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Wussed on Blog, But Cooked with Wine

Posted on January 12, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I entirely wussed out on Wednesday by not making a post at all (as opposed to making a foolish post and billing it as Wuss-out Wednesday.  Why didn’t I do that?  What the hell, me?) (And for future reference,  autocorrect,  I almost never mean “he’ll”).

Where was I?  Ah yes, making a blog post.  One thing I did not wuss out on last night was cooking.  Lately I have been having restaurant leftovers, sometimes going so far as to heat them up, or frozen dinners, or not much at all for supper.  Last night I actually cooked.

I had a green pepper I had picked up last Sunday when I grocery shopped.  I had meant to do something with it then but was too lazy.  It was looking a little peaky, and I am very Waste Not, Want Not, so I chopped it up while it was still edible.  I put it in a frying pan with the last of a bottle of Baco Noir from Adirondack  Winery (just to add a little regional flair).  Yes, so etimes when I cook with wine, I put it in the food.  Full disclosure:  I also poured myself a glass from a box I just happened to have on hand.

I chopped up an onion to add and lamented that I had no fresh garlic.  When the wine had entirely boiled away, I added some oil, making the joke of what if I had mistaken the bottle of Karo syrup for olive oil?  When the pepper and onion were pretty well cooked, I added a can of diced tomatoes and some spices:  granulated garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley.

I had the mixture over ziti with grated parmesan cheese.  Yum!  And I have plenty left over.  Maybe I could use it as pizza sauce…

 

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Cook With Wine, Feel Cheerful

Posted on April 23, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just made a most delicious late lunch, so I am going to make a blog post about it.  Alas, I did not take any pictures while I was doing it, so this may not be a really peppy post.  Still, you can’t have everything.

Yum!

I paused to take one picture.  Yes, I was cooking with wine.  This time I did not put any in the food.  I had a red pepper that was getting old, and I was in the mood to put something together.  The therapeutic benefits of chopping vegetables is not to be discounted.

The first thing I did, as usual, was to peel and crush up some garlic, and set the timer for 15 minutes,  so it could reach its full cancer fighting potential.  Then I chopped up an onion.  I was chopping it into small pieces, so I stopped after half an onion.  So I guess I did not get the full measure of therapeutic benefits available to me.

I put the onions in a pan with oil over low heat and chopped the pepper into small pieces, adding it to the onion.  I added the garlic after 15 minutes, covered the pan, and let them all cook for a while, stirring frequently (of course I didn’t note how many times or how often; I’m not that kind of a cook nor that kind of a blogger) (did I mention you can’t have everything?).

Eventually I added a can of tomato puree. I seasoned it with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Towards the end I put in a can of chopped clams.  I served it over angel hair pasta with grated parmesan cheese.  Yum!

So now I have managed another blog post without much whining.  In fact, after managing the blog post, I am feeling more cheerful.  Let this be a lesson to me:  make a blog post, feel cheerful.  I will try to duplicate the phenomenon tomorrow.

 

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I Cooked, I Drank, I Posted

Posted on April 8, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Saturday Supper post?  Full disclosure:  what I made wasn’t such a much, but I just feel like making kind of an easy post today.  Judge me if you must, but here goes.

I had to restrain myself from starting supper till an annoying 5:30 p.m., because my husband Steven worked till 6:30.  Damn retail hours!  Yes, yes, it’s a job, I’m grateful he has a job, blah blah woof woof. Where was I?  Ah yes, sitting on my couch, knitting, and watching Snapped and the clock.  I was feeling more and more tired with less and less time to take a nap.  Finally I heated a cup of coffee and added a splash of Mohawk Valley Fire moonshine from DikinDurt Distillery of Herkimer (adding a little local color to my post).  It was yummy and revived me amazingly.

The sad part was, once I started cooking, I did not feel I should cook with wine.  I did not want to be too tipsy when Steven got home (full disclosure:  my early adventures had included a lovely glass of draft beer. That was a couple of hours before my coffee of questionable moral fiber).  I chopped an onion and crushed a few cloves of garlic. I put the onion and some sausage in a frying pan while I let the garlic “breathe” for 15 minutes (we’ve talked about that before).  The sausage, by the way, was from Dino’s Sausage and Meat Company of Utica, NY (a little more local color).

