We were invited to a SoUp sWaP party last weekend which was a lot of fun AND we came home with six different soups to fill our new chest freezer with (+ one extra that we made).  We had to face it, soups are healthy and are perfect for the winter, to get one back to healthy eating.

Each person invited makes:

• 6 quarts of soup (4 cups in a quart, 32 ounces • About a large pot full)

Tips:

• Label the soup and include an ingredient list (for those folks with food allergies and dietary restrictions)
• Apparently, cream soups don’t break down well when frozen, and potatoes don’t fare well either. So you may want to test your soup with a deep freeze.
• Freezing the soup before the party is a pretty good idea so that it stays cool while you eat and chat at the gathering.
• Nice labels can make a difference on how desirable your soup is (of course). You could put dried beans or a rosemary sprig on your label or get fancy with designed and printed labels.
• Have a good Story about your soup ready to go

At the Party:

• Each Soup Swapper presents their soup with a story (the more appealing, the better = marketing).
• Each guest is given a number and you go around the room and pick one soup each time until you have the number of soups that you came to the party with.
• Can have a contest on the first and last soup chosen OR have folks bring canned foods for charity

Check out this blog for SoUp sWaP TipS.

Soups that Freeze from Soup Chick

Thanks for introducing us to this & inviting us Santa Cruz – Life of the Mouth Blog – Gluten Free: http://lifeofmymouth.blogspot.com/

Winter Kraftbrew will be in the Landmark Ballroom at the San Jose Women’s Club. We will be pouring some fantastic Winter Spiced Ales, Porters and Stouts. Delicious menu to be provided by Naglee Park Garage. Come by for some excellent brew…s, live music, and good food.

Address: 75 S 11th Street, San Jose CA, 95112
Event Date: January 28th, 2012
Hours: 3pm-9pm
FREE admission – just pay to taste!

The food:
Ale poached smoked brat & polish dog $5
Cocoa braised beef stew $9
Dark Strong Ale braised pork ribs $8
Beet & green bean salad $5
Home Fries w/ smoked porter ketchup $5
Winter vegetable lasagne $9

Prices for beer will vary:
Beer Tastes range $2/$3
Full Beer range $4/$6

The beers:

American Ales

Alaskan Brewing Co. – Juneau, AK Winter – Ale “Old Ale “ ABV6.4% DBI
Allagash Brewing Co. – Portland, MN – Black “Belgian Strong Ale” ABV 7.5% WW
Bison Brewing Co.- Berkeley, CA. – Organic Ginger Bread Ale “Herbed/Spiced Beer” ABV 6.0% CI
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, DE – Punkin Ale “Pumpkin Ale” ABV 7.0% DBI
North Coast Brewing Co. – Fort Bragg, CA Old Stock Ale “Old Ale” ABV 11.7% WW
Uinta Brewing Co. – Salt Lake City, UT – Dubhe Imperial Black IPA “American Black Ale” ABV 9.2% WW
Port Brewing Co. – San Marcos, Ca – Old Vicosity Dark Strong Ale “American Double/Imperial Stout” ABV 10.0% WW
Mission Brewery – San Diego, Ca. Shipwrecked Double IPA “American Double/Imperial Ipa

ABV 9.25%WW
The Bruery – Placentia, CA – Mischief “Strong Golden Ale” ABV8.5% WW

American Porters

Alaskan Brewing Co. – Juneau, AK – Smoked Porter “American Porter” ABV 6.5% DBI
Deschutes Brewing Co. – Bend, Or. – Black Butte Porter “American Porter” ABV 5.2% DBI
Rogue Ales – Newport, Or. – Mocha Porter “American Porter” ABV5.3% CI
Stone Brewing Co. – Escondido, Ca. – Stone Smoked Porter “American Porter” ABV 5.9% DBI

