Not Too Much News

Thankfully, there is not too much news to report from the Patton House. The past few mornings have been misty and it is getting cooler in the evenings. I am excited for fall. It makes me feel like cooking. Shane's friend gave him a bunch of frozen Alaskan caught salmon so I've been trying bunch of new recipes. The one below was a smoked and fresh salmon chowder with cognac and cream. It was very tasty but the broth was not so chowderish as bisquish. With some bread and wine it made an easy dinner.

The other day I made grilled salmon with brown sugar and bourbon glaze. It was also very good and then last night I made smoked salmon quesadillas with goat cheese. I didn' have smoked salmon so I cut the top layer off the left over grilled salmon and used that. It was good but I think real smoked would be better. So I still have the rest of the grilled salmon and am going to make salmon cakes for dinner tonight. I fell so resourceful using up the leftovers and making things that are actually tasty.


The cool weather is so nice for cozy dinners. This one didn't involve salmon but last week I made Chicken Tikka Masala from Cooks Illustrated. It was very flavorful and the chicken breast- broiled after a coating of whole milk yogurt-came out very moist. It was a little too spicy for me and I had to add more cream and some sugar to mine, but Shane thought it was just fine.
Salmon and Salmon Chowder from the Simply Classics cookbook



I have not been doing very well at keeping on top of the house. I got behind on the dishes one night and it took forever to catch up and get back to filling up the dishwasher and turning it on at night. The cycle kept ending up where I was running it at noon and then it would get late and I'd leave the dishes for the morning. Waking up to cold salmon pots and pans was not fun. But yesterday I finally broke the pattern and was able to get up this morning to a clean kitchen. I also got the bug to wash the kitchen floor so when I got up early this morning it was treat to drink my latte at the kitchen table. I had the foresight to take a picture as soon as I was done so I could remember.

It was a good thing I did because after climbing trees and digging in the woods, the kids brought some of their excavations inside.

Cyril in a tree.

Cyprian's version of climbing a tree.

He got so dirty I just gave him a bath in the kitchen rather than

taking him upstairs.