My prayer buddies came over from Jackson today for prayer and lunch and what a delight it was. Such a beautiful day, sun shining, spring is coming, good fellowship, and yummy food. I have to share these two recipes, cause they were so good. I love soup so it's always an option for any entertaining I do during soup season, and I think we're just about at the end of that. Walt went fishing in Alaska last summer and came home with 110 pounds of salmon and some halibut, so when I saw a recipe for salmon chowder I figured that would be a good choice. Boy, was I right--it's a keeper.
SALMON CHOWDER
6 small red potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 Tbsp butter
4 cups half-and-half cream
2 cans (6 oz) boneless skinless salmon, drained and flaked
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 dried thyme
In a large saucepan, saute the potatoes, carrots and onion in butter until tender. Reduce heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Cook and stir for 10 minutes or until heated through. And enjoy. Not sure if this will be as good with canned salmon...you might want to come to our house and I'll fix the real thing!
When Walt and I were in Madrid a few years ago I decided to find the best arroz con leche (rice pudding) in the city--kind of a specialty there. You have to understand that when we travel I buy a travel guide and go directly to the dining section. After I have figured out all the restaurants I want to go to, then I look at the sightseeing and try to fit that in with our dining schedule--yeah, I'm a foodie!!! So anyway, when I saw this recipe for creamy rice pudding I decided to give it a try. Boy, was I right on with this one.
CREAMY RICE PUDDING
with Praline Sauce
2 cups milk
1 cup uncooked extra long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp salt
2 3/4 cups half-and-half, divided
4 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
20 caramels
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
Stir together first 3 ingredients and 2 cups half-and-half in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, 35 to 40 minutes or until rice is tender.
Whisk together egg yolks, 1/2 cup half-and-half, and sugar. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot rice mixture into yolk mixture; stir yolk mixture into remaining hot mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly (about 7 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Stir together caramels and remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Stir in pecans. Serve praline sauce over rice pudding. ENJOY!!!
Finally! We'll have enough light to work on those cloudy, dreary days of winter that are perfect for quilting! The difference is absolutely amazing.
Boo fluorescents! Yea halogens!
Do ya suppose we ought to read the directions??? (Kirk and Steve)
Our monkey man at work--and great work he does!
Our new all-glass front door. I'm loving this one. Hooray for light!
My prayer group is coming here tomorrow from Jackson, so I invited them to stay for lunch. Yes, I had an ulterior motive--I got to plan another table arrangement! So fun. Love the tulips--one of my favorite flowers.
I know. It doesn't exactlly look like spring, but this is the only bare ground I see here around the house, so it is actually very hopeful that spring is coming! And every time I step outside I hear the wonderful springtime sound of the red wing blackbirds filling the air. It won't be long now!
Does this look familiar, Katie? Fun story. If you shop in a German grocery store and you don't want to pay for plastic bags, then you will need one of these or something like it to get your stuff home. Although I have real reservations about virtually everything "green" (it's such hype), all these plastic bags do actually concern me, so I have decided to take my own bags as often as I can when I head to Safeway. I was at Sheila's (also in Germany) and she offered this basket to me as she had purchased it, but it turned out to not be what she wanted. I gladly accepted it and look forward to using it. It's pretty cool. It is very similar to the one Katie has except the colors are reversed. Thanks, Sheila!
Auf Wiedersehn. . . .
We were thinking the planes might need some rearranging, but this is the general idea. Besides, Sheila likes to "tinker!"
The next time somebody says that Linda is coming, Roger is going to say, "I'm leaving!" But he's been a real trooper putting up with me and all my little jobs. Thanks, Roger.
The sun porch now says, "Come sit a spell and contemplate the awesome German countryside through these beautiful windows." And it is a gorgeous view. (Check out the "before" shots in an earlier post.)
It's a little dificult to see the gorgeous gray walls in these photos, but it's working really well and beginning to come together.
The carpet is still pretty bad, but that will be changed also to a really cool darker gray shag.
Still need to get curtains up--I'll get more photos as we get closer to finishing.
Roger is seriously contemplating the electrical issue here. Where's David when we need him??
Sheila is restocking the bookcases--probably doing some sorting as well. Great opportunity to for that.
This is the very dull, boring, but very comfortable tv room. The airplane prints on the wall are what we decided to use as design inspiration. 
These are the before pictures. We opted not to use that cool clock--colors were not what were portrayed in the catalog.
The chair is gone.
Super heavy pieces! Glad we have some strong backs around.
The boss is working on his new chair--you know that Ikea stuff--some assembly required.
Now do we get out the directions????
Well, at least he didn't have to start over from the beginning!
Looks pretty comfy!
Time to go to work.
I thought this was gray.
Does this look gray?
My faithful helper. We whooped this out--two coats--in one day. We will begin to put it back together today. Can hardly wait to see what we think.
The entry hall is beginning to take on some personality. Not quite done. Gotta find just the right umbrella.
This powder room on the main floor is absolutely beautiful.
Turned out so great. However, when I was here a year ago. . .
it looked like this!!!! This is now the condition of the bathroom on the second floor. 
And, no, it won't be done before I leave. 
Will have to wait till next trip to see the result. Love the beautiful blue tile.
The sun porch is also one of my projects. We're getting some stuff out there,
so it's beginning to take on some personality. Gotta get out the sewing machine! Stay tuned for updates!
This is the restaurant where we had lunch. Can't remember the name of it, but it is directly off the main platz.
It was the medieval home of one of the town's wealthy merchants.
This part of the restaurant is actually in what used to be the courtyard.
Luna is waiting for her food to come. . . .
Finally. Yummy frites.
This was my excellent lunch--bratwurst, sauerkraut (doesn't even sort of resemble what we get in a can in the States) and kartoffeln.
Then came dessert--sour cherries and ice cream.
Luna is looking like she might want to share!
But do you think Gramma will want to share? (Look at those adorable little hands.)
Looks pretty good!
Whoops!
Now we're going to share.
Love this--the open mouth, I think, must be universal!
Back to the stroller! Out to the street.
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