Sometimes I hate...

being a woman... ouch... that is all.

Curried Potato Soup

Just so you know. I love soup. I really do. This weekend, I got to make this soup and use my immersion blender for the first time. It was the bomb. LOVE that immersion blender. Thanks to Alex's family for that wonderful appliance.

Curried Potato and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
4 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cups roughly chopped cauliflower florets
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
Pepper to taste
1 cup corn kernels (I use frozen for less salt)
2 small yellow squash, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Sour cream

Method
1 In a large pot (6-quart), melt butter over medium high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and the bell pepper is lightly browned. Add the turmeric, mustard seed, cayenne, pepper, and curry powder and cook for a minute more. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

2 Add the potatoes, the broth, water, cauliflower, and salt. Increase the heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high or medium, enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

3 Add the corn and summer squash, cook for 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are cooked through. Use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) to purée about half of the soup. Adjust seasonings.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and a big dollop of sour cream.

Game night - Yay!

So game night turned out to be a pretty big success. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and get along really well. I definitely want to make it a monthly thing.

In honor of game night - and because people requested it - here is the recipe for the zucchini patties I made last night.

ZUCCHINI PATTIES!

Ingredients:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I use regular and panko)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Grate the zucchini. Press out as much water as you can. I put it in a colander, salt it, and then press out the water with a dish towel.
In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, breadcrumbs, cayenne, cumin, pepper, garlic, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Make a ball of the zucchini mixture and pat on extra breadcrumbs (this is where I use the panko) and put it in the oil. Press the patties until they are about 3/4 inch thick, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

To make sure they are cooked through - you can put them on a baking sheet in the oven on 350 for ten minutes.

Friday and First Sale

It is Friday!! Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah! *Does a happy dance* I love the weekends. No, seriously, I LOVE THEM. Now that the wedding is over, my weekends are so much more relaxed and I have tons of time to do projects, spend quality time with Alex, and do fun things :)

Yesterday, I made my first Etsy sale. Have to say. I'm pretty pumped. It was a total stranger too. So that means that people I don't even know like my stuff. Pretty cool, folks.

This weekend - I am starting on some fleece baby blankets. I originally wanted to make one for a present for my niece this Christmas. I'm still going to do that. I have a feeling that people would really like them though. They are very personalizable. I think I made that word up, but I don't care.

Also, I am hosting a game night on Sunday at our house. I'm a little nervous about it (because I am a crazy person) and hope everyone doesn't mind my small, old house and dog and lack of refinement.

Hope everyone has some wonderful weekend plans :)

Crafts by Castellanos has arrived!

My etsy shop is up and running. I only have 16 items up right now - but I plan on expanding as I make things and if interest is shown. Someone contacted me about one of the sets I made last night and the shop had only been up for a couple hours, so I am REALLY hoping that people find my stuff and like it.

I would love opinions :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/graceuga?ga_search_query=graceuga&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

Etsy Shop - I am going to start one

Now that I have a handy-dandy craft table (thank you, my dear patient Alex, who was a trooper through my almost meltdown over wanting one so bad) and the wedding is over, I have time to return to my arts and crafts. Have to say, I'm LOVING it. I have my craft table in the same room as the computer - between the kitchen and living room - and it's a perfect location. I can talk to Alex in the living room or when he's at the computer and I can hop between cooking and crafts easily. I love it. Yes - I am a nerd.

So, with that being said, I am back to doing crafts. Tons of coaster sets and hair flowers. My two new endeavors which will probably end up on an etsy shop are carved boxes and quilts/fleece blankets. I am trying them out for me to begin with before I decide if they are of a good enough quality for an etsy shop.

What should I call my etsy shop? Any ideas? I love suggestions :)

Lentil Soup - it's amazing :)

1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large potato, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry lentils
5 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt to taste ground
black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, red pepper, potato and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, and add vegetable broth, water and tomatoes. Add cumin, cayenne, curry powder, and smoked paprika. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

I also added a dollop of sour cream when I ate it.