American Stouts

Anderson Valley Brewing Co. – Boonville, CA – Barny Flats “Oatmeal Stout” ABV 5.7% WW
Bison Brewing Co.- Berkeley, Ca. Organic Chocolate Stout “American Stout” ABV 5.0% CI
Drakes Brewing Co. – San Leandro, Ca.Drakonic Russian Imperial Stout “Russian Stout” ABV 8.75%CI
Rogue Ales – Newport, Or. – Chocolate Stout “American Stout” ABV 6% CI
Stone Brewing Co. – Escondido, Ca Stone Imperial Russian Stout ABV10.5% DBI

Belgian & Friends
Bieres De Chimay – Belgium – Grand Reserve Blue Belgian Strong Dark Ale
9.00% ABV WW
Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre – France – Biere De Garde ”Red Ale” ABV 8.5%
Brasserie Huyghe – Belgium – Delirium Nocturnum Belgian Strong Dark Ale
8.50% ABV WW
Brasserie ST. Feuillien – Belgium – St. Feuillien “Belgian Strong Dark Ale”ABV 9% CI
Brouwerij De Landtsheer NV – Belgium – Malheur 12 Ale “Quadrupel” ABV 12% WW
Eggenberger Brewery – Austria – Samichlaus “Dark Doppelbock” ABV 14% WW
Harviestoun Brewery – Scotland – Old Engine Oil “English Porter” ABV 6% WW
Unibroue– Chambly, Canada – Chambly Noire “Belgian Dark Ale” ABV 6.2% WW

For Chinese New Year in South Bay you have to make a stop by Cupertino Village. I have to admit right off the bat that I am not a Dim Sum expert.  However, my friend, originally from Singapore, knows Asian food in the Bay Area and has taken me to Joy Luck Palace (Cantonese) for Dim Sum (on weekdays) for the past two years to celebrate the Chinese New Year.  There is a lot of variety and I’ve always found it to be tasty. This year I made a new tradition and that is to eat a chicken foot (not pickled) and it was pretty good!

After lunch/brunch, walk around and buy jasmine tea at Ten Ren and bubble tea or a green mango smoothie at Fantasia.  Pick up Chinese New Year Candy and Mooncakes from Sheng Kee Bakery.  Then, with your Chinese New Year shopping list in hand, stop by 99 Ranch Market and pick up everything you need. Mandarin oranges are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year so don’t forget to pick some up at 99 Ranch Market.

Everyone goes crazy over the parking at Cupertino Village on yelp.  If you go during the week just make sure it is after lunch (but at least by 2pm to be able to eat at Joy Luck Place which closes for lunch at 2:30pm), it is much easier to park but at that point, remember, they are starting to have fewer Dim Sum choices.

• 99 Ranch Market • Asian Groceries
  
• Joy Luck Palace • Dim Sum (busy on weekends)
  
• Fantasia • Pearl Tea Drinks (mango smoothie)
• Ten Ren • Boba Milk Tea (Bubble Tea/Pearl Milk Tea)
  
• Sheng Kee Bakery • Chinese Bakery (for Candy & Mooncakes /yue bing)

(408) 255-6988

It’s winter, it’s cold, it’s finally raining … brrrr..

On Sunday I am going to a Soup Swap at a food blogger’s house in Santa Cruz. You bring 6 quarts of frozen soup and the recipe to swap with others.  So I’ve been thinking a lot about soups and we also just got a huge chest freezer that we need to fill up.  Soup is the best thing to freeze and eat on weeknights.  This soup is hearty and healthy.  We served it with varied toasted bread slices topped with cheese, spinach, and tomato, broiled to deliciousness.

John’s Sweet Potato and Greens Soup Recipe

• 1 c. canned pinto beans (or white beans)
• 2 qt. chicken broth (or veg. broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 large celery stalks (optional)
• 2 cups chopped greens or kale (any, or mixed) cooked to soft with olive oil/lard but don’t brown
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled, and cubed in big chunks
• 1/2 to 1 lb. Polish sausage, sliced 1/4″ (or any sausage you have in the freezer)
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Cook the greens in olive oil or lard in a saute pan first, until soft (don’t brown). Combine beans, chicken broth and bay leaves. Simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours until beans are soft. Remove bay leaves when beans are cooked.

