Meatball Soup

It's Tuesday (or it will be by the time I get this post up) so, this post will be a combination of books and food.

We had a great long weekend at our family cabin in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon. It was just nice to get away.


On Sunday, we woke up to rain clouds and cool temperatures. I happen to LOVE it when it's like that in the mountains.
I made soup. I had planned on making the soup anyway, but since it was cooler and cloudy, it was just a great day to make a fire in the fireplace, read our books and smell the soup as it simmered all afternoon. This was of course, AFTER our 5 mile hike. (I was with the Handyman.... he can't sit still for very long). It was a great hike really.....except when he took me off the beaten path and we went on a trail that was STEEP and followed a cliff.


I made Albondiga or Meatball Soup. The recipe comes from an old friend of mine, Letty Rodriguez. I assume that she learned from her mom, who learned from her mom in Mexico.
It's really good. The only think that I will do different next time is to brown the meatballs first, before adding them to the soup. (My cousin Linda has a recipe for Albondiga where she browns her meatballs, so the idea is hers). I think the carmelization of the meatballs would be a great addition to this recipe, but the seasonings are wonderful.

Albondiga

(meatball soup)

2 pounds ground beef

1-2 cloves garlic--minced

1/2 cup rice

1/2 to 3/4 cup of tomato sauce

1/2 chopped fine white onion

1 tsp ground cumin

2 eggs

1 tbls or so of chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

Mix together and make meatballs....1 1/2 inch balls. (my addition to the recipe is to brown them in oil, but the recipe says....)

Simmer in a pot of water on low heat fro 15 to 20 minutes (my addition was to simmer them in beef broth)

Remove meatballs. Skim off fat.

Add

diced carrots

cubed potatoes

a handful of rice

simmer till vegetables are tender and rice is done.

Sauté in a bit of olive oil
1/2 chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1 clove of garlic

Add to soup pot with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1 Tbls instant beef bouillon (or not if you've used beef broth to simmer the meatballs and veggies)

Add meatballs and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Good Soup!

Good Books! I read 3 this weekend. A cabin weekend just seemed like it needed some old familiar characters (to me anyway)

Blind Bloodhound Justice by Virginia Lanier

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

Blind Bloodhound Justice is the 4th in a series featuring Jo Beth Sidden and her criminal tracking Bloodhounds in the Oakefenokee Swamp in Georgia. I love this series. There are only 6 in the series, and there will never be anymore, because the author has passed away. She loved her Bloodhounds....and on the inside back cover where the authors pictures usually is, is a picture of one of her beloved Bloodhounds.
I have the last 2 books, but I am hesitant to read them any time soon, because then they will be done.


Club Dead. Ya gotta love Sookie Stackhouse. Well, I do anyway. This is only the 3rd book in the series. I'm behind...what can I say? They are such fast, fun reads, that I'm sure I'll catch up fast.


Misty of Chincoteague is a 1947 Newberry Honor book which I bought for my children's library which is in an upstairs closet. It's for my grandchildren to go look thru, and then ask me questions about which is a good book. I have to know what I have, right?


And I am half-way thru "All Mortal Flesh" by Julia Spencer Fleming. I read in the car on the way home today. Some more of my favorite characters, but I'll tell you more about them next week.

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Our hike.   The Handyman wanted to go to Ice Lake.

Lucky for me the bridge had been removed.

Or....maybe not...he's been known to jump across a river or two.

Seriously...I would have loved to gone to Ice Lake...but there is no way we could have jumped this river---it went straight down---

I am not that brave.

We did get a nice view of the lake on our hike.

I "hiked" with my new camera and took a picture of everything I saw.

And when we were going down the steep, steep, small trail on the side of a cliff, the Handyman held out his hand to me and I said,  "save my camera before you save me."  He just shook his head.

I am going to enter this in to Souper Sundays hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.

It's a great round-up of soups (and sammi's and salads).

I've been away, and I've missed it.

