tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355893412528379852024-03-13T22:09:23.726-07:00A Pinch of Thisrecipes we loveCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-57261838287552915662019-05-02T17:47:00.000-07:002019-05-02T17:47:39.518-07:00Greek Turkey Burgers<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;">Have you ever had a turkey burger and immediately thought, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;">well, that was disappointing?</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"> Yep. Me too. I think that describes all of the turkey burgers I ever had...until recently. I didn't make them for a while, even though they're pretty healthy, because I was never satisfied with the final product. Turkey is lean--the stuff I get from the store is only 7% fat. For comparison's sake, good beef burger uses beef that is at least 20% fat. That's why turkey burgers are usually dry compared to their juicy, beefy counterparts. Also, turkey itself it pretty...plain. It doesn't taste like a whole lot. That's why many turkey burger recipes call for savory flavor elements like Worcestershire sauce--those recipes are trying to build in some of the umami turkey naturally lacks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The photo you see below is from a recipe I pinned a while ago. It's a recipe for Greek Burgers (apparently from CleanCuisine.com, per the watermark, though I couldn't find this recipe on that site anywhere when I just went looking for it), and it calls for lots of delicious stuff like oregano and garlic and feta and lemon juice. If you added that stuff to a beef burger, it would be weird--the flavor of all the goodies would be completely overwhelmed by the beefiness of the meat. But in a turkey burger, that stuff is amazing. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b6/9e/dd/b69eddae435671ee68b0e66b9a823697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b6/9e/dd/b69eddae435671ee68b0e66b9a823697.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin-top: auto;" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">So I made these burgers for a while. They were much, much tastier than a standard, bland turkey burger, but they were still dry. So I did some more scouring and research before I had an ah-ha! moment: since turkey lacks fat, I COULD ADD FAT BACK IN. What fat goes well with oregano and garlic? Olive oil. Done. A tablespoon of olive oil (ish--I never measure these things) added to a pound of ground turkey helped the juiciness factor a lot. But I knew I could still do better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Then, about six months ago, I read an article by the good folks over at America's Test Kitchen that really revolutionized the turkey burgers I now make. They added a really bizarre ingredient that I would never in a thousand years have thought to add--gelatin. Essentially, they sprinkle a tablespoon of unflavored gelatin over 3 </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tablespoons of chicken broth, let it set up, then dice it finely and add it into the meat mixture. It sounds strange. But if you think about it, it makes sense; the little cubes of solid, neutrally-flavored chicken broth melt as the burger cooks, but are encased in the ground turkey, sealing in the juices and creating a juicy, drippy, umami-filled burger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had these burgers tonight, and they. Were. Amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's my recipe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Greek Turkey Burgers</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 Tbsp. chicken broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 (ish) Tbsp Olive Oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp. lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2-3 pressed or minced cloves of garlic </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp of dried oregano OR 3 Tbsp. of chopped fresh oregano</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 c. crumbled feta</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 c. chopped spinach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Salt and pepper to taste (or use lemon pepper, if you've got it--it's not necessary, but works really well in this burger)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First, sprinkle the gelatin over the chicken broth and set aside. Come back to it in about 10 minutes, when it has set up, and finely dice it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a large bowl, combine the turkey with all of the other ingredients, including the diced gelatin mixture. Use a large ice cream scoop to portion out about 1/3 c. of the turkey. Lightly shape into a ball, then gently press into a patty. (I get about 8 patties from this quantity) Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add some olive oil to the pan. Season patties with salt and pepper or lemon pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for about another 3 minutes, or until done. Be careful not to overcook--you still want the burger to feel a littlest squidgy. (Open your hand and press the plump area right below your thumb. A perfectly-cooked turkey burger will feel something like that.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Serve immediately on a brioche or potato bun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I suggest topping with any or all of the following items:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Spinach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sliced tomato</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finely sliced red onion rings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thinly sliced cucumber</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tzatziki sauce</span></div>
Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-6008551803650795622012-02-20T05:57:00.001-08:002012-02-20T06:14:08.006-08:00Menu Plan + Sausage+Mozzarella Pasta RecipeI'm probably speaking to dead air, but I thought I'd start posting here again. I've got a few recipes I've begun making that I'd like to have handy here, so hopefully blogging once a year won't become a habit. <div><br /></div><div>This week:</div><div> (In no particular order this time--scandalous!)</div><div><br /></div><div>1) Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry</div><div>Sesame Noodles with cilantro</div><div>Homemade egg rolls or potstickers (I have both in the freezer, so we'll decide which sounds better that night.)</div><div><br /></div><div>2) Hot Chicken Salad</div><div>Steamed Green Beans</div><div><br /></div><div>3) Ham</div><div>Mashed Potatoes</div><div>Salad</div><div><br /></div><div>4) This dish: (I have some lightening-up modifications in mind, but here it is as it was served to us at a friend's house a few weeks ago. It is her parents' recipe, and she was kind enough to share!)