In The Kitchen

We've had our fill here of 'holiday food' and I wanted something easy, hearty, and filling yesterday. So I got out the trusty crockpot and threw this together:

1 lb dried navy/great northern beans
8 medium-sized new potatos, cubed, with skins still on
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 lb of cubed ham from Christmas hambone (still enough left on that sucker for a pot of pinto beans in the near future).
5 cups water & 2 cups chicken broth
Salt, pepper, & creole seasoning to taste (I used a good handful of Morton's coarse sea salt and abt 5 shakes from the Tony Chachere creole seasoning canister)

Combine in crockpot & set on low for 7-8 hours. I stirred it at about four hours in, then turned it off at about the 7.5 hour mark and let it sit for about 30-40 minutes before spooning it up. It had a terrific taste & the broth had some substance to it.

The great thing about doing dried beans in the crockpot like this is it eliminates the need for any kind of soaking/blanching. I've also found the beans don't cook to mush, but keep their shape* when done in the crockpot.


*I described it to the SO as the beans 'maintaining their integrity' & he replied his conscience preferred beans with integrity. Ha ha.

New Year's Resolution

Get past Brickbreaker Level 16 on my crackberry.

Worst Christmas Songs Ever

1: Hands-down, gotta be Christmas Shoes. Surely I'm not the only person who has thrown up on the steering wheel upon encountering this on the radio.
1a: Whatever that steaming pile of alleged music is that is Neil Diamond's latest. He incorporates lines from Christmas songs and from his own songs to create...one hot mess.

2: Jing a Ling Jing a Ling as rendered by the Andrews Sisters. XM Holiday Traditions insists on playing this one at least twice a day. I'm entirely certain it's driven more than one person to commit hari kari, it's that bad.

Prep Work

Chicken salad is chilling in the fridge, along with a Pepperwood Grove Zinfandel & a Latour Chardonnay. Sausage & grits casserole are on the menu for supper. The dishes are washed and White Christmas is on the tube.

Keeping it quiet and close to home this Christmas. We'll head down to Charleston for a hockey game and an overnight stay Sunday just to keep cabin fever from setting in.

Happy Chrismukkakwanzfestivus to all, and to all a good night.

At The Movies

Saw Pulp Fiction for the first time Friday night. Had a couple of wtf? moments, but mostly was able to follow it. When Tarantino gets out of his own way, he can make a damn good movie.

And continuing the theme of hit men, we also watched In Bruges yesterday. I'll let Roger tell you about it. Might have to get the dvd on that one. I think it's one of those movies you have to watch several times to catch all the things going on in it. Plus, Ralph Fiennes and Colin Ferrell.

Our Homey Little Tree

My Schaden Has Had A Particularly Delicious Plate of Freude Recently

1. Aw, poor Tebow/Jeebus boy, feeling a little...forsaken, are we?
2. Tiger Woods is not only a pissy little diva, but quite the man-ho as well.