Thursday, December 30, 2010

Turkey Sage Chowder

Okay, I don't agree with plagiarism so I'm giving all the honor and glory to Shelly, my farm friend. Please notice the quotes around the entire recipe. I am totally giving credit where credit is due, to Shelly. I have been meaning to try this recipe for a long time and finally I did it, I made the Turkey Sage Chowder.
Yum! Yummy! Yummo!

"Tu
rkey Sage Chowder
4 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound red potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces...I leave the peels on
2 cups whole milk, sometimes I use cream..I'm a dairy farmer...don't go there
1 cup chicken broth, the original recipe called for low salt broth...I think it tastes metallic
so I use regular organic broth from Trader Joes
6 Tablespoons real butter...DAIRY FARMER!
6 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage, I have it in my garden...you could use dried
2 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey

Cook the bacon in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. I love my 8 quart Belgique pan, it's perfect for soups like this. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Don't clean that pan! Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes, remove the onions from the pan and set them aside.
Melt the 6T of butter in this pan 'til it's bubbly, but don't let it burn. Immediately add the 6T of flour, with your heat at medium take a big balloon whisk and get busy whisking
...for at least five minutes until that butter/ flour mixture starts to smell wicked-good and turns a pretty golden color. This is called a roux, I taught my sister how to make a roux and once she did it she told me that she thought that this stuff could make any soup yummy.
Make sure you don't take a shortcut on the roux, the combination of heat/butter needs time to change the chemical make-up of the flour....you don't want your chowder
to taste like flour paste, what a waste! Uh...trust me...I've done it and it was a sad day.

Okay...on with the show. It's time to add the milk but don't do it all at once, add it in a slow stream while whisking, if you've never done this don't be freaked. The first splash of milk will sizzle and your roux will look like paste...just keep whisking and adding and whisking and adding. Your soup will be yumy and creamy if you do it slowly...you don't want lumpy gumpy soup do you?
Mix in the potatoes, broth, and 1 Tablespoon of sage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally....about 10 minutes. I watch the soup really closely to make sure it doesn't Turkey Sage Chowder
4 bacon slices, coarsley chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound red potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces...I leave the peels on
2 cups whole milk, sometimes I use cream..I'm a dairy farmer...don't go there
1 cup chicken broth, the original recipe called for low salt broth...I think it tastes metallic
so I use regular organic broth from Trader Joes
6 Tablespoons real butter...DAIRY FARMER!
6 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage, I have it in my garden...you could use dried
2 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey

Cook the bacon in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. I love my 8 quart Belgique pan, it's perfect for soups like this. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Don't clean that pan! Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes, remove the onions from the pan and set them aside.
Melt the 6T of butter in this pan 'til it's bubbly, but don't let it burn. Immediately add the 6T of flour, with your heat at medium take a big baloon whisk and get busy whisking
...for at least five minutes until that butter/ flour mixture starts to smell wicked-good and turns a pretty golden color. This is called a roux, I taught my sister how to make a roux and once she did it she told me that she thought that this stuff could make any soup yummy.
Make sure you don't take a shortcut on the roux, the combination of heat/butter needs time to change the chemical make-up of the flour....you don't want your chowder
to taste like flour paste, what a waste! Uh...trust me...I've done it and it was a sad day.

Okay...on with the show. It's time to add the milk but don't do it all at once, add it in a slow stream while whisking, if you've never done this don't be freaked. The first splash of milk will sizzle and your roux will look like paste...just keep whisking and adding and whisking and adding. Your soup will be yumy and creamy if you do it slowly...you don't want lumpy gumpy soup do you?
Mix in the potatoes, broth, and 1 Tablespoon of sage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally....about 10 minutes. I watch the soup really closely to make sure it doesn't scorch...that would be such a huuuge bummer, I use my whisk for this but I'm a whisk girl...love that whisk. Add the turkey meat, bacon and remaining 1 Tablespoon sage. Simmer until heated through, stirring (not scorching) for about
4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

The original recipe is from Bon Appetit, I've made some minor changes to suit my taste.
I make a double batch of this soup and freeze it...nothing makes me happy like a whole bunch of delicious homemade soups in the freezer, especially when it's cold and snowy outside.
Yummmmm....that would be such a huuuge bummer, I use my whisk for this but I'm a whisk girl...love that whisk. Add the turkey meat, bacon and remaining 1 Tablespoon sage. Simmer until heated through, stirring (not scorching) for about
4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

The original recipe is from Bon Appetit, I've made some minor changes to suit my taste.
I make a double batch of this soup and freeze it...nothing makes me happy like a whole bunch of delicious homemade soups in the freezer, especially when it's cold and snowy outside.
Yummmmm."-----Shelly

Thanks Shell, we're hooked. The only change I made was the shredded carrots I throw into everything. I served it with biscuits and the tomato garlic butter Shelly gave me for Christmas. I had to blog it for the book cuz my guys' wives are going to need this recipe.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Our New Room

