Back in the Saddle....Slowly!

I'm getting back in the blogging saddle after a 3 week hiatus.

Mom signed the papers yesterday and my dear husband moved the last bit of stuff out and closed the door on the home he grew up in. It's been tiring and emotional, but very satisfying that we managed to get Mom moved out, moved in, and all settled. She is comfortable and content in her new apartment and already making new friends. I think the financial simplicity without the big home to care for has given her a sense of freedom. A new chapter in her life has begun.

For us it's back to life as usual. Never boring, but busy nonetheless. Spring is beginning to appear and we're way behind on our garden tasks. March 17 has always been our day to start the process by planting potatoes, but I'm afraid they're gonna be a little late this year!  The weather has been so rainy and cold and thinking about the garden has been the last thing on our minds lately but our 2011 plan is ready to go. Probably in the next week or two we'll start in so we can have the pleasure of fresh vegetables again this year.  This is what it looked like last year and the harvest was bountiful. 

I think our favorite was the corn. Being able to pick those ears right before dinner was amazing and words can't describe how delicious they were!

We learned so much last year and although we wouldn't be so bold as to consider ourselves "experts," there will probably be a few changes. Nothing will be planted in the same space and we'll probably do something different to support the tomatoes and peas. The biggest challenge will be keeping the chickens out. Thankfully we've got a few rolls of garden fencing to surround the space. Scratching is what they do best, but we'd rather they do that when the garden is empty!

Once the sun comes out, we'll be knee deep in the dirt and I can hardly wait! Fresh air, fresh earth, and a new harvest to look forward to.

It's so good to be back and I hope you'll stay tuned for some great home cooking in the days and weeks to come.

Life Calls

We all have such busy lives and sometimes things happen in our families that require our undivided attention and assistance. 

Beloved home with Dad, Mom & my "young" husband

After two years on the market in a down economy, the home my husband grew up in sold earlier this month. The process is moving quickly and the closing deadline is March 17. This is a classic case of natural accumulation of stuff over a lifetime and now it all needs to be downsized--and quickly. It's totally overwhelming for my 84 year old mother-in-law, Evelyn, and we are trying to prevent her from having a meltdown by helping her sort through it all and complete the list of items the buyer requires before closing. 

Last week we held our breath as we waited to hear whether she was able to get the apartment at the retirement home where she wanted to reside. Thankfully that worked out beautifully.  She ended up with a better apartment than the one she was originally shown!

So all that to say, I haven't given up on my beloved blog. Life has called for our help and we need to be attentive to that--at least for now. Thank you for your prayers and patience!

Chicken Cacciatore with Rice

Thrown into the middle of the meal planning mix this week was this chicken dish. After all, we can only eat soup so often, right?

I remember Grandma fixing it and thought today seemed as good a day as any to resurrect the recipe, particularly given the fact that our own "pet" chickens have created a whirlwind of work for us and maybe this is my way of getting back at them. Sounds awful, but our girls are on my naughty list this week.

Last Thursday when I came home from work our daughter Katie was wandering around our yard looking fairly upset. I rolled down the window and she announced that "the girls were missing out of the yard." If there is one single thing that sets me in a dither, it's that. 

I absolutely adore our girls--probably too much. They jump up on me, sit in my lap, chase me around the yard, fly up on the window sill outside my office to remind me if I've been neglectful,  absolutely love it when I'm out gardening so they can get right in front of me and "help" me weed. I just love 'em.  They are my babies. So when Katie alerted me to the fact that they were MIA, I almost dialed 911. We have our routine when this happens. Walk around the block, check the neighbors' yards, and sound the alarm (aka the chicken call). They were nowhere to be found. Finally I used the lid of the galvanized garbage can in which I store their feed and banged it loudly once or twice. They've been known to tear around the corner running when I do this, so I thought it might work to round them up. Sure enough. Katie hollered to me that they had been scratching around in our next door neighbor's bushes and were hightailing it home.

The next day they did the same thing. And the next day.  So off we went to Home Depot to pick up some plastic chicken fencing and posts.  We figured out where they were escaping (a hole they had dug by our hedgerow) and spent the better part of 2 hours in the freezing cold measuring, cutting, fencing. Now they are contained, we're happy, and that's the end of that. At least for now.

So in honor of our little "Houdinis," here's Chicken Cacciatore in all its glory.