Saute the celery (if using), garlic, onion, bell pepper in oil until onion is translucent.  Add sauted veggies to beans and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the sweet potatoes and sausage.  Simmer 10-20 minutes or until the potatoes are barely tender. Stir in the thyme, red pepper, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes.

SF Bay Area Day Trip:

EAT, hike, EAT

• from SF South Bay (about 45 minutes to San Juan Bautista, CA from San Jose, CA OR from Santa Cruz)
  
• to San Juan Bautista • Jardines de San Juan Restaurant
• to Pinnacles Nat’l Park (about 45 minutes to Pinnacles from San Juan Bautista)
  
• to Moss Landing • Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery (about 1 hr 15 minutes from Pinnacles to Moss Landing)

I love figuring out great San Francisco Bay Area Day Trips.  This makes planning for when guests are in town much easier.  We also love to go out exploring, find a good spot to eat and then a beautiful place to walk it off and another unique eatery on the way home, if possible.  The first time we went to Pinnacles we drove through Hollister, CA and I realized that I was going to need a locals opinion on the best place to eat in the area.  When I got home I talked to a friend whose parents live in Hollister and found out about Los Jardines Restaurant in San Juan Bautista.  Los Jardines is a Mexican restaurant with live musicians playing mandolin at lunchtime on the weekends.  A place you can sit outside and drink a local Hollister Apricot Margarita with chickens hopping around outdoors (we have not been there yet, sounds awesome though we didn’t see any chickens, but my friend claims they are there).  When we got to Pinnacles it was about 1:45pm and it was a nice day in January, perfect temperature for a hike because I can see that Pinnacles gets VERY HOT in the summer.  We did a five mile hike to the top and back down in a loop and the place is stunningly beautiful with expansive views (we did not do the caves hike this time).  Up top there are amazing rock climbing spots that hang right over the side of the mountain (intense). I’ve heard in the Spring that there are beautiful wildflowers.  On our way out it was about 5pm and the sun was setting.  The scenery was gorgeous as we drove past cattle in the fields with pink skies in the background (see the photographs above).  We headed to Phil’s at Moss Landing and if you haven’t been to Phill’s Fish Market and Eatery, you are missing out.  It is a great restaurant with tons of local seafood.  If you aren’t sure what to get, order the Award Winning Cioppino, Fish Tacos, or Dungeness Crab. Oh, you HAVE to get the Fire-roasted Artichokes for an appetizer to share, it so good.

Jardines de San Juan Restaurant (or Los Jardines)
115 Third Street
San Juan Bautista, Ca
Phone: (831) 623-4466

Open 7 days a week: Sunday-Thursday: 11:30 – 9:00pm | Friday-Saturday: 11:30 – 10:00pm

– to

Pinnacles Nat’l Park

Pinnacles National Monument
5000 Highway 146
Paicines, CA 95043-9762

Park Headquarters
(831) 389-4486

Visitor Information
(831) 389-4485

– to

Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery
7600 Sandholdt Rd.
Moss Landing, CA 95039

Phone: 831.633.2152

• Carnitas and the Chips and Salsa bar.

There is really not much more to say here.

But, I will say more … with so many taquerias in the area, each being good for different reasons, we never had a reason to stop in to Los Pericos.  LP is an unassuming spot often filled with college students, young families, and sometimes a random homeless person. We now frequent Pericos to eat their tasty carnitas on nachos, in burritos, on salads, you name it.   We also appreciate their chips bar with tasty salsa varieties (see photos).  I don’t fill up the tiny cups,  I put the salsas all together in the paper chips basket.

• $3.25 bottles of beer
• Large, long tables for groups, we’ve eaten at LP with ten before

Give the chef a nod and he just might hook you up with extra meat, for real!

