(mis)adventures of spindlerose

Merry Christmas!

Holly in the snow. December 20, 2009

D and I are enjoying a low key Christmas by ourselves. At some point (once the bread is baked), we will have our traditional Christmas dinner of fondue, salad, and Potage St. Germain (pea soup). D made fondue for me on our second date and for our first Christmas dinner. Since it is just us this year, we are reviving the tradition.

I will fly out to Milwaukee early Monday morning to celebrate with my family. I packed my handknits, so I can play in the cold with my the nieces and nephews, and plenty of knitting to work on while I sit by the fire with my parents and siblings.

I hope your holidays are filled with good cheer and family fun.

Sunday Supper

Tonight, as just about every Sunday evening during the fall and winter, we will be having Baked Wild Rice with Cheese—also known at my house as Wild Rice Casserole. It is also a family favorite for holiday feasts.

2 T butter
1 med onion, chopped
2 c wild rice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 c veggie broth or stock, boiling
2 t Worchestershire sauce 2 T chopped fresh parsley (or 2 t dried)
1-1/2 c dry white wine
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed

Butter a 2-1/2 quart covered casserole. Don't forget to butter the lid, too. Preheat oven to 350. Heat broth with garlic. For the broth, I usually use 3 c boiling water, 1 Knorr's veggie broth cube, and the frozen minced garlic cubes available at Trader Joe's.

Melt butter in large skillet. Add onions and saute until tender. Stir in wild rice and cook until rice starts to turn golden.

Transfer rice to casserole. Add broth, Worchestershire sauce, and parsley.

Deglaze skillet with wine. When wine is hot, add to casserole.

Gently fold cheese into casserole.

Cover. Bake for about 2 hours.

4-6 main dish servings, 8-12 side dish servings. It reheats quite well.

According to Mom, this can also be made successfully in a Crock Pot.

Snowy Sky

The view from my front steps, 1:45 pm, December 19, 2009

I stayed in and puttered around the house. I knit a little, shoveled a lot, and laughed at the Mid-Atlantic snow panic. Tonight, I will cook more caramel, knit some more, and make one more pass with the shovel.

D and I had planned to fly up to Boston to celebrate Christmas with his family, but the storm grounded us. Luckily, the airlines allowed for rebooking without penalty so we rescheduled the trip for January 16-18.