Forever is only the beginning


Sunday, October 23, 2011

3 bean chili

Last week was a busy week around here.  I started my training at Ele's Place so that added an extra 10 hours to my week (on top of this impossible cold I've seem to come down with).  I love the training, and it has made me miss my Death, Loss and Grief class I took my last semester at UM.  My professor Sally Foley was absolutely amazing!  A true inspiration for a social worker.  She had so much energy and passion for what she did and EVERYONE loved her classes.   She taught the death class and sex class...  2 of the most interesting and most important pieces of life- the beginning and the end.  Anyway, the training has gone well, I feel comfortable, and I'm looking forward to being able to work with the children.  Made me do lots of reflecting of my own loss this spring of the beloved Virginia Ruth Lutz.       

Last week was another big week too because I finally officially changed my name!!  Yup, I'm legally Ashlee (Ellsworth as my middle name) Fowler!   We had to wait for the state of Hawaii to file our marriage license, and then mail it back to us before I could go to the social security office and secretary of state, it only took Hawaii 10 weeks.  I got my new card in the mail last week, and I'll be heading over to the bank this week to change my name on my accounts there!  I know it's just a little thing, but it has been so very exciting to me.  

Last week at work I made a double batch of three bean chili that sold out after three days!  It's probably the least time intensive soup I've done too!  Here is the recipe for a single batch- makes about 5 quarts

1 medium to large size onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
6 cloves of garlic minced
olive oil
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
a dash or two of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 teaspoon sugar
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
2 cans black bean with liquid
1 can garbanzo beans drained
1 can dark kidney beans drained
1 can corn drained
water, salt, pepper

Add onion, red pepper and garlic to a large heavy pot (I use a 6 qt dutch oven) add enough olive oil to coat ingredients, let simmer till onion fragrant and translucent- about 10 minutes medium heat. Add all the spiced (chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper flakes, cinnamon, sugar) mix  and lower heat to low/medium cook for 2-3 minutes then add all the cans starting with tomato sauce.  Stir everything together, add water if needed add salt and pepper to taste.  Let simmer for at least 15 minutes, I think its better if the flavors meld for least an hour on low with the pot covered.  Serve with a little sour cream, cilantro, and cheddar cheese!    

We are having the missionaries over for dinner tonight and I found a recipe for sour cream corn bread that I'm trying- I'll post it if I like the way it turned out!!  

Friday, October 14, 2011

Who wants some soup?

So life never goes how we think it will.  If you would have asked me a year ago where I thought I would be today I do not think I would have come anywhere near the destination I have arrived at....  and the same thing for Jon.  But we both never could have guessed we would be this happy and blessed.  Everyday there are little reminders to us that we are doing the right things and on the right track.  

Obviously, those of you that know me, and if you have read my blog posts you can tell that food is one of my passions.  I think it's one of those hands on projects that just fills my senses with satisfaction.  Nothing like using my hands to kneed dough, or press a knife through an onion, to smell the flavors as they meld together, hear ingredients sizzle and crackle as they warm on the stove, and of course my favorite parts the ascetics of presentation and how it tastes and feels in your mouth and belly.  You know I really love you if I've shared a meal with you I've prepared, because I've just given you a piece of my soul.  

Now I'm not claiming to know lots about cooking, I would consider myself a novice cook.  But I'm adventurous, and I'm not afraid to try something.  I love learning from how other people do things, watching and reading about creating something new from just a few ingredients.  Each time in the kitchen is like an experiment, and some things work better than others.  

