Our phone rang a little after noon on Friday and it was Bruder Bear saying he was in Riggins just coming off a fishing trip with some friends and wondered if he could come up for a visit for a day or so. Yay!! So Dan and I hopped to and got a little house work done (left undone for too long due to my cold and Dan's knee) and we were mostly ready when he arrived about three-thirty. We ate out that night (ref. clean house instead of cook...) but I came up with some plans for Saturday night. I'm always okay with breakfast and lunch, but dinner often stymies me when I have company, even someone as easy at Bruder Bear.
My plan? One Hour Swedish Limpa Bread from Foodie with Family and Chicken Wild Rice Soup from Pressure Cooking Today. The boys kept busy with discussions of hunting and reloading and then, thanks to BB's scouting skills, left to buy some rims for winter tires for the new SUV we purchased last summer. I have tried to do some preliminary work for my cooking these days, so I gathered ingredients and chopped away on onions, celery, and carrots (which I have learned is called mirepoix in the fancy cooking world) and chicken. Having all these things plus the other ingredients at the ready is called mise en place. All these French terms!! But I am becoming a true believer in mise en place, it keeps me from leaving something out and I'm much more relaxed when it comes to actually doing the cooking.
The bread recipe truly is quick although an hour and fifteen minutes is probably closer to the truth for me. AND it makes two lovely sized loaves! Win, win! We decided when I first made it earlier this year that we weren't fans of the fennel seeds, but otherwise I follow the recipe exactly. And oh! the smell of the orange peel. Mmmm! We had leftovers from the first loaf toasted with breakfast this morning and it was delicious with a little butter and peach jam. Dan said it was as good as dessert.
Our beautiful days seem to be coming to an end with light rain and clouds in the forecast for the next week or so. Fine with me! Makes it all the more cozy. We've had the fireplace burning merrily many nights.
The front porch is very festive for the season. We've gathered in a few more pumpkins this year thanks to some friends who had leftovers after a Fall Festival at their Christmas tree farm. We usually have one, but I'm loving the look of more!
I realized as I looked at this picture I just took that I need to take down the birdhouse and put up the Indian corn! So I'm off to do that before I forget. ♥
Good to hear you're feeling better. I'm sure a visit from Bruder Bear was helpful.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way. I fix reasonably good meals for Mike and me, but tell me we're having company, and I am suddenly without a clue. Sounds like you did well, though. I agree about the pumpkins on the porch. They say less is more, but sometimes more just works. Glad those pumpkins came your way. Happy Halloween!
The visit was such a good one! We reminisced and laughed and just had a wonderful time. And he was happy with the meals. I just have to remind myself that I'm a simple cook (like my knitting!) and that soup and bread are my go-to's in the fall and winter. And summer? Burgers or chicken and salads.
DeleteNothing wrong with simple, fresh food. I'm sure the soup and bread were delicious and hit the spot.
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