</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "><b><u>Sausage & Mozzarella Pasta</u></b></div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">1/4 cup unsalted butter</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">2 tbs olive oil</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">3/4 lb spicy Italian sausage, casing split & removed</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">2 medium onions, coarsely chopped</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">2 1/2 tbs dried oregano</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">2 tbs sugar</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">1 1/2 tbs tomato paste</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">1/2 tsp salt</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">2 bay leaves</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">1 box Penne Pasta</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">In a large skillet, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. </div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Crumble in the sausage, and the garlic and onions.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Saute until the sausage just begins to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Carefully, pour off the fat.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Stir in the cream, oregano, sugar, tomato paste, salt and bay leaves.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Gently boil until fairly thick, 15 to 20 minutes.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Remove the bay leaves and stir in the mozzarella cheese.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Simmer just until the cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Spoon over cooked pasta.</div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium; "><br /></span></div>5) Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:100%;color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:100%;color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">We used to do leftovers on Saturdays. Well, not anymore. Sunday lunches were stressing me out--by the time we got home, our youngest two couldn't decide whether they were tired or hungry, or both, and were generally miserable. Now, I usually make something light on Saturday, or we rely on things like salads and sandwiches, and we save leftovers for Sunday afternoons. That way, we can come home, zap stuff in the microwave, and get the Littles in bed <i>tout suite</i>. Also, reserving leftovers for Sundays means we don't fall into the expensive "let's-just-grab-takeout" habit too often. I do enjoy having a nice family meal on Sundays, but I've come to realize that for our family, it's more about who we're eating with (ourselves! all at a table! together!) than what we're eating. The kids and Hubs don't care what they're eating, as long as it's tasty; I was the only one who wanted something traditional and fancy. But I also want sanity. So, at least for the foreseeable future, leftovers it is.<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:100%;"> </span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "><br /></div></span></div>Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-40280747299435132542011-02-28T06:04:00.000-08:002011-02-28T07:09:24.848-08:00Menu PlanAnother week, another menu plan. I'm starting to get a bit busy at home--I'm almost 37 weeks along in my pregnancy, so in theory, this baby could come at any time. I'm feeling the need to prepare for this--cleaning and organizing, washing baby clothes, shopping for things like newborn diapers and such, and so on and so on. You might call it nesting. I call it clearing-the-clutter-to-make-room-for-the-chaos. In light of this, this week's menu is heavy on items that are easy for me to prepare. No apologies here! These are all yummy things that we love to eat. It should be a good--and hopefully productive--week.<br /><br />Monday<br />Maple-Sesame Fried Rice<br />Pork Pot Stickers (from a box. I love homemade, but they definitely don't fit in with the easy-to-prepare theme this week)<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Mockzagna<br />Salad<br /><br />Wednesday<br />BLTs on Homemade Challah<br />Tomato Soup<br /><br />Thursday<br />Honey Roasted Chicken<br />Roasted potatoes<br />Salad<br />Challah<br /><br />Friday<br />Chicken Tetrazzini OR Chicken Enchiladas<br /><br />Saturday<br />Vegetable Beef Soup<br /><br />Sunday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />What's on your menu this week? I'm always looking for new ideas!Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-35536211447407723362011-02-07T08:17:00.000-08:002011-02-07T08:23:24.995-08:00Menu PlanThis week is a little bit funny. For the first time ever, and only for this week, Abe's work schedule won't permit him to be a home at dinner time. That means the rest of us are on our own. That's one less parent to watch kids while the other one (me) fixes dinner, one less parent to fight the almost-inevitable dinnertime battles, one less parent to clean up. In light of this arrangement, I've decided this week's meals are going to be easy and VERY kid-friendly. This week is about picking my battles, and I've decided dinner is one battle we can shelve for the time being. Here's this week's menu:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Steak Salad<br />Bread<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Homemade Chicken Nuggets<br />Oven Fries<br />Cut-up veggies and dip<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Sloppy Joes<br />Mac n Cheese<br />Peas<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Turkey Pot Pie<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Pick-a-recipe-from-a-cookbook day<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Leftovers<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />TakeoutCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-86565495173251917002011-01-31T07:56:00.000-08:002011-01-31T08:08:56.382-08:00Menu PlanOkay. I've concocted a menu plan, but I'm not feeling so great today, so absolutely nothing on it sounds good to me. With that in mind, there's a good chance that when I am feeling better, I'll make some changes. Even though I feel like I prepare a large variety of meals, when I look at my menu plans, they all somehow seem the same to me, and this week's seems especially boring.<br /><br />Starting next week, I think I'm going to try a new approach or two to meal planning to try to break us free from meal boredom. First, I'd like to look at the menus of the restaurants we love and try to duplicate some of the things we like to order there--we don't eat out super often, so this may be a good way to make us feel like we do. Second, I'd like to take a new look at some of the cookbooks and cooking magazines I have on my shelves--there must be many yummy-looking recipes in them that I haven't tried yet. We may even develop a few new family favorites! Also, I may start leaving a day meal-plan-free and trying to be more creative on that day; last Saturday, I cooked up some yellow rice and combined it with leftover cooked chicken, and made some flavorful black beans to go with. We topped it all with cheese and sour cream, and I couldn't BELIEVE what a hit it was with my family. I was just looking for an easy way out of preparing a big, time-consuming meal, and my creativity paid off.