A Recipe // My Favorite Soup

I think I've made a fall soup every weekend since Labor Day.  I love the slow simmer of it on the stove top all afternoon as we go about our day, the amazing aroma serving as a frequent reminder of the good that awaits us at the end of the day.  I love soup paired with a crusty bread and a glass of wine, typically followed with baths for the kids, and a fire and books before bed.  

  
This is one of my all-time favorite soups.  I crave it every fall and literally lick the bowl when it's gone.  Whether you like squash or not, this is comfort food at its finest, a mix of savory and sweet with a little hint of cayenne to warm your bones on a chilly October night.  And it's just as good warmed up the next few days, sometimes with a spoonful of brown sugar if I'm feeling extra sweet.

Butternut Squash Soup...

1 small yellow onion, diced 
4 tbsp. butter
6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
2 cups chicken broth + 1 cup water
4 cubes chicken bouillon 
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1.  In a large soup or stock pot, saute onions in butter until translucent.  Add squash, broth, water, bouillon, and spices.  Bring to medium high heat until boiling, then boil for about 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.

2.  Puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Return to pot and whisk in cream cheese.  Turn to simmer until ready to serve.  Do not allow to boil.

**I sometimes add in less cream cheese, depending on my mood.  I just made it with a half a block of cream cheese and it was just as good.  Other times, I'll add in a spoonful or so of brown sugar if I'm going for it a little sweeter.  

What are your favorite fall soups?      

how to plan the world's best hot dog buffet

One of my absolute favorite parts of Cruz's birthday party spread was the food.  Throwing a baseball-inspired party allowed us to go simple on the spread, but not without a little creativity, of course!  Since one of Cruz's favorite foods in the whole world is hot dogs, I knew it was a no brainer to serve this ballpark signature at his party.  But since a simple hot dog isn't too exciting for the rest of us, I decided to add a little spin and create a tour of the best ballpark hot dogs in America.  It was simple to put together, quite delicious, and one of everyones' favorite parts of the day.  I think we were all pretty surprise with just how good you can make a hot dog taste if you dress it up with a few fun ingredients.

The Set Up:  After I figured out which hot dogs to feature for the spread, I typed up a recipe and strung them from our island lights so they were easy to see and easy to follow.  I found some really cute city map wrapping paper from Paper Source that I used for the table cloth.  That way, I could write directly on the paper with arrows to all the right ingredients.  I ordered these cute hot dog trays from Amazon, and got enough hot dogs to estimate about two per person. 

The preparation:  Beau grilled the hot dogs two hours before the party and I stuck them in a crock pot on the warm setting for the rest of the day.  I read a tip that said to stand the hot dogs up in the crock pot instead of laying them on their sides.  Then, pour just a little water in the bottom to create a steamer so the hot dogs stay warm.  

As far as food prep goes, I tried to pick hot dogs that didn't require a lot of work.  The only ingredients that required prep work were the pulled pork (Beau smoked it a few days before), the bacon (also cooked the day before), the mac and cheese (served this as a side with the hot dogs, too), and the coleslaw (went the easy route with a bag and a bottle of dressing).  I also caramelized my own onions the night before, but you wouldn't have to.  

The main event:  It was fun to see what everyone chose to do.  Most stuck with an already-established stadium dog, although a few of us made up our own concoction.  Here were our five stadium dog options:


1.  The Rocky Dog

-hot dog and bun
-sauerkraut
-swiss cheese
-thousand island dressing

2.  The Chicago Dog

-hot dog and bun
-roasted peppers
-green relish
-mustard
-tomatoes
-pickles
-a dash of celery salt

3.  Twins' Big Dog

-hot dog and bun
-mac and cheese
-bacon

4.  Fenway Frank

-hot dog and bun
-lettuce
-tomato
-bacon
-mayo
  
5.  KC Bbq Dog
  
-hot dog and bun
-pulled pork
-coleslaw
-bbq sauce 

We served the hot dog buffet with some of my mom's famous potato salad, easy nachos and cheese, and cupcakes.  Everyone had so much comparing hot dogs and making up their own stadium dogs that we decided this would be a perfect super bowl party (or maybe Cubs' World Series party?).  Fun, easy, and delicious, and the perfect way to dress up one of America's favorites.  

