Gosh Darn if She Didn't Do it Again!!

Leave it Ina.  Another great cookbook.  

I finally made it to Barnes and Noble today to pick up  my copy of "Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics" cookbook.  I had been planning to download it to my Kindle, but it wasn't available for Kindle....which didn't make me happy since I was excited about having cookbooks on there, so when I travel....well you get the picture.  A perfect application, but once again, no one consulted me.

I digress.

So I spend the afternoon scanning every recipe and I'm excited to get started on these.  I dog-eared more pages than not, but some of the highlights for me were....

....."juice of a few flowers" which is a yumming sounding cocktail

....."lobster corn chowder" - I've never been disappointed with an Ina soup

....."cape cod chopped salad" which sounds like a fabulous fall salad

....."warm butternut squash roasted salad with warm cider vinaigrette" ...tell me your mouth didn't start watering just reading that one

....."truffled filet of beef sandwiches"....beef and truffles in the same dish

....."roasted turkey roulade" which is a stuffed turkey breast that I will be making for Thanksgiving....we never eat a whole turkey

....."french chocolate bark"....I'll be making this over the holidays

....."brownie pudding"  does this even need a comment???

So that's just a taste (you wish) of what's in this book.  I lost a bet on the Penn State - OSU game so I have to cook some good friends dinner.  I now have some new material!!

Go get this book, people.

Now.

Bananas!!

So I'm cleaning out my library yesterday (STILL inputting books) and I find this recipe card in one of the books for Banana Bread.  Now this is written in my own hand writing and, of course, when I copied it (because I certainly didn't make it up) I didn't give the author any credit.  My  best guess is that it's probably an old recipe of my Mom's but I can't be certain.  If you're reading this and I stole it from you.....thanks!!

Anywho, I made it yesterday because (1) I had old bananas, (2) Charlotte LOVES banana bread, and most importantly (3) I was in the mood!!

Good call because it was delish...

Here's the recipe (it's beyond simple)

1 cup sugar

8 tablespoons unsalted butter - room temperature

2 large eggs

3 ripe bananas

1 tbsp milk (I used cream....so shoot me)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon  baking soda

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter a loaf pan

Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beat well after each one.

In a small bowl, mash bananas with a fork.  Mix in milk and cinnamon.  In another bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt.  Add banana mixture to the butter mixture,  mix well, and then add the dry ingredients and mix well.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool.  Remove from pan and slice.  

Things I'm Loving Today...

.....that I found a new Pilates instructor and I can't wait to try her out.  It's been two years and two weeks since my old one moved to New Mexico (can you tell I was traumatized?)  and my body has not been the same since!  I took a private lesson three days a week for two years and I don't think I ever felt better than during that time, so to say I'm excited about getting back into it is an understatement.  I'll keep you posted!

.....Mike Singletary.  How refreshing.....making employees accountable.....new concept to athletes.

.....my new Kindle (even though I'm having a little trouble with it).  It's been a long time since I've jumped on an Oprah bandwagon, but I think she's on to something here.  I've seen this little gadget on Amazon for months, but never took a really close look until I was watching Oprah last week and she went on and on and on and on....as only Oprah can do when she finds something she loves.  I've got to agree with her on this one.  It's an electronic reader, but it's better than anyone I've seen before and way cool.  This will do for my book/newspaper/magazine clutter what the ipod did for my cd clutter.....eliminate it.  And that excites me as anyone who knows  me, knows that I kind of enjoy my books and magazines.  A lot.  Which brings me to another thing I'm loving....

.....Librarything.com to inventory all of my books.  You all know about my wine issues.  Well, the book problem is worse (but not quite as intoxicating...hahahaha).  I have NO idea how many I have, but they're all over my house, so I've decided to at least inventory them so I know what I have (and get rid of what I've read or don't want) and librarything.com is the easiest place to do this.  If you like to know what you have (and also read real reader's reviews) this is the place for your.  I've tried other on-line sites like this one, but I think this is the best.  My plan is to get them all inventoried and then delete them as I read them until I no longer have any books in my house!!  They'll all be on my Kindle.  :)

.....my "Life is Good" snuggle socks.  The weather has finally cooled off in Bama, and I HATE cold feet.  These awesome socks/slippers keep my feet warm and snuggly.  Love them.

