Sunday, September 13, 2009

Hearty Cheese Soup & Tomato Bread Pudding

Found this soup recipe in Taste Of Home's Halloween Magazine. Sorry don't have a picture for this one.

HEARTY CHEESE SOUP

serves 2

1-1/2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup sliced fresh carrots
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chicken or veggie bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash Pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 pound process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

1. In a small saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour and milk until smooth. Stir into the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low; stir in cheese until melted.



My mom tore this recipe out of the newspaper and gave it to me. I do have a pic for this one, but I am definitely not a food photographer.





TOMATO BREAD PUDDING

3 pounds Roma tomatoes, halved lenghtwise
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 head garlic, left whole
10 cups cubed (1 inch) country-style Italian bread (about one pound)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 large eggs
2 cups Fontina cheese (8oz), coarsely grated
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Toss tomatoes in a bowl with thyme and basil, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up in a large, heavy sheet pan with sides. Cut off and discard 1/4 inch from top of garlic head to expose cloves, then place on a sheet of foil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Wrap garlic in foil and roast alongside tomatoes until tomatoes are browned but still juicy and garlic is soft, about 50 to 60 minutes.

While garlic and tomatoes roast, toss bread cubes in a large bowl with remaining oil until coated, then spread out on a large sheet pan and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan.

Remove garlic and tomatoes from the oven and cool garlic to warm. Remove peel from roasted cloves and smash cloves with the back of a fork to make a puree.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, garlic puree, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Stir in cheeses.

Transfer bread to baking dish, then pour egg mixture over bread and add tomatoes, pushing some down between bread cubes. Bake until firm and golden brown in spots, 50 to 60 minutes.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Flood Day!

Schools are closed in our area today, because a lot of the roads are impassable due to flooding. We get snow days from time to time during the winter, but I do not believe there has ever been a flood day. The kids are having a ball playing outside on this sunny, warm, spring day. It is weird. Flood day. Whodda thought?

Thursday, April 03, 2008

All tied up and no where to go


All tied up and no where to go
Originally uploaded by Marti515
What's the first thing you do when you arrive at Walt Disney World? Tie up your cousin with hotel pillow cases of course.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

May I borrow your kidney?

My son was born with a multicystic kidney. This kidney has had zero function since before he was born. His other kidney has been fine up until a year ago. Last March we found out that his "good" kidney has now developed about three cysts and maybe some tiny ones that we just can't see yet. I took Austin to his pediatric nephrologist today and not much has really changed. That's the good news. The bad news is that Austin will probably have to have a kidney transplant down the road. Not anytime soon, thank goodness, but sometime. Hopefully, he will reach adulthood before that happens.

In unrelated news, I am waiting for an email to come through from Oklahoma State University telling whether or not I have been accepted into their clinical psychology doctorate program. They only take 5 students per year. The lab I'm wanting in is only accepting 1 of those students. ONE! I'm currently in Northeastern State University's counseling program, but I want clinical psych and I want OSU. I interviewed this past weekend and they said we would know by today or tomorrow whether or not we have been accepted. There were over 120 applicants and only 20 got invited to have an interview and now only 5 of us will be allowed to enroll in the Fall. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.

Update:

I didn't get in. I guess I'll stay at NSU.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Quinoa


Quinoa
Originally uploaded by Marti515
I've been learning how to use this new grain. Well, it's new to me. Actually the grain itself is ancient. Not the specific grain I used. I mean the type of grain I used. Oh, never mind. The grain is quinoa (keen-wa), and I found a recipe I wanted to try over at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen for vegetable fried quinoa. It was delicious! Although, I think I may add some green onions to the mix next time for a little extra oomph.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Cakeface


Cakeface
Originally uploaded by Marti515
It ain't a party until someone gets cake all over their face!

Valentine Party


Valentine Party
Originally uploaded by Marti515
I know. I know. I'm really late posting these pics, but better late than never, right? Right!?

My son the goofball


Fat Albert
Originally uploaded by Marti515
I guess he comes by in naturally. He decided he was going to dress up like Fat Albert. He had already unstuffed his top part before I thought to grab my camera, but I was able to snap a quick pic of his overstuffed behind. What a goober!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

A Sock or an Ancient Torture Device?


Knitting
Originally uploaded by Marti515
I have knit a lot of things, but I have never knit socks. My youngest nephew saw these socks in one of my knitting books and said he would give anything to have a pair. Since I am such a wonderful and giving aunt, I told him I'd try to knit them for him. As you can see from the picture, the socks are going to be bright green and black. What? Don't look at me! I didn't pick the colors.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Checkmate!

My son was in a chess tournament Saturday. Does he play chess, you ask? Why no, not really. You see, last week my sister, who teaches gifted and talented children, asked Austin if he wanted to be in a chess tournament. Austin said that he hadn't played chess in a long, long time and couldn't even remember the rules. My sister told him that his mother, that's me, could teach him the rules if he wanted to enter the tournament. I was then informed about this, and I have spent the last week playing at least one game of chess with my son each night. I was a little nervous about letting him do the tournament. I didn't want him to get upset when he inevitably lost. So I kept reminding him that the other kids had been spending months, if not years, being coached and instructed in chess, and also being prepared by their gifted and talented teachers (and I'm sure their parents too) just for this tournament. He was only getting a week's worth of half-assed instruction from his not so gifted and talented mother. He assured me that he could take getting his ass whooped. Therefore, I took him to the tournament. He tied for 4th place. There were 26 kids in his division. Not bad, huh?. That'll teach me to doubt my child. The parents weren't allowed anywhere near the rooms where the games were being played, so I don't have any pictures. However, my sister was the monitor in the room where my son's division played, so I got all the inside scoop after the tournament.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Flip Video

After a month of back and forth emails to the Flip Support people, I think we've finally gotten my computer to be compatible with the camera. Here's a test video to see if it actually works. Cross your fingers.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

New year, new look!

