A very Merry Christmas to each of you that has joined me around the Sunset Supper table this year.
I pray your holiday is filled with peace, joy and surrounded by family and friends.
Love,
S~~~
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
A Beautiful Quiet Christmas Eve
This was a cozy Christmas Eve for Ronnie and me. We celebrate tomorrow with my family, but tonight it was just us.
Since I was just cooking for the two of us I splurged a bit and supper on this very comfortable evening looked like this.
Steak Diane*
Broiled Lobster Tail
Butter Beans
Mushroom Rice Bake
Yeast Rolls
Rum Raisin Caramelized Pears
Steak Diane
2 - beef tenderloin steaks
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter (divided)
3 tsp. green onions - chopped
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. chives - chopped
Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.
Heat half of the butter in skillet, stir in onions and Dijon mustard.
Add steaks.
Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Remove to serving platter and keep warm.
To skillet, add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining butter.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add parsley and chives.
Pour over steaks.
So, until tomorrow.............
S~~~
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A Bit Of Weather Inconvenience
As much as I love the snow, I am not a fan of inconvenience. I am a planner by profession, so naturally I do not like to have my personal plans cast in disarray. Saturday was the designated day to finish my last minute shopping, grocery shop for my homemade office gifts and buy my stocking stuffers. We all know what they say about best laid plans....................
I had to run over to Stein Mart in a rush last week. I had one of those life's most embarrassing moments. First thing in the morning we were meeting in our reception area, as I was leaning against the front of the desk, I happened to glance down at my shoes, horror of horrors, I was wearing one black shoe and one brown shoe. Granted, they are identical shoes, just different colors but still...... I was not about to go through the day like that. Immediately I grabbed my bag and headed over to Merrimon Avenue for new shoes. Since I was in a rush I just quickly gazed at these cute little Christmas crocks with an adorable Santa Claus spreader attached. I decided then and there to make boursin cheese and put it in these little crocks as gifts. At that point I wasn't sure who I wanted to give those to, but later decided I wanted to use them as part of my office gifts. I was in far too much of a rush to grab them by then and simply added them and Stein Mart to my Saturday list. Well, by now we all know what Saturday looked like.
So, by Sunday I knew I would have to improvise and use Christmas mugs for my boursin cheese spread. I made this delicious boursin cheese spread and piped it into cute little Santa mugs.
In case you still need a last minute gift idea I am sharing this most versatile cheese spread. You can serve it with crackers or bread, use it in place of butter/sour cream in baked potatoes, or my favorite in stuffed chicken.
Housemade Boursin Cheese
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 stick salted butter - room temp
16 oz. cream cheese - room temp
3 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. chives
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley - fresh
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Have cheeses and butter at room temperature.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Store in a container in refrigerator.
Serve at room temp.
So, until tomorrow............
S~~~
I had to run over to Stein Mart in a rush last week. I had one of those life's most embarrassing moments. First thing in the morning we were meeting in our reception area, as I was leaning against the front of the desk, I happened to glance down at my shoes, horror of horrors, I was wearing one black shoe and one brown shoe. Granted, they are identical shoes, just different colors but still...... I was not about to go through the day like that. Immediately I grabbed my bag and headed over to Merrimon Avenue for new shoes. Since I was in a rush I just quickly gazed at these cute little Christmas crocks with an adorable Santa Claus spreader attached. I decided then and there to make boursin cheese and put it in these little crocks as gifts. At that point I wasn't sure who I wanted to give those to, but later decided I wanted to use them as part of my office gifts. I was in far too much of a rush to grab them by then and simply added them and Stein Mart to my Saturday list. Well, by now we all know what Saturday looked like.
So, by Sunday I knew I would have to improvise and use Christmas mugs for my boursin cheese spread. I made this delicious boursin cheese spread and piped it into cute little Santa mugs.
In case you still need a last minute gift idea I am sharing this most versatile cheese spread. You can serve it with crackers or bread, use it in place of butter/sour cream in baked potatoes, or my favorite in stuffed chicken.
Housemade Boursin Cheese
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 stick salted butter - room temp
16 oz. cream cheese - room temp
3 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. chives
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley - fresh
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Have cheeses and butter at room temperature.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Store in a container in refrigerator.