ESPN Called.....

.....and offered me a job!!  

They want me to become a regular contributor on "Mike and Mike in the Morning".....specifically on the segment "Predictions Sure to go Wrong".

I accepted.

As Donna would say....Eeeek

Eeeeeek.  Heading into the night games, my picks are looking like dog doo-doo.  As Mr. B said.."I think you picked with your heart and not your head."  Well, maybe.

Michigan, Oklahoma St., LSU....I'm definitely on a roll....directly down hill.

If this pattern continues into this evening, I'm gonna be REALLY pi$$ed.

Cocktail Saturday!

I saw this recipe in the November issue of Bon Appetit and it sounded like a great Fall cocktail....and it is!

I will say, however, that this is only as good as your apple cider.  I do wish I could go to the Franklin Cider Mill in Michigan for some of the best cider made (but I'd have to get some fresh donuts while I was there and we know I don't need to be doing that!).  So, get the best cider you can find.

                                     

Northwood #2

(makes 2)

3 tablespoons gold rum

2 tablespoons brandy

1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider (I doubled this!)

1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (preferably B Grade).....I only found "A"...don't know if that's better or not!!

3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Ice Cubes

2 thin apple slices

Combine first 5 ingredients in a cocktail shaker:  fill with ice.  Cover and shake vigorously until cold.  Strain into 2 coupe (?) glasses.  Cut slit in each apple slice and attach to rim of each glass.

I served these with freshly toasted pumpkin seeds (that I scraped out of two pie pumpkins that I'm gonna roast later this afternoon....I hadn't scraped a pumpkin since I was a kid!!)  tossed in olive oil, salt and a little soy sauce.....yummy!

UPDATE***In a surprise turn of events, Miss Charlotte loved the pumpkin seeds....so those get a boost...and Mr. B loved the cocktail (and he's not a cocktail drinker).  Double success.  I do have to recommend this cocktail to my father....I think you'd love it, Pop!

Gameday

Gameday is in the 'bus and there's a huge case of Scarlet Fever....baby!!

OK...that was a bit cheesy, but Kirk is back where he belongs....where everyone loves him.  College Gameday is in Columbus for the PSU-OSU showdown....which will actually become a smackdown when the Bucks expose the fact that PSU has not yet beaten a quality opponent.....only one team in the top 30.

That's my prediction for the best.....now on to the rest...

Alabama vs. Tennessee.......sing along with me..."Rocky Top, you'll always be......."

Notre Dame vs. Washington

Georgia vs LSU

Oklahoma State vs. Texas....If OSU can stay close in the second half, they pull the upset

Michigan vs. Michigan State....MSU is still the "little brother"

USC vs. Arizona

And, not to piss off my Auburn friends, but did you see the "mighty SEC" get schooled by the pitiful Big East on Thursday night???  

Enjoy your football Saturday, everyone!

Go Bucks!

Start the Letter Writing

If you're one of the "ladies" that likes to write letters every year when our team wins the league, get your pencils sharpened and find a stamp!!

Congrats to my (they're not really "mine", I guess) 5.3 Softcourt team for winning the Fall league.  We played our last match yesterday against the only other undefeated team and pulled out a 11-5 win.  It was a tough one and everyone played great on what was not an easy day to play....quite chilly (for Bama) and windy.

I've decided on having the annual tennis party in the Spring, so we'll celebrate then!  Thanks again for a great season, everyone.

You can see the rest of the pictures if you click on "my gallery of pictures".

Barefoot Bloggers....Vegetable Pot Pie

I have to admit that I was not excited about this recipe choice and seriously considered sitting this one out.  However, when I started this little venture, I told myself that I had to make them ALL....even the ones that didn't particularly appeal to me.  

So why was I not excited about this??

First of all, I LIKE MEAT....a lot.  Anything related to vegetables are just meant to be an accompaniment to my MEAT.  So when I saw that this recipe had no MEAT, I was, well, sad.

