Fridays Feasting with Friends Featuring Erin Fabian

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends."

~Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

Erin Fabian

Today's guest is a truly special person in my life, and one I am very excited about sharing with all of you.  Erin Fabian is a dear friend, fellow educator with Babywearing International of Cleveland and easily one of the kindest and most compassionate people I have ever, ever met.  Has there ever been a time when you've met a person in life and you just know they were put into yours for a specific reason- that is my sweet Erin. What started as a mutual love for teaching others about Babywearing, has grown into a friendship built on faith and fellowship. When I think of Erin my mind wanders to Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." She is my wonderfully levelheaded friend, my confidant and go-to when I need support and honest advice.  She makes me feel stronger when I am near her and helps me to see things more clearly. Plus she is just so darn fun! What a treasure to have in a friend! So without further ado, I give you Erin. 


What is your occupation?
I am a pharmacist by training but I work for a medical publishing company. I write information for health care professionals on poisonings and overdoses and the use of medications in pregnancy and lactation. So, if you overdose on something, the ER doctor might look up what to do for you in the stuff I write. Or, if you want to take a medicine while pregnant, the doctor or pharmacist may look in the information I write to decide what to tell you.

What is your favorite thing to cook?
I prefer to bake. But, in general, I like to cook meals that are a part of family traditions or are a part of a meaningful celebration.

If I had to pick a “favorite”—it would be Potica. Potica is a Slovenian nut roll that my grandma taught my father, sister, and I to bake before she passed away in 2014. Her husband’s family owned a bakery on the east side of Cleveland and she had learned how to make potica as a young wife from her mother in law. She would always scoff that various bakeries would put breadcrumbs in their nut rolls which is why they didn’t taste as good as hers. Any time she would taste another person’s potica, there would be a comment about the thickness of the dough, the presence or absence of raisins, and just a general sense of disapproval. She had her ways and they were the best.

Potica was her signature dessert and it was a big deal that she even let us know how to make it. We spent YEARS fighting tooth and nail to get her to tell us all of the ingredients. Slowly but surely, she began to fill in the blanks of the frustratingly empty handwritten recipe card that she kept in her recipe box (WHY do handwritten recipes NEVER include all the ingredients or instructions?!). She was always so smug sitting in the corner supervising our efforts—smirking when we would trip up. The Christmas after she passed away, my dad, sister, and I decided to keep our Christmas tradition of baking potica alive and we struggled to get it just right that year. The following Christmas, our world would be rocked.

Erin's sister Nickele and their grandmother making Potica

In preparation for “The Baking of the Potica 2015”, my mother headed to the grocery store to gather the necessary ingredients. A sucker for interesting packaging, she decided to go with a different type of flour. The package had caught her eye because it looked “old fashioned”. She went with it. To her surprise, when she unpacked the groceries at home, she spied something eerily familiar on the back of the flour bag. A recipe for nut roll. That was exact, word for word, my grandmother’s recipe card. Annoying omissions and all. What. The. Hell.

As it turns out, the flour company was an old Cleveland institution back in the early 1900’s—just when my grandfather’s family ran their bakery. We have done some investigating but we cannot determine which came first, the family potica recipe or the flour company recipe. We may never know.

How about your least favorite thing to cook?
Anything that requires too many dishes or gadgets. I have only recently began living in a house with a dishwasher and I still just cannot get used to using it. I still like to hand wash dishes as I cook and too many dishes make me bananas. Speaking of bananas, my husband and father in law love my banana cream pie and it requires the use of a lot of dishes. So that’s my answer. I don’t like making banana cream pie.

What is your favorite local restaurant and what is one you are dying to try out?
Favorite: That’s hard. I have specific favorite things from a bunch of different places. I love the french toast from L’Albatros. I love the affogato from Crop Bistro (no longer on the menu…boo). I love s’mores ice cream from Mitchell’s. I love hummus and milk shakes from Tommy’s. I love the way my kids eat anything they get at Yours Truly and don't complain while they are there.

Dying to try out: The Farmer, The Butcher, The Chef in Austinburg, OH

Music and food go together so beautifully. You are hosting a dinner party, what would be on your playlist?
Likely I would have a theme to said party—so some sort of theme music.

