Do you like to cook? I hope if you're reading this blog you at least know someone who does!
Do you like to host parties and be social with all your neighbors?
How would you like some free food and maybe a couple other goodies for yourself?
My wife has found a great way to have some fun with your friends, eat some good food, and try some new products and it's all for free! It's called a HouseParty and you can read about it on her website by clicking these links; SweepTalk .
You could host a Brat BBQ sponsored by Johnsonville completely free. Or maybe a pizza party sponsored by DiGiorno is more your style. Either way you will get everything you need to host a party absolutely free, right down to the napkins and party favors in most cases!
What better way is there to make great friends and try great stuff?
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Solar Cooker
But which one?
Global Sun Oven - Solar Cooker
- This one seems to be widely accepted as one of the best solar ovens available. It gets high marks at all the sales/review sites and is widely used around the world. This seems to be the solar oven of choice for most global hunger charities. The downsides are it's expense ($220-$270 depending on where you buy) and size/weight (21 lbs) and it doesn't come with any cookware.Scott Resources Portable Solar Oven
- This one is inexpensive enough for sure. It is also small and light. The reviews however aren't very kind. General consensus seems to be that this is a great inexpensive way to try out solar cooking, but if you want something that will last you need to spend a bit more.Solar Oven Cook Food Using the Sun
- This one appears to be so compact that a hiker could easily carry it in a backpack. It's very inexpensive and lightweight but I think it's intent is more for backpackers or tent campers rather than any serious solar cooking.One company has taken the novel approach of making a hybrid solar oven. This looks like a nice setup and gives you the option of using the 120 volt as a backup should the sun leave you high and dry. I also like the self-contained solar-suitcase appearance of the product. All-in-all it looks like a really good oven for a full-time rv'er. The only downside is the price.
And that brings me to this one, the Sport Solar Oven. It is large enough to cook most anything you would want to cook in a solar oven yet not so large it cannot be stowed in an RV. It's light weight (11 lbs), inexpensive, made with recycled soda bottles and aluminium and comes with cookware.
I'm going to keep researching a little more before making my decision. If anyone out there has any experience with any of these or any other solar ovens, I would be very interested to hear from you.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Beef Stroganoff and comings and goings
One of the day to day bitter-sweet moments of full-timing is the coming and going of your neighbors. Depending on the size of the park you usually have rig's pulling in and out everyday. Sometimes this means saying goodbye to a new friend. Other times, it's saying hello to a new friend you just haven't yet met.
When you live in a house, your neighborhood is pretty static. Sure, people come and go from time to time, but for the most part, your neighbors are your neighbors for years. If you are lucky, you have some neighbors who become family. If you are unlucky... well most of us have heard the stories. (or lived them) But basically, love them or hate them, they are your neighbors and you need to get used to them.
In the RV lifestyle it's just the opposite. Unless you travel in a caravan, you can expect to have at least some different neighbors every single day even if you don't move at all. Today we had a mass exodus. We lost 5 close neighbors.
For me, when they leave, I feel just a twinge of jealousy. Watching my neighbors pack up the rig, pull in the slides and drive off the pad leaves me feeling wistful for the open road. I find myself imaging it were me leaving... heading out onto the many beautiful roads of America... looking forward to what is around the next corner... and whatever new neighbors may be waiting for me...
Tonight Nancy and I enjoyed Beef Stroganoff. This is a nice hearty meal to be enjoyed on a cool night. The only problem with making Beef Stroganoff in an RV is the moisture. This is especially irksome on a cold evening when maximum ventilation is not practical. (exactly when this meal hits the spot best) We do our best to have the "Fantastic Fan" near the kitchen running as well as the vent fan over the stove to try to mitigate some of the moisture. It doesn't always work.
When you live in a house, your neighborhood is pretty static. Sure, people come and go from time to time, but for the most part, your neighbors are your neighbors for years. If you are lucky, you have some neighbors who become family. If you are unlucky... well most of us have heard the stories. (or lived them) But basically, love them or hate them, they are your neighbors and you need to get used to them.
