And when I'm not making marshmallows, let's cook some dinner...

And for dinner this week:

Sunday

Plain old roasted chicken: make a mixture of white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, a bit of garlic, rub it around under the skin of the chicken. Pop it in the oven at 400 degrees and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Roasted brussels sprouts with parmesan

Roasted sweet potato chunks

Monday

Mushroom and barley risotto

Salad

Tuesday

Pan-seared salmon

Lentils with roasted red pepper and balsamic vinegar

Sauteed green beans

Wednesday

Leftovers? Sandwiches? Maybe a salad from Panera?

Thursday

Split pea and ham soup in the slow cooker:

I don't have a recipe for this, but here's what I'm thinking:

Dried peas, a chunk of ham, garlic, a jar of tomatoes, water. Toss it all in the slow cooker and let it go all day.

And next weekend?

More sugary snacks, I'm sure. Cookie season is almost here!

Holiday Treats!

So, I'm using the storm as an excuse to stay inside and start making sugary snacks. Since my favorite from last year were the s'mores with homemade marshmallows, I'm starting there. Today I made two pans of marshmallows, using Alton Brown's recipe (see below). They have to sit overnight. If we get a snowday tomorrow (fingers crossed! flushing ice cubes!), I'll dip graham cracker quarters in chocolate and press a slab of marshmallow between two. I'll sprinkle crushed candy cane on top. I bet I'll post a photo, because they're so darn pretty. (Update -- the photo's above. I realize it's incredibly similar to the photo I posted last year -- see sidebar, further down -- but I'm including another one because they're so very cute.)

Homemade Marshmallows

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Prep Time:

35 min

Inactive Prep Time:

4 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

10 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

approximately 9 dozen marshmallows or 1 1/2 pounds miniature

Ingredients

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Directions

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whiskattachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue towhip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.

Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

December 5 - 9

It's cold out. Just wanted to point that out...

Sunday

We had a tailgating day at the Lions game, so we had a lovely grilled mixture... burgers, sandwiches (ham, roast beef, cheese, honey mustard, sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms -- put it all together, wrap it in foil and grill until everything's melty and crispy), yummy stuff like pretzels and cookies... and cocoa with buttershots. :)

Monday

Lentil and barley soup -- we had some leftovers from a few weeks back, and I froze it. All I want right now is warm things, so we're going with the soup.

Tuesday

Venison fajitas: saute peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and thin venison strips. Add some fajita-ish spices (chipotle, cayenne, garlic, cumin) and a bit of water and simmer. Serve with warmed tortillas, salsa, avocado, shredded cabbage, sour cream.

Wednesday

Big ol' salad with feta and a fried egg on top

Thursday

Soup: either Pasta Fagioli or Sausage/Beer/Cabbage -- we have the ingredients for both, so I'll just decide when it gets closer.

Have a good week! Stay warm!

November 21 - 25-ish

So why is it that on the weekend before Thanksgiving, I get a crazy craving for turkey noodle soup? This one can't be acted on now... I'll just have to sit tight and wait for leftovers. But I linked the recipe now, just to share.

So I ended up with a quiet lovely morning full of coffee, pumpkin muffins, and cookbooks. I read and read and read -- books I haven't opened in a long time. In the long run, not a lot of that is showing up on the week's plan, but it gave me some long-term ideas... and a strong desire to visit Italy (thanks, Julie, for that Italian cookbook)!

Sunday

Pan-seared venison chops

Roasted brussels sprouts

Squash and pumpkin risotto (from this season's issue of edible WOW. This is by Kelly Lewton-Secondino):

3c hot vegetable stock

2 tbsp butter

1 diced spanish onion

1 c Arborio rice

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 c white wine

1/2 c apple cider

pinches of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg

1/2 c butternut squash -- peeled, seeded, diced

1/2 c acorn squash puree

1/2 c pumpkin puree

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 c Parm cheese

1/4 c heavy cream

1 tbsp fresh sage

1. Heat stock.

2. Melt half the butter in a pan, cook onions 1 minute. Add rice, salt, pepper, cook until rice & onions translucent, stirring constantly.

