A Pinch of This

Menu Plan

2011-02-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

Another 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.

Monday
Maple-Sesame Fried Rice
Pork Pot Stickers (from a box. I love homemade, but they definitely don't fit in with the easy-to-prepare theme this week)

Tuesday
Mockzagna
Salad

Wednesday
BLTs on Homemade Challah
Tomato Soup

Thursday
Honey Roasted Chicken
Roasted potatoes
Salad
Challah

Friday
Chicken Tetrazzini OR Chicken Enchiladas

Saturday
Vegetable Beef Soup

Sunday
Leftovers

What's on your menu this week? I'm always looking for new ideas!

Menu Plan

2011-02-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

This 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:

Monday
Steak Salad
Bread

Tuesday
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Oven Fries
Cut-up veggies and dip

Wednesday
Sloppy Joes
Mac n Cheese
Peas

Thursday
Turkey Pot Pie

Friday
Pick-a-recipe-from-a-cookbook day

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Takeout

Menu Plan

2011-01-31T07:56:00.000-08:00

Okay. 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.

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.

Well, enough talk of creative meals. Here's this week's boring meal plan!

Monday
Homemade pizza
Salad

Tuesday
Brats with onions and peppers
Oven Fries w/ parmesan and rosemary

Wednesday
Ham
Scalloped Au Gratin Potatoes
Peas

Thursday
Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Chicken
Herbed spaetzle
Broccoli

Friday
Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade bread

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
TBS lunch; then Super Bowl food later. I haven't totally decided what, though...

Menu Plan

2011-01-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

This week, I need quite a few quick, get-out-the-door meals. So that's what's on the menu!

Monday
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches w/ caramelized onions, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce
Go-to Mac and Cheese

Tuesday
Ravioli "Lasagna" (layer cheese ravioli with sauce and mozzarella and bake for a shortcut lasagna)
Salad

Wednesday
Shepherd's Pie (I'll brown the ground beef the night before, when I make the "lasagna")

Thursday
Schultzie's Mess (big breakfast-for-dinner scramble with potatoes, ham, peppers, onions, cheese, and eggs)
Buttermilk biscuits with jam

Friday
Soup TBA

Saturday
leftovers

Sunday
takeout

What's a Meal Plan?

2011-01-17T10:56:00.001-08:00

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:

Monday
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)
Salad

Tuesday
Roasted chicken
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Glazed Carrots

Wednesday
Tortellini with chicken and pesto cream sauce
More Salad (I've got some nice greens I don't want to go to waste!)

Thursday
Roast Beef
Homemade noodles
Steamed Peas

Friday
Hawaiian Ham Steaks
Pineapple-almond Rice Pilaf
Veggie TBA

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Chinese?

Menu Plan

2010-11-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

This week:

Monday
Roast Beef
Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
Glazed Carrots
Buttered Peas
Cole slaw
Rolls

Tuesday
French Chicken in a Pot
Rice pilaf
Broccoli with cheese sauce

Wednesday
French Dip Stromboli
JoJo Potatoes
Salad

Thursday
Homemade Pizza
Veggie Sticks and Dip

Friday
Sausage and Egg Casserole
Maple Streusel Muffins

Saturday
Leftovers for lunch, dinner with friends?

Sunday
Pasta with Pesto Alfredo Sauce and Chicken

Basic Sweet Dough

2010-11-15T08:25:00.001-08:00

This one is a no-brainer: it's a recipe from America's Test Kitchen (foolproof), it's easy (thankyouverymuch), and it is perfect for any sweet dough application, like sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, hot cross buns, or Entenmann's-like danish. Oh, the deliciousness.

This basic recipe makes enough dough for three Entenmann's-sized danishes. My favorites are cream cheese and cinnamon (additional recipes to follow).

But here's where it all begins...

Basic Sweet Dough

3/4 c. buttermilk (or clabbered milk), warm
6 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled until just warm
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) yeast
1 tsp. salt

Whisk together the buttermilk, butter, and eggs.

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)

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.

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.

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.

Menu Plan

2010-11-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

Coming soon: Recipe for homemade danish (my new obsession)

This week's menu plan:

Monday
Breaded Pan-fried Pork Chops
Green Bean Casserole

Tuesday
Chicken and Spinach Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells

Wednesday
French Dip Sandwiches
Potato Wedges
Salad

Thursday
Egg Rolls (holdover from last week)
Fried Rice
OR
Beef/Veggie Stir-fry

Friday
Kielbasa
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Crock Pot Chicken-In-A-Pot
Glazed Carrots
Herbed Noodles

Menu Plan

2010-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

I'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.

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!

Taco Night
Spicy Shredded Beef
Mexican Rice
Refried Beans
Tortillas and fixins

Greeky Night
Greek chicken pita sandwiches (on Naan)
Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes
Zataar and olive oil for dipping (not Greek, I know. but still good)

Italian Night (kinda)
Roasted Chicken w/ pesto vinaigrette
Spicy Orzo
Grilled Romaine Salad

Asian Night
Homemade Egg Rolls
Asian Chicken Wings
Sesame noodles, Lo mein-style

Tex-Mex Aberration Night
3-Bean Chili with cheese and sour cream
Elbow Mac or Rice (depends on my mood)

Menu Plan

2010-10-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

It'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.

Monday
Spaghetti
Homemade marinara
Homemade bread w/herb dipping oil
Salad w/grated parm, sliced olives, and yellow peppers

Tuesday
TURKEY!
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Green Beans
Applesauce cake

Wednesday
Pizza w/alfredo, sun-dried tomatoes, turkey, spinach, mozzarella, and feta
Cheese pizza for the kids
Salad

Thursday
White Turkey Chili
Yellow Rice

Friday
Turkey Pot Pie

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
More leftovers or possibly Beef with Broccoli stir-fry over Jasmine Rice

And here's last week's menu plan, which I never officially posted:

Monday
Smoked Sausage
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli

Tuesday
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Roasted Chicken Legs and Thighs

Wednesday
Beef Stew with Carrots
Homemade noodle-dumplings
Apple Crumb Galette (like a pie, but not baked in a pan--sort of tart-esque)

Thursday
Fried Rice
Pot Stickers with dipping sauce

Friday
Takeout pizza + breadsticks

Saturday
Breakfast scramble (eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers, cheese)
Sausage links

Sunday
Leftovers

Short Week Menu Plan

2010-10-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey, 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).

Monday'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!

Tuesday will be Hot Chicken Salad, just because I crave it.

Wednesday will be Beef Stew because it can go in the crock pot, and we never ended up having it last week.

Thursday, we'll have leftovers and round our meal out with salad if need be. And it usually needs be!

As I said, Friday 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.

Hope you have a great week in your house!

Back on the Bandwagon

2010-10-04T07:54:00.001-07:00

I'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.

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.

Monday
Meatloaf
Scalloped Potatoes
Peas

Tuesday--Our Anniversary!
Either we'll go out and the kids will eat leftovers, or we'll have
Roasted Chicken
Rice Pilaf
Salad

Wednesday
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Bread

Thursday (Or, the day on which we might actually celebrate our anniversary on account of needing child care)
Either we'll go out and the kids will eat leftovers, or we'll have
Roasted Chicken, etc., etc.

Friday
White Chicken Chili
Sweet Corn Cake

Saturday
Pot Stickers w/ chili dipping sauce
Vegetable Fried Rice

Sunday
Takeout or leftovers

Menu Plan

2010-07-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

This one's for you, Katie D. :)

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.

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.

(And cross your fingers for my tomatoes--they're not doing so well...)

Sunday
Home-fried tostadas
Refried beans
Spicy Shredded chicken
Cilantro
Tomatoes

Monday
Hamburgers
Fried potatoes

Tuesday
Honey Mustard Garlic-rubbed Pork chops
Steamed Broccoli with cheese
Honeyrock Melon

Wednesday
Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs
Big Old Salad
Cornbread

Thursday
Country-Style Pork ribs
Corn on the Cob
Buttermilk Biscuits w/ Strawberry jam

Friday
Grilled Steak Salad
Garlic-Rosemary Focaccia

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Wish I knew. Probably Pasta Salad with chicken.

Menu Plan

2010-06-02T08:03:00.001-07:00

Busy 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....

Monday
Grilled Burgers
Baked Mac n Cheese
Peach Cobbler

Tuesday
Grilled Flank Steak, sliced
Home Fries with Garlic and fresh dill
Creamy corn

Wednesday
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti with broccoli or spinach (haven't decided which yet!)

Thursday
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Salad

Friday
dinner out--bringing dessert (TBA)

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Fellowship Sunday--cookout at church

Menu Plan + bonus recipe: Greek Sauce

2010-05-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yep, 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.

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.

Monday
Pasta salad with grilled chicken and LOTS of veggies

Tuesday
Grilled Pork chops finished with Greek-style sauce
Roasted Potatoes with golden garlic chips (also finished with Greek sauce)
Butter-braised fresh green beans

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.
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!

Wednesday
Pan-fried homemade egg rolls
Maple-sesame bacon fried rice

Thursday
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)
Corn on the Cob

Friday
Grilled Smoked Sausage
Sauteed Vidalia Onions
Potato Salad

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Takeout or leftovers (if we still have some)

MONDAY! Memorial Day!
Brats?
Baked Beans?
Corn on the cob?
Oven Fries or Potato Packets?

Menu Plan

2010-05-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings, 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.

Let's get cooking!

Monday
Sweet Italian Sausage w/sauteed onions and peppers
Potato-Cheddar Pierogies
Roasted Green Beans

Tuesday
Turkey Pot Pie
Broccoli Slaw

Wednesday
Maple-Sesame Bacon Fried Rice (with veggies)

Thursday
Chinese Turkey Salad with Fried Wonton Crisps and Sesame Seeds

Friday
Cuban Sandwiches
Saffron Rice with Peas

Saturday
Out-and-about
School Carnival, Going Away Party

Sunday
Leftovers

Menu Plan

2010-05-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Ah, 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.

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.

LAST WEEK'S MENU:

Monday
Baked Ziti
Salad

Tuesday
Grilled Pork Steak
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)
Roasted Corn on the Cob

Wednesday-Cinco de Mayo!
Barbacoa Burritos with black beans, cilantro-lime rice, fresh roasted corn and roasted jalapeno salsa, shredded cheese, and sour cream
Homemade tortilla chips
Fresh Guacamole

Thursday
Scrambled Eggs
Hash Browns
Sausage Links

Friday
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

Saturday
Linguine with Roasted Garlic Pesto Alfredo
Grilled Romaine Salad

Sunday-Mother's Day!
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!

THIS WEEK'S MENU

Monday
Tacos w/home-fried shells, onions, peppers, leftover barbacoa, salsa, and cheese
Yellow Rice

Tuesday
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad--loaded with peas, carrots, romaine, peppers, cucumbers...

Wednesday
Roasted Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Stir-fried garlic veggie blend (sugar snap peas, red peppers, mushrooms, water chestnuts)

Thursday
Grilled Pork Loin
Sauteed Vidalias
Jasmine Rice Pilaf

Friday
Chinese Turkey Salad (or leftovers)

Saturday
Junk food at the baseball game

Sunday
DEFINITELY leftovers...we'll have plenty, I'm sure!

Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

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.

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 (The 5th Of May) commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. 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.

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....

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 (because I don't have access to a whole sheep, a pit lined with volcanic rock and mesquite, and leaves of a maguey cactus, 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.

So it's not my holiday. So what? I will still eat myself silly celebrating it. Viva Cinco de Mayo!! Next up: Bastille Day!

Menu Plan

2010-04-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Monday
Grilled Steak
Baked Potatoes
Salad w/ homemade croutons and homemade dressing

Tuesday
Grilled Chicken Tacos with cilantro and mango salsa, in home-fried corn tortillas
Cilantro-Lime rice

Wednesday
Brats
Grilled Onions and peppers
Potato Salad
Broccoli Salad

Thursday
Various pizzas--cheese, pepperoni and mushroom, and Margherita
Salad

Friday
Grilled Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops
Aglio e olio Orzo with Peas

Saturday
Eat out for hubs' 34th Birthday

Sunday
Leftovers or takeout

Salad Dressings

2010-04-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Ah, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Poppyseed Dressing

1/2 c. mayo
2-3 Tbsp. sour cream
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp. poppyseeds
pinch salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
milk

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.

"Good Seasons"-type Italian dressing

For Mix:
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1 T. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. celery salt

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.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1 10 oz. jar seedless raspberry preserves
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 c. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

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.

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.

ALSO, I usually make a half amount. This one is especially good on a salad with spinach, strawberries, toasted almonds, and feta.

Ranch Dressing

1 c. mayonnaise
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)
1 clove of garlic, minced, or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. EACH salt and pepper
2-3 Tbsp. herbs of your choice
(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)

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!

Moist Chocolate Cake

2010-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

I 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, why ruin a good thing? Cake is so good by itself.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Moist Chocolate Cake

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. cocoa powder
2 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. hot coffee
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

Stir together dry ingredients.
Add oil, coffee, and milk. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat for two more minutes. Batter will be VERY RUNNY.
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.)

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!

Menu Plan

2010-01-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

I 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.

Monday
We had Smoked Sausage
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Peas

Tuesday
Roasted Chicken Thighs
Risotto
Salad

Wednesday
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Brothers Bread

Thursday
Chicken Stew
Roasted Red Skin Potatoes with garlic and dill

Friday
Taco Soup
Rice/Cheese/Corn Chips

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Baked Spaghetti
Salad

Menu Plan

2010-01-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

It 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...

Monday
White Chicken Chili
Yellow Rice

Tuesday
Pork Chop Stuffing Bake
Chopped Salad w/ homemade dressing

Wednesday--back to Church activities; we're going for a crock pot meal
Beef Stew
Homemade rolls

Thursday
Bacon Sesame Fried Rice (with veggies)

Friday
Florentine Quiche
Salad

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Spaghetti?

Menu Plan

2009-11-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

As if the Thanksgiving meal wasn't enough comfort, this week, I've planned lots of comfort favorites. Let's be honest--EVERY WEEK I plan lots of comfort favorites. Why should this week be any different?

Monday
Baked Potato Soup
Salad

Tuesday
Stuffed Shells
Salad

Wednesday
Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday
Burgers
Potato Wedges
Corn

Friday
Orange Chicken
Jasmine Rice
Steamed Broccoli

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Crock Pot: Pot Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots

Menu Plan

2009-11-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hmm. I'm afraid this week's menu plan feels rut-ish again. I'm just not certain what to do about it! There are several nights this week where I'll need do-ahead dinners that can either simmer in the crock pot or be reheated when we need them, and there are a few things in that category that really sound good.

Of course, next week's menu plan will be different. You know what? Maybe I'll just go ahead and do that now...

This Week

Monday
Leftovers (strange for a Monday, I know...)

Tuesday
Roasted Butterflied Chicken with Lemon Sage butter
Herbed Egg Noodles
Spinach Salad w/ homemade dressing, toasted almonds, feta, and dried cranberries

Wednesday
Chili (w/ diced onions, beans, and cheese...so, four ways?)
Cornbread

Thursday
Scalloped Potatoes with Thyme and Bay
Ham
Steamed Peas

Friday
Chicken Divan with Rice Casserole

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Takeout OR Roast Beef, Carrots, and Potatoes (crock pot); depends on how early I get up. :)

Next Week

Monday
Steak
Baked Potatoes
Green Beans Amandine

Tuesday
Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Maple Dijon glaze
Chopped Salad
Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Beef Vegetable Soup
Rolls

Thursday
Oh, I don't know...Turkey? Stuffing? Mashed Potatoes?

Friday
Travel to Ohio (hey, Mom...we're thinking of coming home this weekend. What do you think?)

