Sour Cream

Just a little tid bit of information.  I always forget to add this when I am blogging.  I wanted to tell you about a sour cream that I found that has a wonderful flavor.  It's called Organic Valley Sour Cream and it is wonderful.  It's worth the price and it is the best I have ever tasted. It really will make a difference in the taste of your dish.   I have bought Daisy Sour Cream for years because it is real sour cream but the flavor of Organic Valley is far superior to it. 

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

My husband loves ice cream and he has done so well in giving it up. He used to eat at least one bowl every night before bed and so that is why I'm trying to experiment and come up with a healthy alternative.

First, let me say that Cuisinart, according to America's Test Kitchen, is the best brand to buy unless you want to spend several hundred dollars.  Cuisinart has two types of ice cream makers.  One has a plastic tub and the other has a metal tub.  The metal tub is the best and it's a little more expensive but the metal is really cold and I think does a better job.  You keep this metal tub in the freezer and when you are ready to make ice cream bring it out and stick in the machine and pour in your ice cream, gelato or sorbet.  It takes about 25 minutes and it does great.  Put the ice cream into containers and put in the freezer.

 If you own a juicer, try running frozen bananas through the juicer it creates a wonderful banana pudding or ice cream.   My family has always loved this.  We like to top the frozen delight with fresh or frozen fruit and my son and husband would put chocolate syrup on theirs.

Let me tell you what didn't work when I tried making this ice cream.  I put the banana through the juicer and put frozen strawberries in the blender to puree them.  I then added the banana mixture to the strawberries with some coconut milk and a few dates.  It tasted good but was too icy.  It wasn't creamy.  My husband still liked it but I will add some yogurt next time.  When I have perfected this, I will let you know.

 Be sure and ask for an ice cream maker for Christmas you will love it.  Even making the ice cream that has real cream and sugar is still better than what you buy at the store. 

Spinach Casserole

This is a new recipe I tried and I really liked it.  Some of my clients like spinach souffle and of course there is no way to make that without being at their home to serve immediately so I found this which is close. This can be served hot or at room temperature.  I almost like it best at room temperature.  A slice would be great with a salad or a bowl of soup or as a vegetable dish for dinner.

1 cup flour
2 large eggs, whisked
3 cups of shredded cheese (Monterrey Jack, Sharp Cheddar, or any good melting variety)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup butter
2 boxes of 10 ounce frozen spinach, thawed and all the water squeezed out
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg

Grease a medium size casserole dish.  Gently combine ingredients in a bowl and turn evenly into a baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  It should be solid and bubbly around the edges.  Cool 10 minutes before slicing.

These are the changes I made to the recipe.  You can see which one you like. I made the recipe above with these additions.  1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 half n half.

Wildest Rice Soup

This is a wonderfully delicious soup.  Half of my bowl was gone when I remembered to take a picture for my blog.  I sent some to my son and I got a text, that soup it was excellent!  So please try this, I don't think you will be disappointed.

1-6.2 ounce package long-grain and wild rice mix
1 pound bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 large onion, diced
2-10 3/4 ounce cans cream of potato soup, undiluted
1-8 ounce prepared cheese product, cubed (Velveeta)
3 3/4 cup half and half
2 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

Cook wild rice according to package instructions, omitting seasoning packet.  Set aside.  In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp, remove and drain on paper towel.  Reserve 2 tablespoons dripping in the Dutch oven.  Saute mushrooms and onion in drippings until tender; stir in rice, bacon and half and half and remaining ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, stirring  constantly until soup is thoroughly heated and cheese melts.
Makes 10 cups.

Gardening Information

This is something I learned over the weekend and it was very timely for me.  I have been cleaning up my garden area and I planned on going to my neighbors next week and loading up on his dried cow manure for our vegetable garden. 

What I learned is if there has been an  herbicide applied to the hay field to keep out weeds and a cow eats that hay, of course it's in his poop and will affect the vegetables you plant.  So I've got to check that out before I put in my neighbors cow manure.  He rotates his cattle so I don't know what they eat.  I know he doesn't put anything on the pasture by our house. 

I know there are lost of people who buy manure for flower and vegetable gardens so just passing along the information. 

Cream of Asparagus Soup

A client called me last night and ordered several different soups, a pot roast, and several pies.  I think she heard the weather report that it's going to get cold.  :)  So, you can guess what I'm doing today...... Cooking.  I just crank up my favorite CD's and off I go.  I got pretty enthused from the music and started washing our mattress pad and put the down mattress topper on the line to air.  I also take a spray bottle with a little lavender oil and thieves oil and a little water and spray all of this.  Hopefully, this will get rid of the dust mites and all the dead skin. 

Back to the asparagus soup.  The other two soups I'm making I have posted before but I haven't posted the asparagus soup.  It is really good and I actually forget about having this recipe.  It is easy to make and if you like asparagus you'll love this.

1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter
2 (14.5 ounce) cans cut asparagus, undrained
1-16 ounce can sliced potatoes, drained (you can use 2 medium potatoes that you have peeled and cooked until tender and drain the water)
1-14 ounce can chicken broth
1 teaspoon white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 cup milk, ( I use 1/2 cup half and half and 1/2 cup milk) makes it richer
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook first 3 ingredients in butter in a soup pot over medium heat stirring often until tender.  Stir in asparagus and all the ingredients except milk and sour cream.  Bring to a boil stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Pour half of the mixture into a blender and process until smooth.  Do the same to the remaining ingredients in pot then return all of the smoothed mixture to the soup pot.  Stir in the milk and cook until heated through.  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

You can freeze this up to 6 months omit milk until you unthaw. 
Makes 2 quarts.

Autumn Hydrangea

If you like hydrangeas you would love an Autumn Hydrangea.  They get huge, about 6 to 7 feet tall and 5-6 feet wide and they are beautiful in spring and fall.  This autumn has been the best for this plant.  It has the most beautiful red leaves this year.  The leaves will stay on for a good part of the winter before they fall off.  Then in the spring the huge cascade of each hydrangea blossom is amazing. It's not round like most hydrangeas it is a huge cone shape.   It starts out white and then goes into a beautiful pink.  The beautiful thing about hydrangeas is they make beautiful dried flowers. 

My grandmother had a huge blue hydrangea on the north side of her home.  Mine is on the north side of my home also.  I tried planting some on the south side of my house and they didn't make it.  Remember, I live in the country and the south side of my house gets blasted by the wind.  I'm not sure what happened to them but I've never had a problem with this one. 

If you have a space in your flower garden, do try one of these they are beautiful.  I have a great view of this one from my bedroom window.