Hey All,
OK, so chez 825 was full of holiday cheer during that feast of turkey and other such delights......and then came the plumbing issue again :(
Under normal circumstances, I would say business as usual and carry on, unfortunately this one involved a crawl space full of sewer water and waiting for days on end to even hear from a plumber. I rest assured that soon it will all be better, but this is definitely not the way I wanted to come down from the holiday.
Good eats will be resuming soon, but not today. The fridge is still full of bird and other holiday binge....those will make a meal soon.
Tonight will probably be spent hoping for better days. I hope your plumbing flows well.....mine is having issues :(
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
And well, the unpleasant side of the holidays...the flu!
Hey All,
So there is also this unpleasant part of this time of year that brings on the flu. I know, ughhh.... I'm on a bit of a blog binge tonight, so I thought I'd share some recipes for aromatherapy blends to help....any of these can be worked into a creme base or diluted as oil....it's up to you. I'll tell you what I do. Really, any aromatherapy, yes even the chemicaly yucky stuff helps...my preference is to stick with pure essential oils.
2 very good sources, although check the fine print, Liberty requires a $50 order, are Kobashi Essential Oils and Liberty Natural.
Theives Oil
200 drops clove
175 drops lemon
100 drops cinnamon
75 drops eucalyptus radiata or cajaput
50 drops of rosemary
My favorite dilution of this for 10ml total:
8 drops clove
7 drops lemon
4 drops cinnamon
3 drops Euc. Radiata or cajaput
2 drops rosemary
I've also experimented with using Litsea Cubeba instead of lemon and Euc. Citriodora instead of Euc. Radiata....it smells really lemony that way...but yummy!
The best for me in the moment of "Oh Sh!t, I have a cold..." for chest and sinus stuff. Dilute this in a 10ml roller bottled and enjoy:
1 drop peppermint (williamette valley being my fave)
2 drops spruce (good ol' Tsuga Canadensis, don't need the Picea Mariana fanciness)
3 drops lavender (yes, use a good lavender, not a lavandin)
4 drops Cypress
5 drops Pine
6 drops Marjoram
7 drops Myrtle (I prefer Myrtle linalool)
3 drops Euc. Globulous
3 drops Euc. Radiata
3 drops Euc Citriodora
And when things are really bad....in 5 ml of carrier
1 drop Lemon
2 drops Wintergreen
3 drops Peppermint
4 drops Euc. Radiata
4 drops Ravensara
I hope you all have good health.....better to have and not need than need and not have!
So there is also this unpleasant part of this time of year that brings on the flu. I know, ughhh.... I'm on a bit of a blog binge tonight, so I thought I'd share some recipes for aromatherapy blends to help....any of these can be worked into a creme base or diluted as oil....it's up to you. I'll tell you what I do. Really, any aromatherapy, yes even the chemicaly yucky stuff helps...my preference is to stick with pure essential oils.
2 very good sources, although check the fine print, Liberty requires a $50 order, are Kobashi Essential Oils and Liberty Natural.
Theives Oil
200 drops clove
175 drops lemon
100 drops cinnamon
75 drops eucalyptus radiata or cajaput
50 drops of rosemary
My favorite dilution of this for 10ml total:
8 drops clove
7 drops lemon
4 drops cinnamon
3 drops Euc. Radiata or cajaput
2 drops rosemary
I've also experimented with using Litsea Cubeba instead of lemon and Euc. Citriodora instead of Euc. Radiata....it smells really lemony that way...but yummy!
The best for me in the moment of "Oh Sh!t, I have a cold..." for chest and sinus stuff. Dilute this in a 10ml roller bottled and enjoy:
1 drop peppermint (williamette valley being my fave)
2 drops spruce (good ol' Tsuga Canadensis, don't need the Picea Mariana fanciness)
3 drops lavender (yes, use a good lavender, not a lavandin)
4 drops Cypress
5 drops Pine
6 drops Marjoram
7 drops Myrtle (I prefer Myrtle linalool)
3 drops Euc. Globulous
3 drops Euc. Radiata
3 drops Euc Citriodora
And when things are really bad....in 5 ml of carrier
1 drop Lemon
2 drops Wintergreen
3 drops Peppermint
4 drops Euc. Radiata
4 drops Ravensara
I hope you all have good health.....better to have and not need than need and not have!
The best kept secrets...
Hey All,
So I alluded to the fact that I have this recipe that is a closely guarded secret. It was featured on the "Candy" episode of Food Network's Unwrapped. The best kept secrets just beg to be revealed, don't they? It was one of those odd moments where I was listening to the "part they could tell us" and the proportions were perfect....THIS WAS MY RECIPE!
