BRRRR!...Let's keep warm with my mama's chicken soup! :)

I don't know about you (because you never tell me about yourselves), but this Arctic chill that has creeped into my veins is really making me crave soup.
Hot soup.
Specifically my mama's homemade hot chicken soup.
Confession time: I hate canned chicken soup.
There. I've said it. It's out there, spreading it's fairy dust over the universe and turning people against it hopefully.
Okay. There are a couple of canned soups I like a teensy tiny bit (even thought they are not healthy) but I rarely eat them and am not going to plug those companies because they don't care about our health.
Let's get back to my mama's soup.
Or my version of it,
Because my mama uses way more ingredients like chicken necks, chicken hearts, chicken livers, leeks, parsnips, etc.
And normally, I do too.
Except that this time I used exactly what I had in the fridge.

Which was:

--chicken thighs
--green pepper
--red onion
--yellow onion
--carrots
--celery root (whole and chopped)
--celery, including the leaves
--whole peppercorns
--whole allspice
--sea salt
--Maggi seasoning
--secret ingredient (I can't give it up because it wouldn't be special if everyone made it like hers. Sorry)

This is how the soup looks when it is cooked.
How pretty is that?
Never mind pretty. It tastes so good.

What my mama does is she removes all the vegetables from the soup and puts them in a separate bowl because the vegetables sitting in the soup can make it taste sour after a while. When we eat at her house, we ladle the broth into out soup bowls and add the veggies in separately.

The reason she puts the green pepper in is because carrots and parsnips and yellow onion will make the soup taste too sweet. The celery and green pepper counterbalances the sweet taste. Chicken soup should not taste sweet, but if it does, oh well...first world problems, right?

Listen up, y'all. Celery root is a key ingredient in this soup. Make chicken soup without it and I guarantee it won't taste as good. It adds a fresh taste to it that I can't describe. Okay. Yes, I can. It's magic. The taste is magic.

You're welcome.
Now go and make some!

Funny of the Day

I know what you're thinking.
You're thinking, "GeeGee, what does this purse have to do with cooking or being a hostess?"
Well, Duh. 
Or as Madea would say, "HELLUR!" 
How can you prep for your dinner party without shopping?
And how can you go shopping without a purse?
Okay, okay. Not everyone uses a purse. I remember a time when I used to use the back pocket of my jeans as a purse, but in my defense, I was in my early twenties and rebelling against being a "proper lady" and all that.
True story: My Aunt Hilda bought me a book on etiquette for my birthday when I was 13 years old because she was gobsmacked by my "lack of manners". I never did open it, but it made a lovely door stop.



At any rate...now that I do have a purse or three or eight...I can totes relate to this. 

Breakfast is my best friend.

True story. 
I've never been one to skip on breakfast. Not intentionally. I would rather be late for work than skip breakfast. A hearty breakfast can fill my tummy until lunchtime. While I eat lighter in the summer (fruits, yogurt and cereals, mostly), winter requires comfort food. 
That's a rule. 
Look it up, if you don't believe me,
One of my faves (breakfast, not rule...pay attention) is fried egg on rye bread as seen below. Whatever you do...whether you'e on a diet (which I am not a fan of) or in a rush, stop and eat breakfast. Or grab breakfast and go. If you don't, you're going to end up snacking like a long-toothed fiend all day and end up gaining more weight than you want (I'm going to assume you don't want to gain more weight). People who eat regular breakfasts (healthy breakfasts, not a steak and 4 eggs like my brother) keep weight off. People who skip breaky don't. I didn't make this rule up so get off my back. 



Here is another one of my comfy breakies: this time I used turkey bacon.




Another quick and comforting breakfast snack. Roughly the same idea as the first.
Take toasted bread, slap some hot peppers and melted cheese on it and cover with a fried egg. Don't ask me how many calories because I don't want to know.



