My view for today....

This is the view from my window on this stormy day.

I am pretending this is my view for today. I like this much better.

Yes, today is a rainy day. Thunder and lightening even graced us with its presence this morning. A perfect morning to drink tea (and coffee) and map out the schedule and menu for Thanksgiving weekend with my family here in Augusta and to write this post. Things to do but I will wait for the rain to let up before I head out. The sound of rain is relaxing and a nice backdrop to my day.

Yesterday I made a brisket in the slow cooker. It has felt very fall-like here. The foliage has been amazing for my New England soul. The colors right now are amazing. We even made a fire (our first one in Augusta) on Saturday night. The brisket was perfect comfort food - it was a new recipe from Cooking Light. I adapted it some but it was really delicious alongside a nice simple salad (romaine, red onion, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette), and great to come home to after a long, cold but fun day on the road to Greenville, SC for soccer. We ate at the table and then watched 60 minutes. That is a perfect Sunday evening in my book. Watching some of the Patriots game just capped off the evening.

As for simple moments...I went for a walk in the woods with my friend and her pup on Thursday. It was a new place and I was able to let Chappy off leash which was awesome. She and I were able to talk and enjoy the walk AND the dogs. Since her dog was there, he was very content to follow her around and stay relatively close to me. We were laughing because her lab mix was running around in the grass and woods while leaping into every body of water that was around us. Meanwhile, Chappy was like - the path is nice, what's wrong with the path!!

It has made me want to find other fun places for us to explore in the woods. I have been yearning for walks in the forest. Kelley went mountain biking this weekend at Clarks Hill Lake and between that and FATS, I have some good places to try out.

Put on Lips are Movin by Meghan Trainor and get cooking!

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Brisket - Cooking Light, April 2014
1 (4 1/2 lb flat cut brisket roast, fat cap trimmed to 1/8 inch thickness) (I did use a smaller cut)
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided (I used much less)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1T canola oil (I used a nice canola/olive oil blend)
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder (I used more like 1T)
1 tsp paprika (I used more like 1T)
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thirds (I used 5 - and could have used 6)
3 celery stalks, cut into thirds (I used 5 - and could have used 6)
Cooking spray
2 large onions, halved and vertically sliced (I used 1- but might use more next time)
4 garlic cloves, chopped (I minced)
1 cup unsalted beef stock (I used just over 1 cup)
1 (15-oz) can crushed tomatoes (I would use 2 cans next time)
2T brown sugar
2T apple cider vinegar
5 thyme sprigs (I used more like 7)
2 bay leaves (I used 3)
Flat leaf parsley leaves (optional) for garnish

Sprinkle brisket evenly with 1 tsp salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add brisket; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides (this took longer than 5 minutes for me). Rub brisket with garlic powder and paprika. Arrange carrots and celery in a 6-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray; top with brisket, fat cap side up.

Return skillet to medium heat. Add onions to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover. Stir in garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onions are tender and golden.  Arrange onion mixture over brisket.

Combine remaining 1/4 tsp salt, stock, tomatoes, brown sugar, and vinegar in hot skillet, stirring with a whisk to loosen browned bits.  Pour tomato mixture around brisket.

 

Place thyme and bay leaves in slow cooker, pressing into tomato mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or until brisket is tender when sliced. Cool slightly in cooker, about 1 hour. (Ours was on the warm setting for a few hours and it was fantastic)

 

 

Place brisket on cutting board. Trim fat cap; discard fat. Cut brisket across the grain into thin slices. Pour sauce through a sieve over a bowl; discard carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaves.  Return onions to sauce. Serve brisket with sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. (I don't think pouring the sauce through the sieve was necessary. I wanted to eat the carrots and celery. So, I just took out the sprigs, bay leaves and remaining fat in the sauce.

 

 

Don't forget the menu index if you are looking for a particular meal. There are over 56 recipes listed on the index as of today! Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!!

Goosebumps

Thank you, Gayle, for this beautiful and inspiring picture.

This fall has been the best in my memory. Crisp mornings, warm afternoons and brisk evenings. Blue skies every single day. We have had very little rain over the past 4 weeks and I know we need rain but sunshine does wonders for the psyche. We have had some intense sunrises and sunsets as well. I love seeing the sky turn all sorts of colors as the sun goes down. I only wish I had my camera. I guess I have to just experience the moment instead of spend time documenting it.

Over the past week I have seen two performances at the kids' school. There was a talent show called Schools for Schools with the proceeds going to charity supporting education in Africa and then the 5th and 6th grade chorus performed for the Lower School this morning. During the talent show, they previewed a play that is being performed this weekend at the Upper School. The middle school (with Sosie playing a part) is putting on their version of Little Mermaid in just a few weeks.

