three hundred and twenty-nine

That was the longest "tomorrow" ever. I had intended to share my recipe for green beans last Wednesday, followed by my Thanksgiving pictures and this week's menu plan* on Friday, but the holidays got in my way. I managed to overwork my side effect addled self to the point that I almost ended up being hospitalized for IV fluids.

As a last "please don't make me pay the ER copay" resort, after three days of tons of vomiting and little to no eating and drinking, I buckled down and followed some weird Oregon Trail-esque rehydration treatment (no, I am not kidding) that involved teaspoonfuls of room temperature water every 15 minutes. I kept 72+ ounces down last night, and I'm halfway through my third-24 ounce tumbler of water today as I speak, so I think it's safe to say I have dodged yet another medical bullet.

So, without further ado, here's a recipe I never want to see again. I'm not sure if I can recommend anyone make it, as it only ever seems to cause frustration for me whenever I try to share the recipe. If you're one of those daredevils who likes living on the edge, click through for the recipe. Caveat coquus!

*Speaking of menu plans... I have a big old cache of them built up. Do any of you want to see what I ate a few weeks ago? I'm thinking not, because there's only so many menus one can read without going mad.

Modernized Green Bean Casserole

1 pound fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup halved dried cranberries
1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken or turkey stock 
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
French fried onions, to taste (optional)

Blanch the green beans and set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add 1 diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup dry white wine.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add 4 ounces cream cheese, stirring until melted. Add 1/3 cup of dried cranberries to the saute pan, followed by 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Add the green beans to the cream cheese-cranberry mixture and toss until the beans are coated with the sauce. If it looks dry, add an additional splash of chicken stock. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan placed over low heat. Add 1/3 cup (more if you like nuts) chopped walnuts to the melted butter. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant and toasted. Remove from heat and toss into the green bean mixture.

If desired, top the casserole with French fried onions. Bake at 375 F, or until bubbly and delicious.

Serves 8-10.