Born, raised and lived in Kansas all my life. Then in November of 2007, my husband and I moved to the east coast. My husband's dream has been to renovate an old house. So, here we are in a house built in 1890 and we work hard to keep it from falling down around our ears. Sometimes I wonder, "What were we thinking!?"
My blog is about what is happening in my life as I adjust to living in the south, adjust to being an empty nester, adjust to menopause, adjust to being a grandma...
Today is Sandwich Day because on this date in 1718, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich was born.
from Wikipedia
While the sandwich was named after him, there is debate as to whether he was the first to create and eat a sandwich.
Since today is Sandwich Day, I thought I would share some more recipes from my vintage Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook.
This is called a Choo-choo because the bottom crust is not cut so the bread is still coupled like a train.
I grew up reading the comic strip, Blondie. So when I think of a sandwich, I think of this guy - Dagwood Bumstead. He was created by artist Chic Young in 1930. Dagwood could eat a huge stack of sandwich and in all those years, he never gained an inch.
from NewsRealBlog
Here is the recipe for the sandwich named after him.
I love how this sandwich is topped with an olive. How appropriate!
I know a lot of things taste better when they are homemade. I'm sure pasta sauce is one of those things. But honestly, the store bought sauce is probably better than what I can make and it is cheaper too. It does lack "substance" though, so I add my own.
This is one of those recipes that really has no exact amounts. Play it by ear, add more or less of what you want. If you want a larger batch, add more veggies, meat and another jar of sauce.
I always use zucchini, yellow squash, red onion and sliced mushrooms. My family did not like it with green peppers added, so sometimes I will add red, yellow or orange peppers if the price is right. We like sweet Italian sausage, but your family might prefer ground beef. As for the sauce, I buy what ever is on sale and the chunkier the better.
While the meat is browning, slice up the veggies.
Add the veggies and the browned meat to a large pot.
Then pour in the sauce and stir.
Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer all day long. About an hour before serving, remove the lid and continue to simmer.
Serve sauce hot over your favorite pasta.
One of the best things about this sauce is it makes a lot. From this pot of sauce, Hubs and I had two dinners. I put enough sauce for two into small containers to put into the freezer and I got four containers. Four more meals with nothing to do but boil pasta. My kind of meal.
Kelly at (un)Deniably Domestic is the weekly hostess with the mostest of Blue Plate Mondays. Check out what is cooking in other kitchens and tell us what is cooking in yours.
Blue Plate Monday is hosted by Kelly at (un)Deniably Domestic. She has some yummy goulash cooking at her place. Look for the recipe here.
Summer often brings lots of gatherings that revolve food. This is a great cake to take to the neighborhood barbeque or family reunion. You won't need to worry that someone will bring one like it and you will come home with a clean cake pan.
Here's the recipe:
Momma's Oatmeal Cake
1 c. quick oats 1 1/2 c. boiling water 1/2 c. butter (1 stick), softened 1 c. sugar 1 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 1 1/3 c. all purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Topping 4 TBS. butter, melted 1 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. milk 1 c. flaked coconut 1c. chopped nuts (Mom's recipe does not call for nuts, but I add nuts to almost everything!)
Add the boiling water to the oats and let stand while mixing the other ingredients.
Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and mix well.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Add oats and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan.
Bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. While cake is baking, mix together the butter, brown sugar and milk for the topping.
When cake is done remove from oven. Pour topping over hot cake. Sprinkle with coconut and nuts, if desired. Place cake under broiler until coconut begins to brown. Watch carefully, as once it starts, it browns quickly.
Make sure you take a copy of the recipe with you because you will be asked for it again and again.
Thanks go to Kelly for hosting Blue Plate Mondays at (un)Deniably Domestic. Stop in to see what yummy recipes others have to share this week.
I also must thank Kelly for leading me to EllynAnne Geisel's FABULOUS not-a-contest GIVEAWAY at her blog, Apron Memories. I was one of the six winners! WOOHOO! Click here to see what I won. I'm going to have to send Kelly a thank you gift.
