More “Some Days You Shouldn’t Talk”
- At June 24, 2013
- By Roxanne Snopek
- In Roxanne Writes On
- 2
So, Pik is having a bad day. You know the kind. (In the words of Nicole Kidman’s dead soldier-husband in The Others, “Sometimes I bleed…”) And my Pik is not one to suffer in silence. I don’t know where that comes from. Must be her dad’s side. Anyway, this morning, she’s moaning about the various hardships in her life.
Pik: “I can’t predict the weather! Too hot for pants. Too cold for shorts.”
Me: “How about capris?” I’m very helpful that way.
“I’m too bloated!” she wailed. “I can’t get into them!!”
I’m feeling a touch smug, reveling in the crone-zone, glad to be done with that business. But still sympathetic, of course. Of course!
“Plus,” she added, “I’m out of my favorite tampons! Now I have to use the gross cardboard kind!”
Me: “Please. That’s the only kind I ever used.”
Pik: “Well, Mom, come on. You are a little… looser… than me.”
The image of a flag, flapping in a brisk breeze, pops into my mind. Poof. Sympathy gone.
“I meant,” I said, “that’s what I used… when I was your age.”
Pik: “Oh.”
Conversation over. Have a Happy Period. Suckah!
Roxanne’s Margarita Chicken Soup!
- At June 07, 2013
- By Roxanne Snopek
- In Roxanne Writes On
- 0
This is a repost, so apologies to those of you regular followers. (Both of you.) But I’m making this soup tonight and thought I’d share ’cause you’re all so fascinated with my menu. I KNOW.
***
So my horoscope yesterday said I was going to wake up with a cold. Big newsflash, Daily OM. I’ve been waking up congested for a couple of weeks now. It’s allergy season.
However, it was one of those icky, grey days that we on the Wet Coast should be used to by now … but AREN’T. At least, I am not, and reserve the right to complain about the rain, grizzle about the drizzle. And make soup. Because soup just tastes so good on days like that!
Also, I’m doing the Wheat Belly diet right now, so soup is perfect. As long as it’s not accompanied by bread. Wheat Belly is basically a version of Atkins. (Good thing I didn’t know THAT before I started.) Low carbs. Lots of veggies. Lots of chicken. Lots of nuts. But, in case you missed it, NO BREAD. (I grew up on the prairies… no wheat? My family thinks I’ve fallen prey to a cult.) So far, in six weeks, I’ve lost about eight pounds. (All of which was gained through the winter, mostly from pie.)
So this week I made a version of chicken soup that my sister introduced to me last summer. At least, it’s more or less like the one she made. I can’t really remember.
Ingredients:
One rotisserie chicken (you can roast your own chicken if you want… if I roast a chicken, I’m gonna eat roast chicken. If I’m making soup with it, someone else can roast it.)
2 cartons of chicken broth
1 onion
garlic (I used two cloves because that’s all I had. More would be fine.)
Olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes (not the big can, the medium sized one. Although I’ve done it with the big can too, so never mind.)
Juice of 2 limes (you could use more if you want it really limey)
cilantro
Salt/pepper to taste (I use sea salt that’s got herbs in it… you might want to add your own herbs… but I’m not holding a gun to your head, do what you want)
For serving:
tortilla chips (I like Fresh is Best corn chips… mmm… what, don’t judge me. It’s NOT WHEAT.)
sour cream
avocado
Saute the onion and garlic – OH! Celery! I used celery this time, too. Saute that with the onion and garlic – in the olive oil, in a big pot. Dump in the chicken broth. Shred the crap out of the rotisserie chicken. Chop up the meat. Add to pot, with the tomatoes. Juice the limes into the pot. Lick your fingers. (Add a little salt, a little tequila… wait. Different blog post.) Cook until done. (My favorite cooking instruction!)
Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream (it’s not wheat either!) and slices of avocado. I might have missed something, but really, you can take it from here, can’t you? If not, have a margarita and quit whining!
Rustic Potato-Leek Soup
- At March 22, 2013
- By Roxanne Snopek
- In Roxanne Writes On
- 0
You might already know this, but I’m an extemporaneous cook. Recipes are guidelines. Creativity rules. Therefore, my instructions can be a bit… vague. But really, when it comes to soup, how wrong can you go??
This week, my youngest spawn is lying on the couch with tonsils the size and colour of rotten plums. When they’ve been sitting in the fridge drawer for, I don’t know, a couple of months. Between the pain, and the appetite-killing antibiotics, she’s not eating much. But soup works, so here’s what I did today.
Chop up an onion, a couple of leeks and a bunch of potatoes. Toss them into a pot, where you’ve got a couple of tablespoons of oil heating. Sweat everything until the onions are clear and limp. Add a box of chicken broth. Cook until potatoes are soft. Puree the whole thing with your hand-held mixer-thing. You can use a blender if you’re careful. I have a history of cleaning soup off the ceiling, hence the hand-held device. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I use sea salt. It just tastes better.) Last, add about a cup of cream, half-and-half or evaporated milk. I use evaporated milk, because of, you know, cholesterol. It would taste awesome with heavy cream though.
Garnish with flat-leafed parsley and/or fresh chives. I thought cheese would be a nice addition. My daughter liked it with Gruyere. I liked it with Asiago.
Super-easy soup, especially for the pathetic tonsillitis-afflicted spawn lying on my couch. Warm and smooth on the throat.
As soon as I figure out Windows 8, I’ll add photos.
Don’t hold your breath.