Old Faves, New Faves, Recipe Loved and Recipe Fail

   Since the weather in North Carolina plays ping pong between all 4 seasons during this time of the year, sometimes its hard to have a set in stone menu for the week.  Saying that, I have several meals that revolve around the weather.  Beef Burgundy is one such meal.  I have made Julia Child's recipe as well as Rachel Ray's.  Mine fall somewhere between the two and it is a serious family favorite.  The Yorkshire Pudding aka popover recipe is one that I have made for years and a recipe used by my mom.  However, due to our weather patterns, we grilled out  burgers at my parents' house on Monday. 
 Chimichangas on Tuesday, are a recent addition to our family faves that we tried last July.
   Wednesday brought a love and a fail of recipes to my collection.  Caramelized Onion & Bacon Smothered Pork Chops were fantastic!  My only changes to this were: boneless pork chops, beef broth and 1/2 & 1/2 in place of heavy cream.  Unfortunately, the Au Gratin Potatoes were the fail for the night.  The only change was 1/2 & 1/2 instead of heavy cream, all other directions were followed (including the rest time) - but it was still VERY watery.  I have never ran into this when substituting the 1/2 for the heavy cream.  After reading the comments, I did find where the author says 1/2 will not work for this but there were others who used heavy cream and it was still watery/soupy.  I have several more au gratin recipes that I want to try or already have tried, so I won't go back to this one to figure it out, because even though it was edible, we have others we'd rather eat.
   Thursday brought us back to a stand by as the steaks were marked down at the grocery store.  They were prepared simply; just sprinkled with kosher salt and pan seared until medium rare.
   As much as I love to cook, there are times that I would rather work on a project, especially if I am in a great flow so the week ended up with Pizza Hut and Hunger Games, but that is fine, because that is life.

Life Happens and You Fix Cereal For Dinner

   It feels like the month of February went quickly, but I believe it lasted what it was suppose to, it was just that I was busy with projects - both old and new.  It can even be seen in my February Monthly Menu.  See the FFYS aka Hunger Games, the take out and leftovers? What makes it better, is that you can't see the March entries.  We had Taco Bell one night and cereal another night. All because I had full days where either I lost my energy required to prepare supper - or because I was too caught up in a project to want to spend the needed time away from it to prepare a meal for the household.

  That's something I don't really see on other food/cooking blogs a lot; the nights where you just don't feel like cooking, the nights you are so tired from the day's activities or the nights where life happens. 
That is something that everyone needs to remember.  Life happens.  You aren't going to create outstanding meals after outstanding meals every day. (Minus if you are a chef and that is your job.- I'm talking people who don't do that for a living.)
   One of the best things I have found for using the monthly layout in my Erin Condren Life Planner is that I can go back and see what I served with what and it usually reminds me of the flavors of the meal to which I can then think about other dishes that could be prepared with it the next time.  Plus, I like to try not to repeat meals within the same month.  This and last month were not good examples basically because we were trying to eat all the pork we had stored from a previous slaughter and needed the room for fresh meat.  It will be awhile before I make several meals.
   Just remember that sometimes it is perfectly okay to decided a bowl of Capn' Crunch or Raisin Bran is dinner. You have no reason you must defend it to anyone at any time.

Rick & Morty Szechuan Sauce

If you have no idea why this is a big thing, this video may help.
 Then again, it might not.

   My boys are big Rick and Morty fans, one more so than the other, but they both enjoy it.  I have watched it with them, and it's a better cartoon than others I have seen.  I would even watch this with them not around.  So, back in October, McDonald's failed big time.  They said they were bringing this sauce back (because of the demands of the Rick & Morty fandom). However, it was only for a limited time in very limited locations.  If you want the super details, just Google it.  

  So, today, it happened it became available and I was sent on a mission to get a 10 piece nugget with the coveted and highly anticipated Szechuan Sauce from Mickey D's on my way home.   I accomplished my mission and made my oldest little boy happy. He was only about 2 1/2 years old when it came out so, I seriously doubt he tried the original.  Only because I know I would have not wanted to clean it up.  He said it was awesome.  He said it is okay by itself but was better when he dipped the nugget in it.  I tried it by itself and the taste reminded me a lot of the sesame sauce

we use sometimes, but not exactly - but close.
All in all, today was an adventure in flavor and I have a happy house tonight.
 

