I've had a headache all afternoon, and now that I'm home (with minimal chores to do) I'm feeling queasy and generally unwell.
Unlike most people, when I feel sick, I don't lose my appetite. Unless I'm sick enough that I'm unable to keep food in my stomach, I generally eat as normal. Even when I can't keep food down, I'll still try to eat. Stupidly.
Here's my recipe for a sausage soup, guaranteed to cure what ails you.
Ingredients
olive oil
2 links of sausage - the big, Italian kind that you get at the deli counter. I used one link of mild and one of hot.
1 red onion, chopped.
1-2 carrots, chopped.
4 cups water
beef bouillion
1/2 can, diced green chiles
1/2 c. barley (raw)
salt
pepper
oregano
Steps
Remove the sausage casing. In a big stockpot, add a bit of OO and saute the sausage until it's cooked and crumbly.
Add the chopped onions and carrots. I chop all my veggies in big chopping frenzies on occasional weekends, and store them flat in freezer bags, breaking off what I need when I make these delicious soups. This cuts down on the time it takes to cook.
Add the chiles. You can use whatever chopped veggies you'd like.
Season with salt and pepper. I've been using some fine grain sea salt, because I am cultivating some food snobbery.
Add 4 cups water, more if you're using more veggies, less if you're using fewer veggies.
Add the boullion based on how much water you're adding.
Add the barley; if you're using less water, use less than 1/2 cup of the barley.
Add a big dash of oregano or your favorite green seasoning.
Simmer for 25-30 minutes. Make sure the barley is cooked through and not crunchy.
Serve with crusty bread.


I checked on my best girl She's doing pretty well.

Whether you're a dog person or a cat person , somewhere, there's someone who had way too much time on their hands and developed these incredibly addictive sites just for you.
Naturally, my dog could kick the mangy butts of all the other puppies on that site, so I uploaded her picture. It's pending review - please vote for Abby when you see her "competing" on puppywar.


You may notice that her whiskers are white on one side and dark on the other. It's part of her charm.

My first attempt at this classic Italian dish turned out fine. I have a few special twists in mind for the next time I make it, though.
Ingredients
Lasagna noodles (one box, 12-15 depending on the size of your cassarole dish)
One jar of spaghetti sauce or marinara
One container of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
One box, frozen spinach (thawed and drained very well)
Garlic, minced
Salt, pepper, basil and oregano
1 egg
Romano and/or parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
Mozzarella cheese
Mushrooms, tomatoes
Sausage, cooked
Steps
I dipped the noodles in boiling water for a minute or two to soften them up, then placed them on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil - otherwise they'll stick! I saw on Giada's Everyday Italian that you can boil the noodles al dente and roll them up with filling in side - that is what I want to do next time.
In a large bowl, whisk one egg, then add the ricotta, the thawed spinach, the garlic (to taste) the salt, pepper and spices (I did about a teaspoon of each, with more to taste), and parm cheese. Combine (I used my pastry blender - a potato masher could work too).
Spray the bottom of a 8x11 or 9x13 baking dish with olive oil.
Make a layer of sauce, about 2/3 cup.
Make a layer of the noodles, overlapping the edges slightly.
Add a layer of the cheese mixture.
Add a layer of sliced mushrooms, or tomatoes - or any other veggies. Zucchini would work nicely.
Add a layer of sauce, about another 2/3 cup.
Another layer of noodles.
Another layer of cheese.
More sauce.
More noodles.
More cheese.
Sprinkle the top with mozz cheese, if you wish.
Bake in a preheated oven (400 degrees) for 50 minutes; cover with foil for the first 35 minutes; remove the foil and keep checking it - any exposed noodles will become dry and crunchy.
Serve with extra sauce; I'd recommend a light salad as a side dish. This meal has so much cheese my arteries were crying out in pain when I ate it.

Drawball is like a massive, awesome version of wannaspell , but with a paintbrush instead of letters.
The tricks to get into the drawing part:
- click "disagree" instead of "agree."
- you need to connect the dots in a certain order - start at one bottom corner, and make your way to the other. It may take you a few times, but you can get it.

The amount of "ink" is limited, use it wisely. Wikipedia says to let your ink levels accrue over a few days.
I wrote "IMPEACH" near the center. Can you find it? I wonder if it will stay there.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day (and an upcoming trip to Ireland), here is my twist on that most Irish-American of sandwiches: The Reuben.

Ingredients
Focaccia bread
Corned Beef - freshly cooked or sliced from the deli
Thousand Island dressing
Colby-jack cheese (or any type of cheddar)
Marinated artichokes
Steps
Slice focaccia into squares; slice these squares lengthwise to open it up into two sandwich slices.
Pile one side of the sandwich with corned beef slices, a few pieces of artichoke, and a layer of cheese.
Bake in the oven on a cookie sheet until the cheese is melted nicely.
Serve with thousand island dressing.

It's that simple. I cooked up a hunk of (WIKIPEDIA - corned beef) last night, and wanted to have a snack of it before I freeze the rest. This is a sandwich inspired by the delicious panini at Panera Bread. The artichokes, a useful substitute for the traditional sauerkraut, gave an appropriate amount of crunch and flavor. I like the Co-jack cheese more than Swiss, anyway, so that's what I used.