<br /><br />Well, enough talk of creative meals. Here's this week's boring meal plan!<br /><br />Monday<br />Homemade pizza<br />Salad<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Brats with onions and peppers<br />Oven Fries w/ parmesan and rosemary<br /><br />Wednesday<br />Ham<br />Scalloped Au Gratin Potatoes<br />Peas<br /><br />Thursday<br />Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Chicken<br />Herbed spaetzle<br />Broccoli<br /><br />Friday<br />Chicken Noodle Soup<br />Homemade bread<br /><br />Saturday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />Sunday<br />TBS lunch; then Super Bowl food later. I haven't totally decided what, though...Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-32256399934703578082011-01-24T08:11:00.000-08:002011-01-24T08:17:19.239-08:00Menu PlanThis week, I need quite a few quick, get-out-the-door meals. So that's what's on the menu!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />BBQ Chicken Sandwiches w/ caramelized onions, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce<br />Go-to Mac and Cheese<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Ravioli "Lasagna" (layer cheese ravioli with sauce and mozzarella and bake for a shortcut lasagna)<br />Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Shepherd's Pie (I'll brown the ground beef the night before, when I make the "lasagna")<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Schultzie's Mess (big breakfast-for-dinner scramble with potatoes, ham, peppers, onions, cheese, and eggs)<br />Buttermilk biscuits with jam<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Soup TBA<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />leftovers<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />takeoutCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-72173748664884003422011-01-17T10:56:00.001-08:002011-01-17T11:07:40.890-08:00What's a Meal Plan?Just kidding. I almost always have one, I've just become such a horrible blogger that no one ever gets to see it except me. Which I guess is better than nothing. Here's this week's plan:<br /><br />Monday<br />Cuban Sandwiches (sliced roasted pork, ham, pickles, provolone, mayo and mustard on a homemade soft, slightly-sweet mini baguette, grilled panini-style) (an dI will likely add sliced tomato and some greens to mine, 'cause I can)<br />Salad<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Roasted chicken<br />Mashed Potatoes and Gravy<br />Glazed Carrots<br /><br />Wednesday<br />Tortellini with chicken and pesto cream sauce<br />More Salad (I've got some nice greens I don't want to go to waste!)<br /><br />Thursday<br />Roast Beef<br />Homemade noodles<br />Steamed Peas<br /><br />Friday<br />Hawaiian Ham Steaks<br />Pineapple-almond Rice Pilaf<br />Veggie TBA<br /><br />Saturday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />Sunday<br />Chinese?Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-35580219934926014932010-11-15T10:35:00.000-08:002010-11-15T10:40:33.903-08:00Menu PlanThis week:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Roast Beef<br />Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic<br />Glazed Carrots<br />Buttered Peas<br />Cole slaw<br />Rolls<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />French Chicken in a Pot<br />Rice pilaf<br />Broccoli with cheese sauce<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />French Dip Stromboli<br />JoJo Potatoes<br />Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Homemade Pizza<br />Veggie Sticks and Dip<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Sausage and Egg Casserole<br />Maple Streusel Muffins<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Leftovers for lunch, dinner with friends?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />Pasta with Pesto Alfredo Sauce and ChickenCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-17679106094617901802010-11-15T08:25:00.001-08:002010-11-15T10:17:33.658-08:00Basic Sweet DoughThis one is a no-brainer: it's a recipe from America's Test Kitchen (foolproof), it's easy (thankyouverymuch), and it is perfect for <span style="font-style: italic;">any</span> sweet dough application, like sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, hot cross buns, or Entenmann's-like danish. Oh, the deliciousness.<br /><br />This basic recipe makes enough dough for three Entenmann's-sized danishes. My favorites are cream cheese and cinnamon (additional recipes to follow).<br /><br />But here's where it all begins...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Basic Sweet Dough</span><br /><br />3/4 c. buttermilk (or clabbered milk), warm<br />6 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled until just warm<br />3 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour<br />1/4 c. sugar<br />1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) yeast<br />1 tsp. salt<br /><br />Whisk together the buttermilk, butter, and eggs.<br /><br />In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together. (I use a stand mixer for this, but if you don't have one, you can always do it by hand--it'll just mean more kneading)<br /><br />Let your stand mixer mix the dough on medium-low for 10 minutes, or knead by hand for 10-15 minutes, adding flour as needed.<br /><br />Knead the dough by hand on a floured counter top until it's smooth and elastic--about 1 minute. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.<br /><br />How you proceed depends on what you're making next; I divide it into three even portions when I'm making danishes/coffee cakes, but use the whole recipe of dough to make a 9x13 pan of sticky buns or cinnamon rolls.Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-72044173411772578532010-11-08T06:42:00.000-08:002010-11-08T06:48:34.073-08:00Menu PlanComing soon: Recipe for homemade danish (my new obsession)<br /><br />This week's menu plan:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Breaded Pan-fried Pork Chops<br />Green Bean Casserole<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Chicken and Spinach Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />French Dip Sandwiches<br />Potato Wedges<br />Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Egg Rolls (holdover from last week)<br />Fried Rice<br />OR<br />Beef/Veggie Stir-fry<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Kielbasa<br />Mashed Potatoes<br />Broccoli<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Leftovers<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />Crock Pot Chicken-In-A-Pot<br />Glazed Carrots<br />Herbed NoodlesCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-36807457221475941202010-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:002010-11-01T07:13:28.146-07:00Menu PlanI'm actually excited about this week's menu plan, which is a nice change! The kids and I went to the grocery store to pick up a prescription today and spent some time meandering the aisles, during which time I was reminded of a whole bunch of stuff I love, but haven't made in a while.