Saturday
Mom decides

Sunday
Mom keeps deciding

Menu Plan

2009-10-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we're headed to the doctor today for poor Ruby. I am also under the weather, and against my better judgment, I sent Charis to school today with the sniffles. On deck this week are meals that will bring us comfort and cure what ails us. (Sleep and lots of fluids should help, too.)

Monday
Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday
Shepherd's Pie Skillet
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday
Baked Potato Soup (with cheese, bacon bits, and sliced scallions)

Thursday
Two-Saucy MockZagna

Friday
Hawaiian chicken (Teriyaki-glazed chicken breasts topped with a pineapple ring and melted cheese. I'm pretty sure they don't eat this in Hawaii, but what else do you call it?)
Pineapple and Almond Rice Pilaf
Green Beans Amandine

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Takeout

Also, My hubby's dad had back surgery on Saturday, and they also found out that he has cancer. It was a swell weekend, as you can imagine. He is in the hospital now, so our life and schedules have changed quite a bit. I will either rely heavily on the Menu Plan for this week's dinners, or else it might all need to be tossed out the window as circumstances change. Don't be shocked if you see a few of these items on next week's Plan...

Menu Plan

2009-10-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

I really did a menu plan this week. I did! I wrote it on the back of my shopping list. Which got lost somewhere between Baking Needs and Produce. I opted not to roam around the store with ny two little ones in tow to try to retrieve it, which I think was the right decision. I think it went something like this:

Monday
Kielbasa
Sauerkraut
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli

Tuesday
Chicken cutlet sandwiches
Homemade mac and cheese
Salad

Wednesday
Hot Chicken Salad

Thursday
Pork Medallions in sage cream sauce
Stuffing with celery, onions, and apple
(I may even go one better and make pork tenderloin roulade with the stuffing in the middle and the sauce over top. Or I may may take a nap instead.)

Friday
Pasta e Fagioli soup
Crusty Artisan Bread (that one's for you, Ellen)

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
fingers crossed...Takeout.

Two-bean Chili

2009-10-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

There's something about a crisp, Fall day that makes me crave chili. Even if I'm chilled to the bone, one bowl of chili brings me back to right and makes me feel cozy. I've tried a million recipes with varied success, but this here recipe I'm about to give you is Chili The Way I Like It. It didn't come from a published recipe, it came from tinkering with process and spices, and it's not super hot, but it does have a nice heat at the back of it. Just The Way I Like It. If you're in need of a satisfying chili recipe, give this one a whirl!

Two-Bean Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c. water
28-32 oz. of canned tomatoes (I used a can of stewed tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes because that's what I had on hand, but use whatever you've got)
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder (or use 1 clove minced)
1 1/2-2 tsp. chili powder (adjust this to your taste)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 can kidney beans, mostly drained
1 can black beans, undrained

First, heat up a pot until it's "screaming hot" (as Rachel Ray likes to say), then crumble in your ground beef. Cook it most of the way through, constantly breaking it up with a spoon or spatula. Then add the salt and black pepper, along with the onion and water. Cook over high heat until most of the water has evaporated--this makes the meat nice and tender and really saturates it with the onion and salt and pepper. I could almost eat it just like this.

To the now-relatively-dry ground beef mixture, add the oregano, cumin, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne. Stir the mixture over medium high heat for about a minute, just to "toast" the spices and bring out their flavor.

Then add the tomatoes and beans. Then toss in the bay leaf and give it a stir. Let the mixture come to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer for at least half an hour, preferably more. OR you could toss it into the crock pot and let it simmer for a long time on Low. Mmmmm good.

My favorite way to serve this is over pasta (radiatore, rotini, and elbow noodles are all favorites) and topped with cheese. Delish!

Serves 6.

Menu Plan

2009-10-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

August 19th? REALLY? I can't believe it has been that long since I've posted anything. I am a terrible, horrible slacker.

So. My 5 year-old started school. Gone are the days of sitting at home playing with food; these days, I'm back and forth to school, and pick-up time often collides with the time I might ordinarily have spend making bread or doing other time-sensitive meal preparations. Pick-up time also collides with nap time, too, so now I do not typically have a moment in the day where the house is entirely quiet, and during which I am at liberty to cook and plan as I wish. Woe is me.

All this to say that my meal planning has completely fallen by the wayside, and we've sadly been turning to mostly quick-and-easy types of meals: tacos, spaghetti, and I'm drawing a blank here because I can't for the life of me remember what we've eaten in the past few weeks. Not good. I envisioned the spotless house and the carefully organized life that I thought would naturally flow from having only TWO children at home, but that has not been the case at all; it turns out Charis was a huge help to me, and I actually get much less accomplished without her here. Meals are no exception.

This will never do. Tacos, spaghetti, soups (soups!) and such have their place, and there are certainly days when there is no other option than a quick-and-easy meal, but I'd like to make a return to the variety we had in menu plans of old. This week, I sat down and planned not one, but TWO weeks' worth of meals. I figure a little bit of planning goes a long way.

Week 1
Monday
Eat out in celebration of our anniversary. Yay! No dishes!

Tuesday
Butterflied Korean Pork Loin (trying recipe for the first time tonight!)
Sesame Ramen Noodles
Sugar Snap Peas

Wednesday
Chili Mac
Cornbread

Thursday
Roasted Chicken
Roasted Potatoes
Glazed Carrots

Friday
Hot Chicken Salad
Green Beans

Saturday
Stuffed Shells
Salad

Sunday
Leftovers

Week 2

Monday
Schultzie's Mess
Buttermilk Biscuits with homemade peach jam

Tuesday
Country-style Ribs
Mac and Cheese
Broccoli
(OR Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole. We'll see)

Wednesday
Tomato Soup
Grilled cheese sandwiches

Thursday
Cheese Ravioli "Lasagna"
Salad

Friday
Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Chinese Takeout

Menu Plan

2009-08-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Monday, it was:
Grilled Steak
Baked Potatoes
Buttered Peas
Fresh French Bread

Tuesday, it was:
Grilled Chicken
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Steamed Green Beans
Sauteed Vidalias
Fresh salsa
Tortilla chips

Tonight, it will be:
Sauteed Sweet Italian Sausage
Aglio e Olio with fresh basil
Tomato, Cucumber, Sweet Onion salad with fresh herbs

Thursday:
Subs on Homemade French bread (using my new French Breead pan) with homemade vinaigrette and garden-fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers

Friday:
Salad
Cumin-rubbed Pork Chops
Homemade Refried beans with cheese
Tortilla chips
Sliced tomatoes

Saturday:
Clean out the fridge

Sunday:
Chicken Pasta Salad

Food Journal 1

2009-08-19T07:09:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to tell you about the meal we had last night. It was so good, I was practically licking my plate...and my kids' plates, too. We were invited to have dinner with Tim and Beth and family--apparently, after spending 8 days straight with us, three days without us was too much to handle. On the menu were some of my favorite summer things: Grilled bone-in chicken, grilled corn on the cob, steamed green beans, sauteed Vidalia onions, fresh salsa, and yellow corn tortilla chips. It may not sound fancy, and it wasn't, but there is something so wonderful about fresh August produce: it needs no fancy embellishments to be thoroughly enjoyable.

Chicken: Brining is very important when grilling chicken, I think. It keeps the chicken from drying out, and also seasons the meat all the way to the bone. A solution of 3/4 c. salt and 3/4 c. brown sugar dissolved in 1 gallon of water goes a long way in improving the flavor and texture of chicken. Submerge the pieces in the brine and chill for up to two hours before cooking. Normally, I sear the chicken over the high flames, then grill with indirect heat on a covered grill over a period of about 45 minutes, but last night, since we were grilling the corn, too, we par-cooked the chicken in a 425 degree oven. Also imperitave is not to let it exceed the temperature of doneness: 161 for white meat, and 180 for dark meat.

Corn on the cob: soak unhusked cobs in cool water for about 30 minutes before grilling, then go ahead and char the exterior over some medium coals. Perfection!

Green Beans: they're best if you can pick them from your garden and steam them immediately. In fact, next year, I will plant more bean plants so I can do this more often. Just make sure not to boil them--it takes away too many nutrients and too much flavor--and make sure they're still tender-crisp when you remove them from the heat. Then add a bit of butter, salt, and pepper, and throw in some toasted almods if you're feeling fancy.

Vidalia onions: I like using a cast iron or similarly heavy skillet over medium heat with a pat or two of butter and a sprinkling of kosher salt. I melt the butter, toss in the sliced onions, salt them to help draw out a bit of moisture, then sautee them until they're a pasta sort of al dente. I could eat these alone as a meal, they're that good.

Salsa: make it right before you eat it. I use my Salsa 101 recipe. The most important thing to achieve here is good balance--not too heavy on the tomatoes or anything else. You should be able to discern all of the individual flavors--tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime (and kosher salt)--without being overwhelmed by any of them. Fresh salsa doesn't keep more than a few hours before if starts getting soupy, which is reason enough for me to load my chips up with great big scoops of it. Last night, Judah skipped the chips and just ate it like a salad. Three helpings' worth. We consumed 6 tomates, 5 jalapenos, 1/2 a large onion, and a cup of cilantro's worth of salsa last night...and enjoyed every drop. I even used my chicken to sop up the salsa juice. Heavenly.

What great meals have you had recently?

Menu Plan, dadgummit

2009-07-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

I have felt lost without a plan of attack for dinners these past few weeks. In fact, last week, we hosted a garage sale, and homemade dinners completely fell by the wayside. I am now really sick of restaurant and take-out food and ready for something homemade.

On another note, my garden has also fallen by the wayside. It is being consumed by weeds. In fact, one of my sugar snap pea plants is actually missing; I can only assume the invasive weeds ate it for nourishment. The only redeeming factor is that we haven't had much rain. Had we had more rain in the past week, I'm sure the weed situation would be completely out of hand. So this week, even though I have a lot of other neglected stuff to do, I plan to become reacquainted with my garden. Last night, I even pulled a few weeds from the onions and picked cucumbers and green beans. Hey--you've got to start somewhere.

P.S. My basil is also going crazy, but in a good way. This week, I MUST make some pesto before my precious basil goes to seed. I do wish my tomatoes would ripen up so I could have some fresh caprese salad--is there anything better?

Monday
Homemade pizza: Chicken with garlic cream sauce and spinach
Salad

Tuesday
Grilled Pork Loin
Corn on the Cob
Zucchini patties

Wednesday
Fried Chicken
Roasted Green Beans

Thursday
Dinner at a friend's house

Friday
Grilled Steak
Fried potatoes with garlic and dill
Salad

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Subway

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

2009-07-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

The whole idea of biscuits and gravy used to repulse me. Of course, as a lactose-intolerant kid, I used to loathe any cream-based sauce of any kind. I remember going over to the Andrews' house and being served Chicken A La King and thinking that I was going to die if they made me eat it. Heck--I wouldn't even eat Mac and Cheese. How un-American was I? Given those things, it's probably understandable that I wouldn't go for a milk-based sauce served over soggy bread.

Then college came. You learn so many things when you're in college, don't you? How not to kill your messy roommate, how to sneak food out of the dining commons, how to write a senior thesis in under 72 hours...and, most importantly for this post, how to appreciate the beauty of gloppy white sauce.

I remember the first time I had sausage gravy: we'd gone to visit a friend of ours who had recently started waiting tables at Bob Evans. We went at breakfast, because that's when you eat at Bob Evans, and Nate, our friend, recommended the Sunshine Skillet. It consisted of an open-faced omelet topped with hash browns, sausage, country gravy, and cheddar cheese, and was served with one of their fantastic buttermilk biscuits. Hello--he had me at hash browns and cheese. I ordered it.

Sweet fancy Moses, it was good.

I thought I might die of heart disease right there, but my, my, it was good.

My affection only deepened when I sopped up the extra gravy on my plate with the biscuit. Suddenly, my eyes were opened to the glory of biscuits and gravy.

For years, unless I went to Bob Evans, I stayed away from that sausage gravy in particular. It just didn't seem prudent for my waistline to eat too much of it. But a couple of months ago, we went out for breakfast as a family and I revisited it at long last. The doctor had recommended that we feed Ruby all sorts of high-fat stuff, so I decided to take one for the team and order biscuits and gravy to share with my daughter. It was the least I could do.

Well, Biscuits and Gravy has since become a staple of my Saturday-morning eating-out experience. Thankfully, we don't do it that often. It has been a few weeks since I've had it, though, and I was getting a taste for it, so last night, I made it for dinner.

Sweet fancy Moses, it was good.

So I thought I'd share it with you.

Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits (from The Complete Guide to Country Cooking)
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening (sometimes I use margarine)
3/4 c. buttermilk (SEE NOTE AT BOTTOM)

Gravy
1 lb. bulk sausage
1/4 c. flour
approx 2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. thyme (optional)

For the biscuits:
Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the shortening or margarine with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, just so it isn't too sticky. Roll to 1/2-3/4 in. thickness and cut out with a biscuit cutter (I used a thin-edged cup). Place 1-inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Notes on successful biscuit making:
1) Don't overwork the dough. Use a very light hand.
2) Brush the tops with a little melted butter before baking to achieve a really beautiful brown crust.
3) If you don't have a suitable cutter or cup to cut the biscuits with, you can always just use a knife and cut the dough into uniform squares. Who cares what shape the biscuits are?
4) Buttermilk: I don't keep it on hand, but you can imitate it with 1 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice, and enough milk to make a cup. Let sit for five minutes, then use as the recipe requires.

Gravy:
Brown the sausage to a deep, caramelized brown. Remove the sausage, leaving behind the drippings in the pan. (If you don't end up with about 1/4 c. of drippings, add a bit of butter to the mix to equal about 1/4 c. total, when combined with the drippings.) Add flour to drippings, and whisk over medium heat for about a minute, or until the roux is the color of straw. Add milk 1/2-cup at a time, whisking continually over that same medium heat so the gravy thickens nicely, without lumps. Add the sausage to the white sauce, then season with salt and pepper to taste. I recommend lots of pepper. You can also add thyme here, if you wish to have a more savory sauce. And if the gravy gets too thick, just add a bit more milk. Serve over warm, split biscuits, then swoon.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

2009-07-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

It really never occurred to me to make my own Ranch dressing until I saw PW do it on her site. It was last summer, and I was chained to the couch by kidney stone/stent pain and my midwife-recommended bed rest. There was no way I was trying it then.

By the time I was up to trying it, many of our herbs had gone to seed, and there was no way on this earth I was going to shell out grocery store bucks to buy fresh herbs to make this dressing that my children love, especially when they like the cheapo not-even-Hidden-Valley variety just fine.

But it's a year later, my garden has herbs to spare, and fresh Ranch sounds so much better than something that was once shelf-stable. I didn't look at her recipe when I made this today, so my ratios and method ended up a bit different, but the result was still fantastic. If you've got herbs growing in your garden, this is a delicious way to use them!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1/2 c. mayonnaise (NOT salad dressing/Miracle Whip)
1/2 c. sour cream
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced, grated, or pressed (I used the minced stuff in a jar)
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs of your choosing (but I used, and highly recommend, basil, thyme, dill, cilantro, and chives. I ESPECIALLY recommend the dill.)

Whisk together the mayo and sour cream, add the lemon juice, then add milk gradually, until the dressing is your desired consistency. Keep in mind that when it's chilled, it will thicken up a bit, too. Then add the garlic, salt and pepper, and herbs. You can taste it now if you'd like, but the flavors will be much better when the dressing has been allowed to chill for an hour or so.

Makes about 1 1/4 cup of dressing, and will keep for about 3 days, if it lasts that long.

You can also omit the milk, up the sour cream, and call it "dip" instead.

