If you don't have fresh Kale, use some of your homemade Kale Pesto to finish the soup. Perfection. :)
Posted on 10/01/2026 6:56:54 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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I have made a knock off olive garden recipe similar to this.
It really works well.
Don’t use it anywhere near the garden, of course, but on siding or on the deck, and even in the house. It seems to work miracles.
If you’re kind of sick in the head like I am, you’ll enjoy sweeping up the bodies every morning. *EVIL CHUCKLE*
Had the first Assassin Bug in the house today. Took great pleasure in showing him the door! The wasps aren’t NEARLY as bad as they were this time last year. Not sure why.
I hate 99.999% of bugs. Sometimes I wonder what the HECK ‘He’ was thinking! I know everything is FOOD for everything else, but really?
Throw down a little Manna for the bugs and let us get ON with our lives! ;)
That egg dish looks so good! I put in my order from ‘The Girls’ this evening. In need SIX eggs tomorrow. Quit slackin’, Ladies!
Could you send me a red Le Creuset casserole pan to cook this in? ;) Cha-CHING!
If you don't have fresh Kale, use some of your homemade Kale Pesto to finish the soup. Perfection. :)
Adding Kale Pesto to the soup........great idea.
Mmmmmm........perfect ...."only" $300.00.
Won't last though. As soon as we get some rain, they'll crawl out of hiding.
Been dry as a bone here ever since the deluge of 8" in a two hour span. They got the bridge replaced and opened it a couple of days ago. They had opened it with the top 6" later missing but it was rough. Took the little car out today for the first time in months. The long way out is a little rough for it.
Couldn't find my Permethrin so I'll get whatever Menard's has that can be sprayed after dilution. Might have to wait for a little rain to apply it. Needs to be moist for them to get it stuck to their little bodies and legs. Otherwise they walk right over it and none clings.
Ridiculously expensive. In all my years of ‘thrifting’ I have seen exactly ONE piece of the stuff for sale - and it was in another person’s shopping cart. I smiled and nodded at her knowingly...and she smiled and nodded knowingly right back at me.
There is a La Crueset store at an Outlet Mall me and the BFFs hit once in a great while. I DO own their EVOO cruet in red. Love. It. It’s listed in my WILL so they can all fight over it, LOL!
I’ll also add that the knock off versions by Food Network are really good. I own their red Dutch Oven and use it for so many things from baking bread to making soup and braising a roast.
Good Tools Make Good Cooks! :)
Excellent heat conduction for blanching vegetables, or making quick
broths and soups; features iconic, vibrant Le Creuset glazes and finishes.
Unlike their legendary enameled cast iron (widely regarded as a “gold standard” for longevity and heat retention), enamel-on-steel pots are thinner and lack the heavy thermal mass needed for long, slow braises or baking crusty bread.
Many users note that while saucepans and stockpots are great convenience items, carbon
steel or enamel-on-steel from other heritage brands can perform similarly at a lower price point.
Excellent heat conduction for blanching vegetables, or making quick
broths and soups; features iconic, vibrant Le Creuset glazes and finishes.
Unlike their legendary enameled cast iron (widely regarded as a “gold standard” for longevity and heat retention), enamel-on-steel pots are thinner and lack the heavy thermal mass needed for long, slow braises or baking crusty bread.
Many users note that while saucepans and stockpots are great convenience items, carbon
steel or enamel-on-steel from other heritage brands can perform similarly at a lower price point.
I have two blue LeCreuset pans from my Dad. They were a little beat up, but it’s Le Creuset (the original good stuff made in France, probably 50-60 years old.) One is a small fry pan, maybe 4-1/2 to 5”, and the other is an oval to die for pan, that fits perfectly on our 5th center burner. Both cleaned up well with a bit of elbow grease. None of my siblings wanted these! 😂 😆🤣 I don’t know WHAT they could possibly have been thinking! These two pans are like gold!
Mousseline au Chocolat
Julia Child's French Chocolate Mousse as served at a fine French restaurant.
Ing: 4 eggs, separated ¾ c sugar ¼ c coffee liqueur (Kahlua) 6 oz chp semi-sweet chocolate, ¼ c strong coffee 6 oz unsalted butter, pinch salt 1 tbl sugar whipped cream and berries for serving
Instructions Beat egg yolks and sugar to a thick, pale yellow ribbon (takes a few minutes). Beat in coffee liqueur. Set mixing bowl over a not-quite-simmering water and beat 3-4 min. Then place the bowl over cold water and beat for another 3-4 min til cool and thick (like mayo). Micro chocolate and coffee and stir at 30-sec intervals till smooth and melted. Whisk in butter bits gradually til smooth and creamy. Beat chocolate into yolks and sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites and salt til soft peaks form. Sprinkle in sugar; beat stiff. Stir 1/4 egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in rest carefully till mostly incorporated. Set into dessertware. Refrigerate 2 or more hours. Serve w/ berries, sweetened whipped cream.
Chef Notes---eggs separate best when cold, but egg whites whip best at room temp. Use pasteurized eggs for the very young, elderly, or immune suppressed to avoid risk of salmonella from raw or under-cooked eggs. Orange liqueur (Grand Marnier) works as well as coffee liqueur.
The sun is doing its best to burn through some fairly heavy fog this morning - we’re half a mile from the river & the river fog (warm water, cool temps) makes it up the hill to our place. It’s 42 this morning at 8 - looks like no frost last night & less chance for tonight. Mid-60’s for a high today.
The house is really chilly since it’s generally maintaining a temp that is warm enough the heat doesn’t come on. That is not a ‘cozy’ warmth by any means. Mom found a picture of my aunt’s big old farm house in Vermont back in the ‘60’s. The one thing I remember is her kitchen with the wood stove in it - now that was cozy and I am envious of that setup. Both of our chimneys are capped, I suspect because the chimneys might need relining or something else expensive. We have a raised hearth in the kitchen/eating area & a small stove (probably wood pellet for convenience) would be nice to have. Something to think about & maybe another ‘project’.
Save yourself the trouble and consider a realistic-looking electric or propane fireplace.
The only source of heat in the Family Room (added on) was a fire-burning fireplace, but Beau replaced that with propane (which runs the rest of the house, anyway) because of the mess and the hassle of splitting/hauling wood.
I LOVE a fireplace in a kitchen or dining room, though. So cozy, so I see why you’d want one. :)
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/269484/sheet-pan-nachos/
Nice to not have to take the long way. It's had so much material wash away over the years that large boulders are sticking up. The biggest is sticking up about 4-5" and is over 2 foot wide. Long way adds 4 miles with half of it being gravel.
Menard's trip pushed to tomorrow. I have an IBC tank full of water in the back of the truck. I'll get that transferred to the house tank today. We're using city water now. Haven't been able to pull from the creek since the deluge.
Chiggers serve no purpose but to torture.
That looks particularly yummy! Thanks for sharing it!
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