CAMPAIGN FURNITURE

I learned a new word today ... well two words really.

Campaign Furniture

I've seen it around but never knew that the style had a name or interesting purpose! Thanks to the always handy wikipedia, here's a brief history:

"Campaign furniture is designed to be folded up, packed, and carried on the march. It has been used by traveling armies since at least the time of Julius Caesar. With the rise and expansion of the British Empire in the eighteenth and early 19th centuries British furniture makers produced for both military and business travelers. British officers of high social position in the Georgian and Victorian periods (1714–1901) often carried high quality portable furniture."

Campaign furniture is typically constructed in durable teak or mahogany with brass pulls. When polished the masculine style looks rich and well traveled.  Paint the aged wood in a lacquered, pastel finish and the resultant piece really sings.

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Makes a girl want to take a voyage! 

SUPER SIMPLE SWEEK POTATO SOUP

A Chuck Hughes Recipe... Need I Say More?

If you are not familiar with this French Canadian chef (yes he has a French accent) you are truly missing out. Star of the Cooking Channel show Chuck's Day Off, he is a full time chef whose true passion is cooking for others. The premise of the show is on Chuck's one day off a week he cooks in his small restaurant's kitchen for his family, friends, staff, vendors, or anyone who has truly inspires him. His laid back attitude, passion for food, and quirky sense of humor make it entertaining and informative. Not to mention he's not that bad to look at! Wink!

Enough about Chuck. This post is really about the super simple Sweet Potato Soup. I followed Chuck's recipe almost exactly. I added an extra leek and didn't use fresh ginger but the results were still good. The soup is thick and satisfying. Great for a fall afternoon. I even tackled Chuck's yummy matchstick potatoes and leek garnish. Those are so good and can be made as a garnish for anything. I couldn't stop munching on them! Click Here to check out the recipe and while you are at it, check out a few more recipes!

{Chuck's recipe courtesy of cookingchannel.com and Chuck Hughes image courtesy of recipe4living.com}

AWESOME PEOPLE READING

Found a new tumblr blog the other day that I thought I'd share. Entitled Awesome People Reading, it features photos, both old and new, of famous folks cracking open a good book.  Much cooler than the giant Bill Cosby READING poster in the public library.

Check it out: http://awesomepeoplereading.tumblr.com/

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS ...

with cream cheese filling ... and a stuessel topping ... you can thank me later.

There is no better way to kick of Autumn 2011 than with a little pumpkin spice.  The trees may not be as colorful as by Jess, but I've taken her little pumpkin's older brother and made something delicious. These moist muffins hold a surprise inside, a dollop of sweetened cream cheese.

Words cannot describe, you just need to venture forth and back a couple dozen.  I'm sure your friends and family will happily taste test.

I made this recipe last year and immediately added it to the recipe box, but forgot to note where I grabbed it from online.  I was able to hunt down the original over at annies-eats.net.  Check it out –> here.

  

GRAMMY'S CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Confession: my grandmother never made these cookies.

But whomever's g-ma figured this recipe out should be given an award. I'm thinking one of those ceramic "World's Best Grammy" mugs.

With their deep chocolate flavor and sugary coating, these cookies bring you back to preschool. More precisely, to the package of cellophane wrapped, giant chocolate disks that some unassuming mother would bring for snack day, making the 3pm nap a pipe dream. There's something nostalgic about the flavor and texture combination that makes these a favorite for all ages.

Rolling each cookie into a ball is a pain. However you will notice the lazier you get, the larger the cookies become.. and the more delicious. Make sure you buy a fresh gallon of milk before baking!

GRAMMY'S CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies, but can also be found online –> here

FALL IS ALMOST HERE...

It is coming... FALL! I couldn't resist any longer. I bought my first little pumpkins of the season. Next stop, apple picking. Now if I could only find a free weekend! Isn't the little guy cute!

WHITE BEAN & GARLIC SOUP

There is nothing more satisfying then a hot, creamy bowl of soup on a rainy day. One of my challenges this fall and winter is to learn how to make more homemade soups. They are perfect for freezing and to have multiple meals during the week. The White Bean & Garlic Soup was my first attempt at a new soup recipe and, might I say, it was a success! This bean soup is super easy and quick. Great for weeknight cooking that hits the spot.


White Bean & Garlic Soup
(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Tuscan White Bean & Garlic Soup)

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 cloves garlic, cut in half
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slices toasted ciabatta bread for dipping

DIRECTIONS:
Place a medium pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallots. Cook and stir occasionally until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans. Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Now add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender blend the soup until it is creamy with no lumps. Turn the heat back on, add the cream and pepper. Heat until warm and ready to serve. Enjoy!