Remember Me?

2009-07-09T07:06:00.001-07:00

Do you? I used to cook stuff and write about it? I still cook. But apparently, I have forgotten how to write. I've recently been convinced that I need to write more frequently, even if I end up churning out mindless drivel instead of meaningful content, so today represents a (hopefully lasting) shift in my bloggy persona. Today I will begin posting more often, and let the chips (and dip) fall where they may.

Today's topic: Gardening.

This year, for the first time ever, I planted a garden. We had a garden last year, but we also had a renter who took care of it. While last year, my garden responsibilities were limited to clipping basil and turning it into pesto and pesto-related treats, this year, I'm it. I'm our sole gardener.

Because I do very few things by half-measures, I am now slightly obsessed with our garden.

I really couldn't tell you what all last year's garden included, since I was on bed rest for the planting, and on infant-duty and sub-par sleep for the rest of the growing season. Besides: it was Shaun and Emily's garden, and we were just loaning them the land. Isn't ignorance what lazy landlords do best? I think there was broccoli, and I know there were cucumber plants and tomatoes and peppers and jalapenos, and two kinds of melon, and a truck load of parsley for our renter's fiancee's rabbit, Mrs. Bennett.

There were other things in that inaugural garden, but I'll be flogged if I can remember. The only thing I remember thinking was that there were certain things I couldn't imagine having a garden WITHOUT, and a bunch of those things weren't a part of last year's offerings. I remember thinking, why on earth wouldn't you plant green beans? Who plants a garden without green beans? Isn't it interesting how some people are so misguided about the vegetables they enjoy? Oh, I kid. But I knew for certain that if I were planting and watering and weeding, there were a few things I'd add to the garden, and a few things I'd subtract. In fact, I even made a Google document entitled "Garden '09 Wish List" so I could remember for this year what I thought really, really belonged in a garden.

Here's the list, constructed sometime last winter:
lettuce
spinach
green beans
tomatoes
peppers
cucumbers
jalapenos

cilantro
basil
oregano
thyme
dill

Sounds simple, doesn't it? But then planting season came around, and to those 12 must-haves, I added:
chives
radishes
scallions
onions
sugar snap peas
grape tomatoes
a potato that had sprouted in my cupboard
and a vine-y plant that spontaneously came up in our garden, and whose identity has still to be determined. I'd guess pumpkins, only we've never had pumpkins in our garden before, so we'll just have to wait and see.

And in the past couple of days, I planted four more pepper plants and two hot pepper plants the name of which I can't remember.

For those of you keeping track at home, that's 21 (TWENTY ONE) separate crops. 21 different things to manage in my first go-around as a gardener.

Am I a fool?

Don't answer that.

Tomorrow: Tending the crop also known as WEEDS.

Quick and Easy Donuts

2009-06-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

Don't they look scrumptious?

A few years ago, Vicki, a woman from church, told me that sometimes, on Saturday mornings, she makes homemade donuts for her family. Vicki is one of those women you just secretly loathe, just because she's pretty AND nice AND talented AND organized AND has perfect children AND AND AND. You know the type. So anyway, I figured she had some old family recipe that she slaved over every Saturday morning in the name of love. But then she told me that she uses buttermilk biscuits...from a can. In that moment, I loathed her a little less. Because how can you loathe anyone who introduces you to the ease and magic of making donuts at home using a 35-cent can of biscuits? I made them this morning for my kids, and it took all of 5 minutes, start-to-finish.

Quick and Easy Donuts

1 can refrigerated buttermilk donuts
vegetable oil or shortening

Optional toppings:
sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, chocolate frosting, sprinkles...the sky's the limit!

Pour vegetable oil about 1/2 inch deep in a skillet. Place over medium heat. Splash a few drops of water into the cold oil. As the oil heats, the water will pop. when the water droplets have about stopped popping, your oil is ready to use.

Separate the biscuits and poke a hole in the middle of each to give it that classic donut shape and also to make sure it gets cooked evenly. Drop donuts into the hot oil (I always try one by itself first to make certain the oil is the right temperature), frying for about 45 seconds on one side, flipping, and frying about 45 seconds on the other side. It really will be to your advantage to do a test donut first to gauge how hot your oil is running. Your time may be slightly different. In any case, don't walk away, because these little gems cook up FAST!

When the donuts are a deep golden brown, remove and drain on a cooling rack. When the donuts have cooled to the touch, toss them with powdered sugar, plain sugar, or a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Or melt a small amount of frosting in the microwave and twirl the tops of your donuts in the frosting, topping with nonpareil sprinkles. Or mix powdered sugar and a little bit of milk for glazed donuts--twirl donuts in the glaze mixture or drizzle over top. Use your imagination! Ooh...I bet if you didn't put the hole in the middle, you could use a food syringe and fill the donuts with jelly or pudding or custard! I've never tried it, but I bet it would work.

I buy my biscuits from Aldi, and they really are about 35 cents. For ten hot, homemade donuts, that's not bad!

It's Still Monday Where I Live

2009-05-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

, so technically, this is still Menu Plan Monday. But my-oh-my, I've got to start posting some recipes on Ye Olde Neglected Blog again. I tried a recipe this past week for a Lemon Pound Cake that I thought sounded great, and which I hoped I would be able to post about. It was exceptionally labor intensive--zesting and supreming four lemons, making lemon sugar, warming the eggs separately, etc--and I had very high hopes for its success. And the cake fell short. Literally. My cake fell. Short. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a huge deal, except for the fact I was making it for a friend's wedding reception, a time when you want your food to be pretty perfect. The good news is that when it was cut up, it looked fine, and it still tasted good. The bad news is that it took me so long to make this cake that I will never make it again. It was good, but not worth all of the effort. So, long story short, I won't be posting a recipe for Lemon Pound Cake, at least until I can find a recipe that is much, much simpler.

ALSO, I've been cooking from memory and without safety nets a lot lately, not really using "recipes," and making lots of stuff that either a) needs no recipe to make, or b) I've already posted. Hmmmm. Maybe I need to spice it up a bit?

On deck this week.....

Monday
(we had the Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Salad that I didn't make on Saturday)

Tuesday
BBQ Ribs
Roasted Sweet Corn
Klondike Rose Potato Salad

Wednesday
Hawaiian Chicken
Rice Pilaf
Watermelon

Thursday
Grilled Steak Salad
with homemade dressing and croutons

Friday
Turkey Club Sandwiches
(on Naan)

Saturday
Maple Sesame Bacon Fried Rice
Homemade Egg Rolls (or pot stickers, if I'm feeling adventuresome)

Sunday
Takeout, I hope!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-05-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last week was The Week of Garden Craziness, wherein I pledged virtually every available moment to getting my garden planted. Except for radishes and scallions, it is now planted, but now I find myself in the unenviable position of having mountains of laundry to do, dishes to wash, and floors to vacuum. Our family of five can DESTROY a house in two days...and it has been six since I did any amount of housework. I have my work cut out for me.

But we still have to eat. And life still goes on: this week, I have a choir rehearsal on Thursday, a benefit concert on Friday, and 5 loaves of quick bread to make for a wedding on Saturday. There's no rest for the weary, so there had better be good sustenance. On that note, here's what I've got planned for this week:

Monday
Grilled Thin-cut Pork Chops
Greeky-Greek Roasted Red Potatoes
Broccoli and Cheese

Tuesday
Burgers (with Vidalias!)
Salad

Wednesday
Fried Chicken
Authentic Garlic Bread
Roasted Green Beans

Thursday
Country-style Pork Ribs (Crock Pot/Broiler)
Shells and Cheese
Glazed Carrots

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
More catch-as-catch-can

Sunday
Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Salad

Menu Plan Monday

2009-05-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

Wheee! Warm weather! This week's menu plan reflects that (kinda?). I'm into fresh produce now that the weather is nice--this week's grocery cart was filled mostly with produce for Tuesday's fiesta dinner. I'm not Mexican, but I will celebrate just about any holiday that gives me an excuse to make Mexican food. Shoot, I'll celebrate any holiday that encourages me to cook with cilantro and lime. Mmmmmm.

Have a great week!

Monday
Chicken Florentine in garlic cream sauce
Orzo

Tuesday--Cinco de Mayo
Beef and Chicken Fajitas
Guacamole
Salsa
Refried Beans
Mexican Rice

Wednesday
Schultzie's Mess (Breakfast Scramble with Ham, Onions, Green Peppers, Hash Browns, Eggs, and Cheese)

Thursday
Shredded Beef Sandwiches, toasted with sliced mozzarella
Roasted Yukon Rose Potatoes--JoJo style
Salad

Friday
Barbecued Country-Style Ribs
Roasted Green Beans
Broccoli Slaw with Homemade poppy seed dressing

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Subway

When the Cat's Away...

2009-05-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

...the cook will play. Abe is away for the weekend (I just talked to him--today he played 27 holes of golf), and I toyed with the idea of taking the easy way out with meals while he was gone. Last night was easy--we had pizza and a play date. Today for lunch, we had leftover pizza. Easy. Frankly, I haven't been in a very chef-y place lately, so while I actually had a meal plan this week, I cooked not one single meal off of it this week, opting instead for whatever was easiest when dinner rolled around. THEN, this afternoon, I picked up my mail, and noticed that the new issue of Food Network Magazine had arrived.

And suddenly, the juices were flowing again.

I immediately started some chicken brining and began washing veggies, and I settled on a menu for tonight. Grilled Asian-Glazed Chicken, Sesame Teriyaki Noodles, and Grilled Vidalias, Orange Peppers, and Tomatoes. Abe wouldn't have eaten the grilled veggies anyway, so it's just as well. It turned out delicious, and I feel like I'm back in the saddle again.

SO. Have you made anything especially delicious lately? Tell me about it. I need some fresh ideas.

(fyi, that's a serving platter in the photo above, not my plate. I can pack it away, but not THAT well.)

Menu Plan Monday...at last!

2009-04-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well, first, it was the crazy week before my knee surgery. I didn't make a menu plan, but I sure did clean like a mad woman. Then, it was the week after my knee surgery. My mother was here and cooked up a storm, but still no meal plan. Then it was the week after that, which by now is a complete blur, and then last week, my Aunt was here. She has multiple food sensitivities, so I really had no idea WHAT I was going to cook. It worked out okay, but the words meal plan never crossed my lips.

Which brings us to the present. My knee is doing quite well, and I'm fully mobile with no house guests. I'm ready to get my ducks in a row again!

Monday
Neapolitan Pizza (Margherita for me, something else for Abe)
Salad

Tuesday
Bacon Sesame Maple Fried Rice
Homemade Egg Rolls

Wednesday
Roast Chicken
Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes
Broccoli

Thursday
Aglio e Olio with Chicken
Salad

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
Subs

Sunday
Take out!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

It's still Monday, even though it's 9:30 pm and one of this week's meals is already in the bag, so to speak. Weird week ahead--I've chosen a menu that will hopefully provide many leftovers so that after I have my knee surgery on Friday, we'll have some food left to sustain us until my mom arrives on Tuesday evening to feed us. So if it looks like I'm cooking for an army, that's why.

Monday (dinner elsewhere)
Broccoli Rice casserole
(And some very tasty pork steaks smothered in a rich rosemary and mushroom cream sauce. Thanks, Beth!)

Tuesday
Shepherd's Pie

Wednesday
BBQ Western Pork Ribs
Baked Mac n Cheese
Corn Dish

Thursday
Chicken Tetrazzini
Salad

Friday
Taco Soup
Rice
(and fritos and cheese for garnish)

Saturday
Leftovers/Sandwiches

Sunday
Takeout/Leftovers

Monday, next
good question

Tuesday
hope Mom gets here soon

Come to think of it, there's nary a mess tent to be found here. Perhaps I need to cook a little bit more, just to have it on hand... Maybe I can toss a pot roast in there somewhere, with some roasted potatoes. Hmmmm.... or maybe some stew. Or a turkey.

The Best Pork Roast I've Ever Made

2009-03-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

A while back, there was an amazing sale on center-cut pork loin (Beth C., if you're reading this, I apologize for the use of the words pork and loin), so I snapped up a big one and portioned it off, and froze the portions for future use. I had planned to use one piece of it this past Friday for pork chops, but we invited Abe's sister's family over for a dinner/tile laying party, so I wound up doing pork roast instead.

Before I continue, let me say that I'm hardly ever excited about eating pork roast. I didn't eat it growing up, and I usually like some sort of glaze that covers it all, as with pork chops, and pork roast doesn't really jive with those things. But after Friday's Pork Roasts, I'm rethinking pork. With this recipe, I think I'll love pork roast from now on.

I started with a recipe from allrecipes.com, and modified, modified, modified, and this is what I came up with.

Glazed Herb Pork Roast

Roast and brine:
approx. 5 lb. pork loin
1/3 c. salt
1/2 c. brown sugar
4 c. hot water

Rub:
1 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

Glaze:
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. apricot or peach jam

In a large bowl, dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot water to make the brine. Submerge pork loin, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours. While the roast brines, combine the sage, salt, pepper, and garlic powder for the rub.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the pork from the brine, and discard brine. Pat pork dry with paper towels, and rub all over with garlic/sage mixture. Place roast fat side up on a wire rack above a cookie sheet lined with foil or a silicone mat (trust me on this one). I used a cooling rack sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, but you could also use a v-rack if you have one. Place pork in oven, and roast until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (*NOTE: I used two smaller pieces of pork, and the total cooking time was around 1:15, but a whole 5-lb. roast will take longer.)

Meanwhile, whisk together glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan, then cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens slightly. Brush this glaze over the pork 3-4 times toward the end of the cooking time.

After removing pork from the oven, allow it to rest for ten minutes before carving. Pour any remining glaze over the sliced roast, or serve glaze alongside.

Serves 6-8.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

April, I hope this helps. Thanks for the encouragement--until your comment, I hadn't even sat down to make a plan! Now I've got one, and I'm actually looking forward to dinner this week. Hope your plan works out!

Monday
Brats/Italian Sausage
Sauteed Onions
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Tuesday
Grilled Steak
Fried Potatoes with Garlic and Dill
Corn Dish

Wednesday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUDAH!)
Chicken Nuggets
Oven Fries
Green Beans Amandine

Thursday
Focaccia Pizza
Salad

Friday
Chicken and Vegetable Three-Cheese Lasagna Rolls

Saturday
Ham and Scalloped Potatoes (we didn't have this last week)
Steamed Peas

Sunday
Leftovers

Menu Plan Monday,

2009-03-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday-style.

Yesterday we had layered baked rotini and salad for dinner. Here's what's on deck for the rest of the week.

Tuesday
Beef BBQ Sandwiches
Corn Dish
Pasta Salad

Wednesday
Tomato Soup
Cheese Panini (because it sounds cooler than Grilled Cheese)

Thursday
Fajitas
Yellow Rice

Friday
Pork Chops with Brown Butter Sauce
Twice Baked Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli

Saturday
Leftovers/Salads

Sunday
either:
Baked Ham for Judah and Gideon's Birthday party
OR
Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
Salad

White Rice

2009-03-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

I love rice, and sometimes I can make it turn out fluffy and perfect.

Sometimes.

For me, cooking consistently perfect rice has been the Holy Grail of cooking. Now, thanks to this method, I drink from the sacred challis of knowledge while feasting on separate, fluffy grains of rice. I learned this no-fail, pasta preparation-like technique from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, and now it's my preferred method. (I've used a lot of cookbooks, and this is one of my all-time favorites! Check it out from your local library and see if you don't fall in love with it, too.)

