Make a good sandwich awesome

By now you've probably noticed that I like flexibility in my recipes, so why should this be any different?

First, ever notice how awesome melted cheese is? I mean, cheese in general is good, but something about it when it's a sticky, melted goo makes it just that much better, don't you think?

So, as you might have guessed, part of the sandwich awesomeness is having it heated. Now don't get all bent out of shape. I don't find making these much harder than a regular sandwich. There's just an extra step in the process and maybe an extra dish to clean. But it's worth it. Trust me. And, you can make them for dinner and/or pack them for lunch the next day, because they are still awesome cold. Have I mentioned these sandwiches are awesome?

I guess you probably want to know how to make them now? Okay, here goes:

Grab a couple of eggs (yes, eggs. I'll tell you why in a second)
A splash of milk
Salt and pepper
Deli meats (I like turkey and ham)
Cheese (get creative. I most often use Swiss and mozzarella, but I've also used provolone, cheddar, marble, and today, Havarti)

Okay, now go grab your griddle or fry pan. Make yourself an egg wash by beating the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Dip a slice of bread in the wash, one side only. We're not making French toast here, people! Just one side!
Now, place two slices of the bread, egg-washed side down, on the griddle. Top one side with meat and one side with cheese. Cook just until browned, about two minutes. Flip one slice on top of the other to form a sandwich. There. You're done! Easy, right?

In the sandwiches pictured, I've used turkey and Havarti, and turkey and marble as my examples. You can also double up for more hearty and fancy sandwiches. Top one side with mozzarella and turkey, the other side with cheddar and ham. Brown the egg sides and put them together. This is a great lunch to serve guests with soup or salad. It seems casual but will super-impress. Or, make it with one of the soups from one of my previous blogs, but then plan to spend the afternoon napping!

An award? For me? Aw, shucks.

Let's veer from the usual posts for a minute, because...I have recently been awarded The Liebster Blog Award!

The award is given to bloggers by bloggers, set up similarly to those chain emails you sometimes see that asks a bunch of questions and tells you to "pass it on." It's a way for those of us in the blogging community to get to know each other and gain some exposure through "six degrees of separation." In addition, it allows readers to get to know a bit about the writer and hooks them up with a few other great blogs to peruse.

The blogger who nominated me is a very talented writer and is incredible savvy in the world of social networking (I thought I had a good handle, but I feel like such a newbie next to her!). She has two great blogs, at opposite ends of the spectrum. Check them out when you have time. They are Life After (my) Kids and Mom's Toy Boxxx (yes, it's what it looks like).

Now, on to the challenge:

When you receive the award you: 

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself (harder then it sounds)
2. Answer 11 questions from the person(s) who nominated you
3. Pick 11 bloggers to pass the Award onto; make sure you tell them you nominated them and you’re not allowed to nominate the blog(s) who nominated you!
4. Ask them 11 questions 

(FYI: to get the Liebster "heart" picture, right click the picture on my page and save the picture to your computer. You can then upload to your blog.)

STEP 1: 11 Random Facts About Me 

1. I am a chronic over-planner. Sometimes this is a great attribute and sometimes I think details will be the death of me.
2. I have written 4 novels (working on a 5th), none of which I've attempted to published because I'm my own worst critic.
3. I'm a sucker for vampires (no pun intended), yet have never written about vampirism, lycanthropy, sorcery or the like. ***Note to self: this is your next goal.
4. I have a secret passion for financial planning, which could be considered surprising since I suck at math. Then again, it was Trigonometry that really killed me and this is more about buying a house than building one.
5. I dreamed about tornadoes nearly every night through my teen years.
6. I was once in a bank when it was robbed.
7. I like doing laundry. I find it relaxing.
8. I hate avocados. Even the word turns my stomach.
9. I grew up on a farm, so my husband finds my irrational fear of insects hilarious.
10. We always put up two Christmas trees in our house: one "family tree" full of homemade decorations from when my husband and I were kids, as well as ones our daughter has made; and another, which my husband refers to as the "Department Store Tree," full of matching decorations.
11. I drive stick.

STEP 2: Answer some Questions

1. Favorite way to relax?  On a beach with a good book.

2. Where do you get ideas for your posts? I love to travel and love to plan the trips as well (I do it all from scratch with my good friend Google, not with agents). So far all are first-hand travel experiences. I also love to cook, so I'm also starting to share some of my favorite recipes.

 
3. Favorite song/artist?  This is difficult, because I love so many and it really depends on my mood. I'd say top five are American Pie, Piano Man, The Rose, Just the Way you Are and Manic Monday. Eclectic much?

4. What was your favorite book as a child? Any of the Serendipity books.

5. What would you do with a million dollars? I'd pay off my mortgage, go on a nice trip, help out a few friends and invest the rest. Pretty boring answer, I know.

 
6. Movies, books or TV?  Again, it depends on my mood. I don't watch a lot of TV, movies only on weekends. A good book, however, will keep me up all night regardless of my obligations the next day.

7. What is your favorite movie, book or TV show? Oh, so many choices. I love lots of movies, though I will never turn down the opportunity to watch The Goonies. I don't know if I can pin down a favorite book, either, but I LOVED Water for Elephants. The only TV show I watch religiously is The Vampire Diaries. The Big Bang Theory is up there, too.