Summer Ends

I will not be around this weekend....we are actually leaving, as I write this, for our family cabin in the forest. I'm very excited to go, mostly because the Handyman and I will be alone for 4 whole days. It's going to be kind of weird. But nice. We will hike and read books and experiment with my new camera, and maybe the Handyman will do some fishing, and maybe I'll make a big pot of soup. We'll go into town and have lunch at a micro-brewery, where they serve fish and chips with salmon as the fish. I'll buy postcards and write notes to my friends, telling them what a good time I'm having. I will be without cell phone service and internet service....so, I won't be around the blogging world.



I tell you this, not because I think I'll be missed that much in a few days, but I will miss out on a few of the challenges, memes or posts that I love the most:
I Heart Cooking Clubs ( I was too lazy this week and didn't get a post up), Weekend Cooking (I'll be cooking, but not blogging) Cookbook Sundays (I'll be gone) and It's Monday What are You Reading (I'll be gone).


I'll be back to participating the next week tho.... and will finally have my Tinga post up.
(that's sounds funny---if you don't know that Tinga is a Mexican taco or tostado filling made with chicken or pork)


Have a good Holiday.
 
I will leave you with big bumblebees ....  I was trying to get a good shot.  I'll keep working on it.

Books

Last night I started to pack for our long weekend in the woods. I didn't grab jeans and a sweatshirt, nor my flannel jammies, no... I grabbed books.



The Handyman and I then had a discussion.


He said: What are you doing?

I said: Picking books to take with us this weekend. How many are you going to take?

He said: One. (I must have looked disappointed because he then said) How many do you think I will read this weekend?

I said: a 1/4 of one.


He said: How many do you think you'll read this weekend?


I said: Two or three.


He said: So, you only need to pick three from those 5 in your hands.


He is such a spoilsport!!


This morning, while enjoying a good cup of coffee,  I finished "Will Grayson, Will Grayson".    It's a great YA book by John Green and David Levithan.


My favorite line, didn't actually come from the story tho, but from the acknowledgements at the end of the book (by the way...these guys are funny!)


But this acknowledgement  is not to be taken lightly.....


We acknowledge that being the person God made you, cannot separate you from God's love.


I just love that statement so much, I had to share it this morning.

It's Monday, what are you Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading?
This weekly recap is hosted by Shelia of One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we recap what we’ve read and look at what’s coming up this week. If you’re interested head over to Shelia’s site and get involved!




Last week I wanted your help with choosing what to read next. I didn't pay attention to most of you (sorry--must be why my  husband doesn't like to play that game with me either) ....I went with my daughter-in-law's suggestion and read "Mockingjay". I read it in 24 hours...a great ending to a great trilogy of books. But it made me sad to finish it. I guess that's the sign of a good book, isn't it? To leave you wanting more? It would be really bad if you read a book and thought, "wow, I'm glad that's over" (which honestly I have thought about a book or two in my lifetime).

Anyway....Mockingjay left me wanting more. It was very good and I'm glad I read it. Sorry it's over.


Then I picked up and started "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" which was in my TBR pile, so this week I'll finish that one. I put it on hold after one chapter to finish "Eye of My Heart", edited by Barbara Graham.








You all know about "Mockingjay", no one needs another glowing review from me about that book... but let me tell you about "Eye of My Heart" 27 writers reveal the hidden pleasures and perils of being a grandmother.


Fact #1: I am a grandmother.


Fact #2: I love being a grandmother. I've never been one of those women who are uncomfortable with it. It's a natural (for the most part--I do realize some people have to deal with infertility, and some have chosen not to have children for various reasons, but that's another story) progression of our lifetimes. So, yes, I do love it.  I want to be who I am, and part of that is a Gramma.


Fact #3: I have 3 sons and 1 stepson, so all the grandmothering I do is from the paternal grandmother position, and....I have been extremely fortunate to have the daughter-in-laws I have. I can say, and play and do most anything with my grandchildren. I will always try to honor and respect their parents wishes/rules of course, but for the most part, I think we all agree--I AM A WONDERFUL GRAMMA!! ha ha ha.....