<br /><br />Here's this week's plan. But since there are a few TBA events this week, I've elected not to assign days to the meals; they'll just have to work themselves out according to how much time we have at home!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Taco Night</span><br />Spicy Shredded Beef<br />Mexican Rice<br />Refried Beans<br />Tortillas and fixins<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greeky Night</span><br />Greek chicken pita sandwiches (on Naan)<br />Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes<br />Zataar and olive oil for dipping (not Greek, I know. but still good)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Italian Night (kinda)</span><br />Roasted Chicken w/ pesto vinaigrette<br />Spicy Orzo<br />Grilled Romaine Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian Night</span><br />Homemade Egg Rolls<br />Asian Chicken Wings<br />Sesame noodles, Lo mein-style<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tex-Mex Aberration Night</span><br />3-Bean Chili with cheese and sour cream<br />Elbow Mac or Rice (depends on my mood)Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-2334448388048349462010-10-25T10:23:00.000-07:002010-10-25T10:41:25.916-07:00Menu PlanIt's Turkey Week. not officially, of course; that happens in about a month. But every year, the grocery store has such fabulous deals on turkeys, and I never can pass them up. Trouble is, you only need so many turkeys in your freezer. So this week is all about using up a turkey to make room for the next bird. I've got one in the fridge thawing and plan to brine it overnight tonight and cook it tomorrow (pray that my oven hangs on, by the way). For the rest of the week, we'll just see how far we can stretch the leftovers...I'm guessing pretty far.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Spaghetti<br />Homemade marinara<br />Homemade bread w/herb dipping oil<br />Salad w/grated parm, sliced olives, and yellow peppers<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />TURKEY!<br />Mashed potatoes<br />Gravy<br />Green Beans<br />Applesauce cake<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Pizza w/alfredo, sun-dried tomatoes, turkey, spinach, mozzarella, and feta<br />Cheese pizza for the kids<br />Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />White Turkey Chili<br />Yellow Rice<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Turkey Pot Pie<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Leftovers<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />More leftovers or possibly Beef with Broccoli stir-fry over Jasmine Rice<br /><br />And here's last week's menu plan, which I never officially posted:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Smoked Sausage<br />Mashed Potatoes<br />Broccoli<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Broccoli Cheese Soup<br />Roasted Chicken Legs and Thighs<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Beef Stew with Carrots<br />Homemade noodle-dumplings<br />Apple Crumb Galette (like a pie, but not baked in a pan--sort of tart-esque)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Fried Rice<br />Pot Stickers with dipping sauce<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Takeout pizza + breadsticks<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Breakfast scramble (eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers, cheese)<br />Sausage links<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />LeftoversCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-19620333273118356912010-10-10T11:57:00.000-07:002010-10-10T12:09:36.948-07:00Short Week Menu PlanHey, all! Short menu plan week this week. My mom will be coming to stay at our house this weekend, beginning on Thursday, so I'm leaving all of the weekend meal decisions up to her (insert evil laugh here).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span>'s dish is a re-creation (in part) of a meal I had last Friday when Hubs and I went out for our Anniversary; he had a Wild Mushroom and Butternut Squash lasagna, and I had Cheese tortellini with chicken, toasted pine nuts, browned butter and sage, drizzled with pumpkin butter and topped with toasted sage-rubbed breadcrumbs. It was delicious. I don't have any pumpkin butter, so we're winging it without. We'll have Cheese Ravioli with browned butter and sage, pine nuts, and the sage breadcrumbs. We'll also have steamed broccoli with garlic chips, because we must have vegetables!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span> will be Hot Chicken Salad, just because I crave it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span> will be Beef Stew because it can go in the crock pot, and we never ended up having it last week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span>, we'll have leftovers and round our meal out with salad if need be. And it usually needs be!<br /><br />As I said, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span> and forward will be up to my mom. But don't worry--she is an extremely capable and accomplished cook, so it will all be well.<br /><br />Hope you have a great week in your house!Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-86760407719900137122010-10-04T07:54:00.001-07:002010-10-04T08:16:40.786-07:00Back on the BandwagonI've just recently started cooking in earnest again--if you don't already know, we're expecting again, and I'm just now getting into my second trimester with some renewed energy. My poor garden bore the brunt of my energy-deprived neglect; I worked and weeded and planted and watered, then I got pregnant and tired pretended there wasn't really a garden out there at all. The unfortunate part is that I lost interest round about the time things were ready for harvest and needed the most attention. My wonderful husband helped me put up a few tomatoes, and I made a batch of pesto to last me the year, but other than that, much of my produce went to waste. Fortunately, our neighbors were able to use a bit of it, but still. I have been longing for the first frost to come so I could officially let go of my garden guilt, because I have lots of it. I pretend next year will be better, but I'll have a tiny baby in tow, so I'm not sure it will.<br /><br />All of that to say that if I didn't have time or energy for a bountiful garden that could feed my family, I certainly didn't have energy for inventive and involved meal planning, much less energy to blog about it. But here I am, at week 15 or something like that, and though my house will take a while to recover from my constant napping, my meals are ready to jump right back in. I'm hoping to shake it up a little; looking at my repertoire, I'm just frankly a little bored. Hopefully, over the next few months, I'll find some fabulous new dishes and rediscover some old favorites to post here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Meatloaf<br />Scalloped Potatoes<br />Peas<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday--Our Anniversary!</span><br />Either we'll go out and the kids will eat leftovers, or we'll have<br />Roasted Chicken<br />Rice Pilaf<br />Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Crock Pot Beef Stew<br /><a href="http://alexandracooks.blogspot.com/2008/06/artisan-bread-in-five-minutes-day.html">Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day</a> Bread<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span> (Or, the day on which we might actually celebrate our anniversary on account of needing child care)<br />Either we'll go out and the kids will eat leftovers, or we'll have<br />Roasted Chicken, etc., etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />White Chicken Chili<br />Sweet Corn Cake<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Pot Stickers w/ chili dipping sauce<br />Vegetable Fried Rice<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />Takeout or leftoversCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-10432540136414655482010-07-20T13:33:00.000-07:002010-07-20T13:45:39.937-07:00Menu PlanThis one's for you, Katie D. :)<br /><br />Well, we're back into the swing of things after a marathon of family vacations. We've actually been back for over a week, but frankly, I was worn out. And THEN, coming up with a dinner menu on the fly every night has been even more taxing...so it's time to get back into the normal routine of planning and shopping accordingly. Summer always presents more work, what with the gardening and preserving of food for the winter months, and I simply can't spare the energy to try to come up with a nutritious meal for my family when my brain is already fried from all of the weeding and pruning and what-have-you.<br /><br />Speaking of the garden, that is one of the joys of summer cooking for me: the abundance of fresh produce right outside my back door. This year, we've got several varieties of peppers and hot peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, yellow squash, beans, broccoli, lettuce, and a variety of tomatoes, along with cilantro, dill, rosemary, and basil. Later on, we'll also have corn, watermelon, and pumpkins. I can hardly wait. So as you read the menu plan for this week, insert fresh garden produce wherever you see veggies mentioned.<br /><br />(And cross your fingers for my tomatoes--they're not doing so well...)<br /><br />Sunday<br />Home-fried tostadas<br />Refried beans<br />Spicy Shredded chicken<br />Cilantro<br />Tomatoes<br /><br />Monday<br />Hamburgers<br />Fried potatoes<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Honey Mustard Garlic-rubbed Pork chops<br />Steamed Broccoli with cheese<br />Honeyrock Melon<br /><br />Wednesday<br />Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs<br />Big Old Salad<br />Cornbread<br /><br />Thursday<br />Country-Style Pork ribs<br />Corn on the Cob<br />Buttermilk Biscuits w/ Strawberry jam<br /><br />Friday<br />Grilled Steak Salad<br />Garlic-Rosemary Focaccia<br /><br />Saturday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />Sunday<br />Wish I knew. Probably Pasta Salad with chicken.Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-62729498307514323642010-06-02T08:03:00.001-07:002010-06-02T08:09:10.365-07:00Menu PlanBusy week this week! Errands yesterday, Hubs' softball game tonight, Charis' farm field trip tomorrow and my sister-in-law's High School graduation ceremony tomorrow night, dinner with friends on Friday night, church fellowship on Sunday, and hubs informs me he may have to work OT on Saturday. Whew! But we still have to eat, so....<br /><br />Monday<br />Grilled Burgers<br />Baked Mac n Cheese<br />Peach Cobbler<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Grilled Flank Steak, sliced<br />Home Fries with Garlic and fresh dill<br />Creamy corn<br /><br />Wednesday<br />Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti with broccoli or spinach (haven't decided which yet!)<br /><br />Thursday<br />BBQ Chicken Pizza<br />Salad<br /><br />Friday<br />dinner out--bringing dessert (TBA)<br /><br />Saturday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />Sunday<br />Fellowship Sunday--cookout at churchCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-7155170735824187242010-05-26T10:43:00.000-07:002010-05-26T11:02:22.411-07:00Menu Plan + bonus recipe: Greek SauceYep, I know it's Wednesday. but I've been finding that it is helpful to look back at past menu plans to draw ideas for new ones, so I'll add this one to the pot.<br /><br />I fired up the grill last night and grilled 2 steaks, 5 pork chops, 1 chicken breast, and four huge smoked sausages. From that, we'll have meals for most of the week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Pasta salad with grilled chicken and LOTS of veggies<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Grilled Pork chops finished with Greek-style sauce<br />Roasted Potatoes with golden garlic chips (also finished with Greek sauce)<br />Butter-braised fresh green beans<br /><br /> Greek sauce: 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. melted butter, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp dried oregano, 1 tsp. garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, grated, kosher salt and pepper to taste.<br /> Whisk together the lemon juice, butter, oregano, and garlic powder. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking briskly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over finished pork chops or roasted potatoes. MMMMM!<br /><br />Wednesday<br />Pan-fried homemade egg rolls<br />Maple-sesame bacon fried rice<br /><br />Thursday<br />Naan sandwiches (filling to be determined--maybe thinly sliced steak that I grilled last night, with onions, mozzarella cheese and peppers for me; sliced chicken, spinach, cheese, and tomatoes for the kids; sliced steak, cheese, spinach and spicy mayo for hubs)<br />Corn on the Cob<br /><br />Friday<br />Grilled Smoked Sausage<br />Sauteed Vidalia Onions<br />Potato Salad<br /><br />Saturday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />Sunday<br />Takeout or leftovers (if we still have some)<br /><br />MONDAY! Memorial Day!<br />Brats?<br />Baked Beans?<br />Corn on the cob?<br />Oven Fries or Potato Packets?Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-50947849443137682512010-05-17T13:41:00.000-07:002010-05-17T14:09:24.035-07:00Menu PlanGreetings, all four of you! Back again. It's supposed to warm up this week, and my garden will be the better for it, I'm sure. You'll see a number of Turkey entries this week--we're using up the Turkey I roasted last week. Also, we just bottled maple syrup with my husband's folks, so you'll see maple a couple of times this week, too. Mmmmm good.<br /><br />Let's get cooking!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Sweet Italian Sausage w/sauteed onions and peppers<br />Potato-Cheddar Pierogies<br />Roasted Green Beans<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Turkey Pot Pie<br />Broccoli Slaw<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Maple-Sesame Bacon Fried Rice (with veggies)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Chinese Turkey Salad with Fried Wonton Crisps and Sesame Seeds<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Cuban Sandwiches<br />Saffron Rice with Peas<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Out-and-about<br />School Carnival, Going Away Party<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />LeftoversCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-50046309755341518992010-05-10T07:53:00.000-07:002010-05-10T08:22:11.877-07:00Menu PlanAh, Monday. You present all sorts of challenges, don't you? My current dilemma is of the What Are We Gonna Eat nature. I figure I'll start by letting you know what we had last week. Maybe that will get my creative juices flowing for this week's menu.