Chicken Cacciatore with Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks or use whole split fryer
Salt and pepper
½ cup flour
½ cup white wine or chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
3 zucchini sliced diagonally into ¼ inch pieces
1 can (14.5 oz) diced Italian style tomatoes, undrained
¼ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or ½ teaspoon each basil and oregano (if not using Italian style tomatoes)
3 cups hot cooked brown or wild rice

Wash chicken pieces and pat dry. Salt and pepper pieces and dredge in flour to coat. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned. Do not crowd chicken in the pan. Set chicken aside. Pour in wine or chicken broth and scrape up brown bits. Add in onion, mushrooms, red pepper, and zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Cook through until heated, stirring occasionally and serve over rice.

Meatball Stew

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love my crockpot. I would love to get one of those new programmable ones with the multiple temperature settings and all the bells and whistles, but really it's probably not necessary. The food I cook in my old one comes out just as tasty and our home smells just as wonderful!

This is a soup that really makes the house smell great and other than peeling a few potatoes and cutting up some vegetables, it is super easy. Did you know that often the trick to successful crockpotting is the layering? I always put the meat on top and the most dense vegetable (like potatoes) on the bottom. That way the meat doesn't get overcooked and also flavors the vegetables beneath.

Another secret is preparing your meat in advance--making sure it's either seared first (to keep the meat from getting tough or stringy) or precooked for a short time (to lock in the flavor). That's why this meatball stew is so great. I generally prepare my meatballs in advance and freeze them. The trick is to cook them for 7-10 minutes before freezing. That way they're ready to toss into whatever you're preparing. I've shared several of my meatball recipes in past postings so take your pick, but the ones I like the best for this meatball stew are the Swedish Meatballs. Their depth of flavor with the combination of pork and beef is just the ticket.

Meatball Stew

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1 cup carrots sliced into ½ inch chunks

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, sliced

15-20 frozen fully cooked meatballs (I prefer Swedish Meatballs)

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef gravy

½ cup water

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare the vegetables and layer in the order given in a 5-qt. slow cooker placing the meatballs on top. Combine the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over meatball mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the vegetables are tender.

Lentil Soup

We hope all of you had a loving Valentine's week!

We had such a sweet Valentine's Day! The downside was our choice of steaks but the steak sauce from Nigella that we made could have made a pair of Nikes taste delicious! I just love her.

This week has been a real challenge with work and family demands and just plain human fatigue! Plus, I made the mistake of not planning meals so everything was hit or miss. We must have gone to the grocery store a half a dozen times and usually we go once. That's why planning is so important (and even more so if you're busy). Haven't got time to plan? You just can't afford not to! It streamlines your life, keeps you on budget, and meal prep is a joy instead of a thrown-together-at-the-last-minute fiasco!

Another confession concerns my Friday night Polynesian chicken catastophe. I thought I'd try a recipe out of one of Grandma's more obscure cookbooks. The sure sign of recipe success is the amount of wear on the cookbook. If it doesn't have dogeared corners, scribbles, recipe adjustments, and random math calculations in the corners, it wasn't one of Grandma's favorite books. This one was apparently not one of her favorites. First mistake.

Second mistake: Too much ginger.

Third mistake: Grilling with a new cast iron grill pan...inadequately seasoned

Fourth mistake: Cooking a meal when no one was even home! Why?

Those are all the mistakes I can think of at the moment. Suffice it to say I spent the better part of Friday night scrubbing my new cast iron grill pan with a nylon scrub pad. My kitchen window will testify to that. I had to scrub that on Saturday morning. Ewwww!

On Sunday when we did our weekly fridge cleaning, my dear husband cut up the Polynesian debacle and we sampled a few bites. It actually didn't taste bad chilled and I thought it might be great atop an Asian variety salad. The disaster ended up okay after all.

So that's my week. Just like everyone else, mine don't always work out as expected! Such is life!

I will admit that my lesson learned from no planning last week began with a plan this week--hearty soups will be on the menu and I might even try some bread recipes to go along with them--in the bread maker, of course.

So this week is going to be great...I just know it!

Lentil Soup

1 cup dry lentils
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3 cans beef broth (or 4 cups homemade)
½ can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon pepper

sea salt
1 bay leaf
½ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
1 pound smoked beef sausage, sliced (opt.)

Rinse lentils thoroughly and set aside. In Dutch oven, heat oil and cook onion and garlic until tender. Stir in lentils, broth, ½ can of tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, thyme, pepper. Add bay leaf. Bring to boiling then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add carrot and celery and bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer again for 20 minutes. Add water if necessary to reach desired consistency.  Cook until lentils, carrots and celery are tender.  If using meat, stir in last and heat through. Add sea salt to taste. Pull out bay leaf before serving. 6 hearty servings.

Layered Mexican Casserole

Here's a mild but hearty "Mexican" casserole that could be spiced up if you have the palate for it. Grandpa wasn't big on spicy food and Grandma always toned things down out of respect for him. This one was a flavorful favorite though and even Grandpa liked it. It's easy, budget friendly, and the servings are generous. Served with a little cornbread and salad on the side, it's a full meal deal. You could probably go meatless on this one too and never notice a difference!