How I got it is actually no big secret....It was 1994, in Philipsubrg, MT, and I was busy being the good homemaker instead of taking shop, and playing football. Yeah, it hasn't come up, but I'm not straight!
So it was time to make candy in Home Ec. A day I had been looking forward to for about 16 years! The usual, carmel, peanut brittle, etc, were already taken by the time my group had decided. We found this crazy assed old recipe for Almond Roca from some cookbook published in 1891....it was so ancient our teacher was convinced it wouldn't work. It looked right, I was a cooking prodigy, I will admit....I took highest honors in every food class I ever took! It was easy, we couldn't fuck this one up!
The truth is, we undercooked it, but it was still great....more like a chocolate coated fondant, but still amazing. So after much learning, here it is....
1lb butter
1lb (2 cups) sugar
enough almonds to make it "right"....its not exact, let your conscience be your guide..if you like lots of nuts, go for it, if not, then go light....I prefer sliced almonds in it, but any will work. Slivered almonds have a nice effec too!
Melt the butter on low heat. Then turn your stove on full heat...stir the whole while. It will turn brown, it will separate...keep cooking until it turns that perfect color of brown that we all know as toffee! Pour it onto a buttered cookie sheet. Pour a bag of chocolate chips over the top and smear them around when they melt....top with some ground nuts if you'd like.
Sometimes the best is the easiest! Cheers! We're enjoying a glass or twelve with a dear friend from Wyoming and feeling holiday cheer!
So I alluded to the fact that I have this recipe that is a closely guarded secret. It was featured on the "Candy" episode of Food Network's Unwrapped. The best kept secrets just beg to be revealed, don't they? It was one of those odd moments where I was listening to the "part they could tell us" and the proportions were perfect....THIS WAS MY RECIPE!
How I got it is actually no big secret....It was 1994, in Philipsubrg, MT, and I was busy being the good homemaker instead of taking shop, and playing football. Yeah, it hasn't come up, but I'm not straight!
So it was time to make candy in Home Ec. A day I had been looking forward to for about 16 years! The usual, carmel, peanut brittle, etc, were already taken by the time my group had decided. We found this crazy assed old recipe for Almond Roca from some cookbook published in 1891....it was so ancient our teacher was convinced it wouldn't work. It looked right, I was a cooking prodigy, I will admit....I took highest honors in every food class I ever took! It was easy, we couldn't fuck this one up!
The truth is, we undercooked it, but it was still great....more like a chocolate coated fondant, but still amazing. So after much learning, here it is....
1lb butter
1lb (2 cups) sugar
enough almonds to make it "right"....its not exact, let your conscience be your guide..if you like lots of nuts, go for it, if not, then go light....I prefer sliced almonds in it, but any will work. Slivered almonds have a nice effec too!
Melt the butter on low heat. Then turn your stove on full heat...stir the whole while. It will turn brown, it will separate...keep cooking until it turns that perfect color of brown that we all know as toffee! Pour it onto a buttered cookie sheet. Pour a bag of chocolate chips over the top and smear them around when they melt....top with some ground nuts if you'd like.
Sometimes the best is the easiest! Cheers! We're enjoying a glass or twelve with a dear friend from Wyoming and feeling holiday cheer!
Its that time of year again...
Hey All,
So it was honestly a pretty lazy day filled with leftover turkey bird! YUM! Its one of those simple pleasures that takes me back.....it actually makes me miss my Mom. Actually, my family are a good bunchf of folks, its just that we're spread out by a minimum of 500 miles these days so getting together at the holidays is not the easiest thing to do.
The holidays are always a time I associate with food....candy and pastry especially. What are your favorite holiday foods?
This year I'm feeling ambitious and pulling out the candy recipes again. I've always loved making candy, although I must admit, working as a materials engineer with really elaborate Program Logic Controlled furnaces makes me at odds with my poor old broken down range...yeah, it isn't pretty!
So here are a bunch of links for what I'm working on...the toffe/almond roca, I come to find out is actually a closely guarded recipe of a local candymaker, so I won't tell you much about it other than it starts with a full pound of sugar and a full pound of butter!
Alton Brown's Dark Salty Caramels
Fudge - The Old Way
Dark Fudge - I hope it is in fact dark, I'm going to add Orange oil!
I hope you all too are finding the time to make all those wonderful delights you enjoy for the holidays! Be sure to share your recipes with us, this is the time of year for me where I love to grab my best pals and spend the evenings over a hot stove with a fire going in the next room.
ETA: The Dark Fudge is now out back in a snowbank cooling (Isn't mother nature awesome this time of year?). The flavor of the warm stuff is OMG...I added a cup of chopped mixed nuts and 1 tsp of orange oil instead of the vanilla...Oh yeah! NOM!
