We baked cookies for a neighbor’s BBQ last Sunday.  LOTS of cookies.  Way too many cookies.  About 14 dozen.  It’s what we do.  Feed the world.

Knowing just how many cookies we had baked – and knowing that we were NOT bringing cookies home with us (we had bags in the freezer, also) – we brought over baggies for folks to bring some home with them.  As we were lamenting our over-baking, another neighbor mentioned that they had a son in Iraq, and if we found ourselves with too many cookies in the future, they would be more than happy to take them off our hands and ship them off.  The next morning Victor showed up at their doorstep with a whole bunch of cookies.

I’ve officially lost 19 pounds.  I do not want and/or need cookies in the house right now.

Besides… I was a baker on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Gulf of Tonkin during the Viet Nam War.  I know first hand that a stale cookie from home is infinitely better than the freshest-baked military-issue cookie.  It’s just the way it is.  Our neighbors did us a favor taking them.   It was great getting them out of the house in such a good way.

So yesterday in our mailbox, we find a lovely package and a really sweet thank you note.  In the package was a bottle of Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce!  Oh Boy!  I just love new sauces and condiments and stuff!  And they included a recipe for:

Caramelized Onions with Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce

Chef Carol Austin

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 large Vidalia onions,(or other sweet onions) thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet.
2. Add onions and cook covered until the onions have softened.
3. Mix in the Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce.
4. Cook with cover off until the onions are dark brown.

Recipe Tips
A great side dish or as a sauce for hamburgers or a steak!

Naturally, I had to try it right away – as in tonight!

I had 1 large sweet onion and 2 large red onions, so that’s what I used.  It came out excellent!  It made a lot (thankfully!) and a good-sized container went into the ‘fridge.  While I’m sure we’ll eat it up fairly quickly, I’m also sure it’s going to have a pretty good shelf-life.

The onions went on top of a perfectly cooked and perfectly tender filet which sat atop mashed potatoes.  Peas were cooked with garlic and fresh tarragon.

I have a container of fresh figs in the ‘fridge and seriously thought about adding some to the onions, but I hadn’t really tasted the sauce enough to know how well they would work.  I think tomorrow may be chicken breasts with figs – and more of the onions!

I just love new foods!