Hubby has been eating a lot of asparagus lately. I steam it for him and then he puts a small pat of butter on it and judging by the look on his face, yum! If you’re like me and don’t really care for it, a great way to try it and maybe grow to like it is in a gratin. I have been purchasing asparagus from Walmart for under $3.00 for 1.5 pounds and also from Aldi for $2.49 a pound.
This is the gratin recipe that I’ve used for years.
Until next time,🐝well
This is my review–
Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook by Kristine Hansen is a comprehensive and delightful look into Wisconsin farms and cheesemakers. Currently living in Wisconsin, I have heard of many of these farms and cheesemakers and look forward to tasting cheeses from several more. The recipes are easy to follow and the story behind each cheese simply fascinating. I appreciate that this cookbook also has a list of all the award-winning cheeses, festivals, and fairs that one may taste a sample, and references to websites where out of state readers may order some of Wisconsin’s finest. I enjoyed reading the Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook and highly recommend it to anyone who loves to eat and cook with cheese.
My disclaimer-Special thanks to Rowman & Littlefield & NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
I started requesting books to review on NetGalley about a year ago now and have successfully reviewed 20 books. I have enjoyed doing this. I have always loved reading and books have remained my #1 pastime and passion my whole life. I primarily request cookbooks because I love reading cookbooks and I learn so much about food and food preparation from them. It seemed a natural progression to post my reviews on my blog in case readers/followers were interested in reading cookbooks too. Anyone can become a member of NetGalley and request books from publishers. Sometimes your request is accepted and other times based on your profile and other things taken into consideration your request is rejected. If accepted you receive an advanced reader copy download and have a certain period of time to submit a review. This is an excellent way to read new books without having to pay for them. From this interest came opportunities that I found on my own to become a member of author book launches and I’ve loved being a part of launch teams. This is not an ad-sponsored post nor do I receive any type of compensation for talking about it. This is simply a cookbook review and a hobby of mine that makes me happy!
Being married to a Dutchman all I’ve heard our entire marriage is how great cheese is in Holland. Yes, Holland has great cheese. However, we are not always able to order from or travel to a place that sells cheese directly from Holland. Lucky us we live in the cheese capital of the United States and there are many, many cheesemakers near where we live. I requested the Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook because it is about Wisconsin cheese and also because this cookbook has outstanding reviews about the recipes featured, and also features the author throughout visiting the farms where the cheese is made and learning/ then writing about the history and culture behind the cheesemakers cheese. Several of the farms and cheesemakers featured in this book are known to us and others are on our list to visit. I loved, loved, loved this book and I’m so glad I requested it.
Until next time–many blessings to you from me!
This was my most asked for recipe in both 2023 and 2024.
1-1/2 lbs. fresh tomatoes ( I grow Amish paste/can them, buy Roma, and you can use cherry too) I cook very quickly the fresh tomatoes in order to take the skins off, and then I go ahead and chop up the 1-1/2 lbs. of fresh tomatoes.
2-3 medium sized carrots washed, peeled, quartered, and then chopped in food processor or diced by hand
1 large yellow onion peeled, quartered, and then chopped in food processor or diced by hand
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 TBSP of olive oil
1 qt. chicken or beef stock
28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes
1 TBSP of tomato paste
Fresh or dried 1 TBSP finely chopped oregano and basil, and 1/4-1/2 c. finely chopped parsley (if dry measure out dried ingredients.
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Start by growing or buying Amish Paste, Roma, store bought Roma, or sweet heirloom cherry tomatoes.
Bring to a boil 6 cups of water and add 1 and 1/2 lbs. of fresh or store bought tomatoes to it, simmer 2-3 minutes, take out of water, place tomatoes in cold water with ice, or cold water if you don’t have ice and slip the skins right off. Chop the tomatoes and then set aside.
In a sauce pan add 1 TBSP of olive oil
Dice your carrots by hand or in a processor, same with onions and add them to the olive oil
Soften the carrots and onions. Just before they are done add the minced garlic. Cook 1 -2 minutes and remove from heat.
In a big stock pan add the skinless and chopped tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, 1 qt of chicken or beef stock, and 1 TBSP of tomato paste. Bring to a boil for 3-5 minutes and then lower heat to a simmer. Add in fresh or dried herbs, pinch of sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 2 hours or more or until ready to serve. At any time after the initial 2 hours or more of simmer (to get just the right taste, color, and consistency) you can add fully cooked meat, or sauteed mushrooms, or additional veggies (par-cooked, or almost done). Serve over al dente noodles with freshly ground parmesan cheese.