We are in our new rooms and are really enjoying them. I feel really spoiled. We put away all power tools and paint brushes for December. In January we will get going again. The crown moulding isn't painted or installed, the shoe system isn't in the closet and I don't have anything hanging on the walls yet, however; it's very livable.I shopped my house and decorated for Christmas. In 2011 I'll find some other decor to add to the room.
The gas stove is a Hearthstone and it is the same color and brand as our wood stove. We love our Hearthstone stoves. Hubby designed the backdrop with our trim. It sits right on the carpet. We went with carpet and it is the only carpet in the house. It feels pretty cozy.
The chandelier and sconces are Thomasville. Old Hollywood was how they were described by Thomasville and I think it's a pretty apt description. A dimmer, of course. Including the hall, bedroom and bathroom I used eight sconces. Our electrician called me Mrs. Sconce, he probably called me other names behind my back...




We matched the trim to our existing house and it made me feel a lot better. Before the trim went up I felt it looked too new and it was freaking me out. The glass block is where the window to outside was in the original bathroom. It allows for some natural light into the old bath from the new bathroom.
We are loving the new shower, no door or curtain to clean. I bought a bath mat but no water splashes out so we haven't needed it. The bathroom floor is Marmoleum, I love it. The feel is nice and it cleans up easily.
I am so glad we did this addition/remodel. It kinda made me crazy but now it's almost done and we are loving our new space. We were glad to have another bathroom over the holidays and a quiet spot to hide when the house was full. It is a refuge.

Snow Salad

Snow Salad makes for a white Christmas in spite of the rainy weather. Today I am sharing a family favorite Christmas recipe. I got this recipe from my friend Sheryl and I make it for Christmas Day. Last night as Max finished the leftovers we decided I should make it more. I am not sure why I don't make it during strawberry and raspberry season, or for Valentine's Day or for New Year's Eve or for birthdays. Next summer I am going to try it filled with fresh berries, no junket.
I use equal parts of water and sugar with a few tablespoons of a berry jello mix instead of the junket. I boil the water and sugar with a bit of cornstarch and then add the jello and take it off the heat. I cool it a bit and then add it to the berries. Otherwise I have not changed a thing about this delicious salad.

Snow Salad

1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. cold water
1 c. boiling water
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 16 oz. sour cream
1 8 oz. cool whip (thawed)
Mix the gelatin with cold water. Add boiling water, sugar and vanilla. Stir.
Add sour cream and cool whip.
Mold and set.
Since I don't have a jello mold I use my heart shaped bundt pan. I threw my Tupperware jello mold away one time in a fit of anger...

Filling:
2 c. frozen berries, thawed
1 pkg. junket





Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas Past and Christmas Future

Christmas 2010 struck me as different. My guys are older, they fly in and out. Literally. We celebrated Christmas with Danny on the 13th of December. Then he flew to Grand Rapids to start his new job at Bistro Bella Vita and more schooling. Sam came home on the 17th and left again yesterday. I took him to Seatac at o'dark thirty. It was the beginning of a very long day for Sam. He got as far as Atlanta and hit delays. gate changes, more delays and finally a flight cancellation. He met some guys and they rented a car and drove to Fayetteville where they had a foot of snow. Lost luggage, of course.My guys were not home for Christmas at the same time this year. Now Danny will be busy with work and school, Sam is busy in the army and neither of them will be back for a year. Next Christmas when Sam comes home he will leave here and be deployed. Danny will be finishing school. Max will be a senior in high school and looking ahead to his plans.

So, as I look forward to next Christmas I am already prioritizing for next year and reflecting on this Christmas . It's going to be different next year. We'll make plans and will not be changing them to try to please others, we will be home, we will celebrate with a traditional Christmas. Maybe a family day of skiing, boarding and snowshoeing at Mt. Baker. This is all God willing, but I am hoping and praying for a Christmas with the five of us next year.

And next year I think I'll drag my guys to the mall for one more photo with Santa.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Takin' Care of Business

Last evening Hubby and I went with friends on a tour of the Randy Bachman home. When BTO was rockin' out in the seventies, Randy built a home in Lynden and lived there with his wife and seven kids. It has had different owners and uses through the years but now is owned by the Clay family. They graciously offered tours for a fund raiser for two year old Wesley.
He needs a service dog due to illness.
No photos were allowed, except with Santa at the end of the tour.
We had a great time taking the bus and touring. The home is stunning. Eleven bathrooms, too many fireplaces to count, kitchens everywhere including a catering kitchen that made me turn green with envy, and beautiful Christmas trees and collections everywhere. Much of the home was just remodeled and they did a fabulous job. Gorgeous!
Hubby loved the onsite recording studio. Nothing had changed in there. Besides BTO, Sammy Hagar, Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys recorded in that studio. It gave me goosebumps to think of Frank crooning love songs and Sammy rockin' out in Lynden.

Tomorrow I am going on another home tour with friends. We are touring our own homes. I took a few shots of what they'll see at the Stone House, besides dust, dirt and dog hair...


*My scarf looks like braids on the Santa photo and kinda drives me crazy when I look at it. But it was all I had since no photos were allowed...