If it is friends hanging out, probably something chill. Iron and Wine, The Wood Brothers, The Devil Makes Three, The Band, Mandolin Orange, Mipso, Trampled by Turtles, The Avett Brothers.

If it is a gaggle of toddlers and preschoolers and frazzled moms (most likely): Caspar Babypants

What would you choose to be your last meal on earth?
Apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream

What are you currently reading?
Discovering the Enneagram by Richard Rohr

What is your favorite Kitchen Gadget?

Tie between a stand mixer and the InstantPot

Do you have a signature go-to dish?
My family would say chicken paprikas

What is your favorite thing about the Cleveland area?
The fact that we have four distinct seasons, the lake and the various things that come with it (sailing, swimming, sunsets), awesome rivers for paddling, great biking, a thriving wine region, countless destinations for family vacations within a reasonable driving distance. The fact that our cost of living is low. The growing optimism that is palpable downtown. Our museums. The orchestra. The theater.

Seriously, aren't her daughters just the cutest?!

Do you have a favorite meal from your childhood and do you cook it today?
My mom rarely made the same thing more than once—but she did routinely make a certain tortellini sausage soup. And yes, I still make that. My grandma made many of our meals when I was a kid. One of my favorites was Hawaiian Bread French Toast on Thursday mornings. I tend to make french toast with challah bread instead. But I will break out the sweet bread if I am feeling nostalgic.

Top 3 Movies of all time?
Zero idea. I am not much of a movie enthusiast. I’ll go with movies I have probably seen the most in my life: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Goonies, and Beauty and the Beast. As you can tell, I haven’t watched many movies as a grown up apparently.

What was your happiest moment in life?
Falling in love with my husband and the birth of my kids (separate moments—I loved my husband before my kids were born)

Erin and her husband Jayson

Where do you do your grocery shopping?
Costco and Giant Eagle mostly (but would shop at Wegman’s hands down if we had one closer to us!)

What is your favorite guilty pleasure when it comes to food?
These dark russet potato chips that are like a whole bag of burnt potato chips. LOVE.

Do you have Culinary Resolutions that you would like to accomplish this year?

Get our chest freezer moved back into our house (we recently underwent a giant renovation and not everything has been moved back) and start back on freezer meals for weeknights.

One word that best describes you is:

Energetic

Eclipse 2017 anyone?!

And now for your favorite recipe:

Chicken Paprikas
Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp bacon grease
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
4-5 lbs chicken thighs
1 ½ cups water
½ pint sour cream
3 tbsp bacon grease
Enough flour to make a roux

Instructions:
In a large dutch oven or similar pot, brown onion in 2 tbsp bacon grease; add seasonings and brown until fragrant. Add chicken. Brown for 10 minutes. Add water; cover and let simmer slowly until tender (2 hours).

Remove chicken from the liquid, discarding skin, bones, and knuckles. Set meat aside.

In a medium pan, melt 3 tbsp bacon grease. Add flour and whisk to make a roux. Slowly add liquid from the chicken pot to the roux until well mixed. Add all back to the chicken pot. Add sour cream to the pot and mix well.

Return the chicken to the pot.

Add galuska (see recipe below), if desired
Heat through and serve
For more gravy, add ½ pint sweet cream to sour cream

Galuska
Serves 4-6 people

3 eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup water

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together and beat with a spoon
Drop batter by teaspoonful into boiling salted water.
Cook about 10 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water
Drain well and add to paprikas or serve on the side.