Seeing Kelly's post about Biscuit Donuts brought to mind my struggle with making home made biscuits. I finally found the right recipe and the *tricks* to making fabulous biscuits. They are almost as easy as opening a tube of biscuits.Biscuits Supreme
2 cups all purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco.) 1/2 cup milk*
Sift together the first five ingredients. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Avoid blending the fat completely with the flour. This makes for mealy biscuits. Use a fork and blend until the shortening is the size of lima beans.) Make a well in the center of flour mixture; add milk all at once. Stir just until dough clings together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for ten to twelve strokes. PAT the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, dipping cutter in flour between cuts.
Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes at 450F.
*My recipe calls for 2/3 cup of milk, but this made my biscuits to "runny". I started using 1/2 cup milk and they are perfect.
The key to making the best biscuits, noodles and pie crusts is to handle them as little as possible. That's why you should not knead them very much and pat the biscuits instead of rolling them. Now that I have learned the trick to making great biscuits, Hubs wants them all the time.
I've been busy getting ready for Daughter P and SIL A's wedding reception. On Tuesday, I fly back to my hometown for a week. I decided to take a blog vacation during that time so I won't be posting next Monday. I will be checking out the yummy recipes you share when I return.
Time for Blue Plate Mondays at Kelly’s (un)Deniably Domestic.Check out the great recipe ideas that others are posting.Yummy!While you’re there, check out the cute apron Kelly made and what you can do to win it.
A working woman’s best friend in the kitchen has got to be the slow cooker.And why not?Put it in the slow cooker before you head to work and dinner is ready when you get home.A Yahoo search for crock pot recipes produces 21,700,000 hits!
When I was working, I used my slow cooker on Sundays to fix soup that I would take for lunch the following week.It also would be called into action at least one day a week to fix dinner.My favorite cookbook is Busy Woman’s Slow Cooker Cookbook by Sharon and Gene McFall and you would be able to pick it off my shelf and know I have used it often.
The following recipe is not one that came from this cookbook, but it is one I make often.The chicken is supposed to taste like a rotisserie chicken you would buy at a grocery deli.I’m not so sure about that, but it is good and easy.
Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken and Potatoes
1 whole chicken*
Olive oil
Rotisserie chicken seasoning
Baking potatoes
Aluminum foil
Clean chicken inside and out.Rub a little olive oil over the chicken or spray with olive oil cooking spray.Sprinkle liberally with the rotisserie seasoning.Three to four tablespoons is not too much.
Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray.Place the foil wrapped potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.If you do not want the potatoes, roll three or four wads of foil into two or three inch balls.Do not put water in the slow cooker.Place the chicken, breast side down, on top of the foil wrapped potatoes or foil balls.The aluminum foil is what gives it the deli taste.Cook on HIGH (will not come out the same if cooked on low) for four to six hours.A three pound chicken usually cooks in four hours.
*Do not spend extra money buying a chicken labeled as a roasting chicken.Most stores take large fryers, repackage as roasting chickens and charge more per pound than for a fryer.
The potatoes can be eaten as you would a baked potato, although they are more like potatoes from a roast.I have thrown two or three cloves of garlic in the slow cooker, then made garlic mashed potatoes.
Leftovers?I’ve used the leftover chicken in quesadillas or a casserole.There will be a lot of liquid in the slow cooker.Use it and any leftover chicken with a bag of egg noodles for chicken and noodles.If you aren’t planning on using the liquid soon, freeze it in a zippered bag or container to use for soup.Don’t throw away the bones and skin either.Put those in a freezer bag and freeze.Next time you have chicken, add that carcass.Once you have three or four chicken carcasses, use them to make stock.
Join us for Blue Plate Mondays.Tell us what’s cooking at your place.