White Rice

3-4 qts. water
1 Tbsp. salt
Uncooked rice

It really is like cooking pasta! The beauty of it is that with this large amount of water, you don't have to measure your rice exactly; just dump in a random amount (about 1 or 2 cups...ish), and it will turn out fine. But beware: it is all too easy to make way more rice than you need.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt, then add rice. Wait for reboil, then cook 12-15 minutes, or until rice is as tender as you like, stirring occasionally. Drain in a wire mesh sieve.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

My mom was a Home Economics teacher for years. She will tell you that I didn't learn to cook by watching her, but I beg to differ. I learned a lot from the things she put on the table: casseroles are a great way to stretch a dollar (even if I wouldn't touch them when I was a kid), salad is a healthy accompaniment to almost every meal (even though I used to DRINK the extra Italian dressing from the bottom of my bowl), a plate should have a variety of colors (because you eat with your eyes first, and you get a variety of nutrients that way), and every meal should feature the (formerly known as) four food groups. I try to abide by all of these strictures, but I do get tripped up by my use of starches; that is, I include them, and I love them, but I have a hard time using a variety of them. I'd choose potatoes almost any day of the week.

When I make my menu plans, you can always assume there will be some sort of casserole, quite a few salads, a variety of colors and flavors, and it will be mostly balanced, but it is sometimes challenging for me to space out my potato usage ("...oh, man, we can't have potatoes three days in a row! But what the heck else can I fix?"). This week, however, I wrote out my menu plan as I felt led to do, and it all fell into line quite nicely. I am especially proud of my use of starches this week. I think my mom would give me a gold star.

Monday
Shepherd's Pie Skillet
Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday
Maple Roast Chicken
Salad with Grapes and Toasted Almonds
Authentic Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Chicken Stir Fry with Ginger, Broccoli, Carrots, Water Chestnuts, Red Peppers, and Mushrooms
Rice

Thursday
Challah BLTs
Broccoli Slaw

Friday
Pancake Wraps with Sausage, Eggs, Cheese, Onions, and Green Peppers

Saturday
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Hard Rolls

Sunday
Leftovers

Challah

2009-02-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

Any idea how many times I've started writing this post? LOTS. I'd sit down with a couple of spare minutes available, then realize a couple of spare minutes weren't enough to do a challah post justice. Because challah? It's more than a bread to me. It's a recurring theme.

The first time I ever heard of challah was in a book I read in 5th grade. The book was about a Jewish family with lots of girls, and I was so enamored of it, I read it about a dozen times. Then I did an oral book report about it which was supposed to last 2 minutes. I spoke for almost 10. I loved the book so much, I wanted to become Jewish, to break a symbolic loaf of bread every Friday night. I wish I could remember the book's title, because I suspect I'd still love it, even now. It was around this time that I learned that I am approximately 1/32 Jewish, but you better believe I CLUNG to that 32nd like Israel was my homeland. I told my father that if I ever had a son, I'd name him Schloimon. I couldn't understand why he didn't love the name as much as I did.

Then, my senior year in college, a friend invited me to make challah with her. We were both English Education majors, but we loved baking that challah so much that we made hypothetical plans to open a bakery. We figured we'd combine our refined use of the English language with our love for baking, and hypothetically called our shop "We Be Bakin"." People will always need bread, we reasoned. There will never be a time when people don't need bread. That's called job security, my friends, and when you're a senior English major staring a potentially job-less future full in the face, even hypothetical jobs sound pretty good.

After I graduated, I moved to live with my aunt and uncle in Newton, Massachusetts. I heard somewhere that the population of Newton is so overwhelmingly Jewish that the town's nickname is actually "Jewton." I don't know if that's true, but most of the people I came to be friends with there were, in fact, Jewish. The day that my friend Wendy invited me to have Sabbath dinner with her family was the day I realized my fondest wish. I felt so honored to be present as they broke challah together, and was even more honored that summer when my friends called me an "honorary Jew."

So. Challah. Not only do I love it when I'm pretending to be Jewish, it also makes great rolls, BLTs, and french toast. For ages, I baked it solely in its traditional braided form, but recently, I started braiding it and baking in a loaf pan for great sandwich bread. Then, for Thanksgiving, I baked it into dinner rolls. Any way you slice it (literally!), challah is a rich, tender, flaky, delicious bread. It is perfect with hearty favorites like stew and pot pie, but it also makes the best sandwiches ever. Give it a whirl! And see if you don't feel a smidge like singing Hava Nagila.

We Be Bakin'!!

Challah
from The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking
by Brother Rick Curry, S.J.

2 pkg. active dry yeast (about 4 1/2 tsp.)
1/2 c. warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
Mix; set aside for 5 minutes to "proof."

In a large bowl, combine:

5 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 c. warm water
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. salt
2 eggs

Mix thoroughly, then add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Beat for 10 minutes (by hand, or with a stand mixer), gradually adding flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness. Place bread in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat, and cover and let rise until doubled--45 minutes to an hour.

Punch down the dough. Work in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Divide into six pieces and shape pieces into 10-inch ropes. Braid into two loaves. You may bake this on a cornmeal-lined baking sheet or stone, or you may bake the braided loaves in greased loaf pans. Or, what the heck? Shape the dough into rolls. In any event, cover the dough with tea towels or plastic wrap, and let rise again until doubled.

Glaze with a mixture of:
1/2 c. water
1 egg

And sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired. Bake loaves in a preheated 350-degree oven. Loaves will take 35-45 minutes, rolls will take less. You'll love the beautifully dark, shiny crust on these beauties!

Refried Beans

2009-02-09T14:12:00.001-08:00

I am always repulsed by the refried beans from the can. I mean, I love the flavor, but there's something about prying the strangely-gelatinous pink mass from its metal home that sets me ill-at-ease. Perhaps it looks too much like pet food? Or perhaps it just smells too much like pet food? The sad thing is that I LOVE the taste of refried beans. And I LOVE bean dip, especially out at a restaurant. But are my options really that I have to go to a restaurant to get good refried beans or tolerate the glop from a can? There must be a better way.

So one Saturday morning, I happen to catch America's Test Kitchen on PBS. THey were making huevos rancheros, I believe, and were having the same bean trouble I was. So they figured out how to make refried beans at home without having to first cook the beans and all that. It was quick, easy, and according to them, it was much tastier than the tin-can counterpart. I thought it was worth a try.

Of course, I used their recipe as a guideline, but didn't have all of the ingredients they called for. So with some improvisation, this is what I came up with. I've made it several times since then, and I come dangerously close to gluttony when I have a warm bowl of these beans and some good tortilla chips.

Give it a try--you might be surprised!!

Refried Beans

1 lg. can pinto beans, drained, liquid reserved
1 small onion, diced finely
4 strips of bacon (OR 1-2 Tbsp. bacon fat, if you've got some)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 4 oz. can green chilies, chopped as finely as desired
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt (or to taste)

In a saute pan over medium heat, render the fat from the bacon. Then eat the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan. Cooking does have its perks! To the drippings, add the onion, and saute until it begins to soften. Then add the chilies and garlic, and also the cumin and salt. Saute until fragrant, about a minute or two.

Meanwhile, toss the pinto beans into a food processor or blender, then add the onion/chile mixture on top. Pulse until the beans are as smooth as you like them, adding the reserved liquid until they're your preferred consistency.

Heat olive oil in that same saute pan, and transfer beans to warm pan. Cook over medium high heat until warmed through, just to combine flavors.

Sit down in a comfy chair with these beans and a fresh bag of tortilla chips and sigh contentedly. Then consume the whole bowl. Makes about 2 cups.

ALTERNATELY, you can use these in a Mexican layer dip, or spooned over deluxe nachos, or tucked inside tacos and burritos...I'm just saying, the possibilities are practically endless.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

...and it's actually MONDAY! It's a triumph!!

Well, winter is starting to wind down. And while I will be ever-so-glad when the trees have leaves and all of the snow and sub-zero temperatures are a distant memory, I will sort of miss winter food. There's nothing like a warm pot pie or bowl of chili on a blustery day, you know? Oh, sure, spring and summer food is great, too; with all of its fresh produce, light flavors, and easy preparation, summer food sure is refreshing and healthy. But winter food is like a cozy sweater or a down comforter. Winter food is good for what ails you.

This week, we're stocking up on winter favorites. That groundhog says it'll be six more weeks, which means all of this yummy, stick-to-your-ribs food will soon be a distant memory, too.

Monday
Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Chicken
Saffron Jasmine Rice
Spinach and Cabbage Salad with Homemade Poppyseed Dressing

Tuesday
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Breadsticks with Garlic-infused dipping oil

Wednesday
Pork Verde Tacos
Yellow Rice

Thursday
Chicken Pot Pie

Friday
Roast Beef
Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Dill
Glazed Carrots

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Schultzie's Mess (Breakfast)

Taco Soup

2009-02-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

When I was a junior in college, I took a very humanitarian Spring Break road trip to Arkansas to help clean up after an F5 tornado destroyed a small town. The sister of a friend of mine lived nearby, so we stayed with her and her husband during our time there, and she introduced me to two delicious dishes. The first was queso dip. I'd had queso dip from a jar before, and loved it, but Rebecca made queso with Velveeta and this fantastic stuff called Ro*Tel. I won't post a recipe for that one; chances are, a)you already know how to make it, and b) even if you don't, you probably gleaned enough from the list of ingredients to surmise how to make it.

The second dish was a chili-like concoction called Taco Soup. Spicy, tangy, and hearty, it was Tex-Mex heaven in a bowl, and I was instantly smitten. Believe it or not, I am an introvert, and because of that, I did not ask her for the recipe for this soul-satisfying soup. But I was able, some time later, to hone its ingredients to achieve the flavor I fell in love with at Bill and Rebecca's house. My recipe has become a trifle more sophisticated over the years, but it is still the smoky, spicy soup I met in Arkansas those many years ago. That, and it couldn't be easier! I'm sure you've seen recipes for this before; here's mine.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. water or beef broth
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can yellow hominy, undrained
1 can beans (your choice--I like dark red kidney beans or black beans), undrained
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 bay leaf

Steamed rice
Cheddar cheese
Fritos

In a dutch oven, brown ground beef, and drain. (Make sure beef is browned and not merely gray; color=flavor!) Add in onions and saute over medium heat until onions are translucent. (Beef will continue to brown. GOOD!) Add in garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Deglaze the pan with water or broth, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom. Add in oregano, cumin, taco seasoning, and cayenne, stirring well to combine. Then add the tomatoes, hominy, and beans. Stir to combine. Toss the bay leaf into the mixture, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Serve over rice, topped with cheese, and sprinkled liberally with fritos.

Serves 6.

Menu What?

2009-01-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

tap, tap. Is this thing on?

Wow. It has been a long time, hasn't it? Believe it or not, last week was the first week in AGES that I have been without a Menu Plan, so it's not as if I had no content to contribute. It's just that Mondays have been getting away from me, and then all of a sudden, it's Tuesday, and writing a post called "Menu Plan Monday" seems a bit silly. So I think, I'll just post two Plans next Monday! And next thing you know, I haven't posted a LICK since December 1.

To complicate matters, my oven is on the fritz. You know, you have no idea how often you use your oven until you have no oven to use. I've got all kinds of things I'd love to bake, and no current outlet for them. Not only that, it turns out I use my oven for dinner a LOT, so my hands feel a bit tied without it. Menu Plans are a good deal more challenging to concoct when you have tied hands.

But my family still has to eat, so...

Monday
Pan-Roasted Bone-In Chicken Breasts (I'll let you know how it works out)
Stove-top Rice Pilaf
Glazed Carrots

Tuesday
Crock Pot something or other--maybe Pork Roast?
Salad

Wednesday
Chili or Taco Soup
Noodles or Rice
Corn fritters

Thursday
Brinner:
Bacon, Potato, and Cheese Scramble

Friday
Chicken and Dumplings
Peas

Saturday
Good question

Sunday
Leftovers, hopefully...

P.S. Didn't I used to post recipes on here, too? I'll have to do that soon. I think I may start with the Challah recipe I love so much. Maybe Thursday! At the very least, I'll do it before it turns to February!!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-01T09:45:00.001-08:00

This post is this week's menu plan AND last week's--I'm posting last week's just so it can get into the archives!

Bring on the cold weather--we're ready for it with these comforting favorites.

Last week:

Monday
Roasted Pork Loin Filet
Stuffing
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Tuesday
BLTs on homemade Challah
Broccoli Slaw

Wednesday
Aglio e Olio

Thursday/Gluttony Day
Veggies and Ranch Dip
Fresh Fruit and fruit dip

Turkey and gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Corn Dish
Green Bean Casserole
Southern Green Beans
Boiled Onions (uck.)
Yams
Buttery Crescent Rolls
Challah Rolls

Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Pie
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie
Maple Walnut Tarts
Chocolate Cream Tarts

Friday
Hot Turkey Salad

Saturday
Out to dinner! I got a French Dip sandwich, Abe got a Monte Cristo (which I just don't understand)

Sunday
White Turkey Chili, with cheddar cheese and sour cream

This week:

Monday
Pizza Margherita
Bacon and Pineapple Pizza
Sausage Pizza
Salad

Tuesday
Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Chicken
Spicy Orzo
Green Beans Amandine

Wednesday
Shepherd's Pie

Thursday
Breaded Pork Chops
Scalloped Potatoes
Buttered Peas

Friday
Leftovers (I'm helping host a Bridal shower, and we're having a Taco/Nacho Bar and a Cheesecake Bar)

Saturday
Chili 5 ways (with beans, onions, noodles, and cheese)

Sunday
Leftovers (or Chinese takeout--fingers crossed!)

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

This week:

Monday
Chicken Noodle Soup
French Bread

Tuesday
Grilled Steak
Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Brats with onions and peppers
Homemade buns
Mac and Cheese

Thursday
Sesame Chicken
White Rice
Stir fried snow peas with sesame oil and soy sauce

Friday
Cheeseburgers
Fries
Salad

Saturday
Cheesy Potato Soup with Ham

Sunday
Leftovers

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

So tired today! And we're getting a beef order soon, so I'm trying to clear out some space in the freezer. Any of these meals may make way for a beef something-or-other if my beef situation seems dire when I survey it today. But here's a first draft, anyway.

Monday
Hungarian Braised Short Ribs
Jasmine Rice
Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday
Chicken Enchiladas
Salad

Wednesday
Stuffed Shells

Thursday
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Crash Hot Potatoes
Carrots

Friday
Chicken and Bacon Corn Chowder
OR
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (my Panera copycat)
Homemade Crescent Rolls

Saturday (we never had this meal last week, so it's a hold-over)
Kielbasa
Mashed Potatoes
Leftover Veggies

Sunday
Leftover Smorgasbord

Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes

2008-11-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Every September, we plan a day at the fair. Abe takes the afternoon off from work, and we head out to see the animal barns, ride rides, and eat lots of yummy fair food. Ah, fair food. You can have the animal barns and rides, and I'd still show up for onion rings, elephant ears, and cotton candy. And french fries. And those lemonade shake-ups that are so grossly overpriced. There is a point, though, where you have to say THAT'S ENOUGH with the fair food, and this year, I hit that point early. I began to feel a bit eck from all of the sugar and grease, and I knew I needed something that more closely resembled actual food. I headed over to the Greek food vendor for a roasted chicken gyro, which was oh-so-delicious and made me feel much better. But the wonder of wonders that emerged from that foot cart was Greek Potatoes. They were "broasted," and topped with a butter/garlic/oregano sauce that completely made my year. Of course, even as I was stuffing my face with these tasty spuds, I was plotting to re-create them at home.

One thing I did want to change, though, was the deep-fried nature of these potatoes. I thought they'd be even tastier roasted--less greasy, more potatoey--and I was right. Tossed with all of the other Greeky ingredients, these roasted up to be tender, yummy gems. An added bonus: they were so easy...and infinitely cheaper than buying them at the fair!

