Debbie Delozier :: A Casual Affair

We had a whirlwind Thanksgiving full of ups and downs and blessings all around.  Our traditional DeLozier family Thanksgiving is held at the family cabin on Grand Lake.  In previous years the cabin was full:  Mom and Dad, the 3 siblings with spouses and children in tow.  It is usually still a full-house but as our children have  grown and taken on spouses we’ve had to share them with their other families.  This year we missed Chris (the oldest of the DeLozier grandchildren), his wife Alice and their 2 beautiful daughters.  Also missing were Kim and Chad who drove up to Ohio to be with Chad’s family.  Although we missed them greatly we know they will all be with us at Christmas when, I am sure we will be missing a different duo or two.

Thanksgiving Eve J, Kati and I drove to a neighboring town to meet up with a few of my lifelong friends for dinner, a visit and lots of hugs.  It has become our custom (in the last few years) for our Houston friends who are up visiting family at this time of year and us to try to get together.  I’m hoping it becomes a long and lasting tradition.  This year we added another set; a friend (and her husband) we’ve been out-of-touch with for many years.  I am hopeful we can add them to our developing Thanksgiving tradition.   We had a great evening, keeping the restaurant open late and laughing and laughing (hopefully not so loud that we bothered the other guests).

The holiday morning I woke to J’s parents already in the kitchen getting the stuffing ready for the turkey.  Dad was at the stove browning the sausage while Mom was getting the necessary walnuts, onions and celery from the fridge.  I pitched in here or there, helping with this and that, doing whatever they needed me to do.  Between the 3 of us and the rest of the family bringing in dishes as they arrived, we had a bountiful feast (with way to many desserts even though we swore to cut back on them this year) set on the table that afternoon.

But, as they say, what a difference a day makes.  Early, early (4 am) Friday morning J’s dad awoke very ill.  Mom called 911 and the ambulance arrived and transported him to the Grove hospital. We all followed in our cars arriving seconds behind the ambulance.  After a few tests it was determined that J’s dad was suffering from pnemonia.  They admitted him and began a series of antibiotics and breathing treatments.

We stuck around the hospital until mid-afternoon, making sure the hospital had things in hand, before we returned to the cabin, cleaned a little and packed everything up and headed home.

Once again; what a difference a day makes.  J and I returned to Grove on Saturday to check up on Dad again.  His temperature had been down throughout the night, his blood pressure was back up, his kidneys had begun to function again and he looked and sounded more like himself.  After a shave, a hair combing and toothbrushing you could tell he was most certainly feeling (he says) ready to go home and get back to work.

He was feeling well enough that Mom felt she could go back to the cabin, take a pain pill for her back and spend the night in a bed instead of the chair again.  I think it probably did them both good because she was able to rest comfortably and he didn’t worry about her being in that chair all night.

We normally start our Christmas decorating the Saturday after Christmas.  This year we’re running late and I will probably try to begin that tomorrow along with making dessert and prepping for Tuesday’s Rotary lunch.

Today Kati joined us in church before heading back to school to finish up this semester.  She said she’d be back home in a couple of weeks.  As always, we love to see her come home and (anymore) we are used to her getting herself back to school and us back to our routine of the last few months.

With Thanksgiving thoroughly enjoyed and now over we are beginning the Advent season and looking forward to dancing into the promise.

See you soon.

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Oh Yum!!!  This is the best “quick” soup.  I’ve had the recipe for what seems forever and have always overlooked it when planning menus.  Because Old Man Winter has been showing his chilly grin a bit lately I thought it would be a great time to try it.  Therefore, Tuesday’s Rotary menu starred this soup along with Sarah’s Lasagna Soup.

Did I mention that Kale is just brimming with vitamins A, C, and E.  It’s great for our immune system and growth.  There are studies that conclude that the protective facets (Phytonutrients) found in kale may trigger enzymes in our body that help to counter cancer promoting cells.  It is also an excellent source of fiber and calcium and is very low in calories and has no saturated fats.

