The colder weather and a desire to do some home cooking has chased me indoors. I know, I am a wimp.
Call Me Dr. Doolittle
There isn’t much to say about a spent cooking, eating, watching tv and doing laundry. That’s my night in a nutshell and to be honest that’s all I felt like doing last night.
The thought of going out and doing a little nighttime photography crossed my mind, but the idea dimmed as I continued to watch the clock creep toward bedtime.
ITP Flickr Pic
I am not the most religious person out there, but I do admire architecture and there is no doubt that churches have some kick-ass architecture.
To 2.0 Or Not To 2.0, That Is The Question
Firefox 2.0 has been officially released. My dilemma is to figure out if/when I should do an upgrade. I have been burned living on the Bleeding Edge in the past and I have not heard many compelling reasons for me to upgrade. If any of you have opinions I’d sure like to hear them.
And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood – okay
Current Music – Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Pulp — “Common People” (I still prefer William Shatner’s remake)
Website Of The Day – Monkey On Your Back is a fun little web 2.0 app that allows you to nag someone to get something done for you.
Exercise (b)Log – nada
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
I just UPG’d to 2.0, I’ll let you know.
Cookin’ at home = yummy! I made this last week and it instantly went on my “Food you can substitute for CRACK” list. It’s that good! (I skipped the celery) Easy to make, easy to reheat or freeze for later.
HOPPIN’ JOHN (BLACK-EYED PEAS WITH KIELBASA)
There has been much debate over the strange name of this rice and bean combination. One theory suggests that “Hoppin’ John” is a corruption of pois à pigeon, French for pigeon peas, with which the dish was originally made in the French colonies of the Caribbean, where it was likely created.
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
6 ounces smoked kielbasa sausage
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 celery ribs
1/2 fresh jalapeño chile
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
Accompaniment: cooked rice
Quick-soak black-eyed peas.
Quarter kielbasa lengthwise and cut quarters crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop onion and mince garlic. Cut celery crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Wearing rubber gloves, seed and mince jalapeño.
In a 3-quart heavy kettle cook kielbasa, onion, garlic, celery, jalapeño, and bay leaf in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add peas and broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until peas are tender. Discard bay leaf and stir in coriander and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve Hoppin’ John spooned over rice.
Serves 4.
Gourmet
January 1998
That sounds delicious, I’ll have to try it.
Last night’s dinner was a melange of items from my pantry and refrigerator.
1 large onion (diced)
1 orange bell pepper (sliced into strips)
1 carrot (cut into coins)
1 can of sliced green beans (drained)
sauted ingredients in oil over medium heat until softened
1+ pound chicken breast (slice into strips)
add to skillet, cook until chicken is cooked thoroughly
1 small bottle (8 ounces?) of merlot
1 can (14 ounces) peeled tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
salt
italian seasonings
add to pan, mix thoroughly, reduce heat to low and simmer until concoction becomes thick enough to use a topping for pasta (taste often to make sure seasoning is desirable)
8 ounces of pasta cooked in salty water per the directions on the box
when pasta is al dente, drain and return to a large pot. mix in pasta topping, dust with parmesan cheese.
Eat!
Fall always makes me want to cook soup, so since we are sharing, this was a hit last week when paired with some Banana-Black Bean Empanadas:
CHICKEN, LIME, AND ORZO SOUP
3/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced
3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into matchstick-size strips
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 large tomato, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and chiles. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, lime juice, and tomato. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Mix in orzo, then chopped cilantro. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
You guys are making me want to cook something. This getting the new house ready to live in is cutting into decent dinner time meals.
When is the housewarming party, Barb?
HA!
Martha’s took some actual skill, mine was more like re-heating! I only have a hotplate currently at my place… you could easily make mine over sterno if you thought it sounded yummy!
housewarming party……… hmmmm, not sure. First there is painting the entire inside of the house, then there is getting the hardwoods re-finished, along with some plumbing issues that must to be fixed, which may mean just remodeling both bathrooms at the same time. So – maybe January? I think it will be a housewarming/Whirlyball evening. There is a Whirlyball rink just down the street on Delk Rd (just barely off I-75), and you know Allan and his love of Whirlyball.
You mean there is more than one Whirlyball rink in this area? Wow!