3. Reduce heat to med. low, add wine, cider, spices, stir until liquid evaporates.

4. Add butternut and 1/2 c of stock, stir until evaporated. Continue to add stock and stir until evaporated.

5. Add purees and brown sugar, stirring until everything's creamy. Remove from heat.

6. Stir cheese, cream, butter and sage in.

***** RISOTTO UPDATE!*****

It was fab...u...lous. I adjusted the recipe slightly: no apple cider (didn't want to buy a half-gallon for a half-cup, and I'd never get around to drinking the rest of it), one whole cup of butternut squash and one whole cup of pumpkin puree, but no acorn squash. I also left out the brown sugar and forgot to buy fresh sage, so we used dried. It was so good. It was like macaroni and cheese for grown-ups.

Monday

Grilled cheese and veggie sandwich: grill mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, peppers. Pile in sandwich with sharp white cheddar cheese and dijon mustard. Toast it up!

Tuesday

Sausage, beer and cabbage soup: never got around to making this a few weeks ago, so we're trying it again.

Wednesday

Little pizzas on flatbread. Lovely salad to go with.

Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm the appetizer and salad lady. Still working this all out, but I'm sort of a fan of healthy appetizers with veggies and stuff, so I can not feel full by the time dinner starts. So probably no bacon in the apps (sorry, Phil).

And beyond...

Turkey noodle soup. Hurray for leftovers!

November 14 - 18

Lately, it's become painfully obvious that whatever I'm craving when I sit down to plan my menu is what ends up ALL OVER the menu. Even though my cravings last, on average, 24 minutes, I'm expecting myself (and Phil, lucky guy) to love them all week long. But it sort of works. It's just funny to look back -- two weeks ago was my "soup" phase, and last week we'll call "veggies." This week, I'd like to name the food mood "lots of chopped up things in one pan/bowl/dish together."

Sunday

Fried rice:

All measurements are strictly to taste. This will make 2 servings or 8, depending on my self-control when adding stuff. Saute sliced onion, garlic, mushroom, red pepper, matchstick carrots, zucchini, frozen peas (adding one at a time). Add cooked brown rice. Add seasoning: soy sauce, chili paste, rice wine vinegar. Add shrimp, cook for a minute or so. Make a well in the middle, and add a scrambled egg. As it cooks, gently fold it in with the rice and other stuff.

Monday

Lentil Barley Soup

Tuesday

Little flatbread pizza with lots of veggies and fresh mozzarella

Salad with balsamic vinegar, feta and pickled beets

Wednesday

Slow cooker Wednesday -- we'll start with a chuck roast, some halved potatoes, some halved onions, sliced carrot, a can of tomatoes, a bit of water, salt and pepper. Cook all day. Serve with something green (maybe beans!) and bread.

Thursday

Linguine with pan-seared scallops and veggies.

Basically what it says: in a pan, saute veggies (my stand-bys are onion, garlic, mushrooms, sun-dried tomato... but by Thursday night, I'll be using anything else that's still in the fridge).

Cook whole-wheat linguine, add to veggies. Mix in pesto.

In another pan, heat olive oil, then cook scallops: about 2 minutes on the first side (for big ones) then flip them over and cook for another minute or two, until they're done.

Put the linguine with veggies on a plate, sprinkle with parm cheese. Lay scallops on one side, so you can mix them in or eat separately as desired.

Maybe salad too, if there aren't many veggies left for the pasta and I need more.

November 7 - 11

So, I think I got my fill of soup last week for a while. Loved the buttercup squash soup, but it got some comments when I took leftovers to school... (i.e. "Are you eating a bowl of mustard?")

Only if there are pretzels for dipping.

I tried to stay away from soups this week. I'm feeling a need for a bigger variety of veggies right now, so I've got lots in the plans for this week...

Here we go:

Sunday

Venison fajitas: saute a sliced onion, sliced bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic and venison steak cut into thin strips. Add a bit of water and some orange spices (things that will make it taste fajita-ish: cayenne, chipotle, a little salt and pepper) and simmer for a few minutes.

Heat tortillas, then assemble the fajitas. Top with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, diced tomato, salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Monday

Big old salad with a fried egg on top. I'm thinking I'll put some very lightly sauteed onions and mushrooms in the salad, along with some tomato, and maybe some pumpkin seeds. Balsamic vinegar for dressing. Fry an egg, lay it on top of the salad. Whole grain baguette toast for dipping.