The Season of Comfort Food // A Fall Recipe

As soon as we turn that calendar over to September, I start craving all things fall.  There is no other season that awakens my senses more than this one does.  I love the feeling of the windows open at night, that cool, crisp air that fills the house and begs for knit blankets and warm sweatshirts.  I love the gorgeous September sunsets, the mornings that call for sweaters, and the sounds of football all day on Sunday.  But most of all, I love the smells and tastes of this season.  And perhaps I'm appreciating them even more this year now that we are settled in a new place to call home.  Last fall was filled with packing, moving, and building, and little time was spent savoring these beautiful fall days.  Maybe that's why it feels like I'm doubly appreciating this September, for it feels so good to be planted.  

I've been burning a lot of fall-scented candles lately and rediscovering my great love for the kitchen.  I crave the smells of a good mirepoix sauteing in butter, of apples mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg, of wheat pastas paired with a savory glass of red.  It brings me great joy to fill pans with garlic and root vegetables, to cook and chop and play, with the music loud and the kitchen messy.   And since this is the season of comfort food, I've been preparing lots of old favorites lately, recipes that feel more like an old friend I haven't seen in awhile.  We pick right up where we left off, and soon I'm remembering stories that accompany these no-fail recipes, dishes I hope become a family staple that my kids someday crave and make a trip home for just to sit around the island and feel the comfort of the familiar.  I can't foresee which recipes will become our family's favorites, but I have a feeling my tetrazzini will be up there somewhere.  It's my go-to comfort food, a perfect dish to welcome new babies or freeze for a quick supper solution down the road.  It's easy, but tastes fancy, and it's always turned out the same. 

  
Chicken Tetrazzini 

8 oz. spaghetti noodles 
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper

1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. cooking sherry 

1 cup mushrooms, sauteed in oil and/or butter
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

**There is one non-negotiable with this recipe and that is fresh mushrooms.  I always buy the already sliced mushrooms in the produce aisle, preferably baby bellas if they have them.  You can cook these ahead of time to speed things up.  I just saute them in a little butter and olive oil, and season them with salt, pepper, and garlic (fresh chopped cloves or salt).  After they're cooked and taste delicious, put them in a bowl and hide them or you'll be tempted to eat them all!

1.  I used to buy chicken breasts and cook and shred them ahead of time, however, lately I've been buying the rotisserie chickens from the grocery store.  They're cooked, seasoned, and perfect in casseroles like this one. 

2.  Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

3.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.

4.  Meanwhile in a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.  Whisk in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until smooth.  Remove from heat and gradually stir in chicken broth and cream.

5.  Return to heat and bring to a boil for one minute, stirring constantly.  Add sherry, then stir in cooked spaghetti, mushrooms, and chicken.  Pour mixture in prepared baking dish and top with parmesan.

6.  Bake 30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. 

        

A Recipe // Summertime Garden Primavera

Because it was to be our very first summer at our new house, we decided against planting a garden for a variety of reasons.  First, we thought we better focus on growing a lawn before a vegetable garden.  And second, we needed to live here a summer to get a feel for logistics.  Where will the kids play catch?  Where should the swing set go?  Where will we get the most sun?  Needless to say, we missed our garden a lot this summer, missed the satisfaction of growing our own food and the challenge of keeping it healthy and thriving throughout the summer months.  

We've been making due with frequent Saturday morning trips to the Farmer's Market, and were giddy when my brother's girlfriend's mom, who runs a substantial Farmer's Market business, sent Katie to our house with a box full of colorful vegetables last weekend.  I always love the challenge of finding new recipes to use up the produce before it goes bad, and love a good end-of-the-week stir-fry or primavera that uses just about anything.  So in case you have found yourself in that end-of-summer garden slump, with tomatoes coming out of your ears and no more ideas for those peppers, here is a delicious pasta recipe that is about as good the next day as it is the night you serve it.  

