Warm Your Soul

It's a long weekend!!! Hurray!

I really needed a long weekend - did you? I know, I know, it was just Christmas, then New Year's, and we all got to have a lot of days off, but sometimes in the midst of the holidays, it doesn't feel very restful (especially when you're really sick). So with work being ABSOLUTELY crazy, and weekends being used trying to get better, I'm ready for some fun!

My husband and I are heading up to San Francisco tonight to stay the night. We'll hopefully find lots of fun things to do there, and try somewhere yummy to eat to tell you all about.

Then tomorrow, we're going to Epic Church - they are a church plant in San Francisco that our church has been helping with. Mostly volunteering people for their preview services so things run smoothly. So, Archie is playing in their band tomorrow.

What do you have planned for the long weekend? Hopefully you don't have to work on Monday!

Now on to soup! :) This soup is perfect for the winter. It warms your insides, has such amazing flavor, and is so super easy.

California has the most amazing weather. It only rains in the winter, and even then, not that much. But it has been very cold this winter (according to California standards), and even reaching freezing overnight a few nights. We've been kicking on the heater, snuggling under blankets, and using our little floor space heater. I know you people who live in the snow are totally making fun of us, but California makes you a wuss when it comes to weather. So, because I'm a wuss, this soup makes for a perfect winter meal!

P.S. Read below for an awesome new kitchen tool - you'll love it.

THAI CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP (From: Sunset Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 qt. reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. flour

1/2 cup each cilantro and Thai basil (regular basil will also work, but Thai basil definitely adds a different flavor)

1/2 jalapeno, sliced

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven or large pot bring broth to a simmer.

While broth is coming to a simmer, slice rotisserie chicken. I pulled some off the bone and placed in food processor - it ended up being more chopped then sliced, but I liked it that way.

Mince ginger until very fine - I used a grater for mine in order to get the most flavor out of the ginger - I could really taste it in the soup!

2. Add chicken, rice, salt and ginger to dutch oven or pot and allow to simmer ~ 15 - 20 minutes to let flavors develop. The rice will soak up a lot of the broth.

3. Next you want to peel and slice your garlic. In order to do that, everyone's mom's should buy them this amazing tool like my mom did for my birthday! It's a garlic peeler from William's Sonoma, and it's genius!!

You just put your whole, unpeeled garlic inside that little contraption...

Push it down and roll it around for a bit and VOILA! Your garlic peels itself with no yucky hand smell, no accidental slicing your fingers from banging a knife on it, and no fighting to get that peel off! I told you it was amazing.

Okay, where was I - now you're going to go ahead and slice that garlic as well as the shallot.

4. Then in a small saucepan, heat up that 1/3 cup of vegetable oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry the garlic in the oil, turning constantly with a slotted spoon, until it reaches a golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

5. Put shallots in a small bowl and add the 1 tbsp. flour. Stir to cover the shallots while breaking them into rings. Fry the shallots in the same oil until golden brown, and transfer them to a paper towel to drain.

6. Coarsely chop cilantro and basil and jalapeno.

7. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with herbs, a sprinkle of fried garlic, a few pieces of fried shallot, and a few slices of jalapeno. Cuddle up, and enjoy this yummy winter meal!

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Juicy and Sweet

First of all, if you haven't entered my One Year Blogiversary Giveaway, you MUST do so now.... I would hate for you to lose out on awesome homemade goodies and a whoopie pie kit!!!

There are only FOUR entries so far! So your chances of winning are actually pretty good right now! :) And I know I have more than four readers!!

Speaking of readers, I would love to get to know you all a bit more. I would love it if you all left me a little comment. It's so fun to hear from everyone - just tell me what state you're from!

I'm originally from South Carolina, but currently living in California. You know what the best part about California in the winter is... ORANGES! They get nice and ripe right about now. All the rain turns those green globes nice and orange. Every variety can be found in the grocery store - blood oranges, navel oranges, mandarin's, etc. Even these little beauties.

Kumquats from my backyard!

I've had this recipe for Orange Marmalade cookies for several months - couldn't wait to try them out! And what a good time since the citrus is so juicy and ripe. These cookies were a bit cakier than I imagined they might be, but they were still really good, and the citrus icing is so flavorful and bright. Definitely worth trying out with the fresh winter produce.

Orange Marmalade Cookies With Orange Zest Icing: By - (White on Rice Couple)

Ingredients:

FOR COOKIES

1/2 c unsalted butter

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

1 c Seville Orange Marmalade (regular orange marmalade will work too - Seville oranges make it a little less sweet)

3 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

FOR ORANGE ICING

finely grated zest from 1 Orange

finely grated zest from 1/2 a Lemon

1/4 c fresh squeezed Orange Juice

1 tsp fresh squeezed Lemon Juice

3 T unsalted Butter, melted

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

3 c Confectioners’ Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine butter and sugar in a mixer bowl and beat with paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

2. Break eggs in a small bowl, whisk to break up, then incorporate into the butter/sugar mix. Mix in orange marmalade.

3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Gently incorporate into wet mix until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (@ 1-2 hrs.)

4. While dough chills, make orange icing. Combine citrus zests, juices, melted butter and sea salt in a bowl. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until well combined and smooth. Cover and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 300° F. Line sheet pans with baking paper or silpats.

5. Using 2 teaspoons, drop walnut sized cookie dough balls onto prepared sheet pans, spaced about 3″ apart. Bake for about 20 min. or until cookies are light brown. Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

6. After cookies are completely cool, ice them with a small spatula or butter knife.

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