ROASTED PAPRIKA CHICKEN, AND WE SURE CAN PICK 'EM!.......

This is what our thermometer showed at 8a.m. this morning...that's right, ten below. I only have one thing to say.....WORD TO YOUR MUTHA.......!

B.A. and I SURE can pick 'em...places to live, that is! Spent many a long night cowering in our basement in Nebraska, hoping and a prayin' that approaching tornado wouldn't blow our 80 year old dream house down......

Got knocked flat on the floor, more than once mind you, in huge California earthquakes, and almost lost our family home to wildfires there, too.....

Now we're in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, and LAW it gets cold here....we've seen it at 42 below zero before, and still we had to go to work and school! Nothing shuts this town down.......

Here's what I should be doing all day today--snuggling in the flannel sheets and down feather bed / comforters with my red headed son, Pee Wee......

(Pee Wee weighs over 25 lbs..and makes a great foot warmer!)

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Just in case you've been wondering.....

.......... our Abbie is doing just fine so far in Paris (here's something funny...a local girl

seriously asked my husband the other day if "they speak French in Paris"?!*#--WHAT?????). Little Miss Thing is settled nicely into her apartment, complete with a roommate from Brazil and an older woman who owns the place and acts like a mom. Who parlez-vous NO Anglais. It's all good! School doesn't really start up for another week, so Abbie gets to spend her time with friends exploring museums, and she says tomorrow they're checking out Versailles. Sigh.

I can't say enough about the wonders of Skype--we can talk, all we WANT, for FREE, AND face to face! Amazing times we live in, to be sure......

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Have you ever heard of smoked paprika? I never had, until I read a recipe for Roasted Paprika Chicken in, you guessed it, my favorite Southern Living magazine. Smoked paprika looks just like regular old paprika, but has a much smokier scent and taste.....

(In the south, the word "paprika" has 4 syllables instead of our northern 3--can you say, "Pap-A-ri-ka"?)

I'm always on the lookout for new chicken recipies, and I know I'm not alone! Well, this recipe does not disappoint......and it's easy, ta boot. Go out and get yourself some lemons and fresh thyme (if you can't find fresh thyme, you can always use a little bit of dried)..............

Stir together the smoked paprika, chopped thyme leaves, good olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper--this will make a thick paste.....

Spread half of the paprika mixture evenly underneath the skin of the chicken, then place a lemon slice or two under there, also......

(what is it about raw meat photos that always look so nasssty?)

Brush remaining paprika mixture evenly over the skin.....

("it rubs the paprika on the skin"...compliments of Silence of the Lambs--eek.)

Bake for 40 or so minutes, or until done....remember, your smaller dark meat pieces, if you choose to cook these, will be finished before the larger breasts......let chicken rest for about 5 minutes; lightly brush with pan juices just before serving. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh thyme sprigs if desired.

Here's B.A.'s dinner...he's a white meat man....look at the gorgeous golden red crispy skin!

And I'm a dark meat kinda gal these days....let's give it up for chicken thighs!....

All in all, a winning chicken recipe...we've prepared this several times, and can't wait to have it again! Here's the recipe......

SOUTHERN LIVING'S ROASTED PAPRIKA CHICKEN

Serves 4-6

1 / 4 cup smoked paprika

2 tblsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves (or, 1 tsp. dried)

3 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

5 lbs. assorted chicken pieces

2 lemons, thinly sliced

Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh thyme sprigs

Stir together first 5 ingredients to form a paste. Spread half of paprika mixture evenly underneath skin of chicken pieces. Place 1 to 2 lemon slices underneath skin on top of paprika mixture. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer on a wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan or 17x12 inch jelly roll pan. Rub remaining paprika mixture evenly over skin. Bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portions registers 165 degrees. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; lightly brush with pan juices just before serving. Garnish, if desired.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

***My nice cozy home--thank goodness for dual pane windows!

***My wonderful husband--don't know what I'd do without him.

***That my father in law, Al, has recovered so quickly and nicely from his recent back surgery....still hoping you're coming to New Orleans with us next month, Dad!

