Note to self:

Do not print email address on your return address labels and then use them on mail. Especially mail sent to an organization.

Jalapeno Soup

Husband went to a restaurant with a friend awhile back and had Jalapeno Soup. Didn't sound that great to me, but he kept talking about it so I decided to make some. It was better than I expected. Ended up adding some spanish rice, tortilla chips, and sour cream to it, which gave it more substance and also helped keep the hotness down. Think I'd for sure add rice again when I make it.

Cream of Jalapeno Soup

Make this creamy soup as hot as you like, by leaving the seeds of the jalapeños in the soup.

2 tablespoons butter
3 jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped*
1/2 cup chopped peeled onion
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups water
1 (14.5-ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, stir in jalapeños, onion and carrot. Sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour water and chicken broth into pot in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain soup, reserving liquid.
2. Purée strained vegetables in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pot along with reserved liquid and heat over medium-low heat. Pour in half-and-half, stirring until well mixed and thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and salt. Serve garnished with Monterey Jack cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

*Working with jalapeños or other chiles:
Capsaicin is the ingredient in chiles that causes the burning sensation associated with fresh peppers. It's a good idea to use rubber gloves when handling fresh chiles. (Disposable surgical gloves, available at most drugstores, work best for this.) If you choose not to use gloves, be extremely careful not to touch any part of your body, especially your eyes. After you've finished handling the chiles, wash your knife and cutting board with hot soapy water to ensure that there is no carry-over to other foods that may come in contact with the peppers.

Cooking Tip: For an eye-catching garnish, fry up thin strips of corn tortillas until crispy. Sprinkle with salt and drain on paper towels. Right before serving, garnish soup with cheese and arrange a small handful of tortilla strips on top.

Recipe found at CooksRecipes.com

phone calls from beyond

Last Sunday night my husband and I were home, he in the basement doing something on the computer, I upstairs vacuuming. I heard the phone ring, turned off the vacuum and heard husband saying (loudly) "hello". I continued to vacuum.

A few minutes later, husband comes upstairs telling me I have to pick up the phone and listen. We hear on the other side a girl talking, some other people talking, noise from what sounds to sort of be a party.

We listen and listen, try to talk to them, though they don't hear us and have NO idea that their phone called us. We couldn't figure out who it was. Sometimes the people sounded close by, laughing and talking, other times they were futher away. We tried whistling into the phone, shouting, pushing buttons on the phone, crinkling plastic bags into the phone, shouting some more, talking to them about how dumb they were, but nothing was heard by the other side.

Now, this happened before, someone's cell phone dialed our number and left a message on our machine - they were at a ball game or soemthing and it went for a couple minutes, then the lady says "what, who did I call? hello? hello?" and then hung up.

The other night though, this went on for a good 20 minutes. Then suddenly the line went dead. Our partiers had disappeared. It was rather amusing...

on becoming what you are not

Last night, Kevin said this to the cat: "Norman, you need to become more diplomatic"

whatever that means...

Applesauce brownies

This recipe comes from my grandma, and I've no idea where she got it. She used to make them when we'd come visit.

Grammie's applesauce brownies

1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c applesauce
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients and applesauce. Pour into well oiled 9x13 pan.

Mix together and sprinkle on top:
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 c nuts (or flaked coconut if you don't like nuts)
16 oz chocolate chips

Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 min or until knife inserted comes out clean.

These are best when a day or two old (more moist). You should refrigerate extras, but they're best when not cold from the fridge :)

Poppyseeds with Pasta

This recipe is from the old Apple a Day cookbooks that our mom's probably all have (this from cooksbook #1).

Poppyseeds with Pasta

4 oz (2 1/2 c) fine noodles, cooked
1 c cottage cheese
1 c sour cream
1/4 c onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP poppyseeds
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Paprika (optional)

Add all ingredients together (except paprika) and mix well. Sprinkle top with paprika if desired. Bake 30 minutes 350 degrees.