Any Guesses?

Any guesses which category I fall in?

(Do go look at the original post for suggestions on how to be the ever-noble Gallant.)

Yes, I still cook.

It’s been an abysmally long time since I updated my blog, and even longer since I updated with a recipe.  Honestly, it’s because I’ve been a pretty lazy cook lately.

But tonight, I felt ambitious.  (Okay, it was a combination of ambition, a blizzard roaring outside my windows, and cleaning out the refrigerator and realizing I really needed to use the squash I had cut up a week ago.  Mostly the last.)

Originally published in Everyday Food, I give you:

Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1″ chunks (about 5 c)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 box (10 oz.) frozen corn
1.5 tsp curry powder
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans vegetable broth (I used chicken, because it’s what I had)
1/2 c heavy cream (I used milk…again, because it’s what I had)

In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high; add squash and onion.  Cook until onion is soft, about 6 minutes.  Add corn and curry powder; cook until curry is fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add broth and simmer until squash is tender, about 25 minutes.  In a blender, blend half the soup until smooth.  Return to pot and stir in cream; heat through over medium-low (do not boil).

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I was going to take a picture, but honestly, this is not the most photogenic soup.  It just looks like…pureed squash.  Orange and gloppy.  But it IS delicious.

Cute and Easy.

(Looking at my post title just now, I can’t help but hope no one has ever described me in that manner.)

Cutest.  Dress.  Ever.

Of course, the fact that the cutest little girl in the world is modeling it doesn’t hurt.

Loved this pattern.  It’s a freebie, so it’s only in one size, and comes with only pithy directions, but it’s so ridiculously easy it doesn’t matter.  Even with a dozen interruptions, I still made this up — cutting to hemming — in less than 4 hours.  I do still need to put snaps on the back, but still, you can’t beat that for speed and resultant cuteness.

I’ve already got plans to make it a dozen times over.  Next time, I’ll make the sash narrower and longer (I can’t quite tie it in a bow, and it looks wonky just tied in a knot).

It’s worth noting that the pictures are blurry because it’s incredibly difficult to take a picture of a moving target.  It can also be somewhat difficult to focus on the dress when your model insists upon holding Cookie Monster.  (And you may be amused to know that in the last picture, she’s shouting, “COOKIE!” as she thursts him towards the camera.)

I made up a wool one last night to be used as a jumper; my thought is that, combined with a turtleneck and tights, it will be lovely for this winter.  Of course, the blizzard that we are in the midst of (quite literally) must pass before I can put her in even a winter dress.  (If it’s too cold for me to consider wearing my wool skirt, I certainly can’t make my daughter go out in one!)

PS — Do forgive the constant template-messing-around-with that I’ve been doing lately.  I’m trying to find one I like, and as it turns out, I’m incredibly difficult to please.

Squish

It was suggested to me that perhaps I could get by with a post of squishiness.  I know Rachel will approve.

I promise a real post when my sinus infection has passed and I no longer feel like I have a vise* clamped around my head.  In the mean time, my children are far more entertaining.  Do feel free to click the pictures and increase the squishability**.

*Fascinating side note (to me, at least):  “vise” and “vice” are not interchangeable, and have two different meanings.  Naturally, I knew of the two different meanings, but I did not realize they had two different spellings.  Gotta love homophones.  (Yes, I am a grammar dork.)

**Definitely not a word.  But who doesn’t love a good neologism?

Darren decided to cover his ears…naturally Leah followed suit. Why do I bother?

I have no idea what my son is doing. But Leah looks cute.

Again, no idea what Darren is doing. He used to pose for pictures. Note the phrase, “used to.”

For some reason, this picture makes me think of the Sweedish Chef.

NaBloPoMo

National Blog Posting Month

I’m going to give this a try.  Because I do like blogging; I like writing.  I’m just crap at doing it regularly.

Though, honestly, I think I tried this once before and didn’t last more than a couple days.

