Pierogies with Ma

Pierogi_Recipe

We went to Omaha for Thanksgiving weekend and had a great time spending the holiday with family and also attending a wedding. Mom wanted us to celebrate Christmas since she would not see us so we decided to call it Festivus. 🙂

While home this time, I really wanted to make pierogies. We used to make them with my Grandma P. and I hadn’t made them in years. I think Mrs. T’s brand was acceptable for my sister… until she made the homemade kind. Here is the recipe we followed, which can be modified to suit your tastes.

Filling ingredients:

  • 5 lbs white potatoes peeled and boiled
  • 12-24 oz cottage cheese (range for preference)
  • Onions lightly sautĂ©ed
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Dough ingredients:

  • 6 c flour
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • Warm water (add to dough as necessary)

Instructions:

  1. Boil potatoes. When done, mix with other filling ingredients.
  2. Mix dough ingredients and roll into a log shape.
  3. Cut 2-3 oz pieces of dough and roll into circular shape.
  4. Add 1-2 tablespoons of filling.
  5. Add small amount of warm water around edges and fold over to seal.
  6. Use a fork to seal the half-moon shape.
  7. Boil pierogi until it floats (only a few minutes).
  8. Remove from boiling water and dip into cool water.
  9. Add to pan with butter and fry until lightly brown, (replacing butter about every two uses).

Thanks Mom for making these with us and passing down Grandma’s recipe. For my sister’s first time making these, she did a fantastic job assembling her pierogies into perfectly small half-moon shapes!

I would have taken a photo of the finished product, but I was too busy eating!

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Northern Cali Christmas

My husband and I road-tripped to wine country to spend time with my mother-in-law for Christmas. Our stay was so nice, it always is. While we have quite some time before we retire, we do talk about living in that area someday. And not because it’s warm! But because it is so peaceful.

From Sonoma we headed to South Lake Tahoe to stay in a lovely cabin we rented… but before we got on the road we stopped at the Glen Ellen Village Market to get some snacks. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to pick up a few bottles of local wine. Of the bottles we purchased I saved a few for when we returned home, one of which we enjoyed with our home prepared dinner on New Year’s Eve: 2008 Pellegrini Carignan – Redwood Valley.

Wow this wine was fantastic! We paired it with excellent cuts of filet mignon and rib eye from Siesel’s Old Fashioned Meat & Deli located in Bay Park, San Diego, along with rosemary garlic potatoes and squash. This wine was amazing with our dinner! So good that I Googled Pellegrini Family Vineyard and bought two more bottles right from the vineyard!

Dinner on New Years Eve 2010

Filet Mignon for NYE 2010

I made a statement to my husband on New Year’s Eve that it’s good to be older… We are only in our 30s, and God willing have a lot more time on earth with each other. But what I meant by that is we no longer feel the need get gussied up, go out, spend a bunch of money, only to be hung over the next day! Ah yes, aging isn’t so bad!

Happy New Year to you and yours! I hope 2011 is one of the best years of your life!