hello i'm sarah sneed

TODAY.

Swell Season. Auditorium Theatre. I am beyond excited.

THIS IS MY FRIEND MEG HONN. She likes sharks and Joe Blum’s alligators. She reads my blog. I am posting this in attempt to jog her memory of all the fun she used to have with us when she didn’t live in Minnesota in hopes she’ll drive down for my christmas party. What’s 7 hours between friends?

Meg- If you come, I will hand make you a hula skirt/dunce cap, I will make you vegan treats and I’ll let you take pictures of Troy’s head. Ok see you then 22 Dec.

The Easiest Soup In The World

This year, the Sneed Family decided on a more informal Thanksgiving event to accommodate our large group and other holiday obligations. My dad and step-mom had our rambunctious group over for soups and snacks Saturday afternoon. Dad made chili, Meme made Beef Stew and Chicken w/ Noodles, and I was asked to whip up something a little different. With a few vegetarians in our midst, I decided to make a simple Curried Pumpkin Soup (teetering on the line of a Bisque). This is a recipe I made for the Fall menu at Tutto Bene, and the herbs, spices, etc. can easily be altered depending on how savory or sweet you like your pumpkin.

1 WHITE OR YELLOW ONION

1 CLOVE GARLIC

2 TBS. BUTTER

OLIVE OIL

3-4 TBS. DRY SHERRY

1 32 OZ. CAN OF PUREED PUMPKIN (I cheated and store bought, but roasting your own pumpkin is easy if you feel up to it!)

32 OZ. BOX VEGETABLE STOCK

1 13.5 OZ CAN COCONUT MILK

1 TBS CURRY POWDER

1 TSP NUTMEG

1 HEAPING TBS OF CHILI GARLIC SAUCE (typically used in Asian fare- caution, this is very hot and 1 T will do you well, really)

SALT AND PEPPER

1 TSP. GINGER POWDER

1 BAY LEAF

Thinly slice the onion and crush your garlic. Heat the butter and a swirl of oil at the bottom of a heavy pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, toss in the onions and garlic; cook until the onions are quite soft (they’ll remain whole in the soup unless you use an immersion blender). Add the sherry to the mix and allow some of the liquid to sweat out (just a few minutes), then add the remainder of the ingredients. Stir until well blended, then cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the Bay Leaf and ladle into bowls. This soup is best topped with sour cream or creme fraiche, and maybe even chives or green onion. If it’s too thick for your liking, add some milk, more stock, or water to it until it meets your preferred consistency.

My super cuties- sister Amanda, cousin Anne and sister Jana. Miss you girls!

This is absolutely brilliant. I saw these guys in the lobby of the AOL building once, around 2 in the afternoon, fully decked out in their 80’s gear enjoying some candy bars and coffee.

Steel Panther- Community Property

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

I think this is the best song they’ve written yet. Excited to start working with them.

The Hoodies- Time and Place

HILARIOUS

TODAY.

Have to miss out on a few best friends today (including Sarah Pierpont) in exchange for other best friends. It’s Day 2 of 3 on the set of Bryan Sentiere’s first EVER movie titled Right On Time. Have to say I’m so proud of him, he looked very natural in his role as Director/Producer/Writer. Tonight will be spent with my sister and friend Laurisa, the other half in the photo above- so happy I get to see her as she lives all the way in the Big Apple. And speaking of Laurisa, she designs custom and handmade greeting cards, if you’re looking for some cute ones for the holidays, Click Here

Weak blackberry photo of the dinner mentioned below.

Dinner

Tonight I copied a recipe from my Food Network favorite Alton Brown for a super easy, super tasty dinner. The best part about this is if you’re veg, just leave the chicken out and you’re still left with a very filling meal. Brown only does this recipe on video, so here it is typed out to the best of my abilities. Prep time is about 30 minutes.

CHICKEN “POT PIE”

1 CUP CHOPPED CELERY

1 CUP CHOPPED WHITE OR YELLOW ONION

2 TBS CANOLA OIL

1 TSP SALT

4 CUPS MIXED VEGGIES (The frozen kind from the grocery, but let them thaw a few)

2 CUPS COOKED CHICKEN

2 TBS BUTTER

3 TBS FLOUR

1 TSP CURRY POWDER

1/2 CUP MILK

1 1/2 CUP CHICKEN OR VEGETABLE STOCK

1 SHEET PUFF PASTRY DOUGH

Pre-heat your oven to 350. Toss the mixed veg in a drizzle of Canola oil, spread them evenly on a cookie sheet and roast them while you’re preparing the rest of the filling. On the stove, heat up the 2T of Canola oil and add the celery, onion and salt. Allow them to sweat out for 5 minutes or so, until they’re soft and slightly translucent. Push them to the sides and drop the butter in the middle of the pan. Once it melts, add the flour and curry powder and immediately go at it with a whisk. After a minute or so of stirring, it forms a roux aka your sauce thickener. Meanwhile, pop the stock and milk in the microwave together for 3 minutes, bringing the mixture almost to a boil. Add the heated blend to your celery, onion and roux and bring to a boil. The sauce will start to thicken after about 1 minute. Take your roasted veggies out of the oven and add them to the sauce, along with the 2 C of cooked chicken. Stir everything together and turn off the heat under your skillet.

Assuming you’re buying frozen puff pasty sheets and aren’t making your own (puff pastry in one of the most complicated doughs to make), it will come frozen. Allow the sheet to thaw slightly and roll it out a bit to bind the cracks that coming with freezing and folding the dough. Prick the whole sheet with a fork, then cut 9 to 12 rounds of pastry from it with a biscuit or cookie cutter.

Line your favorite baking dish with foil and pour the chicken/veggie mixture inside (it should be pretty thick). Lay your puff pastry rounds across the top, leaving a bit of space in between them all. Do NOT cover the dish or your rounds won’t crisp up! Bake for 45 minutes and ENJOY