Working My Fingers to the Bone….

I always thought the saying went “If you love someone, set them free”.

Apparently that is just a loose translation of, “If you love someone, go through hell and back to make them a custom shooting vest in full-on Remington colors, and practically inaccessible mesh fabric normally only available to wholesalers”

At least, that is my husband’s translation.

Allow me to give you a little background information. See, my husband is a die-hard Remington Arms fan. Which, in turn, makes us a Remington Arms family. The hubs is also a stickler for detail. So, when he started shooting trap competitively last year, the wheels in his brain started turning.

He wanted a Remington shooting vest. I could not deny the appeal. So I went shopping. As it turns out, Remington does make a shooting vest. It looks like this:

Very nice, no?

NO.

If you are going to go Remington, you’ve got to go big. At least, that seems to be how my husband’s mind works, because he quickly shot down this option in favor of a Remington Green and Yellow vest. Did you notice the material the vest is made of? Yes, that is mesh. A utility fabric. Normally only available to wholesalers. And he wanted a Remington logo on it. And he wanted coordinating green padded shoulders. And he wanted it for CHRISTMAS…..ahem…last year.

Needless to say, I didn’t make it. But, in all fairness, I told him that wasn’t going to happen when he asked for it. I had way too many other projects already in the works with a Christmas deadline. What I DID do, however, was scour the internet for green or yellow mesh and coordinating twill. It took awhile, but I managed to pull together all the elements needed and then…..stalled.

And stalled.

And STALLED some more.

I didn’t want to do it. I really didn’t. It was going to be a nightmare. They don’t make patterns for shooting vests. I know people who can just look at a garment and recreate it, without a pattern. I am not one of those people. So finally, shortly before Father’s Day (this was the secondary completion date requested by the hubby), I began work in earnest.

If you think velvet is a pain to work with…. corduroy….anything at all….nothing compares to the nightmare that is MESH. Especially THIS mesh. It has very large holes and for any piece of material you want to attach to it, you better have another piece of material BEHIND the mesh for the thread to grab onto.

And so…. After several days, more than a few “pinned” fingertips, and multitudes of curse words, the best Father’s Day present EVER was born.

Silly man thinks he’s going to talk me into making a matching one for a friend of his.

Silly, silly man……

Wine On!

Just a fun little craft project to brighten things up around here!

October Food 'n Flix Roundup!

This month, I was lucky enough to host the October Food 'n Flix Roundup, and boy did I have fun! Ratatouille is one of my all-time favorite movies to watch with my Little Man - and it never fails to make me HUNGRY!!!

We didn't have a large number of submissions, but I believe its all about the quality, not the quantity, and we certainly have quality food right here!

Heather, of Girlichef, and our lovely founder of Food 'n Flix, was inspired to make this Ratatouille Omelet, and I like the way she thinks! What a fun way to have breakfast!

Deb at Kahakai Kitchen made a gorgeous Roasted Ratatouille that just makes my mouth water.

Elizabeth from The Law Student's Cookbook found herself thinking like a rat and made Baked Cheesy Ravioli. Hmmm maybe I should start thinking like a rat. Cheese? Ravioli? You can't beat that at my house, either.

And, I finally have my own submission posted. Parisian Soup, which is my own little memory-inducing comfort food.A cream soup recipe from the 1970's, with lots of butter and LOVE in it.

It was a fabulous stroll down Memory Lane, thinking back to being in the kitchen with my Mom while she put together this heart-warming dish. I hope it was the same for all of you!

SOUP! for Food 'n Flix Roundup

Ahhhh Ratatouille. Such a fine foodie film in an unexpected wrapper. Of course, it’s a fun movie to watch,  but why did I choose Ratatouille for this month’s Food ‘n Flix selection?  My son.

No, Little Man did not say “Mommy, Mommy, you HAVE to pick Ratatouille!!” jumping up and down and threatening to hold his breath if I didn’t see things his way. Why, then?

Ratatouille changed our lives. CHANGED. OUR. LIVES.

See, I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but…. Mommy loves to cook. I know, try and contain your surprise. Well, Ty has always loved to be in the kitchen with me, form an early age. I have pictures of us washing dishes together, even.

But after seeing Ratatouille, Ty “got” it.  He understood the concept of creating a beautiful dish, a new “taste experience” and he began to question combinations, ingredients, and started accumulating his own kitchen tools, apron, and a step stool so he could cook with Mommy, on her level. He wants to get in there, hands on, and BE the chef.

Sometimes literally.

And so, when it was my turn to choose a film for Food ‘n Flix, the choice was easy.  Now I bet your question is. “So what did you cook?”

“SOUUUUUP???”