Serve at room temp.
So, until tomorrow............
S~~~
Monday, December 21, 2009
These Boots Are Made For Walking
Yeah, these boots are made for walking all right, walking right down the driveway to the Explorer (right now our drive is just barely 4W drive accessible), so I could get to work this morning. Do I need to tell you that these don't belong to me? My boots just don't get it in this much snow. So......., Ronnie to the rescue. He drug out his old work overboots and here we go. No matter that they were at least 4 sizes too big.
We had our office Christmas luncheon this afternoon at Stoney Knob
( www.stoneyknobcafe.com ).It was soooooooo good. We love lunch there. Cyndi, Deb, Michael and I had the Marsala Beef Tips with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus. I can't decide if the tips or potatoes were better, I am leaning toward the Wasabi Mashed Potatoes though. Lynn had the Crab Cakes which are incredible. Since we were celebrating, we splurged and had dessert too. The Italian Lemon Cake was perfect. So, should you find yourself a tad north of Asheville make it a point to stop at Stoney Knob, you will not be sorry.
Allow me to introduce you to my co-workers at Accents on Asheville. (L-R) -
Michael Rouse, Deb Bowman, Lynn Grabey, Cyndi McAbee.
I am so fortunate to work with four people day to day that are not only my colleagues but are truly my friends.
Stay warm on this the 1st day of winter and the shortest day of the year.
So, until tomorrow......
S~~~
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Lacy- Jay and Bashar
A very politically incorrect photo of Lacy- Jay and Bashar, playing with Ronnie's new UNLOADED shotgun.................
Ronnie and Cagney
Just snapped this photo of a very tired Ronnie, (he works for Duke Energy, I haven't seen much of him since Thursday) and Cagney.
Friday, December 18, 2009
What a Beautiful Day
You could not imagine a more beautiful day. We have about 6 inches of pristine snow and it is still falling to beat the band. I haven't downloaded photos yet but I will get one up soon.
Thankfully, the snow started to fall this morning before I left for work. I hate the thoughts of being stuck on the other side of the mountain. So, today was hot chocolate and spiced tea at home for me. I have wished for a "real" snow ever since we moved 3 years ago. We have had piddling little snows but this is the first good snow. All my life I have lived in "the city", so seeing the snow in the woods is a treat for me. I couldn't get anything done today for staring out the front doors.
Today also marks the 33rd anniversary of our first date, December 18, 1976. It was a cold Saturday night but no snow that day. The snow did come one week later on Christmas day though, about a foot if I remember correctly. I had wanted to go out for Italian tonight but my plans changed just a bit. It is most definitely supper at home tonight. I have had spaghetti sauce simmering all afternoon so we will still have Italian.
I am not a big bread fan, but Ronnie loves the dipping oils that they serve in restaurants like Carrabba's and Bonefish. This is the recipe we have decided we like the best after experimenting with at least 10 other combinations of herbs and spices.
Herbs for Dipping Oil
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1 tsp. course cracked pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Parmesan cheese - grated
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oil and pour over herb mixture in a shallow dish. Dip with hot crusty bread.
So, Until Tomorrow,
S~~~
Thankfully, the snow started to fall this morning before I left for work. I hate the thoughts of being stuck on the other side of the mountain. So, today was hot chocolate and spiced tea at home for me. I have wished for a "real" snow ever since we moved 3 years ago. We have had piddling little snows but this is the first good snow. All my life I have lived in "the city", so seeing the snow in the woods is a treat for me. I couldn't get anything done today for staring out the front doors.
Today also marks the 33rd anniversary of our first date, December 18, 1976. It was a cold Saturday night but no snow that day. The snow did come one week later on Christmas day though, about a foot if I remember correctly. I had wanted to go out for Italian tonight but my plans changed just a bit. It is most definitely supper at home tonight. I have had spaghetti sauce simmering all afternoon so we will still have Italian.
I am not a big bread fan, but Ronnie loves the dipping oils that they serve in restaurants like Carrabba's and Bonefish. This is the recipe we have decided we like the best after experimenting with at least 10 other combinations of herbs and spices.
Herbs for Dipping Oil
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1 tsp. course cracked pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried rosemary1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Parmesan cheese - grated
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oil and pour over herb mixture in a shallow dish. Dip with hot crusty bread.