In the RV lifestyle it's just the opposite. Unless you travel in a caravan, you can expect to have at least some different neighbors every single day even if you don't move at all. Today we had a mass exodus. We lost 5 close neighbors.
For me, when they leave, I feel just a twinge of jealousy. Watching my neighbors pack up the rig, pull in the slides and drive off the pad leaves me feeling wistful for the open road. I find myself imaging it were me leaving... heading out onto the many beautiful roads of America... looking forward to what is around the next corner... and whatever new neighbors may be waiting for me...
Tonight Nancy and I enjoyed Beef Stroganoff. This is a nice hearty meal to be enjoyed on a cool night. The only problem with making Beef Stroganoff in an RV is the moisture. This is especially irksome on a cold evening when maximum ventilation is not practical. (exactly when this meal hits the spot best) We do our best to have the "Fantastic Fan" near the kitchen running as well as the vent fan over the stove to try to mitigate some of the moisture. It doesn't always work.
This is Jeannie sitting on the dash watching dinner being cooked. Note the condensation on the windshield. She is obviously not amused.
Behold the steam-maker! Looks pretty tasty doesn't it? I'll post Nancy's recipe later. The main ingredient is fine Kobe filet mignon. (And if you believe that...)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Fajita Night
Full-time RV'ers are very interesting people. I know I've mentioned this before but it really cannot be said enough. Today we were chatting with our neighbor about satellite reception here in the Rainbows End Escapees Park in Livingston Texas. After chatting for about 20 minutes, we both came to the conclusion, "it's pretty bad" LOL.
Beyond the reception issues, we learned that he and his wife currently work-camp as gate keepers for oil and gas drilling companies. Apparently, there are a number of drilling companies that have begun hiring RV'ers to man the gates 24/7. In exchange, the RV'er gets free site, electricity, water and sewer plus a salary. The downside is that the site needs to be manned 24/7, so either you or your partner must always be home and available at the site while it is active. The plus side is, the salary is pretty decent, the locations tend to be remote (this could be a minus) and the job is pretty simple.
A few moments after talking with the "gate keepers" Nancy and I decided it was time to take Luke and Leia for a walk. As usual, we were met with the standard, "here come the greyhounds!" or "here come the babies!" (still not sure if that comment is aimed at us or the dogs LOL).
As we strolled past a shinny-clean older Airstream trailer parked next to a mid-ninety's Ford diesel pickup we heard a man chirp, "Good afternoon!"
This comment seemed to be clearly aimed at humans since dogs don't really distinguish between morning, afternoon, evening or any other time for that matter besides light or dark :-).
"Hello! Beautiful day isn't it?" I shouted back.
"Lovely dog!" Nancy proclaimed in an ironic turnabout. "Is he a Golden?"
"Yes he is." The man affirmed.
The dog was lying on the picnic table with a paw lazily hanging over the side. He looked so sloughed onto that picnic table that you would swear he was a stuffed toy left there by a disinterested child.
"Back home, he taught himself that he wasn't to leave the porch unless he was told too. Once we came here, he decided that this picnic table was a porch, so he will stay there all day unless I tell him to leave. With Goldens, sometimes the best way to train them is to get outta their way and let them show you what they already know." The man exclaimed proudly.
A few more minutes of chatting revealed that this gentleman has work-camped everywhere from Amazon in Kansas, up to Yellow Stone NP. We picked his brain for 15 minutes or so about all the locations he worked until Luke and Leia started to get a little restless.
We learned that working in Yellow Stone is a dichotomy. It's a great place to work but you often end up working split shifts and fairly long hours leaving little time to enjoy the beauty of the park itself.
We also learned that working for Amazon is just that, work. The folks there are very nice, and it's a great place to work, but work it is. Often, 10 hour days are the norm. It's nice to know it's available, but not my first choice.