Kale is a marvelous green which is descended from wild cabbage.   It is a member of the Brassica family which means it is cousins with broccoli, brussel sprouts and bok choy.  Kale is not to be confused with my  marvelous nephew,  Cale who is  descended from brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ed and Lori and is a member of the DeLozier family which means he is cousins with my Cassie and Kati.   It has a slightly bitter/earthy taste.  The bitterness disperses when cooked in liquids such as this soup.  However, cooking does lower the nutritional value as happens when cooking almost any vegetable.

Now don’t let the Fagioli (fa-ZHOH-lee) part of this soup scare you.  Fagioli is simply Italian for “beans”.  Fagioli usually means white kidney beans or cannellini beans.  So, simply put, this is greens and beans soup.  tee hee

Now I could have used dried beans and soaked and cooked them myself but the canned beans are so much easier so that is what I went with.  This recipe will serve 6-8 depending on the appetites.

Here is what you’ll need:

1 tblsp olive or canola oil
8 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
4 cups raw Kale, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), undrained
4 plum tomatoes, chopped or 1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste

Let’s get started:

Heat the oil in a large pot.  Add the garlic and onion and saute until they are soft.  Add the Kale and saute, stirring until it is wilted.

Now add 3 cups of the broth and 2 cups of the beans.  Add all the tomatoes and the Italian seasoning.  Simmer about 5 minutes.  Put the remaining beans and broth in a food processor and pulse until smooth and liquidy.  Stir this into the soup to thicken it just a little.

Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer 15 minutes.

I do hope you’ll give this a try.  I think you just might like it.

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I will tell you right off the bat;  this may be the absolutely very best thing I’ve made all year.  I’ve always been just a little anxious about making risotto because it is such a “hands on” type of dish.  It is one of those foods that takes very few items but you need to keep an eye on it and work with it to bring out the creaminess of the rice so that  it is “just right”.  It is sort of like a spoiled child that wants all your attention, so serve it with something that can be prepared quickly or that doesn’t need your attention; heck or just a salad that can be done before hand.  I am no longer daunted by this dish.  We will most certainly be having it again.

You want to start by roasting a butternut squash.  Preheat your oven to 450 and use your olive oil spray to oil the sheet pan.  Slice the squash in half, lengthwise;  be careful, they are hard to cut sometimes.  Clean the seeds out of the squash.  The steam is going to get up in this empty cavity and help roast the squash.  Lay the squash, meat side down, on the sheet pan and roast for 35 – 40 minutes, until a fork goes easily through the skin and into the meat of the squash.     I think I could eat it just like this.

After it cools you want to scoop the meat out of the skin, actually the skin will peel right off if you want to do it that way. 

You’ll want to plan another dish in the week that will use butternut squash because you’re only going to use half of this squash in this recipe.  I’m making butternut squash gnocchi with my other half.  This recipe will serve 4 as a side dish, so if you’re serving more than 4 or serving it with just a salad,  you could use the whole squash and double the recipe.

The other items you’ll need are:

1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp minced ginger root
½ stick butter (I use unsalted so that I can control the salt in my recipe)
1 cup Arborio rice (this is the best rice to give the risotto that creamy texture it is known for)
¼ to ½ cup dry white wine

I also added a nice handful (sorry, I have an aversion to measuring for some reason) of grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and just a touch of cinnamon at the end.

The first thing you want to do is put the chicken/vegetable stock and the water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.

You want the stock/water hot when you add it to the rice,  the rice will release the starch molecules into the liquid which will create that creamy texture.

Begin to melt the butter in a skillet, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. 

We are going to cook these slowly over low heat  until the onions are softened.

Now we add the rice, stirring constantly: (Notice how this Arborio rice looks different than regular long-grain rice, click picture to enlarge).    When we add the rice to the butter and sauteing onions, etc. it is going to coat each grain of the rice, preparing it to soak up all that yummy liquid that we are going to add to it.  

