Sheridan and Allen.

So I’ll be the first to admit that I have a fascination with creating from scratch. And I love the idea of making something at home instead of buying it at the store. Additionally, I have a perhaps unhealthy obsession with Mason Jars, which surprisingly enough, I can’t even blame on Pinterest. I don’t let myself go there.

When I heard friends talking about making homemade Irish Cream, I knew I had to try it, and what better time of year than mid-March.

I sorted through a few recipes and found one on Saveur. Have to give credit, and thanks, where it is due! I made a few modifications, and was really happy with the results.

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp. cocoa powder
• ³⁄₄ cup Irish whiskey (I used Tullamore Dew, and thought it was perfect)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Combine a splash of the cream with the espresso and cocoa powders until smooth. Slowly whisk in the remaining cream. Add the whiskey, vanilla, and milk, and combine well. Pour into a large Mason Jar and refrigerate. Enjoy it over ice, or in coffee.

Such a simple name for such a wonderful soup. Best on cold winter nights.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 pound of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8-10 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or (1 1/2 tbsp dried)
• salt & pepper to taste

In a dutch oven on top of the stove, cook the celery, carrots, and onion in a few tablespoons of bacon drippings or a few tablespoons of butter. Cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Add potatoes and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the bacon, and pour in the chicken broth. If it doesn’t cover the potatoes, add a bit more, or some water until the potatoes are just covered. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, make the roux. Melt the 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, and then whisk in the milk slowly. Add the tarragon and the parsley, and continue to stir. Bring the mixture to a boil. It will start to thicken.

Once the potatoes are tender, add the roux and stir to combine. Puree about half the soup, and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Sloppy Joes were almost ruined for me by school lunches. Sloppy Joe days were never good days. The acrid smell filled the hallways. The bright orange grease soaked into everything it touched, whether it was a mealy bun or whatever sweater I had worn that day. I felt like it was an excuse to use up whatever hamburger was left over from the (american) chop suey two days before. I remember seeing Manwich commercials, and thinking that those looked so much better than what the school offered, but whenever I asked my Mom about them in the store she dismissed them. I think she was suspicious of meat in a can, but she  always let us get vienna sausages so there goes that theory.

The first time I made real, honest to goodness Sloppy Joes I fell a little bit in love. I also felt like I had been robbed of something wonderful as a child. But there’s time to make up for it. Here’s my version.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 green pepper – diced
• 1 small onion – diced
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt & pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off the fat.

Add in the green pepper and the onion and stir to combine. Let it cook for a minute or so, and then add 1/2 cup of water. Mix in the garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, mustard, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce along with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and season as necessary.

To serve, split fresh rolls and heap spoonfuls on at least one side. For additional decadence, put a slice of provolone cheese on the roll before you cover it with the Sloppy Joe mix. You can try to eat it with your hands, but it will be, wait for it… sloppy.

I think Allen put it best. When I made this for dinner, he said “Before this, you couldn’t have convinced me that fresh pasta made a difference. But this is really good!” And surprisingly enough, it was also easy. Perhaps too easy.

Giada does it right. I’m just keeping this recipe here for posterity.

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 egg yolks
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Put the flours, the egg yolks, and the salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil. Then do the same with 1/2 cup or so of water. Essentially you want to add the water slowly until the dough forms a ball in the food processor. It’s okay to add more water if the dough isn’t coming together. If the dough looks too dry, it needs more water. Add it a bit at a time.

Pull the dough out and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead it for 5 minutes or so. Place it in a covered bowl and put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to make the pasta, cut the dough into quarters and shape them into long flat pieces before running them through the pasta roller.

Because sometimes comfort food needs to be on the menu. Winters are cold, and as much as I try to cook whole, clean foods, sometimes I have to give in, and the siren’s song of the Tater Tot is hard to resist.

• 1 package of Tater Tots – 32 oz
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (divided)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a casserole dish by spraying it with olive oil. I used a 2.5 quart round casserole dish, but you could also use a 13 x 9 pan.

Place 25 tater tots in the bottom of the casserole and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes. They need to be soft enough so that you can smash them into a layer that covers the bottom of the dish.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and the onion in a skillet. Drain and discard the grease. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine the milks, and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

Add the ground beef to the casserole dish and spread to cover the layer of smashed tater tots. Then pour the cheese soup mixture over the beef, and cover the cheese mixture with the rest of the tater tots. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the tater tots.

Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the tater tots are crispy on top. This should take 30-40 minutes.

  Our First Christmas!

There’s nothing that says Merry Christmas quite like
a thousand yard stare and a Cher impression.

I’ve never done a personalized card before and I’m pretty sure Al could say the same. We’re sentimental saps, though, so we knew we wanted to do one.

(It’s probably safer to say that I knew I wanted one, and Al went along because he’s good like that.)

We had a lot of ideas, many of which involved a beautiful coating of snow outside. With the weather being uncooperative, we had to come up with other options. The lights in the picture are the old fashioned, non-led ones that get surface-of-the-sun hot in less than a minute and when we first tried to take the picture I left them on until Al said “They’re burning me.”

So I tried to set the timer on the camera, plug the lights in and duck into the lights Al was holding. I wasn’t quite quick enough the first time, and the result is the picture you see here.
We were VERY tempted to use it for the card.

Maybe next year.

Walking hand in hand through this place is something I’ll never forget.

http://www.themaineedge.com/adventure/a-rock-and-a-hard-place

We planned on going to Canada for our honeymoon. I had crazy visions of us road tripping throughout all of the Maritimes, from St. Andrew’s to Cape Breton. I imagined how freeing it would feel to wander around Canada, without anything to worry about and without any reason to rush. I was completely right in some regards, as we had a great time relaxing and enjoying just being with each other. But I had no idea how tired I would be, and the furthest we got was Muncton. Evidently, putting a wedding together takes a lot out of a girl!

We left Cherryfield on the afternoon of the 8th, and headed for St. Andrew’s. We didn’t have far to go (thank goodness) but Dunkin’ Donuts was a necessary stop along the way.

We made it to St. Andrew’s in time to get checked in to the hotel and have a quick nap before drinks and dinner on the golf course. As you can see, I’m an old fashioned kind of girl.

I recognize that I look a little crazy. I blame the previous two weeks. But don’t worry, I’m better now.

Lots of them. More to come!

The Wedding & the Wedding Party.

At midnight on July 6th (the night before the wedding), we were putting tables together by the light of a dear friend’s car as the battery in mine had already died. It was hard to see where everyone was in the tent, but I distinctly remember hearing someone say “I’ve never been doing this the night before a wedding…” Shortly after that, we called it a night.

Backing up a bit, having the wedding in Cherryfield and the reception in my parents’ backyard meant that life in the Kelley household was anything but normal leading up to the big day. There was a plan. But of course things had to change. Sometimes when you mow a field for a tent you discover a giant pit in what you thought was level ground. Sometimes the diesel canister is mistaken for a gas canister. Sometimes the tent stakes are already pounded in when it’s decided that the tent has to move to a new location. Sometimes there are a limited number of granny smith apples available in the greater Cherryfield/Ellsworth area. Sometimes things, like the centerpieces, magically appear as you turn the corner in a box store. (I think a fair part of the wedding prep was sponsored by Chrissy’s minivan.) Sometimes the groom and his men have to spend a fair amount of the day before the wedding in search of anything Curious George related. Sometimes you get ready for your backyard reception during the hottest week of the year.

More on that later, but for now, you can take a look at a few pictures here!