Today Nancy made fajitas for dinner. I like fajitas. They are fairly healthy, fun to put together and of course, very tasty. This time, Nancy marinated the chicken in Claude's Fajita Marinating Sauce
. It only took about an hour of marinating for the fresh chicken to really absorb that smokey, fajita flavor. Drop the chicken in a frying pan with some sliced onions and peppers and 10-12 minutes later you've got some tasty fajita filling!
As always, enjoy!!
Beyond the reception issues, we learned that he and his wife currently work-camp as gate keepers for oil and gas drilling companies. Apparently, there are a number of drilling companies that have begun hiring RV'ers to man the gates 24/7. In exchange, the RV'er gets free site, electricity, water and sewer plus a salary. The downside is that the site needs to be manned 24/7, so either you or your partner must always be home and available at the site while it is active. The plus side is, the salary is pretty decent, the locations tend to be remote (this could be a minus) and the job is pretty simple.
A few moments after talking with the "gate keepers" Nancy and I decided it was time to take Luke and Leia for a walk. As usual, we were met with the standard, "here come the greyhounds!" or "here come the babies!" (still not sure if that comment is aimed at us or the dogs LOL).
As we strolled past a shinny-clean older Airstream trailer parked next to a mid-ninety's Ford diesel pickup we heard a man chirp, "Good afternoon!"
This comment seemed to be clearly aimed at humans since dogs don't really distinguish between morning, afternoon, evening or any other time for that matter besides light or dark :-).
"Hello! Beautiful day isn't it?" I shouted back.
"Lovely dog!" Nancy proclaimed in an ironic turnabout. "Is he a Golden?"
"Yes he is." The man affirmed.
The dog was lying on the picnic table with a paw lazily hanging over the side. He looked so sloughed onto that picnic table that you would swear he was a stuffed toy left there by a disinterested child.
"Back home, he taught himself that he wasn't to leave the porch unless he was told too. Once we came here, he decided that this picnic table was a porch, so he will stay there all day unless I tell him to leave. With Goldens, sometimes the best way to train them is to get outta their way and let them show you what they already know." The man exclaimed proudly.
A few more minutes of chatting revealed that this gentleman has work-camped everywhere from Amazon in Kansas, up to Yellow Stone NP. We picked his brain for 15 minutes or so about all the locations he worked until Luke and Leia started to get a little restless.
We learned that working in Yellow Stone is a dichotomy. It's a great place to work but you often end up working split shifts and fairly long hours leaving little time to enjoy the beauty of the park itself.
We also learned that working for Amazon is just that, work. The folks there are very nice, and it's a great place to work, but work it is. Often, 10 hour days are the norm. It's nice to know it's available, but not my first choice.
Today Nancy made fajitas for dinner. I like fajitas. They are fairly healthy, fun to put together and of course, very tasty. This time, Nancy marinated the chicken in Claude's Fajita Marinating Sauce
. It only took about an hour of marinating for the fresh chicken to really absorb that smokey, fajita flavor. Drop the chicken in a frying pan with some sliced onions and peppers and 10-12 minutes later you've got some tasty fajita filling!As always, enjoy!!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Burgers???
I'm not sure why but I have been skipping breakfast for the last few days and today was no exception. It was still overcast with a light mist falling this morning when Leia got me up at 6am to take her and Luke out. Normally, Luke is the alarm clock. Leia is usually sleeping soundly on my side of the bed with her feet firmly pressed against Nancy while I cling to the edge of the bed. Luke will usually wake up around 7am, climb off the couch and slink his way into the bedroom. Once there he will gently nose any bare skin I have exposed until I wake up. Nothing says good morning like a cold, wet, large dog nose on warm, bare skin.
The only problem with Big Luke coming that far into the bedroom is that he can't turn around and he can't back out, so it's, "get outta the way daddy, I'm coming up!"
