles with the liquid. The dish can then be chilled, and the fat easily skimmed of.
When the vegetables are cooked, remove from heat and transfer into individual serving bowls.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
The Best Chili
Add olive or vegetable oil to bacon fat and heat until hot; add beef pieces and sauté until brown; remove beef pieces to a plate. NOTE: Don't try to rush when you're browning meat for a stew. It's a very important step that will take at least 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure that you dry the meat thoroughly on paper towels before browning, and don't crowd the pan. Damp meat won't brown, nor will pieces that are too close together in the pan.
Add garlic and onion; sauté until soft. Stir in water, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt, pepper, sugar, allspice or cloves, and paprika; add bacon and browned beef pieces. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. NOTE: You can also place your pot with the stew in the oven to cook. Cook at 325 degrees F.
After 2 hours cooking time, remove bay leaves; add carrots, onions, and potatoes. Cover and simmer another 30 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.
NOTE: Always cook stews at low temperatures; the surface of the liquid should barely move. When you simmer very gently, the fat melts out of rich meats and mingles with the liquid. The dish can then be chilled, and the fat easily skimmed of.
When the vegetables are cooked, remove from heat and transfer into individual serving bowls.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
The Best Chili
Ingredients:
1/2 pound dry pinto beans
Water
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds beef chuck, coarsely chopped
1 pound pork shoulder, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Directions:
Rinse the beans, picking out debris. Place beans in a Dutch oven with water to cover. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand one hour. Drain off liquid.
Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, for one hour or until tender.
Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer five minutes. In a large skillet, sauté bell pepper in oil for five minutes. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add mixture to bean mixture. Using the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté beef and pork chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean mixture along with the chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, (covered), for one hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more or to desired consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick - it should be somewhat liquid but not runny like soup. Skim of excess fat and serve.
NOTE: You can freeze this chili for several months. When reheating refrigerated leftover or frozen chili, add a few tablespoons of water to regain proper consistency.
Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, for one hour or until tender.
Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer five minutes. In a large skillet, sauté bell pepper in oil for five minutes. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add mixture to bean mixture. Using the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté beef and pork chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean mixture along with the chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, (covered), for one hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more or to desired consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick - it should be somewhat liquid but not runny like soup. Skim of excess fat and serve.
NOTE: You can freeze this chili for several months. When reheating refrigerated leftover or frozen chili, add a few tablespoons of water to regain proper consistency.
1 comment:
Hmm...funny, don't remember my first snow, just the ones on thanksgiving in years past, thanks for the chili recipe, I'm gonna use that!
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