Tuesday

Chicken breasts with lovely sauce

Sauteed broccoli

Simmered canned tomatoes

Wednesday

Spaghetti squash with shrimp, pesto and tomato:

In a big pan, saute some sun-dried tomatoes. Add some garlic, and the spaghetti squash (already cooked and shredded -- I did that a while ago and froze it in baggies). Stir in pesto, then add shrimp and let it cook for a couple of minutes until it turns pink. Add in some greens, like spinach or arugula (I don't know which yet -- haven't been to the store). Shredded parm on top.

Thursday

Veggie sandwiches:

Saute portabello mushrooms, red peppers, zucchini, onions.

Dijon mustard on whole grain baguette, add sauteed veggies, top with white cheddar. Toast in oven for 10 minutes or so.

October 30 - November 4

So, I started making a list of things that sounded good to cook this week... and I had 4 different soups on the list. That's not a problem, is it?

I revised the list, only because I love to cook all my soups in the same big green ceramic-covered cast-iron pot, and if I was needing the pot every day, I'd have to be more timely about dealing with leftovers (couldn't just stash the whole pot in the fridge and call it good).

But there's still quite a bit of soup-type-food this week. If you're feeling souper, stop on by.

Saturday

Pan-seared venison chops with a bit of sauce -- maybe some shallots and garlic sauteed in a bit of olive oil, then a little mushroom, maybe some red wine, and simmer for a few minutes, then poured over the chops.

Broccoli -- it's still going strong in the garden

Salad with blue cheese, sliced apples and sunflower seeds -- my current most-favorite food

Sunday

Trick or treat! Let's have chili.

With slow-rise beer bread: love this stuff. You mix it up, let it do a very slow rise, give it a stir, let it rise again -- there's something science-y involved, like the long slow rising time makes the proteins gooshier and removes the need for kneading, or something. I just love it because it's easy. Takes a long time, but very little actual labor involved. Here's how:

Mix together 22 1/2 oz. (about 4 1/2 c)flour, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp instant fast-rising yeast. Pour in 1 bottle beer and 2/3 c ice water. Mix. Dough should be stiff, but add a bit more water if you need to if the dough is still dry. Coat top of dough with oil, cover bowl with plastic wrap.

1st rise: refrigerate 3 - 10 hours, then let rise at cool room temp for 12 - 18 hours. Stir once during rise if you get a chance.

2nd rise: Using a rubber spatula, lift and fold dough until mostly deflated, but don't stir. Re-oil surface, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 - 24 hours, then set out at room temp. Continue the rise until dough doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 20 minutes before you're ready to bake, put a heavy ovenproof pot in the oven (I use that same green cast-iron dutch oven I make my soups in) to heat it up. When it's hot, gently invert dough in to pot. It's okay if the top looks rough or bumpy. Spritz with water, then shake the pot back and forth to center the dough. Put the lid on, reduce heat to 425 degrees. Bake on lower rack for 55 minutes. Remove lid, then bake for 10 - 15 minutes longer. Cool and eat.

This recipe is from the lovely, lovely book Kneadlessly Simple.

Monday

I've been buying random squash at the farmers' market lately with no real plan for what I'll do with it. As I'm obsessing about soup right now, I thought I'd try some buttercup squash soup. Please note: every time I've typed "buttercup squash soup" I've actually spelled it "shoup" and then I have to go back and fix it.

In searching for a good recipe, I found a new blog that I love: www.hidethecheese.com. Here's their recipe:

buttercup squash soup

Tuesday

Another dangerous thing: I belong to a recipe exchange group on Facebook, so I'm frequently confronted with delicious-sounding things when I open my laptop. This one was posted by an elementary-school friend, and endorsed by another... Thanks, Heidi!

North Woods Wild Rice Soup
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup butter
3 T flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded
1-10oz. can chicken broth
1 T worcestershire sauce
2 T cooking sherry
1 c milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups wild rice

Fry, drain and crumble bacon; set aside. Prepare rice as indicated on directions, if it has a flavor packet with it, do not use. Saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme, and paprika. Heat until bubbly. Add cooked chicken, chicken broth, worcestershire sauce, cooking sherry, milk and half and half, stirring until thickened. Add in rice and bacon. when soup is bubbly it is ready to serve.

Wednesday

I'm guessing leftover soup.

Thursday

Either more soup, or we'll grill some salmon. Maybe there will be barbecue sauce. With potatoes. And a veggie of some kind, perhaps broccoli.

Have a souper week! Hee hee.