Christmas 2020

It was a quiet day. Snow melt and 24 hours of rain caused some flooding in the area. It was very wet. Inside, we opened gifts from Tractor Supply. Gave the cats a couple new beds to cozy up to this winter. They immediately claimed owntership. I cooked lasagna and we watched movies. We had a Zoom call with Tim's family at 1. I missed Mom. It was a little too quiet but nice day.

HOLIDAY DECORATING

It's always a challenge to decorate the outside of the house this time of year. One, I am still getting over the emotional fall out of my Mom's passing. Also, it starts to snow and it is a real challenge to manage electric cords in the snow and turning off lights late at night in the snow. So, we decided that we would just focus on the front porch and keep it confined and manageable. We did both an autumnal display of your typical pumpkins, corn husks and fall detritus and then moved onto a more electrically charged Xmas display. We can see everything from our living room window and it's easy to unplug everything before we go to bed. Our small little addition for the holiday.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES

This year we decided to send out a little of our own homemade Christmas. Every year, my Mom would bake me peanut butter cookies and peanut butter fudge and would send me a box for Christmas. I miss getting that box. So, we decided on a new tradition and make and ship our own little box of treats. Tim did most of the baking, however, I got to choose recipes for the assortment and taste test some of the new ones - lucky me! We managed a frenzied last minute cookie wrapping and packing session but were very happy with the results. They taste delicious and we feel good that it is somehting we made with love to our family.

PANTRY CABINET UPDATE

Still working on the pantries in the basement. I am almost complete. Found some corbels that looked good to close in the storage at the top of the cabinet and getting there. Have to put on a top and paint and we can begin to fill it. It's 7.5 feet tall - so lots of space and there will be two of them eventually. This is a tank so I have to wait till next Spring to construct the second one. Have other smaller projects to tackle before then.

CHRISTMAS DECORATING

Back in February of this year, I was in San Antonio for a reunion and bought a bunch of items for Christmas decorating. Then Covid hit and we had practically forgotten I had bought them. We got out the tree and started unpacking some new items for our tree. I was homesick for my family and San Antonio and these things help a little bit this time of year to remind me of good times.

THANKSGIVING 2020

New Cookbooks

 

As winter progresses, my need for Tex-Mex authentic food grows! I ordered two new cookbooks - Los Barrios is a classic Tex -Mex restaurant in San Antonio and Home Sick Texan is a great blog I follow. Can’t wait to start experimenting with the recipes - it’s going to be a long winter!

Repurposed Pantry

 

As we are remodeling our basement, one of the goals is to repurpose 4 vintage topiary cut out shutters that I have hauled around some 30 plus years waiting for a place to use them. Finally, we have found a permanent place for them as the doors to the pantries. Very happy to have found them a new home.

Baked Ziti Casserole

 

Growing up, my Mom would make a big pot of pasta fagioli or her favorite pound, a pound, a pound - which is exactly what it sounds like as a staple for the week.  During covid winter it's going to be important to plan our staples for the week so we don't have to cook and we have something substantial to have for meals.  Tim and I have been looking for casserole options and came across Bon Appetit's best casserole list and I decided to make a couple casseroles - one for next week and one to freeze.  It was a Ziti Bake but I modified it slightly cause I am a meat eater. 

Ingredients ( Makes 2 casserole pans)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 21⁄4 cups whole milk, slightly warmed 21⁄2 cups grated Parmesan, divided

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1⁄4 cup olive oil

1 lb ground Italian Sausage

2 lbs ground beef

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 28-oz. can plus 1 14-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 pound ziti, penne, or rigatoni

1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1⁄2" pieces

Preparation

Step 1

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium

until foamy. Sprinkle flour over and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in warm milk. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking often, until béchamel is thickened to about the consistency of heavy cream and no longer feels grainy when rubbed between your fingers, 8–10 minutes (thoroughly cooking the mixture ensures a creamy sauce and eliminates any raw flour flavor). Remove from heat and add 2 cups Parmesan, whisking until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Set aside.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Cook meat, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onion is golden and soft, 8–10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Add whole peeled tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, and season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until slightly reduced and flavors have melded, 20– 25 minutes.  Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 5 minutes (the pasta will continue to cook in the oven); drain.

Step 5

Transfer reserved béchamel to a large bowl; add pasta and mozzarella and toss to combine. Add all but 1 cup tomato sauce and gently fold mixture a few times, leaving streaks of béchamel.

Step 6

Transfer pasta mixture to a 13x9" or other 3-quart baking dish, dollop with remaining tomato sauce, and scatter remaining Parmesan over pasta. Bake until mozzarella is melted and sauce is bubbling around the edges, 15–20 minutes.

Step 7

Heat broiler. Broil until pasta and cheese are dark brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Let pasta sit 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Curry Pot Pie

 

Ingredients 8 SERVINGS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 green apple, peeled, chopped

1 delicata squash, scrubbed, or 1 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces

3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium russet potato, peeled, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces

1 small daikon, peeled, cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1  1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped

2  tablespoons curry powder (preferably S&B)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1⁄4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons cornstarch Kosher salt

1 1⁄2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (one 14-ounce package or half of a 17.3-ounce package) or pie dough

1 large egg, beaten to blend

1 large egg, beaten to blend

Preparation Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°. Heat butter in a large shallow braising pot or large skillet (around 12" in diameter) over medium. Cook onion and apple, stirring often, until very soft, 8–10 minutes. Add squash, carrots, potato, daikon, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are partly tender, 12–15 minutes. Add ginger and sprinkle with curry powder and 2 Tbsp. flour; cook, stirring to coat, just until curry powder darkens, about 1 minute. Whisk broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Add broth mixture to pot and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Cook, still stirring frequently, until mixture is very thick. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Add chicken and stir to evenly distribute. The mixture will look so thick at this point that it will seem wrong. Trust us, the vegetables and chicken will release liquid as they cook under the pastry, creating a rich and just-thick-enough sauce as they do so.

Step 2

Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface until large enough to cover pot with an overhang of about 1" on all sides. Drape pastry over pot and press firmly around edges to adhere. Lightly brush with egg and cut 2–3 small slits in the center so that steam can escape.

Step 3

Bake pot pie until crust is golden brown, about 18– 22 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°

and continue to bake until filling is bubbling around the edges and crust is well browned, 40–45 minutes longer. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

 

Baking for the Holidays and these are a winner!

INGREDIENTS

Filling

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 3 large egg yolks
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 c. chopped toasted pecans
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut

Cookies

2 1/2 c. all-purpose Bour, spooned and leveled 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. shredded sweetened coconut (3/4 cup untoasted and 1 cup toasted), divided 3/4 c. chopped toasted pecans

4 oz. German chocolate, chopped

DIRECTIONS Make Filling

Whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, and butter in a medium

saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbly and

thick, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, pecans, and

coconut. Transfer to a bowl and let stand until cool, about 1 hour.

Make Cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together pour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in pour mixture just until combined. Stir in 3/4 cup untoasted coconut, pecans, and chopped chocolate.

Scoop cookies (about 2 tablespoons each) and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Press to Batten slightly. Bake until edges are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets, 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Spoon filling onto bottoms of half of cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies. Roll edges in 1 cup toasted coconut.