So, I added MEAT (that's the last time, I promise).

And it made it better....I'm sure of it.  

The only other point of concern for this recipe was making my own pastry.  I don't like to make pastry.  Just ask my mother.....when she comes here for Thanksgiving or Christmas every year, her one duty is to make pie crusts for my freezer.  I kid you not.   It intimidates me.

Which explains why I used the ever appropriate Pillsbury pie crusts in a box.  I know, I know, Ina would not approve, but she'll get over it.

OK that was a rather long-winded explanation to what turned out to be a killer pot pie.  This one is a keeper.  As I mentioned, I added chicken (Fresh Market rotisserie).  I also added mushrooms (I sauteed those with the fennel and onions) and I eliminated the Pernod (I didn't have any, and figured since it was just a tablespoon, no one would notice) and the frozen onions (couldn't find those at FM).  I started out with the suggested amounts of all of the veggies, but because I added chicken and mushrooms, I didn't end up using all of them....there would not have been enough sauce.

I also used individual ramekins instead of the bigger bowls suggested.  I knew a ramekin size serving would be perfect for myself and Donna (my official BB taste tester).

I made four of them thinking I'd have enough for lunch tomorrow, but Charlotte and Connally showed up and finished off the last two....and I mean finished!  I always know something is good, if Charlotte will actually eat the whole thing.  Success.

So, for all of the procrastination, this was a huge success.  It was the perfect dinner on what was the first really chilly day in Alabama.  I would absolutely make this again....possibly for a dinner party, served with a great salad. 

Thanks to Ina (as always, "perfect") and to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen for choosing this. 

Here's the recipe:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2 cups sliced, yellow onions (2 onions).....I used one white onion....forgot to get yellow

1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups good chicken stock

1 tablespoon Pernod......eliminated this

Pinch saffron threads

1 1/2 teaspooons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/2 cups large diced potatoes (1/2 pound)

1 1/2 cups asparagus tips

1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4 inch diced carrots (4 carrots)

1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4 inch diced butternut squash

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound)....I eliminated this

1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

For the pastry.....we know what happened here

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 more minute, stirring occasionally.  Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the heavy cream and season to taste.  The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes.  Lift out with a sieve.  Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes.  Drain well.  Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions and parsley to the sauce and mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour.  Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas.  With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together.  Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball.  Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls.  Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8 inch circle.  Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top.  Trim the circle to 1/2 inch larger than the top of the bowl.  Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick.  Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits  in the top.  Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Maybe they're not everything they seem!!

So, I'm doing my regular internet reading this morning and I head over to Buckeye Banter for the latest on my team....they're always right on top of things....and they have a little preview of the mighty Nittany Lions of Penn State.

Here's exactly what we have to be scared of this weekend.....

*  Since their admittance into the Big 10, Penn State is 0-7 in the 'Shoe.

*  While PSU is 8-0, only Oregon State and Illinois have winning records (both 4-3)

*  The combined record of their opponents is 22-35

And just to rub some salt in the wound....

*  Since 2002, 46 PSU players have faced 163 criminal charges

*  27 players have been convicted of or have plead guilty to a combined 45 counts!

OK...those last two points were probably unnecessary (but fun) to prove my point   of "Who really have the Lions played thus far?"  The "experts" seem to think they're the next team to be admitted into the SEC....that is until Ohio State beats them on Saturday, then it will be the same ole, same ole.....well if THE Ohio State University can beat them, they must not be that good.

Whatev.

I"M NOT SAYIN that we'll win, I"M JUST SAYIN we might!

Go Bucks

(and thanks Buckeye Banter for the info)

Happy Days Are Here Again!

Oh happy day....the Buckeyes found their offense!  It had been hiding in East Lansing.  Yipee!!  Sets up a major showdown next weekend in the Shoe...at night.  Can't wait for that one!!  Bring on the Nittany Lions.

No major upsets in any of the other games so far.  Michigan started out strong against Penn State, but their regular team showed up in the second half and PSU blew them out.  Bama had a slight scare against Ole Miss, but pulled out the win.  Texas seems to be in control of Mizzou right now and Les Miles is up on the Old Ball Coach in the second quarter....so....nothing major on this Saturday!