For our kids to go to a school where music and theatre plays as much a role as sports is tremendous. I am so incredibly grateful for this experience with the kids. To see children of all ages (especially my peanut today) take the stage shows courage and bravery, not to mention creativity and talent. I absolutely loved watching every performance at the Talent Show and the chorus today was actually amazing. I couldn't believe how well the harmony came through and the pitch was perfect. I had goosebumps. They had skits between each song and it all went on without a hitch. It was clear they not only practiced and learned their parts but they cared about how they sounded. They wanted to do a good job, and they did.

It all brings back many fond memories. The nervousness right before you begin, the butterflies, but then the calm as you start singing or acting. The comfort that settles in your bones. The ability to escape as you talk. Everyone can learn from being on stage. Public speaking, learning about yourself, control of your body. These are important lessons for everyone really. Facing the fears....

This week, I challenge everyone to go to the store with your kids and pick one vegetable or fruit that you haven't eaten before. I used to do this as a young adult. It was actually a lot of fun. It gets you to face a little fear anyway and who knows, you may love it! We always tell the kids you need to try something 10 times before you can say you don't like something.  I think we have the Berg Family to think for that.

Time to put on L.A.Love by Fergie and get cooking.
 

I have always loved Italian Wedding Soup. Many years ago, our friends were visiting from Pennsylvania and they made it for us using this recipe. I have had many versions since but I always seem to come back to this one. This was a huge hit with the entire family. With some nice bread to soak up the broth, this is a delicious dinner.

Italian Wedding Soup by Barefoot Contessa (Back to Basics Cookbook)
For the meatballs
3/4 lb ground chicken
1/2 lb chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup white bread crumbs
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
3T chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3T milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup
2T good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion (I used slightly less)
1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots (3 carrots) (I could add more)
3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery (2 stalks) (I could add more)
10 cups homemade chicken stock (Store-bought is JUST FINE)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 oz baby spinach, washed and trimmed (I used 10 oz)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 tsp salt (I omitted) and 1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork (I used my hands). With a tsp, drop 1- to 1 1/4 inch meatballs onto a sheet plan lined with parchment paper. You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute.  Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach has just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese. (I used a shaved triple cheese blend.)

Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!!

Election Day Hangover

It is the season of gourds and pumpkins and squashes of all kinds, oh my! Thanks, Jon Olszewski, for these awesome shots.

Election Day was yesterday. It was my first time voting in GA and I was excited. I am trying to determine the voter turnout across the country. Voting is a right and a privilege and I firmly believe that everyone should get out there and vote, no matter their beliefs. I think about our election process here versus election processes in other countries. We are so fortunate to have a peaceful process here. It is a time when citizens of our country can communicate and make themselves heard in a non-vocal but powerful way.

It can be a day of differences. The political ads were so terrible, maybe the worst I have seen, and so, so divisive. The almost hatred for other people is seething, along with the posturing and the arrogance. It all makes me want to throw up really. As I read on Facebook earlier, it is time to get along. We are one country. We need to work together. We need to celebrate our differences but recognize and love the similarities. We are all equal. We are all equal.

Look around our incredible country. Look at all the different landscapes that our one country has. Look at all the people that inhabit our country. Let's work together to make this a better place to live. Something has to change, and it doesn't just start with politicians.

Jeff Boodman is a fantastic photographer. He has a Facebook page you should check out too (Jeffrey Boodman Photography). Thanks, Jeff, for letting me post these two beauties.

Right now, I am sitting here typing this post and all I want to do is rip into my kids' Halloween candy (for the second time today). Snickers, Twix, Reese's, nom nom nom......

Put on Suzanne Vega's Tom's Diner and let's get cooking!

I have been talking about Dinner, the Playbook. I tried her recipe for Homemade Marinara. I liked it and am posting it here now but I am adding a couple of things. Many, many years ago, my aunt gave me a recipe that was so simple I made it all the time. It was one 28 oz can on whole tomatoes, crushed by hand in with sautéed onions, a little garlic and then a tad butter at the end. I really loved it and don't know why it isn't a staple now. You can try that one if you want too....But as I am always on the hunt for a good marinara, here it goes.

Homemade Marinara, Dinner, The Playbook
1/4 cup olive oil
3 heaping T finely chopped onion (I would put a little more)
1 garlic clove, minced (2 cloves if you are a garlic lover) (I would definitely add the 2...)
salt and pepper to taste
1T dried oregano
(I might add fresh oregano and fresh basil)
quick shake of red pepper flakes
2 tsp sugar
2T tomato paste
1 28-oz can tomato puree

Set a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions and cook until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute, watching closely so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the sugar and smush in the tomato paste with 1/4 cup water until all the onions are coated in the tomato. Stir in the tomato puree and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!