How do you like the new digs?

I've been trying to figure out how to upload a video Austin filmed, but I've been having all sorts of problems with it. The lastest upload has the picture okay, but the audio sounds like a recording of The Chipmunks. I've got a call into the Flip camera support people. Hopefully, they can figure it out.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Giambotta


Giambotta
Originally uploaded by Marti515
In the words of Winnie the Pooh, it's a cold and blustery day. So, I made Giambotta, or Italian vegetable stew. Doesn't it look scrumptious? Comfort food at its finest. I tried to get my son and the neighbor boy that's spending the night with him to try some, but they opted for pizza instead. Mmmm, they don't know what they're missing.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Ice Storm 2007


Poor Tree
Originally uploaded by Marti515
Here are three pictures of the ice storm that I was able to salvage from my old digital camera's memory card. There were so many trees that looked just like this one, split right down the middle and opened up like a blooming flower.

Drooping Limb


Drooping Limb
Originally uploaded by Marti515

Ice Storm 2007


Ice Storm 2007
Originally uploaded by Marti515

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas!


Cousins at Christmas
Originally uploaded by Marti515
I hope everyone got everything they wanted for Christmas. I got a new camera yesterday. Well, it's' not actually new, but it's new to me, and it wasn't for Christmas. For some reason, my old camera stopped working the day of the great ice storms. Then, about a month ago, my ex-husband said that he was going to send me a camera that he has never really used for various reasons, so I called him and told him my camera went kaput and could he please send me the camera he was talking about. He said sure. We got it in the mail yesterday afternoon, just in time to take pictures on Christmas day. It's a Canon Powershot A630. A MUCH better camera than my old one. Now I just have to figure out how to use the thing.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Blackout!

I have electricity! I have been without power for a week due to a severe ice storm that swept through Oklahoma last Sunday/Monday. Here are some tips (lessons learned the hard way) in case you are ever stranded without power for a long length of time.

1. Candles, candles, candles: These are a must have during a blackout. However, make sure they are unscented, or you will have one hell of a headache.

2. Lighters or matches: Your candles will be no good to you if you have nothing to light them with now will they?

3. Don't worry about stocking up your refrigerator/freezer with food the night before a reported ice storm is about to blow through, choose non-perishables instead.

4. If you do stock the refrigerator/freezer and don't want to loose $$$ in spoiled food, just stick your food outside. It's an ICE storm remember?

5. If you have an electric stove, how are you going to cook? You don't. You find a restaurant and eat there along with the other 50,000 people in your area without electricity. Luckily we have a gas stove, so we did have that option.

6. When you run out of money to eat out, or just get sick of eating out and fighting the crowd, have a winter backyard BBQ, (yes, vegetarians can BBQ too. They just do it meatless).

7. If birds have built nests in your wood burning fireplace year after year and you have not had a chimney sweep clean your fireplace, EVER, don't build a fire. I repeat, DO NOT build a fire.

8. If you have a gas stove/oven. Thank your lucky stars and use it to try and warm at least a couple of rooms. To do this, turn on all the burners and the oven, open the oven door and hang a sheet from the ceiling to the floor to block off the back part of the house, so that the front part stays toasty warm. Don't forget to crack a window so unwanted gases don't build up and kill you.

9. Flashlights. Flashlights are just as important as candles.

10. Batteries. Batteries are just as important as lighters/matches. Stock up on Size D batteries. After the second day of a blackout, you will NOT be able to find anymore. I promise. Nope. None. No where. Yes, I'm serious. Nada.

11. For entertainment you can make S'mores, tell ghost stories, listen to a battery powered radio, play board games by candlelight, stare at each other, go to bed early, knit, tease, I mean play with the dogs, flashlight tag, shadow puppets, tell jokes, lie in the middle of the living room floor and whine, jump rope, learn some new yo yo tricks, play cards, pretend you are studying for finals (Hey, I couldn't see very well even with flashlights and candles), jump out of dark places and scare the bejebus out of your nine year old, call the electric company and listen to their prerecorded message until you memorize it, color in all of the coloring books you can find in the house, find a place that has power like a Starbucks or Panera so that you can charge your computer, cellphone, and personal DVD players then go to Blockbuster and rent some DVD's.

12. Dogs put out a lot of warmth. If you don't let them sleep with you any other time, let them sleep with you now.

13. Blankets, blankets, blankets

14. It's okay to sleep in your coat, hat, gloves, and scarf even though you are inside your own house.

15. Want to take a nice hot shower, well you are SOL if you have an electric water heater. Boil water, mix it with some cold water and have yourself a bath. Have an electric stove too? Boil your water in a fireplace or on a charcoal grill (do this outside of course).

16. Vow to buy a generator when you can find one which will probably be next summer.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Christmas Tree 2007


Christmas Tree 2007
Originally uploaded by Marti515
This is the last year I'm putting this Christmas tree up. It's about fifteen years old and it's starting to look pretty scraggly. I left off half of the ornaments that we have, because I'm even tired of them. It's time for a new tree, new ornaments, and a new color theme. Also, have I mentioned that I'm really sick of looking at that bright yellow wall?

My New Favorite


Cherry Kisses
Originally uploaded by Marti515
If only they came in dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. They're still good though.