***Recipes adapted from my grandmother and the ladies of the Hungarian Reformed Church - Fairport Harbor, OH***

making silly faces with her daughter

Bone Broth

One of the best things you can prepare in your own kitchen instead of purchasing in the store is hands down homemade stocks and broth.  Sure it is convenient to grab a box of chicken or beef stock at the grocery store when your recipe calls for it, but the nutrient-dense stocks that you can cook at home with very little effort and very minimal cost outweigh any convenience!  The main ingredients to any stock or broth are water, bones from animals (chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, fish, venison, bison, pork, etc.), a few vegetables, and spices. You put all your ingredients together in a large stock pot or crock pot and allow to simmer (about 45 minutes to an hour for broth, 3-4 hours for stock and 24+ hours for bone broth), strain and then serve or store for future recipes.  And what you get in return is not only delicious and pure- no strange preservatives, MSG or additives added in like the store bought counterpart, but jam-packed with nutrition. There is a reason chicken soup is suggested to help beat a cold!  Sure it is warm, comforting and easy on a sore throat but it is so much more than just that.  It is super high in protein, full of minerals that your body craves; gelatin, calcium and potassium, all which support healthy skin, hair, nails and bones, and teeth.  It is a basically a powerhouse of nutrition!  The longer you cook your bones the more minerals and nutrients you are pulling out of the bones. If chicken stock that has been simmered for 45 minutes is thought to be good for a cold, can you imagine the dense health benefits a bone broth that has been simmered for 24 or more hours can do for your body? The stuff is pretty amazing.

Broth and stocks can be sipped as a tea, used as a base for soups, braising vegetables and meats, and to replace the water in most recipes (rice, sauces, gravies, etc.) to not only add the health benefits but also boost your flavor!  Try making a simple rice using just water and give it a taste.  Next make that same rice but replace the water with stock.  You will never want to use water again, it's a game changer!

You can purchase your bones at the butcher or the meat counter of your local grocery store for about $2 a pound.  You will then want to roast them in the oven (30 minutes at 350 degrees) to bring a richness in flavor but also to remove any bitterness the raw bones can add to the stock. But really the easiest method in my opinion is to simply reserve the leftover bones when you roast your meat- chicken, turkey, a pot roast, etc.  If I don't plan on making my bone broth within a few days I will store them in the freezer in a resealable plastic bag until I'm ready. You will almost always find a chicken carcass or two in my downstairs freezer!

Turkey carcass, vegetables, herbs and seasoning

If I am cooking a quick broth or just a simple stock that only takes 3-4 hours then I make it on my stovetop in a heavy bottomed stock pot or dutch oven.  But when I am doing a chicken or turkey bone broth that needs to cook for at least 24 hours or a beef bone broth that will go for 48 hours then I prefer to utilize my crock pot. I just feel safer going to bed or leaving the house during that time without an open flame on my gas stove.

On Thanksgiving I am just as excited to save my bones after my (very handsome!) husband carves the turkey, as I am to eat the meat itself!  Ha! Our turkey this year turned out so fantastic (thank you Alton Brown! Your Brined Thanksgiving Turkey recipe never fails!) that I knew the bone broth was going to be incredible.  So after carving, the bones went back into the roasting pan, covered and into the fridge until the following day.  For a bone broth you want to pick off the majority of the meat.  A little bit is ok, (think the meat left on the neck or the little bit that is adhering to the bones) but our focus are those beautiful bones.

Scott carving up our Thanksgiving turkey

Snow is falling, temperatures dropping and Winter is upon us. Which means one thing- cold and flu season is here.  So if you haven't started making your own bone broth and stocks now is the best time. Let's build up those powerful immunities and make staying healthy our top priority! Here's to a healthy You!

Turkey Bone Broth after 27 hours in the crock pot, before straining

Bone Broth

2 lbs or more, roasted bones (about 2-3 chicken carcasses, or 1 turkey carcass)
1 onion cut into fourths
2-3 large carrots, cut into thirds (if organic no need to peel)
2 celery stalks including the leaves, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Optional: bunch of fresh herbs (since this was thanksgiving turkey stock I wanted to go with those flavors so I used parsley and rosemary)
salt, about a teaspoon

Place roasted bones in the bottom of your crock pot. Add the vegetables, vinegar, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic and herbs. Add enough cold water to cover the bones.  Cook on low a minimum 24 hours.

When finished cooking the bones should crumble when pressed lightly between your fingers.  This means that all the minerals and nutrients have been pulled out of the bones and into your bone broth. Turn off the crock pot and allow to cool slightly.  Strain the broth using a fine mesh sieve to remove all bits of vegetable, herbs and bones.  I like to lightly press the solids with a wooden spoon in the sieve to remove all the broth. Discard all of the bones and vegetables. Season with salt.