What’s for dinner? Do you hate asking yourself that question as much as I do? Years ago, I learned the way to avoid answering that question was menu planning. There have been times when I’ve set aside the practice for one reason or another, but I eventually make my way back. Since our big move almost eighteen months ago, I have not been very diligent in my menu planning. When Kelly announced Blue Plate Mondays, I decided I would get back to my menu planning again. My system isn’t very sophisticated, but it works for me. Here’s how I plan:
• Check to see what has been stashed in the freezer. Since I usually only buy meat on sale, there is probably something in there that I purchased but haven’t used yet. This week, I found a package of sweet Italian sausage, a large chuck roast (too big for just the two of us), and a container of spaghetti sauce. • Look at this week’s sales circular from the local grocery store. The only grocery store in my town besides Wal-Mart is Food Lion and they have four stores. Guess where I shop. Since I typically only shop the outer edges of the grocery store, I’m most interested in the meat, produce, and dairy items on sale. This week, Food Lion has pork tenderloin, two pound chubs of ground chuck, center cut pork chops and packages of frozen boneless chicken breasts (buy one, get one). In the produce section, they have yellow and zucchini squash and broccoli crowns on sale. They also have Birds Eye Viola! Pasta meals in the frozen section and New York brand Texas Garlic Toast. I’ll pick up one or two of each of these items to throw in the freezer to use if I need a meal in a hurry. • Take a quick look through past menu lists. As you can see from the above photo, I keep all my menu lists. I look to see if there is something we haven’t had in a while or if there was a new recipe I tried that we really liked. • Look through my file of new things to try. If I am looking through a cookbook and find a recipe I like, I note the name of the recipe along with the name of the cookbook and page number on a list. I might also note the key ingredients. A lot of times, I find recipes when I’m browsing the internet so I make a copy and put it in my file. My file also contains recipes torn from magazines or the back of boxes or cans. There is no real organization to my file other than a section for main dishes, side dishes, and things to bake (cookies, cakes, breads, etc.) Each week, I try to include one new recipe, whether it is a main dish or a side dish, in my menu planning. If the recipe is from a cookbook, I note where the recipe can be found on my weekly menu. Otherwise, I paper clip the recipe to my menu list. After trying the recipe, I make a note on the menu list as to whether we liked it and if I should fix it again. Wow! This looks like a daunting task in itself. But I’ve been doing it this way for so long that it really only takes me fifteen to twenty minutes. Then I sit down with my trusty yellow note pad and make out my menu for the week. While I’m making out my menu, I also make out a grocery list. My grocery list isn’t anything elaborate either, but I do list things by section: meat, produce, dairy, etc. Saves time in the grocery store which makes a task I dislike a much more pleasant experience.
Here’s what my menu looks like for this week:
M – Pasta shells with broccoli and Italian sausage, green salad, copy cat Macaroni Grill rosemary bread. T – Leftovers from Monday. *We eat a lot of leftovers. We don’t mind them and it saves me from having to cook every night. If there are still leftovers after two dinners, Hubs knows it is fair game for lunch.
F – Stir fry using grilled chicken and any fresh veggies left OR omelets and toast.
S – Fish sticks, mac and cheese, peas. *Our grandson will be visiting so I need something “kid” friendly. Thankfully, Hubs also likes this meal. Because I picked up pork chops and ground chuck on sale this week, I already have two menu items on my list for next week. I’m getting back in the groove!
The recipe I would like to share with you this week is the pasta dish we will be having for dinner tonight. This is one of those recipes that has no set amount of ingredients. Just play it by ear for your family.
Part of Kelly’s give away is sharing a photo of us wearing a favorite apron. Go to Kelly's blog here to see the cute apron she has made and the guidelines for winning it.
Let me say that I am really not as "plump" as these pictures portray. These pictures were taken in December and we had NO heat. I have four or five layers on underneath those aprons.
Above is my favorite vintage apron. It has a bib and hangs below my knees. Make sure you OH! and AH! over that beautiful loaf of cheddar cheese braid coming out of the oven.
For Christmas, I made aprons to give as gifts to four girlfriends, five daughters/daughter in law, my mom and Larry's mom. I picked out material that reminded me of each person and included vintage buttons from my grandma's button box. I had to make one for myself when I found this fabric with bees. To see all the aprons I made at Christmas you can go here.
Join us for Blue Plate Monday at (un)Deniably Domestic and see what others are cooking for dinner. Tell us what's cooking at your place.
