2.20.2013

New things....


Hello friends and comrades: I am so very excited to announce that I have switched to a new website, and things are a’changin! I am thrilled to be switching over to a blog where I will be showcasing not just recipes, but knitting projects, decorating ideas, and sewing projects among other things! All of my recipes were moved over, so this site has everything (AND MORE) from my previous site. Please feel free to browse, and also see my “About” and “Vision” pages for more information as to why this is a big step and new direction for me. I am still tweaking things here and there, but for now, enjoy! You can find all of my recipes here as well as all my future updates at:  fibreandspice.wordpress.com
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2.01.2013

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic




The Commonwealth of Virginia is schizophrenic and has no clue how to have a proper winter. In the past 4 days we have had 1) the snow pictured above and 10-15 degree weather, 2) hail at 40 degree weather, 3) rain and thunderstorms at 67-70 degrees, 4) clear sky at 55 degrees, and today 5) is back to 32 degrees with another inch of snow which fell last night. I'm not one to complain about weather in general; I love pretty much every season (except the pollen that comes with Spring) so I'm not offended per se... just mighty confused.

Last night was a night where it decided to be warm in the day, and then drop below freezing at night, so the house (after not needing the heat on all day) was a bit chilly. We fought off the cold with this incredibly hearty and easy soup from smittenkitchen.com found here and some homemade sourdough bread.


I only made a few adjustments from her original recipe: I switched up the kind of onions I used, removed the celery, and used spicy instead of sweet sausage. I have to say that I was a bit leery of the whole "drizzle more oil on the soup" at the end, but it really was a fantastic added touch that added flavor and depth, not grease. Olive oil is so good for you anyway and garlic is simply sublime and can never go wrong, that it's really a win-win situation.

1/2 cup olive oil, divided
4 large links of spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup mini onion pearls 

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
4 cloves garlic, sliced (reserve half for later in recipe)
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups water
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 cups shredded or thinly ribboned Swiss chard leaves
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese to finish


Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large soup pan on medium heat. When oil is hot, add the sausage and break up into pieces till it starts to brown. Add the onions, carrots, 2 garlic cloves, and salt. Cook until the veggies soften a bit, about 5 minutes. 

Add the lentils, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, water (about 2 empty 28-ounce cans), and more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes. 

When the lentils are cooked, add the chard and cook another 5 minutes, until the leaves are tender.

When you are waiting for the chard to cook down, add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 sliced garlic cloves to a small skillet and heat over medium until fragrant and the garlic sizzles and pops and softens.

Remove bay leaves and serve in soup bowls with a bit of garlic oil drizzled over the top and a sprinkling of fresh Romano cheese. Eat with lots of yummy carbs if you so desire, and enjoy!


1.14.2013

Hosting Christmas


I have to admit, my Christmas tree is still up. I've gotten so far as getting the ornaments off, but I can't bring myself to pull the lights, ribbon, and star off quite yet... Unfortunately I think it's quickly becoming a fire hazard so I suppose it will have to go before the week is out. But but but... it was our first Christmas tree!! And it was the first time I got to decorate my own house! And it was our first Christmas together as a married family! Ah well. I suppose that the reason Christmas is special is because it only comes once a year, and even though we should celebrate the birth of Christ all year long because we know He has already come, we still long for Him to come again to restore us to fellowship with Him as it was in the beginning (and save us from run-on sentences like this one). 
Such joy and anticipation!

On a practical level, Christmas was a success! We were so blessed to host my in-laws for the week, and we also had a Christmas "Adam" party (ie the day before Christmas "Eve". Heh heh.) with 13 good friends. We started off with some appetizers...


From left to right: homemade fudge (from sister-in-law), warm apple cider, assorted stuffed olives/pickles/mini mozzarella balls, puffed-pastry-wrapped baked brie, crackers and french bread crisps, the Pioneer Woman's artichoke spinach dip, and homemade eggnog. (The garnish is fresh rosemary boughs)


I decided to make a turkey, and used my family's traditional poultry recipe found here
I used a combination of methods of baking, and it turned out pretty well for my first time. In order to eat around 3:30pm,  preheat the oven to 450* and put the bird in at 7am and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 275*, place tin-foil tent over it, and bake for 5-6 hours. Around 2, remove the tent and raise the heat to 300* and cook till the inside temp reaches160*. 

My husband doing the honors...


Despite my forgetfulness to take pictures, the full menu was as follows:

- Appetizers (as shown above)
- Fresh cranberry sauce with orange zest
- Garlic braid bread
- Sweet potato casserole
- Wild rice with dried cranberries and pistachio nuts
- Steamed green beans with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar
- Turkey
- Bridlewood Pinot Noir, 2007 reserve
- Apple pie
- Pumpkin pie
- Coffee and tea




After dinner, we had a blessed time reading through Lessons and Carols, singing carols, and a white elephant gift exchange. It was such a blessing to have fellowship with close friends and family, and it was a treasured time together.


On Christmas Eve, we were surprised by a freak snow fall! It was beautiful, and we were on our way to a wine tasting in the Virginia countryside. It was a bit of a treacherous ride home, which included a 180 degree spin right around a corner. But we made it home safe, thank goodness... here are some pictures from our holiday together. 



For the first time in ten years, I woke up to a white Christmas... 

Santa had surprised my in-laws with some awesome flying money slingshots...

And we couldn't wait till after gifts to start breakfast, so we uh, multi-tasked.

Dad and sister-in-law and our second (more successful) snowman



Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all!


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