What's for dinner?

Hey ya'll! (said in her best Paula Dean imitation)

(cough, choke) Well, Paula Dean I'm not..but I AM in the kitchen..so join me!!

So, what's on the menu for dinner tonight? Can't you hear it now.."Honey, I'm home! What's cooking?"

So here ya go gals...a recipe to start your week with! I don't have pictures of this posted yet, but will try to get some on here mid week or so!

Here in the south, we are getting ready to experience our 'last cold snap of the season', (supposed to get to 32 tonight! ACK!) so in keeping with that I wanted a hearty, warm, reminds me of home item to add to my dinner menu.

Here's what's for dinner around here:
My Menu:
Artisan Bread (HA! See previous recipe)
Homemade French Onion Soup
Cheddar Brats (store bought..on sale no less)
Asparagus and mushroom saute'

Ready? Let's cook!
First off, the Artisan Bread. Click "HERE" to find the recipe. You'll need several (up to 3) hours for this, so get that bread a'risin' first!
*If you don't have time for homemade bread, use storebought. No one will be dissapointed!

Now, let's move on to the French Onion Soup (so, can anyone tell me why it's french?) And one more thing, this recipe is handwritten in 'grandma' script. Ever heard of grandma script? Well, if you haven't, it consists of a pinch of this and a dash of that. Read on my budding chefs, you'll see what I mean!

2 1/2 Cups thinly sliced yellow onions (or MORE..up to 4 Cups)
2 T. Butter
A pinch of salt
A pinch of sugar (to help the onions brown and glaze)
1 1/2 T. Flour
3 cans beef broth (or 4 Cups if you're using bouillon) heated to almost boiling
Dash of Worcestershire sauce (if you have it)
4-6 slices of crusty 'artisan' bread or french bread, toasted.
Swiss Cheese (or mozzarella if you don't have swiss)

Cook onions slowly in butter in a covered saucepan for about 15 mins. (till tender) Uncover, raise heat to medium high and add salt & sugar. Stir and cook till the onions have turned a deep golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Add beef broth, stir till smooth. Add Worcestershire sauce. Turn off the heat. Prepare the bread.
Toast the bread lightly on both sides. Cover with swiss cheese or mozzarella (shredded or sliced) and broil till bubbly and melted.
Ladle soup into large bowls, float a piece of bread on top of each one. Serve. How simple is that?? You can do it..I have faith!

Now..onto the asparagus and mushroom saute'

1 Bundle of Asparagus
8 oz of sliced mushrooms (fresh)
Salt
2-3 Tablespoons Butter
dash basil

Melt butter in a saute pan on medium heat. Toss in sliced mushrooms and stir, cover with lid for 5 mins. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces, (dont' use the tough/stringy bottom part). After mushrooms have cooked for 5 mins, toss in asparagus, cover and cook for another 5 mins for crisp asparagus or longer if you prefer a softer asparagus. Dash of basil at the last minute. Salt and pepper to taste.
That's it..you're done! Easy huh? Serve with some of that crusty bread and a 'banger' as they say in England (sausage) and you're ready to go!

So hey..I figure it this way, we've covered 3 countries in this dish.
If you made "FRENCH onion soup, that's France
If you used SWISS Cheese..that's Switzerland (Mozzarella, that's Italy)
And if you're serving sausage, (banger) that's England!

Wow..I should have labeled this post, 'eating around the world in one trip!"

Want to learn about Asparagus
Go here : http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Asparagus/index.htm
Don't forget to read the facts of asparagus too!

Kitchen to RE-OPEN

HI all!

Well, refurbishments are near completion and this means the kitchen will be re-opening soon! Matter of fact..come Monday!

Welcome back!

If you want to see pictures of the mostly completed project, just head on over to the Sagewood Farm home page and take a gander!

NOW..let's get back to cooking!

Welcome to APRIL!!

HOWDY! (this is how my best friend Lightfoot greets everyone..thought I'd give it a try!)
Nothing much new to share down on the farm. Cept..
Let me tell you of the 'escapee'!

His name is Baxter. I know you've heard me speak of him before, matter of fact, he's had his pictures posted here! He's our found Great Pyrenees. Remember the fence? Yeah..well that sure does keep him in...no problems, however, we failed to recognize the windows in the house! Yep, you read that right, the windows in the house!

On Wednesday, the rain clouds threatened., so ol' Baxter was 'inside', sleeping away, or so I thought. In all actuality he was plotting his escape! (secretly, with his eyes closed!)

I just happened to have our bedroom window open, not even THINKING he would try to go out of one. I'm sitting at the computer playing "Sims' (yes, I'm a simmer) and I hear this 'rumble, rumble, thump, thud!" in the bedroom. See.., Baxter has a habit of laying between my bed and the wall, and with his size, he will on occasion, get 'stuck' and have to wiggle and jiggle till he gets 'unstuck', making a racket that would scare most ghosts! Again, I hear the 'rumble, rumble, thump, thud!" So I begin to think, he's stuck and can't get unstuck! I must go help!

I wander into the bedroom, check between the bed and the wall expecting to see a very stuck Baxter....no Baxter. I check the bathroom...no Baxter. Heck, I even checked the closet and no Baxter! Now, I'm starting to wonder about my sanity or if I have rowdy ghosts! I KNEW I heard what I heard. I didn't glance up at the window..I mean...gee, who'd have thought right??
I searched the house over, I searched outside..no Baxter.
I go BACK to where the noise came from..(bygeorgeImnotcrazy) and this time, I just happened to glance up at the window and notice..the screen gone! I popped my head out and there on the ground, broken and in shambles is.......the screen. Baxter was gone with the wind!

I called (hoping against hope cuz he's like a legless wonder and NEVER comes when called!), I whistled, I called some more...no Baxter. I figured it was a lost cause, so came back in and gave up. He has tags and if someone finds him they'll call the number.

Hours pass..No Baxter yet.
Finally, dusk is coming and it's time to go close the chickens up for the night. You know chickens, to bed with the sun, up with the sun..so out I go, and there on the "OTHER" side of the fence is my wandering giant, looking happy as a lark, soaked to the bone and muddy as the Mississippi river in a flood! I opened the gate and let him in. I could hear the snicker in his snout..and see the joy in his eyes and ears as he told of his 'swimming' in the creek adventures!

BAXTER PULLED AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE ON ME!!!
Needless to say, all the windows now are lowered to a level in which Baxter cannot get more then a snout under them.
Gawd, what we won't do for our furkids!

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage