Mushroom Risotto

 

 

Okay, this is a first for me. I am blogging from my iPad using the blogsy app.

So we shall see how it goes.

It's only taken me 3 hours to figure it out. Okay, maybe 2. Also, I used my new phone to take the pictures. I wanted to see how it did. Plus, I was too lazy to go upstairs for my camera.

I decided to make some risotto for my two guys for a Valentine treat. 

And I thought I'd show you how easy it is to make. 

#3 son has a cold and it's a real comfort food. 

No one makes it as good as my mom but I try to get close. The thing is, my mom does not have recipes. She sort of throws stuff together like a magician. I started with a recipe from the food network and tweaked it a bit. It calls for dried proccini mushrooms and my mom uses them as well. I just always seem to forget them. 

Here is what I usually use.

1 onion

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

2T of fresh thyme

2T fresh parsley (I had to use dried today)

2T butter

2 packs of mushrooms (I used a mix)

2 cups of arborio rice

White wine

Olive oil, salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

8 cups chicken broth, low sodium

I simmer the broth on the back burner while I sauté half of the chopped onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until translucent. Then I add the mushrooms, herbs and butter until browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Then I remove the mushroom mixture.

In the same pot I added two more tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the rest of the onions and garlic. Add the rice and stir quickly to break down the starch. Only for a minute or so. Then add about a half a cup of wine. Make sure you have some to sip as well because you'll be standing and stirring for a while.  

 Stir until the wine is absorbed. Then add one ladle of broth at a time, letting each one absorb before adding another. Keep the heat about medium so that it doesn't evaporate too quickly. 

 It will get thicker and creamier. You don't want it mushy, it should be a bit firm and very creamy.

Then add the mushroom mix back in. I leave out all the mushroom liquid because it muddies it. 

Add about half a cup of freshly grated cheese, stir til melted and you are done!

 Garnish with more cheese of course.

I've also used Romano pecorino. Which is why I like to use low sodium broth. Some cheeses are more salty. I do like to use fresh cheese and fresh herbs when I can. 

It is so good! 

 

Picture the Holidays

I have not been doing too well keeping up with my daily prompts.

It’s just so hard with so much that still needs to be done around here.

My boys will be home soon. Son #2 should be here in the next day or two.

Son #1 and his fiancé will be here Christmas Eve. It will be her first Christmas away from her 6 yr old son. He will be spending Christmas with his dad. I know it will be hard for her.

I hope we can help fill a little bit of the void.

So here are a few shots from my daily prompts.

Day 9:  It’s a Sign

I like to think I have a few angels watching over me. You?

Day 13: Simply Divine

Hubby brought me outside to show me what sprouted up in the middle of the lawn.

A lonely cosmo. I thought it was divine!

Day 16: The Season of Lights

Played with some bokeh.

Day 18: Recharge

A hot cup of tea and some homemade molasses cookies.

I made a couple of batches today and sent some to my mom. They are a good cookie to mail.

It’s a really easy and quick recipe so I thought I’d pass it along to you all.

I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com. It’s a great site and I use it all the time. I can save my recipes right there and even add notes to them.  It yielded more cookies for me then it stated. 

Here is the link to the recipe.

Crackle Top Molasses Cookies

I hope you’ll give them a try.

Have a great week! 

We’re in the final count down to the big day!

Happy Hour!

I originally wrote this post when I was a guest at 3 Sun Kissed Boys.
I'm in Atlanta this weekend so I thought I'd post it here for those of you that might have missed it. It's 5 o'clock somewhere right?
Don't forget, I'll be having a giveaway next week! 

I thought it would be fun to share a great summertime drink. I had a bunch of limes I needed to use up and some fresh mint that grows like a weed. What’s a girl to do?

Make Mojitos!

They are very easy to make. I looked up the recipe online and adjusted it to fit my taste. 

I used less sugar, so feel free to adjust.

Here is what I used:

2oz light rum

4 large mint leaves

1 T. of sugar

1 lime

club soda

ice

tall glass

I put the mint and sugar in the glass and then used the muddler to smash the leaves. 

This one is basically a pestle. Some are flatter on the bottom.

The sugar helps to break down the mint and release the oils.

Also, you should play the Bacardi Mojito song while doing this.

It’s just more fun that way.

Then I squeezed the juice from one lime into the glass and left half of it in there. Add the rum.

I sadly do not have a crushed ice setting on my icemaker. Big mistake on my part not realizing that when I picked out the refrigerator. So I do it old school with my mallet. Just put the ice in a freezer bag and use the flat side of the mallet! Not the pokey side which I’m showing you.