Awwwww, crap.

I just realized today is November 2nd.  I’ve already failed. 

Can we just pretend that today is the 1st?  (How unethical would it be to change the post date on this?)

Jealous

I’m insanely jealous that I did not think of this first:

 

It’s like the perfect marriage of baking and crappy-but-catchy-early-90s-music.  You can bet your Bundt that I will be participating.

(And yes, the picture is clickable, so go check it out!  This sort of brilliance cannot be ignored!)

It’s Done! I Rock! Gold Star for Me!

Okay, it’s not completely done, but the top is, and I’m pretty darn proud of that.  Don’t look too closely, lest you see all the mistakes.  (Among other things, it doesn’t lay very flat, but I suspect that it’s minor enough that it will quilt out.  And please, if you’re a quilter, do not remind me that “it will quilt out” is among the lies that quilters tell themselves!)

Close up:

The Whole She-Bang:

Now, the real test…can it get it all hand-quilted by mid-February?  (Really, I’d like to have it done by Christmas, so I can give it to her/them at the shower…but I suspect that, unless I plan on many nights of staying up into the wee hours of the morning, this may be but a pipe dream.)

So how big of a mistake did a I make?

On a bit of a whim, I attempted to color my hair red…at home.

Bad idea.  If you’re thinking about it….don’t.

Went to the salon today to have a pro fix it…this is how it turned out.

What’s the verdict, my peeps?

(And yes, those are bi-focals.  I’ve had ‘em since I was 21.  You can mock all you want, but I love ‘em. )

Just Some Pictures

Some of you have probably seen the first one on my FaceBook, but I like how it turned out, so I’m posting it here, too.  There are so few pictures of me with the kids, and even fewer good ones!.

The last two I just took.  The kids were sitting nicely, side-by-side, on the step stool.  It seemed foolish not to embrace the photo-op.

Click on the pictures to see them bigger.  For some reason, WordPress is only letting me do the GalleryView today, and I’m too lazy to fight it.

For Debbie (again)

You’d swear that Debbie is the only reason I blog, wouldn’t you?

From America’s Best Lost Recipes (a book published by the same people who bring you America’s Test Kitchen, people who can do no culinary-wrong), I present to you:

Runzas

Dough:
3/4 c. warm water
1/2 . sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. sugar
1 lg egg
3.5 c. flour
2 pkgs rapid-rise or instant yeast (you can use regular yeast, but it will take longer for the dough to rise; you’ll also need to proof it as with a traditional bread dough)
1 tsp salt

Filling:
3 tbsp. butter (2 tbsp. melted)
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 lg onion chopped fine
1/2 small head cabbage, cored and chopped (about 3 cups)
Salt and Pepper
8 slices American cheese (I prefer Swiss)

1.  For the Dough. Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray.  Mix the water, condense milk, oik, sugar, and egg in a large measuring cup.  Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the mixer on low, add the water mixture.  After the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, 4 to 6 minutes.  Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured work surface, shape into a ball, and place in the greased bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  (I made the dough by hand.  I did use more flour as a result.)

2.  For the Filling. Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook until just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes, breaking up any large clumps.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a paper-towel-lined plate.

3.  Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat from the pan.  Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the cabbage and toss until just beginning to wilt, 2 to 4 minutes.  Return the beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper.

4.  To Assemble and Bake. Adjust two oven racks to the upper-middle and lower0middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.  Divide the dough into eight equal wedges.  Working on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch wide circle.  Place one dough round in a deep cereal bowl and top with one slice of cheese.  Spoon 3/4 c filling over the cheese and pinch the edges of the dough together to form a bun.  Transfer the bun, seam-side down, to a prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough, cheese, and filling, placing four buns on each sheet.  Cover buns with plastic wrap and let rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.

5.  Bake the buns until golden brown, about 20 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time.  Brush the hots buns with the remaining melted butter and serve.

These freeze very well.