Garden Primavera // 

1 lb. pasta (I used penne noodles)
4 tbs. butter (I always use real butter)
3 tbs. olive oil
1/2 of yellow onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (or a couple of heaping spoonfuls of that minced garlic you can find in your local grocer's produce aisle
4-6 cups of vegetables, depending on size

***For this recipe, I used one head of broccoli (chopped), a bunch of mini carrots (thinly sliced), one medium zuchini (sliced and halved), two small summer squash (also sliced and halved), and a red bell pepper, thinly sliced.  You could also use asparagus, mushrooms, other peppers, etc., pretty much whatever you have on hand.  The amount of veggies doesn't really matter, but you may want to adjust the amount of sauce you add in later.

The Sauce:

1/4 cup of dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
5-6 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas (if you don't have them, don't sweat it)

1.  First, prep your veggies.  Set aside. 

2.  Heat 3 tbsp. butter with 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for a minute or two, until they start to turn translucent.

3.  Start to throw in your vegetables, starting with the ones that will take longer to cook.  I threw in my broccoli and carrots first, cooked for a few minutes, then added my squash, zucchini, and pepper.  After they are cooked, transfer the veggies to a plate.

4.  Add pasta to slightly salted boiling water and cook to al dente.

5.  To make the sauce, pour 1/4 cup white wine into the skillet.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, and the remaining 1 tbsp. butter and scrape the bottom of the skillet to pull up the flavor left from the veggies.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken.

6.  Add 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup half-and-half.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add chopped basil and frozen peas, and stir.  Dump veggies back in the sauce and heat on low until your pasta is cooked.

7.  Drain pasta and throw in the skillet (if there's room!).  Mix pasta, veggies, and sauce and top with more parmesan, salt, pepper, and basil.    

Bon Appetite!  
 

   

let them eat cake // a recipe

This cake.  It was one of the best I've ever tasted, let alone baked.  Perfect for St. Patrick's Day with its Guinness flair, yet too good to only make one day a year.  It's a dark, moist, and savory cake, almost a meal in itself, and would be a perfect way to celebrate a dad's birthday, Father's Day, or the start of the barbecue season.  Bookmark this one and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson.  I love her idea of the cream cheese frosting that represents the frothy head of a freshly poured Guinness beer.  The frosting is to die for, but the cake is so good you could eat it plain. 

for the cake:

1 cup Guinness
8 oz (or two sticks) butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
¾ cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

for the frosting:

8 oz cream cheese
1 ¼ cups confectioners sugar
½ cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)

directions...

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and butter a 9" spring form pan.

2.  Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan, add the butter in slices, and heat until the butter is melted on low heat.  Whisk in the cocoa and sugar and stir until melted.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer and pour into your saucepan.  Whisk to combine.  Lastly, whisk in the flour and baking soda.  

4.  Pour the cake batter into your greased pan and bake for 45-an hour.  Leave the cake to cool on a cooling rack.  It is a damp cake and will take awhile to cool.

5.  When the cake is cool, lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, and mix with powdered sugar using an electric mixer.  Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency.  Ice the top of the cake so that it resembles the frothy top of a pint of beer.  

This was of course excellent the day I made it, but I was impressed with how long it kept its consistency.  The next day, I popped my slices in the microwave for a few seconds and served it slightly warm.  It was wonderful on its own, but would have been even better with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.  

Enjoy!

A Little St. Patrick's Day Fun

In attempts to get settled around here (and also get through our boxes while we still have a dumpster in our front yard), I had decided my Spring Break would consist of all work and no play this year.  That was the plan, anyway, until Cruz started talking about Spring Break the week prior, just as the weather started turning the corner.  One afternoon, he discovered his collection of sunglasses in a box in his room and spent the next half hour trying them on, asking me how he looked and informing me these would be perfect to wear on Spring Break.  At first I laughed, wondering how he seemed to know so much about Spring Break, picturing him watching old episodes of MTV's Spring Break Live, but then I started feeling guilty for not planning something to match the apparent picture he had of this week behind those cool man shades he had on.  Once again, my child forced me to hit the reset button, reconfigure my goals and include a few more opportunities for play sprinkled throughout this Spring Break week.  And with St. Patrick's Day and March Madness falling right in the middle of this week at home, it was the perfect opportunity to have some fun amidst the boxes and dirty windows in this house.  