The look on Chef’s face as he realizes a possible catastrophe is about to leave his kitchen in the form of Linguine’s “soup”. This soup is inspired. According to food critic Leclaire, it is a “revelation”, and it is. In more ways than one. I have no doubt the soup was a phenomenal “taste experience”, as the critic states, but it is an awakening for both Linguine, Remy, and all of Paris as they discover (and re-discover) the world of food.

What was in the soup? Who knows. What started as one thing, became another, as was the case for not only the soup, but Remy and Linguine , as well. We saw stock go in and cream, as well as leeks and some herbs…..thyme maybe? “Rosemary? That’s an herb, right?” One ingredient that obviously went into it was Passion. A passion for food.

So could I re-create Remy’s soup? No, of course not. But here’s a bit of irony. When I was a girl, there was a soup that my mother made. I haven’t had it in many years, but just the thought of it takes me back home, to my mom’s kitchen, transported like Ego was to his childhood home. A few years back, I asked my mom for the recipe, which she gladly gave me…..and yet, I’ve still not made it.

Until now. The ironic part? It is called “Parisian Soup”

Ty and I spent quality time in the kitchen, putting our ingredients together with love, and turned out a heart warming batch of my mom’s Parisian Soup. In honor of Remy, Linguine, and yes… even Ego. 

Parisian Soup

Makes 3 quarts

16-18 ounce bag frozen vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot blend)

2 c. water

½ cup butter

½ cup margarine

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup flour

4 chicken bouillon cubes

6 c. cold milk

1 c diced ham

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp Accent

Salt

Cook vegetables in water until just tender – do not drain. Set aside.

Melt butter and margarine in a skillet.

Add celery and onion and sautee until tender.

Add flour, stirring until well blended.

Crush chicken bouillon cubes and add to this mixture. (I don’t keep bouillon cubes in the house, but I did have some chicken soup base, so I used an equivalent amount of that.)

Add cold milk and stir until thick and smooth.

Add ham and cooked vegetables with their cooking liquid.

Add seasonings.

Food n Flix Deadline!

That’s right folks, I am hosting Food ‘n Flix this month, and I had set today as the deadline, but I’ve had a change of heart! (Ok, so really, I’ve been too busy making Ty’s Halloween costume to get my OWN dish made!) You still have time! If you can get your submission to me by noon on Monday, October 31^st, it will still make it I the roundup.

Get cookin', everyone!

A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, on the outskirts of a small town, there was a young couple, living in an old schoolhouse , with very little furniture.

One day, while attending a local auction, the young woman spotted a cabinet that seemed to call her name. And, after all, they did need something to put the TV on. And so, much to the young man’s dismay, she bought the cabinet for the paltry sum of $15, and they hauled it home.

Unbeknownst to the woman, the man DESPISED this cabinet. To this day, she doesn’t know what brought on this utter dislike of the cabinet, and yet, it was there,….. growing….festering. Until one day, the couple remodeled their country home to make room for Baby. And the cabinet found a new home in the depths of the garage. This pleased the man greatly.

Years went by and the couple moved to a new home…. And once again, they needed a place for the TV to rest. Unaware of her husband’s intense hatred for the old cabinet, she made plans to refinish it. Because, after all, it was fairly unattractive. Yet it was sturdy, and she felt it had great potential. The husband, however, stood in her way at every turn, trying desperately to thwart her efforts, and regaling her with tales of what type of damage he would enjoy inflicting on the innocent piece of furniture.

Yet she persisted, undaunted by her husband’s denial of what she knew to be truth.

This cabinet WOULD be beautiful.

And so began the makeover. A palm sander, a few coats of high gloss paint and some new hardware turned the Ugly Duckling….

Into the Swan.

And the husband refused to admit he was wrong…. But the wife knew. And she was pleased.

Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio

Sometimes you just really need a casserole. Something warm, hearty, and comforting. Something with MEAT in it. And carbs. Lots of carbs. But then you have the guilt. You know the guilt I’m talking about. Is there anything GREEN in that casserole dish?

Well, in this one, there is! I was craving exactly such a dish this weekend when it was in the low 60’s outside and smelling like fall. I recalled a recipe I had recently seen in one of my foodie magazines (but then couldn’t find later). And so, as any home cook with a sudden craving is wont to do…. I improvised.

Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio

2 cups dried penne noodles (I used mini penne)

1 8-ounce package low fat cream cheese

1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 pound Italian sausage (I used ‘sweet’ this time, but usually prefer ‘hot’. Use that you like)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 bag fresh baby spinach

Boil pasta according to package directions. While the noodles are cooking, brown the sausage and drain.

While the meat is still hot, mix in the cream cheese and tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and stir until evenly combined.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, sausage mixture, half the mozzarella and the spinach together, then press into a casserole dish.

Top with remaining mozzarella and bake at 350, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is warm throughout.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights this week.