So, when I picked up this book of essays (well, my friend Karen sent it to me) I sobbed thru half the stories. These were women who knew what it felt like to be a Grandma. The being in love part. In love with your grandchildren...


one author wrote: I have been in love with my husband for 45 years, but when I look at him, I don't see the pure wonder of life or think about keeping him safe from nuclear proliferations as I do when I look at (grandson) and (grandson)


Another wrote: I am clear about my role. I am the Nonna, not the mom. (son) and (daughter in law) have a right to raise their family the way they want. They have the privilege of instilling their values, and teaching the children what they consider to be good and beautiful. My role is to love them unconditionally and with total acceptance.


That's how I feel...about all my grandchildren.
The book has essays by grandma's who have traditional roles, are raising their grandchildren, are estranged from their children, who have adopted grandchildren.....it's a good read. For Grandmas.

This week, I'll finish up Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and then....then...at the end of the week, the Handyman and I are headed up to Oregon to the family cabin. And the best part is: we are going to be ALONE. (I might be a gramma, but I'm still excited to be alone with my man)


We are taking some books, we will take some hikes, we will eat good food, we will practice with my new camera. Maybe we'll go out on the lake. I'm so excited. I can read in the car, so I'll maybe do a book on the way up there and a book on the way back home. I will take my TBR pile and read from it.... The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, The Curse of the Spellmans, etc. etc.


It's gonna be a good week.

Monday Morning

Yesterday morning, my son and I drove 165 miles to go to church. (it rained the whole way). We went to hear my daughter-in-law give a sermon. She is the new director of Children and Youth ministries at Reno First United Methodist Church, and the Pastor was on vacation, so Sadie got to give her first sermon at that church.  (she did an awesome job by the way)

It's a gorgeous church...the oldest one in Reno. It is on the Stained Glass tour that the arts council of the city of Reno does each year. And rightly so....look at this stained glass!!!


I've been in this church a few times. I noticed the beautiful stained glass and the beautiful pipe organ and the beautiful stone work. At lunch after church, my son says, those faces popping out of the wall creep me out.
I said, "what faces?" I didn't notice any faces. My daughter-in-law laughed and said, "yeah, what is really creepy is that those were actual faces of children, 60 years ago, and some of them are still members of the church and are sitting in the pews each Sunday."
And I was still saying "WHAT FACES? I didn't see any faces!"
And then I got home and downloaded my pictures onto the computer.

(can you see them?) It's still a gorgeous church. I want to go there, but 165 miles one way to church is a bit much for me. I've never been an organ fan--I prefer the piano, until.....until I head the pipe organ. The acoustics are (insert a singing voice here) woooonderrrfullll! Everyone sounds good when they sing in that church.


I took this picture too, from inside the church, because it was raining out and it looked so green from inside. Anything that looks green in Nevada, I take a picture of.

I'll be back later in the day for "It's Monday, what are you reading".

Corn with Cream for Cookbook Sundays

The pictures I took, were all about the Tinga (which was great and I'll post the recipe for that later in the week), but this post is about "Cookbook Sundays", which means it is the corn...it's really all about the "Corn with Cream". Even tho the Tinga (taco filling) is prominent in a couple of these pictures.






The history of my love for the corn--because I really, really do have a love for this corn:


4 years ago, my son was in a car accident in Phoenix, AZ. The Airbag hit his eye left eye and pretty much destroyed it. I flew down a couple of times, when he had different surgeries and doctors appointments. After one surgery, he was asleep (sitting up--he had to sleep sitting up because of his eye pressure) and I heard a little bell, like the ice-cream man had. My son, Luke, woke up and said, "its the Corn Man mom...go get some corn, it's really good."
So I did. And my son was right. It was really good! The Corn Man sells Mexican creamed corn from a food cart.
If you are ever in Mexico, or the southern United States, where there might be a large Mexican population and see the corn man...GO BUY CORN FROM HIM. It's worth it.


2 1/2 years ago, at the same son's wedding, his mother-in-law made all the food for the reception. It was "real" Mexican food. And she made corn. It was the Corn Man's corn. It was so good.




Present day:
I asked my daughter-in-law for the recipe and she gave it to me, but I can't find it. I've misplaced it.
So....I found a recipe for "Corn with Cream" in my cookbook "The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking".