For those of you who think I'm a piggie, here is one of my summer fave breakfasts, inspired by my trip to Turkey. Honest to Claude, this is what they eat. at least, this is what they served us at every hostel I stayed in. Very light on the stomach, yet filling.



I'm a huge fan of the potato in any form, so I often make home fries and hash browns.

Here are mine:

And here are Betty Crocker's...hers called for crumbled bacon.
I think mine are prettier. I fried mine in half butter, half olive out with red peppers, green onions, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper.

(Photo credit to: www.bettycrocker.com)



Once in a blue moon, I like to make pancakes...only I can't stand boring pancakes.
Did you know that pancakes are not just breakfast food? That's right. They make perfect after dinner desserts, too. I put blackberries right into the batter and then topped them with real whipped cream. But, I made my husband whip the cream because I hate that kind of tedious work.



Here are some more creative ideas that did not come from me. I ate these in a restaurant in Toronto. They were not only ingenious, artistic and fun but delicious, as well! Breakfast does not have to humdrum. I can't stress this enough.




Breakfast ideas for those of you who are as lazy as I am some days:

Grits: 
These are my Quaker 5 minute Grits. (You're welcome for the plug, Quaker).
You can get them in a variety of ridiculous flavours but I am a purist and eat them with a little salt and butter.
True story: many years ago, shortly after dinosaurs stopped roaming the earth, I brought a box of Quaker grits home from a store in Mississippi and when I poured them into a bowl, there were things moving around in them! I had heard of weevils, but had never seen them in my food before. You don't ever see weevils in your food in the coldest parts of Canada.
So, anyway...after I gagged and threw them out, I wrote to Quaker (because in those days I didn't have a computer; I don't think most people did) and they apologized profusely and sent me a bunch of coupons for free Quaker products, which I never used because I was traumatized but it was a lovely gesture.
It wasn't their fault that the store in Mississippi didn't store them properly or had them on the shelf too long. Live and learn, folks. I couldn't eat grits for almost 2 years. When I finally started eating them again (after some therapy), I was very very careful about checking each grain thoroughly under a magnifying glass, while wearing a miner's hat. I now keep my grits in the freezer and I suggest you do the same. 

Smoothies:

Obviously, smoothies are not for the lazy. Therefore, they call for a spouse or significant other or a child who is still young enough to obey your orders to make the smoothie for you.
This one called for my husband, Kale, cucumber, lemon, apple and celery, all in that order.



I had enough smoothie left over to eat for lunch.
But, the last thing I want for lunch after I having it for breakfast is a goldanged smoothie!
So, I gave it to my daughter, who love-love-loves smoothies.
True story: My sister went on a juicing cleanse and drank only smoothies for weeks and lost a gazillion lbs (not that she needed to) but that is not something I can do without becoming an Angry Person. Hunger makes me angry, exhausted, homicidal and mean. Apparently, if you do the juicing diet properly, you will not be any of these things, but given that I have a family history of mental health issues, I don't want to chance it.



Other quick and healthy options...for summer...does not warm the belly during the Arctic months....

(Photo: www.skyacademy.com)

Sweet & Spicy Orange Stir Fry Chicken

I used four boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
I chopped them into bite sized chunks.
Poured 2 or 3 TBSP of olive oil into a hot pan.
Added chopped red onion and minced garlic.
Just before onion and garlic starts to turn brown, I added the chicken chunks.
When the meat is no longer pink, I added spices:
--Italiano Seasoning
--Chili powder
--Paprika
--Chili pepper
--black pepper
--salt
--a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
--1/4 cup orange juice
--2 TBSP Diana sauce (you can use chili sauce or any other sweet sauce)
--1 tsp of grated orange peel
--a dash of red wine 

Cook on med-high until half of the sauce is reduced and serve over Basmati rice.

Enjoy!