Now we add the wine:     Be careful over the open flame!  We are going to stir the wine into the rice and let the rice slowly (low fire here: my gas range goes from 1 which is low to 6 which is a high flame, I kept it just a teeny bit above 2 the whole time) soak up the wine.

Once the wine is soaked up we will begin to add the hot stock a little (not more than 1/2 cup) at a time.  When the stock begins to soak up then begin to incorporate the squash (I like to mash mine up a bit before adding it)  into the dish.    Stir it in slowly.  Add another ladle full of stock and stir it in. 

When the stock is soaked up add another ladle of the heated stock and stir.  Keep it low and slow, this is going to take about 30 minutes.  Each time the stock is  soaked up, add another ladle and stir it in.  You might need more heated stock if your fire is too high.  This isn’t a problem, just heat more when you see you need to.

Once the rice is softened and the last of the stock is soaked up stir in a good handful of grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper (to your taste) and just a touch of ground cinnamon.

Risotto is traditionally served on a plate so that we know it is prepared correctly.  I’d say “just right”.

J and I both loved this dinner.  We began with a salad plate full of fresh spring lettuces, sliced cucumbers, the last of our garden tomatoes and a champagne vinegrette.  Then I served the risotto alongside a parmesan (I had the parm out anyway) crusted filet of tilapia.     I just dredged the tilapia filet in Italian flavored bread crumbs and grated parmesan and baked it in a 400 oven until it was nice and flaky: 

As I mentioned, I think the risotto is the very best thing I’ve made all year.  You really, really need to give it a try.  It is really easy, just time consuming.

Now I better start on today’s gnocchi.

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I received an email from my new friend Francis the other day.  The Food Bank was hosting another charity event and she knew I would want to be there.  Right she was.  Appetizers, dessert and wine, who wouldn’t want to be there.  Plus the added knowledge that the price of your ticket helps to feed the hungry.  Win/Win!

I knew my oldest, Cassie, would also love to attend this function.  I think Kati would have loved it too, but she is busy, busy with studies (at least I hope she is, tee hee).  Cassie has had a rough week, with everything cumulating with the loss of her sweet kitty, Nickel.  I thought a little break might do her good.  I think it did for a few hours.  I had a splendid evening and I know it was partially due to being able to spend that time with my daughter.

We were privileged to be able to taste a few flavorful offerings prepared by Jeff Stark who is the Executive Chef at The Silo Event Center at Redberry Farm.   The Silo Center is in conjunction with Cedar Rock Inn Bed & Breakfast (all part of Redberry Farm).   Cedar Rock Inn is just west of Tulsa and looks very inviting,  I’m secretly planning a getaway for J and I in the future.

Chef Jeff showed us how to prepare a few of his signature dishes and blessed us with a copy or 2 of his recipes.  I’ll be making the Butternut Squash Mousse very soon (Family, I’m telling you right now;  You are going to love it).  I’m also thinking of doing the wine poached pears with rice pudding.  I have a half bottle of Sangria just waiting in the fridge.

Sommelier, Edwin Butler treated us with a few bottles of wine chosen particularly for the evening.  He also chose what tasted to be a honey-laced champagne to pair with the wine poached pears and rice pudding. Wonderful, wonderful.  I really wish I  knew more about the ins and outs, the making, etc of wine;  all I really know is what I like and what I don’t like.  According to Mr. Edwin knowing what you like is enough.

After our samplings I hunted Francis down so that I may purchase a few of the center’s recipe books.  You know how I love recipe books, plus all the money goes to the Food Bank (yea!!).

The top book is full of recipes contributed by  guest chefs who have helped with the Recipe to End Hunger and Empty  Bowls events, which include:  Waldorf Salad (Chef Michael is the executive chef/owner of M. Fusco’s Riverside Grill); Chef William Doyle’s recipe for Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette (Chef William is the executive chef for the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel);  Thai Beef Salad by Chef James Shrader(chef/owner of The Palace Cafe’); and White Chocolate Mousse by Chef Geoffrey Van Glabbeek (just to name a few).