To skim or not to skim? You can enjoy your bone broth as is, but if you choose to have less fat in your broth, then you will need to skim the fat that accumulates at the top.  Skimming off most of the fat is more important if you’re using bones from animals that are conventionally raised, like those found at your traditional grocery store.  But fat is your friend and if you know the animals that you get your bones from are grass-fed then you can skip the skimming step. The easiest way to skim the fat is to place your bone broth into the refrigerator for several hours until a milky looking layer has formed on the top of your broth.  This is the fat.  You can then just scrape this off and discard.  

Store in fridge for up to one week or freeze.  You can freeze flat in quart-sized freezer bags, freeze in icecube trays and then transfer to freezer bags for more individual servings, or in mason jars. If using glass mason jars be sure to allow at least 2" of space to allow for expansion.  If you don't leave space and over-fill your jars they will crack and you will be left with a mess and no broth. Terribly tragic! Allow to cool completely before freezing.  Will store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Friday's, Feasting with Friends Featuring Angie Forkapa

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends."

~Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

My guest for today is my friend and neighbor Angie Forkapa. Hands down the hardest thing about moving to a new home was having to leave our wonderful neighbors behind.  I was heartsick about starting over, building new friendships not only for my children but myself as well.  We were truly blessed in our first home, surrounded by good, kind people who cared for my family. How could we possibly find anything that could compare?  Well God provides!! Our new neighborhood is again filled with amazing neighbors, instant family friends and playmates for my boys.  Angie and her family live across the street from us and her youngest son Keegan was the welcoming committee when we first came to our new home.  And that is just a perfect example of the Forkapa Family. They are welcoming, kind, and have a ways about them that makes you feel like you have known them for years.  Angie was my first friend here on Deep Cove and I will always treasure how she made us all feel at home in our new neighborhood. Thank you Angie for just being you.  

Angie Forkapa

Angie and her amazing Bernese Mountain Dogs, Gunner and Daisy

What is your occupation?
I'm a stay at home mom for the most part although I do rock a hairnet twice a week in the cafeteria at my children's school.  

What is your favorite thing to cook?   
Hmmmm that's a tough question. I like to cook things that I can prepare all at once and pop in the oven or cook quickly on the stove. I don't enjoy cooking meals that take hours to prepare. Mostly because I am not the most patient person. I would say right now my favorite thing to cook is a copycat version of Panda Express's Orange Chicken.  I made a gluten free version and it was a big hit with the kids and easy to make too which is a bonus.  

How about your least favorite thing to cook?
Fish! I like to eat all types of fish...except sushi...but I am not a fan of cooking it. I think it is more that I don't really know how to cook fish. All I ever do is bake it which is rather boring.  

What is your favorite local restaurant and what is one you are dying to try out?   
Cleveland has so many wonderful restaurants! Blue Point is at the top of my list. I love a good steak and have heard great things about STRIP in Avon and would love to go there.  

The Forkapa Family

Music and food go together so beautifully. You are hosting a dinner party, what would be on your playlist?
Both my husband and I have a pretty wide range of musical tastes. He likes to put on music that represents the food we are eating. If it's taco night, he puts on the Mexican music. An Italian dish, then Italian dinner music. Amazon Music has a great selection of dinner music.  

What would you choose to be your last meal on earth?
Surf and Turf! I love a good steak and have always loved shrimp and lobster….dripping with butter of course.  

What are you currently reading?
I love to read and the book I currently have on my Kindle is Almost Dead by T.R. Ragan.  It's the 4th book in the Lizzy Gardner Series.  A crime/who done it/suspense. My favorite book series have been Harry Potter and also the Outlander series. I have read both series more than once.  

What is your favorite Kitchen Gadget?
Not really a gadget, but we recently bought a cast iron skillet. I have been cooking EVERYTHING in it. I wish we had bought one earlier. My grandmother swore by hers and I can fondly recall her at the stove cooking many delicious meals.  

