Company's coming...

Is my house in perfect order? Nope. Can I even see the surface of my dining room table? Nope. Have I vacuumed the floor yet? Nope. Have I even opened the door to my guest bedroom? Nope. But... do I have a grand menu planned? You bet 'cha! My morning tomorrow will be a bit busy. I have to go to work tomorrow at 4 pm... and I've got quite a bit to do just to have the house look comfy and inviting before I leave for work. Well, it already looks inviting and comfy... just not quite so tidy.

So... I'm looking forward to meeting my house guest for this weekend. He is going to teach me how to make a generation tested chicken dish from his family's heritage. It should be a lot of fun. This will happen on Saturday, I believe. On Sunday, my husband wants a piece of the action. We will be recreating a Paul Prudhomme recipe of Basque Chicken and Shrimp in Wine. Whatever order we do these two meals, we'll be clucking by the end of the weekend with all this chicken. The boys will be eating a wonderful batch of homemade Pasta Fagioli I made the day before yesterday. This will be their dinner tomorrow evening. It's had enough time to blend all of its simple but brilliantly combined ingredients perfectly. It tastes amazing. I don't know why I don't make this simple comfort food more often. I hope it's a good titillating tongue-awakener for my guys for what's ahead over Saturday and Sunday. I'm excited. Now... all I really need to do is remember to take pictures. Between my husband and I, we should be able to cover most of the events of the weekend.

Promise... photos of good lookin' food comin'. Really! I wouldn't lie. Oh yes, and maybe a picture or two of people as well! The food is fun, but what makes it so special, is the company we are allowed to share it with. Whether I am eating alone, or with my dear sweet husband... or with a room full of people... the thing that makes me so very happy is the smile that the first bite of the meal brings to anyone's face, including my own. Is there anything sweeter?

Hugs,
Penny Sue

I need to get serious about this ... eh?

I made the Beef Lentil soup that I saw on Giada DeLaurentis's Everyday Italian program at foodtv.com. I looked it up on the website and printed it out. It was so easy, and oh, so full of good wholesome flavor. That's what I love about her recipes... simple, comforting ingredients that go together with ease. Gotta love Giada! My husband called it a "keeper". That is short language for "make this again, ok?" I am new to this blog thing about food, and I'm thinking that I need to keep my camera in the kitchen, and then, if I should "happen" to see it, I'll take a pic here and there of the foods and memories I'm making.

This is a pic of some navy bean and ham soup I made a short while back. My maternal grandma, Grandma Wood, used to make this soup every once in a while. It used to be a joke with us kids that whoever found the piece of ham in their bowl was the winner. It wasn't necessarily a "full of meat" kind of soup back then as Grandma Wood raised three children during the worst of the depression era. One of whom was my Mom. But I gave this recipe a "non-depression-era" twist... especially with the extra veggies too along with extra amounts of ham. It still had the wonderful flavor I remembered. It was so comforting. I just felt like a kid again.

I made the next soup, Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, the very same day. I'm one of those that figures that doing things in mass quantities seems easier when many of the main ingredients are the same. So... I made chicken noodle soup too. It was fun. I never boil my chicken for anything. I oven roast it, or use left over roasted or grilled chicken. There is so much more flavor in the pieces of chicken. Plus, I can use all white meat if I just buy breast meat. I absolutely abhor boiled chicken. Only for stock, if I'm desperate. But... anyone out there can use whatever you like. It won't hurt my feelings.

I have company coming the second to the last weekend of January. He is the friend of my husband and is going to cook in my kitchen with me. He's going to teach me how to make something he calls "bot boy". I look forward to hearing his story about his "bot boy". It's one of those recipes that has come down through the family for years and years. I'm honored that he's going to share it with me. I'll share what I'm allowed on my blog. Being that it's a family recipe, I might have to leave certain information out of the mix. :) Just kidding. I don't think it's gonna be a problem. His name is Phil, and he loves to cook. I have had the great opportunity to taste a couple of his fixin's. He sent home some "bot boy" with my husband a while back, and a week or so ago, he sent some beef chili. Both were amazing. I think my husband has some reservations about someone coming in and using my kitchen. I think I'm going to surprise him. I think it's very cool to have someone come in and share with me their story through food. I'm thrilled. I told my husband the only reason I get un-nerved when he cooks in my kitchen is because he's like a tornado. Stuff flying everywhere. But, that's ok too. I told him not too long ago that it would be fun if we could do something together for this blog. We'll see. :)

The very last weekend of the month of January is my son's birthday (the 30th) and on Monday (Feb. 1st) my husband is turning 49. I will be making "favorites" or "special requests for their individual birthday dinners, as tradition demands. If I were to guess, my son will ask for Chicken Marsala... my husband???? I have NO idea!

Oh, did I ever tell you that my son told me.... "Mom, you should have opened a restaurant." What a kid! Gotta love the wisdom that comes from the mouth of babes. Instead, I opened a gift shop... but some day I truly hope to be able to sell my own food. I love to make a few certain candies, I love to make sauces - like spaghetti, bbq, and many others. I love to make homemade pie fillings from our home grown fruit. We've had our own peach trees, cherry tree, plums, apples, and pears for years. Fresh fruit in season makes some awesome tasting baked goodies... whatever your favorite might be. Pie, cobbler, crisp, turn-over, or jelly.... I've done that too.

I apologize again for not having very many pics to share... but I will get serious about taking pics of everything I make. I do understand that with a food based blog it would be a good idea for pics of food.

Have a blessed day,
The Happy Home Cook,
Penny Sue

Happy January 1st, 2010... (Woo-hoo!)

