Scalloped Squash and Potato Au Gratin

Well I was bored again today and decided to throw some things together in the kitchen.  Looking at what I had on hand and came up with this recipe.  Now I know Au Gratin potatoes are made with cheese and scalloped potatoes are made with a white sauce so I kind of made both of them in one dish with vegetables added in of course.

Ingredients:

4 Yellow Summer Squash

4 Zucchini 

8-10 Red Potatoes

2 Onions

16 oz. Cream Cheese

1/2 stick butter

1 bunch green onions

1 1/2 half & half

1/2 cup bread crumbs (optional - I sprayed with an olive oil spritzer instead of using butter mixed in)

Salt, Pepper and Mrs. Dash (use whatever you want)

Alright so first off I sliced up my red potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini and onions and threw them into a pot.  I then added about a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, salt, liberal amounts of black pepper and a few shakes of Mrs. Dash.

I cooked the vegetables for about five minutes then added about 1/2 cup of water to the pot, stirred the vegetables and covered for about 15 minutes on a medium high heat to allow the vegetables to cook some.. this will cut down on the baking time.

You are going to want to turn the heat off once the vegetables get to this state.. softened but still not fully cooked (at least not all of them)

Now what you want to do is put half of the vegetables in a greased pan and top with one cup of shredded Cheddar cheese.  Add the other half of the vegetables on top of this layer but do not put any cheese on top of it yet.

After you have your pan situated go back to the stove (I used the same pot I cooked the vegetables in) and start making your sauce.  You want to put in the cream cheese, butter, half and half and green onions and cook down until everything is melted into a smooth sauce (with the exception of the green onions)

Once your sauce is fully incorporated take your pot back to the pan you have the vegetables in and pour the sauce evenly over the top.. If you don't cover everything just smooth it around with a spoon.  Top with the remaining Cheddar cheese and bread crumbs.

Now you are ready to place in the oven - baked at 370 degrees for about 35-40 minutes

Allow to sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Hamburger and Leek Soup

I am never one to follow a recipe and the majority of the stuff I cook are things that I just put together at the last minute.  I took a nap and feel awake (and hungry) and remembered I have some leeks I need to get used up before they go bad (cannot stand wasting stuff - in the words of Sweet Brown, ain't nobody got time for that)

I was going to make Potato and Leek soup with these but I honestly did not feel like peeling and cutting a bunch of potatoes this late so I decided to try this variation.  This is a very hearty soup, I am not really into the pureed to death varieties so I like to leave my leeks nice and chunky.

1 Lb. Ground Beef
2 large leeks, roughly chopped and washed
1 can sliced carrots (didn't have fresh on hand)
1 carton chicken broth
2 1/2 glasses of water (I don't use precise measurements)
1 16oz package of Potato Gnocchi
Salt and Pepper to taste

I started out by cutting my leeks and washing them.. Once they are cut I put them in a large container and filled it with cold water and swish everything around and let it sit for about five minutes then drain everything in a colander.. the absolute easiest no fuss way to clean a leek.

Get a dutch oven or stock pot and brown your ground beef, this is when I add salt and pepper before the meat is fully cooked.  Once browned, drain off the excess fat and return to the pot.

Add in your leeks and can of carrots (or fresh if you have them) and cover and let cook down for maybe 10 minutes until the leeks have had time to cook down.

Add your carton of chicken broth and your water (like I stated above I am very no frills and do not ever really measure so I did about 2 1/2 glasses of water.. you can adjust it according to your preferences)
Cover your pot and allow that to cook for about 30-45 minutes.. I am a huge fan of cooking soups for hours so the flavors really develop, but I unfortunately do not have time for that right now.

measuring, smeasuring.. who needs it!

After the flavors have had a chance to develop go ahead and add your package of gnocchi and allow that to cook until tender, usually about 8-10 minutes.. the gnocchi will float to the top when done.

Taste your creation and see if it needs any more seasonings, if it does, go ahead and add them now.

To be extra luxurious go ahead and add in about a cup or so of half and half and turn the heat off.. it gives the soup a nice silky texture that is oh so delicious!  Enjoy!

Upper Dorchester County Tour

My aunt told me that the Upper Dorchester County Historical Society tour was going on this weekend and The Badham Mansion which used to be owned by her boss would be on the tour.  I haven't seen the mansion since it was completely renovated and it had been years so I was eager to go and the tickets were only $5 so really it was a no brainer.

I started not to even get out of bed this morning because I couldn't fall asleep until after 4AM and was awake by 8AM and this is has been my schedule for the last week.. I feel so exhausted!  I decided I would regret it if I didn't go so I got myself together and got out there.. an hour early I might add.. which later ended up to turn up in my favor.

I haven't really been many places this year because of me being hospitalized three months and I just stopped using a cane/walker about a month ago.  I still have a trach in my neck and for whatever reason people love to stare at it - needless to say it makes me uncomfortable and I usually will avoid situations where a lot of people are going to be around.  The trach gets clogged all of the time so it makes me winded very quick and me hating to look vulnerable hates this part because I am always winded trying to walk around.

I purchased my tickets and drove to the first stop outside of the ticket office (The Klauber Building) which was The Badham Mansion.  Thankfully, I got there before most people did and was able to get clear shots of the front of the house.. not even thirty minutes later the entire front lawn was full of people who decided it was necessary to park directly in front of the house making pictures kind of pointless if you are wanting something good.  