Do you have a signature go-to dish?  
My kids love when I make roast beef and mashed potatoes or oven roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. My son was just home from college and he requested both of those along with flank steak.  

What is your favorite thing about the Cleveland area?
Cleveland has so many things to offer! Picking one favorite thing is so difficult. I love our park systems, the islands, restaurants and museums. My favorite though would be the Lake Erie islands.

Do you have a favorite meal from your childhood and do you cook it today?
My mom, hands down, made the BEST roast beef. It was something that she was frequently asked to make for parties in large quantities because it was that good. Even though she taught me how to make it, I just have not been able to duplicate hers.  

Top 3 Movies of all time?
Gladiator, Gone With The Wind and Elf.

What was your happiest moment in life?
When each of my children were born.  Nothing can possibly top that.  

Where do you do your grocery shopping?
I like to buy as much organic as I can and do most of my shopping at Heinen's. However if I am in the neighborhood I will always stop at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I recently joined Costco and have been impressed with their organic food selection also.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure when it comes to food?  
French Onion chip dip! So bad for you, but oh so good. If I'm invited to a party and they have french onion dip...that's where you will find me.

Do you have Culinary Resolutions that you would like to accomplish this year?  
Over the past few years I have tried to go as organic as possible. Also limiting the amount of processed foods my family eats and making most meals from scratch. My ultimate goal would be to be proactive enough to put a menu together a week ahead of time and then grocery shop for it so I am prepared each day rather than deciding that morning what's for dinner based on what I have available.  

One word that best describes you is: Loyal.  

Well actually the first word that really came to mind was Sassy. Lol.  Loyalty is extremely important to me when it comes to my friends and family and I am fiercely loyal to those close to me.  

And now for your favorite recipe: Since it has been such a big hit with the kids recently I will share the Gluten Free Orange Chicken I have been making.  I most definitely did NOT come up with this recipe myself, but found it on Pinterest.  I use Gerber’s chicken which can be found at Heinen's and my cast iron skillet.  I serve it over organic white rice.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!  

Gluten Free Orange Chicken

• 2 pounds chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used chicken tenderloins)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
• 1/4 cup oil, approximately
• 1/4 cup tamari gluten free soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• green onions, to garnish, optional
• 
  
• Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Place the cornstarch in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, add the chicken on top and toss until evenly coated.
• 
  
• Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the hot skillet and then add the chicken. Cook stirring occasionally until all the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.
• 
  
• Meanwhile whisk together all the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
• 
  
• Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown remove it from the skillet. Pour the contents of the small bowl into the hot skillet and simmer and stir until thickened. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the chicken back in, and toss to coat.
• 
  
• Garnish with some green onions if you want, and enjoy. You can serve it with steamed rice if desired.

Fridays, Feasting with Friends Featuring Kelly Morse

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends."

~Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

I am so excited to to revive a feature of my blog called Fridays, Feasting with Friends.  This is where each Friday I will feature a different friend, family member, and other foodies, chat with them a bit in a little interview and then share one of their favorite recipes.  This was easily my favorite day of the week here in My Retro Kitchen and I am thrilled to get this going again. 

Today's guest is my very talented friend Kelly Morse.  I first met Kelly when Aaron, my youngest, was a newborn.  I was looking to have booties made to match one of my beloved woven wraps and admired those belonging to a mutual friend on Instagram.  She told me that Sew Crunchy was the absolute BEST and pointed me her way.  

teeny tiny Aaron in his perfect little shoes

Not only is Sew Crunchy amazing but Kelly is probably one of the sweetest ladies I have had the pleasure getting to know! I often find myself grateful for social media.  It has repeatedly offered me so many ways to connect with people from all over that I may not have met otherwise.  The internet is such an incredible place!  And now without further ado, I bring you Kelly Morse.  

Kelly Morse

What do you do for a living?
I am officially a stay at home mom. But I also own my own business, Sew Crunchy, where I make soft sole kids shoes and a few other things. I've recently also became a consultant for Perfectly Posh, a naturally based pampering company. So between my kids and two home businesses, I'm very busy!