The other 3 are from previous year’s fundraisers with recipes offered by giving friends and people known in the Tulsa area (politics, television, etc.).    I purchased this set for myself and one of the top volumes for Cassie, plus an extra.

I also walked away with the following recipes by Chef Jeff Stark:  Butternut Squash Mousse in Wonton cups;  Cajun Pickled Shrimp;  Artichoke Brushetta;  and Old-Fashioned Ginger Cookies.  Now I can guarantee you’ll love the mousse, brushetta and ginger cookies because I loved each of them.  Everyone else was saying the shrimp was very yummy too.

Now for the fun:  I am going to pass on the recipes I enjoyed last evening to 4 lucky people so leave me a comment telling me which one you would prefer.  On Monday I will do a drawing and choose 1 lucky person to receive each recipe.  I will also, from all the comments, choose 1 person to receive the extra Recipes to End Hunger book.

Good luck and Ready, Set, GO!

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I’d say we’re smack dab in the middle of Indian Summer.  Our temperatures have been in the high 60′s to mid 70′s lately (sorry Jennifer, I know you were bombarded with snow last week).  These temperatures make for some wonderful November days.  Every chance J and I get we try to get out on one of the lakes that bless this northeast area of Oklahoma.

I was wanting to get over to the cabin today to try to work on the old railing a bit, but it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to make it today.  I won’t give up though, I’ll see what my schedule looks like tomorrow and maybe I can go on over and J can come later, once he is off the clock, as they say.

I hear Langley is having their annual Chili Cookoff on Saturday and one of my high school friends, who lives over that way, mentioned she’d be there.  I’ve been good and dutiful all week so I’m hoping I’ll be able to get in some play time “starting tomorrow”.

I was out in the yard yesterday and was able to pick a few more beautiful blooms from my “doing very, very well this year” garden.      Isn’t that a beautiful face? 

Don’t you love the lovely orange streaks around this pretty little yellow face?

Because Nature has gifted me with beautiful blossoms and because yesterday was Youth Wednesday, I decided our craft time could be used to give a little back.  We have 7-8 teenagers and 2 elementary kids that come by the church after school on Wednesdays.  We have a snack and chat about their day for a bit, then we get out the homework and help them with that for a while.  After homework we play games, make something in the kitchen or do a craft.  Yesterday, we thought that because the Lord takes such good care of us, we would help take care of a few of His other creatures.We took apples, oranges, dried cranberries, blueberries and cherries, along with golden raisins and ran fishing line through them to help feed our little feathered friends.  Mine is hanging right out my front window so I can catch a glimpse of them as they enjoy this feast.

Now I need to get out in the garage and dig out some of my Fall table decorations to use for the church Thanksgiving dinner which is coming up in a few weeks.  After that, because I have put it off all week long, I’m headed out to the back porch to put the cushions away for the winter, just like I promised I’d do earlier this week.

Enjoy your day!

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I prepared this favorite recipe of ours for today’s Rotary Club lunch.  D called me yesterday afternoon to tell me she had forgotten to tell me that the governor  would be at the lunch today.  Last year when she told me the governor was coming to their lunch I was about sick worrying what to fix for their meal.  I’ve prepared meals for State Rep Steve Martin and also for Senator John Ford;  but the governor!  My nerves had my stomach doing flip-flops.  Then I found out it was the Rotarian Governor.  Still a very important man, but not the governor of Oklahoma.  hee hee  So, this time when D told me the governor was coming I didn’t get nearly as excited.

The Rotarian Governor and his aide were in the community room’s kitchen when I arrived to unload my baskets.  When I walked in with a tray of these:

which I had prepared earlier this morning in flavors of cherry, peach and apple, (I even made my own crust) they began to get excited about lunch.

Later as the onions and peppers were sauteing, our guest came in to ask what smelled so yummy.  When he saw the bottle of dark beer, sitting on the counter, waiting to be added to the skillet he said “this is going to be a good lunch”.

After lunch when I returned to clean up the kitchen I was given a round of applause.  As you can imagine my face was red, red, red.  The Governor  had told them he has visited something like 65 different Rotary clubs and this was the best lunch he’d had.