Hey there, I realize that I have started this blogspot page with a certain intent, and I hope to accomplish this intent in the near future. However, there are a couple of things I need to share. I am on my own 5 out of 7 days. My husband works out of the area, which causes him to live elsewhere during those 5 days. A 3 hour commute is just not an option. So... he's home 2 of the days of the week... however his schedule ends up working out. However, the amount of pics I have on hand are very limited, because before now, I didn't have the motivation or inspiration to take pics of our dinners or dining table. So, I'm hoping to grow in this area of development. :)

I would like to share our table with you from tonight... and from last year. I don't have any pics from tonight... which is kind of silly. I had to work until 9 pm, and we were both so tired, there wasn't anything fancy done for dinner tonight. I have to work tomorrow as well... but that's ok. Life goes on. I do have a pic or two from last year... (or was that the year before?) The table is really here, but, you just can't see it... but who cares? We were celebrating another year together! Whether there is food on our table or not, it was nice to be at our table together, as husband and wife, and close out one year and look forward hopefully and positively towards the next.


This has absolutely nothing to do with our "table" except it's just outside the view of our bay window, and it something very beautiful to look at from our dining room table. This is a pic from a January 1st...!


Tomorrow, I'm cooking a recipe from the foodtv.com network. It's a beef lentil soup by Giada DeLaurentis. It looked amazing. I prepped all the ingredients today, and will make the soup tomorrow.

God bless you all, and may you have a very blessed new year!
Hugs,
Penny Sue

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve...

I am saddened that our son and his wife will not be here with us. But, I have great memories of some Christmas' past to sustain me through until we do get to see them. It probably won't be until mid-January. I told the kids, it's OK.... we will do a full blown Christmas celebration whenever they can get here, but they should NOT expect to see the Christmas tree still up. (We got it the very day after Thanksgiving!) If it's still up when they come, it will be like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

As you can imagine, my husband is more than likely saddened too, I'm hoping to make "our" Christmas (our first one alone?) an enjoyable one. I'll be prepared to take pics of our Christmas Eve dinner table. I have to work tomorrow Noon to 6 pm. After that, I will come home and prepare a wonderful varied seafood dinner. I'm planning salmon, two small 8-oz. lobster tails, sea scallops, shrimp, couscous, and a little bit of an antipasti platter. Got olives, more olive, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, stuffed mushrooms (both vegan and meat eaters)... cream cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes.... all sorts of stuff. Just to pick at. I got little bits of everything I mentioned. I know it sounds like a lot, but there really isn't all that much of one thing... so we should do well. I'll force myself to remember to take pics. And hopefully, take them before we destroy the beauty of the food by eating it.

Part of my goal in starting this blog is to share with you my intent, my desire to have "more" friends, family, and guests come and share around our table. The food isn't the only thing that I'm interested in. Yes, I believe I share a very personal part of who I am in my creativity of the food and entertaining, but as a host, I am so much more fulfilled if I see smiles at my table, hear laughter across the room, and just relish in good old fashioned communion... through the food... which hopefully makes people so comfortable that they just want to open up and share a story or two. I love it! I look forward to this goal of mine. As of the first of the year, I will attempt to invite friends and acquaintances and family to "come join our table".... there will be much in store for you.

I wish we could welcome guests to our table this Christmas Eve, but I'm content to share this evening with the only man I love, and the man who loves me. It will be a great evening. Oh, and I got some bubbly! That's always fun. One from Goose Watch Winery's Golden Spumonte, and another one of our favorites from Swedish Hill Winery's Spumonte Blush, both wineries are in the Finger Lakes Wine Region in New York State. We've been to these and other wineries a few times... I more than the husband... as I used to go with this great group of people every year to several wineries over a two day period. And as always, we believe there is always an unseen guest at our table. I hope He likes what we have to share... in its simplicity, yet elegance, and... now... I'm hungry. Oh well. Until tomorrow evening. Christmas Eve dinner with THE love of my life. It doesn't get any better than this.

Has anyone out there seen Julie and Julia (the movie?) I absolutely adore it. Job well done Julie Powell! So many recipes, and not enough days to do them all... and they were French cooking as well. Not an easy task. But Julie pressed on toward the mark... and she made it... with her mind and heart in tact. Both of their story lines in the movie were based on true stories about their individual lives. Too cool!

Looking for a good closing salutation, and still thinking, (any help or suggestions?)
Penny Sue

Just gettin' started...

Hey there, I've just started a new blog (I have another blog about my life/business). I am very interested in culinary interests. I have been an foodie, Foodtv.com junkie for years. I would just enjoy the company of other foodie fun people here on blogspot. I love cooking. I'm not so fond of baking, though I can do it, but, I just like the freedom of cooking. It's not so rigid. Baking is very definite... with very little room for "personal" expression... in order for things to come out edible.

I bought a couple of salmon fillets tonight at the market where I work part time. I'm looking forward to making this dinner for my husband and I sometime over the weekend. I'll share the absolutes when I've completed my meal.

I hope that those of you that visit here, feel welcome... share everything and anything... and it doesn't need to do with food. All comments and conversation is welcome. That's why I call it "Come join our table.... " because I believe that our dinner tables is where a lot of good conversation happens. It's part of the art of good food. People feel welcome and they open up.... and they also need to know that they are welcomed to a safe place. My "table" is safe. I look forward to meeting new people and sharing so many different things.

Oh, and today, I am starting a 2nd blogspot page. Today is my birthday. This is my gift to myself.

Here is a small selection of "tables" in our life... enjoy.






Hugs to all of you,
Penny Sue