What's For Supper - Gruyere Bread Pudding

"This should be illegal." That's what Bruce said about this dish, and I agree. Rich, decadent, comforty and satisfying, you'll want to eat the entire thing. Fattening? Uh, YEAH. That's why it tastes so good! This would make a fantastic alternative to stuffing at Thanksgiving, or just eat it as a main dish with a side salad.

My recipe is adapted slightly from a recipe I got from my friend Peggy. Thank you, Peggy!  

First, slice one whole sweet onion and one whole red onion.

Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook low and slow until caramelized.

This takes about 15-20 minutes and the onions shrink quite a bit.

See that browning in there? Caramelization, baby. Sweet!

Take the onions off the heat and place them in a bowl to cool. Next, grate the cheese.

Here's a tip: keep those cheese rinds! They are delicious cut into cubes and added at the last minute to soups. They melt slightly and are treasures to be found as you dip your soup into the bowl. Bruce and I have been known to count how many cheese squares each of us has in our bowls to make sure it's fair.

Next step: slice the mushrooms and saute in the same skillet or on the griddle until browned. Add to the bowl with the onions to cool.

On to the bread. The bread in the bread pudding. The delicious base for this heavenly pudding. I use sliced brioche.

You could also use challah, ciabatta, or even a heavier multi-grain, nutty or seeded bread. Experiment! Cut the bread into cubes and place in a really large bowl.

Chop up some chives...

Toss the onions and garlic, mushrooms and chives into the bowl with the bread.

Sort through a bag of fresh baby spinach, tossing any wilted leaves and pinching off any long stems.

Rinse the spinach quickly in some cold water and drain thoroughly. It should have a little bit of water still on the leaves, but not much. Place in a large skillet over medium-low heat and wilt, stirring constantly.

It looks like a lot of spinach, but it reduces quite a bit.

See what I mean? Once it is all wilted, turn off the heat and tilt the pan. Use the back of a wood spoon to squeeze all of the water out of the spinach.

Carefully transfer the spinach to the large bowl with the other ingredients.

Toss in the grated Gruyere...

Now mix it all together without tossing stuff out of the bowl all over the counter. I told you to use a BIG bowl!

Here comes the yummy stuff. Mix the custard (eggs, cream, broth, salt and pepper) together in a measuring cup and slowly pour it evenly over the contents in the bowl.

Using a wooden spoon, smush everything down into the custard so it's all wet.

Let it sit for about 10 minutes, so the bread soaks up all of that yummy custardy goodness. Wait for it...

Now pour it into a greased casserole dish.

Cover with foil and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until browned on top, about 15-20 minutes more.

I made this casserole to take to Peggy's for lunch on one of our infamous Sewing Days. She was so excited. Couldn't wait to dig in!

Go ahead, Peggy. Serve yourself a nice healthy portion!

Hmmm, maybe just a little bit more...

Oh my goodness. This bread pudding is so delicious. You just have to try it. You will not be sorry. (Just don't weigh yourself for about a week afterward :-)

Here's the recipe - Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Me

Bruce gave me a Spa Day for my birthday this year. It took a few weeks to coordinate our schedules, but my Spa Day partner, Kati, and I finally found a day that worked for both of us (and the weather) and enjoyed some pampering at the Coeur d'Alene Resort and Spa.

There are many spas in the CdA/Spokane area, but Kati and I are kind of stuck on the CdA Resort. You'll see why in the photos below.

After you hand off your vehicle to the valet, you walk into the lobby and immediately feel relaxed as you gaze into the giant aquarium with beautiful koi swimming lazily about.

Kati wondered if they ever get bored. I think we humans are their entertainment.

Then you walk into the spa. After checking in, you head up the stairs to paradise.

CdA Resort prides itself in its incorporation of water, wood and stone elements throughout the resort and spa. It definitely makes for a tranquil, serene environment.

At the top of the stairs is a long hallway, and waiting at the end of it is a welcoming greeter ready to usher you into the inner sanctuary.

Once you're in your thick, comfy robe and slippers, you are free to lounge in the beautiful waiting area until your masseuse arrives to take you back to the room where the magic happens.

The sound of the water feature gently lulls you into a state of repose.

At this visit, I received a luxurious 75 minute Swedish massage followed by a 25 minute Vitamin C facial. Heaven!

In between treatments, I sat sipping my water infused with lime, lemon and strawberries and gazed out over the marina and lake. I could have sat there for hours.

Kati and I met up in the lounge after our treatments and chatted for awhile until our stomachs told us it was time to eat. Reluctantly, we made our way back into the real world and headed to Bardenay for a delicious lunch.

Bruce even got my leftover french fries to go with his steak dinner that night. Thank you Bruce and Kati for a wonderful birthday celebration. Until next year!!!

Calmly Fell Our Winter

"The silent snow possessed the earth and calmly fell our winter."
                                                                                   
I hope Tennyson doesn't mind my paraphrasing, but it's way past Christmas Eve.  We have had quite a bit of snow this season, and it's absolutely beautiful.  I admit, I am starting to think about the garden, and sunshine, and the smell of freshly cut grass.  But for now, I am still enjoying watching the snowflakes falling outside and Teddy crashing into the snow banks to get his ball and turkeys high-stepping it through the white powder.


Before the snow started falling, way back in November, Bruce began milling the Port Orford Cedar cants we have stored in town, making boards for all of his many projects.

We bought a second hut to store them.

Daddy's Little Helpers...

He was able to mill enough boards to make my sewing cubbies, and maybe a few other projects for the house, before the snow covered up the mill at our friends' store. We think it's enough to keep him busy through the winter months, at least. With a newly installed electric heater in the garage to keep him toasty warm, he was ready to get to work.

Meanwhile, in our cozy cabin, I started reading my Christmas presents. I started with "My Grandfather's Son" by Justice Clarence Thomas. Excellent read about his journey from profound poverty to become a Supreme Court Justice. And for a very private man of few words, he is surprisingly open about his life and with his emotions.

Next, I started C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. I'm almost done with the first book, "Out of the Silent Planet". I understand Lewis' fiction a lot better than his non-fiction! It is a really fun read.

As for Teddy, he has been playing with his new Christmas toys: Homer the puppy, Reindeer, Donkey and Beaver. Poor Dog. Look at him. Underloved and underfed! 😂

He always has to take either a toy or a ball out with him on his walks. It's his version of a security blanket.

Last week, we decided to strap on our snowshoes and take a tour of the Flawler Estate. It's been awhile since we got the snowshoes out...

We set off down the driveway toward the forest and...the straps on Bruce's snowshoes broke. Dang it!

My snowshoes were fine, though, so I did a little trekking around, albeit close to the house. I'm a'skeered of moosies!

I love this little glen behind our house. It's a bowl in the woods, and it's especially inviting in the springtime. When we first moved here, we talked about putting a small pond in there, but then decided it would just attract predators to our property. We don't want our cats, deer and turkeys to become coyote supper. So for now, I just wander down in there from time to time to enjoy the forest canopy and bathe in the soft light shining through the limbed-up trees.

Here's a rare view of the backside of the house, with the garden on the right.

Ahhhh, the garden. Hard to believe that in about four months, I'll be out there planting seeds in the warm dirt. I better start planning...

Oh, look what Bruce made! The first cubbie tower for my sewing area. He's out there working on the shelves right now. It's sitting in the guest room for the time being, airing out the stain smell 👃

So that's what we've been doing up here in the Idaho Panhandle. Keeping warm and staying out of trouble. And watching the snow pile up!