Shrimp & Crab Bisque...It's what's for dinner

 
This is a delicious recipe that looks WAY fancier and more complicated than it actually is. The first time I made it,  I made it to impress a guy that I was dating who I had invited to my house for the first time...he actually stood me up! His loss because, that dish came out so good, I was happy that I didn't have to share it with him!
Fast forward to present day...My hubby had been having a pretty intense week at work and I wanted to do something special to show him that he is loved. So, I went to work in the kitchen preparing this simple recipe that in the end he LOVED!

                               Shrimp and Crab Bisque

What You Need:

• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 1 pound medium shell-on raw shrimp
• Salt
• 4 large sprigs thyme
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• Cayenne
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons long-grain rice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 can lump crab meat

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp, EVOO over high heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook, stirring, until pink and firm, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. peel the shrimp and transfer to a clean bowl.
 Return the shells to the pot. Add 8 cups water and 3 sprigs thyme, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 2- minutes. Strain the broth into a large glass measuring cup, pressing on the shells to extract any juices; discard the shells.

2. Add the onion, celery and remaining 1 tbsp. EVOO to the pot; season with salt and a pinch of cayenne. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste then the wine. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated.

3.Add the shrimp, broth, lump crabmeat, and rice. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, skimming occasionally, until the rice is cooked, about 1 hour.

4. Remove 6 of the shrimp and slice in half lengthwise; reserve. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup with the remaining shrimp in batches; return to the pot. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Season with more salt and cayenne.

Ladle the bisque into bowls; garnish with the reserve shrimp and the remaining thyme.

Bon Appetite and thanks for reading! If you like what you see, go ahead and leave a comment...if you hate what you see, go ahead and leave a comment...I'd appreciate the feedback :)

Wishing you blue skies and Happy Days,
Shereeta

DIY Ottoman

After the success of my couch painting project I got really excited to do another furniture project...or ANY project actually. The DIY bug had bit me hard. I was watching videos and stalking other people blogs and Pinterest for inspiration...and there was so much inspiration.
My kids were on spring break so whatever project I was going to do that week needed to be something that they could help with even though they didn't help...not even a little bit. They are still teenagers after all, their interest died when we pulled into the Goodwill to see if there were any pieces that could use a little DIY TLC.

                                       I WAS IN FOR A TREAT!

                                 This puppy was for sale for $10...I instantly thought, OTTOMAN

While it would require a little bit of work on my part, it was something that was simple to create and would be done in time for me to get dinner on the table. The first thing I decided on was that those ugly 1970's table legs were out so I went to my local Home depot and got some 14 inch table legs for about $5 each. I picked up some foam cushion, batting and the materials from the craft shop and I was ready to rock and roll. 

Once I got it to the workshop, I removed the legs and measured the dimensions. Using a 1x4 piece of scrap wood that I built an apron for the bottom of the table top for support. I used my kREG jig to create pocket holes so that I could screw the apron on to the table top without having exposed screws.

After I got the apron attached I then went to work on my legs...well...not MY legs but...you know! I used some white chalk paint that I had left over from another project to paint the legs and set the off to the side to dry. Chalk paint take almost no time to dry, much to my delight. After two coats, I did just a little distressing to the legs using a piece of fine grit sandpaper. 

 Once I got the legs painted I went back to work on the bench. The thickness of the foam pad that I had was only 2 inches thick so I cut it in half, sussed spray adhesive to glue them together to make a 4 in cushion for the seat. I also used some 1 inch foam from another project to place over the apron as well. I wrapped it up in cotton batting and stapled it underneath. 

Once it was all cushion and the batting was on, the only thing left to do was measure my material and get it placed and stapled on as well. 

I will admit that the corners did give me a bit of trouble but I was still very excited about the outcome. Even the teenagers had something nice to say after it was all said and done :)

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog...If you like what you see (or hate it) leave a comment, I'll reply back.You can follow me here and on twitter (@shereetamaxey). If you write a blog let me know so that I can visit and show some love! 

Shereeta