The lasagna was a major hit as was the pear and apple crisp....recommend that you make both of them.

All in all a pretty boring Saturday....kind of nice!

Have a great week.

TGIF

Big weekend in the works....the step-son is in town, Charlotte is not going to Auburn and Mr. B is home after a long week in Deutchland....looks like I'll be cooking!

It's finally supposed to cool down a little here in the South, which put me in a Fall mood, so I whipped up some of Ina's Pear and Apple Crisp....which is in the oven right now (and smells devine)...and while I'm watching Gameday tomorrow morning, the plan is to make a couple of pans of lasagna.   Makes you want to come to my house, huh!!

Speaking of Gameday, the Bucknuts have a big one tomorrow in East Lansing.  Personally, I think we're gonna get our shizzle together and pull it out.  There's been way too much jaw-jacking to the press this week by some of the upper classmen....which needs to cease immediately.  Support your quarterback and worry about your own assignments.  I have a feeling Senator Sweater Vest has already nipped that in the bud.

Anyhoo....I'm looking forward to another rockin football Saturday!

Here are the recipes for the Crisp and the Lasagna....enjoy and GO BUCKS!

The Barefoot Contessa's Apple and Pear Crisp

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)

2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)...I used Gala...I never have learned what apples are for what dishes...whatev

1 tsp grated orange zest

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks.  Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

For the topping:

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles.  Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering completely.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly.  Serve warm.

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This next one is from Barefoot Contessa Family Style and I usually take some liberties with this one.  The recipe calls for Turkey Sausage, but if I'm gonna make Lasagna....I'm gonna make Lasagna.  I supstitute a combination of hot Italian sausage, ground chuck and ground pork for the turkey.  If you prefer something with a little less calories, stick with the boring turkey.....see if I care!

Barefoot Contessa's Lasagna with Turkey Sausage

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large (10-12 inch) skillet.  Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water.  Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes.   Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablepoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 x 12 x 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish.  Then add the layers as follows:  half the pasta, half the mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

This is a great recipe all on it's own, but often times, I use my favorite jar sauce instead of making my own....it's basically just a time saver.

Chemical in Red Wine Cuts Flu Risk

Now these are headlines I like to read!!  Who needs a flu shot??

Seriously....I read this article today in my new Wine Spectator.  According to a new study published in the American Journal of Physiology, strenuous exercise increases susceptibility to the flu.  The study, completed by researchers at the University of South Carolina, also stated that a chemical found abundantly in red wine, quercetin, helps protect against influenza, especially after a rigorous respiratory workout.

So the only conclusion I can draw is if you must workout, have a glass of red wine after.

Hangin With the Big Boys

My hired help came through!!

Check out the pictures Pop took on his night hanging with baseball royalty while we were in Rhode Island.  On Saturday night at Carnegie Abbey, Mike Schmidt and George Brett hung out with the members watching the Boston-Tampa Bay playoff game.  They both told some stories and answered some questions....fun....and yes, George Brett talked about pine tar and hemorrhoids!! (baseball fans will know what I'm talking about!)

Turns out Mike Schmidt is a member of Carnegie Abbey and George Brett is a member of Exclusive Resorts!!  

Not bad lookin dudes, huh?

I think I'm offended???

Earlier this year, I had invited some of my tennis friends to join me at our place in Miami to attend the Sony Ericsson Open.  To thank me, they got me the cutest  Darling Mummy t-shirts.  I loved them (friends and shirts!) so I thought I'd get on the internet and see what else they offered.  

I found two cute tennis-related baseball caps and a tennis notepad.  I thought the notepads would make a fun treat for my tennis team, so I ordered 14 of them.  A couple of days later I received an email apologizing that the notepads were out of stock, but would I like 14 ballcaps at the same price?  I'll admit that this was a great offer, but about half of my team don't wear caps, so I declined and asked that they just take the notepads off my order.

OK....when I got home from vaca, the two caps I had ordered for myself had arrived.  However, this t-shirt was in there too.  

