Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The Big Shake Up

I have been kept hopping last week and this one and probable the next while to come. A new 1 year old babe has joined the dayhome crew and he is one busy little fellow. Not to mention it does take them a little bit to get used to being out of the routine that they have known all their little lives. Sometimes I wonder what these little ones think when not only is their routine changed but they have all these new faces surrounding them that they have never seen before with mom or dad nowhere in sight. It must be quite the thing for them. The little guy is doing good, though, all things considered. It's more me trying to figure out his needs but we'll get on the same page soon. Albiet the blogging may get a little sporadic but I hope not. I need you big people to "talk" with! :v)

So after an extremely exhausting day yesterday, in which I could not get near the computer, I still had to come up with an easy supper as I still had an interview with parents right afterwards. Thank goodness for Barb and her Potato-Ham Bake recipe she posted here. As it turned out, I had read that and put some leftover ham away from our New Year's ham in anticipation of making this recipe. But I must say, as is the usual case with me, I had to do some change ups because I cannot get my act together with having all the right ingrediants. I don't know what is up with me and that. I think I have all the right stuff but then I go to make it and guess what? I don't. Which makes for interesting times in the kitchen.

So yesterday, in spite of making a grocery store run to get the asparagus, I still didn't get it right. I was going off the top of my head instead of using a list. And Barb, I'm so sorry I changed it up so much, but in spite of all that it was absolutely delish! I blame it all on James Barber,the Urban Peasant, who's cooking show I used to watch all the time, who gave me my first love for cooking, and who's mantra was "If you don't have it on hand, use what you have!" It's all his fault!

Barb, you might want to put your fingers in your ears, so to speak, or cover your eyes at this point, so that you don't know just how much I shook up your wonderful recipe. But here's what I did. I didn't have Yukon Gold potatoes so I used red. I didn't have onion chive cream cheese so I used a brick of regular cream cheese and added about 1/4 - 1/3 cup more milk to it than the recipe called for as it's stiffer than the cream cheese in a tub. I took a good couple of tablespoons of the cream cheese and ran it through my handy dandy little 1 cup processor with 2 green onions, white and green parts, until the onion was finely chopped. Then added it to the rest of the cream cheese in the pot. I didn't have tarragon, so I googled it (I love that google!) to look for a substitute and used marjoram instead. And then on top of it all, I realized I sent my unopened bottle of parmesan with the college girl and I didn't have that either. So I finely grated some mozarella I had on hand. I used a little more as it's a milder flavor.

I'm surprised I didn't have to change up the pepper, for heaven's sakes. LOL. But in spite of all that, it was absolutely delicious! Everything blended together in flavor for a very easy, family pleasing dinner. Which tells me Barb, that you're recipe is the best as it lends it easily to changes and still tastes great!

Here's hubby, son's and my dish of wonderfulness.


And oh my goodness, Barb, I even changed up the ham, with some leftover chicken for youngest daughter who won't eat pork or beef. And girlie loved it!

So I guess all I really didn't change was the asparagus and the pepper. Oh please don't let a lightning bolt hit me. But I would have made James Barber proud! :v}

For the real recipe, go visit Barb, you won't be sorry and you'll have another easy go to dinner for those busy days.

14 comments:

ellen b. said...

Good for you Susanne! That's my kind of cooking :0)
Hope the little one settles in soon ...

Anonymous said...

Yes it must be rather daunting mustnt it
when I was training to be a preschool teacher I would feel for the children like this. Some would get so so upset. I would take them under my wing. I hated the way some of the teachers would leave them to tough it out and get use to it all

good on Barb and its neat experimenting in the kitchen and adding a bit of this and that to modify a recipe :) I see cooking as a form of science

Im sure shell be fine with it :)

have a happy blessed day :)
Jen

GiBee said...

That was a creative change up!!! And I totally agree with James Barber -- so good for you!!!

Faith said...

That sounds like my kind of cooking...!
You are being used by the Lord mightily by opening up your home, and being the children's main caregiver throughout their day...GOD BLESS YOU! I am betting that the working moms who use your services are grateful as well!!

Willow said...

The Professor (who is quite an excellent cook) has the rule "Try it by the recipe the first time, then after that, experiment!"

Mountain Mama said...

It looks delicious! I wouldn't like cooking at all if I couldn't play with the recipes. I never seem to have on hand all the ingredientscalled for.
I would use low fat ingredients if I were to make this recipe and I think it would be just fine.

Islandsparrow said...

You did well Suzanne - made it AND posted about it - with a 1 yr old and the rest of the little crew running about. I"m impressed. and it looks delicious!

Barbie @ Mamaology said...

I pray that your little guys transition goes well! I know all too well how hard adding a new "little" one to the bunch can be.

Hope you have a good week...I'm hungry now:)

Laura said...

That's too funny! You are so adventuresome. I'd have completely have panicked and had grilled cheese instead..LOL. I have no clue how to be creative like that. Very cool!

Good luck with the little guy :)

Anonymous said...

Way to improvise! It's good you knew how to adapt the different ingredients.

Donnetta said...

Oh it looks absolutely scrumptious! Nicely done!

2nd Cup of Coffee said...

This is pretty funny! Glad it all came out for you. I can't imagine trying all that sleight of hand.

Anonymous said...

Sounds yummy! And you're so clever to improvise like that. I need lessons.

Barb said...

Good grief, you crack me up, Susanne. LOL But the bottom line is, although you changed just about everything but the baking dish, it still looks the same.

I think it's the fresh asparagus. I don't think you can go wrong when a dish has asparagus and especially cheese in it.

The truth is, I started making this dish because I wanted something interesting to make out of leftover ham. But I can see where you could make all kinds of substitutions. Blending the green onions with the cream cheese was sheer genius, by the way.

Thank you for linking to my recipe although it doesn't remotely resemble what you created. LOL

xoxo