CREAMY LEMON-ORANGE GELATO AND SOME RANDOM RANDOMNESS.......

"Guys don't make passes........

at girls who wear glasses".........

But who gives a S*%T!  After all, I'm blind as a bat these days, have about 30 pair of expensive tri-focal, no-lines lenses, can't wear contacts because of my stupid A.I. disease, and yet my guy thinks THIS particular pair makes me look bookishly sexy hot. After 25 plus years, why, I think I'll keep him!

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So, did I ever tell you how absolutely SPECIAL our mutt, Willie Nelson Willard, truly is? He's bow-legged, has some neurological issues with his legs, AND he's sway-backed, like a horse. For reals. He's also on Prednisone, which makes him kinda tubba-wubba, too.............

His days here on Earth are probably limited, so B.A. and I like to spoil him rotten....like with this sweet, stylin' little number I picked up on Amazon.....jealous? Thought so. It's lined with REAL wool........

If Sexy Jack the 16 year old cat ever went outside in the winter, you'd better believe he'd get one, too......

The coolest thing about this jacket? Why, the nifty pocket for Willie's I-Phone. Alll the dawgs on the block have I-Phones these days, doncha know..........

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So, for Christmas this year I decided to surprise B.A. with an ice cream maker, because there is NOTHING B.A. loves more than a big dish of good old-fashioned ice cream. Started out buying him a mid-priced number at Target, and I was so excited to whip up a batch of peppermint stick ice cream for Christmas night. Which ended in disaster--the darned thing didn't work at all. Love it when that happens.........

A few days after Christmas, I took the stupid thing back to Target and walked my sorry butt over to Macy's to do what I should have done, all along : just bite the bullet and get the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment for my stand mixer. Which NOT ON SALE runs around $150. But here's why I love Macy's more than most things--they have a "Macy's Club" card deal that really pays off, the more you shop. So I ended up getting the contraption I really wanted for less than what I paid for that piece of crap at Target--around $50! Oh my goodness do I ever love a deal.....and, the KitchenAid version really works well.....so easy to learn to use, with only a few parts...........

The mixer comes with a few recipes....tried out their vanilla bean ice cream recipe, and it was terrific! Can't wait for summer to experiment with fresh berries, sorbets and low-fat frozen yogurts. Yesterday I tried their Creamy Lemon-Orange Gelato because B.A. loves anything with citrus, AND the recipe is super low calorie, low fat.

Around here, we have to drive to the next town over for great Gelato, and the little Gelato stand is only open in the summertime. So I am very excited to be able to make this dessert treat in my own home, any time we get a hankering! I thought the addition of whole coffee beans in this recipe was interesting, along with the lemon and orange peel......

The preparation for this recipe takes a few minutes, but the end results are more than worth the time investment--promise! To begin, scald 2 % milk with the orange and lemon peel and some coffee beans......

In a medium bowl, whisk 5 egg yolks with sugar.....

Now you will need to "temper" the eggs, which basically means that you will slowly add about half of the scalded milk mixture INTO the egg yolks, so that your eggs don't scramble!.........

Then return the yolks to saucepan with the remaining milk. Stir over low heat until mixture thickens--about 8 minutes......

Strain into a bowl, and cool in the refrigerator until chilled thoroughly. Then, just follow your ice cream maker's instructions.....I poured the chilled mix into my mixer, and in about 20 minutes had a very soft Gelato. Then, I froze for a few hours in a plastic container, and.....VOILA! Homemade Gelato that was TO. DIE. FOR.........

Here's the recipe......

KITCHENAID'S CREAMY LEMON-ORANGE GELATO

Makes about 4 1-cup servings

2 cups 2 % milk

4 strips orange peel (about 2 inches by 3 / 4 inch wide)

4 strips lemon peel (same measurement)

6 coffee beans

5 egg yolks

3 / 4 cup sugar

Scald milk with orange peel, lemon peel and coffee beans in heavy medium saucepan.

Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk half of milk mixutre into yolks. Return yolks to saucepan with remaining milk. Stir over low heat until mixture thickens slightly and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes; do not boil. Strain into medium bowl. Refrigerate until well chilled. Follow ice cream maker's instructions for freezing...transfer ice cream to airtight container and freeze for several hours to allow flavors to ripen.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

***Our daughter, who is our hero. She has been basically solo during this settling-in period in Paris, and has been such a brave, self-sufficient and adventurous girl!

***The opportunities that our daughter has....just the other day she saw an original Monet watercolor that stretched over three ROOMS wide at a Paris museum, and she is learning to speak only French with the locals.....

***The clothes and jewelry she left behind...it's like I have a whole new wardrobe! Hee hee..........

IT'S A SUNDAY AFTERNOON, AND SO I'M GONNA PREACH IT, MY SISTAHMAMAFRIENDS!......

Unlike so many other brilliant, beautiful bloggers out there in blog-land, I have intentionally chosen NOT to list any New Year's resolutions this year. And I'm not really sure  why I didn't make any resolutions this year, but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that over the past few years my health situation has deteriorated to the point where just making it through the bloody DAY seems like a major accomplishment to me sometimes. Oh sure, I'm all about self-betterment (is that a word?) and all, but even thinking about resolutions right now exhausts me, so I'm just not gonna go there. (Which is really, really hard for a perfectionist like me.......)

BUT, my lack of resolution-making skills does not mean that I'm not inspired, sometimes on a daily basis, by something I've read or heard about. Why, remember my post in praise of Women, Food and God, by Geneen Roth? That book really resonated with me and my food issues, and has helped me to both lose weight AND keep it off.

And then there's always Oprah Magazine and Real Simple....I don't think most people can read through a copy of those hefty publications and NOT be somewhat inspired, at least in some small way.....

For me, however, the MOST inspiring book I have ever, ever read would have to be The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz........I have probably re-read this little book twice a year, every year, since it was published in 1997, and have given it as a gift to so many special people in my life........

The Four Agreements is truly a life changing book, based upon the ancient Toltec wisdom of the native people of Southern Mexico. The simple ideas of The Four Agreements provide an inspirational code for life; a personal development model, and a template for personal development, behavior, communications and relationships. Here is how Don Miguel himself summarizes The Four Agreements :

AGREEMENT 1: Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

(For me, this means no more calling myself a big ol' fatty tub o' lard, and really trying not to gossip!)

AGREEMENT 2: Don't take ANYTHING personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

(This agreement is SO important to the hyper-sensitive, like me! I try to remember that everyone is just trying to get through the day, as best they can.)

AGREEMENT 3: Don't make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

(After all, to ASSUME is to make an ASS out of U and ME!!)

AGREEMENT 4 : Always do your best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

(I think this is my favorite agreement--I am trying to do fewer things, but do them really WELL, to the best of my abilities)

Of course, Don Miguel goes much deeper into each agreement in his book, but this is the summary I have printed out and prominently displayed on my bulletin board. Just re-typing these today has given me a feeling of calmness and centeredness....JUST what the doctor ordered!

I promise to come back soon with a few great new recipes for you all...until then, have a wonderful day!

XXXOOO

CURRIED CARROT SOUP, AND THERE SHE GOES AGAIN......

Here's what I want to know, right now : Why do the best times in life have to go by so darned fast?

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At this writing, Abbie is cozily set up in her wee Paris apartment, getting ready to start her orientation, then classes, at the political science university she's attending until May.

We had SO much fun having her home, and I know her friends did, too, judging from all the giggling coming from her upstairs bedroom. Abbie's BFF Allison (who will be studying in Amsterdam later on next semester--they have big plans to get together in Paris over Allison's spring break!) came over for dinner the last night Little Miss Thing was in town, and I whipped up a quick batch of a delicious Curried Carrot Soup....but more on that later.

