Asian Ginger Dressing

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp minced ginger root

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a jar or other storage container.

2. Cover container and shake well.

3. Heat dressing for 1 minute to dissolve honey.

4. Cool to use and store extra in refrigerator.

This dressing is delicious, but tastes very salty. If you're not a fan, decrease the amount of soy sauce to 1/4 cup.

Vegetable Stock

Ingredients:

2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of water

5 medium carrots

5 celery stalks

2 medium onions

3 medium potatoes

1 sweet potato

3 cloves of garlic

1 medium to large tomato

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (or other fresh herbs)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

TIP: If you want to maximize the flavor from your vegetables, cut them a little finer. The smaller the pieces the more surface area will be exposed to the water and infused into your broth.

Directions:

1. Chop all vegetables, placing all aromatics (carrots, onions, celery, and garlic in the same bowl).

2. Coat pot with olive oil and heat at medium high. Place aromatics into the pot and sweat for a few minutes to create a strong flavor base.

3. Add the rest of the vegetables and seasonings to the pot.

3. Pour in water, cover pot, and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours.

5. Strain the stock. Use immediately, store in refrigerator 2-3 days, or store in the freezer for a couple months.

So far I've used the broth to cook noodles, make soup, and even warmed some in a sippy cup for my son when he was sick.

Boiled Peanuts and a First Post

To say I am severely less than computer literate would be an understatement. I can type and email and that is about the extent of it, but recently I started a blog which you can find here. <-- One of the many things I have learned in my blogging adventures.

So why am I starting this blog? For a few reasons, but the main ones are

. . . to get a feel for different host sites

. . . possibly start to brand my work

I realize multiple blogs are usually done by more experienced bloggers, but my ultimate goal isn't to have 2 blogs. It's to figure out which ONE I want to maintain. Do not let my ambition fool you. I work full time, am busy raising a family, and am trying to figure out which direction God is leading my life all the while. So now that I've bored you with all that . . .

On to the boiled peanuts!

I don't know what made me decide I needed to make these, but they were as easy as can be.

Boil water - I'd fill up any size pot you choose, because you'll need to refill the water as it evaporates the longer the nuts boil.

Add about 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water

Add raw peanuts and boil for a few hours - I boiled the first batch I made for 1 1/2 hours and the second for 4 hours. The second batch was far better!

My husband and brother-in-law, who believe they are experts of southern food, ate them up in a matter of minutes.