 

Hmmmm......a Freudian slip up?  

I can't possibly wear this in public.....too many people will agree with it.

So, I can't decide if I should be offended.....whatcha think?

Happy Birthday MIL

It's the MIL's birthday today!

Happy Birthday, Phyllis.  Hope you have a great day.

(hey, I  need all the brownie points I can get here, people!!!)

Cheers!

Good Samaritan

Thank you, thank you, thank you....to whoever it was that found my driver's license and mailed it back to me!!!  (They're probably not a reader....but thanks anyway)

As I told you, I misplaced this important little devil somewhere between my Alabama house and my Michigan house on October 3....and thus had somewhat of a panic attack on Sunday morning when it was time to fly to Rhode Island.

Everything turned out fine, but I was dreading going to the Bama license bureau and getting a new one (although a new picture would have been a good idea).

Problem solved!!!  

Happy day.

Random thoughts

Well....the Buckeyes recorded the victory, but it sure wasn't pretty.  Mr. Pryor needs to learn to get rid of the ball when he's in trouble and to quit hesitating.  We have to find some offense SOON.  We are on the road at MSU next weekend, and if we don't fix some things, we're in trouble.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Congrats to Sly Croom and Miss. St. for taking out Vandy....I know he's enjoying some ribs and tater salad right about now.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Texas/Oklahoma game was probably the most exciting of the day so far....not much defense on either side, but....

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I missed the call on the Michigan State and Northwestern game....we've got our work cut out for us next weekend in East Lansing.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I think these three remaining games this evening will have a huge impact on the rankings tomorrow.  Some decisive wins by LSU, Missouri, or Penn State could really shake things up.  Gonna be fun.

I love college football!!!

Gameday....and it's a packed one!

It's Red River Shootout day....baby!!  #1 vs. #5

Boomer Sooner!!  I'm taking Oklahoma in this one.  

The Oklahoma vs. Texas game is just the beginning of a jam-packed day of football. My bags are all packed to go home and I'm done being a tourist, so I'm parking my patootie in front of the TV today!  

Today's picks

North Carolina vs. Notre Dame (in the minor upset)

Ohio State vs. Purdue (this one shouldn't be close....I said shouldn't)

Arizona St. vs. USC

Northwestern vs. Michigan State

Florida vs. LSU (I'd be happiest if they'd both lose, but since that's not possible, I think Florida takes this one)

Tennessee vs. Georgia (FF Phillip Fulmer loses another one)

Penn State vs. Wisconsin (I need PSU to win this one, so when they come to the Shoe in a couple of weeks we can take down a top five team!!)

Oklahoma St vs. Missouri (This is my "out on the ledge" upset pick!!)

And for my buddy, Luke

Miss St. vs. Vanderbilt (Sylvester finds some offense and knocks Vandy off the top of the SEC East)

Barefoot Bloggers

I wasn't sure that I'd get this BB assignment finished since I'm on vacation this week, but things worked out and I'm avoiding and "incomplete"!!  OK...I'm a day late...again...but get over it.

This one was a HUGE success.  Such comments as "this might be the best risotto you've ever made".  And I have to agree, if I do say so myself.

I think the only thing I changed was substituting applewood smoked bacon for pancetta..which added a wonderful smokey flavor.  Oh, and I didn't have any shallots, so I used a 1/2 a white onion, but other than that.....

Delicious.

Here's the recipe:

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)

2 tbsp olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces pancetta, diced (I used applewood smoked bacon, 2 slices, diced)

1/2 cup minced shallots (I used 1/2 a white onion, diced)

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tsp saffron threads

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes.  You should have about 4 cups.  Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan.  Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch-oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned.  Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter.  Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.  Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.  Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes.  Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock.  Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.  Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and parmesan.  Mix well and serve.

As I said, this might be the best risotto I've ever cooked (and I've cooked some risotto!).  I'll absolutely be making this again.

Thanks to Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook for picking this recipe.  I'm not sure I would have made it if not for BB.

Y'all need to make this one!!