It says in Mexico this recipe would be made with heavy cream but the sauce has a better consistency when made with cream cheese.
So....it's not quite as authentic as the Corn Man, or My daughter-in-law's mother's recipe, But it was really, really good.

This recipe turned out a bit thicker than the Corn Man's. I might try it with heavy cream next time, because even tho I loved this recipe, I loved the Corn Man's more.   And in the recipe my daughter-in-law gave me, one roasted the chilies then diced them. In this one, you used canned, diced chilies. Easier, but not quite authentic.
Still...I would make this again, and again, and again. If I can't have the Corn Man in Winnemucca, NV, this is the next best thing!


One more cookbook in my cookbook countdown, crossed off the list. Still, over 200 to go.  ( I must quit buying them, or my count will never really go down)

Corn with Cream
adapted from "The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking"


4 ears of corn (or fresh frozen corn)
1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, chopped
2/3 cup drained, pickled jalapeño chili slices
2/3 cup creamed cheese
salt and pepper


Strip of the husks of corn and slice kernels off with a knife, cutting as close to the core as possible.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the onion has softened and is translucent.
Add the corn kernels and cook for 4-5 minutes, until they are just tender. Chop the peppers fine and stir them into the corn mixture.
Stir in the cream cheese. Cook over low heat until melted and the corn is coated in the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Cherry Pies in a Jar

The grocery store that I shop at puts out a quarterly magazine with recipes and entertaining ideas, promoting their products of course, but sometimes they have really good recipes, and since I had the day with nothing to do, I thought I would try out these little "Cherry Pies in a Jar".



Mine did not turn out looking exactly like the ones in the magazine (Raley's/Nob Hill  Supermarket, in-store free magazine )

 but, they are as easy as pie--pun intended--and quite tasty. Truthfully tho, when I make them again---and I will---I will just put some cherry pie filling in there and forget the jam, etc. UNLESS, you have...

BRANDIED CHERRIES from a friend in Montana. YAY---THE CROWD ROARS!


My friend, Karen from "Karen Cooks" sent me a gift box which included her brandied cherries. Just because she's nice like that. She says the cherries are great over vanilla ice-cream. I believe her, but they are also good in these little cherry pies. I didn't have quite enough canned cherries to fill the recipe ingredients, so I opened the brandied cherries and added some of them.  VERY yummy.

I will definitely be making these again, because now I have the jars, and they are just cute. As you can see, mine didn't "overflow" from the jar, but we just plopped a scoop of ice cream on top and ate them as is. I had taken them to a pinochle party (I don't even know how to play pinochle, but they're trying to teach me--sigh) and it was so fun to screw the lids on, place them in a bag and take them out again. Talk about easy travel!!

My gifts from Karen! Some Hot sauce---I'm making a Mexican dish called Tinga, and will post about that soon, and I'm making some waffles to use the jam with soon. Karen's gift! 3 food posts. How neat is that?
 
Cherry Pies in a jar
 
2 heaping cups canned or fresh pitted cherries--juice drained
1/4 cup Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 refrigerated pie crust
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray 4 wide mouth, half pint canning jars, or 4 1-cup ramekins, with non-stick cooking spray.
 
Stir together cherries, preserves, cornstarch and lemon juice.
 
Unroll crust on a floured surface and roll into a 12-inch circle.  Cut into fourths, triming edges to make a  5-inch squares.  Place in the bottom of each jar.
 
Place equal amounts of filling in each jar.   Use remaining crusts to make lattice tops over the  jars.
 
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned. Let cool before serving.
 
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I sprinkled some sugar on the crusts before baking them.  And I wasn't so precise in the crusts...I just eyeballed what I wanted.  And that's why they are so easy.  Like I said,  I would just use some pie filling next time and call it good.  And serve them at a  party. 
In fact, I'm going to plan a party right now.So...here is the deal. You can go to Karen's blog and get her brandied cherry recipe and use those in lieu of the canned cherries you get at the store---it's a special treat, let me tell ya.