When Kelly of (un)Deniably Domestic, announced Blue Plate Monday, I didn’t even think twice about participating. Hopefully this is the kick in the pants I need to get back in the groove of being more creative, more organized and more economical in my meal planning and preparation.
It also got me to thinking about the different phases my meal planning and preparation has gone through over the years. There was the financially strapped, single working mom of two young girls. Not a lot of planning, just what ever was cheap and fast. We had lots of canned spaghetti sauce, boxed mac and cheese and goulash. My girls would probably eat pet food if I added pasta to it.
Then there were the years of working and cooking for a husband and two busy teens. “Just get through the week so you can order pizza Friday night.” Our local Pizza Hut knew our order before we even called it in.
There was the Weight Watchers phase as all that pizza took a toll on my waist line. That was where I was at the peak of my meal planning game. It was just me and Hubs by then. Occasionally, we would be joined by the youngest. Work was followed by at least one hour, usually two, at the gym. Two nights a week, I returned to the gym with Hubs in tow for yoga. Did I lose a lot of weight? Heck no! But I was a lean, fit eating machine.
All that changed when we moved half way across the country to this once upon a time grand home. The first thing we were going to do was put in a new kitchen. When we moved into This Old House, my kitchen had a sink, that only ran hot water, about ten square feet of counter space and three drawers, and six “cabinets”. The refrigerator sat in the dining room along with three large units of heavy duty restaurant shelves used to hold pantry items and the assorted items one would find in kitchen cabinets.
Did you notice I didn’t mention a cook stove? For one year, I managed to put meals together using only a crock pot, electric skillet, small microwave oven (which also sat in the dining room), a large electric roaster and our outdoor gas grill. Talk about a challenge! But I actually did a pretty good job.
Throughout that year, the kitchen remodel kept getting pushed farther and farther down the list. Finally, in August, 2008, I told Hubs I didn’t want to go through another holiday season without a stove or oven. We found a nice electric stove on Craigslist for $75. Now my kitchen looks much the same as it did when we moved into it, except I now have hot and COLD water at the sink and a stove. I am a much happier cook.
Has that made meal planning easier? No. It’s just made it easier to get meals on the table. But now, since I do not work, those meals are usually accompanied by yummy breads, rolls, biscuits, cookies, cakes and/or pies.
In the coming weeks, my plan is to commit to putting more thought and planning into my meals and expand my repertoire of recipes while making healthier, more economical meals. I hope to share what I learn as well as those things I have learned over the years with those of you participating in Blue Plate Mondays. Because, let’s face it, as the main meal planners/preparers, it’s not just the question, “What’s for dinner tonight?” but “What am I going to serve with it?” and “What am I (or the kids or the husband) taking for lunch tomorrow.”
The recipe I want to share with you this week is one that takes little time to put together and can bake while you are doing those after work household chores. I was once (and still sometimes am) BIG into using convenience foods from boxes or cans. This is one of those.
Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Bake
One package (6 oz) stuffing mix for pork 1 2/3 cup hot water 3 cups cubed ham 1 package (14 oz) frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained 1 can condensed cream soup 1/3 cup sour cream ¼ cup milk 1 ½ cup shredded cheese (I like to use swiss and/or cheddar)
Preheat oven to 375F. Add hot water to stuffing mix, stir until moistened, set aside. Mix ham and broccoli in a 13x9 greased baking dish. Combine soup, sour cream, milk and cheese; pour over ham mixture. Top with stuffing mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese the last five minutes of baking.
Variations – You can use any kind of frozen veggie; green beans, mixed veggies, etc. Substitute turkey for the ham and use a stuffing mix for poultry instead of pork.
I like to serve this with my favorite jello salad made the night before (Large package orange jello, can of drained pineapple, can of drained mandarin oranges and a handful of matchstick carrots.) and a side salad. Instead of the jello, serve applesauce or a can of fried apples.
Sorry, I have no pictures.
Want more recipes and menu ideas? Check out Kelly's Blue Plate Mondays here. Join us and tell us what's cooking at your place.