When the sausage was almost done, I added cream cheese.  It was a partial package.  I added some milk to help it blend in and not be too thick.  It was still pretty thick.  Eventually I decided to add a complete package of cream cheese (I had a couple more in the fridge).  The main reason for this was that as I taste tested the sausage I realized I had not picked up sweet but medium or something.  I thought more cream cheese would soften the hotness.  Oh yeah, and it was Neufchatel, not actually cream cheese.  It has a third less fat. I did not add any spices but trusted the sausage, onion and garlic to be tasty enough.  We had the mixture over ruffle pasta.

With supper, we drank Dry Riesling from Swedish Hill Winery, a New York State Winery (just to get a little more local or at least regional in here).  We are enjoying another glass while I type in my blog post.  Supper was pretty good.  I hope my blog post is all right as well.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

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The Glop Factor on Lame Post Friday

Posted on February 10, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am cooking with wine, and by “cooking with wine” I mean sitting here typing into my laptop, sipping wine and waiting for the macaroni to cook.  I am making macaroni and cheese with little hot dogs, mushrooms, and whatever else I decide to throw in at the time (about two more minutes now).  Ah, Friday.  The day I am happy the week is over and not yet annoyed with myself for not getting anything done over the weekend.  And the home of Lame Post Friday.  What can I come up with today?

OK, the stuff is in the oven.  I am looking at true crime television.  20/20 on OWN right now, but I might switch it to Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen.  Oops, it is 20/20 on ID, on the channel OWN.  20/20 on OWN is on at six.  I noted that just now when I went to double check which Dateline it was (I thought it was Real Life Mysteries, but I was mistaken).  I don’t know why I go into such detail, but I feel better when I am strictly accurate.

I was supposed to have the minor Mohawk Valley adventure of driving into Rome this afternoon.  However, when I left work snow was falling quite copiously.  I called my mother and we decided to put the visit off.  I hesitated because I felt it was the kind of day that, if I drove into Rome it would be horrible, but if I went home and put on my sweats, the sun would immediately shine.  Mom did not think the sun was in danger of shining, and it turns out she was right.  As I slid a few times driving home — and I don’t drive fast — I felt we had made the right decision.

I just checked on the macaroni and cheese.  Note to self:  stop trying to put mozzarella cheese in baked macaroni and cheese; it just gets gloppy.  I seem to recall mentioning the glop factor in a previous blog post (I’m not going to look for it, although I may have tagged it “gloppy,” knowing me).  Do I ever learn?  Time will tell.

Well, friends, let’s call this a blog post and get back to enjoying our Friday.  Happy Weekend, everybody!

 

 

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Saturday Clam Sauce

Posted on November 12, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

This will be a quick cooking post before I get back to enjoying my Saturday.  I must admit, it has been a largely wasted day, and never mind why, because people who go on about their health woes are tiresome (how’s that for a little passive-aggressive whining?).  I just about managed to get the dishes done by the time Steven got home shortly after six.  I had not planned anything for supper.  Suppressing my desire to send out for a sub or Chinese, I suggested red clam sauce or maybe eggs.  Steven opted for red clam sauce and I went to work.

First, OF COURSE, I crushed up some garlic and set it to breath for fifteen minutes.  It was from the bunch I purchased at the Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival in Little Falls, NY this past September, just to give the post a little local flair.  At first I said, “I’ll only do three cloves.  I won’t go crazy with the garlic.”  Not a minute later I said, “I’ll go crazy with the garlic,” and put in the entire bulb, which was not very big anyways.  Steven did not comment; he trusts me when it comes to cooking in general and garlic in particular.

I put the dishes away while the garlic cooked in olive oil.  That’s the kind of multi-tasking I can handle.  Incidentally, I forgot to mention that I was cooking with wine, a little 19 Crimes red blend, one of my favorites.  I soon added a can of minced clam with the liquid to the garlic.  I let that boil for a little bit before adding a small can of tomato sauce.  I took a can of mushrooms and drained its liquid into the sauce can, to get the last of the sauce without adding too much more liquid to the whole.  I had told Steven I was not going to include tomato paste, that it would be a thin clam sauce.