So, Until Tomorrow,
S~~~
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thankgiving, A Little Late.................
It has been a tad bit busy around the Sunset Suppers table lately. I have been caught up in the whirlwind of Thanksgiving festivities , we hosted 16 at our house and all went well. Having Lacy and Bashar home with us for a couple of weeks (they will be back for New Years Eve, YEA.....) and trying to get a start on the Christmas shopping, ordering, writing Christmas cards and planning our annual Christmas Party has kept me in a dead run. Oh and did I mention that the 5th season of LOST just came out on DVD?
Picking back up from my Thanksgiving day post.............................
After dinner I was too exhausted to even look at my laptop, so I hopped on the Friday after Thanksgiving for the promised menu post. Literally as I typed, I received a call about my uncle. He had what appears to have been a mini stroke. (He has had two previous serious strokes). After a mad dash across town I arrived just ahead of the EMS. To make a very, very, very long story short, his son, my cousin Brently (whom I am as close to as a brother) was thankfully home from Orlando for the holiday and made the very sad decision to move his Daddy to assisted living. Even though it was the proper decision, hands down, it has been a difficult couple of weeks.
I have actually been doing a lot of cooking, just nothing inspired. It was so much fun cooking for Bashar. He enjoys everything !! We even served him soup beans, fried livermush (Hunter's, of course, I would NEVER touch any other livermush) and cornbread one night which he loved. He did look at Lacy a bit strange when she added butter, mayonnaise and catsup to her soup beans and cornbread. He had never had soup beans or livermush before. A bit of culture shock I suppose.
Just in case we have anyone here that doesn't know about Hunter's Livermush, check out this YouTube link to Marion's own Livermush Festival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd4TmJ9-p6s&feature=related
Not that it seems important at this late date but..................., here is the promised Taylor 2009 Thanksgiving menu:
Salt Brined and Herb Roasted Turkey
Butter Herb Turkey Breast
Robinson Family Dressing
Creamed Potatoes
Turkey Cream Gravy
Broccoli Casserole
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Oriental Cole Slaw
Tiny Green Peas
Butter Beans
Deviled Eggs
Pickled Beets
Mandarin Orange Cranberry Salad
Parker House Rolls
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Cream Pie
As I have said, ad nasuem, I am sure, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We were surrounded by both sides of our family. Life is good.....................
So, until tomorrow.............
S~~~
Picking back up from my Thanksgiving day post.............................
After dinner I was too exhausted to even look at my laptop, so I hopped on the Friday after Thanksgiving for the promised menu post. Literally as I typed, I received a call about my uncle. He had what appears to have been a mini stroke. (He has had two previous serious strokes). After a mad dash across town I arrived just ahead of the EMS. To make a very, very, very long story short, his son, my cousin Brently (whom I am as close to as a brother) was thankfully home from Orlando for the holiday and made the very sad decision to move his Daddy to assisted living. Even though it was the proper decision, hands down, it has been a difficult couple of weeks.
I have actually been doing a lot of cooking, just nothing inspired. It was so much fun cooking for Bashar. He enjoys everything !! We even served him soup beans, fried livermush (Hunter's, of course, I would NEVER touch any other livermush) and cornbread one night which he loved. He did look at Lacy a bit strange when she added butter, mayonnaise and catsup to her soup beans and cornbread. He had never had soup beans or livermush before. A bit of culture shock I suppose.
Just in case we have anyone here that doesn't know about Hunter's Livermush, check out this YouTube link to Marion's own Livermush Festival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd4TmJ9-p6s&feature=related
Not that it seems important at this late date but..................., here is the promised Taylor 2009 Thanksgiving menu:
Salt Brined and Herb Roasted Turkey
Butter Herb Turkey Breast
Robinson Family Dressing
Creamed Potatoes
Turkey Cream Gravy
Broccoli Casserole
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Oriental Cole Slaw
Tiny Green Peas
Butter Beans
Deviled Eggs
Pickled Beets
Mandarin Orange Cranberry Salad
Parker House Rolls
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Cream Pie
As I have said, ad nasuem, I am sure, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We were surrounded by both sides of our family. Life is good.....................
So, until tomorrow.............
S~~~
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