....And that one goes in the "keep" file.

It's blustery. Like that cute song that Winnie-the-Pooh sings in the classic movie, "It looks like a rather blustery day to-day." Even though it's not Wednesday, it was definitely a Winds-day here.

The Frog had her first Confirmation class last night. There were about 20 kids there, all on fire in their hearts in love with Our Lord, and it was a beautiful thing to behold. The not-so-beautiful part was the onset of this front. There we were, kneeling in the darkened nave, the scent of incense hanging in the air from the morning's Mass. The silence was such a treasure--no squawking babies to be taken out into the Narthex, no shuffling of hymnals. We moms waited together for our kids to come join us, and together we prayed the Litany of the Holy Spirit.

We were deep in reverent prayer, our voices melding together praising Our Lord. It was beautiful. And then the wind came.

Oh my goodness. The church shuddered. Hail pounded against the ancient stained glass windows, as if to crash in on top of us. I was certain that we were doomed to rise directly into the heavens, for Pete's sake. (I do not like wind. At all. Ever. Not even to fly a kite. Perhaps to ruffle the curtains at my kitchen window, or sift through my baby's hair, but that's it.)

The wind carried through to today. All day, it howled outside, truly bringing down the leaves and dropping the temperature like a stone. The prelude to this front has taken the better part of a week, and has left me and the Frog with mega-headaches. She was adjusted this morning and this afternoon, and it still persists.

I shall gladly shoulder my suffering and pray for an end to hers.

This cold, blustery weather called for soup.

Ah, soup! That comfort of all foods, capable of warming a home, a body and a spirit all in one fell-swoop! I relish the preparation, I delight in the simmering, and I just plain lurve to eat the stuff.

Today's soup was potato. I've been craving it for a few days now, and have been mulling over a recipe in my mind. I checked a cookbook for the basic make-up, but then flew on my own from the bland concoction listed by Better Homes and Gardens, who insist that water, chicken stock, milk, butter, potatoes, salt and pepper make a good soup. Perhaps a good base, but to call such simplicity soup??!! I think not.

So here's what I did.

Roughly 3 quarts chicken stock
Roughly 1 cup whole milk (I would have used cream, but wouldn't have had enough for my morning coffee, which is a requirement, for Pete's sake!)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp Blessed salt
1 tsp freshly ground sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 cups red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1/2 pound fresh breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

I combined the stock, milk, butter, salt and pepper. I let it heat to a boil while I prepared the potatoes, and then plopped them into the pot, along with the sausage. The garlic, onion and carrots were sauteed in the olive oil, until the onions were translucent and the carrots were tender. It was lovely. All the while, I kept an eye on the simmering pot. I admit, it did boil over once, but it was while I feverishly chopped carrots. And the worst I said was, "Rats!" I promise.

After they were cooked, I added the veggies to the soup and let the whole thing mingle about while the Frog made those delicious crescent rolls that are so cheating! but soooooooooo good....especially when baked on a stone and dipped into homemade soup.

This recipe goes directly into the "keep" file.

Freezer Friday

Sounds catchy, doesn't it?

I'd love to have some kind of regular feature on this cyber-home of mine, but it's not too likely. I write as my mind goes, which is however the wind blows, for Pete's sake.

Freezer Friday. It's HOT. Steamy. Sauna. Humidwest. (Get it?) So I figure it's a great time to make cold stuff.

Mama Midwife and I received our strawberries, so it's time to make freezer jam. My Aunt M. has always made delicious freezer jam, so I e-mailed her to ask for her secret recipe. She said, "I just use the one on the SureJel package!" Easy enough! That will be tomorrow's task. I'm waiting for the heat to take a break before I fire up the stove.

So yesterday, needing something cold and sweet and different, I threw together a Lemonade Pie. I saw the recipe somewhere online. Upon searching for "lemonade pie," google gave me plenty of options, and they were all just about the same. I have no idea where it originated, but man is it good!!

