A busy cooking day

annie1992

18 years ago

I had the day off work, but Elery is working and so I've been putting off packing up Christmas decorations and have been cooking instead.

I decided to free up some freezer room and so I canned beef vegetable soup. First I put all the bones and veggies in my roasting pan and roasted them. It smells SO good...

That's a BIG roasting pan, and I managed to fit about 15 lbs. of soup bones in it. After simmering, I got 7 pints of beef stock and 9 pints of beef vegetable soup. The soup will be perfect to take to work for lunches.

Elery was here this weekend and tomorrow is his birthday. His office tradition is to take a treat to work on your own birthday so he asked if I could help me put together some of Ann T's cream cheese danish. He just loves that stuff, so we made four, filled with my homemade jam. One had peach preserves, one sweet cherry, one had plum conserve with walnuts and Cointreau and one had Nancy's apple maple jam. We wrapped them well on Sunday, and they are in his refrigerator, waiting for tomorrow.

We also made some spinach cheese swirls with puff pastry. They looked really good, but didn't have the flavor I wanted, that needs some work.

Now, back to those Christmas decorations....

Annie

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Comments (14)

User
18 years ago
Annie, I'm with you. I'd much rather cook than deal with putting Christmas decorations away.

That soup looks great. And so do your danish. Too bad the spinach and cheese swirls weren't as good as you would like. They look tasty. I love spinach so when you perfect the recipe please share it with us.

Oh and a Very Happy Birthday to Elery.

Ann
deborah_ps
18 years ago
I bet the smells coming from your home are phenomenal!
The beef soup looks especially appealing with the dark stock. Yum.
Wish I had the energy to "clean" out my freezer, it needs the attention. A lovely almond danish still in the freezer...I over estimated what we could eat thru-out the holidays and I'm feeling guilty about the calories I've already ingested!
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maggie2094
18 years ago
You are too funny - I do the same thing!

I am so envious - your own homemade soup on hand that you control all the ingredients (and produce!). I know you put a lot of work to get there, though!

I'll take the apple maple danish:)

Happy Birthday, Elery.
dixiedog_2007
18 years ago
They both look excellent. I would love for you to come back also when you perfect the spinach cheese swirls.
doucanoe
18 years ago
Busy day for you, huh Annie? Sure, now I am hungry....again! LOL

Everything looks great! I need to learn to make beef stock. I make all my own chicken, but have never made beef.

Linda
wizardnm
18 years ago
I should be putting away Christmas stuff right now, but it will probably not get done until tomorrow....

Annie, everything looks so good and I'm sure I can smell it here at my house!

Happy Birthday to Elery! He shares the same B-Day as our friend David... I'm doing dinner for him tomorrow.

Slipping in just one more Happy New Year!

Nancy
Carol Schmertzler Siegel
18 years ago
You keep very busy, Annie! I just think about what I'd like to cook and never get to it, you do everything you put your mind to, well, except maybe for putting away the decorations, LOL! It all looks great! Happy Birthday to Elery! I hope no one has the day off at Elery's office or they will miss some delicious birthday treats! Cherry would be my pick!

and Happy Birthday to your friend, David, Nancy! Larry's birthday is on Friday!
homesforsale
18 years ago
Happy New Year!

You have been a very busy girl~

I am married to a traditionalist.. very French Canadian catholic and decorations are not put away until after Epiphany:)

I am ready now!
canarybird01
18 years ago
It all looks so good Annie....you really have been busy!

I'm sure the folks in Elery's office will be happy with their birthday treat. Wish him a happy birthday for me as well please! It's also traditional here in Spain to take your friends out for dinner or drinks when it's your birthday, and not the other way around as we're accustomed.

I bet you're going to enjoy that soup in the middle of a working day at the office! I made soup today too and we had it for lunch.

We also keep the decorations up until January 6th. There are still Christmas carols playing on the local TV and full sized manger displays on the city hall steps at each town on the island.

SharonCb
annie1992
Original Author
18 years ago
I know, Grandma always insisted that we leave the decorations up until January 6 too. I tell everyone that I like to start the New Year clean, but it's really because I have today off and I have the time to do it.

Linda, it's really easy to make beef stock, just as easy as chicken. I roast everything in the oven until it's nice and brown, then put everything into a stock pot with some seasonings. I use bay leaf, salt, pepper, carrot, celery, onion, just a bit of garlic. Simmer for a long time, LOL, mine was about 4 hours. Remove all the solids and use, freeze or can.

Happy Birthday to Larry and David, too!

Annie
woodie
18 years ago
Annie, you live large! You don't do anything in a small way :)
Happy Birthday to Elery!
lakeguy35
18 years ago
I need to get a pressure canner this year...Annie, you always amaze me with what you can get done in less than 24 hours. Happy Birthday to Elery for sure!!

David
kent4489
18 years ago
Hi Annie, it all looks great! I'm late with Happy Birthday wishes to Elery...I was away, celebrating my anniversary on the same day.
User
18 years ago
Oh my I want some of that danish with my coffee, have to stay away from this forum in the morning :)