Let the Countdown Begin

By my best estimations, we have less than 4 hours before Gommie arrives, which is way too long for the kids to bear. When I picked them up from school an hour or so ago, despite the excitement of picture day, the teachers all told me--all four of them!--how Sis especially was just about to burst for the fact that Gommie is coming today. So, trying to use up time before Gommie's arrival, I took the kids to lunch at the "crunchy chip" restaurant . . . where we drew a chart tracking Gommie's progress to Connecticut and talked nonstop about Gommie. And now we're home, trying to pass time. We've talked about making a welcome sign, drawing on the chalkboard, and baking her some goodies, but I doubt we'll settle enough for any of those. Too bad it's raining nonstop or we could go outside and run around. So, a long time to wait but a good thing, really.

Meanwhile, I've got some clothes to fold and the last few steps in dinner prep to do. I changed my mind about dinner--not the main part of baked chicken, rice, gravy, and a vegetable (probably cauliflower instead of the family tradition, peas)--but my part, which will be Soupe du Barry. The recipe--which calls for a full bottle of red wine, which Mama just happened to find in the cabinet last night--is from my Twelve Months of Monastery Soups cookbook, which has become one of my current favorites (the author, Brother Victor-Antoine, is at a monastery in upstate NY. But I can just picture my cousin, the monk in France, eating similar foods). There are 4 or 5 other soups in it that I hope to make really soon, having especially liked the chickpea soup I made a few days ago. So, better get to work . . .

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Soupe du Barry

1/2 cup olive oil

3 onions, chopped

3 cups precooked red beans or the equivalent in canned beans

1 bottle red wine

4 cups water or stock

1 ham bone (I'll leave this out, use some pork bouillon, or a teensy bit of either bacon salt or liquid smoke)

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pour the olive oil into the soup pot and add the onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the red beans, wine, water, ham bone, and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 1 hour.

Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and ham bone and serve the soup hot.

Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, Twelve Months of Monastery Soups

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Gommie's Baked Chicken

3-4 lb. fryer chicken

salt and pepper

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 500°F. Salt and pepper chicken. Sear uncovered in oven for 10-15 minutes. Add 1 cup water, cover, and reduce heat to 350°F. Bake for 1 ½ hours.

Make gravy and serve with rice and peas.

Gommie Hungry