Sunday, August 21, 2011

Shrimp and Corn Bisque--a la quick style!

I love living in south Louisiana a good bit more now than I did growing up.  I lived in my small town until I was 18 and moved to a larger city a bit north of my hometown to attend college. From there, I moved to NYC and finally realized the south is where I belong for a number of reasons.  Many of those reasons include local things such as shrimp, crawfish, crabs, oysters, gumbo, jambalaya, oh and my momma and daddy mainly!!  I couldn't live far away from my parents ever again, it's just not in my bones!


My husband went with a buddy of his on a fishing expedition to catch shrimp a few months back.  Most of you who follow this blog prior to this entry do not know much about shrimping/trawling but it's a way of life down here. It is also a job for many people that live here.  I can't tell you how often I see signs up or now posts on facebook that there are shrimp for sale at such and such place, so much for an ice chest.  I can't tell you how many "shrimp peeling gatherings" that have taken place underneath my parent's carport.  Growing up, I loathed hearing that my parents bought an ice chest of shrimp because it meant I had to help peel them and I knew my fingers would be sore and prune-y after all was said and done.  Either way, my husband went in May to catch shrimp so I have several bags of peeled uncooked shrimp in my freezer right now.  The other night, I wanted to try a recipe floating around in my head for shrimp bisque.  I know this is why you are reading this so let me get to the point--it was amazing.  My daughter said it was the best thing she's ever tasted, second only to my red beans but it was close!

Here's the recipe--sorry there isn't a picture to go with this post.  My husband and child scarfed it right up in no time!



Shrimp and Corn Bisque 

1 lb peeled shrimp, uncooked
 2 tablespoons of oil (olive or cooking, your choice)
1/4 cup green onions, diced finely
1/2 stick real butter
1 can cream of onion soup
3 cups milk (2% or whole)
2-3 tablespoons flour
3-4 small white potatoes (red can be substitued), peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 small bag of frozen corn
1  can of evaporated milk
2 tsps each of:  savory seasoning (isnt a must, in case you don't have this), oregano, red pepper,
       garlic powder, season salt (tony's is my choice being here in south LA), crushed rosemary
1 cup of shredded  cheese, your choice of monterrey, colby, or gruyer.  I just recommend a white
          cheese with some flavor to it!

optional:
leftover crawfish tails from a crawfish boil you had at your house a month or two ago and needed to
           use before they went bad from freezer burn
crab meat from the above mentioned boil

1. Heat oil in medium size pot.  Add onions and green onions to the pot and sautee until cooked down to be soft and clear
2  Add chopped potatoes.  Cook down until potatoes are soft and starting to come apart easily with a spoon. Add butter
3. Add in shrimp/any other seafood you are adding to the bisque as well as the frozen corn to the pot.  Cook down until shrimp and corn are cooked thoroughly.
4. Add can of soup, can of evaporated milk, and seasonings to the pot and stir in completely. You want to make sure your soup isn't lumpy. Mix regular milk and flour in a separate cup thoroughly ensuring there are no lumps of flour in the milk mixture.
5.  Add the milk mixture and cheese to the pot and let cook on low/simmer for about 20-30 minutes.  You want to stir it often so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the bottom.  If the soup gets too thick, you can add in whole or 2% milk in 1/2 cup increments, but make sure you cook it down to ensure it all blends in.


Enjoy!!


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Cookies first, pasta second

I shamelessly told ya'll that you should stop what you are doing to make those cookies from last blog post. Did you do it?  If not, you SHOULD! Hello, they are amazing.

This post is now to tell you to make this for supper tomorrow night.  I made it tonight for us and my daughter cleaned her plate!  The only change is that I added some mushrooms in the mix that I had leftover from another dish prep this week so I threw those in too.


OMG is it wrong that I'm wanting to eat it for breakfast tomorrow?

My hubby is working nights tonight so his opinion hasn't been established yet. I'll let you know tomorrow how he enjoys it :)

Hope everyone has a great week!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Unequivocally

I work with a bunch of greedy hungry people at work.  I fit right in because I'm always trying to feed everyone so it's been a semi match made in heaven :) I say the greedy hungry with the upmost fun and giggle when I say it. I have fabulous coworkers who not only work well all together but they are genuine and truly love one another outside of work too.

So I have quite a few cookie monsters at work so I set out yesterday to find a good chewy cookie recipe.  We have a cookie company in our mall but man they are almost $2 each per cookie! I mean it's highway robbery.  So when I found this recipe, I was skeptical but I had all the ingredients so I said what the heck. I could make one batch to test them out, then if I didn't like them, we could enjoy cookie dough ice cream or something.

Very rarely do I find a cookie recipe that says they are chewy and soft batch-like and live up to that title.  But man do these cookies right here really live up to it! I mean they are phenomenally delicious. I think you should stop what you are doing, put two sticks of butter on the counter and wait until it's room temp so you can make these cookies. I think it's key that the butter is seriously room temp and soft! I left mine out all day while I was at work yesterday so don't judge.

However, do not blame me if you gain any weight after you make 254254 batches of this cookie, ok?


I hope to update later on tonight more about our family and what's been going on in the Fanguy house.  I might also share my shrimp and potato soup recipe that I have floating in my head and will cook tonight.  I have a feeling it's going to be uh-maaaay-zing!


Just sayin'!


Because I'm a first grader, whatssuuuup!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Trying to find time

I'm dedicating myself to writing more in this blog. I've had another blog home for so long but the place isn't the same.  I only stop in there to check on my usuals and those are people I have every day contact with via FB, text or email/calls.  Is it sad I rely so heavily on electronic communication instead of good ol' fashioned phone calls?  It's  just so hard because I know my lovelies are busy during the day before I head to work and by the time I get off at 9:30 or so, they are well on their way to sleep or enjoying the peace and quiet of their precious children sleeping after asking them an insane amount of questions all day long.

