Rainy Sunday afternoon

It's such a nice day here today. I say that knowing it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, as it's chilly and cloudy and damp. Rain showers come and go, the remnants of that oddly named tropical storm, Nestor. After the long hot summer with very little rain, a chilly autumnal day feels great to me. Last night I was forced to turn on the heat for a little while, something I'd sworn I wouldn't do within days of using the a/c for the last time, but the damp was making me shiver.

This weather is perfect for a stay at home kind of Sunday afternoon. I'm going to attempt a crockpot potato soup recipe I found online. Here it is if anyone is interested:

Ingredients:
1 30oz. bag of frozen diced hash browns
1 32 oz box of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup (10 oz)
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz, not fat free)
3 oz bacon bits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put the hash browns in the crockpot. Add in the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and half of the bacon bits. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
An hour before serving, cut the cream cheese into small cubes. Place the cubes in the crock pot. Mix a few times throughout the hour before serving.
Once the cream cheese is completely mixed in, it's ready to serve.
Top with cheddar cheese and some additional bacon bits.
Enjoy!

While my soup cooks Martina is coming over for a while. We've been planning to do a craft project together for Halloween/All Souls/Days of the Dead. The original idea came from this link from a long abandoned craft website:  http://theanticraft.com/archive/samhain08/altar.htm We're going to make our own ancestor altars this year, although ours won't be nearly as detailed as the one in the link. The supply list for it is as long as my arm and neither of us have that much time or money to blow! We're just using it as a starting point for inspiration. I will, of course, eventually share pictures of our completed ofrendas here on the blog. I'm looking forward to spending some time with Martina making them, too. It should be fun.

Have a happy Sunday, everyone!

Sunday night supper

A tough day at work calls for comfort food for dinner. Tonight I'm cooking one of my favorite Southern recipes--Chicken Bog.

Yes, I know the name isn't exactly flattering. But Chicken Bog is a classic dish served at plenty of group meetings--fund-raisers, church socials, family reunions, etc. --because it's cheap, filling, and almost universally liked. Served with fresh sliced tomatoes, cornbread or biscuits, and sweet iced tea, it's a wonderful meal. Here's my version of the recipe.

Chop 1 small yellow onion and saute in butter until translucent. Add 2-3 pounds of boneless chicken pieces to the pot. I like a mixture of breasts and thighs for a good white/dark meat balance, but either alone is good too. Cook the chicken until golden and falling apart. And don't forget salt and pepper to taste! I like a couple of teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, like Slap Ya Mama, too. Tear the chicken pieces apart with a fork.

Next, slice 1 pound of smoked sausage (I like Hillshire Brand) into bite sized pieces and throw them in. Measure out 2 cups of rice and sprinkle it evenly over the chicken and sausage.  Add 3 and 1/2 cups of water, about a Tbsp of salt, more pepper, and cover the pot. Bring it to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to low and go forget about it for 40 minutes. Don't stir the chicken bog!! This is important! If you stir it while it's cooking, it will turn gooey and gummy and gross. If you leave it alone the rice will be fluffy and perfectly steamed. This is the secret to good Chicken Bog!

So that's what we're eating tonight, along with Florida - grown tomatoes sliced and salted on the side. For me, it's comfort food.