8. What would your super power be? OMG! This one stumped me longer than any other question. I guess it wouldn't be my choice, would it? I mean, Superman was an alien. Peter Parker was bitten by a spider. Who knows where mine would come from or what it would be? Yes, I know, I'm cheating out of that answer.

9. What are you reading right now?  City of Lost Souls (#5 in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare)

 
10. What song were you listening to last?  Can't Buy Me Love ~ The Beatles

11. Where is your computer right now?  On my lap as I sit in the recliner.

STEP 3:  Award 11 Bloggers the Liebster

And the Liebster goes to (in no particular order):

1. Kevin at Author/Writer
2. Darlene at Leader of the 6 Pack
3. Sarah at Journeys of the Zoo
4. Chris at The Art of Non-Conformity
5. Cheryl at Kids on a Plane
6. Steven at Blood Skies
7. Liberty at Liberty's Yarn
8. Alex at Writing and Stuff
9. Andrew at Night Sights
10. MJ at Erotica by MJ Shaw
11. Jenna at Living High on the Hog, Without Paying Through the Nose

STEP 4: Ask those 11 people 11 questions

1. What time do you get up in the morning?
2. What do you want to be when you grow up?
3. What was the best birthday gift you ever received?
4. What was your last dream about?
5. What was on your wall when you were a teenager?
6. If you could live anywhere (and job and family/friends weren't considerations), where would you live?
7. Where is the most interesting place you've ever been? Why was it interesting?
8. What is a useless piece of information that you know?
9. If you could spend the day with any public figure (celebrity, author, politician, historical figure), living or dead, who would it be and why?
10. What is your biggest pet peeve?
11. Chips or chocolate?

I will not lie - accepting this award was a bigger process than anticipated. But with hard work comes great rewards (I hope!).

I now invite the 11 people I awarded to post a link to their Liebster Award post in my comments section. I look forward to reading it!

Best use of leftovers - Ham Chowder!

With the Canadian Thanksgiving now over, some people will be wondering what to do with leftovers. For those of you who made ham, I have the solution: ham chowder!

The recipe below is completely flexible based on what you have on hand, is super fast to make and a hit every time. I have NEVER had someone not like it, and I get requests by company all the time for me to make some of the chowder for them to take home. I even had a friend's co-worker ask for the recipe so she could make it for a pot-luck. Best of all - it's a meal in a bowl! Include a piece of bread to sop up the liquid and you've covered all the food groups in a way that kids will eat (my daughter, as are many, is picky with veggies, but she will chow down on a day's worth in one bowl of this soup).

Here's the recipe:

Ham, cubed (as much as you have - as little as a cup or as much as 5 or 6)
Cooked potatoes, cubed (similar quantities to above)
Veggies (corn, roasted carrots, frozen mixed veggies - whatever! 1 cup to 1 bag, as much as you like)
1 cup each: chicken broth, milk, Cheese Whiz (yes, Cheese Whiz)

Heat and serve

Yup, it's that simple. The beauty is that it is so flexible. I've made it with only a little meat and lots of veggies, as well as with lots of meat and potatoes. Whatever you have left over. But you can also make it any time if you buy a small Black Forest Ham. You can boil potatoes or used canned ones, leftover veggies or frozen ones. Even the liquid quantities are flexible as long as you keep the ratios the same for each. This soup is great for weeknights, as it can be ready to serve in as little as 10 minutes - and it is possibly even better the next day, after the flavours have had some time to blend. Perfect for work or in a thermos for school. It's super hearty and covers all the food groups (with bread), so there is no need to even make anything else to go with it. It's a whole meal in a bowl! A family favorite for sure.

Leek & Sweet Potato Soup

The thing I like about soups is that they are flexible. Unlike many cakes and desserts that are unforgiving if you don't accurately follow the recipe, soups are flexible and allow you to add your own creative flair.

As the weather grows cooler, soups are also a nice, hearty food to fill your belly. They are also an opportunity to pack a lot of nutrients into one bowl.

This week I pulled all the leeks from my garden and decided to make a batch of leek & sweet potato soup. My theory is that when making soup, you might as well make lots, because it takes virtually the same amount of time to prepare no matter the quantity. In this case, I froze half for a cold winter night and the other half we had for dinner that same day. Many soups actually taste better the next day, after the flavours have had time to blend.

Here's what I put in the soup:

3 lbs of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium red onions, diced
4 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thin
1 litre plus 1 cup of chicken broth
2 stalk of celery
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of butter
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

In a large pot, sauté the onions, leeks and garlic in the butter, about 10 minutes, until soft.

Add the diced sweet potato, celery and chicken broth to the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer until the sweet potato becomes soft, about 25 minutes.

Add chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. A dash of cumin works, too, though it is not necessary. Stir together. Scoop into a blender and purée until smooth.

Once puréed, return to pot and reheat, if necessary, or allow to cool before freezing. The soup is ready to eat now, but the beauty is that you can also dress it up more. Coconut milk, milk or cream added at the end add nice flavour and make it creamier, but it is good just like this. Also, by increasing or decreasing the amount of leek and onion you put in, you can make the soup sweeter or with a bit more bite. I personally like to go a little heavier on the leeks. Enjoy!