Anyways, where I'm going with this is- last week I had a few customers ask about the soup we serve at the bakery/pastry shop I'm working at part time.  And let me tell you, the soup is not good.  It comes from a can and looks a little bit like a cross between dog food and throw up.  People actually eat it, and I think some like it!  None of it is vegetarian so I haven't actually tried it, maybe it is okay, but I'm going to go ahead and say I don't think so.  Well, I had this great idea that I would make the soups, with fresh ingredients, and they would be vegetarian friendly, some even vegan friendly.  I suggested this to my boss on a trail basis, thinking he would shoot me down, and to my surprise, he accepted my offer without a second though or any persuasion on my end!!  So thursday evening I came into work with my ingredients, food processor, and apron AND went to work!  I decided to go with a zesty Tomato Basil.  Fairly simple, light and pretty fresh tasting with a nice bite at the end (I love adding a few drops of sriracha, always a pleasant kick to a simple dish). The soup was sold today in the shop.  I was a little nervous, in fact, I spent all last night dreaming about soup and having enough of it to sell!  I heard that things went well, I'll be curious to get better feed back when I work again!!  SOO now I'm on a soup craze at home!  This week I've already made a curried lentil, that I will make for the shop as well as a 3 bean chili!  This is going to be a cozy fall for us in Michigan...  Nothing warms the soul in this chilly weather like a bit of homemade soup.  And this folks is where I never would have guessed I would be, but here I am, here we are, living this game we call life. 

Zesty Tomato Basil

4 tablespoons olive oil (you can use butter too if you want)
1 medium size onion
1 carrot (or about 10 baby carrots)
4 cloves garlic
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 (28 oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes with juice, roughly chopped (Note: Next time I make this I will probably use two cans of tomatoes for a little bit more textured consistency)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme tied together with kitchen twine
1 ounce or so of fresh basil leaves chopped (our grocery store here sells it in a container just under an ounce)
a dash of the hot pepper flakes
a few drops of sriracha (this is powerful stuff, a whole bottle of it will last you forever because you only need a little at a time.  
1 cup of milk ( I've made it with skim all the way to heavy cream- use what you like.  My favorite is 2%)
Salt and peper to taste 

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil or butter with onion, carrot, and garlic.  Should be about medium heat and take about 8 minutes for everything to become soft and fragrant.  Stir in flower and continue stirring for 3 minuets or so, add the broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil.  Then add the thyme, basil and pepper flakes, turn down heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes.  

Remove the pot from heat and cool slightly.  Use a colander to separate the liquid from everything else, put he liquid back in the soup pot.  With the tomato portion use a blender or food processor to puree the chunks.  You may want to do this in small batches if the ingredients are still hot so you don't make a mess.  Return the puree back to the pot with the broth.  Reheat mixing in milk, sriracha, and salt and pepper to taste.  ENJOY!  

*Note* I added an extra cup or so of water through the simmering process to help stretch out the soup* this is not necessary though.  

  

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Holladay Photo Blog Post

Incase anyone is interested our photographer from Hawaii made a blog post of our wedding photos.  Click here to check it out.  We really enjoyed having Mark be apart of our big day.... I'm so glad I have all the photos to help us remember the beginning of {OUR} forever.  


just one of my favorites 

Monday, October 10, 2011

Susie Homemaker Has Arrived!

As a kid growing up I NEVER wanted anything to do with canning.  I have vivid memories of my Mom and Aunts in my Grandmas kitchen prepping food, filling mason jars, and pots and pans all over.  I even saw this same thing a few times in my parents kitchen.  But I never wanted anything to do with it, ever!  That is, until now!  Last week I found a recipe for apple butter, with directions for canning it too.  And since apples are in season right now in Michigan- what a perfect fall treat!  So, I went out, got all the supplies and planned a day to try it out.  The process from start to finish (clean up and everything) was probably about 3 hours or so, but it is quite simple, it just involves, boiling the apples with cider, blending them to a puree, reboiling adding sugar and spice, pouring in the jars and boiling the jars- and TADA I DID IT {with a little help from Jon too}!!  Plus I've got some homemade breading going in the bread machine as we speak!


For anyone that is interested this is the recipe I tried out. Click here.

Boiling apples and cider

Blend the cooked apples and cider to a runny
applesauce consistency

You have to heat the jars to 220 in the oven

reboil the applesauce puree adding the sugar and spices

pour it

boil it

and now you have homemade apple butter!

Picture Update

I was able to take a picture with my phone of the wreath I made while I was up in TC a few weekends ago!





Saturday, October 8, 2011

a hawaiian wedding...

So Jon and I have been waiting, and waiting, and WAITING for photos to come back and FINALLY this friday after 9 weeks of wedded bliss we received a zip drive containing 374 photos from our day!!!!  Obviously I'm not going to post them all, but I thought I would share a few of our favorites.  We loved our photographer, and we had tons of fun doing the shoot with him.  Enjoy!