Just a future note if you are ever find yourself being a patron of a historical site tour in the future.. please be aware of where you are standing.. some people are completely oblivious to the fact that they are all up in people's pictures and nobody wants that.  Also, just be considerate of those who do want good photos and find a parking space that is not going to obstruct the view if possible.. at least of the front of the property.

I was the first one in the house because for some reason I was the only person to purchase my ticket at the designated building.  I asked a docent if I was able to take pictures inside and was told no, so sadly, I do not have any of those to share.  They honestly probably would not turn out amazingly well because there was mahogany walls, paneling, and floors.. so it was pretty dark everywhere.. beautiful though.  As I was walking out I ran into my friend Pamela who I knew was going to be out there at some point and waited for her and her girlfriend to look around and then rode with them over to the Appleby House and then to the Appleby Church.  It was a pretty good day, I enjoyed chatting them up for a little while and being able to see the Appleby House.

After the tour was over and I got back to my car I drove straight home and took a much needed nap.

The Badham Mansion

The Appleby House

The Appleby Church

Recommended Listening

Some songs I feel you should definitely check out..

Crystal Castles - Not In Love

Kavinsky - Nightcall

Grimes - Oblivion

My Gold Mask - Violet Eyes

The xx - Islands

Chromatics - Night Drive

Uh, yes please.

I have always loved the Stephen-Lathers House in Charleston, located at 20 South Battery, it's mansard style roof and verandas have been one of my favorite sights of South Battery.. that and The Villa Margherita.  Since the Villa Margherita just currently sold (sad it wasn't to me) I see the Stephen-Lathers House is for sale now.. YES!  Time to break out the check book.. these are some pictures I took a few years ago - mostly of the back garden area.

Villa Margherita, I am excited to see what the new owners do to restore it.. the house has been crumbling for years.

Greenfield Plantation

SCIWAY contacted me and let me know that they had been talking to a woman who owned a plantation in Georgetown called Greenfield and she wanted to invite me out to come and see it.  Uh of course I am going to accept that awesome invitation.  I wrote the owner an e-mail and let her know that I would definitely be down for visiting and we set a time and date.  I had never heard of Greenfield before so I was especially interested in checking it out and seeing what it was like.  

Her property did not disappoint in the slightest and they even had two awesome camels by the name of Sinbad and Lady Ann.. definitely a highlight of the trip which has now made me want to get some camels for my own pets, they are so loving and funny.  

What was even more surprising was the owner, Daralee, what an awesome lady!  She was so down to earth and cool and I could just tell she would be so chill to hang out with.. definitely enjoyed her.  If you want to view the entire set it can found here: Flickr - Greenfield Plantation

SCIWAY and Me

I have always been interested in anything paranormal.. it has a certain fascinating quality to it.  Way back in 1999 I had been hearing things about this place called Strawberry Chapel and how it was supposedly haunted.

Long story short I finally ended up going out there with some people and it was creepy as hell - I was instantly hooked.  As I started delving further into the history of the chapel I started coming across stories of a girl named Catherine Chicken who was supposedly tied up to a tombstone in the cemetery and was forgotten overnight by her schoolmaster.. I then realized a book had been written about it called Little Mistress Chicken by Mrs. Arthur Gordon Rose.  Naturally, I had to get a copy of this book and was lucky enough to find one online.  

As I read through the traumatizing ordeal of Catherine in the cemetery it mentioned that she grew up to marry and have children and she resided at Middleburg Plantation in Huger, SC where her portrait was still hanging to this day (the book was written in the early 1900's).  I then of course had to research Middleburg Plantation and to my excitement it was still around.  I found the owner's name and called and he was more than happy to have we come out and visit his home and share it's history.  Do you know how excited I was?  It was fantastic.  I ended up going out to the plantation and fell in love and wanted to visit more plantations which then lead to my intense love for history and architecture. 

 Those passions of mine are such a huge chunk of my life and thoughts right now I cannot imagine where I would be had I never pursued this.  Fast forward to the present day, I visited over 60+ privately owned plantations in South Carolina and contributed photographs to SCIWAY - South Carolina Plantations which then lend them to want to interview me and write an article for their newsletter.  I am intensely proud of this article and wanted to share it with you guys.  If you are interested you can read it here: Brandon Coffey: Old Soul Searching For The Old South

Baked and Stuffed Acorn Squash

I recently bought a bunch of local produce from The Vegetable Bin in Charleston and was thinking of new things to do with it.  I bought two acorn squash and while I have had it before I never really knew a whole lot to do with it.  I have seen that some (most) people like to do sweet recipes with the squash.. I was looking for something savory.  Since I had seen recipes where the squash was stuffed I decided to go that route.  Looking around for what I had on hand this is what I used to stuff the squash with.

1 lb Ground Beef

2 8oz packages Cream Cheese

1 bag of baby spinach

1 bunch green onion

1 8oz package of sliced button mushrooms

Salt and Pepper to taste

First I started by slicing the squash in half, seeding and removing the pulp and poked holes all over the inside and then did two at a time on a plate in the microwave for ten minutes.  Set aside to cool.

While the squash were in the microwave I started browning my ground beef and added the mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Once the beef was browned I drained the mixture and added the rest of the ingredients and continued stirring until the cream cheese had completely melted and the spinach was thoroughly wilted down.

I then took my squash halves and filled each one with my stuffing mixture and baked at 375 for 25-30 minutes.. They were phenomenal!  If you have never tried something similar to this I suggest you do.. very satisfying meal.  It could definitely even be made healthier by using ground turkey and fat free cream cheese.