Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Before I let you all in on this amazing recipe, there's something you need to know. I have been looking for this recipe for 6 years. 6 YEARS!!!!! I first had the pleasure of consuming this deliciousness a little over 10 years ago, in a little tea house down the street from my work. For the next 4 years I would be a regular at this little tea house. Sometimes, even on the weekends, I would venture back to the little town in which I worked in, just to have another bite of this treasure. I tried to recreate it's lovliness several times (failing miserably) before giving up, getting in the car, driving to the tea house, and buying a large batch to keep for the week.

And then, the dreadful day came when that sweet, charming, little tea house closed its doors and stopped serving that amazing Hungarian Mushroom Soup. Little did I know, that the next 4 years would be the most disappointing in my rather small culinary world. If you're familiar with "How I Met Your Mother," then you could easily compare my desperation to that of Marshall's and 'the best burger in the world.' I can't tell you how many people I've ran into who've said "Oh! I know THAT soup! That soup is at ****." But no. I have literally consumed EVERY Hungarian Mushroom soup that I have ever (and I mean EVER) come across. Still, Nothing. I finally decided to take a stab at recreating it myself...again. And again, many...many let downs.

Until now....

I give you THE BEST HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! You're Welcome!

                                                              
                                                                  Ingredients:
                                   
                                       1 Cup Crimini Mushrooms, thinly sliced
                                       1 Cup Portabello Mushrooms, thinly sliced
                                       2 Cups Vegetable Stock
                                       1 Cup Whole Milk
                                       1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt (preferably Fage)
                                       2 Cups Onion, chopped
                                       5 Tablespoons Butter
                                       4 Tablespoons Flour
                                       1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
                                       2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
                                       1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
                                       2 Teaspoons Fresh Dill, finely chopped
                                       3-5 Teaspoons Hot Hungarian Paprika (depending on your heat preference)
                                       1/4 Teaspoon Thyme
                                       1/4 Teaspoon Marjoram
                                       1/2 Cup Parmesan, freshly grated
                                       Salt and Pepper to Taste

Saute the onions and 2 TBS of the butter in a frying pan for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are tender. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 cup of vegetable stock, paprika, thyme, marjoram, dried dill and soy sauce. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until mushrooms soften and become dark in color.

Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour, and keep whisking until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the milk and continue cooking over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, allowing the mixture to again thicken, stirring every so often. Combine the mushroom mixture to the milk mixture.

 

Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock and lemon juice. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

 

Remove from heat. Just when boiling stops, stir in yogurt, cheese, salt, pepper, and fresh dill. Serve hot.

 Enjoy!!!!!

*****SIDE NOTE*****

The thinner you can slice the mushrooms, the better. Also, if you're thinking about using regular Paprika instead of Hungarian, DON'T. It IS what makes this soup. It used to be kind of hard to come by but now they sell it at your local Safeway :) yay

Don't Say The V-Word!!!!!

It's Monday February 10, 2014 and we all know what that means!!!!!!!

4 more days until Val......wait shhhhhhh! Are you crazy? Don't say that word!!!!!! I HATE that word!! Hell, I hate the whole day!!!!! Hallmark, ugh!

We all hate it. It's no surprise anymore. Everything is expected!!!! Single women hate it because that someone special doesn't exist. Men hate it because they have to think. Married couples hate it. Yes, that's right single ladies, it does NOT change just because you're married, which makes you hate it even more.

"It's too much of a show," we say.

"How original," we say.

"Hallmark."

Yet, let me ask you a question! In a world full of so much ugly hate, why is it so bad to be "forced" to celebrate love? I'll tell you why! Because we are selfish.

We want the very crap we hate so much. We want the Hallmark holiday. The Hollywood production. The flowers, the gifts, the jewelry, the treats, the chocolates, the....love? But what is love, really? Love is not Hallmark, and I think we all know that.

Love is bringing your wife home a bouquet of her favorite flowers and taking her by the hand and hip and dancing in the kitchen, not because it's what she wants (of course she loves it) but because your daughter is watching you from the family room.

She's looking at her daddy love her mommy and she will remember that moment forever. She will want a love like that.

Love is making dinner for the single mother (or father) who lives in 20A. To see the look on the children's faces when they see that someone else is thinking of them. Someone wanted to bring them joy, feed them a home-cooked meal and share stories. They will remember that forever.

Love is taking your nephew shopping for that special someone in his life. Showing him the tricks of the trade and how to treat a woman. Teaching chivalry.

Love is taking your best friend to dinner and telling her what an amazing human being she is. How she's influenced you, taught you, motivated you.

Love is taking your kids to your grandpa's grave and placing flowers on it to say "I love you." To teach them that love is everywhere.

 

Love is taking chocolates to Betsy Joe, the 98 year old woman in your church who no longer has loved ones around to remind her she's loved.

Love is inviting Christie, the 45 year old divorcee from your "Women Against Violence" class, on a hike. Or taking Joe from your AA class to grab a cup of...Joe!

You get the point. The fact is simple. You can find a million reasons to HATE Valentine's Day, but there are so many other reasons to love it. Make it not a holiday about glitz and glam, but kindness. Showing love in "unoriginal" ways and teach your kids the same. They will forever be thankful for it.

On another note. Love yourself. Ladies, I'm talking to you. Love is a two way street and it starts with you. Love who you are, in the skin you're in, and others will follow.

Be a better example to our little girls. Teach them to have self respect and end the hatred but also teach them not to expect so much from our partners, and to share that responsibility. Make daddy a special dinner. Get up early and make your boyfriend breakfast before he goes to work. Show HIM you're thinking of HIM too!!!!

Show love. Share love. Speak love.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please spread the love. Share this with friends, family, loved ones. End the pity parties, love is much more fun!

20 Things I Learned In My Twenties

At the first of every year, I make it a habit to think about the things I've learned in the previous year. Whether it is something of importance or just a simple reminder, I find it rewarding to reflect on lessons I have learned. This year, however, marks a big milestone for me as I am rapidly approaching my 30 years of being alive. And so, I have decided to write a list, of not all the things I've learned in my twenties but the important things. So here we go....

20 Things I've Learned In My Twenties (the hard way)

The following is not in any particular order. 

1. Not everyone likes me. I don't know why this took me so long to understand. I mean, how could you not love this face and charming personality? You must have some sort of disease if you can't like me!!!! I took it so personally when others didn't like me. And then I realized two things. One: I don't like most other people and for no particular reason other than the fact that they "aren't my kind" of people. Two: I REALLY don't like the people who don't like me. That still makes me laugh. I was so worried about WHY someone didn't like me that I never stopped to think "I don't like you either."

2. Silence is a beautiful weapon. Now, I'm not one for violence. I don't like cattiness, drama, or grudges. BUT, there is something oh so magical about your silence when others want so desperately for you to fight back. It is REALLY hard to do in certain situations which brings me to..

3. You really can't fix stupid. I'm sorry, but it's true. There are people who are naive, and then there are people who are stupid. Stupid people stir pots. They cross boundaries and they say the DUMBEST SHIT EVER. Things that make your blood boil. This is where #2 comes in REAL handy. It has nothing to do with "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." It's much more simple. People who cross your boundaries are people who do not DESERVE your attention. Period.

4. Money is gross. No really, do you know where some of those dollar bills have been??? I do because I watch Breaking Bad. 

5. I am not a sinner. This is STILL a tough one for me. As most of you know I was raised in the Mormon church and as most of you know I am no longer with the church. Growing up, I was never really an "active member." To me, that meant much more than just showing up every Sunday, even that I did not do. I am not going to spend much time on this subject because, well, religion sucks. There I said it. What I believe to be true is MY business and if you're looking at me as someone who sins, you're judging up the wrong tree. 

6. Everyone is lying. Grandmas lie. Grandpas lie. Teachers lie. Husbands lie. Wives lie. Your pastor is definitely lying!!! Don't get me wrong, I've used some pretty good lies but there was something SO disappointing about learning that the very people I looked up to so much, were indeed LIARS! The saddest part is the lie itself, is usually something so ridiculous. So minuscule. 

7. High fashion really isn't as cool as it looks. I don't know if motherhood has done this to me or if it's my age or what but there is nothing more sexy and comfortable than a white t-shirt and some jeans. 

8. I love to be uncomfortable. I used to HATE putting myself out there. Trying new things, getting out of my comfort zone, confronting fears was so terrifying and I hated feeling vulnerable. However, in the last year, I have come to appreciate and love being in conflict. Now, there is a difference between STARTING conflict and being involved in conflict. I do not like to start it but I am no longer afraid of being involved in it. It is controlled chaos to me now, I thank motherhood for that. 

9. What is a struggle to me, is a cake walk for others and vice versa. This is hard to forget sometimes but something you NEED to understand. Just because you've experienced, doesn't mean you understand how others feel. So next time someone starts to tell you a story you've lived through, don't teach, listen. 

10. Not everyone has learned 1-9. 

11. Finding "the one" really isn't hard at all LADIES!!!! Ahem. You just have to stop being attracted to douche bags. Try it.

12. When someone starts walking down a dark path you've been down there's NOTHING YOU CAN SAY THAT WILL SAVE THEM. You really must let them learn the lesson on their own. It's hard, really hard. No matter how much you want to stop them and warn them and tell them it's the worst decision ever, you have to let them go. By all means, be there for them when they fall, but don't try to stop them, it will only push them further. 

13. Settling gives you cancer. I think that next to cancer, "settling" is by far the worst word in the English dictionary. NEVER settle. You can always reach higher, learn more, be faster, act better, love deeper. Never stop. 

14. Everyone has secrets and that's OK! Your best friend does not have to tell you everything. Your husband does not have to tell you everything. Your child does not have to tell you EVERYTHING. Some things are meant...just for you.

15. There is no greater way to wake than with a Blood Mary. 

16. Respect opinions. All of them. 

17. Being happy has nothing to do with me. I've always been a pretty happy person but some days I wish I were more happy and for a long time I thought that meant working on me somehow. Whether it was getting me time, or walking daily, or drinking more tea, taking on a new challenge. Yes, these are things that can help make you happy but do you know what REALLY brings true happiness. Doing things for others. It can be as simple as buying a coffee for the person behind you every Monday. Trust me, when you do something kind for someone else, you'll be aching with happiness. 

18. Parenthood does not come with instructions. I used to think there was an answer to every parenthood problem. There isn't. Sometimes you just have to trust your judgment and fly by the seat of your pants and hope that your children won't need therapy because of you. 

19. Your children are going to need therapy because of you. 

20. Photoshop, push up bras, spanx, and botox are totally overrated. I can personally vouch for all but the last but I'm claiming it anyways. Sure they make you LOOK pretty but there is nothing pretty about wearing a giant spandex band-aid with a pee hole. And you're certainly not fooling anyone.  I don't have to wear these things anymore because I'm married and it's my husband's fault that my body looks the way it does now anyways. But ***all the single ladies**** you have NO idea how beautiful your pre-stretch marked body is all by it's natural self. Wear your skin with pride, and don't let anyone tell you different. 

So there you have it. 20 things I learned in my twenties. I have half a year to get all the crazy out of me before I have to be 30 and serious ;) Hope you laughed at least once

Total Pantry Makeover

Things have been nutty, crazy here with the Rusk family. Back to school, endless projects, lots of changes and new opportunities. Last week I had reached my workload limit. I had just finished a few major projects and was beyond exhausted when I decided to take on this bad boy...

Yikes!!!!!!!! Why not????

 

Welcome, to my mother's pantry. Now, I can't say anything TOO bad about this dreadful room because when that Almighty Zombie Apocalypse happens...and it WILL happen, THIS is where I'll be. (Side note to family: I get dibs on the Nutella)

 

 

So, first and foremost, I needed a blank canvas...

 

Pretty floor eh????

 

 

My mom lives in a pretty dark house. It has great, grand windows but the outside is all forest so lighting was key...lots and lots of lighting. The dingy, dark cabinets weren't helping me out in the "lighting" department so they had to take a hike. Nothing a few coats of a durable, stain fighting paint can't fix. Also, it's an older home, so there's this...

POPCORN CEILING!!!!! (barf)



Is there anything worse than popcorn ceiling???? I really don't think so. If you care to take me up on that, I'm all ears. But popcorn ceiling is downright AWFUL! As you can see (in the picture above), I started to prep the ceiling with some heavy duty mud. I wanted the ceiling to have flare but in order to get the desired outcome there was ALOT of prep work that had to be done. So, mud, then smoothing, then primer...then more smoothing. Which gave me the perfect layout to apply something a little more fun...

WALLPAPER!!!!

 

 

 

Some people are TERRIFIED of wallpaper and trust me, I GET IT! I have taken down some pretty nasty looking wallpaper. However, three things are great about wallpaper TODAY. One:

it's not ugly. You know what I'm talking about. We remember wallpaper looking like this...











I hope you like flowers...ALOT!

 

 

Two: it comes in PAINTABLES!!!! Yay!!!! So when you're tired of it, you can paint it another color. Which I did in the pantry (nothing too drastic, just brighter white). Lastly: it's WAYYYY easier to remove for two reasons. It's made with a less adhesive paste (strong enough to last a long time, without the "pulling teeth" method of removal) and the removal tools are much, MUCH handier.

 

Back to the pantry! As I said before, I painted the wallpaper a brighter white..

 and, of course, I switched out the light with something not too far from the original, as it does put out a great amount of lighting, but with a little contrast at the base.

(if this project has taught me anything, it's that I need to learn how to take photographs of lights lol)

 

 

I also added a little extra detail to the top of the shelving. It's the small things folks...

 

 AND THEN CAME THE FLOORING!!!!!! BUM BUM BUMMMMMMMMMMM. Which means I needed to bring in this guy...

 

To be more clear, I'm referring to this one...

 

 

He's pretty amazing at what he does. He helped me out BIG time with the pantry because he got me some pretty sweet flooring for $0. Gotta love that price!! With his help we went from this, to this.

 





 

 

 

Not going to lie, after the flooring was put in, I sat on it and admired it for a good hour. AND IT'S NOT EVEN MY PANTRY! It is gorgeous.

 

After flooring, I had one last update before heading into the food department. I added a quick coat of grey stain to the shelving in the back just to add a bit of a "rugged" look to match the overall look of the house (which is a NW Lodge meets Italian Country style). You can see it better here...

 

 

And then came the food. What a nightmare! But at least I can eat a gourmet, home-cooked meal while World War Z is taking over the streets. First we had to purge....and purge.....and purge. The problem with not properly labeling a fully-loaded pantry is you forget half the crap you own AND how much of it you own. So there were quite a few oldies that I tossed, and a few newer duplicates that I donated. A quick trip to Ikea to load up on some containers, and printed labels handy, and it was GO TIME. I found these cute free printable labels..

 

You can find them here www.liagriffith.com

 

And I labeled away....

 

 

and labeled some more.

 

Until the pantry was complete. And so, the almighty pantry lives on. Only way HOTTER.

 

and lastly, the stereotypical "side-by-side" photo

 

If you have any questions about this project or products involved in this project, feel free to email me at [email protected]

 



 

 

 



The Houswife

Hello all! It's been a long time eh? To be quite honest I completely forgot that I owned a blog until today. I was cooking and found myself at pivotal point in my life and thought "this would make a good blog" and then laughed. So...

Today has been epic. It was a day that housewives near and far wait impatiently for all year long. HOLIDAY BAKING DAY. I was going to start small. Getting my toes slightly wet and then jumping in the deep end with no floaties!!! I started with a cherry pistachio nougat from a blogger on bonappetit.com and I was slightly intimidated because, well, this recipe calls for the use of a candy thermometer.

Oh, beloved candy thermometer. My arch rival and evil nemesis. For those of you who don't bake or cook I'll try to put it into terms you would understand. It's like I'm Han Solo and the thermometer is Jabba the Hut. I would use the reference of Luke and Darth, but Darth is his father and there is always a place in one's heart for father. But NOT Jabba. He's evil. He enjoys humiliating others and...he has a bitch on a leash. I AM MY CANDY THERMOMETER'S BITCH! It has taken me down time after time without fail. It has me on a leash and, yes, at times I feel just as vulnerable (but not nearly as naked) as Princess Leah.

So today I pulled the meaningless coking tool out of the back of the drawer where it lies, cob-webbed and all, looked at it in the face and said "TODAY...YOUR ASS IS MINE BEUHLER." And then 20 minutes later failed at my nougat. Ugh...it was runny and shiny and all things nougat aren't! Once again the thermometer failed me. Candy...stupid candy!!! Why do I even try?

As I was vigorously scrubbing the crusted sugar off the sides of my pan, I looked over at my pistachios and cherries. Unused. Perfectly baked and prepared for savory and delicious candy. "Damn it," I thought. Suddenly it was getting hot. I took off my sweater, threw on my apron, tightened the strap (double knotted it even) and marched over to my recipe cards. I was searching pile after pile looking for something yet nothing at the same time and...there it was.

DIVINITY!

No really, divinity. A complete lack of nutrient candy that consists of a little egg white and a boat load of sugar. Also, my worst enemy. Every housewife's enemy who has attempted to make it, surely. Side note: If you have not had the pleasure of making this treat, I highly recommend it. It will make you a stronger person.

Before I go on, let us take a moment to discuss "divinity." The definition of Divinity is: Theology. Aka: the study of religious faith, practice and experience. Ah yes, clearly whomever named this treat knew exactly how stubborn and impossible it is.

OK! Back to the kitchen! I was about to attempt (for the umpteenth time) a recipe which I have NEVER succeeded. A recipe in which I have attempted to conquer since I was a teenager. One that I heard horror story after horror story of women in their kitchens trying to succeed and all have failed and I, Erika Kaetlyn Rusk, was ready for failure...again. Now, to say that at this point in my day I was a tad delusional is an understatement. Today was apparently not a day for joyous baking but for holiday disaster. I was ready to go down, kamikaze style.

With pot in hand, I poured the the sugar and water and tightly secured my thermometer to the side of it cold metal rim, turned the burner on high and I waited. And then waited some more. and then I stirred, I mixed, I sat, I poured, I watched, I straddled (yes, I straddled. I straddled my KitchenAid like none other thinking that because I was hanging on to it for dear life that it, in return, would whip for dear life) and I sweat. I watched the thermometer rise and fall and rise and fall...and rise again. Alas, it reached 260. I poured the candy sugar into the stiff peaks of egg whites and whipped. And when my KitchenAid looked like it was about to burst into flames I took it off and whipped some more (by hand). And when I thought my arm was going to fall off and drop to the kitchen floor I called in my husband and HE whipped some more. And then, ladies and gentlemen, something happened. Something in which could only be describes as a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE happened.

Ladies and Gentlemen....I MADE DIVINITY!!!!!!

And now, dear sweet candy thermometer...YOU are MY bitch!

The Interior Designer

You know what is the most confusing thing about being an Interior Decorator? I have NO idea what the hell to do to my own home. I love all things "home" so much that there is NO word for the style I have going on in my home. What makes it worse, is that I'm an artist as well, therefore every time I paint something, I somehow feel compelled to hang it in my home even though it goes with NOTHING!!!!

But let's be honest, everything in my home right now is in its transitional stage. I have bachelor furniture which includes a BLUE LEATHER SOFA and a LazyBoy recliner. And then there's the bachelorette things which include floral print lamps and leopard covered EVERYTHING. Nothing says "married couple" aside from his and her toothbrushes and an occasional fight over the toilet seat being left up. This has got to change, and I've known this for two years now but...I simply can't do it. This is the first time in Interior Decorating when I simply...don't know.

I blame my mother and father. My mother mostly because she paved the way to expensive taste, which I've never quite understood because we were never really "wealthy" growing up. But boy, oh boy, do we pick out the ONLY things in the store that cost more than my car. I mean, have you seen my wedding photos? You saw my dress....THAT is what happens when you can't afford what you really want. My Dad's hand in this comes from the "explorer" part of me. I do not like to find things at Costco or Target...I have this constant urge to have an original print from the artist, and original throw from the maker in New Mexico or hand rolled candles from New York. I truly, would much rather be ordinary, because then at least my home would make sense. I guess for now we will be eclectic gypsies who love all things woodsy.

Perhaps my next decor purchase will be a money tree...even then I love too many styles.

Erica Lamoureaux come help me!