suzilightning

eh...@heidih I had to edit my post to add the Cornish game part because I had goofed and left that part out at first... my bad

NYE is Johnnybird's and my Christmas celebration. Nothing fancy but snacky type things. This year was shrimp cocktail, Buffalo chicken tenders with blue cheese dressing, turkey sausage in blankets, sliders and for dessert ambrosia. We opened stockings and scratched lottery tickets. Normally we go birding on NY day but this was the first nice day we had so stayed here and got the animals out of doors. Had to have greens and black eyed peas and ham of course... now just boiled up some gluten free pasta and made a sauce with capers, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted chicken breast for John to eat after I go to bed.(Did I mention he is a vampire? He considers sunlight an abomination and feels he works best from 10 pm to 3 am....I am ready for sleep by 1030 pm and am up and ready to go by 6 am).

Made chicken stock the other day so added some roasted chicken and Cornish game hen, carrots, onion, bay leaf and, for Johnnybird, a ton of thin noodles.

I gave Johnnybird some dark chocolate covered pistachios, the annual Beach Plum jam from Rea's Farm in Cape May,NJ and a jar of Raspberry Blossom honey from the Cape May Honey Farm.

not long pig?

I got a gift certificate to a store in Pleasant Valley NY I combined it with the leftovers from another one and got : 4 semi boneless quail - Johnnybird's and my celebration dinner on 31 December a package of venison for stew some good Hudson Valley cheese - blue and a cranberry soft cheese and finally a pack of boar ribs...... thank you all and the package of venison meatballs just was gifted 6 jars of corn relish and 6 of pepper relish John ordered from Walmart..........they came yesterday

last of the hot and sour soup with a bit extra rice vinegar whole wheat burger bun with some queso and the last of the sloppy joe mix ...and I'm still a bit peckish

Portugese sweet bread in the second rise. Tomorrow morning baking and cooling then off to the north....

where's the toast dope? Ican send you a small sample of the new batch...... Ohh........ I have the recipe my mom used for English muffin bread. Will have to drag it out when we get home. Wonder how it will work with the gf mixture I'm using now..... will try and report back.

Trying to use up leftovers before going up to Poughkeepsie for the holidays... green salad smidges of chicken breast smeared with Cain's mayo some leftover General Tso's chicken with jasmine rice and broccoli and added Hoisin and chili garlic sauce the last bit of split pea soup

Actually, I'm interested in something. I remember as a very young child my mom using a cookie gun to make cookies but by about 10 not so much. We made fruitcakes until I was in my early teens but no cookies really(maybe because we were really pie and not cookie people?). My grandfather used to say it took a certain attitude to make cookies and your mom has it..... I have worked in restaurants and bakeries but I have always done savory and/or breads ... never cookies until we had to do them for home ec and later for work when we would freeze and bake off as needed. My oldest friend(in time not in age) starts to make at least to cookies every year beginning in October that she freezes . I have helped with gingerbread and sugar cookies.... not the linzer cookies and I have been on the other end of her mom saying about the crispadelle (Italian fried dough in a bow shape that is then molded with honey and powdered sugar) "SOKO...it isn't thin enough" WHAT is the connection to cookies for Christmas?

Do you get some of the specialty bars up where you are like White Oak, Alpine or Orne Meadow?

Last night a throwback to my 4 year old self... Ritz crackers with a smear of Miracle Whip and blue cheese Ritz crackers with a smear of mustard and extra sharp rat cheese(Cheddar) Three of each

Today's kitchen session included 6 small loaves of pumpkin olive oil bread with macerated raisins. I also used gluten free flour ... now am waiting for them to fully cool down before cutting into one. For quality control of course.

Kitchen session today included smooch for John and some baking. I pulled some of the ground bison, sautéed onion and red peppers out before I added the rest to the pasta and tomatoes for a sloppy joe later for my dinner. Oops.... just informed that he wants the leftover beef stew at 4 and will have the smooch for second dinner after his shows finish at 7. He doesn't know it but there is a green salad in his future.....

two ripe forelle pears one with Bayley Hazen blue cheese and the other with the last of the Finlandia sweet lemon cheese whipped with some lemon curd. about an hour later a small salad.

From Vivian Howard's book the Rutabaga Pickles. John's cousin Debbie and her daughter love rutabagas as do I. I had one leftover from the dish I did for Thanksgiving and have a pint jar for both ladies and a half pint for myself. Will report back on how they are ... Ms. Howard suggested letting them go for a week before trying. What could be bad, though? spoken as someone who drinks pickle liquid.......

Finishing up packing the gift baskets for the animals(I don't give gifts to the neighbors but to their cats and dogs) and there is a beef stew on the stove for tonight's dinner - full of parsnips, carrots, potatoes and turnips. John wanted mashed potatoes last night so that's what he got - along with bison meatloaf, olive oil green beans and gravy. There is also a pork loin that was braised with garlic and tarragon. So far we have had it as a ragu with pasta and shredded with barbecue sauce on whole wheat buns.

dinner salad with red onion, blue cheese and some tomatoes.....to complement the queso with corn chips while snacking. last night stopped by a local place that has started a Fat Thursday dinner - had a cup of andouille and crawfish gumbo and there was okra in it!!!!!!!! now if Chef Ken would only do some tasso and shrimp and some fried okra I would be a happy camper. still a little hungry so when I got back I had a bit of ground bison, peppers and onions left from making smooch for John so added a bit of some bbq sauce and popped it on a whole wheat bun for a sloppy(non NJ)joe.

Obviously from Italy....fragile.......

and if you want to make stock you now have the outdoor freezer........ we aren't far behind so I am preparing to do stocks this weekend and get them into the freezer for later use in soups, rice dishes and now some pasta ones as well.

Some generic corn chips from Aldi's dipped into a queso made with Velveeta, Rotel, a dollop of Catamount Salsa and some Cholula chili lime.

or my new favorite...Sweet Lemon cheese spread from Finlandia smeared on a slice. Alternated with some good, mouthwatereing blue...

NO cilantro, though!!! I CAN NOT stand the taste of cilantro.

Will do when I get back home later...