Greeky Greek Potatoes

5 small/medium potatoes (I used russets, but yukon golds would be KILLER)
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp.melted butter
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, butter, oregano, garlic powder, and garlic, and pour over potatoes. Toss to make sure potatoes are coated, then season with salt and pepper as desired. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and browned, stirring occasionally to make sure the potatoes are covered in the flavorful oil mixture!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

I've been looking back at some menu plan posts from last year, and I may be in a rut. Sadly, I do not plan to do anything about it this week!

Monday
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

Tuesday
"Shake and Bake"-style baked Chicken
Stuffing
Green Beans

Wednesday
I'm undecided. It will either be:
Chicken Fettucine with Alfredo Herb Sauce
OR
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
OR
Chicken Bacon Corn Chowder.
It will depend on my mood that day.

Thursday
Beef Vegetable Noodle Soup
Salad
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Pie (dutch apple or blueberry)

Friday
Kielbasa
Mashed Potatoes with French Fried Onions
Peas

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Pork Tenderloin cutlets with Apricot Glaze
Rice Pilaf with Slivered Almonds
Glazed Carrots

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here's what's in store for this week: (we have a lot of salad--I bought some this week and didn't remember we already had some in the fridge!)

Monday (we didn't have this last week...)
Apple-stuffed Roasted Pork Loin
Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes
Broccoli (last of our garden's bounty!)

Tuesday
Maple-Orange Glazed Chicken
Nutty Rice Pilaf
Salad

Wednesday
Chili 5 Ways

Thursday
Cuban Panini (Medianoche)
Yellow Rice
Salad

Friday
Beef Short Ribs
Herbed Egg Noodles
Salad

Hopefully, I'll have a recipe or two posted this week, too. Cuban Panini, Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes, or Cinnamon Rolls. Any preference?

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

My parents were here this weekend to watch our kids while we attended family wedding festivities, and while they were here, my mom cooked up a storm. She made barbecued beef sandwiches, homemade pizza, and meatloaf and scalloped potatoes. We also have leftover quiche from Saturday morning. We are STOCKED UP. So we'll probably pepper our dinners this week with some leftovers, and since I'm not going grocery shopping this week, we're having a pantry festival--dinners made with whatever is on hand. I still need to take stock of what we have before I come up with a menu, but I'd like to try this one week a month: skip the grocery store, the hassle, and the expense, and make do. I'll let you know how it goes!

And later today, I'll post my menu plan. See you soon!

Oh, yeah...

Monday
Leftover Buffet

Tuesday
Beef and Noodles
Salad

Wednesday
Finish the leftovers

Thursday
Pork Loin Medallions with apricot glaze
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli

Friday
Shredded Beef Nachos with Queso
Refried Beans
Pan Roasted Corn

Saturday
Tomato Soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with bacon (on homemade Challah)

Sunday
Takeout

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-14T07:00:00.001-07:00

...a day late. It's a weird week for menu planning because a) my parents are coming to visit this weekend and b) we have a family wedding this weekend, but here's what I've got so far...

Monday
Homemade chicken egg rolls (EASY!)
Maple-Sesame Bacon Fried Rice

Tuesday
Pot Roast
Carrots
Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Baked Potato Soup

Thursday
Someone brings us a meal, maybe?
If not, then it'll be Turkey dinner.

Friday
Attend rehearsal dinner Pig Roast

Saturday
TBA lunch (Mom?)
Dinner reception at the country club (!! Fancy!!)

Sunday
Who knows? Any ideas, Mom?

I've got some desserts on tap, though:
"McDonald's" Fried Apple Pies (because of all of the extra egg roll wrappers)
Homemade chewy granola bars

I may also try to make some mozzarella appetizers with the extra wrappers. Yum!

Uncle Abe's Soft Pretzels

2008-10-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, this one needs no story. This is just a recipe that is an amalgam of recipes claiming to be similar to "Mall" pretzels (you know the kind). I made these for the first time yesterday, and Abe thinks they're spot-on. I think they could use a bit more chewiness, so I've added in a bit of bread flour into the recipe. But if you don't have bread flour, don't sweat it--I used all all-purpose yesterday, and they still turned out really well. I ate four of them.

Soft Pretzels

4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. white sugar
1 1/4 c. warm water

1 c. bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
all-purpose flour *

1/4 c. baking soda
2 c. hot water

kosher or sea salt, or pretzel salt, if you've got it
3 Tbsp. melted butter

FIRST, mix together the yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 1/4 c. warm water, and set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast get foamy. When it has, add in the oil.

Then, in a large bowl, combine the bread flour, sugar, and salt. Mix in the yeast mixture, *and then continue to add all-purpose flour until it makes a soft dough. (approx. 3-4 cups.) Turn dough onto a well-floured counter top, and knead in more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

In a large bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dump the dough out onto the counter top and flatten slightly. Then, using a knife or pizza cutter, cut off a strip that is approximately 1/12th of the total dough. Roll it on the counter until it is about 16 inches long. Then, twist into the classic pretzel shape, dunk in the baking soda/water mixture, and transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet, or a cookie sheet that is well-greased. Repeat until all of the pretzels are twisted. You'll need two cookie sheets.

Then, sprinkle lightly with the salt, and pop into the hot oven. Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate baking sheets top-to-bottom and front-to-back. Bake until the pretzels are golden brown.

Remove from oven and brush with lots of melted butter. Enjoy!

Makes 12 pretzels.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the tentative plan for this week.

Monday
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tuesday
Roast Chicken
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Glazed Carrots

Wednesday
Chicken Verde
Yellow Rice
Black Beans

Thursday
Short Ribs
Rice
Green Beans

Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Leftovers? McDonald's? Pizza? I won't be here, so it's anybody's guess!

2008-09-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am currently recovering from a no-sleep week, so this week's menu reflects a little bit of that laziness! This week's menu is also a nod to the cooler weather we have in store for this week. Finally, comfort food sounds good again. Hello, fall food! I've missed you.

Monday
Beef and Peas over Savory Herb Noodles

Tuesday
Steak
Baked Potatoes
Salad with homemade croutons

Wednesday
Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday
Hot Chicken Salad
Salad

Friday
Ribs
Baked Mac n Cheese
Corn Dish

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Chinese takeout, hopefully!

Spicy Orzo

2008-09-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

A girl I know had cravings for Long John Silvers' hush puppies when she was pregnant. Ordinarily, this wouldn't seem odd. But she had, in fact, never eaten a hush puppy before in her life, so the sudden desire for them was inexplicable. It turned out that she loved them. Go figure.

I am no longer pregnant, but I can totally relate with the inexplicable-craving phenomenon. I once craved sweet-n-sour sauce even though I'd never had it before, and I, too, loved it. It was as if my taste buds had become ready for it and let me know when it was time. A similar thing happened with this dish: I woke up one morning craving orzo. I'd had orzo before, and all it is is rice-shaped pasta, so it was strange that I would crave orzo and not a pasta more familiar to me, like farfalle or rotini. But there it was: I HAD TO HAVE orzo.

Wouldn't you know it? I couldn't find orzo anywhere. I didn't think it was that uncommon of an item until I was craving it and couldn't find it in any store I visited. I even visited stores I don't usually frequent in the hope that they would carry these tiny little bits of pasta that were driving me slowly insane. They didn't.

Then some WEEKS later, when the craving had subsided, I was making my routine pass through the pasta aisle, and there they were, plain as day. Maybe they had been there all the time. I will never know. But I was still ready for them, so I purchased three boxes. I didn't want to be caught craving them with no recourse.

I still didn't know what I wanted to do with the orzo, but garlic sounded good. And butter. And my garden was exploding with basil; that sounded pretty good, too. And you know what else? Heat. Heat sounded good. When all is said and done, this recipe is probably closer to authentic Aglio e Olio than my actual Aglio e Olio recipe. But I think it works better here in this application with orzo than it would with any other pasta. The resulting dish is creamy, reminiscent of a risotto, with a lot of heat and flavor. AND it only takes about 12 minutes to make! Now, not only is the original orzo-something-or-other craving satisfied, but I've created a new item for me to crave. Let's get started, shall we?

Spicy Orzo

3 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely chopped
1/8-1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (depending on your preferred heat level)
ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. uncooked orzo
2 c. chicken stock or broth
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh basil, or 1 Tbsp dried basil

Melt butter in a saucepan and add garlic, dried red pepper flakes, black pepper, and he dried basil (if using--if you're using fresh, WAIT.). Saute over low-ish medium heat for about 30 seconds, just to infuse the butter with the flavors, then add the orzo. Saute for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Slowly pour the chicken stock into the orzo mixture, and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, or until the stock is nearly absorbed and orzo is tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat, stir in parmesan and fresh basil (if using), and serve immediately. You may add a tablespoon or two of olive oil if you wish to keep the grains more separate or don't plan to serve it in the next three minutes.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Menu what?

2008-09-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hello mom! Yes, I have not posted plans in two weeks. Last week, I was simply too lazy to come up with one, but here were some highlights: Scalloped potatoes with ham, Taco soup with cilantro-lime rice, and pot roast with carrots and garlic and dill potatoes. Also, we had a County Fair meal which I will blog about later. Fall is here, no matter what the thermometer says.

This week is a different story. This week a deadline I had not been thinking about presented itself. Also, I have a bushel of corn shoved into my fridge awaiting its time for freezing. Yesterday afternoon, I babysat for a friend's kids. And last night, I was up until 1:45 with kids who were having sleeping/obedience issues. So far this week's meal highlights have been take-and-bake pizza, frozen pizza, frozen chicken nuggets, and Kraft mac'n'cheese, and I sense that similar things will show up on the menu later this week, too.

But after the craziness subsides, I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things with some smoked and grilled spareribs with my homemade BBQ rub, chicken pot pie, steak and smashed potatoes, fruit-glazed pork filets with herbed noodles, and Korean braised short ribs. I also need to make about 12 more batches of pesto to freeze, and we'll probably have a chicken/pesto cream sauce/pine nut/parmesan pasta dish to use some of it up. And I've been dreaming about a chicken gyro I had at the fair, and the delicious oregano/garlic/butter potatoes that came with it. I'll probably try to tackle those soon, too. Oh, man. I can't wait.

But I have to wait. I have other things to tackle this week, and I wouldn't enjoy cooking with guilt.

Back soon, and I've got some recipes up my sleeve, including a really tasty tzatziki sauce and a spicy orzo dish that is my new favorite! I've also noticed some gaping holes in my recipe collection that need to be plugged with some of our family favorites, like taco soup and chicken pot pie. So when time allows it again, I'll get those up! See you then!

Magnum Opus

2008-09-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went nuts and made a meal for our history books. To quote Abe, "I love it when we have ribs, grilled chicken, red potatoes and green beans, baked beans, fresh corn, corn muffins, and a peach and blueberry tart...on a Thursday."

It started out simply--I had a rack of ribs that I wanted to smoke on our charcoal grill, and I thought I'd pair them with some baked beans, fresh corn (because I'm freezing bushels of it this week), and corn muffins. Then I decided to invite Abe's sister's family over, so I added the other stuff to the menu. It is probably Abe's favorite meal of all of the meals I have prepared for him thus far.

Along the way, I tried some new recipes (like a bbq rub and the potato and green bean dish, and the ribs themselves) andd perfected some old ones (like the barbecue sauce and grilled chicken) and I will be posting them shortly! Stay tuned!

Post-Labor Day Menu Plan

2008-09-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

Labor Day. It's a funny holiday, really. It was first conceived to honor workers who labor for the union (like my hubby), but in recent years, I've seen lots of Happy Labor Day commercials that honor mothers who have gone through labor (me--three times). In reality, it's really a farewell-to-summer celebration and has nothing to do with either of the above anymore. Do you ever take a moment during YOUR cookout to remember your local Union leaders? Probably not.

This year's labor day, for us, featured a lot of actual labor. My house was a mess and people were coming over, so I labored all morning to get it picked up. And my hubby had several friends and family members over to help him labor on the house--namely, putting up the trim on the windows, a step that precedes siding installation. And there was no cookout. We had Subway sandwiches for lunch. And really, we had Subway sandwiches for dinner, because "lunch" didn't happen until about 4. Then our renter and his fiancee had a grilled pizza/nacho fest in our backyard that night, which we totally crashed. So no cooking for me yesterday! Viva Organized Labor and ambitious renters!

Without further ado, here's the plan for today and the rest of this week.

Tuesday (it's gonna be a hot one today)
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Caprese Salad
Chips

Wednesday
Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad with feta, almonds, onion and raspberry vinaigrette over Organic Herb Mix greens

Thursday
Ribs (forgot to thaw them last week)
Baked Beans
Peach Cobbler

Friday
Burgers
Oven Fries tossed with fresh dill

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Pasta Salad with leftover chicken, basil, shredded mozarella, and grape tomatoes

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry about last week. It was Thursday before I realized I hadn't posted my menu plan, and by then, I figured it was too late anyway. Here's what's on deck for this week:

Monday
Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops
Salad
Cheesy Herb Loaf

Tuesday
Crock Pot Smoked Sausage
Crock Pot Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans

Wednesday
Turkey Club Sandwiches on Homemade Challah
Caesar Salad
Peach Cobbler

Thursday
Ribs
Baked Beans
Broccoli Salad

Friday
Barbecued Chicken
Dilly Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Melon

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of holdovers this week after plans changed last week. Nothing earth-shattering, just family favorites! Have a great week!

Monday
Aglio e Olio with Chicken
Salad

Tuesday
Stuffed Burgers
Grilled Yukon Golds
Sauteed Zucchini with garlic

Wednesday
Calzones
Watermelon

Thursday
EATING OUT!!!

Friday
Brinner:
Pancakes
Bacon
Hashbrown casserole
Strawberries

Saturday
Leftovers/Sandwiches, etc. (Clean out the fridge day!)

Sunday
Subway sandwiches

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

...on Tuesday. A wonderful friend of mine gave us a gift card for maid service for after our baby was born. Today, I redeemed that gift card. How nice that things got clean in my absence! Alas, they do not de-clutter, so I spent most of yesterday just trying to get things to their rightful put-away places. Menu Plan Monday fell by the wayside.

I do have a plan, though. I have to--this weekend, we're hosting my brother, sister-in-law, and their son, and also my Mom and Dad. I've got to get my ducks in a row when I'm cooking for a crowd.

Monday
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Mac n Cheese
Broccoli Slaw

Tuesday
Turkey Tenderloin
Potatoes Au Gratin
Salad

Wednesday
Clean-out-the-fridge night

Thursday
Calzones

Friday
Breakfast: Hashbrown casserole, melon
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad
Dinner:Chicken Verde Burritos
Black Beans
Yellow Rice

Saturday
Breakfast: Sausage and Cheddar Quiche, Blueberries, Toast
Lunch: Sandwiches, Chips, Cookies, etc.
Dinner: Grill out-fest: Brats, Italian Sausage, Potato Salad, Baked Beans

Sunday
Breakfast: Bagels, Cereal, etc.
Lunch: Aglio e Olio w/ Chicken
Dinner: Pizza? Chinese? Some sort of takeout

Naan (Indian Flatbread)

2008-08-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, I like to prepare things that my husband will enjoy eating. The kids, after all, are at that stage where they don't really care about food enjoyment--if it's not candy, it's only good to sustain life. (Unless we're talking about McNuggets, which is a different story.) Anyway, I happen to know that one of my husband's all-time favorite sandwiches is a Chicken Pesto sandwich from a local restaurant. I've had the sandwich, and it's good, but it's basic--nothing that couldn't be re-created at home. So this week, I sought out to do that very thing.

