Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

I love Pride and Prejudice. I read any "what if" or extended version of the story I can find. I do not think there has been any author in history who has left so many wondering what happened after the wedding.

Most of the followers, believe Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth lived happily ever after… what do you think smooth sailing like Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliott? Or just as bumpy life of miss understandings as their courtship?

In Pride and Prejudice, there is line about when there is enough white soup made, Mr. Bingley will send his invitations for the ball.   

I found different versions of white soup you might like to try. Either sounds like they would really good as a starter for a holiday meal.

White Soup

2 ½ pints of veal or light beef stock.

2oz blanched almonds

10z white bread, weighed without crusts

1 egg yolk

¼ pint each double and soured cream or milk salt, pepper,

lemon juice,

Cayenne pepper

2 oz toasted or fried almonds to garnish.

Serves 6

To make the soup, put the almonds and bread into a blender, add some of the stock and liquidize to a smooth paste.
Using a sieve, strain into the remaining stock, pushing through as much as you can. Beat the egg yolk with the creams or cream and milk and add to the soup. If possible leave for an hour or two; this will improve and mellow the flavor.
Reheat, keeping the soup well below boiling point so as not to curdle the egg. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and Cayenne pepper to taste and bring out the flavor. Serve garnished with almonds.

This second recipe is actually a vegetarian version I found another blog called Out of the Ordinary, I personally like this recipe better than the first.

3/4 cups blanched almonds, flaked or slivered
1 piece of white country bread or baguette (1/2 a cup, maybe? Maybe a little less) de-crusted and soaked in water
2 T olive oil
1/2 a head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
2 small shallots – finely diced
2 cloves garlic – finely diced
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. thyme
1 t. rosemary
1 t. basil
red pepper flakes
1/2 t. mustard powder
salt/pepper
dollop of butter
dash of white wine vinegar

pomegranate seeds and pistachio kernals for garnish.

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pan. Add the shallots, then the garlic, then the herbs. When everything starts to brown slightly, add the mustard powder, the pepper flakes and the white wine. Stir and cook till it’s syrupy and the pan starts to dry out again.

2. In a blender, combine the almonds, the bread (which has been squeezed dryish) and 2 1/2 cups water. Blend for quite a while till it’s pretty smooth.

3. Add the cauliflower – stir to coat and cook till it starts to brown. Add the beans. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

4. Pour the almond/bread mixture over the veg and beans. Add 1/2 t. salt. Stir and cook. Add enough water to make sure everything is covered with liquid, and it’s not too thick. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, till the cauliflower is just soft.

5. Add a dollop of butter and a dash of vinegar.

6. Remove the bay leaves, and blend the soup till it’s velvety smooth.

7. Return to the pot. Add enough water to make everything the consistency

More Cookies...

Ever had one of those mornings when you think the universe is working against you? I see you nodding your heads… Friday was my morning to feel this way.

It should have been a good day since it is the last payday, before Christmas. This means paying the bills, shipping out Christmas presents, grocery shopping and then finding the toys for the Christmas stockings.

I woke up thinking one of the cats was sleeping on my chest. I quickly discovered I lost the fight with my kids flu virus.

The four cats and one of the dogs were on my bed, because they were hungry. There was a commercial on the television several years ago, with an elderly woman and her house full of hungry cats. The woman discovers she is out of cat food, the cats all hiss and the screen goes blank. Yep, that is what happened this morning, and then I remembered I had a can of salmon in the pantry… life saved!

Since the cats are now fed and not threatening to eat me, I grab my keys and coupons and head for the grocery. It is 27 degrees outside, I jump in the Pathfinder only to find for some reason it won’t start. I turn the key; get an rrrrrr tick tick tick sound. The battery is less than two years old, thinking it is just cold I try it again…nope not happening.

 I truly hate to admit defeat, so I call my husband and ask what he thinks. He confirmed it sounded like the battery and I was stuck at home for the day… dang it.

So after a stern warning to my husband, that there had better not be any grief coming from him, because there will not being any food in the house when he gets home at two in morning. I stomp up the basement stairs, to get the evil eye from the cats.

Winston, the youngest cat and the biggest brat runs to his food bowl and starts crying as if he has not eaten in four days. I cock my head to the side to look at him; I wonder if his mom dropped on his head as a kitten and walk away.

The good thing about the day, I got to play with my new stand mixer. I used up all the remaining eggs, butter and sugar but did make a few batches of cookies. I know I gave you seven recipes the other day but I thought I would share a few more.

I ran out of eggs when making this batch of cocoa cookies. Did you know you could substitute 2 Tablespoons of water and 1 Tablespoon of oil per egg? I would not make habit out it, but it does work well in a pinch.

Ingredients:

1 Egg

1 cup white sugar

½ cup butter

2 ¼ cups flour

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoon cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat oven 350°F

Cream butter, sugar and beaten egg.

Add flour, baking powder, milk and cocoa

Drop spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheet and bake for 15min. You can sprinkle sifted powdered sugar on these to make a version of Chocolate Crinkles.

Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies…

If you like the Little Debbie brand of oatmeal cream cookies, you will adore these. These make a very close knock-off. Be careful these can be addicting to your waistline.

Ingredients

2 Sticks margarine

3/4 Cup White sugar

3/4 Cup Light brown sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cup plain Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Soda

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups instant oatmeal

Filling:

1 can Marshmallow Fluff.

Directions: 

Cream together margarine, sugars, and eggs

In a different bowl mix flour,salt, soda and cinnamon

add four mix to sugar mixture and stir to well combined.

Add vanilla and oatmeal

Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.

Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees, turn oven to high broil and cook for 3-5 minutes more

Transfer cookies on parchment paper to wire rack to cool.

Using the marshmallow fluff, ice a cookie and place another on top.