Comfort Food is Life

   Comfort food is one of my most favorite things to make; basically because I get to eat it. This past week has been pretty much all about comfort food.  It wasn't intentional, but no one in the house complained about it.
   The first menu item this week was a Scooby Sandwich.  These things are fabulous and I do not think I have EVER had the same sandwich twice.  They are not cheap to make, but are certainly fun to look forward to. I'm sure you know what it is?  It's the monster sandwiches Shaggy and Scooby make most every time they find a kitchen or have serious munchies. 

These sandwiches they make come in various forms and ingredients, but all have one thing in common.  THEY ARE HUGE!  I began making these when my kids began middle school and their appetites began to seriously grow.  After some trial and error, I found the best thing to do once it was made was to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap & have it hang out in the fridge for a bit. 

This gave the time to the plastic wrap to squish the sandwich down into a manageable size for biting. This proved to be a very important step in creating the sandwich because you want ALL the flavors in every bite.  The reason for the cost being high is that it I purchase anywhere from 5-7 different types of meat from the deli and 2-3 cheeses, then bread.  The bread 99% of the time is an onion roll because we really like them. Also depending on the mood of the person eating it, it can have onions, lettuce/spinach, tomatoes, pickles, mayo, mustard, ketchup or those with a more adventurous flair, salad dressings and French Onion dip.  When I made this one, I also made a second for my lunch the next day.  

   The next day, I made Cubanos.  The recipe I use, is pretty much the one from Rachel Ray on 30 minute meals.

I only change the relish because I find I like what I make better than the one she made. I used red onion this time because I had enough left from making our Scooby Sandwiches.  My relish is a jar of roasted red peppers, an entire bunch of green onions and finely chopped dill pickles. Mix it together and let it hang out in the fridge for a while.  As for the sweet rolls she uses, I just buy regular hoagie bread, brush it with water then sprinkle it with sugar and toast it in the oven while the meat is finishing up cooking.  My biggest issue comes with the pressing of the sandwich.  My kitchen is small so I don't have lots of kitchen toys.

So, I when the sandwich is assembled, I wrap them tightly in foil then press on them until they flatten out and stick them in the oven for a bit until the cheese is melted.
   Blue Ribbon Ham Casserole original recipe by Kraft.  My changes since first making this: 1 bunch of green onions, Virginia Ham (from the deli), no green peppers,  Yukon or Russet potatoes, a decent amount of pepper to counteract the salt in the Velveeta. The recipe is a great jumping off point to make changes as you see fit.

   Friday evening, we had homemade Stromboli.  Guy's recipe for Stromboli is pretty awesome.  Of course I made changes because I don't live in an area where I can get some stuff with out the need of selling a kidney.  The best part about this is the garlic, butter, black pepper and basil on the dough before you add the meat and cheese.  I keep it simple, ham, genoa salami, sandwich pepperoni from the deli and mozzarella cheese.  Below, there is a link to see the notes and some pictures of when I made it a previous time.
   Everyone has a different thought when it comes to comfort food, as we are all comforted by different things.  I do not normally consider what we did for dinner on Wednesday comfort food, however it fits this week because I helped my mom cook then we all ate dinner together.

Sunday: Scooby Sandwiches & chips
Monday: Cubanos
Tuesday: Blue Ribbon Ham Casserole
Wednesday: Ribs, BBQ Chicken, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs
Thursday: Nana's Mexican Steak or Chicken & Easy Mexican Rice
Friday: Stromboli (my notes from making this)
Saturday: Smoked Sausage with onion & peppers, creamed potatoes

Imperfect Humans Consumed with Perfection

Sometimes, even the best planned out plans, fail.  Why? Cause we are human. Humans are perfectly imperfect. Today, my imperfections are shining true. This morning, I made out a plan of this coming meals we'd like to have and a shopping list to match that list.  Just a quick little trip to the store for the things that I needed to complete said menu for the week. See, I have proof!?!?!

I did get all those things on the list even though I never marked off the Velveeta (which I spell wrong pretty much every time I write it), which is normally once a year cause that stuff is expensive. I'm also working on my lettering so ignore the top as it is not very neat or pretty. 