As soon as I sit up, up he comes! There we are, Luke, Leia, Nancy, Ferris, Jeanie and me all at least partially on a queen size bed in the back of the rig.
Today Leia beat Luke to the punch. She started licking my face awake slightly before 6. I pulled on Nancy's robe and out we went. It's a tight fit but as long as I'm careful about bending down to pick up their "business" it works.LOL
For lunch today Nancy decided to make a favorite of hers for us, Black Bean Burgers. Yeah, not a fan. Burger implies meat. Like the Wendys lady said in the eighties, "Where's the beef?" Don't get me wrong, I can eat a turkey burger and like it or a chicken burger....but beans? Nope, not for me. I ate one. I mean I don't want to be rude ;-). Actually, eating the burger isn't that bad. Too me, it's just not that good. And the worst part of a Bean Burger, you taste it for the next 3 hours.
If you generally like veggie burgers, the recipe is below on the blog. I'm not sure how you do it, but if you can, a veggie burger is certainly better for you than a real beef burger and this version has a southwestern flair that would be good if it had beef! lol
The only problem with Big Luke coming that far into the bedroom is that he can't turn around and he can't back out, so it's, "get outta the way daddy, I'm coming up!"
As soon as I sit up, up he comes! There we are, Luke, Leia, Nancy, Ferris, Jeanie and me all at least partially on a queen size bed in the back of the rig.
Today Leia beat Luke to the punch. She started licking my face awake slightly before 6. I pulled on Nancy's robe and out we went. It's a tight fit but as long as I'm careful about bending down to pick up their "business" it works.LOL
For lunch today Nancy decided to make a favorite of hers for us, Black Bean Burgers. Yeah, not a fan. Burger implies meat. Like the Wendys lady said in the eighties, "Where's the beef?" Don't get me wrong, I can eat a turkey burger and like it or a chicken burger....but beans? Nope, not for me. I ate one. I mean I don't want to be rude ;-). Actually, eating the burger isn't that bad. Too me, it's just not that good. And the worst part of a Bean Burger, you taste it for the next 3 hours.
If you generally like veggie burgers, the recipe is below on the blog. I'm not sure how you do it, but if you can, a veggie burger is certainly better for you than a real beef burger and this version has a southwestern flair that would be good if it had beef! lol
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sunday Dinner Pasta Pomodoro
As promised, today was pretty wet. It rained all night last night and it's still raining now. Good for the environment here, but bad for us and the animals. Luke and Leia have gotten so accustomed to going for long walks daily that when they can't go, they get a bit stir crazy. It was a good day to stay in and watch football. Go Jets!!! (I'm a huge Cowboys fan, but if you watch football even casually you probably know how good they were this year)
The park was dead. Everyone hid out in the coaches or their homes. The only people who braved the elements were the pet owners, like us whose pets just wouldn't take no for an answer. At least the temperature was warm (upper 60's), so it really wasn't too bad being outside except for the getting wet part ;-).
I skipped breakfast again today, and lunch was simple cold cut sandwiches so I didn't bore you with the details. Dinner tonight however was one of my favorites, pasta! Nancy started making this recipe about a year ago and it has quickly become a staple. We usually enjoy this meal once or twice a month. The sauce is tangy and slightly sweet and clings to the pasta providing flavor in every bite. It's a light sauce though, not very acidic so no worries about acid reflux even if you eat a bit of a late dinner.
If you are a pasta lover like me, and you want to eat a bit lighter, I highly recommend this meal. We have even started modifying this recipe from time to time by adding meat or using ravioli or both. Very nice and very versatile.
Mangia!!
The park was dead. Everyone hid out in the coaches or their homes. The only people who braved the elements were the pet owners, like us whose pets just wouldn't take no for an answer. At least the temperature was warm (upper 60's), so it really wasn't too bad being outside except for the getting wet part ;-).
I skipped breakfast again today, and lunch was simple cold cut sandwiches so I didn't bore you with the details. Dinner tonight however was one of my favorites, pasta! Nancy started making this recipe about a year ago and it has quickly become a staple. We usually enjoy this meal once or twice a month. The sauce is tangy and slightly sweet and clings to the pasta providing flavor in every bite. It's a light sauce though, not very acidic so no worries about acid reflux even if you eat a bit of a late dinner.
If you are a pasta lover like me, and you want to eat a bit lighter, I highly recommend this meal. We have even started modifying this recipe from time to time by adding meat or using ravioli or both. Very nice and very versatile.
Mangia!!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Thai for dinner
It's finally warming up again. I know compared to most of the country it never got cold, but for this area the last few days have been pretty chilly. Today the turnaround began. Unfortunately, the turnaround is bringing in some rain, but the area really needs it. The last few months have been well below the average precipitation.
We have a few neighbors who we thought were real live Cowboys. As it turns out, none of them are original to the area. Two are from the northeast (NY) and one is from Georgia. If you saw these guys running around the park in their four wheel utility vehicles, all dressed in full cowboy regalia, you would swear the rodeo was in town. After talking to them for a while, we found they all realized that they had always really wanted to be cowboys, but living in the parts of the country they did, they just never had the opportunity to go full boat so to speak. Now that they are down here they are making up for lost time.
I have to say, I feel a lot like they do. I've always romanticized about being a cowboy in the old west. Sleeping out under the stars... Riding around on horseback, out on the open canyon lands... Now I'm really looking forward to getting to live out some of that fantasy! Only I'll probably swap my motorcycle for the horse, and instead of sleeping under the stars, I'll be in my rig on my memory foam mattress! lol
Tonight for dinner Nancy again called on the kitchens of Annie Chun's to bring us a wonderful Thai Basil Chicken over sticky rice. I have to say, I was a bit apprehensive when I saw exactly how much basil went into this meal, but the flavor.... the aroma.... mmmmm.... so nice!
We have, so far, been very pleased with all the Annie Chun's items we have sampled. I really look forward to the next opportunity we have to sample another.
We have a few neighbors who we thought were real live Cowboys. As it turns out, none of them are original to the area. Two are from the northeast (NY) and one is from Georgia. If you saw these guys running around the park in their four wheel utility vehicles, all dressed in full cowboy regalia, you would swear the rodeo was in town. After talking to them for a while, we found they all realized that they had always really wanted to be cowboys, but living in the parts of the country they did, they just never had the opportunity to go full boat so to speak. Now that they are down here they are making up for lost time.
I have to say, I feel a lot like they do. I've always romanticized about being a cowboy in the old west. Sleeping out under the stars... Riding around on horseback, out on the open canyon lands... Now I'm really looking forward to getting to live out some of that fantasy! Only I'll probably swap my motorcycle for the horse, and instead of sleeping under the stars, I'll be in my rig on my memory foam mattress! lol
Tonight for dinner Nancy again called on the kitchens of Annie Chun's to bring us a wonderful Thai Basil Chicken over sticky rice. I have to say, I was a bit apprehensive when I saw exactly how much basil went into this meal, but the flavor.... the aroma.... mmmmm.... so nice!
We have, so far, been very pleased with all the Annie Chun's items we have sampled. I really look forward to the next opportunity we have to sample another.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Dinner BBQ Pulled Pork
People who see us outside with our greyhounds (Luke and Leia) often ask us how we can live in our 400 sq ft motorhome with a 65 and 84 pound dog. When we tell them that we also have 2 one-eyed kitties (Ferris and Jeannie) waiting for us back in the rig they usually can't imagine it. It's really not as chaotic as one might imagine.
Jeannie and Ferris spend most of their time basking in the sun on the dash. Our Winnebago Vectra has a pretty expansive dash (as do many class A coaches) and we make it more attractive for them by putting a bed spread and some purr pads up there for them to enjoy. The huge glass windshield allows them to have a commanding view of everything going on in the park. It's really the next best thing to being outside.
