Have I mentioned how much I love this community?  Because I do.  You all are so kind!  Thank you for all of your sweet comments and concern - you have no idea how much I appreciate it.   I'm sorry for my doom and gloom post yesterday, and for leaving you all hanging.  I've spent the weekend going over things with my hubb and am feeling much better about the whole situation.  I should know more tomorrow or Tuesday and can share then, but I'm starting to see the positive side of things and do believe that everything will be for the better. Most of my eats this weekend weren't that exciting...some leftover red beans, some Five Guys (I know...shocking!!!  My once every 6 months burger...), banana pancakes and lots of Ben + Jerry's.  Can we say comfort food?!?!?  But I did spend this afternoon in the kitchen making my hubb's birthday cake (which I will share with you tomorrow!) some potato salad for a pot luck dinner (which I will also share sometime this week) and this yummy cabbage + apple slaw, which paired perfectly with the bratwurst my hubb pan-fried for sandwiches. I haven't done much with cabbage in the past...mixed it with greens in salads, boiled it down with potatoes, carrots and ham for a New England Boiled Dinner, shredded it up to make a filling for  potstickers.  Although slaw is an obvious use for cabbage I have somehow managed to escape these last few years without ever experimenting with it. I've seen a few cabbage slaw recipes pop up in the blog world over the last couple of weeks, but decided to try out my own.  We had some bratwurst in our freezer from Babes in the Wood, and my hubb was just saying that we don't make sandwiches for dinner often enough.  I grabbed a couple of apples from our fruit bowl and the open bottle of cabernet on the counter.  I was hoping for something sweet and tangy, a nice compliment to the spiciness of the brats and the dijon mustard I knew my hubb would pair with them. Oh sweet [and tangy] success.  This sandwich was so delicious and satisfying, and the slaw was the star of the show.  I suggest a ciabatta roll and butternut squash fries on the side...YUM. Cabernet + Apple Slaw Ingredients:

• 3/4 head of red cabbage, about 2 pounds
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tart apples, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• salt + pepper

Method:

1. Remove all tough outer leaves.  Quarter cabbage through stem, remove core of cabbage.  Slice cabbage into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in large soup pot.  Add onion and saute until tender and golden, 5-6 minutes.  Add sliced apples and saute an additional 2 minutes.  Add garlic and saute an additional 1 minute.
3. Add cabbage, cover and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
4. Add wine, cover and saute for an additional 10 minutes.  When cabbage is tender, remove lid and turn up heat to cook off the last of the liquid.
5. Remove from heat and toss cabbage mixture with vinegar and salt + pepper to taste.
6. Top with toasted pine nuts.

Tomorrow is my hubb's birthday and we're having a little party at his office.  I am so excited to try the cake I baked today...my first ever from-scratch, made on my own cake.  Only the best for my love.  Here's a little preview... That's raspberry puree' oozing from between layers of decadent chocolate cake.  And right after I took this picture I covered the whole thing with chocolate ganache.   Oh yes I did.  :) Have a lovely Monday, everybody!