So, if I made a menu and a shopping list, how did this happen??? Yeah, $152.94 (after my MVP discount took $7.93 off wooo...) I think my plan began to fall apart at the "salad crunchies" because I did get croutons, crispy wontons, McCormick Salad Toppings, and McCormick Bacon Bits. Normally, "salad crunchies" refer to the Salad Toppings only, but today the trip included my youngest son and he helped by adding things. So, maybe I shouldn't take all the blame for the extra purchases, that I am happy to report didn't contain cookies, ice cream, chips, soda, cereal, candy, or other sweets. However, he is the one that grabbed the hot sauce and bacon bits.
I am very far from perfect and can only hope I hold in my restrain when at the grocery store, since grocery shopping is one of my most favorite things to do. Hopefully, my next trip to the store will be next weekend to only pick up produce to finish out that week of planned meals.  We'll see, as I am only human.

Then I got sesame oil, corn tortillas, flour tortillas from the international section, pastrami, roast beef, salami, and sandwich pepperoni from the deli then I grabbed bouillon cubes.  I also got several marked down packs of beef brisket and rump roast.  Needless to say, when I make food, we will have decent amount of leftovers for lunches the next day. 

Funeral Potatoes

This week began pretty much like any other week like most people's.  A couple of good things happened, including my youngest beginning a new job, I began "officially" on my family's genealogy project and I got found the perfect way to store some of the things I use in my planner (thanks to my mom!).  And, then a couple of what we sometimes consider bad things happened.
Two different women I each called Granny lost their battles against some nasty and horrific illnesses.  Neither of these amazing women were blood kin to me directly.  One, was my cousin's paternal grandmother who loved me like her own granddaughter, which meant I got in just as much trouble as her grandsons did.  She was a feisty, strong woman with a gentle heart and a huge smile.  The other was my husband's grandmother, my children's great-grandmother and my grandchildren's great-great grandmother.  I suppose after 20+ years, she was my grandmother too.  I wasn't close to her, but there is a hole in my heart where she once was, knowing it can never be filled.
How does this relate to food? Well, I can only speak for The South.  Someone dies, you take food. Food is comfort. Food means someone took the time to say "She won't feel like cooking, so I'm going to take a casserole for her." or "He doesn't need to worry where dinner is coming from for the next couple of nights, cause I will take care of it."
Plates, platters, bowls, Pyrex dishes, CorningWare dishes, pie tins, cake plates, casseroles and Tupperware fill tables, counters, fridges and freezers. All full of food.  Some homemade, some not. But that's okay because I think the thought counts.  Always being asked 'Didja eat?' if you pop in to give condolences.
In all this food, there will be people that do not eat because they can't eat due to dietary restrictions whether because of medical issues or personal choice.  I challenge you to find a gluten-free recipe that everyone can enjoy for those with Celiac Disease or those who are vegan/veggie people.  Sometimes, it just means to substitute an ingredient or two, not make something you aren't comfortable with making.  (FYI, Capn' Crunch is vegan)

Finding My Posting Groove (again)

Life happens.  So much that sometimes things get away from us.  Everyone always has something going on and we have to schedule and plan weeks in advance to be able to accomplish things at times.

This is where I am now.  Having begun in my full-time class schedule again, I am once again re-learning to find my new routine to accomplish all my work and make sure my life outside of college is not left in a void.  My intentions were pure and true in the post from Jan 21st about posting once a week.  As I had even made a picture showing what was on the menu for that week:

It just hasn't worked itself correctly into my planner (Erin Condren Life Planner "ECLP"- this is how I was able to stay on track and get my AA Degree with Honors) This leads me into I need to work it into my planner.  I have added it and have carved out a time for it to happen. Yay me! This past month was also odd for me because I made two trips south to Georgia; one to pick up my grandson (keep him for 3 weeks) and then return him to his parents and meet my new granddaughter. So, there was that dinner that ended up like this:

 The very last picture shows how I use my monthly spread in my ECLP to keep up with what we had for dinner.  I normally do not like to serve/make/prepare/whatever the same meal twice in a month.  However, January was a touch odd because I shared with my mom and daughter how I make the Chicken Penne Pasta meal we had already in the month.  It was a touch different this time, as my mom made a Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing to have along side of it and as always, my Dad wanted garlic bread.  It rounded the meal out nicely and will be added to my Menu Book. (That's carrots on the salad, not cheese. Cheese would have tasted weird with the dressing.) 