<br /><br />Also coming up--a post about homemade salad dressing. I started making my own about a year ago, and we hardly use any bottled dressing any more. It's easy to make, and it's CHEAP! It also tastes a lot fresher, and there's the added benefit of being able to tailor the dressing to personal tastes. I may post that yet today, but I will post it by tomorrow at the latest.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LAST WEEK'S MENU:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Baked Ziti<br />Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Grilled Pork Steak<br />Cacio e Pepe Roasted Potatoes (Roasted potatoes tossed with freshly grated Parmesano-Reggiano cheese and liberal amounts of freshly cracked black pepper immediately before serving)<br />Roasted Corn on the Cob<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday-Cinco de Mayo!</span><br />Barbacoa Burritos with black beans, cilantro-lime rice, fresh roasted corn and roasted jalapeno salsa, shredded cheese, and sour cream<br />Homemade tortilla chips<br />Fresh Guacamole<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Scrambled Eggs<br />Hash Browns<br />Sausage Links<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Out to eat. I had Asian Lettuce Wraps, Abe had a Bacon and Bleu Cheese Burger, and the kids had Mac and cheese and Pizza<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Linguine with Roasted Garlic Pesto Alfredo<br />Grilled Romaine Salad<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday-Mother's Day!</span><br />Out for pizza. The kids had a cheese pizza, and Abe and I had pizza with alfredo, roasted chicken, bacon, mushrooms, feta, and mozzarella, sprinkled with oregano and parmesan cheese. Wowsers. It was GOOD!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">THIS WEEK'S MENU</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Tacos w/home-fried shells, onions, peppers, leftover barbacoa, salsa, and cheese<br />Yellow Rice<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad--loaded with peas, carrots, romaine, peppers, cucumbers...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Roasted Turkey<br />Mashed Potatoes<br />Stir-fried garlic veggie blend (sugar snap peas, red peppers, mushrooms, water chestnuts)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Grilled Pork Loin<br />Sauteed Vidalias<br />Jasmine Rice Pilaf<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Chinese Turkey Salad (or leftovers)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />Junk food at the baseball game<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />DEFINITELY leftovers...we'll have plenty, I'm sure!Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-64788440553197816622010-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:002010-05-05T09:38:01.175-07:00Cinco de Mayo!You know, I love Thanksgiving. I love the Turkey and stuffing and the green bean casserole and the pies and the hours of thankful indulgence. And I love the 4th of July, a day which begs for a menu of juicy smoked-this and grilled-that and heaps of pasta salads, potato salads, baked beans, corn, and ice cream. Independence and a cookout. What's not to love? And there's Easter, with its savory ham. And Christmas, with its crumbly, sugary cookies and decadent baked sweets. I know holidays weren't created with food in mind, but when holidays roll around, food is always on my mind.<br /><br />That's why I will welcome any holiday that demands I prepare a menu of more food than we could possibly eat. Cinco de Mayo<span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, modern;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:-1;"> <a href="http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm">(<i>The 5th Of May</i>) commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862.</a> </span></span> Not super relevant to my every day life. But oh, how I love south-of-the-border food. And yes, I'm fully aware that many of the items we call "Mexican food" are not, in fact, Mexican. I'm okay with that. Because at the end of the day, Cinco de Mayo encourages me to use lots of cilantro and limes and spicy peppers and guacamole, and that's always a reason to celebrate.<br /><br />I started LOVING Mexican food about 10 years ago. I've always liked it, but growing up, I just usually ate Taco Bell-type interpretations. Good, but MEH. Then I went to a restaurant called Maggie's Kitchen, which served authentic Mexican food cooked by actual Mexicans. Then I went to Nina's Taqueria, which, again, served real Mexican food prepared by people who know it. And I went to those places again and again, all the while discovering a deep fondness for Barbacoa. And for cilantro. And that beautiful, slightly-tomatoey, slightly-spicy rice. And refried beans that aren't pink and don't come out of a can. And real, honest-to-goodness pico de gallo and salsa verde and and and and....<br /><br />So when it came time to have my own kitchen in my own house where I get to do all of the shopping and the cooking and the meal planning, I decided to make room in our calendar for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Our menu is fairly standard; last year, it was fajitas, this year, burritos, but mostly, it is the same stuff. This year, it will be my own version of Barbacoa (<a href="http://www.banderasnews.com/0506/rr-barbacoa.htm">because I don't have access to a whole sheep, a pit lined with volcanic rock and mesquite, and leaves of a maguey cactus</a>, I'm using chuck roast and a crock pot) to serve in gigantic burritos stuffed with black beans and cilantro-lime rice, sour cream, shredded cheese, and homemade salsa with roasted corn, tomatoes, and jalapenos. On the side, we'll have Mexican rice (like they serve at Nina's Taqueria), fresh guacamole, and fresh, home-fried tortilla chips. To top it off, we'll drink Lime Jarritos soda.<br /><br />So it's not my holiday. So what? I will still eat myself silly celebrating it. Viva Cinco de Mayo!! Next up: Bastille Day!Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-60940678693484034782010-04-19T09:06:00.000-07:002010-04-19T09:25:36.779-07:00Menu PlanI'm sure no one even looks at this blog any more. With that in mind, I feel pretty safe writing the following things down to explain why there haven't been any new posts (or much cooking at all) going on.<br /><br />1) My husband was laid off for about three months. He is our sole breadwinner. You do the math! Frankly, when the budget is that tight, cooking isn't a whole lot of fun--it becomes very casserole-heavy in an effort to stretch the protein out over a few meals and fill up the meals with filling and inexpensive starches. That was a very bleak time for us. It did, however, help encourage creativity on my part--how can I best utilize my pantry? How can I make a pound of hamburger feed us for three meals? How many ways can I serve potatoes? Thankfully, he is now back to work. So while I'm still quite frugal when it comes to groceries, I feel a little more leeway and the ability to feed my family what it wants to eat.