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day simply, with the only green outfits that hung in their closets, a paint project while we waited for Daddy to get home, an Irish inspired meal that has become one of our favorite comfort dishes to prepare, and a special dessert I will definitely be adding into our lives more than once a year.  It all just seemed a little more special this time around - perhaps because it was the first holiday-ish event spent in our new house, or the first full-course meal shared around our new table, but it was just what we needed to give us a little more hope that a more settled life exists ahead.  I knew it would take time, but sometimes, you just have go make time.  

Some pictures (and a favorite recipe) from our St. Patrick's Day...

We painted four-leaf clovers with one of Cruz's absolute favorite things.  He, unlike his sister, exhibited restraint and only used his marshmallows for stamping, making a pageful of colorful green clovers he proudly displayed on the fridge.     

We are going through a bit of a challenging phase with this one, as she insists on being a part of everything, yet isn't exactly ready for a lot of it.  She yelled until I gave her exactly what her brother had, and as you can tell from the pictures, the paint tool didn't last too long. :)

Finished product!  Next time, we'll save craft time for nap time. :)

I baked a cake.  A Guinness cake, to be exact.  I haven't baked a lot of cakes from scratch, but this one may have started a newfound interest to explore in my kitchen.  This was seriously one of the best cakes I have ever had, and only a few steps beyond the boxed cake mixes I'm used to preparing.  More on this cake later.

New discoveries of old toys make for pretty content kids lately.  Every box unpacked is like Christmas for the Jorgensen kids...

We celebrated when Daddy got home from work, with green-tinted milk and leftover Guinness. 

And one of our family favorite meals, shepherd's pie.  This is a no-fail, comfort food classic around here, a dressed up tater tot casserole that you can adapt to your liking.  The recipe for this gem follows.

And last but not least, what's a celebration without cake and ice cream.  Mila got a scoop of green mint-chip ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, and a bright red cherry on her tray, and it occupied her for a good twenty minutes while the rest of us sunk our teeth into our chocolate cake. 

Somebody's a fan of St. Patty's Day!

       
 Last but not least, my recipe for Irish Shepherd's Pie.  It can be made ahead, frozen and cooked later, and adapted based on what you like or what you have available in your fridge.  It's a go-to after I have a lot of leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge (am I the only one who always makes too many mashed potatoes???)     

What you need...

-5-8 potatoes, depending on size (think of enough mashed potatoes to spread and cover a 9x13 pan)
-1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
-1/2 pound of fresh sliced mushrooms, sauteed in oil and butter mixture
-1 can cut green beans
-1 cup frozen green peas
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1/2 can cream of celery soup
-salt and pepper
-milk and butter for mashed potatoes (or however you prefer your mashed potatoes prepared)

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2.  If you do not have leftover mashed potatoes already prepared, peel, quarter, and boil potatoes until soft.  Drain, mash with milk and butter, and set aside.
3.  In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until brown.  At the same time, saute mushrooms in a few tablespoons of oil and/or butter (I use a little of both), until soft.  When hamburger is brown, drain and stir in mushrooms.
4.  Add in green beans, frozen peas, and soup.  Mix together and season with salt and pepper.
5.  Pour into prepared baking dish.  Spread a layer of prepared mashed potatoes over top, and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.  

Variations:  Feel free to play around with the vegetables according to your likings.  You can use canned mushrooms instead of fresh, fresh green beans instead of canned, or add in diced carrots, corn, or onion.  The key is the potatoes, and while many traditional shepherd's pies use potato flakes, I love the rich and buttery addition of my own fresh mashers.  It's filling enough to be a whole meal, and delicious as leftovers in the fridge.    

a recipe...

It's no secret that this baby mama has been craving some Georgia peaches since her return from vacation a couple of weeks ago.  I may have canned most of my bulk; however, I set some aside to experiment with a few savory summer dishes on the grill.  I'm sharing an interesting one that combined fresh herbs from the garden, grilled chicken, yummy green beans, and ripe peaches.  I happen to love any dish that combines sweet fruit with savory protein; however, my other half is not usually a fan.  This one surprised us all.  Cruz ate it, Beau loved it, and it made wonderful leftovers.  It was easy, too, but looks complicated...any chef's perfect combination.  

If you've never cooked with orzo before, it's in the pasta family (and found in the pasta section of your grocery store), but resembles rice.  It's a great addition to salad-type dishes like this, but could always be replaced with another pasta --- just use less!