Notes from the shared menu above: Poppy Seed Dressing - My mom just randomly Googled a recipe and combined several of them to make this dressing, so that means at this time, I do not have a recipe or link to share with you.  It is on my todo list, because I really want to make it again. Can't remember if I have shared this before or not; the Chicken Penne Pasta DOES NOT make good leftovers.  It is edible, but not something that you'd really want as a leftover.

Garlic Bread - This changes a bit depending on what spices I touch in the cabinet.  Basically, it begins it's life loosely based on the recipe from this post from 2010. However, it is still nice to make Cheesy Garlic Bread every now and again.
Venison Tacos - I used my grinder on my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer on some deer I pulled from the freezer, added salt & pepper, taco seasoning, and a touch more of cumin after browning the meat.  The flour tortillas were good just seriously time consuming.
Papa's Spaghetti - I have seen him make this hundreds of times - it changes just a tad each time, so it never taste exactly the same, but really close and it is REALLY good. I have tried doing this and it does not work for me. My daughter watch him this time so, maybe the magic of this recipe skips a

generation?  The ciabatta bread was sliced, drizzled with EVOO, sprinkled lightly with salt & pepper then baked at 350 until lightly golden brown.  

Spaghetti & Meatballs - I had some 'meatloaf' mix (ground beef, pork & veal) in the freezer, so I added some of this and some of that from the spice cabinet, rolled the meatballs, fried them up, dumped a jar of Bertolli's Tomato & Basil Sauce on it and severed with angel hair pasta.

I know the writing is light on my January monthly menu, but I do it in pencil.  The red * mark the new recipes we tried in the month.

Control the Salt!!! Make Your Own Spice Blends!

The other day, I wanted to make 2 new recipes and I didn't have a spice blend it called for.  So, instead of running to the store, I Googled how to make it.  I have a cabinet full of spices, so I figured that if I can make my on Not Lipton Onion Soup Mix, I can make spice blends too!
I searched and read and searched and read and came up with a mixture that would work for my family and I proceeded to make it! Now I have an abundance of Cajun Seasoning in my cabinet!

Later in the week, I didn't realized I had used all my McCormick's Montreal Seasoning.  So, I did the Google thing again, and made my own.
The best part about doing this is that I know exactly what is in the blend and I am able to control the salt.  The jar for the cajun seasoning is a 4oz jelly jar and was plum full.  The extra was in a small dish that I used for the Lemon Thyme Pork Chops and Scalloped Potato Casserole.

The jar the Montreal Season is something I wanted to reuse since the lid was nice and tight.  I used it on Hamburger Steaks and then again later for some Smashburgers with some other things like dill weed and more garlic powder added to it. As soon as I am out of another seasoning blend, I will make a homemade version up and share!

What Goes with This?!?!? Making a Meal out of Random Recipes

   I LOVE my cookbooks. I LOVE for searching and collecting for recipes online.  However, one of the things I run into the most, is not knowing what to pair with what or what else to serve with a dish I've chosen.  One of the things I am personally working on is creating a meals that are new (to my family) recipes plus some ideas that I come across when I see the same recipe continually float up on my FB.
   I have in the past made an entire meal from one cookbook (see WWF Cookbook Meal) and it turned out pretty good.  I even did it two Christmases ago.  It was fun.  But I can't do that EVERY MEAL with the other stuff going on in my life.  So, I am going to start small and TRY to remember to share once a week with the meals we had this week so that I can possible help others who may get in a rut and not know what to serve with what.  Maybe in the process, I will research and see what some of the others in the food industry say about pair foods together at a meal.
   Changes to the recipes I have linked:
Honey-Lime Shrimp: I used 1lb of medium shrimp, 5 drops of Young Living Lime Essential Oil instead of fresh lime juice and sautéed them instead of grilling this time.  Fried rice is homemade and is still in the process of getting it where I want it.  It was good, but I want it better.
Chicken Penne Pasta:  I make it all on the stove top in a dutch oven.  I use a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and break them up, use veggie broth in place of chicken broth but the rest of the pasta part I do pretty much as written.  I don't even follow the recipe anymore.  I do the chicken on the side for those who like chicken.
Balsamic Glazed Chicken: I also make pork since I don't like chicken.  After it comes out of the oven, I reduce the glaze more on the stove top then pour it on the meat.
*Recipe links are under the menu but above the pictures*

Honey-Lime Shrimp
Chicken Penne Pasta
Balsamic Glazed Chicken