So this was a lot easier when using canned beans. It came together quickly and was ok. Not great, but ok. Maybe with the addition of the right sauce (wasn't willing to buy), it would be better but who knows. At least I wasn't full of feelings of failure after it.
Sloppy Sammys
om nom nom
This was ok. I've made better mixtures. The method was not bad by any means, though. I used a Ciabatta from Big Sky Bread. It was...uh..to dense, honestly. But still, you use what you have to work with. I like the method of melting using it open face, finishing the top off in the toaster so you can add things like pickles and lettuce after the fact. I may have to do this again (with my own mixture). And because I bought plenty of tuna, probably will.
mini-Beef Burgers
In my efforts to avoid a particular place for a bit (I'm not sure how long they'll be in the crap house), I had Shannon run off to La Mie to pick up something to put burgers on. She came up with dinner rolls. These were a nice replacement to what I normally would've gotten. I love La Mie bread, but they close before it is possible for me to get there, normally, to pick up bread, unless I do it on the way to work, which, sometimes, they aren't finished baking by that time. And then they close at 4, so even if I leave work early at 4, I won't be able to make it there by the time they close. So that is why the other place is my normal choice. I can pick it up at Dahl's and another place on the way home (depending on which way I go) and not having to worry about making it there before they close.
So she took care of that issue since she was able to be out and about during the day. But this was nice and simple. Locally raised beef (I think Lucky George), little salt and pepper, and some cheese (and other toppings). It added up to be a good quick dinner, before Shannon headed off to her art class.
I don't think that Smokin really describes this that well. It had a little bit of heat and a little bit of smoke from the chipotle pepper, but it wasn't anything that was direct and forward. I was in a rush from getting home a little later then I intended (the stop by the Cheese shop to pick up meat and have a beer didn't help either, but I already had left work after 6). So I rushed through, and may have not reduced down the sauce enough. It did overflow a bit in the oven (which actually created smoke...maybe that's where it was :-D ), but after cooking through it was a pretty good dish of mac & cheese.
Tomato Fennel Soup (sort of based on) with grilled cheese
After a blender blade replacement, the blender was back up to full service. it appears as if whatever the turning mechanism was had basically given up the ghost. I'm not sure if it's just age, in general, or what, but after a quick part swap out, I was back in business.
Makes me think that perhaps I should go after the food processor blade next. Not that it doesn't work, but perhaps it is no longer sharp or as sharp as it used to be. That's neither here nor there right now.
I had some of the last fresh fennel from Cleverley Farms, tomatoes from a can and etc. It made for a nice soup, but I don't think it had quite enough of the fennel flavor. You could taste it in there, I just want it a bit more. I made grilled cheese using some of the leftover gorgonzola and some Prairie Breeze. Good stuffs. Came together well and dipped into the soup well.
