Oh Thanksgiving, I hardly knew ye.
Nov. 29th, 2004 12:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarea
How can my 4-day weekend already be over? *weeps* I didn't do anything exciting, so if you did, tell me and I'll pretend I did it also.
Some of you may know ... I am quite lazy. And my memory isn't what it used to be. Sometimes I don't visit Web sites just because I know they'll ask me to sign in, with passwords and what not, and I just can't be bothered. So you can imagine how happy I was to get this recently. My lazy arse rejoices!
I wrote five more pages of Portkey Party, and I think I'm in the home stretch. Part 3 is already over 10,000 words, and it just can't be much longer. I WON'T LET IT. If I had a NaNo goal, PP would get me 70% there. *headdesk*
No instructions, since you all know the drill already (if you don't, I'd be happy to point you in the right direction).
My Christmas Wish List
* DVD sets: South Park S3 & S4; The Simpsons S3; LoTR:tRotK, special edition
* Books: Victoria and the Rogue by Meg Cabot; On Food And Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
* For everyone who's done one of these lists to get at least two things on their list (HAHA, beat your wish, Jade!)
* Currently licensed drivers to learn how the hell to drive
* A convincing British accent, or Harry Potter Legos
* Any of the following albums by Mary Beth Maziarz: Snowed In, Something Real, Goodnight Goodnight
* Copies of any UCLA basketball or football games where the Bruins won, occurring between fall 1995 and spring 1998 (but would be especially interested in the football games vs. USC)
* To finish Portkey Party this week (a present I can only give myself, alas)
* People to participate in![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
the_feast, so that Jade and I will be very busy cooking over the holidays and not be tempted to go out for every meal. Oh and also, so that the world has lots more D/G fic to read. (And by "the world," I of course mean "me.")
* Yummy crock pot recipes! (Unless you're planning to submit for the Feast, in which case, save for then. :D) And to prove that I am a giving sort of person, here are two of my favorite crock pot recipes, one of which I tried only yesterday:
Con Pollo (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
significantowl's recipe, reposted w/ permission)
Ingredients
6-8 bone-in chicken pieces
3 oz green olives
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup dark beer (I used Guinness)
papkria, salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste
Directions
1) Wash and pat dry chicken. Sprinkle tops and bottoms with spices. Place in crockpot.
2) Mix tomato paste and beer. Pour over top.
3) Add olives plus juice.
4) Cook 3 hours or so on high; 6 or so on low. Serve with rice or pasta.
My notes: I used 4 thighs and 5 wings, though there is enough sauce made for a whole chicken. I also added some cayenne pepper, which gave it a tiny bit of a kick. Instead of using 1/2 cup of the Guinness I used nearly one whole bottle, because I'm not a big beer drinker and it would have gone to waste otherwise. :D It was soooo delish, and the sauce itself is fantastic.
Slow-Cooking Boeuf Bourguignon
Ingredients
1 can (14 ounces) reduced-sodium, fat-free beef stock
1 cup Burgundy wine or other full-bodied red wine
1/4 cup water
1 envelope (1.2 ounces) plain brown gravy mix, such as Knorr
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 slices already-cooked bacon*
1 large onion (for about 1 cup chopped)
20 baby carrots
8 ounces already-sliced fresh mushrooms
2 pounds beef cubes for stew, well marbled
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen small whole onions**
Salt to taste, if desired
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
* Or just use regular bacon cooked to the not-quite-crisp stage before adding it to the crock. Jade used already-cooked bacon, I used regular, and they both turned out great.
** Or use a jar of NON-PICKLED pearl onions, drained.
Directions
1) Pour the beef broth, wine and water into the crock of a 4 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker. Pour the powdered gravy from the envelope into the broth mixture, and whisk until any lumps disappear. Sprinkle the garlic, bay leaves and thyme over the broth.
2) Cut the bacon into roughly 1/4-inch pieces. (Do not crisp the bacon first.) Scatter the bacon in the crock.
3) Peel and coarsely chop the onion. Scatter the onion pieces, whole baby carrots and sliced mushrooms evenly in the crock. Place the beef cubes evenly over the vegetables, and press down and stir as necessary to make sure most of the beef is submerged in the broth mixture. Add the whole onions to the crock. (If using onions from a jar, drain them first.)
4) Cover the crock, and cook on the low setting for 8 hours.
5) Before serving the stew, remove the lid and stir it well. Remove the bay leaves, and taste the broth and season with salt, if desired. Mix the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Pour the mixture evenly over the stew. (The stew needs to be hot when you do this step.) Stir well. Continue stirring from time to time until the stew reaches the desired thickness, about 5 minutes. Serve the stew in bowls.
My notes: If you like a thicker stew, as I do, use 5 tbsp of cornstarch instead. You can also add cubed potatoes; I've done it both ways and it always turns out great. Also, I used beef stew mix instead of gravy, so either will work.
Some of you may know ... I am quite lazy. And my memory isn't what it used to be. Sometimes I don't visit Web sites just because I know they'll ask me to sign in, with passwords and what not, and I just can't be bothered. So you can imagine how happy I was to get this recently. My lazy arse rejoices!
I wrote five more pages of Portkey Party, and I think I'm in the home stretch. Part 3 is already over 10,000 words, and it just can't be much longer. I WON'T LET IT. If I had a NaNo goal, PP would get me 70% there. *headdesk*
No instructions, since you all know the drill already (if you don't, I'd be happy to point you in the right direction).