The sandwich consists of grilled chicken, pesto, salad greens, and diced tomatoes (which my husband skips), all sandwiched between two pieces of flatbread. Well, grilled chicken is easy enough. Salad greens? Just snip some from the garden. As for pesto? Well, see this other post. I added thin slices of fresh mozzarella, and sliced tomatoes (for me and for the kids), because you can't go wrong with the mozzarella/tomato/pesto combination. That left the flatbread.

I didn't want to purchase flatbread because HELLO, have you seen the prices on that sort of thing? Besides, how hard can it be to make? I remembered a recipe I had tried back in the day from a very old Fleischman's Yeast promotional recipe booklet--called "Arab Bread," it was the nearest thing I've ever had to a flatbread I ate while on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic in high school. It was good, but I thought that it might be a bit too thick and dense for a sandwich. Then I thought of Naan. I'd seen it in the grocery store, and I knew that it is traditionally served with Indian cuisine (which I don't like). It looked thin, but substantial enough to hold together for a sandwich--in short, perfect for this application. The main drawback, again, was that it was so blooming expensive, I couldn't justify purchasing it. I'd have to try to make it.

I went online to Allrecipes.com, my go-to for recipe basics, and sorted Naan recipes by rating. The recipe I chose to try was the highest rated recipe, which even readers from Naan-eating countries deemed closest to the real thing. I made the dough on Tuesday for Grilled Pizza and liked it so much, I made it again on Thursday for my Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwiches. The long and the short of it is this: Abe actually thought this sandwich was better than its restaurant-originated counterpart, due in large part to the bread. As a matter of fact, as I was finishing up this post, Abe came home from work, rummaged furiously through the fridge and asked, "Do we have any more of that bread??"

I do not take a compliment from Abe very lightly. This recipe is a keeper! It's also EASY, even if you don't have a mixer suitable for making bread--the dough is very soft and pliable, very easy to work with. And the cooking time is brief--the bread cooks on the stove top, so there's no need to heat your oven or your house. For me, this is a big plus in summertime! So there you have it. I don't like Indian food, except for Naan. Please give this wonderful flatbread a try! It's super for sandwiches, for grilled pizza, or just for eating with spreads like hummus, if you like that sort of thing. Go forth with confidence.

Note: I've just looked over the instructions, and man, am I WORDY. But read through it, and you'll see that even though I used a lot of words to describe the process, it's still really simple. Don't be put off my my inability to self-edit.

Naan
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 pkg. yeast (approx. 2 1/4 tsp)
1 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar, divided (1 Tbsp. and 3 Tbsp.)
3 Tbsp. milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
approx. 4 1/2 c. bread flour*
melted butter
1 tsp. garlic powder

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the warm water and the sugar. Sprinkle yeast over surface of water to moisten, and wait about 5-10 minutes for it to "proof," or get foamy. If it doesn't get foamy, try again--this means your yeast has DIED. RIP.

In the meantime, whisk together the milk and the egg. Combine the remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. When the yeast is done proofing, dump in the milk mixture and combine, then dump in the sugar mixture, and stir to combine. Then begin adding flour. *I don't even measure the flour at this point, because the important thing is just to add in flour until the mixture forms a dough and pulls away from the side of the bowl. I seriously doubt I use 4 1/2 cups, as the recipe calls for, but you'll want to have this much on hand just in case, I suppose.

When you've stirred in as much flour as it will incorporate, knead the dough a few times on the counter just to get it smooth and not sticky. Transfer to an oiled bowl and turn to coat (or just brush it with a little oil). Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until it's doubled in size. [I like to fill a 2 c. measuring cup with water and bring it to a boil in the microwave, then put the dough into the micro. with the hot water, and let it rise there--using this method, I only let it rise 45 minutes, and it's already doubled]

After it has doubled, turn it out on a floured countertop and flatten it, then divide it into 6-8 pieces (depending on how large you want your bread). Shape the pieces into balls, spray with a bit of oil or non-stick spray, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for about 30 minutes.

Right before you're ready to cook the bread, melt the butter and mix in the garlic powder.

Now, the fun part: heat up a griddle or a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Stretch your dough into flatbreads--make them very thin, because they'll puff up quite a bit! Toss the bread right onto the griddle or pan, cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip, and cook for 2-3 more. Most of the dough will still be very light in color, but it will have darker spots where it bubbled and had contact with the pan. Remove from the pan and brush with the butter. Repeat as needed.

NOW. Last night, I only used half the dough, used the grill side of my griddle pan, and made four nearly dinner plate-sized breads, which I folded in half for the sandwiches. It took all of 10 minutes to cook the bread, and we served it warm. If you're using it for a crowd or for pizza, go ahead and use all the dough--even when I only used 3/4 of the recipe, it made 3 large pizzas. But it's so yummy, you may want to make it all, because then you can snack on it. It's that good.

Pesto

2008-08-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Yet another entry from the "I Thought It Would Be Gross" files. I first had pesto on a sandwich called St. Basil's Delight at a cute little restaurant in Grand Rapids called The Brittany Cafe. Just down a block or two from my place of employment, "The Brit" was a frequent lunch destination for us. We had plenty of opportunity to try menu items, and I personally wouldn't have ordered this one on my own, but my colleague and roommate, Beth, ordered the St. Basil and let me try a bite. I believe I said something along the lines of, "Basil, where have you been all my life?" or "Humminahumminahummina."

Armed with the knowledge that I liked pesto, I felt confident ordering a pesto dish at another Grand Rapids restaurant, this time the Bistro Bella Vita. Bistro Bella Vita is a little swankier than The Brit, so the fact that the pesto/pasta dish was the cheapest thing on the menu also influenced my decision to order. Thankfully, this combination of roasted chicken, bow tie pasta, toasted pine nuts, and a pesto cream sauce was magically delicious. At that point, having tried pesto in a sandwich and on pasta, and having liked it quite well in both instances, I added pesto to the list of Things I Like to Eat, and began seeking it out.

It was only natural, then, that I would want to try to make my own pesto. This summer, with our garden full to bursting with basil, seemed the perfect time to try it. I used this recipe, and it did not disappoint--I've eaten pesto on various foodstuffs three times in the past week. And with the stockpile of pesto I've already frozen using this recipe, I plan to keep on enjoying it for a long time.

Pesto

1 garlic clove
1/4 c. pine nuts or walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 c. basil leaves
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/3 c. olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, whirl the garlic clove (sometimes I use more cloves if they're small), nuts, cheese, and basil together until it forms a stiff paste. Then, with the blade running, drizzle in the olive oil until it forms a slightly less-thick paste.

Pesto is great on a sandwich or pizza. To use it with pasta, combine it with about 1/2 c. of the pasta cooking water to thin it out a bit, then toss it with the pasta, and serve.

Yum! Give it a try!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

Another summer week, another menu plan with seasonal eats. I'm so happy to be cooking again! You'll notice that I'm using the grill a bunch lately--I just can't get enough of that smoky charcoal-fire char flavor. I've also taken to throwing a few chunks of mesquite on for some added yum. Ah, I love summer.

Here's the plan:

Monday
Southwestern Salad with fresh corn, cilantro, and black beans, with Salsa Ranch dressing
Cilantro Lime Rice

Tuesday
Grilled Pizzas:
Margherita (with this week's splurge, fresh mozzarella)
Pepperoni

Wednesday
Roast Beef Sandwiches (from the crock pot--I've got some beef in my freezer to use up before we get our next order. These will either be Italian or BBQ)
Roasted Green Beans
Caprese Salad (to use up the rest of the mozz. and our overabundance of basil in the garden)

Thursday (crowded grill day)
Grilled Chicken Pesto Flatbread Sandwiches (pesto recipe to come, and maybe a flatbread recipe, if all goes well)
Grill-fried Potatoes with fresh dill (done in perforated foil pan on the grill)
Grilled Zucchini

Friday
Crock Pot Western-Style Pork Ribs with homemade BBQ sauce
Corn Pudding
Watermelon
Salad

Menu-Plan Friday

2008-07-18T08:20:00.001-07:00

*Edited Saturday's Pasta Salad*

It's unorthodox, I know--menu plans should be posted on Monday. But my post-baby menu planning starts now, so here it is. After many months of not being able to cook for my family, I'm back in the game, and ready to start enjoying summer fare.

I don't even know if anyone reads this blog anymore--it's been so long--but just the same, I need the organization for myself, so I will continue to post Menu Plans! In a twist, I've decided to provide a few details about the items that appear on the menu, both to remind myself what I had in mind when making the menu plan and to perhaps inspire others' cooking efforts.

Friday
Grilled Asian-Glazed Chicken (brined chicken pieces, grilled over medium heat, glazed toward the end of cooking with 1/3 c. teriyaki, 3 Tbsp. sweet and sour sauce, 1 Tbsp. hoisin, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1/8 tsp. chinese 5-spice powder, 1 clove garlic grated, 1 heaping Tbsp. brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. grill seasoning)
Sesame Teriyaki noodles (prepared noodles, "fried" in sesame ginger dressing, tossed with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro)
Cucumber slices

Saturday
Chicken Pasta Salad (leftover chicken, bowtie pasta, cucumbers, finely chopped fresh basil, shredded mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan, good seasons Italian dressing)
Croissants

Sunday
"Busy Day Macaroni"--provided by Debbie from Church

Monday
Steakhouse Salad (sliced grilled steak, lettuce greens, spinach, shredded cheddar and colby jack cheese, cukes, carrots, celery, hard boiled eggs, croutons, homemade ranch dressing)
Rolls

Tuesday
Smoked Pork Loin (marinated, with spice rub, prepared on charcoal grill with mesquite chips)
Herby Potatoes (boiled potatoes tossed with butter and herbs from the garden)
Leftover Salad

Wednesday
Cuban Sandwich Panini (thinly sliced pork, ham, mayo and dijon, pickle slices on sub buns, "pressed" on my stovetop grill pan)
Yellow Rice (packaged by Vigo)
Colored Pepper Rings

Thursday
Burgers Au Poivre (oblong burger patties spread with tiny bit of dijon, pressed into cracked black pepper, quickly fried)
Grandma Corn (simply fresh corn, cut off the cob, with all the milky kernel-y bits included, cooked with a splash of milk and butter, kosher salt, and pepper)
Watermelon

Friday
Dinner provided by Christy from church

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Remaining Leftovers or Subway ($5 footlongs, natch)

Menu something-or-other update

2008-07-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember me? I used to post things about food here.

It has been a while.

I plan a return soon, just not this week--since Ruby arrived, we've been receiving meals from our friends from church, so every day's menu is a complete surprise to us. So far, we've gotten:

Chicken Divan, Rice, Salad, and Brownies from Jan B.
Chicken Pot Pie and rolls from Sue D. (1)
Beefy taco cornbread bake, green and red pepper and corn salad, and fruit salad from Laura B.

Tonight, I'm anticipating something Italian from Cathy K., who used to live in Italy, and tomorrow, Sue D. (2) promised us some beef.

Come next week, the meals are fewer , so I will have a few meals to plan, and I will post them here! I hope I remember how to do that...

KitchenAid giveaway! Enter NOW!

2008-04-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

*EDITED TO ADD: this contest ends at 8:00 pm. Pacific time.*

The Pioneer Woman is hosting a giveaway of a real, new KitchenAid mixer at her site, and all you have to do is submit a favorite recipe in a comment to enter. Here's the link, but don't wait--these contests are usually only a few hours long! I believe she's going to announce the winner tomorrow.

Enter here

Even if you get there after the contest is over, take a peek at the comments--hundreds and hundreds of peoples' best recipes, ripe for the picking. And while you're there, check out her recipes, too. I haven't made many of them, but the ones I have made have turned out really well!

French Dip Sandwiches

2008-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from Ellen, and it's easy and good! First, I'll post her recipe verbatim, and then I'll add what we did to them the night we enjoyed them.

So, for the most important part, Ellen's recipe:

French Dip Sandwiches

chuck tender roast
can of coke
can of french onion soup
beef broth

in crock pot all day

shred

serve on french bread - dip in juice - delish!

See? Yummy. Except that I didn't have a can of Coke or a can of french onion soup. So I just used an envelope of onion soup mix mixed with a cup of water, and a cup or so of beef broth, and poured that over my chuck roast, and it was still good. I do think the Coke would give a really nice depth to the jus, but on this particular day, I wasn't up for a trip to the store for a can of Coke.

It's important that you use a chuck roast here, because a) the shreds will be just the right size, and b) it's a relatively cheap cut of beef that, because of its fat and marbling and connective tissue (that sounds gross) cooks up best over a log period of time, in liquid, on a low heat, a la a crock pot.

As for the sandwich assembly, the only thing I did differently was to open my buns, top them with some provolone cheese, and toast them under the broiler for a minute or two so the cheese would form a protective layer between the meat and the bread. That way, when you dip it in the jus, it doesn't fall apart. Admittedly, I mostly did this because I'm a tad bit OCD and always feel compelled to toast the bread I use for warm sandwiches. ALSO, I didn't have the more sturdy French bread that Ellen's recipe called for, which would obviously stand up wonderfully to the jus. But again, I wasn't up for a trip to the store to get some, so we made do with what we had. So if you're not up for it or think I'm being silly about the whole thing, or if you have French bread for these babies like you're supposed to, don't do the whole toasting thing. Or do. It's your choice. Either way, it will still be REALLY, REALLY good!

Thanks, Ellen!

Scalloped Potatoes

2008-04-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law called me one day, asking for my scalloped potato recipe.

"I don't really have one," I replied.

"What? But you make them all the time!" she said.

"Yes, but hardly ever with a recipe, and never the same way twice. I've just never hit upon the recipe that I like best, so I just continue the hunt every time I make them."

"Oh. Well. Never mind, then, I guess."

As I'm sure you've noticed if you've flipped through this blog at all, I have a love affair with potatoes. I will eat them in a house, and I will eat them with a mouse, I will eat them here or there, yes, I will eat them anywhere. And over the years, I've been fortunate enough to find or concoct recipes for potatoes that I've really loved in every category of preparation.

Except scalloped.

I first had scalloped potatoes as a child, when my family was dining with some friends. They were a potato lover's dream: wonderful flavor, simple, tender... I longed for those potatoes in my adult years, and thinking back to that first dish and how it must have been prepared, I reckon it involved potatoes, milk, flour, butter, and salt and pepper, and that's it. I must have tried every possible combination of those ingredients, but I never made scalloped potatoes that comforted me as much as those first scalloped potatoes. In fact, my sauce either turned out too thick and gloppy, or a more simple pour-the-milk-over preparation favored by many old-fashioned cookbooks yielded a curdled, tasteless mess.

But there's this marvelous magazine called Cooks Illustrated. The idea behind this particular publication is that they test and dissect recipes until they are perfect and foolproof, and they're very often successful. So when I had reached an impasse in my scalloped potato recipe search, I remembered them. They have one of those websites that you have to pay a monthly fee to use, and I wasn't quite desperate enough to pay for the recipe--yet. Frequently, bloggers and other miscellaneous recipe-posters will post notable Cooks Illustrated recipes on other sites, so I went a-Googlin' in hopes of finding it for free, and lo and behold, up popped this recipe.

So I tried it, and I loved it. It is now my scalloped potato recipe, so if Beth ever calls again looking for one, I will give this to her. Actually, come to think about it, I think I already gave it to her, knowing that she'd love it as much as we do. It's a little more detailed of an ingredient list than the flour-butter-milk-salt and pepper recipes I'd been using, but it still wasn't difficult, I usually have everything on the list on hand, and it actually comes together much more quickly than standard scalloped potato recipes, and with infinitely better flavor and texture. If you love potatoes like I do, or even just kind of like them, give this one a try!

