Capucine: Cute French Girl's Fairytale

You may have watched this video before; it's a smash!   I wish I could trap that imagination and apply it to all of my writing.  I always watch this when I need a little pick-me-up.  I hope you enjoy ; )

Our termites are foreign

Daughter just asked me about our "Mediterranean" termites...pretty sure she meant the subterranean variety, but with her you never can tell. : )

Wise beyond her years?

My eleven year old daughter, while heating up a can of Campbell's Double Noodle soup, just said, "This doesn't taste as good as I remember it being as a kid."  I know, I know. Eleven IS a little long in the tooth.  ; )  The funny thing is, I know just what she means.  Once upon a time I loved Spaghetti O's w/Franks; I was ready to tear into a bowl not long back and I thought they weren't as good as I remembered them being.  In fact, I thought they were down right gross.  Isn't it interesting, how our tastes change?

Falling for Food-Butternut Squash Succotash

Even though South Texas doesn't get much of a fall season, fall is still my favorite time of year. I love the first dip into cooler temperatures, a welcomed reprieve from the summer heat.  I love leaves turning colors (I know it's happening somewhere in the world just not on our sunny trees), but most of all I love the foods that fall brings.  Somewhere along the last summer days and the first peaks of autumn, feelings of nostalgia wash over me and I yearn to dig through my grandma's recipe box to cook up some treats.  Maybe it's because of all the good Thanksgiving memories I have or maybe it's because the crisp 81 degrees (ha ha) has put a little extra pep in my step.  Either way, I'm anxious to sip on cider, scrape through squash,  and roast pumpkin seeds.

I caught this on Good Morning America years ago and it fast became one of my favorite fall recipes:

Ben Barker's Butternut Squash Succotash

Ingredients:

3 ounces of country ham, cut into small dice
1/4 cup peanut oil (or canola oil or safflower oil)
1/2 cup onion, small dice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 cup celery, small dice
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flake
1 bay leaf
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into medium dice (or acorn squash, or pumpkin)
2 cups baby lima beans, fresh or frozen (I've used canned in a pinch and it turned out just fine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, or more, as needed (or water)
1 1/2 cups white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (optional)
2 tablespoons melted butter (optional)

Cooking Directions:

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over the medium heat, add country ham and cook until lightly browned. Add onion, pepper and celery; cook over medium heat until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, pepper and bay leaf; cook one minute.

Stir in lima beans and butternut squash; add chicken stock ( or water) just until fluid. Bring to a simmer and cook until butternut dice are just tender. Remove from heat and reserve.

While limas are cooking, combine hominy and cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cream is reduced and thickened. Stir into limas, season liberally and stir in herbs. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole. (May be prepared ahead to this point.)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter in a bowl and sprinkle on top of succotash. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe copyright ©1999 Ben Barker.   Ben and Karen own the Magnolia Grill in Durham, NC, I look forward to visiting the restaurant someday : )

Sounds like Somebody's got a Case of the Mondays

Ah, Monday. Today, the school network computer printers are down and so who knows if I'll get credit for emailing the various assignments that were due in class. Fingers crossed. This weekend proved to be a royal pain which only leads to my case of the Mondays. I'm waiting for the pest control guy to call me back to schedule an appt. to come determine what kind of termites we have. (tiny fist pumps) Yea. Aside from that, I feel that my throat is swelling, mother nature has knocked on my door, the babies allergies are kicking in, and the dog peed on the floor leaving my husband peeved enough to swear to banish him outdoors from here on in. (breath) Uhhhhhhhhhhh (sucking the life in) uhhhhhehhhhuuuh.

Going off on this tiny tangent doesn't seem to be helping so let me add this in:
Somehow, I feel I've crossed into an alternate universe via etsy.com and blogland. Where did all these crafty, master chefs, come from?!?! Is EVERYBODY that damned good at something? I don't particularly think that I'm good at anything. It's all I can muster to keep the house clean, groceries stocked, homework done, laundry washed, and yard weeded. I try to cook everyday and usually I succeed. The kids are bathed, and the floors are swept but, looking at the awesomely, amazingly, creative stuff these people come up with blows me away! How did they do that and why in the heck do I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants just to keep it all together while they're off making the cutest crap on the planet just as cool as cucumbers and their kids are off learning, oh I don't know, how to knit the next cutest thing in the history of the planet?!?  That was a lot of carrying on, I know.  I just wonder how these amazing people really do it?  Tips please ; )

A Day to Give Thanks

2007 marks the year the hubs and I tied the knot.  It also happens to be the year he introduced me to blogs; upon which, I started this blog.    Between 2007 and July 1010 I had a total of three posts, I think.  It just never seemed to draw me in.  I don't know what changed this past July but, a light bulb went off and I've been typing away ever since.  To date, I have three followers and it might as well be three million...I'm that excited about them!  I'm excited to see visitors from all corners and I LOVE to read your comments so THANK YOU all out there in blogland for dropping in.  I hope you have a lovely Sunday.  Until we meet again~

and thank you, hubby, for supporting me in all that I do : )

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Today is "Foodie Friday", y'all!  I really enjoy sharing and thought I'd post what I made last night.  We ate them up sooo quickly, I didn't get a chance to snap a picture to share!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 of a medium onion, finely chopped
Stems of 1 dozen good-sized white mushrooms, finely chopped ( a processor works well for this but, not necessary).  Set caps aside, rub them with a damp paper towel to clean them off
1 cup of lump crab meat, picked thru to remove any shell pieces, rinsed and drained
a handful or so of Italian bread crumbs
Parsley flakes, as desired
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Black or Red pepper to taste
2-3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Grated Parmesan

*This is the type of recipe that I typically gauge by hand, tasting until it's just right.  I always have left over stuffing that I form into crab cakes, an added bonus!

Saute onion, celery, and stem pieces in butter.  When vegetables are tender, add crab meat, bread crumbs, and seasonings.  Turn off heat.

Dot a casserole dish with butter and add your caps to the dish.  Stuff each cap with the desired amount and sprinkle with parm and Old Bay.  You could add the parm in along with bread crumbs and crab meat; I've done it that way, too!

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy : )