The Sunday Kitchen is back! LOL

[hippywife]

I haven't been doing too much cooking or baking...or really anything lately. The winter blues have had me flat on my back reading fiction in all my free time for a few months now. Today, even though it's been snowing, the extra light and the light at the end of the winter tunnel have helped to motivate me a little again.

Breakfast: Buckwheat pancakes with homemade fresh blueberry syrup and bulk breakfast sausage from my favorite coop producer formed into patties and fried.

Lunch was pretty much...whatever he could find and he settle for a PBJ and so did I. LOL I was making a batch of yogurt and started that to culturing.

Baked a whole chicken, pulled it apart and used the white meat for a fruited chicken salad and the dark meat for buffalo chicken, both for sandwiches for this week's lunches.

Dinner: Early today I put on half a bag of 15 beans (sans ham packet) in the crock pot and got them cooking. When they were ready to be seasoned, I remembered I had the jelly from the last duck that I roasted in the freezer. I thawed it out a little and stirred it into the beans and added garlic, thyme, brown sugar, molasses, bay leaf, celery seed, salt, and pepper, a wee dash of cloves, and let them continue cooking. I also let the container of duck fat thaw in the fridge and used it to fry some potatoes. Made homemade cornbread with thawed frozen niblet corn in it. Only thing missing was some really good spring turnip greens. Bill declared it all very good.

I had some pancakes left from this morning and got the idea to make more of the fresh blueberry syrup (this is from my summer freezer stash and is just blueberries and sugar thrown in the micro) and a lemon cream cheese filling. I plan on filling the pancakes and rolling them up for Bill's breakfast, which I pack in his lunch to eat when he gets to work. He eats his yogurt and honey here with his coffee while he's gearing up to start getting ready for work.

The last batch of chocolate chip cookies are in the oven, and we both agree they are just a wee bit better than tollhouse cookies.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx

I didn't do the dissolve baking soda in water thing, just threw it in with my dry ingredients, as usual. The dough is a bit drier than normal chocolate chip cookie dough.

[NMDemDist2]

1. I quit my job and we started a 90 day intense workout program

so my kitchen's been humming too.

I invested in some chinese cooking books, I'm back to baking all our bread and since we're on a weight loss diet, I'm making lots of beans and lentils and such for the added protein

with Mr. K's picky eating habits, I'm having to ease him into some new habits. but he's lost 3 pounds in 3 weeks, so we must be on the right track :woohoo:

and i'm glad to see you back in the kitchen with spring fever :hug: :pals:

[housewolf]

2. I hope that means we'll be seeing more of you around here!

Sounds like you've got a got a good plan going. Hope you & Mr. K are well and happy and that things are going well for you both. I don't know about you but I'm SO glad to be out of AZ the way that state has been going the last year since Janet Neopolitano left! I love, love, love being in a cool, moist green and blue state.

I'm happy to see you!

:hi:

[hippywife]

8. Welcome back yerself, S!

Glad to see you back and full of energy. :pals:

[WhiteTara]

3. Yesterday was the day for the kitchen at my

house too. I wasn't nearly as ambitious, but I am really inspired by you.

[hippywife]

7. Don't be inspired.

I only kill myself in the kitchen on Sunday because I'm too tired and lazy to do much the rest of the week. :rofl:

[WhiteTara]

15. okay, I'm impressed with your

quantity of food processed in a day!

[hippywife]

16. I really need to get myself a lot more organized.

I usually make something on Sunday for dinner that my husband will eat leftover for dinner for another night or even two.

But I need to start doing menus before I go shopping and then try to make a couple of meals that will get me through most of the week. I walk into the grocery too many weeks with no list and a vague idea of what I want to cook the following week, or no real idea at all.

[Inchworm]

4. I've been slacking in the kitchen as well

I need to get back in there. I went as far as doing a BBQish event on the front porch Friday.

Mmmmm, brats and kraut... :9

Umm.. I must say. Duck jelly has me perplexed. :shrug:

:*

[hippywife]

9. Hey, Inchie.

When you roast a duck, the resulting leftover fat separates and you have white gloppy fat which is good for frying potatoes in and then a gelatinous opaque jelly which is good for using in stocks. That's where the duck jelly comes from. I had both in separate containers in the freezer from the last duck I roasted. Using as much of the bird as possible.

Now get your ass back in the kitchen, son. You cannot live on popcorn alone. :rofl:

[Inchworm]

12. I just had two burritos

It's a step in the right direction :D

You don't EVEN want to know that I was wondering what a peanut butter and duck jelly sandwich would taste like do you? :rofl:

New popcorn tip!!!!1!11!!