Freezes well.
Buon appetito!
Mini donuts iced to perfection, how easy is that? The recipe for the donuts and frosting is here , I love this site –Cooking Classy. I used this recipe in October for a Breast Cancer Awareness event I attended and frosted them all pink. For New Year’s I am frosting them all cream colored with gold glitter.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday making new memories to share throughout the coming years. Our Christmas was absolutely lovely, sharing good food and good times with family and friends. I think my favorite memories were our volunteer work, story-telling of Christmases past with our friends, and sitting around the Christmas table with those closest to us enjoying all the holiday goodies. Of course spending time with my husband playing board games, watching Christmas movies and sipping late night hot cocoa under the Christmas tree ranked up there pretty high too! In a couple of days a new year will be here with lots to look forward to. With that said, let the celebrating begin and Have a Happy and Safe New Year!
Here’s something delicious to consider for a fall side. Recipe by Melissa Clark who I LOVE.
Some of the best dishes that I’ve cooked lately come from either her Dinner in French: My Recipes By Way of France or Dinner in One: Exceptional One Pan Meals cookbooks. Melissa Clark is one of my favorite cooks–she’s also on YT if you’d rather watch her cook fabulous food.
If you like Ina Garten as much as I do, you might want to order her memoir Be Ready When The Luck Happens. I asked for her book for my birthday and was so excited to get it. Ina gave me the inspiration to go from career gal /throw something together for dinner, to career gal /roast a chicken and steam some asparagus. Her “how easy is that” attitude charmed me to no end. I’m really enjoying her memoir as much of her personal life has been kept personal for most of her professional life.
I won’t be trying this recipe until mid-November. I’ll be sure to stop back and update how it turned out. Right now I’m busy with fall birthdays and adding in a new recipe isn’t on my agenda. So, something to look forward to in November. 🍂
I hope you are all well,
xoxo
Here’s a recipe for a refreshing salad that my family really enjoyed this past weekend-
Add all berries to a large bowl. Add the oil, honey, and vinegar to a small bowl. Whisk together until completely combined. Pour the dressing over the berries and toss to coat. Refrigerate. This salad is best eaten the first day. It can be refrigerated another day or two depending on the ripeness of your berries.
Right now in Wisconsin, lavender season is about 2 weeks away from its beginning. We live within 30 minutes of two fairly large lavender farms. I buy lavender products all year long every year. It is one of my favorite things in the world. I grow my own lavender all summer and I so enjoy watching it grow and taking clippings to dry and fill sachets with. I also make lavender ice cream and lavender infused biscuits and croissants.
I hope your spring has been a happy one, and until next time—be safe and be well.
The recipe is here
With Easter already here on Sunday, I’m currently planning on what to do with my leftover ham. There are three different kinds of sandwiches I plan to make this year. Ham and Cheese sliders, Ham Spread Sandwiches, and last but never least Cuban Sandwiches w/ham.
The recipe that I use for the ham spread is here– I skip the hard-boiled eggs when I make this sandwich. I loved going to church events as a kid because these sandwiches were always served on bakery fresh buns/rolls. I have a great food grinder attachment for my KitchenAid and I use it to grind my ham extra smooth-I’m not fond of chunks of ham in this sandwich.
Ham & Cheese Sliders-the recipe I use is here. I fix these sandwiches a lot on game nights, our guests finish them right off. The Hawaiian Rolls are essential in these sliders.
Cuban Sliders are my favorite of all sandwiches. The best one I’ve had to date was at The Great Dane Pub and Brewing Company in Madison Wisconsin some years ago. Since then I have been making my own. The recipe I use is here
Friends, I’m not going to lie, it’s been busier than usual around here and I am behind in posts. Try as I might to begin to create one, life gets in the way and I have to save my draft and begin again when the day settles down. I hate to just post recipes and run, I’d rather talk a little, tell you what’s been going on, see or hear what’s been going on in your life, and make it worth the time it takes me to get it all typed out. I digress, I hope this post finds everyone of you in good health. Have a fabulous holiday weekend, if you celebrate Easter, and I’ll see you again soon!
xoxo
Picture of last Easter’s Potato Au Gratin Pie–inspired by the recipe below. I wanted a more pie crust pie dough (so mine was alittle different, just as tasty)
(my first post on my new blog)
Welcome xoxo
savoringmysixties 