<br /><br />2) I was pregnant during that time of layoff, so, very tired. Very, very tired. Easy things like spaghetti work well when you have no energy at all. But planning meals and posting them does not work well. Obviously.<br /><br />3) I miscarried. About a month and a half ago, we lost the baby I'd been so tired with for months. This really isn't the place to discuss too much about my state of mind and what all went down during that time, but suffice it to say that of all the things I could give time, thought, and energy to, cooking and blogging about it was pretty low on my list of priorities.<br /><br />So now, I'm physically back to normal, Abe's back to work, and we have more of a routine now. Thank God for his healing and restoration! And if you're reading this, thank you for coming back.<br /><br />You'll notice that this week's menu is grilled food-heavy. I have a concert this Friday and several practices this week in preparation, so I won't have a whole lot of time to cook. My hubs is always saying that when the grill is fired up, we should take advantage of its heat and grill up a bunch of stuff--this week, I'm taking the challenge and having him grill things for four of this week's meals this evening. I hope he does a good job! This week's menu depends on it.<br /><br />Monday<br />Grilled Steak<br />Baked Potatoes<br />Salad w/ homemade croutons and homemade dressing<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Grilled Chicken Tacos with cilantro and mango salsa, in home-fried corn tortillas<br />Cilantro-Lime rice<br /><br />Wednesday<br />Brats<br />Grilled Onions and peppers<br />Potato Salad<br />Broccoli Salad<br /><br />Thursday<br />Various pizzas--cheese, pepperoni and mushroom, and Margherita<br />Salad<br /><br />Friday<br />Grilled Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops<br />Aglio e olio Orzo with Peas<br /><br />Saturday<br />Eat out for hubs' 34th Birthday<br /><br />Sunday<br />Leftovers or takeoutCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-13426519520309718702010-04-12T09:29:00.000-07:002010-05-11T09:10:53.990-07:00Salad DressingsAh, salad. Growing up, I ate salad with dinner probably three out of five nights of the week. Nowadays, we don't eat salad quite so often (maybe once or twice a week), but we still enjoy it. Especially my husband, who grew up eating salad approximately zero nights of the week. Don't you just feel like it's a good meal if it included some fresh, crunchy veggies? I do. It's also an easy and easy-to-vary side dish. Paired with a lean protein like grilled steak or chicken and topped with homemade croutons, it's also a great main dish.<br /><br />My favorite salad ingredients are pretty simple--some nice greens, spinach, a sprinkling of yummy cheese like parmesan or feta, fresh veggies like sprouts, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, corn, and green beans, other goodies like sliced strawberries, toasted almonds, homemade croutons and what-have-you...the variations are limitless. And while I know a couple people who eat their salads plain and eschew all types of salad dressing (weirdos), I prefer my salads dressed with a tasty dressing that complements the ingredients. There are dozens of varieties of dressing in my grocery store, and I imagine we're tried a dozen or so.<br /><br />For years, I thought I was really something special for making Good Season Italian dressing from a packet--to me this seemed healthier and homemade than bottled dressing. I made a homemade raspberry vinaigrette once for my sister-in-law's birthday, and really enjoyed it, but it didn't occur to me that homemade dressing was something I could do all the time. Then, after I had knee surgery a year or so ago, a kind lady from church brought by a scrumptious meal. It was a standard-but-delicious pot roast, some rolls, and the fixings for a beautiful salad: field greens, walnuts, sliced berries, broccoli florets, and a homemade poppyseed dressing. I still thought the salad would be better with some bottled dressing, but wanted to give her an honest thank-you-for-everything, so I decided to try the dressing.<br /><br />It was amazing. It was perfectly sweet and sour, slightly tangy, with a pleasant nutty crunch from the poppyseeds...a revelation. And while this woman has quite a reputation as a great cook, I fancy myself handy in the kitchen, too, and set about figuring out the dressing's ingredients. Once that was tackled, I went back to the raspberry vinaigrette. And I remembered that I had also made homemade Ranch dressing the summer before. And Greek dressing for a salad I took to a potluck once. And the Asian-Sesame-ginger dressing I'd made for a really scrumptious noodle salad. And I had made good Seasons Italian from a packet--I figured there must be a copycat recipe online to make my own at home. As the pieces fell together, I realized that all of my favorite dressings I had, at one point or another, made fresh at home. And if I had done it before, I figured there was no reason I couldn't continue doing so--most of the dressings are made up of things I always have on hand, sparing me not only the expense of bottled dressing, but also the preservatives and chemicals in the shelf-stable varieties as well.<br /><br />So here are a few of my favorite recipes for salad dressings. Give 'em a try! You'll feel so proud of yourself and will have a great, truly fresh salad to boot. They keep in the fridge for a while--but don't expect them to last long--you'll eat them up before they go bad. These recipes also make less than you'll find in a store-bought bottle, so you'll use them faster.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Poppyseed Dressing</span><br /><br />1/2 c. mayo<br />2-3 Tbsp. sour cream<br />1/4 c. sugar<br />1/4 c. apple cider vinegar<br />1-2 tsp. poppyseeds<br />pinch salt, freshly ground pepper to taste<br />milk<br /><br />Whisk all ingredients except milk together, then add milk until dressing is desired consistency. Store in airtight bottle in fridge. Keeps for a week or more.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Good Seasons"-type Italian dressing</span><br /><br />For Mix:<br />2 Tbsp. dried oregano<br />1 Tbsp. salt<br />1 Tbsp. garlic powder<br />1 Tbsp. onion powder<br />1 Tbsp. white sugar<br />1 tsp. black pepper<br />1/2 tsp. thyme<br />1 tsp. dried basil<br />1 T. dried parsley<br />1/2 tsp. celery salt<br /><br />Combine mix ingredients well and store in a baggie or other airtight container in the cupboard. For each recipe of dressing, shake together 2 Tbsp. of the mix, 2 Tbsp. of water, and 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar until well combined. Add 2/3 c. oil and 1 tsp. dijon mustard (helps emulsify the dressing) and shake, shake, shake. Shake immediately before using.