Walkin the Cliff

Today was one of those perfect Fall days (a little warm for my taste, but whatev...) about 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  We decided to head back into Newport and tackle the Cliff Walk.  The Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile trail along the Newport coastline and some of the city's most famous historic mansions also happen to be along the way. I have to say that the homes, views and weather made for a perfect morning walk.

These are the "40 Steps" which I read somewhere had significance, but I can't remember what it was or where I read it (sucks to be old)....I think it had to do with 40 sailors lost at sea, or some shizzle like that.  Google it yourself, if you're that interested!!
This (I'm pretty sure) is The Breakers, which was the Vanderbilts little pad.  They always have the best stuff.

This little "I just don't fit in" structure is a Chinese Tea House built for poor Mrs Vanderbilt.  As Mr. B always says, "Money can't buy you taste."  He's right, in this case.

And, just to prove that I actually do come on these vacations......

So....if I ever lived in Newport (which is not actually a possibility) I would almost certainly walk the Cliff Walk on a regular basis (if I could just get rid of all of the tourists!!)

Finally.....some lobster!

As I mentioned yesterday, we've been here all week and had not yet had any lobster....criminal.  That all changed today.  After the walk, we headed down to the Newport waterfront to the Black Pearl Restaurant for some of their famous clam chowder and some steamed lobster.  Nan was happy.

While the lobster was good, the clam chowder was amazing.  We've been tasting chowder at just about every restaurant this week and this was the overwhelming favorite.  Check out The Black Pearl's website at the above link....you can order your very own online!!

Chillin at Carnegie Abbey

After a fabulous day of cliff walking and lunching, it was back to the house to chill at Carnegie Abbey before Pop's big night at the club (more about that later).  The 'rents went for a little golf cart ride to check out the course and Mr. B and I headed down to the beach with some lounge chairs and a cooler!!  The northern Atlantic coastline reminds me a lot of the California coast....not as hilly as CA, but just as rocky.

Anyhoo, we enjoyed some Sam Adams and some ocean breezes and just chilled.

He was seeing if he could skip stones like back in the day.....doesn't work as well in the ocean!!

So, tonight while I'm busy making my Barefoot Blogger's Butternut Squash Risotto (a day late), Pop is heading up to the clubhouse at Carnegie Abbey to hobnob with the rich and famous!  Mike Schmidt and George Brett (former pro baseball players for those of you non-baseball types) are going to be hanging out up there watching the Boston/Tampa Bay playoff game with the club members.  How cool is that?  I've given Pop a "My Next Life" press pass and made him a temporary employee for the night.  He's supposed to take some pictures of the big shots to post on the blog.  We'll see if he earns a permanent position!

I'm actually a little worried about his safety.  Since moving to Florida, he's become a Tampa Bay fan.....and we're in Red Sox country.  Could get dicey....he's not exactly a quiet fan!!

No Tom Brady

Foxborough was on the way home today, and since we didn't get to see Fenway, we had to see where the Patriots play.  Winning the big one a couple of times must be lucrative, because this is quite the mack daddy set up the Patriots have.  Belichick is building his own little spying empire out here.

This place is impressive....shopping, restaurants, condos....the only thing missing to make my day complete was a little peek see of Tom Brady.  He must have been home with Gisele rehabbing that sore knee.  Lucky girl, that Gisele.

Boston Waterfront

After Harvard we headed across the Charles River to the city....did a little drive by of the Beacon Hill area, some of the other historic sites on the way to the harbor and what I guess is the Financial District.  (Can you tell, I'm not that into being a tourist??  I prefer to plop myself down at a fabulous restaurant in a new city....preferably outside...order some chow and a great bottle of wine and do some people watching....but not everyone thinks like me....)  So...we parked the car and walked around a bit.

Here's what we saw....

Tons of people at the Quincy Market...which Mr. B said is a lot more commercialized since the last time he was there about 20 years ago.  I reminded him that things tend to progress in 20 years.....everywhere except Cape Cod, that is.

We tried to have lunch down on the water at The Charter House where we were hoping to get Nan some lobster, but the dang place didn't serve lunch, so no lobster for Nan.  Can you believe it's Thursday already and we still haven't had any damn lobster??  So, we settled for this place.  It was o.k.

