Well the tree is up. I have caught Lucy clawing at it once. Archie was comfortable under the tree.
Again a day filled with holiday activity so I made a quick soup, Lentil Soup from the Mark Bittman App,
Mark Bittman's How to Cook . Perfect for a chilly evening. The bread, well that was from Meriano's Bakery. Seriously did you think I was going to make bread today too!
Lentil Soup, from
Mark Bittman's How to Cook
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup lentils, washed and picked over
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
Method
Put the oil in a large deep pot over medium heat. When hot, add the
onion and cook, stirring frequently until soft, just a minute or two.
Add the carrot and celery and keep cooking and stirring until brightly
colored and hot about 2 minutes.
Add lentils, bay leaf and stock; sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.
Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook stirring
occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
For breakfast I want to use up the cranberries I had in the freezer from our Thanksgiving Dinner, which I just realized I never posted, sorry.... I found this recipe on
twopeasandtheirpod.com. These are the best scones I have made in long time.
Fresh Cranberry Scones, from
twopeasandtheirpod.com
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup half and half
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Topping:
2 tablespoons half and half
Turbinado sugar
Method-
Preheat
oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
or a silicone baking mat, set aside. (I used my Scone Pan, yes I have a
Scone Pan!)
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your
fingers. Whisk into the flour mixture.
Add cold butter pieces to the flour mixture. Cut in butter using a
pastry blender, fork, or your hands. I prefer to use my hands. Mix
until you have pea size chunks of butter.
In a small glass measuring cup, whisk the half and half, eggs, and
vanilla extract together. Pour over dry ingredients and mix with a
spatula until moist. Gently stir in the fresh cranberries. Transfer
dough to a floured counter top and knead until dough comes together.
Shape dough into a large circle. Use a floured rolling pin to roll
out the scone dough. Cut dough into wedges and place on the prepared
baking sheet. Brush each scone with half and half and sprinkle
generously with turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until scones
are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