You don’t have to use crushed ice, I just like it.

Fill the glass with ice and then top it off with club soda. 

It’s best to have the soda cold so it doesn’t melt the ice. 

Stir well and enjoy!

If you don’t like the mint floating in your glass you can strain it. 

Or make it in a cocktail shaker if you have one. 

Then just add a few whole leaves for garnish. I don’t mind the bits in it.

They are very yummy and so refreshing on a hot summer day.

I hope you give them a try.

Cheers!

see ya,

It’s Happy Hour at 3 Sun Kissed Boys

Not FOR 3 sun kissed boys, AT 3 Sun Kissed Boys.

I just wanted to get that part straight for those that read fast.

I’ll be in south Florida today while Yanet is on vacation.

I know it’s not the weekend yet but why wait?

This will give you time to get what you need or heck, just have one early.

I know a lot of you are having some major heat.

So come by and visit me over at 3 Sun Kissed Boys.

I’ll show you how to whip up this refreshing mojito.

It will cool you off in an instant.

See you over there!

Progress in the Kitchen

We’re making progress! The hole is bigger now. The bead board is up. Just need to work on some trim. I took a cabinet door off from anther area to create an open shelf and I was going to use that door. Then we decided it might be better to hang on to that door for future owners. So we picked up a new door at the Restore the other day. We actually got 2 for $2. It’s the lighter one leaning against the wall.



Even just swapping out the old plugs and plates make a difference. We reused some of the corner trim. That will all get painted. And see that outlet on the wall above the doors? That placement bugs me. Why is it there?



We also replaced the pantry door. The old one was just a plain hollow core door that was stained like the trim. It had a hole it in from banging up against the corn of the counter. Even though it’s not painted it makes a huge difference in the room. I can’t wait to do replace more doors. Here’s a shot from the realtor when we looked at the house to show you what the plan is on this side. It’s a disaster zone at the moment.





Even though my kitchen is a wreck it did not stop me from making these little pieces of heaven. I found the lava cake recipe at Pioneer Woman’s site. It's not the best shot to show off the warm gooey goodness but I was trying to hurry because they were fresh from the oven and my whipped cream was melting and it was calling to me to hurry and eat it. The boys had theirs with mint chocolate chip ice cream. Heaven I tell you. Easy and fast too.



So, that's where we are now. Can you see it lightening up? I sure can. More to come.

see ya,

Guacamole 101

I was making guacamole the other day. Oh gosh, I could just live on this stuff. When I remembered how my oldest sister did not know how to get the pit out of the avocado. Hmmm, I knew something that she didn't. So, I thought I would show you too. In case there were others who did not know how and didn't realize how easy it is to make. You will never eat ready made guacamole again. It will seem like green sour cream to you after having fresh.

By the way, I perfer the Haas type to the big green ones. I think they are creamier and have more flavor. You sliced that guy in half and take your knife firmly in one hand and grip half the avocado in the other and wack the pit with the knife. No butter knife here. Make sure it's a good hard wack so the knife sticks then just twist it a bit and it comes right out.

See, just like that.

Now, if you want to have chunks for a chunkier salsa or to put them in salads then you just score it gently in a grid pattern. Mine was a little overly ripe so they were pretty soft.

You then scoop it out with a small spoon. If you had scored it it will come out in nice little chunks. If not then it is getting mashed up anyway and just scoop it out in big chunks as shown below.

You need to salt it well.  That's me, you salt as much as you like. Sometimes I add garlic. I was hungry and did not want another step.

Just mash away with the back of a fork. If your avocados are ripe then this will be easy. I have put them in a food processor when they weren't fully ripen but I do not recommend this. Just let them get ripe. Not mushy, but they should give a bit when you squeeze them. You can buy them hard and let them sit on the counter to ripen. I have heard that apples let off a gas that help speed that along. Keep them in the refrigerator once they are ripe.

Add some lime juice. Yes, that is a lemon. I was out of limes so I made do. Sometimes one must improvise when one is hungry. But lime juice is better. So, let's pretend that is a green lime. Okay?

You can add fresh chopped tomatoes if you like but here is my short cut. I always have salsa. I nice chunky one that is pretty tasty is Newman's Own. I do like the salsa that Publix has in the produce section. That is some fresh tasting salsa. Yum. But this is what I had on hand. I just add a couple of scoops. That's it. See how creamy? No sour cream needed.

Stir it up and enjoy! My son turns his nose up at this stuff which is fine by me. All the more for me and the hubby.