Avocado Day

Do you love avocados as much as I do? 
If not, why??? Okay, okay. You don't have to tell me. Don't be so sensitive.
Years ago, I only ever ate them as guacamole in Mexican restaurants. Today, I eat them almost every day. I make smoothies with them, I eat them on toast, I put them in my salads and oh, yeah. I now make my own guacamole. I don't eat them just because they're healthy (although, it helps!). I like the way they taste and love the way they taste different depending on how you use them in cooking.

This is my guacamole.
I used two avocado, 1 small chopped tomato, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 TBSP minced red onion, 1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds, lime juice from half of a hand-squeezed lime and a pinch of salt.



I found this idea on  www.mamiverse.com.
I just loved the idea of a fried egg in an avocado. Yum!

How about these avocado stuffed meatballs? 
I make meatballs all the time and would have never considered combing my two favourites (meatballs and avocados, in case you weren't paying attention). 

These are someone else's meatballs. Find the recipe on www.healthyfoodie.com



Then there are also avocado deviled eggs. Who knew??? Did you? Why didn't you share it with me?!!!

This recipe is from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/236809/avocado-deviled-eggs/


I substitute mayo with Greek yogurt. 




Love love love...avocado crab cakes...from www.sheknows.com



And then there's this simple toast recipe from www.thekitchn.com
When I make mine, I just puree the avocado, add a bit of olive oil and sea salt and spread it on thick crusty bread.



And this is my homemade Cobb salad. 
Unfortunately, the avocado was buried beneath the bacon (which I longer eat).
I used chopped romaine lettuce, cucumbers. cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, crumbled blue cheese, crumbled bacon, cheese, turkey and avocados. I drizzled it with ranch dressing.



By now, you're probably getting the gist...as well as a hankering. 
If you've never cooked with them before, don't let them scare you. Give them a try.
They also make great facial creams. 

If you want to keep an avocado from turning brown: (photo credit to:www.food52.com)

1) The Onion Method
Roughly chop a quarter of a red onion into large chunks. Line the bottom of a sealable container with the onion pieces, then place the avocado half cut side-up on top. Seal the container and keep in the fridge. According to The Kitchn, this is likely due to the vapors that onions emit. Luckily, because the skin is the only part of the avocado in contact with the onion, the flesh won't take on any flavor. And you can save the onions for later use!



2) The Olive Oil MethodBrush the avocado half with olive oil (pick one without a strong flavor). The oil will keep the flesh from coming in direct contact with the air, preventing oxidization. After brushing with the oil, store the avocado in an airtight container in the fridge. 



You can also grow your own avocado tree, but mine has never turned out, for reasons unclear to me.




Anyway...If you're feeling ambitious and want to grow your own tree, go to: www,secretyuniverse.wonderhowto.com

Oscar Night Snackies

Who wants to watch the Academy Awards show on an empty stomach?
Not me.
And what better way to watch rich and famous people you'll never meet in movies you may not see than by stuffing your face?
And hence...

Three Layer Nachos...

Which I like to make in a cazuela like this.
Love love love my cazuela.
I loved my last cazuela, before I broke it.
I took it out of a hot oven and while it was still hot, I ran it under cool water and it promptly cracked into two large artistic but useless pieces.
And yes, I did cry and curse, but not necessarily in that order,

I lined the cazuela (earthenware oven dish) with tortilla chips, added salsa, chopped green and red bell peppers, chopped red onion, sliced jalapenos.
Then I layered more tortilla chips over that and repeated the process three times.

I baked it in 350F oven for about 15-20 minutes.
I added some side dishes of queso cheese (heated in microwave first), sour cream and guacamole.
So yummy!

My Devilishous Eggies

For the filling, I used mayo, yellow mustard, salt, pepper, sweet pickle juice and sprinkled paprika on top.



Wings a la Frank.

I coated the wings in olive oil, baked them for 40 minutes on 450F (turning them over halfway through baking). They turned out crisp (the way I like them). Yumbo!
Frank's Hot Sauce should pay me for the plug.
I won't hold my breath, though.