If you never lived where it snows and were moving North to where it does snow, what would you have liked to have known? What would you do to prepare?

  • meep_launcher@lemm.ee
    0·
    20 days ago

    So you spent the day outside shoveling snow, maybe you had to walk 20 minutes to get to a friend’s house, maybe the cold itself just took it out of you because your body was burning calories just to stay warm. You finally get home and you are out of breath and just wanting to dry off and get warm again- and that’s when you thank your past self for what you did on meal prep Sunday:

    French onion soup.

    You can look online for recipes, but here’s what I improvised last Sunday (probably not definition french onion soup, but at least a variation on a theme). Mine takes about 1 hour to make (10 min prep, 50ish minutes to cook)

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup butter
    • 1 tablespoon fat (I use leftover bacon grease)
    • Onions (I used 4 but you could do more)
    • garlic (I used 1 bulb, but you could always do more)
    • Apple (I used 1, but you could always do more)
    • veggies (I like zucchini and carrots)
    • mushrooms if you like em
    • protein (stew beef, ground meat, chicken, turkey, hell even sandwich meat will do)
    • cardamom
    • Curry powder
    • vinegar (I use white balsamic, but apple cider vinegar or anything flavorful will do)
    • chicken broth
    1. Cut up the onions into thick chunks, no need to get precise, just hack 'em quick so you have less time being in a tearful agony
    2. Peel the bulb of garlic, but leave the cloves whole- don’t crush them.
    3. Heat up your butter and fat, then add in the onions and garlic. Let it sautee for like… 30 minutes? If you have time to do a proper caramelizing then do that, but it’s still good if you want to make it faster.
    4. While the onions and garlic do their thing, prepare your meat in another pan. Of course if you use ham or something pre cooked you can skip this step.
    5. Slice your apple(s) however you want, I like thin slices but cubes are good too.
    6. Add in veg and apples, let them cook for 15 minutes or so
    7. Add meat
    8. A couple dashes of cardamom and curry and also pour in your broth to desired consistency
    9. Give a taste then add a dash of vinegar to see how it really cuts through the fattiness

    Dish and serve! If you want to really clog those arteries, go ahead and add some cheese on top, I like smoked Gouda. I also use a pipe sweater to torch the cheese and give it a little melty/ crispy texture.

    That and a hot tody will give you the coziness that will lift your spirits in the dark cold months.

    Good luck!

      • meep_launcher@lemm.ee
        0·
        20 days ago

        It also will make your house smell great! I’d also suggest making enough for friends and visitors.

        I’m in Chicago and it can get lonely if you decide to stay couped up in your house for too long. Make sure to be intentional on inviting friends over and becoming close with your neighbors. I noticed comments here are focused on the physical aspect of winter, but it’s also important to take care of your mental health.

        My theory is the Midwestern kindness is just a regional Stockholm syndrome. We’re all in this together.