Luke and Leia, as I have mentioned in previous posts are really couch potatoes. While they are inside the coach they both either choose a section of the reclining coach or one of their dog beds to snooze on. Sure occasionally they have a little tug of war over a toy to snooze with, but for the most part snoozing is the order of the day.
It's really been an eye opening experience to realize that we can be so comfortable in such a small space, especially since we came from a large house. It's amazing the things we allow to occupy our lives that we just don't need and never miss when they are gone. Nancy and I have learned that we have what we need and if we decide to "upgrade" or make a change the thing being "upgraded" or changed simply needs to be donated or thrown out. We simply do not store what we aren't using or won't use regularly. It's very liberating.
So, if you have been paying attention (and I know you have), you know that tonights dinner was another slow cooker treat, BBQ Pulled Pork. I had mine on a pair of Kings Hawaiian Mini-Sub Rolls with a few slices of provolone cheese. Delicious! The slow cooked pork was super tender and well soaked in the Famous Dave's BBQ sauce. The first bite gave a nice tangy sweet flavor in addition to the saltiness of the pork. The more bites I took the more the addition of the spicey Devils Spit sauce started to build up leaving a warmth on my lips. And too me, that is the real secret to good BBQ, lots of flavor with a spiceyness that builds but never becomes overpowering.
The best part is we have a decent amount leftover for lunches over the next few days!
Jeannie and Ferris spend most of their time basking in the sun on the dash. Our Winnebago Vectra has a pretty expansive dash (as do many class A coaches) and we make it more attractive for them by putting a bed spread and some purr pads up there for them to enjoy. The huge glass windshield allows them to have a commanding view of everything going on in the park. It's really the next best thing to being outside.
Luke and Leia, as I have mentioned in previous posts are really couch potatoes. While they are inside the coach they both either choose a section of the reclining coach or one of their dog beds to snooze on. Sure occasionally they have a little tug of war over a toy to snooze with, but for the most part snoozing is the order of the day.
It's really been an eye opening experience to realize that we can be so comfortable in such a small space, especially since we came from a large house. It's amazing the things we allow to occupy our lives that we just don't need and never miss when they are gone. Nancy and I have learned that we have what we need and if we decide to "upgrade" or make a change the thing being "upgraded" or changed simply needs to be donated or thrown out. We simply do not store what we aren't using or won't use regularly. It's very liberating.
So, if you have been paying attention (and I know you have), you know that tonights dinner was another slow cooker treat, BBQ Pulled Pork. I had mine on a pair of Kings Hawaiian Mini-Sub Rolls with a few slices of provolone cheese. Delicious! The slow cooked pork was super tender and well soaked in the Famous Dave's BBQ sauce. The first bite gave a nice tangy sweet flavor in addition to the saltiness of the pork. The more bites I took the more the addition of the spicey Devils Spit sauce started to build up leaving a warmth on my lips. And too me, that is the real secret to good BBQ, lots of flavor with a spiceyness that builds but never becomes overpowering.
The best part is we have a decent amount leftover for lunches over the next few days!
Lunch Time
One of the neatest things about living the RV lifestyle is that for the most part everywhere you "move" you instantly have something in common with all your neighbors. It's like social networking but with 40' motorhomes!
Most people would be surprised to know just how many people have taken the leap to become full time RV'ers. And it's a pretty good mix of folks from all walks of life. In many RV parks you can find anything from converted vans to multi-million dollar motorhomes all parked next to one another forming whole mini-communities.
The diversity of people and their backgrounds is always fascinating too me. On one side of your rig you may have George and Martha, retired corn and soy bean farmers from Ontario Canada. On the other side could be Paul and Tina, retired Air Force officers. You just never know who you are going to be talking to when you bump into the next person in your mini-community. The only thing you do know is that you and that person instantly have something in common, a love for exploring the open road, meeting new people and seeing interesting places.