Canning salt = $1.10 for 4 pounds vs. Popcorn salt = $2.30 for 3 1/8 ounce.

:*

[hippywife]

13. Nothing would surprise me at all

where you and the kitchen are concerned. :rofl:

Watch switching out salts. They may have different compositions depending on their uses. Not sure on that but it is possible.

:hi:

[kfred]

5. Focaccia Bread - easy peasy!

Oven 425, Bake about 15 minutes. Check at 13.

Serves 12
1 3/4 cups ap flour
1 tsp salt (i used 1/2)
1 tsp sugar (well, it was closer to 2 since I just eyeballed it)
1 (1/4 oz) packet of active dry yeast which equals 2 1/4 tsp.
1 tsp garlice powder, oregano, and pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme (didn't have) and basil - I just tossed in Italian spice mix like I use on pizza
1 T olive oil
2 T parmesan cheese (grated)
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Let the water and yeast proff for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl mix flour, salt, sugar, spices. Add yeast mix and oil and combine. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and lightly kneed until smooth and elastic.

Lightly oil bowl, put dough in, cover with damp cloth - let rise for 25 minutes.

*I added chopped black and green olives and upped the parmesan INSIDE the dough

OK - NOW preheat oven. Punch dough down and put on a greased baking sheet, pat into a rectangle (perfection not required) Make it 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Use your knuckle and dimple the dough about 1/2 inch or so apart and then prick it all over with a fork.
Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle Parm on it and more Mozz. Bake untl golden brown.

Now - let it cool a bit. Using a serrated knife and slice it into two layers. Slice into 6-8-12 pieces from there, depending on how large you want sammies. Open layers. put your favortie sammie toppings on it (onion, deli meats, leftover meats, hummus, peppers etc plus cheese). Toast in oven for about 5 minutes to melt cheese.

MUNCH

[hippywife]

17. Sounds good, kfred.

And very versatile. :hi:

[yellerpup]

6. Wow! Way to eat!

Everything sounds just delicious. (I do miss the photos, tho') :hi:

[hippywife]

10. Hiya, V!

Was too tired for photos yesterday. Sorry, sweets. What's going on with you these days? :hug:

[yellerpup]

11. You can't tell that you were tired by the amount of work you did!

You must be getting your new job under your belt. Always good to find your feet on a new job. Yesterday was my birthday and I was treated to brunch and a show. Brunch was special because the leading lady dined with us and the show was lovely. Otherwise, I'm just waiting and waiting and waiting for word....on my book!

[hippywife]

14. Trust me...I was pushing. LOL

The new job is coming right along. I'm still switching back and forth between jobs until they replace the girl that's replacing me.

And a very Happy Belated Birthday to you! I'm so glad you had a lovely day. What kind of show was it?






And definitely keep us updated on the book. I'm going to be excited to check it out. :hug:

[yellerpup]

18. Thanks for the cheery birthday greeting!

Looks like a fun party!

We saw an Off-Off B'way show titled, "Ladies in Retirement". It was written in the 1940's about a showgirl from the Victorian era who retired to a remote cottage on the edge of a marsh near a convent along the Thames River. During her working life the showgirl made the acquaintance of a curiosity shop owner (pawn broker) who came to live with her as a lady's maid/companion. The companion had two dotty elderly sisters to support and no where to put them, so she brought them to the marsh-side cottage. The showgirl couldn't stand them and after 4 months insisted that they go home. They no longer had a home to return to. So the companion murdered the big-hearted showgirl. In the end, a nephew figured out what the companion had done and tried blackmailing her. She turned herself in. I'm telling you the end because I know it is not a show that will ever come your way. The production values were beautifully detailed, the show was directed by Amnon Kabatchnik, and the actors were all senior and at the top of their game. Very enjoyable.

Hope you get back down to one job soon! It's getting to be garden season again! Happy spring! :loveya:

[hippywife]

19. Sounds like a really great show.

Please, please, please let me know when that book of yours is out, 'k?

And a very Happy Spring to you, too, doll. :loveya:

[yellerpup]

20. I requested a status update on "Weep" this morning.

No word yet.... :pals:

[hippywife]

21. Good luck!

Hope you hear something soon! :hug:

[Vinca]

22. Re the winter blues. This winter, for the first time, we dosed ourselves

with Vitamin D and both my husband and I noticed we didn't experience our usual winter "blahs." In fact, my husband went absolutely off the deep end and spent the winter renovating a bedroom and bath. He's never done that before in the winter.

[hippywife]

23. Yeah, that was suggested to me

by a friend. I might give that a shot, and probably sooner rather than later.

Thanx! :hi: