the house behind

Much of the country has been hunkering down due to a massive storm that is sweeping across much of the nation. For us frugal folk, being stuck at home presents a wonderful opportunity to get some frugal tasks out of the way.

I am finishing a book I’ve been reading, it is written by an historian so more detail, less action in the plot that I’m used to. Still, I am determined to finish it. I also have been working on a cross-stitch project for what seems forever but will soon finish.

Then there is the kitchen. I have a bunch of minor kitchen cooking projects that I have been meaning to complete. I have had a hankering for homemade tomato soup for weeks now (recipe below) and I have been out of my homemade granola for some time. I also have way too many cucumbers, so I figured I’d whip up some tzatziki. I also needed to replenish my frozen cookie dough supply. Because the grandkids do not live close by (YET), I like to make chocolate chip cookie dough and freeze it in goofballs sized circles. When my partner has a yen for a cookie, I simply pull out a couple of frozen balls, let them thaw for a few minutes and bake along with whatever else is in the oven. Frankly speaking, I use the Toll House cookie recipe and it never fails: Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I like to give credit where credit is due.

I also like to replenish my spice mixes during this snowed in, stay-at-home time. I use my winter spice mix often and while it is easy to blend together, I tend to run out of it long before winter has finished. The mix is simple: two parts ground cinnamon to one part each of ground cardamon, ginger and cloves. I love cloves but if the flavor is too strong for you, cut back on the ground cloves. That’s it, I simply blend it all together, store in my spice shelf and use for baked goods of all verities.

Finally, I take inventory. I invariably forgot to replenish something in the pantry. This time it was vanilla bean paste, dried apricots and chocolate chips. Strange, I know. But sometimes when I am baking and cooking, I forget to order when I run low on an ingredient so taking inventory once in a while is wise.

Tomato Soup Better than Store Bought

Ingredients:

2 medium onions diced

1 shallot diced (optional, don’t but it just for this)

4 large garlic cloves minced

2 hot peppers minced (also optional but I love the fruity back heat you get from a Fresno chili)

Couple of tablespoons of good olive oil

2 cups of chicken stock (homemade is best of course)

1 large can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup or so of half and half or sour cream (heavy cream also works great if you happen to have it in your fridge)

Method:

Sauté the onions, shallot and garlic in the olive oil until transcalent before tossing in the (optional) hot pepper

Add in the chicken stock and heat through before adding your canned diced tomatoes, juice and all. Let simmer for a good 20 minutes. Finish by adding in the half-and-half or sour cream, whisking well. Some like to let the soup cool before blending it smooth but I like it chunky, it is a nice departure from the store bought version.

Serve with your favorite bagel or grilled cheese sandwich.