ETAA: The Fudge - The Old Way is very traditional....grains an all...its actually how I like fudge, but I'm weird like that!
So it was honestly a pretty lazy day filled with leftover turkey bird! YUM! Its one of those simple pleasures that takes me back.....it actually makes me miss my Mom. Actually, my family are a good bunchf of folks, its just that we're spread out by a minimum of 500 miles these days so getting together at the holidays is not the easiest thing to do.
The holidays are always a time I associate with food....candy and pastry especially. What are your favorite holiday foods?
This year I'm feeling ambitious and pulling out the candy recipes again. I've always loved making candy, although I must admit, working as a materials engineer with really elaborate Program Logic Controlled furnaces makes me at odds with my poor old broken down range...yeah, it isn't pretty!
So here are a bunch of links for what I'm working on...the toffe/almond roca, I come to find out is actually a closely guarded recipe of a local candymaker, so I won't tell you much about it other than it starts with a full pound of sugar and a full pound of butter!
Alton Brown's Dark Salty Caramels
Fudge - The Old Way
Dark Fudge - I hope it is in fact dark, I'm going to add Orange oil!
I hope you all too are finding the time to make all those wonderful delights you enjoy for the holidays! Be sure to share your recipes with us, this is the time of year for me where I love to grab my best pals and spend the evenings over a hot stove with a fire going in the next room.
ETA: The Dark Fudge is now out back in a snowbank cooling (Isn't mother nature awesome this time of year?). The flavor of the warm stuff is OMG...I added a cup of chopped mixed nuts and 1 tsp of orange oil instead of the vanilla...Oh yeah! NOM!
ETAA: The Fudge - The Old Way is very traditional....grains an all...its actually how I like fudge, but I'm weird like that!
The Best Turkey Sandwiches
Hey All,
I hope you had an awesome holiday full of food...and plenty of leftovers. Our military strength turkey definitely left us with plenty of meat, and it is only traditional to have Turkey Sandwiches, right? So here's a few ideas for my favorites. My favorites are simple, a reminder of the simplicity I grew up celebrating with. I'm sure other more extravagant sandwiches exist, so let's hear yours!
All of these are done on a thick sliced white bread, StoneGround Bakery is my favorite. Another variation that brings back fond memories of my Grandmother is to make them on Roman Meal 12-Grain.
The simple Day After Sandwich
I hope you had an awesome holiday full of food...and plenty of leftovers. Our military strength turkey definitely left us with plenty of meat, and it is only traditional to have Turkey Sandwiches, right? So here's a few ideas for my favorites. My favorites are simple, a reminder of the simplicity I grew up celebrating with. I'm sure other more extravagant sandwiches exist, so let's hear yours!
All of these are done on a thick sliced white bread, StoneGround Bakery is my favorite. Another variation that brings back fond memories of my Grandmother is to make them on Roman Meal 12-Grain.
The simple Day After Sandwich
- A mountain of turkey
- A good slather of Mayo (I don't care for Miracle whip, the sour from the vinegar doesn't taste right to me)
- Lots of black pepper...enough to cover the mayo
- A mountain of turkey
- A good slather of Mayo
- A thin layer of stuffing
- A thin layer of jellied cranberries
- Reheated turkey
- Reheated gravy
- It may need a bit of salt
- I like to do these open face...bread, turkey, gravy, sprinkle of salt...VIOLA!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Whipped Cream...the chemists' way
Hey All,
I hope you are having a fabulous Thanksgiving! We are here at chez 825....the first of the guests have arrived and we are enjoying some wine. Its not an expensive one, Lindeman's Cawarra, which is a Carbernet Shiraz I just adore. Really intense fruit flavors and that perfect bit of oak.
It is the typical feast at chez 825....bacon wrapped lavender and cranberry stuffed turkey, garlic mashed potatoes ala Julia Child made by fellow foodie, Lushus, a green been casserole with nothing out of a tin, also a Lushus dish, and the amazingly huge mushrooms I get at NPS stuffed with spinach, onion, and topped with homemade mozarella and "sum sorta Italian"...a cheese I made this summer.
We also just had to try something new, and I think it will forever remain in our holiday repetior (sp?). Chocolate Orange Whipped cream.... Do this in a whipper (my favorite way to make whipped cream). The folks over at Creamright/Waterline Marketing actually have the best affordable whippers I've been able to find...and they supply chargers, which is often in and of itself the hard part of making whipped cream the way chemists do :) I use the Mosa half pint to make 1 cup of cream.
