We woke up this morning to 8 inches of newly fallen snow.  So 1 week before Spring Break, the kids got to have 1 last snow day.  Yes, school was closed and River, Logan and Isabella were more than happy to get to sleep in and stay at home!  Quite a treat for them-one last adventure to Mulberry Park to go sledding and snowboarding.



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Yep, it's another cold, rainy, windy day in Indiana.  Hopefully the sun will make sporadic appearances throughout the day.  It had occurred to me that the weather has a lot to do with the food served at our home.  And today I'm thinking that split pea soup should be on the menu for this evening.  Not only because it is super easy, but it is also pretty tasty.  Not to mention, this soup is inexpensive.  As a kid, it wasn't my favorite soup (that honor went to clam chowder), but I did love picking out the chunks of ham that fell from the hocks my mother had added for flavor. Luckily, my children like almost any kind of soup and when the weather is as it is today they say, "Can we make soup?"  And I usually agree.

1 lb. pkg split green peas, rinsed

1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 Qt. cold water

3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

2 meaty ham hocks

salt and freshly ground pepper


Directions

Place the rinsed split peas to the crock pot with thyme, bay leaves, carrots, onions and ham hock.  Cover the crock and set temperature.  Depending upon your dinner time put the setting on low or high.  Cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and meat from hocks are almost falling off the bone.


Remove the thyme, bay leaves and hocks.  Separate meat from the bones, dice if you like and return to the pot.   Give the soup a good stir, mashing some of the peas as you go.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty brown bread.  S

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The day is cold and dreary and I would like nothing more than to curl up by a crackling fire with my current new read, Pumpkin Roll a culinary mystery and a steaming mug of hot cocoa.  Alas, this will have to wait till this evening as I have 1,000,000 lines in my To Do list. 
As it is November and Thanksgiving is an American holiday, I am taking this month to again honor New World Foods.  These are the indigenous plant foods of the Americas.  Cacao has been found as far as 4000 years ago in Central America.  So to start, here is my modern recipe for Hot Cocoa.


Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

2 1/2 C fat free milk

2 C fat free half-and-half

8 oz chopped dark chocolate

1 Tbs sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon or instant espresso powder (your preference) 

cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Directions

Heat the milk and half-and-half in a medium saucepan on medium low.  Take the pan off the heat and slowly whisk in the chopped chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is completely melted and combined into the milk, then add sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon whisking vigorously to make foamy. Place saucepan back to the stove on low to reheat.  Serve immediately with cinnamon stick. 


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1 tablespoon olive oil

3 pounds stewing beef, such as lean rump pot roast, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry

1 carrot, thinly sliced crosswise

1 medium onion, sliced crosswise

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups red wine, such as Chianti, Beaujolais, or Cotes du Rhone

3 cups homemade beef stock or canned low-sodium beef stock, plus 1/2 cup

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic, crushed

1/2 dried thyme, plus 1/4 teaspoon

1 dried bay leaf, crumbled, plus 1/2 bay leaf

4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon

24 cipollini or pearl onions, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, and peeled

1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with oven racks set in the middle and lower-third. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 quarts water to a simmer; add bacon and rind, simmering for 10 minutes. Drain; dry bacon and pot. Reserve rind.

2.Heat olive oil in a Dutch-oven over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon; set aside.

3.Increase heat to medium-high; oil should be just below smoking point. Test by placing one piece of beef in pan; it should sizzle immediately. Add beef in small batches and cook until well-browned on all sides. Remove meat, and set aside with bacon.

4.Add carrots and sliced onions; cook until browned. Drain excess; discard.

5.Return beef and bacon to pot; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle in flour, tossing to coat. Transfer pot, uncovered, to middle of oven; bake for 4 minutes. Toss meat and vegetables; bake for 4 minutes more. Transfer pot to stove. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.

6.Over medium-low heat, stir in wine and enough stock to barely cover meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1 crumbled bay leaf, and bacon rind; bring to a simmer. Cover pot, and transfer to lower-third of oven. Bake, regulating heat so stew simmers, until meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

7.Meanwhile, make an herb sachet. In an 8-by-8-inch piece of cheesecloth, combine 4 sprigs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, and tie using kitchen twine. Set aside.

8.In a medium skillet, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When butter is bubbling, add whole onions; saute until browned, about 10 minutes.

9.Add 1/2 cup stock to pan; season with salt and pepper, and add herb sachet. Simmer, covered, until onions are tender and liquid has evaporated, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove herb sachet, and discard. Set aside.

10.Wipe out skillet; place over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil; butter will begin to foam. As foaming subsides, add mushrooms; saute, stirring often, until lightly browned. Remove from heat; set aside.

11.Pour stew into a sieve set over a large saucepan. Rinse out Dutch-oven. Return beef and bacon to pot; add cooked mushrooms and onions.

