Cold, clear and a baked alaska dessert recipe

Good morning Augusta

We’re under a special statement for patchy ice this morning so drive and walk carefully.

This morning we’ll have sunny skies with a high of º34F with Winds from the NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight we’ll have cloudy skies with a few flurries or snow showers possible. Low will be around 24 ºF with light and variable winds.

The readings from my weather instruments in the North field are:

Humidity is 81%, the dew point is 19ºF, outside it’s -6.5ºC and 19.6ºF.

The wind direction is Northeast between 1.8 MPH and  2.7 MPH, generating a wind chill of 19.6ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 30.14 / HPA 1020.6 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 0.0 out of 16, Sunrise is at 7:00 a.m. Sunset is 3:59 P.M. Moon rise is at 11:45 a.m., Moon set is 11:02 p.m. and the moon phase is waxing crescent.  

The RAW METAR reading from the airport in Augusta, Maine is:

METAR KAUG 061053Z AUTO 31004KT 10SM CLR M04/M07 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP189 I1000 T10441072

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 Kilometers with clear skies for today.

We received roughly 3.5 inches of snow over the past 24 hours.

Okay, enough of recipes that take time to prepare.  How about some good old-fashioned Chicken noodle soup that can be ready in half an hour?

AFTER-WORK CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

6 servings

Prep:  10 min.   Cook:  20 min

4 cans (14 ½ oz each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups cut-up cooked chicken

1 cup frozen green peas

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

¼ tsp pepper

2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)

2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)

1 medium onion, chopped (½ cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup uncooked wide egg noodles (2 oz)

Heat all ingredients except noodles to boiling in 3-qt. Saucepan.  Stir in noodles.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles and vegetables are tender.  

 

Dessert:

BAKED ALASKA, DIABETIC STYLE for those who can’t eat what the rest of us can.

sugar-free cookies for the base

sugar-free ice cream

egg whites (or the commercial kind IF it says okay to use for meringue)

sugar substitute okay to use for baking (like Splenda)

Six eggs or equivalent in egg substitute: Whip for about a minute and a half until the consistency of whipped cream.  Add about one half or three quarters cup of sugar substitute and continue whipping.  When the texture has reached that of a wet, marshmallow consistency, it is done.

Two choices:  You can bake a cake and cut out 4 inch rounds to act as bases for the ice cream, or use the sugar free cookies.  Put a large, rounded scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt on it  Cover with meringue.  Place on a cookie sheet and put into freezer for about an hour.  Just before serving – pull them out of the freezer and place into a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 3 minutes.  Remove from oven, place on dessert plates, and cover with hot fudge sauce.