Before Christmas, I was thinking about all the yummy treats my mom baked when I was growing up. This cake was one of my favorites. It seems like it has been decades since I had this cake. Then I started thinking about when the last time was...probably junior high or earlier. So yes, it has been decades!
I made this cake last weekend and it is every bit as good as I remember it. It is also quick and easy.
Oatmeal Cake 1 c. quick oats 1 1/2 c. boiling water 1/2 c. butter (1 stick), softened 1 c. sugar 1 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 1 1/3 c. all purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Topping 4 TBS. butter, melted 1 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. milk 1 c. flaked coconut 1c. chopped nuts (Mom's recipe does not call for nuts, but I add nuts to almost everything!)
Preheat oven to 350F. Add the boiling water to the oats and let stand while mixing the other ingredients. Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and mix well. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Add oats and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
While cake is baking, mix together the butter, brown sugar and milk for the topping. When cake is done remove from oven. Pour topping over hot cake. Sprinkle with coconut and nuts, if desired. Place cake under broiler until coconut begins to brown. Watch carefully, as once it starts, it browns quickly.
If you can wait, allow cake to cool before serving.
The holiday season is rapidly approaching. With the season comes parties. If you are hosting a holiday party or asked to bring a snack to a party, here are two great ideas. Both are easy to put together and they will be a big hit.
Sweet and Spicy Pecans 1/2 c. sugar 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. cayenne 1 egg white 2 c. pecan halves
Preheat oven to 300F. Mix the sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Beat the egg white lightly with a fork in a larger bowl; toss in the pecans and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and coat pecans evenly. Using your fingers, one by one transfer the pecans from the bowl to a baking sheet coated with a nonstick cooking spray or covered with parchment paper. Seperate them as best you can. Discard any left over sugar-egg mixture. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer to another baking sheet, breaking pecans apart as necessary; let cool completely. Kept covered in a dry place, pecans will stay fresh for 5 days.
Rosemary Almonds 3 TBS. butter 2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed 3/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 c. raw almonds
Preheat oven to 350F. Using a baking sheet with a lip, melt butter. Mix seasonings into the butter, and toss almonds into the seasoning until coated. Bake in oven about 10 - 12 minutes, stirring once, until toasted and fragrant. Remove from oven. Serve warm or at room temperature. These are so much better the next day so make them ahead.
This is yummy bread. It almost tastes like stuffing. Bake this bread the day before you want to serve it as it is so much better after it sits for a day.
1 c. chopped onion 1/4 c. butter 2 1/2 c. Bisquick baking mix 1 TBS. snipped parsley 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1/4 c. milk 3 eggs 1 1/2 c. shredded fresh zucchini 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese 3/4 c. toasted chopped almonds
Heat oven to 400F. Grease and flour round pan, 9 x 1/2 inches. Cook and stir onion in margarine until tender; cool slightly. Mix onion mixture, baking mix, parsley, basil, thyme, milk and eggs; beat vigorously 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in pan. Bake until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly; remove from pan.
1 c. butter flavored shortening 1 c. granulated sugar 1 c. packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 1/2 c. quick cooking rolled oats 1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Cream together shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each; add vanilla. Thoroughly stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture a small amount at a time. Stir in oats and nuts. Shape dough into two 8 inch rolls. Wrap each roll into waxed paper or clear plastic wrap. Chill thoroughly. Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies should look soft and puffy when done. Remove the cookies from the oven and tap the cookie sheet so the cookies flatten. Allow the cookies to remain on the cookie sheet for another minute, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
1 large or 2 small cans tomatoes (Stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic work well.) 2 slices onion 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 2 Tbl. butter 2 Tbl. all purpose flour 1 1/2 c. milk
Combine first six ingredients in a 2 qt. saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes; seive. ( I remove bay leaf and put mixture in blender and pulse two or three times as we like it a bit chunky.) Melt butter; blend in flour. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened. Slowly add hot tomato mixture stirring constantly. Serves 6.
If you use the tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, sprinkle with parmesan cheese after placing in bowls.
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