YET ANOTHER COLD, DREARY DAY IN BOERNE, TX

As promised, here is the recipe for Peanutty Chicken Stew, shared with me by my cousin Donna.  I’ve added it to the recipe archive on the left side of the blog.  I characterize it as spicy – definitely has a slow heat build up, but it is just right for us and anyone but the truly spicy-averse.

Whenever I make a new recipe, I try to follow it closely in both ingredients and technique… and then proceed to make the changes that appeal to me.  :)  In the case of Peanutty Chicken Stew, I made a boo-boo that slightly changed the ingredients, accidently opening a can of “petite diced tomatoes” instead of “tomato puree”.  I’m sure the flavor was barely changed – if at all – but the texture was different.  I think the chunky texture lends itself well to a vegetarian meal, especially since the chicken is not cooked in the stew, but added (already cooked) just long enough to heat up.  I added a couple comments along those lines to the recipe.

Another new recipe, also with a couple adaptations: Carrots with Toasted Cumin.  I love cooking vegetables in the slow cooker – one less dish to take up space on the stovetop at dinner time.  When I first made this recipe, I didn’t have cumin seed, so substituted ground cumin (I’ve since made it both ways). 

The recipe indicated that the sauce could be reduced by removing the lid from the slow cooker 15 minutes before serving. My slow cooker doesn’t work well to simmer sauce to a reduction, so I simply dump the slow cooker contents into a skillet and simmer it until the sauce thickens and glazed the carrots – so much for space on the stove top, but the yummy result is worth it.  These carrots go particularly well with grilled meats and a grain pilaf.

Yesterday was another gray day in the Hill Country, slightly warmer but much wetter than the day before.  We took off just after noon to meet The Damn Near Perfect Couple, Keith and Brenda.  They are currently in New Braunfels, Texas, about 50 miles east of us, and sent an email recently suggesting we get together while we are in the area.  Especially in this bleak weather, we were happy for a chance to socialize with other fulltime travelers.  Odel used the internet to find My Place Bar and Grill, a local joint halfway between us, and we met yesterday for brisket sandwiches and chat.

Top photo: driving through the cold, wet fog, heading to our lunch date.  Bottom photo: warm and happy with Keith and Brenda.  It’s all about friendships.  :) 

As usual, the talk was far-ranging; RV’ers have so many shared topics of interest.  Keith characterized Brenda as the “Cheesecake Goddess”, and we paid particular attention to her rhapsodic description of Candied Red Jalapeno Cheesecake.  She promised to send the recipe, and I’m pretty sure we’ll be giving it a try.

Today: even heavier fog out there this morning (which I didn’t think was possible).  We have a date with the H.E.B., laying in supplies for our departure.  Tomorrow we move on, so sad to be heading out without Luna, but full of good memories of her travels with us.

Go hug someone.