This seems only fair....

Story from the Washington Examiner

And another thing…

I started my November ornament:

From the JCS 2010 ornament issue-

“ ‘Tis Red” by La-D-Da.

Only, obviously, it’s not red.

More stitching!

I was able to put a huge chunk of time in on Quaker

Halloween yesterday; today, not so much:

Musical horses

6 horses & one pony plus 3-1/2 paddocks makes for a busy day. One horse goes out all day because he gets the sh**s if he’s in too long. 3 horses are the BO’s horses, and since it’s her farm, they HAVE to go out. One horse can’t go out unless someone is on the property, in case the horse decides to put a leg thru the fence. The pony can’t go on grass at all, but should get some outside time in the dirt pen. Poor Axe, she gets the leftovers.

Mahvelous!

We had a brilliant sunset the other night; it seemed even more so coming as it did after several downright dismal days of rain, drizzle and yuck:

 

I’m an incompetent photographer at best; but you get the idea.

To Fly or Not to Fly? THAT is the question!

TSA: No Fondling, Groping Or Squeezing Is Taking Place At Airports

Yeahhhh riiiight! It looks like the most PDA some people have had in years!

Wonderful Wednesday Wrecipe

Emily found this recipe last week. It sounded yummy. However, I didn’t want to make a huge 9” x 13” pan of it though, so I adjusted the quantities. None of us like mushrooms very much either, so I eliminated those too. It took all afternoon, but it came out delicious! Very rich & decadent- worth all the trouble.

Short Rib Lasagna

Short Rib sauce:

• 3 fresh thyme sprigs plus 1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 fresh parsley sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
• ½ cup flour
• 3 TBSP olive oil, divided
• 2 medium carrots, chopped in ¼” dice
• 2 celery stalks, chopped in ¼” dice
• 1 medium onion, chopped in ¼” dice
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• ¼ cup ruby Port
• 1 cup dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel)
• 3-1/2 cups beef broth
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled

Lasagna:

• 3-1/2 TBSP butter
• 3 TBSP flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 or 4 no-boil lasagna noodles

Sauce Directions:

1. Create a bouquet garni with the fresh herb sprigs & bay leaf. Tie in cheesecloth, or place in a coffee filter pinned closed with toothpicks.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Sprinkle ribs with salt & pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl; dredge meat, shaking off excess. Reserve flour.
3. Heat 2 TBSP oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per side, setting aside after they cook. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Heat remaining 2 TBSP oil in same pot. Add carrots, celery, & onions. Cook until softened, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle 1 TBSP reserved flour over vegetables (discard remainder).
5. Add tomato paste & stir until paste begins to brown on bottom of pot, about 1 minute. Add Port & stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, scraping up brown bits, about 1 minute. Add red wine, then 1 cup of the beef broth.
6. Bring to boil and simmer until reduced by about 1/3, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Add remainder of broth, garlic, and bouquet garni. Return to a boil.
7. Add ribs back to pot, arranging in a single layer. Cover pot. Place in oven and braise until very tender, about 2-1/2 hours.
8. Using tongs, remove cooked ribs from liquid. Discard bouquet garni. Shred beef. Spoon off any excess fat from top of sauce & discard.
9. Boil sauce until reduced to about 3-1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Return meat to sauce and season with salt & pepper. Stir in chopped thyme.

Lasagna Directions:

1. Melt butter in a heavy large sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour & whisk until smooth. Cook until flour turns light golden brown, whisking often, about 6 minutes. Add milk; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil 1 minute. Add nutmeg and season to taste with salt & pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 5” x9” x 3” loaf pan with vegetable spray.
3. Spoon about ½ cup sauce evenly on bottom. Sprinkle 2 TBSP cheese over. Place a lasagna noodle on top of cheese. Spoon about 2/3 cup béchamel over noodle, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with ¼ cup cheese. Spread 1 cup of sauce over. Repeat with noodle, béchamel, cheese, and meat sauce. Top with one last noodle, spreading remaining béchamel sauce, and ½ cup of Parmesan.
4. Bake uncovered until edges are bubbling & top is golden brown in spots, about 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

The cast of characters:

My low-tech bouquet garni:

Browned beef:

Sauté the vegetables:

After braising in oven for 2-1/2 hours:

Reduce the sauce a bit more (after removing the packet of herbs):

Add shredded meat back to reduced sauce.

The assembled lasagna:

The finished dish:

Against the original directions, I had covered this with foil prior to baking (purely my executive decision). I think it would not have been as “saucy” if I hadn’t, so I kept the original instructions above. Also, I ended up with about 1-1/2 cups of meat sauce leftover. Perfect for another meal, served over buttered egg noodles.

It was a TON of work. and now I have a bottle of Port to use up. But that makes the perfect excuse to make this again!