My Christmas Wish List
* DVD sets: South Park S3 & S4; The Simpsons S3; LoTR:tRotK, special edition
* Books: Victoria and the Rogue by Meg Cabot; On Food And Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
* For everyone who's done one of these lists to get at least two things on their list (HAHA, beat your wish, Jade!)
* Currently licensed drivers to learn how the hell to drive
* A convincing British accent, or Harry Potter Legos
* Any of the following albums by Mary Beth Maziarz: Snowed In, Something Real, Goodnight Goodnight
* Copies of any UCLA basketball or football games where the Bruins won, occurring between fall 1995 and spring 1998 (but would be especially interested in the football games vs. USC)
* To finish Portkey Party this week (a present I can only give myself, alas)
* People to participate in
the_feast, so that Jade and I will be very busy cooking over the holidays and not be tempted to go out for every meal. Oh and also, so that the world has lots more D/G fic to read. (And by "the world," I of course mean "me.")* Yummy crock pot recipes! (Unless you're planning to submit for the Feast, in which case, save for then. :D) And to prove that I am a giving sort of person, here are two of my favorite crock pot recipes, one of which I tried only yesterday:
Con Pollo (
significantowl's recipe, reposted w/ permission)Ingredients
6-8 bone-in chicken pieces
3 oz green olives
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup dark beer (I used Guinness)
papkria, salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste
Directions
1) Wash and pat dry chicken. Sprinkle tops and bottoms with spices. Place in crockpot.
2) Mix tomato paste and beer. Pour over top.
3) Add olives plus juice.
4) Cook 3 hours or so on high; 6 or so on low. Serve with rice or pasta.
My notes: I used 4 thighs and 5 wings, though there is enough sauce made for a whole chicken. I also added some cayenne pepper, which gave it a tiny bit of a kick. Instead of using 1/2 cup of the Guinness I used nearly one whole bottle, because I'm not a big beer drinker and it would have gone to waste otherwise. :D It was soooo delish, and the sauce itself is fantastic.
Slow-Cooking Boeuf Bourguignon
Ingredients
1 can (14 ounces) reduced-sodium, fat-free beef stock
1 cup Burgundy wine or other full-bodied red wine
1/4 cup water
1 envelope (1.2 ounces) plain brown gravy mix, such as Knorr
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 slices already-cooked bacon*
1 large onion (for about 1 cup chopped)
20 baby carrots
8 ounces already-sliced fresh mushrooms
2 pounds beef cubes for stew, well marbled
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen small whole onions**
Salt to taste, if desired
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
* Or just use regular bacon cooked to the not-quite-crisp stage before adding it to the crock. Jade used already-cooked bacon, I used regular, and they both turned out great.
** Or use a jar of NON-PICKLED pearl onions, drained.
Directions
1) Pour the beef broth, wine and water into the crock of a 4 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker. Pour the powdered gravy from the envelope into the broth mixture, and whisk until any lumps disappear. Sprinkle the garlic, bay leaves and thyme over the broth.
2) Cut the bacon into roughly 1/4-inch pieces. (Do not crisp the bacon first.) Scatter the bacon in the crock.
3) Peel and coarsely chop the onion. Scatter the onion pieces, whole baby carrots and sliced mushrooms evenly in the crock. Place the beef cubes evenly over the vegetables, and press down and stir as necessary to make sure most of the beef is submerged in the broth mixture. Add the whole onions to the crock. (If using onions from a jar, drain them first.)
4) Cover the crock, and cook on the low setting for 8 hours.
5) Before serving the stew, remove the lid and stir it well. Remove the bay leaves, and taste the broth and season with salt, if desired. Mix the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Pour the mixture evenly over the stew. (The stew needs to be hot when you do this step.) Stir well. Continue stirring from time to time until the stew reaches the desired thickness, about 5 minutes. Serve the stew in bowls.
My notes: If you like a thicker stew, as I do, use 5 tbsp of cornstarch instead. You can also add cubed potatoes; I've done it both ways and it always turns out great. Also, I used beef stew mix instead of gravy, so either will work.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-11-29 08:57 pm (UTC)*curtseys*
no subject
Date: 2004-11-29 09:31 pm (UTC)hmmm my weekend was work, sleep, and family
so no nothing exciting on this end either...unless you count discounts from work :D
*mwah*
the beef stew is awesome!
Date: 2004-11-30 03:59 am (UTC)random lurker here... to lazy/uncreative to post in own journal, tho I have one.... :-)
I tried out your beef stew recipe above last night...which I got from rainpuddle13 's recipe community... and I must say it rocked :-)
kinda cheated tho... didn't have time to wait on the slow cooker, so I actually did it stove top style in a couple of hours. Not quite as "fall apart in your mouth" as a slow cooker, but still thoroughly awesome :-)
I must try the con pollo sometime :-)
ps... can't wait for more Portkey Party!! :-)
jd
Re: the beef stew is awesome!
Date: 2004-11-30 04:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-30 04:50 am (UTC)Also, not a big fan of the measuring, are ya? :))
no subject
Date: 2004-11-30 04:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-30 04:57 am (UTC)It makes food taste good in a cilantro-y kinda way. Beyoind that, I don't ask too many questions.
And no, measuring's not a big part of my cooking artistry. However did you guess?
no subject
Date: 2004-11-30 09:10 am (UTC)You'll pay for that. I won't say how; I'll let my icon speak for me.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-30 09:26 am (UTC)