Basil and oregano were the only spices I used.  I would have put in a few hot peppers, but I left those outside, where I had been sprinkling them over my container garden to deter squirrels.  Note to self:  purchase more hot peppers.  I considered adding tomato paste anyways but decided to wait and see if the sauce cooked down.  Soon it was time to put on water for pasta.  Ziti rigati, which was all we had besides some angel hair pasta.  Further note to self: purchase more pasta.

The sauce turned out pretty good.  I added salt, pepper and grated cheese before devouring.  Steven added salt and pepper.  He also had a large piece of bread and butter, an extra thick crust on a loaf of Spano’s hard crust Italian.  This adds another local bit, because Spano’s is in Utica, NY.  I am Mohawk Valley Girl!

 

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Soup and Post on the Light Side

Posted on May 10, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here is a cooking post.  At least, I’m going to call it a cooking post, but perhaps I am stepping up in class.  No matter. It is Tired Tuesday, I fixed something for dinner that did NOT involve the telephone and a credit card, and I’m going to write about it.

First I poured myself a small glass of Chardonnay, because I wanted to cook with wine.

I had an open box of chicken broth in the refrigerator (I drank one mug of it recently when my stomach was bothering me) (you see, I DON’T write a blog post about every little ache and pain, although it sometimes feels that way).  I also had some leftover brown rice.  I put them both in a pot on the stove and turned on the burner.  I went to the freezer and pulled out broccoli and spinach, which I also added to the pot.

Then I went out the the living room, sat on the couch and looked a Facebook.  I feel that is an important part of the recipe.  After a while I went back out the the kitchen and added garlic powder, parsley, basil and oregano to the pot.  When it started boiling, I lowered the heat and let it simmer for a while.

Steven and I ate the soup with bread and butter.  Steven said it was very good, not too heavy, just what his stomach needed.  I hope this modest little post is just what my blog needed.  As for me, I may have another small glass of Chardonnay.  Happy Tuesday, everyone.

 

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Groovin’ on a Sunday Afternoon

Posted on March 27, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I always thought it was “Cruisin’ on a Sunday Afternoon,” but earlier today,  I sang it with “Groovin’,” because that is what we are doing.  As I sat here groping for a blog post, Steven suggested “Groovin’ on a Sunday Afternoon.”  I looked it up on YouTube and, sure enough, it is “groovin'”.  That is good, because Steven is not in the mood to go cruisin’, even though the freezing rain we were warned about has not materialized.  Just saying.

So here I am on Wrist to Forehead Sunday, about to pause in my blogging (tee hee, “blogging” as a verb always amuses me) to check on the soup I started earlier.  It isn’t really soup yet; I’m still at the cooking onion and garlic in oil stage (regular readers will know that is how most of my recipes start).

The onions and garlic had started to get dark brown (not black yet, but), so I added the chicken broth.  Yes, I am using chicken broth out of a box and it’s store brand at that.  Hey, I never said this was a cooking blog; I didn’t even say this was a cooking post.  The package said do NOT add water to the broth, but I added a little, putting it in the empty box and swirling it around.  Why would I not add water when I expect the stuff to boil or at least cook down a little?  By the way, I am cooking with wine.

In case anybody is interested, I intend to add spinach, cheese tortellini and a carrot to the soup.  The spinach and tortellini are frozen; the carrot is fresh.  I chopped some for my lunches this week and one to put in the soup.  I don’t care for cooked carrots, but Steven likes them, and they add flavor to the soup.  Also they are good for you.  I don’t say I lead a healthy lifestyle, but I try to sneak in a little nutrition now and then.

Speaking of healthy lifestyle, I went running again today.  I think I will be just fine for the Boilermaker 15K.  I discovered today there is a 5K in Herkimer in June I may like to do.  I’ll let you know about that.

 

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Stirring the Blog

Posted on March 20, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Why do I persist in thinking I am going to get anything done on a Sunday? I am clearly not, and then I just feel bad about myself. Can’t I just embrace the uselessness and enjoy the day?