Do your kids do that?  I love my child but every day its question after question. She's at the age where she wants to defend her point of view too.  I need to remember to not be my mom and just say "Because I said so" every time she asks why.  That used to bother the heck out of me, but you know you can't avoid it some times.


So today is Tuesday.  I tried last week to make this last week but I put it in my small crock pot which doesn't have an auto shut off. I left detailed instructions to my husband to turn it off before he left at 5 pm to head to work.  Imagine my utter surprise (notice the sarcasm) that he didn't turn it off and it burned my crock pot up!  So I tried it again in my large crockpot, doubled the recipe sort of, and it has a digital timer on it to turn it to warm when I say so.  If only I could marry a digital crockpot, right?  Just kidding, err sort of.

Today's menu consists of leftovers for my lunch bag for work with a salad and some green beans.  Whatever is left over tonight after half pint and my mom eat, I plan on making some chicken and dumplins' with.  I mean the basis for the crock recipe is the base for my chicken and dumplins sort of anyways.  I'll let you know how that turns out. Heck, I might try to even make it in my crock pot and post a recipe for ya'll!


I was supposed to make muffins for our family last night and I was just too dog tired to do so.  I was off yesterday but enjoyed the peace and quiet all day because HP was at school and my lovely husband is on nights so he slept until at least 2.  I can't do much while he is sleeping so I just fiddled around on the internet, book marked some recipes I'd like to try this week. I really want to try to do an advanced menu planning system.  Work will hopefully be slow today so maybe I can make a weekly calendar of menus to try to keep my brain from churning at all times of what I will be making for supper.  It's a beast to cook at 7 AM and then head to work after.  If only I had a regular 8-5 job, right?


I love my job, I do but man the hours stink.  Christmas will be a nightmare this year.


And on a final note, I am trying to snag some tickets to a no name opponent game vs LSU this year.  I will be reaching out secretly to a few friends to try to snag some LSU tickets for me and my hubby as an anniversary gift.  I just have to keep the purchase on the DL so it can remain a surprise! I also need to figure out his work schedule to make damn sure he can actually go.  He is going thru police academy and it is probably going to be the death of me!


Ok ta ta for now ladies and germs!

Monday, August 8, 2011

First day*

I'm anxiously awaiting half pint coming home from her first day of first grade!  Last night, she was really bummed about going back to school.  She loves school but she was overwhelmed with emotion because she said she'd miss me and daddy too much.  She tugged at my heart with that one ya'll.  I love my child, for real.  She is an amazing kid and she always knows what to say to her momma to make her heart melt.

So instead of moping around or putting my foot down about it in a mean way, I told her she would finally not be in the baby portables at school and would have a big kid class finally!  She said "I'm a first grader, what's up!" and I started rapping to it.  Yes I am a white girl.  Yes I dance like a white girl most days.  But this white girl rapped.  I know ya'll want to hear it right? Let me share!




The above convo I discussed happened while she was in the tub bathing.  When she got out and dressed, we packed her school bag and she immediately started carrying it around with all the millions of school supplies she had to bring on her first day.  The video above was taken in her room.  I love my child. You have to watch it.  I dare you not to bust out laughing!!

So it was only fitting this morning, I woke her up singing her rap song.  She got up happy and we got on our way to getting dressed, eating breakfast, giving daddy some sleepy sugahs, and then waiting outside for the bus.  Of course I took pics and of COURSE I'm making you see them :)



 the absolute sweetest face in the world that I couldnt say no to if I tried today!!



 DIVA!

 Her first pair of big girl expensive tennis shoes!



I'll fill you in tomorrow on how today went. She also said she hoped her kindgarten boyfriends are in her class. Shoot. ME.NOW!





Thursday, August 4, 2011

Thursday Chatter

Today is one of my glorious two days off of work this week. I had Monday off but spent a huge part of it getting things done around the house.

Today, I didn't do much at all since Alesi is in Biloxi and comes back tomorrow.  I slept until 11:28. I know, pick up your jaws.  I never ever EVER sleep past 9:30 at the latest on a good day.  I am very fortunate to have a very sweet child who loves her sleep and this summer has slept most mornings until about 9:30.   Being that I work most nights until 9:30 pm and my child waits up for me most days to see me because she can, we enjoy sleeping in a bit in the AM.  That changes Monday obviously with the return of school.  She is going back to school-I want to cry but I also am excited. Sleeping until 11:30 today is going to be my last treat of sleeping in for a very long time.


Wait, I did do stuff today.  I cleared out our front garden/flowerbed that was completely overgrown and horrid.  I also sprayed for the ridiculous amount of ants we have in our yard lately due to all the stinkin' rain.  I won't complain about the rain because it has kept us very cool this summer.  Today was awful in the heat dept but I know plenty of blogger friends out there are going thru even more sweltering temperatures.  It's been a hum dinger of a summer and I'm hoping that we don't get a hurricane this year.  Speaking of, I need to add water and spaghetti O's to the grocery list for tomorrow.  Don't judge!  If you don't have electricity, spaghetti o's come in handy :)

I'm going to step back to a few pictures of Alesi since she started school two  years ago.  I can't believe how big she has gotten!
Pre-k circa 2009

I love this sweet face!


She didn't want to leave her daddy that day!


First day of Kindergarten 2010

I just can't wait my toota-bug is starting first grade on Monday. She is growing up TOO FAST!!!