139 Water St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

(831) 469-7685

From July to December this past year I kept with a dinner table decoration theme.  This theme mainstay consisted of wood round slices, my grandmother’s small glass cake stand, and small antique medicine bottles as vases all spread down the middle of the table.  Throughout the seasons I changed the tablecloth, place mats, candle colors, little objects, and so on to fit the seasons.  The theme began with summer wild flowers in the little old bottles, a navy blue and white striped tablecloth, and a pile of Big Sur books.  The Thanksgiving decorations included a gold tablecloth, orange candles, green place mats, a paper turkey, feathers in the old bottles, and gold pine cones.  The Christmas table featured mini wrapped presents scattered about (no, I didn’t wrap them, thanks Pier 1), vintage ornaments, sparkly stick ornaments in the old bottles, a baby Christmas tree, a Swedish red and white table runner, and reds and greens of course.  Another Christmas decoration idea I stole from the Gap was Ball canning jars filled with Xmas lights (see last photo in above set). I know it is a little late for this Christmas decoration tip, but there is always next year!

We live in the mountains, in the wilderness outside of Silicon Valley.  I’ve always felt most comfortable in the modern and/or retro style home but living in a cottage in the mountains makes that style pretty hard to accomplish.  Succumbing to the cabin style has taken hold these past few months. It has been fun to give the table some guidelines with the wood rounds and glass cake stand.  Hey, but what do you do to decorate for January???  So far I have a Ganesh and beeswax candles out.  What else?  Any ideas?  Scattered Black-Eyed-Peas could be neat.  Chinese New Year decorations?

Cabin-Dinner-Table-Evolving-Decorations:

• Summer: Wild flowers, white and navy striped table cloth, Big Sur books, (Ball Jars as cups)
• Fall & Thanksgiving: Oranges, browns, a paper turkey, feathers, and gold pine cones
• Christmas & Holidays: Mini wrapped presents scattered about, vintage ornaments, a baby Christmas tree, a Swedish red and white table runner, and red and green candles
• January:  ???  I need some ideas here folks ???

Eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day is a Southern Tradition for good luck for the New Year.

• For Getting Lucky & Rich: Serve Hoppin’ John with rice, a bottle of hot sauce, and Collard Greens on the side.

I will post a photograph tomorrow but had to get the recipe out to you today!

• Hoppin’ John, Emeril’s Recipe w/ Black Eyed Peas, Ham Hock, and Chicken Stock Recipe (we’ve made this one, very good, rated well)
• Hoppin’ John w/ Black Eyed Peas, Collards, and Kielbasa Recipe
• Hoppin’ John w/ Black Eyed Peas, Tomatoes, and Bacon Recipe (least amount of ingredients, serve on rice)

• Acrylic Salad Hand Tossers

We are addicted to Pinterest and have found it possible to find the coolest Culinary Utensils around.

$16.50 on Amazon

1. Verve Coffee – for someone who LOVES coffee, get them the exceptional – Kenya Karatu $23.40 OR a 3-6 month subscription.
2. el Salchichero Charcuterie Butcher for fixings for a Cheese & Charcuterie Platter - in Santa Cruz on Swift Street. Persimmon Mostarda - Emperor Norton Canning Company (savory-tangy-sweet flavor) OR other canned goodies for a Charcuterie Meat & Cheese Tray with all the trimmings. House Made Curry Raisins – made at el Salchichero Chacuterie Butcher
3. Friend in Cheeses Jam Company - “Chow Chow”, “Pinot Cherries,” “Carrot Marmalade,” “Forbidden Fruit Marmalade,” “Fig Fennel Jam,” and “Spring Onion Jam” that you can buy in Santa Cruz at New Leaf, Shopper’s Corner, Staff of Life, Hay Market (Willow Glen) … or order online for $8 a jar.              For suggested pairings from owner Tabitha, – see here.
4. Sones Cellars-Refillable Bottle - Hedgehog Red, a petite sirah-zinfandel blend classified as a red table wine that is tapped from a tasting room barrel and sold in refillable bottles. $5 for the bottle $12 for refills ($10 for wine club members).  We tasted it yesterday and it was, yes, very tasty!
5. Santa Cruz Food Tour Tickets! ($52.50 ea. – lasts 3.5 hours, all food included)