Date night at the Collier house

A month or two ago, my friend Jay and I were on the phone, drinking wine.  How it came up, I don't know...but he suggested we cook a fancy dinner for Justin, his friend Leo, and their ladies (Jessica and Virginia).  Sure...sounds good to me.  Jay was super pumped and went all out.  So wonderful to have a friend who wants to do something nice for my son. 

 

 

We went all out...pulled out the good silver, crystal, etc.  I took the boys to get flowers for their ladies and lit candles.

 

 

Everyone showed up dressed nicely and behaved nicely.  They loved their blood orange soda!

 

Course one was (Jay will kill me for butchering the descriptions) a Thai coconut soup with a slice of pepper (it was an unusual pepper picked up at our farmers' market...supposedly has the taste of a habanero without the heat).

 

Course two was a baby romaine salad with <something something> tomatoes and a homemade buttermilk herb dressing.  Justin said, and I quote..."That was so good!  And it was just a salad".

 

Course three...finally, I contributed to the production...homemade raviolis with ricotta and peas in a tomato water and butter sauce.  Only thing I did was make (fill) the raviolis.  You should have seen the first batch...they were warped!  Saved for the adults.

 

Course four...the entree...it was funny because Leo thought the raviolis were the entree.  Olive oil mashed potatoes, airline chicken breast with a pancetta chicken stock sauce, and baby carrots and hericot verts.  It was so pretty.  Best part was...Justin came to the servents' quarters and told me and Jay that he was going to the bathroom but please "don't take my plate".

 

Fifth course, dessert...mole ice cream with coconut whipped cream and spicy pumpkin seed brittle.  This one got the girls!  They talked about it for awhile!

 

The sweet, and thankful, kids.  Jessica and Justin with Leo and Virginia.

Fall farmers' market in F'burg, VA

 

So often, the most beautiful art is found in nature!

Carter Mountain Orchard

Several years ago, Justin went to this orchard with a friend and his family.  He loved it...talked about it all the time!  I've wanted to go ever since.  So, this morning, I got up and was able to drag him out of bed and we went.  Not too terribly far, about 65 miles, in Charlottesville.

 

 

Gorgeous day...comfy and breezy.  

 

Fuji apples.  Justin's favorite.

 

We searched and searched for trees with apples and finally found one...this is the first we picked.

 

It sure helped to have a tall person with me!

 

Justin enjoying a Rome apple.  The first bite was SOUR!

 

My red delicious.  Yum!

 

Yes, of course we got some apple cider donuts and apple pie to bring home.

FNCE 2012

It's been great so far! Fun showing around a young RD at her first meeting! More pictures to come...

Afternoon snack

Prosciutto Brie and fig preserves on toasted baguette

The Wine Market in Baltimore

Avocado Chicken Burritos with Melon Salsa

1T butter
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2T flour
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1t cumin
1/4t salt
1/4t pepper
1/4c minced cilantro
1 (8oz) jar salsa verde
1/2c lite sour cream
6 large flour tortillas
2c chopped, cooked chicken
8oz monterey jack cheese
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 avocados, chopped

Melt butter over high heat, saute serrano and garlic 1 minute.  Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in next 4 ingredients and bring to a low boil.  Whisk in next 3 ingredients when boiling and remove from heat.

Grease a 9x13" baking dish.  Pour enough sauce in dish to cover bottom.

In each tortilla, add chicken, cheese, onion, and avocado.  Roll into a burrito and place, seam side down, on top of the sauce in the baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining 5 tortillas.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the top and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

For the Salsa

2c seeded and chopped melon (I used 1c cantaloupe and 1c yellow watermelon)
1c peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber
1/4c chopped onion
2T chopped cilantro (or mint)
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/4c lime juice
1T sugar
S&P to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Farmers' Market F'burg, yesterday

Butternut Squash-White Bean Soup

Adapted from Cooking Light 2004 Fall

3 bacon slices
1c chopped onion
2/3c chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4c cubed, peeled butternut squash
1/4c dry white wine
4c low sodium chicken broth
1t cumin
1/4t red pepper
1/8t cinnamon
1/8t cloves
1/4c evaporated skim milk (or 1/2 and 1/2 if you're feeling crazy)
1T fresh oregano (1t if using dry)
1/4t black pepper
2 (15oz) cans great northern beans (drained and rinsed)

Brown the bacon in a large pot and crumble.  Set aside and wipe out the pot.

Add onion, celery and garlic.  Cook medium-high for 3 minutes.  Add squash and cook 3 minutes.  Add wine and cook until it almost evaporates.  Add broth through the cloves.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil to heat through. 

Serve with crumbled bacon over top.

*You can make this in a crock pot if you wish, just be sure to first brown the bacon.*

Julia Lewan Screbant's Beet Soup

 

1-2# pork country ribs
4-5 cans beets (I used 4 bunches fresh beets and roasted them @400 degrees for about an hour then peeled and juliened them)
1 onion, chopped
5 whole allspice
1/4c white vinegar (plus more to taste)
16oz sour cream
2T flour

Place the pork on a large pot with the allspice and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and simmer until pork is tender...about an hour or so.  Skim some of the fat and shred the pork.  Return pork to pot along with the onion, beets, and 1/4c vinegar.  Cook for awhile on medium...about 20 minutes or so.  Mix the flour and sour cream and add to pot.  Cook for a bit until thickened a little.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the potatoes (the best part)

1# potatoes (whatever kind you want.  I prefer small red ones)
1/2c milk
1-2 onions, sliced
2T butter

Halve the potatoes if big, put in a pot, cover will water and boil until soft.  Drain and set aside.  Mash up with the milk.  Melt the butter over medium-medium/high heat and cook the onions until browned.  Combine with the potatoes.

Serve the soup over a big mound of the potatoes.

Thank you grandma for this one!

Jalapeño popper dip

2 containers cream cheese (I used one low fat and one fat free)
1c mayo (I used low fat Duke's)
1c Mexican blend cheese
1/2c Parmesan cheese
1 can green chilies (with juice)
4oz canned or jarred jalapeños (with juice)

Mix it up good and place in small casserole.

1c panko
1/2c Parmesan
1/2 stick melted butter

Combine and sprinkle over top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. I needed to bake a cake at the same time so I baked it at 350 for 30 minutes. We ate this with multigrain chips.

YUM

Not sure how to link two blogs but below is my bud's...

http://tastytreatsandtantrums.blogspot.com/

Beer But Chicken with Rosemary and Orange

 

Ingredients:  1 chicken, 1 can chicken broth, 1 onion, 1 orange, seasoned salt, rosemary (fresh sprigs) and potatoes (small or sliced).

 

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and have made it many times.  It ALWAYS turns out good!!

 

Take a can of beer and dump out 1/2 of it.  Put it in a holder for beer butt chicken (you can get one at some grocery stores or at Bed Bath and Beyond).  Take a whole chicken and separate the skin from the front and the back.  Take an orange and slice it and an onion and slice it.  Shove a slice of orange and a slice of onion (or more) between the chicken and the skin.  Shove a sprig of rosemary in there too.  Chop up the rest of the onion and orange and shove it into the butt of the chicken and sprinkle what doesn't fit into the but on the bottom of the pan.  Take some potatoes (I used multi-color fingerling potatoes) and throw them into the pan.  Sprinkle seasoned salt all over the chicken (I was able to find low sodium).  Then pour a can of chicken broth over top (I used no salt added stock).  Pop it in a 350 degree oven.  I cover it with foil and cook for an hour then uncover and cook for another hour.

 

Doesn't that look delicious?!  Well...it IS!!