-->What is your favorite thing to cook?Anything my kids will eat without a fuss :P But truthfully I don't love to cook. I might like the end result, but the planning and clean up is what kills my cooking mojo. I usually cook things that my husband likes, (he works so hard at his job so a good meal is what I like for him to come home to) so I usually do more comfort foods, creamy soups, breads and casseroles.


-->How about your least favorite thing to cook?
-->Anything involving RAW chicken. Ick. I'm usually picky and buy boneless skinless chicken breasts or cutlets, so the touching is minimal.
What is your favorite local restaurant and what is one you are dying to try out?
We live in a small town in northwest Indiana. My favorite local restaurant is called Mi Ranchito. It is a family owned Mexican restaurant that has the best chips and salsa plus margaritas of course! We have an upscale restaurant called McVey's that I'd love to try and have a date night with my husband there sometime.

Music and food go together so beautifully. You are hosting a dinner party, what would be on your playlist?
Themed music. A lot of my events focus around holidays or birthdays. So Christmas events will have Christmas music, and so on. If it's just me cooking, I'll have praise music on.

What would you choose to be your last meal on earth?
Everything on the menu at any mexican restaurant, a pizza buffet, baklava, a dessert table, donuts, iced coffee, bread and butter, spinach and artichoke dip, buffalo chicken dip.

What are you currently reading?
I don't read :P It's true. Between three kids, two businesses, and a very active gym life, I hardly have time to sit down. If there's ever quiet time, I'm usually found browsing Pinterest.

What is your favorite Kitchen Gadget?
My favorite kitchen item is my kitchenaid mixer. I love to bake desserts and am recently starting to make bread so when I bought it a few years ago, my cooking life was forever changed.

Do you have a signature go-to dish?
Tacos, haha. It sounds super basic but I usually have all the items I need to make it between my pantry and fridge. Just brown up some ground turkey, start some black beans, cut up the toppings and it can be done in half an hour.

What is your favorite thing about your hometown?
I live in Lowell, Indiana. What I love most is the small town feel. We don't have any huge chain stores, so it's not at all congested and I love that.

Do you have a favorite meal from your childhood and do you cook it today?
My mom was a very good cook and involved me and my sister in the kitchen a lot. She never used recipes, just sort of always winged it. The meals I make now that reminds me of my mom is lasagna and meatloaf. She always could throw those meals together pretty quickly and on a budget, so I love to cook both for my family.

Top 3 Movies of all time?
Matilda, Bring it on and Enough.

What was your happiest moment in life?
The birth of each of my three children. All I ever wanted to be was a mom, so it's such a great pleasure to have my babies and to be able to stay home and raise them.

Where do you do your grocery shopping?
I do all of my shopping at Aldi and Costco. Aldi is mostly for weekly items, dairy, produce, fruit. Costco is about once every 3-4 weeks and we stock up on dry goods and meat.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure when it comes to food?
I love dips! Spinach artichoke, cheese dip, spinach dip, all of them! I can't hardly control myself at holiday parties with all the yummy appetizers.

Do you have Culinary Resolutions that you would like to accomplish this year?
I definitely need to add a few different meals into our rotation. Sometimes I get in a cooking rut and just rotate the same few meals. My family doesn't complain, but I know they'd like some different things.

One word that best describes you is: BIG!

Let me explain. I do everything over the top. Whether it's gifts or decorating or kids parties, I go big always. I don't really have a slow down or minimal mode.


And now for your favorite recipe:
My favorite recipe is a copycat of an Olive Garden soup. I also like to sub cheese tortellini for the gnocchi.
Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocci Soup

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 + 1/2 cups half & half

2 cups cooked white meat chicken, shredded or cut into small bites

1 pound potato gnocchi

3 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

fresh grated Parmesan and/or Romano, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven heat the butter and oil together over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender over medium-low heat about 10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir into the vegetables, cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the chicken broth 1 cup at a time, followed by the half & half.
3. Add the cooked chicken. Bring up to a simmer and maintain for 20 minutes stirring often. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook the gnocchi separately according to package directions. Add them to the soup along with the spinach. Simmer until spinach is wilted. Stir in basil. Serve with grated cheese.

Notes: recipe Copyright ©2013 Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved

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