Winter is around the corner. December 21 specifically. The season for rich hearty soups, stews and chowder. This something here for everyone. Every diet is covered. Below are the ones that stood to me.
SOUPS: Broccoli Cheddar Soup is one of my favorite soups. It’s a great way to get your kids to eat broccoli. Here’s the seasonings for this soup, the usual salt/pepper/ garlic. Then we go to paprika and dry mustard. This is where you can get creative. Switch out these two for Greek or Italian season. Or go for Herbs de Province. Now cheese, once again you could get creative. Go for white cheddar aged about two years. Perhaps mix in smoked gouda.
CHOWDER: Clam chowder is a classic. My favorite version was Crab Joes Southwestern Clam Chowder. Oh my goodness! It’s rich and spicy. There tomato, chilies, and corn with black beans. Of course, there’s clams.
STEW: Insta Pot Beef Stew. I grew up having beef stew that was okay. Not a favorite. As I’ve gotten older I’ve found different versions. Julia Child’s Classic Beef Bourguignon and the Vietnamese Beef Stew.
Okay! Now we’ve looked at the ones that stood out to me. Which ones stood out to you?
The world is heading into a depression. We’ve been told in some countries, there’s a recession coming. Of course, the American government and its propaganda mouthpiece won’t admit anything is remotely wrong. The interest rates are going up and we have no end in sight. Prices for everything going through the roof and stores having fraudulent sales. And let’s throw some more chaos into the mix with the gas stations in Vietnam having long lines.
The articles from RT detail how inflation is now affecting Finland. Yeah! Can anyone say Karma????? After they have sought NATO membership after being neutral for years they are now seeking membership. And now they are experiencing inflation just like the rest of the EU and NATO countries. I don’t know if they had experienced inflation prior to this or if they would have had they not sought NATO membership. Here’s why I say that NATO membership contributed to Finland’s inflation problem; India has had inflation. Briefly. Yeah! The article I am going to leave you a link to shows how India’s inflation is dropping. As a matter of fact, it’s predicted that their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) will grow as Europe’s is shrinking. India didn’t sanction Russia and EU and NATO Countries did and look at their situation. Our GDP is going to shrink and India’s is growing.
Let’s break down the issues you and I face every day. Earlier this month Aldi announce they’re rolling prices back on certain foods to 2019 prices. No! This was a good business scheme. Except people saw through it and exposed it. I will give a link to Riverside Homestead Life where Cohen Barsten shared the TikTok videos from average people like us sharing the truth.
In this video Marion and her crew try to utilize 44 pounds of leftover ham. I have to be honest they didn’t make it. They came up with five dishes. Below will be my thoughts on each.
THOMAS KELLER’S CROQUE MADAME: This sandwich is a classic French Sandwich. What was very refreshing about watching Marion make this was when she looked up the difference between the Mornay and Bechamel sauce.
SPICY CHILI OIL HAM WONTONS: This was a creative use of ham. Once Marion got this dish together it looked good.
HAM DAN DAN NOODLES: Of course, a spicy noodle dish was going to be in the on the menu.
CLASSIC HAM SALAD: This wasn’t a winner at first. Then Marion put her touches on it then it was great.
HAM-BROTH RAMEN NOODLE SOUP: The broth is used in multiple dishes.
Here are five wonderful Thanksgiving leftover make overs. Kimmie has some wonderful ideas here.
1. Turkey turnovers. Puffpastry with turkey, cranberry and dressing. Place enough filling then pull over the puffpastry. Brush with eggwash and bake till outside is brown.
2. Greenbean Casserole Stuffed Mushrooms. Yeah! This would be a great appetizer.
3. Thanksgiving Leftover Lasagna. I have seen so many post of this on Pinterest. It just doesn’t look like anything we would make. More my daughter has issues with food touching each other. Seriously! Peas had better not touch potatoes.
4. Soup. This soup uses so much leftovers. It’s basically a herbed turkey soup. You could pour it over dressing.
5. Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie. Okay I know that Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. The thing to oay close attention to is the tempering of eggs.
Which ones peaked your interest? I am not going to lie, the Lasagna got my eye. Also, stuffed mushrooms.
Confession: I am not a fan. However, below will be a modifications I would make. Think Cuban Sandwich. Oh yeah!
MUSTARD: Okay I would keep this. Just switch to regular mustard over Dijon.
MAYO: Use your favorite.
PICKLES: Cuban sandwich has dill pickles on it. So use your favorite. If you have dill relish even better. This will have all the work done.
HAM: Use the meat closes to the bone. That’s going to have the best flavor. And if you use a sweet glaze on the ham, you get that overly sweet from the glaze and mayo.
BEEAD: Ususally Cuban sandwich is served on a crusty French bread. This makes for excellent pressing. But use what you have leftover.
CHEESE OR NO CHEESE: Okay this where we are going different direction from Stacey Little. If you go by his recipe leave the cheese out. If you make the above modifications than use a good Swiss cheese like Gouda.
Alright! We only have one day left till some of us will start our ore Thanksgiving cooking. If you’re new here last year I had COVID-19 during Thanksgiving. This year I am recovering from flash burns on my left hand and small areas of my face. When my daughter was little, she’d get sick every year around Thanksgiving. That stopped after her tonsils were removed.
Let’s peak at the to do list. Inventory. What do you have and what do you need? Can you borrow what you need? Are you doing a potluck? Everyone has what they need for their dish… How is the house situation? Is it ready for guest if they are staying over? Aluminum foil…. Poultry Seasoning! Do you have enough? What about to go containers? You can pick them up fairly cheap at Sam’s or Costco. I get dishes divided from Walmart. You get like eight or ten for about five bucks at Walmart. You can get a large box from Amazon. Perhaps you and your family could put in together for a large box. Store at the house that will be hosting the meal if they have space.
Honesty! This post was originally from Easter. However, I do think that these recipes could be used anytime. With that said, let’s run down what you may need last minute. Hopefully, you’ve got everything needed.
Thermometer. Do you have one? Do you know where it is if needed? Did your turkey come with a popper thing? Today is the day to check.
Silverware, serving ware and cooking utensils. I think we’ve all been in the middle of a meal, and it happens. Your utensil breaks and things are going full speed ahead. To combat this Thursday make sure you have plenty of utensils close at hand. Even if you need to borrow some.
Napkins. I don’t like paper napkins and towels. Holiday cooking can be an exception. Okay.
Plateware… Again, a holiday should be about family. I guess because I have out lived my parents I have the perspective about holidays that I have. Fancy plates, eatry, and dishes don’t matter.
The number one thing you need to make sure you have handy is a way to put out a fire. I hope this helps.
Kimmie Hughes from She’s In Her Apron has some great tips and heads up information on price comparison. She does live in Utah..
The nunver one tip Kimmie gives is shop your home. Look at what you already have. Rather it’s food or decor. Look at what you already have. You might surprise yourself.
I have been subscribed to She’s In Her Apron for about four years. And Kimmie is awesome.
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