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For the last two Wednesdays, we’ve enjoyed hot spinach and artichoke dip (here’s the recipe link). Should you be unable to eat the entire thing in one sitting (we tried really hard but alas, couldn’t do it), be assured it freezes well and reheats well in the microwave.
This week I was in the mood for something different. And so I opened my new appetizer cookbook, flipped through a few pages, and got inspired to make pot stickers. I have made them before but I wanted to try a new recipe. Fair warning, pot stickers are time- consuming, a bit fiddly, but well worth the effort. Now, I’m not about to share a recipe and sing its praises without testing it first. Just because it’s published doesn’t mean I’ll like it. And I don’t share recipes unless I like the resultant food. So, to tide you over, here’s the link to the pot stickers, or Gyoza, that I have made before. I’ll let you know about the new recipe next week. And if it’s a success (I’m sure it will be) I’ll share it with you. Maybe you’ll want to make both versions and do a comparison. Sounds like an excellent idea to me! More pot stickers to eat!!! Cheers! P.S. Don't forget to head over to the newsletter sign-up page to--well--sign up for my newsletter. You'll receive a fabulous surprise in your inbox!
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 Should you ever have the need to borrow a couple cats for mouse control, don’t bother asking for mine. Talk about useless. A great chase went on in the great room Friday night. To no avail. I searched high and low Saturday morning and couldn’t find a mouse carcass. The cats had let it get away. (I had awakened after something fell over with a crash, and I had definitely heard the squeak of a mouse. So I knew there was a mouse in the house.) Saturday night was a repeat. Sunday morning we saw the wee beastie scamper under the kitchen stove. Of course. Why scamper under something that could easily be moved? I removed the drawer from under the oven to give the cats a sporting chance. The mouse came out several times and sashayed around. Had it been carrying a walking stick it would have twirled said walking stick. Then the mouse hid behind the grandfather clock. Another item of furniture not easily or safely moved. You might suspect the mouse knew what he/she was doing. The mouse then scampered into my study and finally – FINALLY – hid behind an easily moved small cupboard. Child-sized, actually. Built by my dad and tole-painted by my Auntie M, it was designed to hold CDs. I’m not sure what I’ll store in there. Anyway, back to the Great Chase, i.e., the Mouse Hunt, i.e., Now I’ve Got the Bugger. With Mogget standing by (Bruno had tired of the game) I slid one end of the cupboard from the wall just far enough to plop a plastic storage container on top of the rodent. I then slid a pad of paper under the trap and carried the mouse out to the great wilderness that is our yard. I let him/her go next to a stack of lumber should he/she wish to take shelter. I like to think the wee beastie will choose to remain out of doors, safe from the ferocious predator inside, by which I mean me. The cats are useless. Here’s a picture of the breed of mouse in question – deer mouse. I didn’t have time to snap a pic of the actual creature. I’ve got to say, it was awfully cute!  Cheers!
P.S. My newsletter sign-up has been revamped. Hop on over to subscribe and receive a free copy of Whole Lotta Love. According to one of those weird and whacky holiday calendars, we should be eating Sloppy Joes today. I can’t remember the last time I made Sloppy Joes. Spicy, saucy ground beef atop a soft hamburger bun or a Kaiser roll – Yum! I bet you can figure out what we’ll be eating for supper tonight.
There are many variations to the recipe out there. Whenever I’m flummoxed as to which version to make, I turn to the good folks at All Recipes. I read several recipes and compare ingredients. Sometimes I combine two or three recipes and come up with a new version entirely. A useful tool at the All Recipes website is the reviews. (As an aside, nothing burns my butt quite like a review that claims the recipe was bad – and then goes on to list all the changes the reviewer made to the original recipe before making. Grrr.) I use the reviews to check for things like too much or not enough salt, the level of “heat” (I‘m a wimp and always order my Indian food mild), and too much or not enough liquid. So after perusing the many, many variations on Sloppy Joes, I made my decision. But then I thought, “heck, I’ve made them before, which recipe did I use last time?” Well, ha! Turns out this one made the cut last time, too! Cheers! When hubby retired last year he was treated to many parties, many gifts, and many sad goodbyes. I was invited to a few of the celebrations and I received some thoughtful gifts as well. One of which is pictured here.  Isn’t this the perfect gift? Hubby’s co-workers heard about Wine Wednesday many times and came up with this brilliant idea. The bookmark is on this page.  I’m completely smitten with arancini and will be trying this version – baked – sooner rather than later.
Last week for WW I tried yet another version of my all-time favourite appetizer – Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip. From the brilliant Rachael Ray, this one is made with a white sauce and gorgonzola cheese. Oh, my goodness. Hubby and I inhaled over half! I had to force myself to stop eating. Today is Bittersweet Chocolate Day. Are you a bittersweet chocolate fan? Or more of a milk chocolate aficionado? I’ll happily eat either or both. And because we’re nearing the end of the Christmas cookies I need to get out my mixing bowls and get to baking – using chocolate, of course. Cheers! |
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