For lunch today Nancy and I decided to once again enjoy the leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup from last night. I'm not sure it's possible, but I think it might have been even better today. All the spices and fresh ingredients had a night in the fridge to mingle and today they seem to be even friendlier together than they were last night. The recipe can be found below on this blog.
Enjoy!
Most people would be surprised to know just how many people have taken the leap to become full time RV'ers. And it's a pretty good mix of folks from all walks of life. In many RV parks you can find anything from converted vans to multi-million dollar motorhomes all parked next to one another forming whole mini-communities.
The diversity of people and their backgrounds is always fascinating too me. On one side of your rig you may have George and Martha, retired corn and soy bean farmers from Ontario Canada. On the other side could be Paul and Tina, retired Air Force officers. You just never know who you are going to be talking to when you bump into the next person in your mini-community. The only thing you do know is that you and that person instantly have something in common, a love for exploring the open road, meeting new people and seeing interesting places.
For lunch today Nancy and I decided to once again enjoy the leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup from last night. I'm not sure it's possible, but I think it might have been even better today. All the spices and fresh ingredients had a night in the fridge to mingle and today they seem to be even friendlier together than they were last night. The recipe can be found below on this blog.
Enjoy!
Yes Soup For Me!
Greyhounds can be funny creatures. Most folks assume that such athletic looking dogs must be full of energy and require lots of exercise. HA! They didn't earn the moniker of 45 mile an hour couch potatoes for nothing!
Today we took Luke and Leia for a walk down to the Escapees front office to sign up for a propane delivery. It was cold (40's) so they had to wear their jackets. Leia has a long red coat with a turtle neck that comes up around her pinned back ears. Luke has a brown fleece with super-macho, multi colored polka dots all over it (I didnot pick this out. ;-p). The folks around here know us primarily by our dogs. The usual comment is, "Here comes Luke and Leia!" or "How are the Greyhounds today!", most people don't even see us there with them LOL. Well, today in their fancy coats was certainly no exception to that rule.
The walk from our rig to the office is a little over a quarter mile and it was about 10:30am as Nancy an I set out with the dogs. Along the way both dogs like to explore the various smells and check out whats going on in the dog news today. Luke will usually ad some of his own comments to the daily array of doggie blogs found along the way. Today they must have sniffed some bad news because about half way to the office they both decided they had walked far enough! By the time we had dragged their considerable girth the rest of the way to the office and back to the rig it was 11:45!
Fast, athletic dogs my foot! ;-)
For tonights dinner, Nancy and I decided on a nice soup to warm our bodies on this chilly East Texas day. Nancy got out the crock pot after arriving home from our dog drag, and began to assemble our Chicken Tortilla Soup. Her first step was to dice the onions. Jeannie is apparently not a fan of the smell of freshly diced onion as she demonstrated by discarding a hairball in the middle of the kitchen floor. I took care of the mop up duty as Nancy continued preparing ingredients.
Next Nancy minced up some garlic and fresh cilantro while pouring the chicken broth into the slow cooker. The rig quickly began to fill with all the wonderful aromas from the fresh ingredients. It's gonna be tough to wait for this treat until dinner!
And below is the cooker Nancy used:
Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Dinner time finally came and boy was it worth the wait! All day I smelled that delightful southwestern soup stewing away in that slow cooker. Now there was a steaming bowl full sitting in front of me with 2 pieces of buttered wheat bread and a bottle of Shiner Spring Ale to wash it all down.
The first spoonful provides you with an explosion of southwestern flavors. The corn, cilantro, onion, pepper and a hint of lime. Then comes the spice. This is a soup that will give you the *sniffs*. Spicey but not overpowering in any way. Mopping the bowl with the buttered bread was the icing on the cake!
This is the perfect finishing meal to a chilly south western day in East Texas!
Enjoy!
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