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raspberry Vinaigrette</span><br /><br />1 10 oz. jar seedless raspberry preserves<br />1 c. apple cider vinegar<br />1 tsp. dijon mustard<br />1/2 c. olive oil<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Remove lid from preserves and melt slightly in the microwave, just so it's a bit more liquid-y. Whisk the preserves, mustard and vinegar together, then whisk briskly while drizzling in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br />Note: when you store this one in the fridge, the olive oil will solidify. I just microwave it for 15 seconds or so before using, or sit it on the counter for about 20 minutes to bring it to room temp.<br /><br />ALSO, I usually make a half amount. This one is especially good on a salad with spinach, strawberries, toasted almonds, and feta.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ranch Dressing</span><br /><br />1 c. mayonnaise<br />1/2 c. sour cream or buttermilk (use sour cream to make a veggie dip, buttermilk to make a thin dressing, or use half of each to make a thick dressing, like I do)<br />1 clove of garlic, minced, or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder<br />1/8 tsp. EACH salt and pepper<br />2-3 Tbsp. herbs of your choice<br /> (I personally think dill is ESSENTIAL, along with thyme, onion powder, and oregano. I have also used chopped chives and finely chopped basil and enjoy those, too. When it's summer and I have these herbs fresh, I use them. But the dressing doesn't keep as long with fresh herbs as with dried. also keep in mind that fresh herbs aren't as potent, so you'll need more)<br /><br />Mix everything together (I usually reserve some of the milk so it isn't too thin, then add it just until the dressing is how we like it), and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors really come together. Made with fresh herbs, this keeps for about 4 days. Made with dried, it will keep for a week or more!Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-62608625827660660512010-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:002010-01-19T11:37:18.391-08:00Moist Chocolate CakeI love cake. I always have. I love most cake flavors, but for my birthday, my mom always makes me chocolate. And because she loves me, she LEAVES THE FROSTING OFF. There are some frostings I don't mind, but I love cake so much, I figure, <span style="font-style: italic;">why ruin a good thing?</span> Cake is so good by itself.<br /><br />Another reason I like cake? Because box mixes go on sale so frequently I can stock up, and when the mood strikes, I can have cake at a few moments' notice. I know some people have an aversion to boxed cake mix (my mother-in-law, to name one), but what can I say? My palate isn't so refined that I can't still enjoy Betty Crocker's convenient mixes.<br /><br />In fact, until recently, I had only ever made cake from a mix--I wasn't scared to try one from scratch, but I just didn't see the point in going to the trouble when I liked the box variety just fine. But a while back, I complied a cookbook of some of my husband's family's favorite recipes. Among the 30 dessert recipes was one for my mother-in-law's Moist Chocolate Cake. When, last week, I got a hankering for chocolate cake and had no chocolate mix on hand, I knew I had to try it.<br /><br />Sweet fancy Moses, it was good. I sampled a piece while the cake was still slightly warm (because my willpower is lacking, apparently), and it was light and airy, with a tiny bit of crunch on the top. It was divine, I tell you. Now, it is pretty delicate, and if you're looking for a cake to decorate for your child's birthday party, this is probably not the one. I suspect it wouldn't stand up to heavy frosting. But if you want a fluffy, tender, soul-satisfying cake whose rich chocolate flavor you can augment with some sweetened whipped cream or fruit or some sort of gooey, drippy glaze, then, friend, look no further.<br /><br />Or better yet, in my opinion, eat it plain. Eat it for breakfast on a Sunday morning while huddled over a heating vent, like my kids did a couple of days ago. Eat it in a house, with a mouse. Eat it with ice cream scooped on top. Whichever way you do it, you're going to love this one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moist Chocolate Cake</span><br /><br />2 c. flour<br />1 tsp. salt<br />1 tsp. baking powder<br />2 tsp. baking soda<br />3/4 c. cocoa powder<br />2 c. sugar<br />1 c. vegetable oil<br />1 c. hot coffee<br />1 c. milk<br />2 eggs<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br /><br />Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.<br /><br />Stir together dry ingredients.<br />Add oil, coffee, and milk. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.<br />Add eggs and vanilla. Beat for two more minutes. Batter will be VERY RUNNY.<br />Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (The original recipe says 25-30 minutes, but that MUST be a typo.)<br /><br />My mother-in-law likes to top the cooled cake with 2 cans of cherries or 2 cups of sliced strawberries, and mounds of Cool Whip. I, as you know, like it plain. But do whatever suits you!Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-40819810915006888222010-01-19T11:05:00.000-08:002010-01-19T11:13:34.657-08:00Menu PlanI haven't even really come up with a plan of attack for this week's meals yet, and here it is, Tuesday already. I figured I'd better jot something down before I get crazed.<br /><br />Monday<br />We had Smoked Sausage<br />Garlic Smashed Potatoes<br />Peas<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Roasted Chicken Thighs<br />Risotto<br />Salad<br /><br />Wednesday<br />Broccoli Cheddar Soup<br />Brothers Bread<br /><br />Thursday<br />Chicken Stew<br />Roasted Red Skin Potatoes with garlic and dill<br /><br />Friday<br />Taco Soup<br />Rice/Cheese/Corn Chips<br /><br />Saturday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />Sunday<br />Baked Spaghetti<br />SaladCharis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335589341252837985.post-26582287435473525932010-01-04T13:57:00.000-08:002010-01-04T14:04:33.976-08:00Menu PlanIt has been a while, hasn't it? I am So behind on blogging, I don't even know where to begin. I thought a nice, easy Menu Plan might be just the thing to give me a good jump start. You know what else needs a jump start? A normal diet. We've been so involved with Christmas goodies, eating out, and scrounging for a quick bite between stuff, our meals have been a bit abnormal. We're REALLY looking forward to getting back to good old, from-scratch, (relatively) healthy home-cooked meals. Here goes...<br /><br />Monday<br />White Chicken Chili<br />Yellow Rice<br /><br />Tuesday<br />Pork Chop Stuffing Bake<br />Chopped Salad w/ homemade dressing<br /><br />Wednesday--back to Church activities; we're going for a crock pot meal<br />Beef Stew<br />Homemade rolls<br /><br />Thursday<br />Bacon Sesame Fried Rice (with veggies)<br /><br />Friday<br />Florentine Quiche<br />Salad<br /><br />Saturday<br />Leftovers<br /><br />Sunday<br />Spaghetti?Charis & Judah's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974657572529271284noreply@blogger.com1