I interrupt my Sunday festivities to make my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, and I lead off with my Facebook post from earlier.  I did not quite embrace my uselessness, unfortunately, but I am striving to enjoy the day.

Regarding usefulness, I did one load of laundry, the dishes (there were not that many, for which I was grateful), grocery shopped, chopped vegetables and made a salad for the upcoming week’s lunches, and I am in the midst of cooking what promises to be a delicious dinner (if I do say so myself).  I am cooking with wine, by the way, and have not put any in the food.

As a matter of fact, I need to go out to the kitchen, stir and add other ingredients, so I’d better blog quickly. I must confess, I do enjoy these off the cuff posts.  It is fun to sit here, typing away, and know that I will probably amuse somebody somewhere (OK, I suppose sometimes it is only myself; you don’t have to disillusion me) (you know who you are).   It doesn’t always work, you know.  Sometimes I start typing, then I erase it, then I say to hell with it, I’ll blog later (I think “blog” is a funny verb, don’t you?) (oh, YOU probably never have) (once again, you know who you are).

OK, what do we have here so far?  Some silliness, a couple of parenthetical comments, over 200 words.  I’d say that’s about par for the course for me.  I’m going to hit publish and call it a day.  For one reason, Steven just stirred dinner and it is time to add more ingredients. Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

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Show All Your Work

Posted on May 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Twice now this week I’ve gone running.  Twice I have narrated in my head, coming up with some rather witty commentary if I do say so.  Twice I have sat down at the computer and NOT been able to write the post.

 

Well, I can’t wuss out, because this is not Wuss-out Wednesday.  It is Non-Sequitur Thursday.  I shall come up with something non sequential but fun.  Or I’ll write a short, foolish post and slap on a goofy headline that doesn’t really fit.

 

But first I have to start dinner.

 

OK, I cooked the last of the bacon (we don’t often have bacon, but Steven had a craving).  While it cooked I sliced some red onion and opened a can of mushroom pieces and stems.  Then I cooked a couple of cube steaks, seasoning them with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and lemon pepper (I used the last of the Worcestershire, but I know Steven put it on the shopping list).

 

When the steaks were almost done, I put on the onions, mushrooms and bacon on them, then covered them with cheese.  Full disclosure: not real good cheese.  We got it to hide Tabby’s medicine in, but it turns out peanut butter works better.

 

Oh yes, I cooked with wine.  I did not put any in the food this time, because I don’t have a whole lot.  Next time I might put it on the food.  I think cube steaks need all the help they can get.

 

In the meantime, I hope this counts as a post, even without a catchy title.

 

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Wrist to Forehead Cooking

Posted on August 12, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was, happily cooking with wine, when I realized — I haven’t done my blog post yet! Talk about Wrist to Forehead Sunday!

What’s a blogger to do? I search for a notebook with blank pages, grab a pen (I recently bought a bunch on sale at Rite Aid) and write while I cooked.

To set the scene: The rice is simmering, the chicken strips are frying, the garlic is breathing, I am debating peeling an onion. I could throw it in with the chicken. It might not have time to carmelize. Lately I have a minor obsession with carmelized onions.

I peeled and chopped an onion and added it to the chicken. Now will the chicken overcook before the onions are done? I did mention this is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, didn’t I?

And what about the garlic?

I should perhaps at this point mention that I began cooking with no recipe or plan in mind. I put on rice because Steven expressed an interest in eating rice. I put on chicken because you can cook this kind from frozen. I put in garlic and onions because that is what I do.

If anyone is interested, I added to the chicken some Roasted Garlic Olive Oil from gusto della vita (it is all lowercase on the bottle). I see they don’t have an address on their bottle, but it is a local or at least an area company.

When the garlic was done breathing I added it to the rice, which still has at least ten more minutes to cook, I think. We will eat this improvised mess — uh, I mean meal with a tossed salad I made yesterday. Won’t that be nice?

Note: As I typed this in, I realized my tenses were all messed up, because I was writing as I went along. I started to change it all to past tense, since it is now, in fact, past, then thought I would leave it as written and see if I liked it. Which I did.

Further note: The website for the oil company is www.gustodellavita.com.

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