Cooks Illustrated Scalloped Potatoes with Thyme and Bay

2 Tbsp. butter
1 med. onion, minced
2 med. garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1 tsp. dried thyme--that's what I use)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs. (about 5 medium) russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 in. thick (*note: I don't peel, I just scrub. I like the skins and the flavor and nutrients they add. And to slice, I just run the spuds through the food processor with the slicing blade)
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream (or, if you're like me, you use 2% milk, because that's what you have)
2 bay leaves
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup loosely-packed shredded cheese)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Melt the butter, and sauté the onion over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Add the potatoes, broth, cream (or milk), and bay leaves, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and discard.

Transfer the mixture to a 8x8 baking dish (or whatever casserole dish you'd like). Sprinkle the top with the cheese and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving (or not, if you're impatient like me).

NOW, if you want to turn this into a main dish casserole, prepare as directed, except that, before you dump the potato mixture into the baking dish, add some cubed ham or chicken. I'd say about 1 1/2 cups should do it, but it's ultimately up to you. And if you really want to go crazy and make it a one-dish meal, you could add some thawed (but not cooked) frozen peas, too, about 3/4 to 1 cup.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hey, look! It's Monday! And I'm actually posting a menu plan, instead of waiting until Tuesday or begging your forgiveness for not posting one at all. To be fair, it is a short cooking week, so that makes it fairly easy. But still.

Monday
Spaghetti w/Meat sauce
Garlic Bread
Salad

Tuesday
Maple-Sesame Bacon Fried Rice (w/lots of peas to count as our vegetable)

Wednesday
Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli

Thursday
Chicken and Bacon Corn Chowder (or leftovers, if we have tons)

Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Visiting Grandpa and Grandma in Ohio--nothing for me to plan!

Menu Plans Past and Present

2008-04-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well! Are you ready? The winner of last week's Menu Plan Suggestion Showdown was...

Ellen! Her suggestion for French Dip sandwiches went over very well. She even sent me the recipe, and it was really easy and really good! With her permission, I will post it soon.

And by the by, reading over your suggestions made me drool! Especially my mom's plan--I think I want to go live with her again. The cook at my house is too predictable and boring.

So here's last week's plan, followed by this week's. Thanks for playing along!

Monday
Tomato Soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tuesday
Brinner
Fried potatoes
Sausage
Scrambled eggs and cheese

Wednesday
French Dip sandwiches
Salad

Thursday
Hamburgers
Oven Fries
Roasted Corn on the Cob

Friday
Fried Chicken (remind me to post about this sometime--it was really good. Thanks, Paula Deen)
Cheesy potato casserole
Asian Broccoli Slaw

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Burgers (again--but yummmm) at one of our favorite local restaurants. They're running a special for April--every burger, topped with whatever you want (I got cheddar, bacon, sauteed peppers, sauteed onions, and grilled tomatoes. Abe got pepper jack, bleu cheese, olives, and bacon--weirdo.) is $5.99. And kids eat free! It doesn't get much better than that.

This week:
Monday
Honey and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Rice Pilaf with peas

Tuesday
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Wednesday
Pork Tenderloin with fruity glaze
Salad

Thursday
Cuban Sandwiches
Yellow Rice
Black Beans

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
Ballpark food when we go watch the Detroit Tigers play the Angels. Bring on the brats and nachos!

Sunday
Probably Subway

Menu Plan...Blah, blah, blah...

2008-04-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Okay. I have far too many part-time, on-the-side projects going on right now, and no time to do them in. My deadlines have passed, and I'm overwhelmed. And the last thing my mind wants to do is create a menu plan for this week--I'd really rather the Dinner Fairy showed up at my house every night with something delicious to eat. Since I haven't heard from her in years, I'll settle for some suggestions: what are YOU having for dinner this week? If you have a whole plan, super! I'd love to see it in a comment. Even if you don't have a whole plan, one or two things that you plan to eat this week might make for a helpful suggestion for me and mine.

Next week, I'll post what we ended up eating this week, accompanied by whose suggestion the various meals were. And for the person who suggests the meal my family ends up loving the most, I've got a special prize!

So please plan my week for me!!!! Hope to see some comments soon.

(No, seriously, I need your help....soon.)

Chicken Verde

2008-04-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not going to re-type this recipe--I'm just going to give you the link to its blog of origin. Again. I linked to this recipe in my weekly menu plan this week, and we ate it tonight. Sweet fancy Moses, it was good. I mean, really, really good. The only change I made to Canarygirl's recipe was to sub a 16-oz. jar of medium-heat salsa verde for the tomatillo sauce--though, for all I know, they may very well be the same thing. And in the burritos, we used black beans instead of refried. And instead of a whole chicken, I just used a bunch of thighs and legs--dark meat is cheaper and more moist, and turns out so much better after long periods of cooking, as in this recipe. And, oh. Cilantro. We love cilantro, so I put lots of fresh cilantro on mine, and hummina hummina hummina.

So, just to reiterate, WOW. This was good. I will make it again. And again, and again, and again...

Chicken Verde. Seriously.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here's what's going on this week! Yahoo for warmer weather!

Monday
Beef Noodle Bowl

Tuesday
Texas Toast Garlic Bread Pizzas
Salad

Wednesday
Roast Beef
Mashed Potatoes
Glazed Carrots

Thursday
Make-Your-Own-Burritos:
Chicken Verde
Cilantro Lime Rice
Black Beans
Tortillas
Cheese
Tomatoes
Hot Sauce

Friday
Girls' Night--Daddy cooks (!!!) or scrounges for leftovers

Saturday
Girls' Day--Daddy wishes wife wasn't gone, takes kids to McDonald's

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-30T13:22:00.001-07:00

Here's what's cooking at our house this week:

Monday
Grilled Steak
Potato Salad
Corn

Tuesday
Kielbasa
Mashed Potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Mockzagna

Thursday
Roasted Chicken
Roasted Green Beans
Honey Oatmeal Wheat Bread

Friday
Leftovers or re-styled chicken something-or-other

Saturday
Drywalling Work Day! Sloppy Joes, Chips, Pasta Salad, and Brownies

Sunday
Leftovers

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese

2008-03-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you, good night. The title pretty much sums up the whole recipe, doesn't it? I'll still elaborate, because I'm me and can't leave well enough alone.

We had a birthday party this weekend for Judah and his cousin. It was strictly nothing-fancy fare (these are kids we're talking about); burgers, hot dogs, corn dish, potatoes, cake, ice cream, and finger jello. My contribution was the potato portion. I toyed with the idea of doing potato wedges, but good grief--we were feeding 12 humans. That's a lot of potato wedges. I had just read through the new Food and Family magazine from Kraft foods, though, and noticed this recipe. It sounded tasty, easy, and (most importantly for our purposes) kid-friendly. I was very pleasantly surprised--and so was everyone else! Here's the recipe as is from the Kraft Kitchens.

Now, here's how I modified its preparation. Enjoy!

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese

3 lb. potatoes, well-scrubbed and cut into 1-in cubes (more or less)
1/2 c. ranch dressing
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with ranch dressing. Place potatoes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or in a large non-stick roasting pan, and toss 'em in the oven. After about 35 minutes, give 'em a good stir, then toss in the cheddar and bacon, and stir to combine. Return to oven until potatoes are tender and as golden brown as you prefer. (I actually let mine go a bit longer than I meant to, and the bottoms of the potatoes had gotten a bit crunchy and golden, and they were great!) Total cooking time: approximately 45-55 minutes. Feeds a bunch!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry about last week, I really am. We did end up eating something for dinner every day, but I just really lacked the energy to create or commit to a plan. A highlight of the week (for the kids, anyway) was the pizza party we had for Judah's birthday--homemade pizza (I made the sauce and the dough, but not the mozzarella or sausage. So, only kind of homemade), pop, and homemade "Hostess" cupcakes. The kids couldn't believe their good fortune--pop? With dinner???? And no veggies?!?! Giddiness ensued.

One night we had crock-pot pork ribs. A couple days later, we had shredded pork sandwiches. Also, we had Shepherd's Pie, per Abe's request. So if this week's menu doesn't do it for you, those are some other suggestions from my un-chronicled week.

Up this week:

Monday
Brats with caramelized sweet onions
Asian Broccoli Slaw

Tuesday
Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches w/pickles and cheddar
Green beans

Wednesday
Chicken and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry
Steamed Rice

Thursday
Steak Salad with field greens, toasted almonds, sliced strawberries, and feta cheese

Friday
Baked Potato Soup
Leftover Salad

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Campanelle Pasta (a new short-cut that looked fun)
with slow-cooker Marinara Sauce

Go-To Mac 'n' Cheese

2008-03-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

One of the first meals I ever ate with Abe's family included a favorite of his: Baked Mac 'n' Cheese. It's his grandma's recipe, and he has enjoyed it ever since fetus-hood. He would eat (and probably has) and entire pan of the stuff without blinking if the rest of the family, also ardent fans, allowed it. Alas, they do not. They all eat it with great gusto and appreciation.

I, on the other hand, eschewed mac 'n' cheese as a child. I wouldn't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole. (I'm sure my mother was pleased as punch about that. I also never cared for bologna or peanut butter and jelly, but that's better left for another post.) I never ate mac 'n' cheese until I was a starving college student, by which point either a) my taste buds had developed more fully, or b) my poverty-induced hunger and need for a cheap meal trumped my lactose intolerance and general dislike of cheese. Either way, I was a relative mac 'n' cheese newbie well into my adulthood, and when I did eat the stuff, it was usually the neon-orange stuff from the blue box (or its equally-orange but less-expensive generic counterpart) or other saucy versions.

So when I sat down to sample Abe's family's mac 'n' cheese, I was stymied; it looked simply like baked noodles. Plain baked noodles. Later, after inquiring after the recipe, I realized that it was in fact a closer relative to scalloped potatoes than the mac 'n' cheese that I knew and, well, tolerated. I personally found it to be fantastically mushy, indescribably bland, and altogether unsatisfying. This was apparently no problem with the rest of the family--they polished off the entire 9x13 dish in a matter of seconds without needing my help.

Well into our marriage, the subject of baked mac 'n' cheese was a hot-button one in our household. I told Abe that I'd make anything he liked to eat in the kitchen--except his grandma's baked mac 'n' cheese. Of course, that only meant that he'd ask for it more repeatedly. It took me a while, but I finally hit on this solution: I would make a dish that had all of the qualities I thought mac 'n' cheese should have, and would bake it to give Abe the satisfaction of having his requests met. When it comes down to it, this version is neither bland nor mushy, and it is really satisfying--even more than the kind with the bright orange cheese-flavored powder. So I'm totally satisfied by this incarnation, and as for Abe, well--who really cares? He's not cooking anything anytime soon.

I started with Alton Brown's version of Stove-Top Mac 'N' Cheese and modified it slightly--I doubled the amount of pasta, while leaving the rest of the ingredient list intact. And I only use a total of 8 oz. of shredded cheese, putting 4 oz. in the actual pasta, and sprinkling the rest on top before running it under a broiler on low to give the illusion of being baked. (Don't tell.)

So, thanks Alton, for the inspiration (and the recipe).

Go-To Mac 'n' Cheese

1 lb. penne pasta
4 Tbsp. butter
2 eggs
6 oz. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
Fresh black pepper to taste
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
8 oz. shredded cheddar (or the cheese of your choice), divided

Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until JUST al dente. be very careful not to overcook (unless you like your noodles mushy like my husband does). Drain, and return to the pot, tossing with the butter until the pasta is coated and the butter is melted.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir egg mixture into the pasta, add 4 oz. of the cheese, and put some low heat under your pot. Stir for about 3 minutes more, or until the sauce is creamy.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray (you'll thank me later) and add pasta to dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of the pasta, and place under a broiler set at low* until the cheese is as golden brown as you like it.

*Note: if your broiler doesn't have high/low settings, just put the mac 'n' cheese on a really low rack in the oven, and watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. Or, you can actually bake it--I'd suggest about 25 minutes at 375 degrees, or, again, until it's as golden as you like. JUST MAKE SURE that your pasta isn't too done before you start baking, or else you're going to end up with mush during the baking process--the pasta will absorb much of the sauce. If you like it mushy, though, of course, proceed with all manner of overcooking. I will try not to judge.

Serves: I've never gotten an actual count of how many this could feed, since it generally just all gets eaten by Abe. As a side dish, though, I bet it could feed 6. But not in this household.

Best Ever Banana Bread

2008-03-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here's another recipe that was the result of a years-long search for a recipe that was what I thought it should be. I can honestly tell you that I tried dozens of recipes for banana bread, ranging from easy, Bisquick-based recipes to more complicated, superlative-laden recipes. This is the first time I've ever made a recipe that labeled itself "Best Ever" and ended up believing that the recipe authors were telling the truth.

For me, banana bread has to meet a few criteria to make the grade. It must first of all be moist, because, hey--no one likes a dry bread, really. It should be dense, but light; nothing too fru-fru for me, please, but I'd prefer it not also be suitable as a doorstop. And it should be addicting.

I believe this last point is what made my banana bread quest so daunting: there are plenty of Just Fine banana bread recipes out there, but few Really Good, Really Addicting ones. There are so few breads that make you guiltily slink back to the loaf promising yourself just one more little sliver--for the third time. The ultimate test of the addiction factor comes when I put it in front of my family: if they all feel they must sneak a bite or two when I'm not looking and end up eating the whole thing in a day, well, that's a pass. Then there are recipes like the coffee cake I tried last week: it was okay, but it took us four days to finish the thing. That's a fail.

Now, I realize that most superlatives are subjective. And this banana bread might not fit the bill for your family. That's okay. All I'm saying is, this banana bread never lasts more than six or seven hours in our house, and that's something, when you consider that two of our family members weigh about 30 pounds and have stomachs the size of a walnut.

One more note before you try this recipe: Sometimes, I get a little decadent and mix up a streusel-type substance to put in the middle. It usually involves brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, ground nuts, and melted butter, but I've never even attempted to write down any sort of recipe for it. So if streusel sounds good to you, find another recipe somewhere that has streusel in it, and just steal it away and insert it into this recipe. I'll never tell.

Oh, and I take back that other thing about that last paragraph being the last one. I have one more thing to say: use rrrriiiipppe bananas--I mean, bananas so ripe, they're nearly black and too smooshy to eat. They'll make the most flavorful bread for you.

Thank you. The End.

Best Ever Banana Bread
from The Complete Guide to Country Cooking, a Taste of Home book

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 c. mashed banana (2 or 3 medium)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. plus 1 Tbsp. buttermilk *
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease (I use cooking spray) and flour a 9x5x3 loaf pan. (Actually, I use a bundt pan, because it bakes up a bit more quickly and makes for a prettier bread. But use what you've got!)

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. In another bowl, mix together the eggs, banana, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until moistened. (Seriously, don't go overboard with the stirring.) Fold in the nuts, if you're using them.

Add batter to loaf or bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour (less--ore like 45 minutes--for a bundt), or until loaf tests done. (That's what they say in the recipe. Here's what I say: Insert a toothpick, and if it comes out clean, the bread is done. Also, if the edges of the loaf are pulling away from the sides of the pan, that's a good indication of doneness, too.)

Remove from oven, and cool for 10 minutes in pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This bread is a better-the-next-day bread, so I usually bake it at night. When it's cool, wrap it in plastic wrap, and it'll be so moist and tasty the next day, you won't believe it. In fact, don't even try to eat it the same day, because you'll probably be disappointed, and you'll want to rename it Pretty Average Banana Bread and never make it again.