Here's the dealio:

2 cans frozen concentrated lemonade, completely thawed (which took absolutely no time at all in my sauna on my kitchen table)
2 - 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
1 - 16 oz, tub frozen non-dairy whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed in the fridge
3 - 9 inch graham cracker pie crusts

Now, all the recipes I saw said to fold the ingredients together. Baloney. I used my hand mixer on low. Folding is what you do with laundry. So. Mix ingredients together and pour as-equal-as-you-can amounts into each pie crust. Cover and freeze until set--about 4-5 hours.

I came to the amounts by accident. I like full pies, and the one-can-of-this and half-a-tub-of-that didn't quite yield two pies. So I doubled the cans and emptied the tub and I ended up with three nicely filled pies. Also, we took two of them with us to a meeting after they'd only been in the freezer for a couple of hours, and they were about the consistency of thick pudding. It was still really yummy, but probably would have been easier to serve if it had been a little more firm.

Anyway, this delicious treat is absolutely just the thing on a smotheringly hot day. It takes no baking, very little effort, and is a great combination of sweet and sour...not to mention, it's frozen!

What's your favorite cold treat on sticky days??

Mmmmmmmm........Beef Stroganoff!

I know, it's been nearly a month.

At the behest of a dear friend, and perhaps a little late, I'm updating briefly. I do PROMISE to come back later (today, if at all possible).

Though the hour is a bit early for such a thing, my Darling and I cooked up a batch of beef stroganoff this morning. We promised a meal to a young couple from church who so recently welcomed their first child. Becoming parents for the first time is physically, emotionally, and intellectually exhausting--like going from 0 to 100 mph with a full stomach, a cup of coffee with no lid, a carton of raw eggs balanced on top, and no seat belt. Don't get me wrong--it's exhausting with each subsequent child, but that first one is just plain overwhelming all the way around.

Anyway, the stroganoff is cooling nicely, having been packed up into tidy little containers, and will be delivered to the new parents shortly.

So then I was thinking, That does smell pretty tasty. I wonder if my readers would care to know what goes into the pan? Of course, I flatter myself by this thought, but it's nice to venture that more than one person out there would be interested in what goes on in my heart and in my home.

At any rate, here's my own recipe for Beef Stroganoff. Bear in mind that I feed a hungry family of 7 at my table, with 6 of them requiring hefty portions, and one just beginning to turn herself into a toothy grinner.

2 pounds ground chuck
1 medium vidalia onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 - 6 1/2 ounce cans mushroom pieces and stems, drained, juice set aside
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Sauce:
2-ish cups sour cream
Mushroom juice from the two cans
2-3 tsp. Lea & Perrins Worchestershire sauce
1/4-ish cup white wine (I've been using a lovely Chardonnay)
1/4-ish cup 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream

When beginning the meat, also begin boiling water for noodles. I generally add about 2 tsp. olive oil and a bit of salt to the water.

Brown meat, along with onions and garlic. I like to use the jarred minced garlic--the kind in light oil (two teaspoons of this would equal two fresh cloves). Add mushrooms as the sauce is being put together, after draining the cans into the sauce. If necessary, drain fat from meat--but a bit of good juice is a nice addition to the dish. Whisk together ingredients for sauce. The measurements are generalized because I mix it by eye--that is, the right consistency is something akin to melted ice cream. If it's too thin, I add more sour cream. If it's too thick, more wine or more cream.

Add the sauce to the browned meat, and simmer, covered, just below a boil while the noodles finish cooking. I like this recipe with medium egg noodles, but you could use whatever kind your heart desires. The kids would probably get a kick out of bow tie or shell pasta. Maybe I'll throw that at them one of these days to see the smiles I'm sure would come of it. :)

Another aside--we bought a side of beef in March. I must say, it was one of the best things we've ever done. For just a bit the other side of $700, we have every cut of beef a person could want, including delicious steaks and prime rib, for Pete's sake, in our very own freezer at any time of the day or night! Because it was so well processed, I never have to drain any fat from the ground beef after it cooks. It is literally only meat juice, and not fat, which issues forth. I can't explain it--usually I go for ground chuck at the store, because it's leaner than ground beef, but has more flavor than ground round. But this cooks up like round and tastes like beef. It's amazing.

What's been on your table recently?