This a some of the Boston skyline.  I have to say, the portion of the city we saw was very clean and I enjoyed it.  Not sure what I was expecting, but after being in Cape Cod yesterday, this was a pleasant surprise.

I had to take a picture of this cocker spaniel playing in the little park area.  I know you can't really see him, but he reminded me of Kacee.

The 'rents walking off lunch.

So, all in all, I'd say it a good trip....much better than yesterday.  We didn't get to see Fenway Park....we tried, but Boston has some twisty roads that sometimes don't make much sense, so all we saw were the lights.  Oh well.

Havard

We finally made our way to Boston today to see the sights.  Our first stop was Cambridge and Harvard U.  I have to say....I feel a little smarter just for being there! It was really just your typical college town....maybe a few more Asian students, than say Ohio State, but that seemed to be the only difference.  :)  

Saw this church, and I don't know why, but I always like to take pictures of churches.  Don't necessarily like to go in....but....

This is the famous Harvard Yard (I must always say that with a New England accent)

.....Hahvahd Yahd (you know you just did, too)

This handsome fella is Mr. John Harvard himself....he who has the most cash at the time gets the school named after him!

Time Warp

I was all excited about today.  We had planned on spending the day exploring Cape Cod and all that it had to offer......which we soon found out was not much.  This place is in a time warp.....the blue eyeshadow type of time warp (it's worn in great abundance)  I was expecting beautiful oceanside communities with Kennedy types hanging out everywhere.  I saw NO ONE that even remotely resembled a Kennedy and there wasn't any structure that remotely resembled beautiful.  Hyannis reminded me of Pigeon Forge....only worse....if that's possible.  Tacky and touristy.

I'm bummed.

So we just headed back to Newport.  But we were starving so we stopped at this 5 Star establishment "The Aqua Grill" right on the harbor in the ever progressive town of Sandwich, Mass.   Yes, Virginia, there is a town named "Sandwich".  My female 'rent tried to tell me all about the historic things that happened in Sandwich, but frankly, I just didn't care.  I can tell you what hasn't happened in Sandwich, and that's any type of move toward the 21st century.  My day was a bust.

Tell me Boston will be better tomorrow.                                                                                       

Not again???

What is it with me and whacked out birds?  I had to leave Alabama to get away from the crazy cardinal at my bedroom window only to get to Rhode Island and have this weirdo show up in our driveway.  He was out there this morning continually beating his head against the mirror (he must have liked what he saw in there) but we took the car and were gone all day long.  We weren't home five minutes and the little dummy was back at it.

Can someone explain this to me????

Northeast Wine

While I knew that more and more wine is being produced in the U.S. outside of the Pacific Northwest, I hadn't really spent any time tasting much of it.  I did visit a very cool wine shop in Soho in NYC once that specialized in the wines of New York State, but that's about the extent of my experience.

So after our visit to Newport on Monday, we stopped here on our way back home and did a little tasting.  While none of the wines thrilled me, I did run across a couple of varietals that were new to me.

Have y'all heard of Seyval Blanc before??  Or Vidal Blanc??  Me, either!!  Both are grapes better suited to colder climates like here in the Northeast, but are grown as far south as Virginia.  Click on the links to educate yourself!!

That's all I can teach you today.....now go have a glass of wine!

I'm Identified

Thanks, Charlotte!  

It arrived yesterday, so I should be able to avoid the extra cavity search security line on Sunday!!

THIS is a Buckeye

For all of you Southerners who are constantly asking me "WTF is a Buckeye??"

Here is your answer.  We found these Buckeye nuts under the following Buckeye tree on the streets of Newport.

So there you go.....

America's Oldest Tavern

There's just no end to the historical moments you can have in the beautiful Northeast!! We ate lunch today at the White Horse Tavern in Newport....America's oldest tavern!  I'd never even thought about the fact that America had an oldest tavern....but, by golly we do!  And it wasn't bad!  

Here it is!

I know it looks like we were the only ones brave enough to eat in a place this old, but I swear there were other people there!!