Beef & Wild Mushroom Stew

Finally December 20th and it’s downright chilly in Texas.  Yesterday it was 78* and last night a fierce wind shuttled in a cold front dropping temps to the low 30’s and highs in the 40’s*.  It feels like Christmas!  

Thumbprint Butter Cookies

I promise I’m almost done posting cookie recipes.  If the Christmas season wasn’t bearing down on me it’d be easier to make or bake something besides cookies.  Truthfully, I made these cookies a while ago but have been waiting to share them until Christmas Cookies were on your minds.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

Now with the madness of the cookie swap over my man, Dan reminded me that it simply would not be Christmas without the smell of chocolate chip cookies wafting from my oven.  Chocolate chip cookies are a favorite my family, especially Miss T.  As my man, Dan drove to pick up Miss T and haul her, along with her 2 goldfish and their 10 gallon tank, home for the holidays, I baked a surprise for them.  

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

Honey, Orange & Ginger Cookie

I‘ve decided that baking cookies, while playing Christmas carols and raising money for kids with cancer is at the top of my “favorite things” list this year.  I was utterly thrilled when I discovered The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Bourbon Pecan Pie

“Bourbon Pecan Pie“,  ’nuff said!  It seems pecans are a favorite holiday nut.  I know around The Orange Bee we like them in many ways, spiced, sugared, toasted, in cookies, cakes, breads and especially in this pie.  My man Dan wouldn’t consider it a holiday without a Bourbon Pecan Pie.  

Honey Beer Bread

If  you know me at all you know I’m continually looking for a way to blend honey into my recipes.  It’s a cinch to drench a biscuit with honey, stir a spoonful into my tea, pour it over my yogurt or simply dip a finger into the jar and lick!  

In My Kitchen

December 2, 2012 – In My Kitchen

Today the temperature in north Texas is 78*.  The air conditioner is running, I am wearing flip-flops and did I say, “it is December 2”!  Crazy Texas weather…. we spent our day hanging Christmas lights in shorts and flip-flops.

I enjoyed participating in Fig Jam and Lime Cordial’s “In My Kitchen” so much last month that I’m doing it again for December.

Bouquet Garni

Fragrant Bouquet Garni

My house is filled with the aroma of smoked something…….   I found myself with a smoked turkey carcass with which to make some homemade broth.   I decided to add a “Bouquet Garni” to the mirepoix to add some flavor other than the smokey one.  My bouquet consisted of

Root Soup

Image courtesy of “Draw Day To Day.blogspot.com

 “Wow, I am so happy to back at my desk, punching the keyboard and visiting with you!  I trust you all had a warm and thankful holiday last week, complete with too much food, friends and family gathered ’round and maybe a football game or two.  The Orange Bee kitchen was abuzz with long time friends and family, two turkeys with all the trimmings and pies galore.  My masterpiece may well have been the homemade German Chocolate Cake I make for my man Dan on his birthday every year.  This year his birthday fell a couple of days after Thanksgiving, and the cake disappeared quickly with our house full of company.  I’m now moving forward with thoughts of sugar plums dancing in my head.

I like to get past Thanksgiving before I dive into Christmas.  Have you started your shopping?  I admit today and just today I began to purchase a few gifts online. The words “free shipping” are music to my ears and everything I ordered today is shipping free of charge.  Now that’s something to be thankful for, even though Thanksgiving has come and gone.

With all the stuffing I did, you know from my plate to my mouth last week,  I thought a simple bowl of soup might be a good way to move forward.  A bowl full of healthy, fiber filled root veggies.  With the arrival of cooler weather root vegetables are abundant. Weaving their way into upcoming celebrations they’ll be showing up in soups, stews, casseroles and pies. Rich in flavor, vitamins, and dietary fiber, root vegetables are the perfect choices now. Carrots, rutabaga, beets and turnips are true roots, taproots, to be exact, and boast striking shades of Merlot, orange, and purple. Ivory-colored parsnips have their own charm. Sweet and other potatoes,tuberous roots, also come in a variety of colors from burnt orange to pale orange, yellow, red and white.

As a way of disguising some of the ingredients I’m simply calling it “Root Soup”.  Some people around here might be afraid of a parsnip!  I’m feeling pretty fabulous after savoring a bowl of this soup for dinner and again the next day for lunch al fresco.  Cooler fall weather is upon us, but in Texas that means lovely warm days to enjoy the great outdoors with falling leaves all around.

Enjoy!

Root Soup

Root Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 large onions, halved and sliced (about 5 cups)
• 4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 4 parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cups)
• 2 14 1/2 ounce cans (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 3 large red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 1/4 cups half and half
• 1/4 cup Marsala
• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 15 minutes. Add carrots and parsnips and cook 10 minutes. Add 2 cans of broth, potatoes, parsley and thyme. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

  Puree half of soup in processor. Mix purée into remaining soup in pot. Stir in half and half and Marsala. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly and serve.

  recipe adapted from Epicurious

 

A Story About Mushrooms

I have a story about mushrooms to share with you.  We love mushrooms at The Orange Bee.  We like them sauteed in butter and garlic, in salads, served with pasta and parmesan, baked, roasted, marinated, grilled, you name it.  Miss T is particularly fond of mushrooms and always has been.  When she was a little girl her favorite way to eat them was raw, not cooked.