12.Skim fat from sauce. Over medium-low heat, bring sauce to a simmer, skimming off additional fat, 1 to 2 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, bring to a boil and reduce to correct consistency. If too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.

13.Bring pot to a simmer, covered, over medium heat, basting meat and vegetables with sauce, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley; serve immediately.

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I had forgotten about this post and it was sitting in my drafts.  It was bitter cold this day, but we had a blast!


River knows you go faster when you lay down



Mike, River and Logan take a run together



Our Winterwonderland in Zionsville



Logan and River built an awesome fort



Isabella loves to snowboard

It's Christmas break so I set up a sledding and lunch party with my girlfriends and their kids.  We all went to Mulberry Park for some righteous sledding, snowboarding and even skiing (Thanks to Tanner's ambitious yet short runs down the hill!).  I guess it is as good as it gets here in Zionsvillle, yet even without the mountains we all love and miss, we couldn't have had a better time.  By the time our fingertips and noses were frosty, cheeks and lips chapped from the wind and legs worn our from the many hikes back up the hill, we were ready for a cozy seat by the fire.  We all headed back to our home for creamy Tomato Bisque and a grilled cheese buffet.  We had various cheeses and sliced breads and everyone got to pick their own combination.  The girls brought loads of cookies to enjoy at the end of our meal while the kids watched Home Alone (a classic that gets played at least 3 or 4 times during this season in our home).  I've added the bisque recipe below and I especially like it with sriracha sauce added for a little kick.  As for the grilled cheese buffet pick three cheese you enjoy.  We used Havarti, White Cheddar, Pepperjack and Provolone.  I bought breads from Panera; an asaigo baguette, whole grain Italian loaf and a crusty white loaf.  Smear the outer sides of your sandwich with butter, sear on a grill pan or skillet and eat while hot. 

Tomato Bisque 

Ingredients

1/4 C finely diced onions
1/4 C finely diced celery
1 C oil (or you can substitute 1/2 of the C bacon drippings, 1/2 C olive oil)
1 C all-purpose flour
2 16 oz. cans whole peeled Italian tomatoes
1 Tbs chicken bouillon powder
2 C hot water
1 qt. heavy cream
pinch of red pepper flakes

When the tissues are piling up on the nightstand, the bedroom is imbued with the heavy scent of eucalyptus and peppermint, the shades are drawn and you've became a mouth breather due to severe congestion, nothing and I mean there is nothing to me like a bowl of steaming hot soup.  Hopefully you aren't the one who has to make it for yourself as well.  But, if you do next time you throw together a batch of your most comforting hug in a bowl, make extra and freeze it!  I do it every time I make soup and it works great for lunches, sick days, even a quick snack.  This is my version of mini meatball soup and it goes pretty fast around our home.  In fact, I can't think of a time that River didn't ask for seconds.  Add a chunk of crusty bread and your set.

Mini Meatball Soup by Molly Seal

Ingredients

4 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 32 oz. can of Italian Plum tomatoes (crushed by hand)
6 C beef stock
2 C water
1 14 oz can White Beans (drained)
1 pkg frozen spinach (thawed)
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 white onion diced
pinch of chili flakes
1 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
1 Lb. ground beef and pork combined
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 C plain breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Instructions

Combine ground beef and port with minced garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley and season with salt and pepper.  When well mixed, roll into 1" or smaller meatballs depending upon your taste.  In a skillet, pour 2 Tbs. olive oil and brown mini meatballs all over.  Set aside on a paper towel lined tray to drain. 
In a large pot, heat last 2 Tbs. olive oil and add carrots, celery and onion over medium heat, about 5 minutes.  While these are sauteing, squeeze the spinach of extra water.   Once the veg are softened, add the spinach, beans, chili flakes and Italian seasoning to the pot.  Pour the hand crushed tomatoes, beef stock to the pot as well.  When the soup begins to bubble add the mini meatballs and water to cover.  (You may have more mini meatballs than you desire.  If so freeze the extras in a freezer bag for another meal).  Bring to a bubble again cover and turn down to a simmer for about 5 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if necessary.  Serves 8-10 

I love salt.  In fact, I have over 10 different types of salt in my pantry. I know, I know, but my blood pressure is just fine.  My preferences for snacks have always leaned toward the salty and savory and my newest obesession with Starbuck's Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate has now topped the list for this holiday season.  It is normally not my style to promote corporate establishments, but this is good...soooooooo good.

It's pomegranate season again!  I absolutely adore these tart, sweet, bright red, little jewels.  The best way I have found to remove the encased seeds is to cut the fruit in half through the width, hold it over a bowl with the rounded side facing you and whack the back with a wooden spoon.  The little red gems fall right out.  Be careful though, there can be a little over-spray and the juice produces a lovely pink stain. Enjoy!

"Let the sky rain potatoes. Let it thunder to the tune of Greensleeves.”
                         --SHAKESPEARE, MERRY WIVES OF WINSOR