If I were to jazz it up a bit I might sprinkle some pepper Jack cheese on top instead of the cheddar, add a little more chili powder and some hot sauce. That would be all you'd need to warm up a cold winter day!

Layered Chili Casserole

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons butter
1 large chopped onion
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Dash pepper
4 cups (2 1-pound cans) red beans
1 cup (8-ounce can) tomato sauce
¾ cup crushed corn chips
1/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Brown meat in heavy skillet; spoon into a 2-quart casserole. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is clear. Add spices, beans, tomato sauce, and corn chips. Mix thoroughly and spoon over meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 350F oven for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Serves 4.

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops

Having a savory smell wafting through the house on a non-descript cold winter day in February is a welcome treat.  With the smell of apples and pork you just know that there's going to be something great for dinner. What is it about that combination of flavors? Haven't been able to figure it out, but it's magical good and this recipe is great as is . I wouldn't change a thing except maybe to prepare this stuffing for our next Thanksgiving turkey. It's already passed the test with pork and I honestly think it could go famously with chicken or turkey too. My only suggestion is not to use a heavily pre-seasoned stuffing mix like Stove Top. It's just a little too rich for this dish.

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops

1/2 pound Italian sausage (remove if in casing)

3 cups Pepperidge Farm dry cornbread stuffing

1 can chicken broth

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced

1 small onion, diced

1 rib celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon butter

Pepper

8 thin sliced boneless pork chops

Preheat oven to 350F.

Brown Italian sausage over medium heat until cooked and crumbly. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat in the pan. Using slotted spoon, mix sausage with dry stuffing and can of chicken broth in large bowl.

Pepper both sides of pork chops and place in heated pan used to cook sausage. Cook on each side approximately 3-4 minutes until brown.

While chops are cooking, melt butter in separate pan and saute apple, onion, celery, and garlic. Combine with sausage, stuffing and broth mixture.

When chops are cooked, place in buttered 9x13 baking dish and use ice cream scoop to place scoops of stuffing mixture on top of chops in baking dish. 

Bake 30-40 minutes or until chops are fully cooked (160 degrees on meat thermometer).

Hamburger Puffs

I've mentioned before how much Grandma loved puff pastry. This is a dish that she used to make for her bridge parties, so the recipe is versatile in that these could be served as hors d'hoeuvres or a main dinner course. 

By the way, have I mentioned that I still have so much to learn about cooking? This dish is a perfect example.

The difference in the way I made it and the way Grandma used to make it was the size of each serving. She chose to cut little circles with a biscuit cutter, spoon a little meat mixture on top and cover it with another circle. Instead I rolled out the puff pastry dough, cut it in four squares, spooned the mixture onto the square, and sealed it up......the verdict? My method yielded way too much puff pastry! A little is all you need and Grandma's way of doing it was much better. You can try it both ways, but I'm sure you'll agree.

Hamburger Puffs

1 box Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, diced

3-4 white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 can cream of mushroom soup (or Grandma's homemade)

Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

garlic powder

Thaw puff pastry in refrigerator and roll out each sheet onto floured board. Cut circles with biscuit cutter and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. In large skillet or Dutch oven, brown hamburger with onion, mushrooms, green pepper, garlic, salt pepper and Italian seasoning until onions are translucent and meat is no longer pink. Discard any liquid or fat. Stir in cream of mushroom soup. Set aside to cool. Place spoonfuls of meat mixture onto puff pastry circles and top with another circle. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

So many main course posts lately, it's time for a few sweet things!

If you want a real treat that's easy to prepare and delicious with a cup of coffee or tea, this one's for you. You can tell yourself they're healthy with the old-fashioned oats in them, but I'm sure the Weight Watchers points wouldn't lie. These are probably off the charts on the points (but they are off-the-charts good)! The picture is a little deceptive because they look like they have nuts on top, but that's the buttery oatmeal topping.

So brew yourself a pot and sit down with a couple of these. Don't forget to pack a few in your kid's lunch too. They'll be pretty popular sharing the likes of these sweet treats!

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats

Fudge filling:

   1 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
   1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream together the softened butter, sugar and salt. Add flour and oatmeal and blend until consistency of a dough. Press the mixture into the bottom of a well-greased 9x13 baking dish, reserving some for the crumbled topping.

Heat sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan or over double boiler and add chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth, then pour over crust in baking dish.

Crumble the remaining flour and oatmeal mixture over the top and bake 25-30 minutes.