So here's what I did....a couple hours ago... 1 cup cream, 3 Tblsp granulated sugar, 2 Tblsp cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon orange oil. Let it sit for a couple hours to all dissolved, shaking helps too.
This has me thinking about fun ideas while my family is here over Christmas...like mint whipped cream for the hot cocoa :)
My guests and fiance have informed me I need to come back to the party.
I hope you all are having an amazing Thanksgiving....we have lots to be thankful for!
Got any fun/amazing whipped cream ideas? I'd love to hear them!
I hope you are having a fabulous Thanksgiving! We are here at chez 825....the first of the guests have arrived and we are enjoying some wine. Its not an expensive one, Lindeman's Cawarra, which is a Carbernet Shiraz I just adore. Really intense fruit flavors and that perfect bit of oak.
It is the typical feast at chez 825....bacon wrapped lavender and cranberry stuffed turkey, garlic mashed potatoes ala Julia Child made by fellow foodie, Lushus, a green been casserole with nothing out of a tin, also a Lushus dish, and the amazingly huge mushrooms I get at NPS stuffed with spinach, onion, and topped with homemade mozarella and "sum sorta Italian"...a cheese I made this summer.
We also just had to try something new, and I think it will forever remain in our holiday repetior (sp?). Chocolate Orange Whipped cream.... Do this in a whipper (my favorite way to make whipped cream). The folks over at Creamright/Waterline Marketing actually have the best affordable whippers I've been able to find...and they supply chargers, which is often in and of itself the hard part of making whipped cream the way chemists do :) I use the Mosa half pint to make 1 cup of cream.
So here's what I did....a couple hours ago... 1 cup cream, 3 Tblsp granulated sugar, 2 Tblsp cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon orange oil. Let it sit for a couple hours to all dissolved, shaking helps too.
This has me thinking about fun ideas while my family is here over Christmas...like mint whipped cream for the hot cocoa :)
My guests and fiance have informed me I need to come back to the party.
I hope you all are having an amazing Thanksgiving....we have lots to be thankful for!
Got any fun/amazing whipped cream ideas? I'd love to hear them!
Monday, November 22, 2010
2 days til turkey
Greetings my new viewers :)
Welcome to the first, of hopefully many 3 Day Chef episodes. Most of my cooking is plagarised with lots of twists...just so ya'll are prepared.
I'm going to start out simple, it is after all a pre-holiday week and who wanted to spend their weekend getting anything but the shopping done? Oh wait, there was that "too much wine" part, and a day spent spaaing it up with aromatherapy blends liberally applied under my fleece.....but now its back to the real world for a few days, with a now full pantry and lots of ideas :)
Tonight's inspiration comes from This Allrecipes tidbit for Orange Chicken. Had I had a bit more time over the weekend, I would do this with chicken, but no dice....I was busy taking it easy, so its my beloved Vege 1 :)
The prep:
More to come....a pot of slow cooker beans and rice is up next :)
Welcome to the first, of hopefully many 3 Day Chef episodes. Most of my cooking is plagarised with lots of twists...just so ya'll are prepared.
I'm going to start out simple, it is after all a pre-holiday week and who wanted to spend their weekend getting anything but the shopping done? Oh wait, there was that "too much wine" part, and a day spent spaaing it up with aromatherapy blends liberally applied under my fleece.....but now its back to the real world for a few days, with a now full pantry and lots of ideas :)
Tonight's inspiration comes from This Allrecipes tidbit for Orange Chicken. Had I had a bit more time over the weekend, I would do this with chicken, but no dice....I was busy taking it easy, so its my beloved Vege 1 :)
The prep:
- Make the sauce without the cornstarch and water. Coat the chicken or hydrated meat substitute (I'm a huge fan of Vege 1) with the flour and salt and pepper, skip the oil. Throw this all in a bowl to marinate for up to 2 days. It'll be a gloppy mess, but worth it.
- Cut up a bunch of various veggies, my chinese favorites are lots of celery cut on the diagonal, some shredded carrots (a food processor makes this cake), and about half a sliced onion. Today I'm also adding a bell pepper and 2 sliced reconsitututed shiatake. Put that in a bowl in the fridge.
- This can store for ~3 days...more or less depending on your veggies.
- Heat the olive oil you left off the chicken in a pan. Get it HOT! You want to sear the coating a bit.
- Add the chicken/sauce....stir fry, while reducing the heat to med.
- It should get pretty thick on its own, if it doesn't, add cornstarch (I always start with 1 Tblsp in a small jar of water...shake, saves the trouble of stirring it together first)/
- Throw on the veggies and steam for a bit until they are crips tender...
- Serve over noodles or rice....VIOLA!
More to come....a pot of slow cooker beans and rice is up next :)
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