Grilled Chicken With Peaches, Green Beans, and Orzo

What you need...

8 oz. dried orzo
2 1/2 cups fresh green beans, snipped and cut  
1 pound chicken tenders
3 peaches, peeled and cut into wedges
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
2-4 oz. crumbled feta
fresh basil, thyme, 1-2 tbsp. depending on your taste buds!

What you do...

1.  In a large saucepan, cook orzo according to package directions. Add green beans during last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain; do not rinse.

2.  Meanwhile, lightly brush chicken and peaches with some of the oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until no pink remains in chicken and peaches are tender and grill-marked.

3.  In a large bowl combine orzo, beans, grilled chicken and peaches (chopped, if desired), feta, and herbs. Drizzle with remaining olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Serve!

 

I Like Pie

I'm going through a pie kick right now and it's proving to a bit of a problem as I'm the only one in this house who seems to like to eat it.  So if you're in the neighborhood and appreciate a good pie, chances are, I'll have a slice waiting for you.  And a cup of tea, if you're lucky.  

I'm sharing a unique, but delicious strawberry rhubarb recipe I tried a couple of weeks ago.  The recipe was passed on from my sister-in-law and I've learned to take her food advice seriously over the years.  I likely would have never tried this recipe if it wasn't for her recommendation, but I'm sure glad I did.  It was my first try at a custard pie and it was to die for.  
 

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (I used the recipe for my drunk crust, found here), but cut it in half for only one crust
3 cups rhubarb, diced
1 cup fresh strawberries, quartered and sliced
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. butter, diced 
2 tbsp. strawberry jam
1/4 tsp. water

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Place rolled out pie crust on 9-inch pie plate.  Form edges and cut excess dough.  Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. Combine rhubarb and strawberries together in a bowl.  Transfer to crust and spread evenly.

3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, flour, and nutmeg in bowl.  Pour over rhubarb and strawberries until custard reaches the edge of the crust.  Spread pieces of diced butter evenly over top of custard.  Gently tap crust and shake baking sheet to remove air bubbles.

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, turning halfway.  Bake until custard is set.

5.  While cooling, mix strawberry jam and water and heat in microwave for 15 seconds.  Glaze the top of the pie with jam mixture and let cool.  

**6.  Shortly after cooling, refrigerate pie until ready to serve.  Since this is a custard pie, it is best stored in the refrigerator and served cold.  

14 Days of DIY LOVE: Rice Krispie Hearts

It's a good day when you have all the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies or Rice Krispie treats in your pantry.  This is a goal I would like to shoot for at all times.  Both sweet treats are easy to whip up, and do wonders when it comes to curing that sweet tooth that always seems to pop up when all I can scrounge up are a few forgotten chocolate kisses in the bottom of the pantry, or a spoonful of nutella on a soda cracker. 

I had a about a half hour to kill in between church and house hunting on Sunday, and decided to brighten up our kitchen (where are you, sun?) with some baking with Cruz.  We've never made Rice Krispie treats together, and as much as he likes to help in the kitchen these days, this was the perfect snack for him to get his hands in.  He helped pour the six cups of krispies into my bowl, my 5 1/2 cups of marshmallows into my other bowl, and pushed start on the microwave for me while we watched our marshmallows melt.  He got a little carried away with his stirring, but the krispies were easy to sweep up, and proved to be a valuable distraction while I mixed my gooey goodness.

In honor of love day, I put a couple drops of red food coloring into my melted marshmallows before mixing in the krispies.  Then, instead of pressing them into a pan, I covered one of my heart cookie cutters with cooking spray and filled the mold with rice krispies.  This worked surprisingly well as long as I kept the cooking spray handy, and got about 10 hearts out of one batch.  
 

 

I have a feeling I may have gotten more had my little helper not been so hungry.

Don't worry, the krispie treats stayed at home with us and were gone in about five hours.

Just a couple more days of my Valentine's Day link-up!  Have a fun Valentine card, sweet, or craft idea?  I would love for you to link it up here!

Happy Fat Tuesday!  Save me some gumbo, New Orleans!
 

  <a href="http://jorgensenbettertogether.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz243/jorgensen13/End%20of%20January%202013/200x200_zps07485f99.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>