First, I want to share a few photos I took in Boston....Abbie was flying out of Logan International to ICELAND (Abbie thinks her father purchases such obscure airplane tickets, just to torture her), then onto France, so we decided to spend a few days down in Bean Town, just the three of us. By the way, my father was born there, and my father-in-law's family is from that area, too......

We had lunch at the famed Quincy Market, where there are an unbelievable number of food vendors to choose from........

Pretty looking up at the ceiling of the old market, built in the 1600's!.......

And can I just say here that it was so blasted COLD in Boston that day--we had planned to walk over to the Old North Church, but it probably would have done killed us, so we just snapped a few photos outside, then ran back indoors where it was warm......I love the way the old Customs House architecture looks against the modern buildings....

Can you even tell how cold it was here? And SHEESH--I'm from Siberia!........

For kicks and giggles, I sat on Abbie's hotel room bed and watched her get all packed up, just to bug her........she LOVES it when I ask her, time and time again, if she's remembered to bring her Passport/Visa/IPhone/Wallet/Driver's License/toothbrush/common sense!......

All too soon it was time to head off to Logan airport (which, BTW, has THE most confusing parking garage structures known to man....)......you'd think we'd be used to sending our one and only child off in airplanes by now, but something felt more, I dunno, serious about it all this time around....perhaps it's the 6 hour time difference, instead of our normal 3? Or, could it be because Abbie's not going to be in the same country that we're in, for the first time ever? All I know is that it was pretty stinkin' HARD, watching her little pink backpack slowly walking away, towards security........Jesus, take the wheel!......

Bonjour, Mon Petit Mademoiselle Thing.......

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Okay, onto the soup! I've made this soup for my family a few times before, and now that the cold has really settled in here in upstate NY, well, we're doing a LOT of soup 'round here. There's something about cooking with curry that's just so warming and fragrant, don't you think? I adore curry......

First, you'll want to peel and grate 3 or 4 medium sized carrots, and dice up some yellow onion, while you're at it......

Saute the onions in sesame and olive oil, then stir in broth, carrots, curry, thyme and a bay leaf...........

Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for about half an hour. Add 4oz. of softened cream cheese (very different, I know!), then process with an immersion blender until soup is smooth........

Test for seasoning. This recipe only serves about 3-4, so if I'm feeding more than that sometimes I add some milk or half and half, then heat through. A wonderfully warming soup for a cold winter's evening (or lunch!)......I served mine with some thick slabs of good bread.......

Here's the recipe......Enjoy!

CURRIED CARROT SOUP

Serves 3-4

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. olive oil

5 cups broth (I used vegetable, but chicken would be fine also)

3-4 medium carrots, grated

1 and 1 / 2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

4oz. softened cream cheese, cubed

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, carrots, curry, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender. Discard bay leaf. Add cubed cream cheese to soup mixture, and blend well with an immersion blender. Test for seasoning.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR......

***Everyone and everything I have in my life--I am truly blessed!

2012, AND NOTHING BUT UP FROM HERE!

Well here we go again, another new year. And I must  admit it was refreshing to wake up this year with not even the slightest hint of a hangover......

My New Year's Eve celebration this year was pretty uneventful--just me and my dates, Ryan Seacrest, my couch and my animals.  B.A. had to work, and Little Miss Thing went to a "sleepover" party with a bunch of girlfriends. Me, I spent the night fighting never ending nausea, which I've been battling non-stop for the past few weeks.

Kinda sucks to be me right now, but hey, waddya gonna do?

Tomorrow we're off to Boston, to get this silly girl in the air for her semester abroad.....

So I'll probably be back here later this week....I've got a fun new recipe for a Curried Carrot Soup I want to share with you.....

So, here's my New Year's sentiment I'd like to share with you......

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best.
- William Arthur Ward

Love, Leslie, Queen of Pepto Bismol.....(:!!!!!

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