If you want to fix a meal for someone important, should it be yourself and your husband, family members or a guest to your house, give this a try.  This will feed 6 very important people in your life.

Here is what you’ll need:

3 tblsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced
2 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic
2 bottle beer (I like to use a dark beer
2 cups chicken broth
1 (6 oz) tomato paste
1 tblsp oregano
1 tblsp cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste

When you have everything gathered and sliced here is what you’ll do:

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet.  Add onions, peppers and garlic; saute’ until vegetables are just beginning to soften.  Add the sliced sausage.  Once the sausage is beginning to brown add the tomato paste.  Mix the tomato paste in very well and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the salt, oregano and cilantro, mix well.

Add the beer and chicken broth (if you liked you could use 2 beers or just chicken broth (4-5 cups), but we like using both).  You can always add more (or less) chicken broth to get the consistency you like.  Stir the liquids in until it has mixed well with the tomato paste and vegetables.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice or pasta, whichever you prefer.

Also after lunch J’s dad told me that when he was eating one of the fruit pies he thought he was at his Grandma’s house.  What a great compliment.  Thanks, Dad.

I do hope you’ll give this a try.  I think you’ll like it.

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To once again be on top of things here at the house, that is.  Being a little more organized rejuvenates my soul, it feels good all the way to my toes.

My body clock hasn’t reset as of yet so I was up earlier than normal (actually the same old time as last week, it just happens to be an hour earlier by the clock this week).  I hope it lasts for a while.  I used to be an early riser, up with the sun and all that.  I would usually have my daily chores done by noon which left me the whole of the afternoon to sip iced tea (or hot tea, depending on what time of the year it was) and read a book, do outdoor things or do whatever else flit into my mind.  However, it hasn’t been that way for about the last year.  So, like I said, I hope it lasts a little while because it really does feel good.

Today has been very productive;  I even had time to clean the fridge, catch up my catering and clerical income receipts, make a trip to the grocery store,  and clean out my shoe closet among all the other little housework chores (bathroom cleaning, laundry, etc).

I have not, however, got the cushions on the lawn furniture stored yet.  I only mention this as I promised J I would do it today and I haven’t.  Although I did throw out 8 pair of worn out flip-flops, sneakers and sandals and put 12 pair of shoes into the Goodwill basket.  J will appreciate this I know, even if there is still a closet full of shoes, sneakers and boots.

I think I’m going to stop with the house stuff for now;  I need to save the rest of my energy if I’m going to whip up on J at bowling tonight.

Love and plenty of strikes.

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What a wonderful first day of November;  at one point our outdoor thermometer read 73 degrees.  Wow, 73 degrees on the 1st of November.  What a blessing!  Along with all this beautiful weather I’m still getting big beautiful flowers in my bed (that’s garden bed).

It was so nice today J and I couldn’t decide what we wanted to do after church.  After a quick bite to eat we decided to run over to the lakehouse to see how the wrought iron deck railing is coming.  The deck’s wooden railing has just about had it so Dad is putting up wrought iron this time.  It is looking really great too. 

Looks great; don’t you think!   While we were there we decided to help by tearing down the rest of the wooden railing for Dad.     

You have to be very careful now so that you don’t fall over the edge.  As I told J’s mom, “I’ve always been better at de-struction than at con-struction”. hee hee

This whole week is calling for beautiful mid to high 60 degree weather, so I’m planning on cleaning up the back patio a bit and putting away the furniture cushions for the winter.  I’ve also decided this is the week I get back into a routine.  I’ve been pretty much goofing off for the last 2 1/2 months (every since Kati has been gone).  I’ve been traveling  and letting things around the house slide.  Oh, I don’t feel guilty about it, I’ve enjoyed myself tremendously.  But, to everything there is a season, and this is the season I set my mind back to work.  Unless, that is, J asks me to go on a day trip with him again or I am able to spend the afternoon with a long-lost friend, or . . .

Wishing you many or . . .s

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