44-clove garlic soup

I know what you're thinking...  garlic soup?!!  44 cloves?!  But hold your reservations and give it a try.  It's delicious!  Somehow the garlic flavor is not overpowering and it has a hint of sweetness.  Rose gave it a thumbs up.  :)

I served it with 9-grain bread toasted on a panini grill and steamed broccoli.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.  This being the first time, I made it as the recipe read.  Well, mostly...  I used half & half instead of heavy cream, dried thyme instead of fresh, and lemon juice from the bottle.  Next time I make it I'm going to cut corners and not use so much oil and butter.

Happy cooking!

improvised

This day was supposed to beautifully warm and sunny.  We headed out to our location and it was closed! So, we went with plan b.  Plus it was overcast so that cut our shooting time short.  I think it turned our pretty well though.  My next shoot with Rose is going to need an assistant.  I can't wait to execute it.

Until then, here is what our day looked like.  Rose is so fun!  I can't wait to print these.

 

Then it was Rose's turn to be the photographer.  I think she got the hang of it!

installation art

Rose made this installation art couple of months ago.  We had it hanging on our door for the longest time.  We have an artist in the making!

orzo pasta dish with green cauliflower side

No one croak...  but I have to tell you that I have started cooking again!  I've made a handful of meals and I feel like Superwoman.  It's quite ridiculous.  I've really enjoyed it even though most of the new recipes I've tried have not turned out.  Nothing beats a home-cooked meal though.

The other night we had orzo pasta with chicken, red peppers, and portobello mushrooms with a side of green cauliflower, yogurt, and pomegranate.  

I've made this in the past and it's one of my favorite meals of all times.  So delicious.  I usually make extra so I can have it for left overs for days.  This recipe was adapted from Food & Wine Magazine's Quick from Scratch One-Dish Meals.  The recipe called for shiitake mushrooms but I had portobellos on hand.  They were exquisite.

Here is the recipe....

  Orzo with Chicken, Red Pepper, and Portobellos

Ingredients:

5 tbsp olive oil

1 1/3 lbs chicken breasts

Salt

Fresh-ground black pepper

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 lb portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut 1/4-inch slices

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb orzo

1/4 lb mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet

1/3 c heavy cream

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1.  In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat.  Season the chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.  Put the chicken in the pan and cook for 5 min.  Turn and cook until just done, about 5 min longer.  Remove.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut the breasts crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

2.  Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the same pan over moderately high heat.  Put in the bell pepper, shiitakes, thyme, and 1/8 tsp salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 min.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 sec longer.  Remove from the heat.

3.  In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the orzo until just done, about 12 min.  Reserve 1/2 c of the pasta water; drain the orzo.

4.  In the frying pan, combine the reserved pasta water with the remaining 2 tbsp oil, goat cheese, cream, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Bring almost to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth, about 2 min.  Add the orzo, chicken, and 3 tbsp of the parsley and stir to combine.  Serve topped with the remaining 1 tbsp parsley.

Yield: 4 servings

For the side we had Cumin Seed Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt (adapted from Smitten Kitchen;  click on link for recipe)  I was not fond of this dish but I'm posting it because it has a lot of potential.  I loved the roasted cauliflower but not the added seasoning.  If you like Cumin Seeds then you will like this but I've decided I'm not a fan.

Also, the yogurt was awful.  I mixed my homemade Greek yogurt with the feta cheese (as she indicates).  Not good, not good at all.  My suggestion is to taste it BEFORE you pile it on your cauliflower!  It sure is pretty though.  :)

last chance

The other day Rose and I went our for a photo shoot because it was supposed to be gorgeous.  Maybe the last gorgeous day of the year.  Well it ended up pretty warm but overcast.  We didn't have much time because of the cloud cover cut our day short but we got some super fun shots.  Here are just a couple.  It's late so I'll post more later.

happy halloween

It's 3 days past Halloween but I have to show off Rose's costume.  She loved being a witch.  In fact, we forgot about the necklace that came with the costume so Rose says she'll have to be a witch again next year.

 This second picture is classic Rose.  She has had a habit of holding her hair like this since she was little, little.  We love it.

must see

Yes, you may have noticed.  I'm passionate about being healthy and I love documentaries about it.

I posted that I watched Forks Over Knives but didn't write anything else about it.  You definitely have to check it out!  I think it was done well and the information is profound.  

I've been drinking almond milk for nearly a year (thank you, Joshua) because I prefer the flavor to cow milk, so I've already got a jump on this.   I don't believe that it's necessary to cut out animal products completely but I do believe that we need to eat meat it sparingly.  We've known that for over a century through the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89:12-13).  God is good.

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Food Matters is another great documentary.  It's not put together as well as others but the information is important.  It talks about how we are what we eat, which I totally agree with!  Diet can be helpful or harmful.  I love the quotes used in the movie.  This knowledge has been around since before Christ, yet it was lost somehow to the general public.  It's time we find our way back.

I took some of what this film talked about with a grain of salt (ha!  that's a pun) but the over all take home message is vital.  We need to take care of ourselves and we do that with what we consume.  I completely agree that drugs are (in most cases) not the answer.
Bottom line:  eating a diet rich in produce and whole grains translates to a healthy/happy you.  I'm in.

We caught both on Netflix's Watch Instantly.

hopefully the last time

Today was the day we've been dreading.  Jordan had to go back to Afghanistan (for what we hope will be the last time).  Saying good-bye is always painful.

When he came home 2 weeks ago it felt like he had never left and that he was never going to leave again.  He is my best friend and my greatest companion.  We make a good team.  Life without him just feels wrong.

As we came home from the airport today I ran into little pieces of him here and there, socks on the floor, shirt hanging to dry, shoes in the kitchen.  I'm trying to hold on to the feeling of him being here.  The thought crosses my mind...  should I leave his shoes there until he gets back??  At least until tomorrow.

Jordan is strong and good about putting on a happy face.  I love this first picture because I think it caught a glimpse of the emotion he was desperately trying to hold back.

A couple more months, just a couple more months.