*Buttermilk: I never purchase buttermilk. Instead, for this recipe, I put a teaspoon of lemon juice in the bottom of a 1/3 cup measure, and then fill it not quite to the top with milk. Give it a good stir, let it sit for about five minutes, and you've got the thickness and tang of buttermilk without the added expense of it. For other recipes requiring more buttermilk, use this formula: 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar, plus enough milk to measure 1 cup total.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-09T12:55:00.001-07:00

And we're back. I've got a little more vim this week. Also, I actually went grocery shopping, so now I don't have to obsess about how else I can use potatoes without causing my family to revolt. Or obsess about how I can disguise potatoes in my menu plan so you don't judge my single-mindedness. Potatoes are quite nutritious, see? (And cheap. And filling.)

Off of the top of my head, then (because I have--can you believe it?--options), here's what's on deck for this week:

Monday
General Tso's Chicken (homemade-ish, so hopefully healthier than Hunan Kitchen's version)
Steamed Rice
Stir-Fried Broccoli

Tuesday
Bronco Beans ('cause we worried about health yesterday)
Salad

Wednesday ('cause I've got a lot of singing to do this evening, so I need a quick-to-prepare dinner)
Hawaiian Ham Steaks
Pineapple-Almond Rice Pilaf

Thursday ('cause I made fresh pesto, and YUM)
Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad

Friday ('cause we need a little comfort)
Western-Style BBQ Pork Ribs
Baked Mac and Cheese
Steamed Green Beans

Saturday ('cause I need a day off)
Leftovers

Sunday ('cause who doesn't love a potluck?)
Choir Potluck Dinner--I'm taking BBQ Cola Meatballs

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

...will resume next week. Frankly, I'm too tired and uncomfortable today to think about it! I'm hoping the dinner fairy will leave meals under my pillow at night. Come to think of it, that would be pretty messy. So I guess this week will be off-the-cuff!

See you next week.

Short week this week--I went to visit my cousin Sarah yesterday, and she helped me get set up to be a transcriber from home (and also treated me to a delicious lunch). I think the family had McDonald's for dinner, but I'm not going to think about it.

So, for the rest of this week:

Tuesday
Grilled Chicken Salad
Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Steamed Broccoli

Thursday
Burgers
Mac and Cheese
Salad

Friday
Grilled Cheese Sanwiches
Tomato Soup

Saturday and Sunday
TBD

Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Chicken

2008-02-23T07:10:00.000-08:00

*Note: I've tweaked this recipe a bit, so look for italicized changes below!*
Kudos to Katie for her recipe request!

Now, for the full disclaimer: I have never written down any sort of recipe for this, so what I'm about to present is merely my best guess. Here's how it came about: One day, I had thawed a whole chicken to roast for dinner. I had seen chefs on the Food Network putting things under the skin to flavor the meat, and I thought that was a smash-up idea. The only problem was that, at the time I had this thawed chicken on hand, I seemed to have none of the actual things these chefs used. But I know that lemon, sage, and butter all work well with poultry, so I figured I'd give it a go and make up my own under-the-skin thing. Luckily, it worked like a charm.

This week, when I made this chicken, I used a whole chicken breast, and also brined it. The chicken comes from my mother-in-law, who, during the warm months, has been known to occasionally raise chickens for eating. (I'm not sure why, but something about that sentence makes my mother-in-law seem like some sort of barbarian.) Well, her chickens end up HUGE--so huge that a whole chicken breast is actually good for two meals for our family. I have never seen whole chicken breasts like this in the grocery store, but if you ever happen upon them, give 'em a try!

And last, before we get to the recipe: don't be put off by the length of the instructions. It's actually quite easy, it just so happens I'm feeling very chatty today and I couldn't stop myself from typing a lot of needless words.

Lemon Butter Sage Roasted Chicken

1 3-4 lb. chicken
1/2 c butter, softened
1-2 tsp. lemon juice (I didn't measure)
1 tsp. rubbed sage (or more, if you love sage so much you want to marry it)
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
olive oil
kosher or ground sea salt
ground pepper

Brine:
2 quarts hot water
1/2 c. salt
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. dried lemon peel

Rinse chicken. In a very large bowl, combine ingredients for brine, and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. When the water has cooled a bit (room temperature-ish), submerge the chicken, breast side down. Cover bowl, and chuck it (gingerly) into the fridge, where it can rest for a very long time. Shoot for several hours. Two, maybe? Three? It's not an exact science. *Note: I don't always brine, and this chicken still turns out pretty yummy, so don't fret if you opt to skip this step.

In the meantime, and pretty much right before you want to roast the chicken, mix together the softened butter, lemon juice, sage and garlic. You will want this mixture to be pretty pliable (but not runny) when you use it, so keep it at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Yes, that's right. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the breast, taking care not to tear it. The reason for this is two-fold: 1) it will give you a place to slide your delicious butter mixture, and 2) it will make for crispier, golden brown skin. (At our house, we like to eat the yummy crispy skin, but don't tell our cardiologist. Okay, we don't have a cardiologist, but if we did, this is the kind of thing we'd keep secret.)

Using a spoon, take portions of the butter and slide them under the skin. Just shove the spoon under there, and use your fingers on the outside of the skin to scoot the butter to where you want it to be. When you're satisfied with your butter distribution, pat the skin dry again, rub a little olive oil on the skin, and season with a bit of salt. Also, generously salt and pepper the cavity of the bird.

Place chicken in whatever vessel you're cooking it in (uncovered, of course), breast side up.* Let it roast at 425 until done. When is it done? Good question. I use a thermometer with an alarm--I put it into the thickest part of the thigh, set the temp at 165, and walk away until it beeps at me. If you only have an instant-read thermometer, test it at about 50 minutes, and adjust cooking time accordingly. If you have neither, you're on your own. I'd say that an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half will be about right, but don't hold me to that.

When you remove it from the oven, let it rest without cutting it for about 15 minutes. Then, dig in and enjoy! Spoon the pan juices over the chicken for extra scrumptious flavor.

*Another note: if you're using a whole chicken, you may want to consider putting your chicken on some sort of rack to keep it elevated from the bottom of the pan so the bottom isn't soggy and flaccid. Sometimes, I butterfly the chicken by cutting out the backbone with a pair of kitchen shears and smooshing the chicken flat. Then I line the bottom of the roasting pan with large chunks of celery and onion and place the butterflied chicken on top of that--this also serves as an "aromatic," flavoring the meat as well. PLUS, butterflying the chicken cuts the total roasting time. Or, skip the butterflying step, and use celery ribs for a simple "rack" under the whole chicken. (I just did this a few days ago with some limp-looking celery. I curled the celery ribs up in the bottom of a cast-iron skillet and put the chicken on top. Worked great!)

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

Here's what's coming up this week:

Monday
Spaghetti

Tuesday
Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Chicken
Rice Pilaf
Salad

Wednesday
Roast Beef
Roasted Potatoes
Glazed Carrots

Thursday
Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Steamed Broccoli

Friday
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Herbed Noodles
Veggie TBA

Saturday
Leftovers/Celebrate Beth's Birthday

Sunday
Leftovers/Celebrate Beth's Birthday

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

Hello, again, folks! Happy Valentine's Day Week! How will you celebrate this week? We're headed out for dinner on Tuesday night after our volleyball game, and I think that will be about it. I always have to remind Abe when Valentine's Day is--it wasn't really celebrated in his household growing up, so I can hardly blame him. But someday, he's going to take me to Paris or Hawaii for Valentine's Day to make up for it!

Here's how the rest of the week will probably shape up:

Monday
Hot Chicken Salad

Tuesday
Frozen Pizza for the kids

Wednesday
Chicken Chili Enchiladas

Thursday
Western-Style Ribs
Green Beans
Cheesy Baked Shells

Friday
Taco Soup
Rice

Saturday
?? Leftovers, or something new if the guys decide to work

Sunday
We may celebrate Beth's birthday today....

Stuffed Shells (Grusendini)

2008-02-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

I had to double- and triple-check that I hadn't already posted this recipe, because it seems inconceivable that I haven't. This one, I love. It is a part of my childhood. It is a part of me.

Well, that may be overstating things a bit, but I do really, really enjoy these shells.

It had its naissance on Greenleaf Drive in Parma, Ohio. I was probably about 11 years old, and my family had been invited to my Principal's home for dinner. Mrs. Grusendorf, my principal's wife, presented with the challenge of preparing a filling meal for four adults and five children on a meager private school principal's salary, cooked up this delicious baked pasta dish. Now, it seems odd that we had never had these at our own house, for two reasons: 1)they're really simple to make, especially for my extremely talented home-ec major mother, and 2)they're pasta. But, for whatever reason, we had never had these before. We tasted them, and we loved them.

My father liked them so much, he had my mother ask for the recipe. Mrs. Grusendorf gave us the recipe, which she had simply entitled "Stuffed Shells," but my father, well, he is witty and thought the dish needed a jazzier name. So he christened the dish "Grusendini," in honor of the recipe donor, and the name stuck. Years later, when I asked my mom for the recipe so I could have it for my files, she was unclear about which recipe I was requesting until I said, " You know--Grusendini." And she gave me the recipe in a flash.

I'm making this recipe this week for my family, and 20 years after I first tried i, it is a kid- and man-pleasing family favorite. And I know it will be as tasty this week as it was that first night on Greenleaf Drive.

Grusendini

1/2 box large stuffing shells
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 jar spaghetti sauce (or 2 cups of your homemade sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Additional Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground beef with onion until no pink remains. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Cook shells until just al dente; drain.

Combine ground beef with the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, and eggs. Mix well.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with a thin layer of sauce, just so the shells have a bed to sit on and so they won't get stuck to the pan. Using a spoon, stuff the meat mixture into shells, and arrange them in the pan. Top the shells with remaining sauce, taking care to coat all of the pasta with the sauce. Cover with foil and place in the preheated oven for about 3o minutes.

Remove shells from oven and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and additional Parmesan, if desired. Return pan to oven until cheese is melted and browned to your liking.

Serves 6 (easily--these shells are filling!)

Salsa 101

2008-02-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in last week's Menu Plan post that I was making fresh salsa to take to the Super Bowl festivities. Well, it was very well received. I think that fresh, homemade salsa is something many people don't ever think of attempting to make--and they have no idea what they're missing out on. It's so easy, so fresh and bright, and has nothing to do with anything you'd ever find on a shelf in a bottle. It's best when all of the fresh ingredients are in season, but even in the dead of winter, it's still better than bottled stuff. I know this because early in my pregnancy, I had a fierce craving for fresh salsa, made the recipe, and ate it all myself without even looking back. Give it a try!! (not the eating it all yourself thing--I don't necessarily recommend that.)

Salsa 101

5-6 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and diced
1/2 of 1 large red onion, diced finely
3 jalapeños, seeded and diced finely
fistful of fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
ground sea salt to taste

I feel I may have already said too much with the instructions in the ingredients list, because there's little left to say. Simply chop up the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños and cilantro as instructed, toss together in a large bowl, squeeze the lime over top, and stir. Sprinkle with salt and taste test it with a few chips to make sure you've got the salt just right.

And that's about it.

Fresh salsa doesn't keep long--plan to use it that same day, or the day after, at the latest. And jalapeños very in heat somewhat, so start out with 1 1/2-2 jalapeños, taste, and then decide if you want more heat. And if you really want to knock up the heat a bit, leave the seeds in the jalapeños, because that's where a lot of the heat resides.

Go forth and conquer!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hey, folks! That was easily the best Super Bowl I have ever seen. All the delicious food, coupled with good company and a great game, made for a fantastic evening! I hope your Super Bowl celebration was a success, as well.

Wow, did that ever sound cheesy. Anyway, on to this week's menu plan:

Monday
Sweet and Sour Chicken over Jasmine Rice

Tuesday
Hawaiian Ham
Scalloped Potatoes

Wednesday
Stuffed Shells (Grusendini)

Thursday
Lemon Pepper Chicken Scallopini
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Friday
Aglio e Olio with Chicken

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Who the Heck Knows????

As I've mentioned a thousand times before, you can also check out other menu plans at Orgjunkie.com. Have a grrrrreat week!

BBQ Cola Smokies

2008-02-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

Yay, April! As the first (and only) to respond, you have earned yourself a prize! Email me with your mailing address, and I'll get it out to you right away!

Okay, so April suggested I post the recipe for BBQ Cola Smokies, which I'll be making for Super Bowl Sunday. I first came upon this recipe when looking for family-friendly appetizers to serve at Judah's First Birthday party. The original recipe was actually for BBQ Cola meatballs, and included a recipe for those as well. Opting for ease, I used pre-made frozen meatballs instead. Let me tell you--these little babies, which simmered away unattended all morning in the crock pot, were by far the biggest hit of the party. People were practically drinking the sauce on its own.

Of course, tomorrow's appetizer will be a bit different; I'll be using Hillshire Farms Li'l Smokies, because they were BOGO this week at the grocery store. And I am out of regular cola, so I'll be using cherry cola instead. I'm sure they'll still turn out to be yummy. Even so, here's the original recipe for you, including the from-scratch meatballs.

BBQ Cola Meatballs
adapted from allrecipes.com

Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp. grated onion
1 (1 oz.) pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

Sauce
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup cola
1 tsp. seasoning salt (such as Lawry's)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, grated onion, and ranch dressing mix. Shape into 1-in. meatballs, and place on a pan with sides. Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce: saute the onion in the butter until translucent. In the bowl of a slow cooker, combine the ketchup, vinegar, cola, seasoning salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the onions, and stir to combine.

Add meatballs to sauce, stirring gently to coat all of the meatballs. Cover and cook on Low for 3 hours. Remove the lid, and allow to cook for a while longer (30 min-however long you'll be serving them) so the sauce can thicken a bit.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-01-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, here's this week's plan. We had a few carry-overs last week from some schedule changes, so you may recognize a few entries. Beware: upon further reflection on this week's menu plan, I realize that it is not in any way diet-friendly. I blame it on the baby's need for rich, heavy foods, so if you have a problem with it, take it up with my unborn child!

And, FYI: I'll let you, the reader, choose what recipes I post this week. Just leave a comment! If I get no comments, I'll know that it's time to spice up my menu plans.

Monday
Chicken and Bacon Corn Chowder

Tuesday
Tacos
Yellow Rice

Wednesday
Schultzie's Mess
(inspired by Guy Fieri's Food Network Show "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives." This artery-blocking delight can be found at Schooner or Later, a restaurant in Long Beach, California. The menu describes it like this: "This world famous, local tradition is a tasty blend of chopped ham, onion, and bell pepper grilled with hash browns and eggs. Topped with melted Cheddar cheese.")

Thursday
Maple-Sesame Bacon Fried Rice

Friday
Crunchy Chicken Fingers
Potato Wedges
Salad

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Who knows? But I'm taking homemade salsa and some BBQ Cola Smokies to a friend's house for the Super Bowl.

ALTERNATE:
Pork Steak was on sale last week, so that may find its way into the menu rotation. It would probably take the place of the Crunchy Chicken Fingers meal, and I'd just switch to baked potatoes instead of wedges.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-01-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

Looking back at past weeks' menus, I noticed a lot of repeats. Really, how many times did I schedule Pot Roast? It's sort of amazing how we get in a food rut, eating the same 10 things over and over again. So this week, to remedy the rut and shake things up a little bit, I'm digging up some menu items from the archives.

Monday
Pork Chop and Rice Hot Dish
Green Beans

Tuesday
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Wednesday
Kielbasa
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Corn on the Cob

Thursday
Beef and Noodles
Cucumber Salad

Friday
Maple-Sesame Bacon Fried Rice

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Tacos

Find hundreds more menu ideas every Monday over at orgjunkie.blogspot.com!