Meatballs with a Twist

You can thank Rachel Ray for these interesting and tasty meatballs:

Thai Shrimp & Pork Balls

4 scallions, trimmed
1 tsp ground ginger
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp tamari (soy sauce*)
1 tsp basil
zest & juice of 1 lime
1 lb medium shrimp - shelled and deveined (raw)
1 lb ground pork

Combine scallions, ginger, garlic, tamari, basil, and lime zest in a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl thne process for 1 minute. Add shrimp and pork and process until the shrimp is in really tiny pieces, but not totally mush. Roll into balls and cook as you would any other meatball. I'm not saying these are good with marinara sauce (RR suggests a curry sauce that includes coconut milk), but then again, maybe they would be good with regular spaghetti...I just know they are tasty meatballs!

*Tamari IS soy sauce, but it's not the same as what's labeled "Soy Sauce" when you see it on the grocery shelf. It's a little more expensive, but it is really really good.

December 12-20, 2007

12 W – Church Dinner
13 R – Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry , Rice
14 F – Taco Salad, Refried Beans
15 S – Pretzel Crusted Chicken, Corn, carrots
16 U – Spaghetti, Salad, Bread
17 M - Italian Roast, Alfredo Mashed Potatoes , Peas
18 T – Potato flake chicken , baked beans, biscuits
19 W – L.O. Spaghetti, etc.
20 R – Meat & Potato Soup

The 21st we hit the road for the ROBBINS FAMILY WORLD TOUR! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

November 28 - December 10, 2007

Well, I have finally had time to put together a real meal plan! After the first grueling days with a newborn, I ended up back on hospital fare (their picadillo was actually quite good) for another week. Since then I've managed to have "something" for dinner each night, but I have missed having a pre-planned menu to guide me! I know it won't last, but lately, Annalise has been taking a short, but well timed nap around 5pm - helpful! Here's what's cooking for the next two weeks...or until Annalise's schedule changes and we end up of frozen food again:

28 W – Southwest Chicken Foil Packet
29 R – Chili, Cornbread Muffins, Carrot Sticks
30 F – Cranberry Orange Pork Chops , Pasta side, Broccoli
1 S – Juicy Hamburgers, French Fries, Pickles
2 U – Hurricane Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
3 M – Parmesan Chicken, Green Beans, Scalloped Potatoes
4 T – Chili Dogs, Broccoli with Cheese, Carrot Sticks
5 W – Chicken a la King , Salad
6 R – Pizza, Salad
7 F – Polynesian Roast Beef , Mashed Potatoes, Carrots
8 S – L.O. Polynesian Roast Beef
9 U – Garlic Chicken Breasts , Couscous, Asparagus
10 M – Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Salad

October 3 - October 16, 2007

This meal plan is during the time our baby is due - and since we don't have a scheduled induction or c-section, who knows when that will be! So instead of a dated meal plan, here is a list of meals I plan to have everything on hand for:

Beef and Tomato Casserole, Salad
Lemon Chicken , Rice
Saucy Italian Pork Chops , Salad
Spanish Style Chicken etc. (RR 162)
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Creamy Chicken , Broccoli, Carrots
Hodge Podge Soup, Corn Bread Muffins
L.O. Hodge Podge Soup, etc.
Pizza, Salad
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas

My mom is coming tomorrow and we work pretty well tag-teaming dinner - that is, she has never liked picking out recipes, but doesn't mind cooking. So I've picked out food and she can cook it when I can't. I also allocated funds for eating out more (while the baby and I are in the hospital). I've learned the hard way that if you don't plan for unexpected meals, you spend way too much for them! For a family on a budget, that's a sure way to break it!

I also went ahead and made a meal plan for the following two weeks that we can draw from if little Miss Robbins is late. It is even more sparse, since my dad will be coming into town and I expect we will eat out more. I will probably not post another meal plan until November, by then I'll be back to typing with one hand :) but that's ok!

September 19 - October 2, 2007

19 W – Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs, Jasmine Rice
20 R – Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad, Garlic Bread
21 F – BBQ Chicken, Baked Beans, Salad, Rolls
22 S – BCM Reunion
23 U – Pappas House - We're bringing Potato Salad
24 M – Saucy Parmesan Chicken , Buttered Noodles, Green Peas
25 T – Taco Meatball Ring, Salad, Refried Beans
26 W – Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes , Broccoli
27 R – Black Bean Chicken Tacos, Salad
28 F – Layered Enchilada Bake , Salad
29 S - Crab Lasagna Rolls Ups, Salad
30 U – Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken , Rice
1 M – Sloppy Joes, Broccoli, Mac & Cheese
2 T – Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas

Down on the Farm

I like having parties at my house. When I was in college, I spent 5 semesters living with a gal who loved to throw them as much as I did. We turned our dorm room into an place to welcome our friends several times. One Christmas we collaborated with our next door neighbors and threw a big party using our rooms and the area between them.

I also like to make cakes and cards. I've thought in the past that they might be good ways to generate extra income, but I've discovered that both take more effort than people are really willing to pay you for, so it's better to just save that effort for those I love most.

For Caleb's 2nd birthday I considered several possible themes, but finally settled on a barnyard theme inspired by one of his favorite books "Duck on a Bike". I bought several copies of "Duck on a Bike" on eBay to include in the goodie bags. Decorating was easy - I just rounded up all the barnyard related toys!

I made these barn cards for invitations.

I made cupcakes decorated like sheep, pigs, and chicks. I got the sheep pattern from Family Fun magazine and the pigs and chicks from Taste of Home.

Caleb's Little People Barn was a great backdrop for the cupcakes.

The whole spread: We had a "vegetable garden" tray, pumpkin roll ups (sun-dried tomato tortillas rolled with american cheese and a sprig of cilantro), and chicken salad.

This was pretty much my only completely original idea for the party - everything else was an assortment of things I found in magazines or on the internet. I made these goodie bags out of inexpensive burlap fabric and wrote on them with a sharpie. Inside were the books, farm stickers, some bubbles, and a cow lollipop.

The cow lollies were really easy to make. I bought a cow mold at a candy store.

Finally, Caleb helped me make these thank you notes. I did the big pig and he did the little ones. It's pretty tricky to work with a hot pink ink pad and a toddler, but we didn't make too big of a mess! The inside reads, "Thank you very much!".

I had a lot of fun getting all this together. I think we'll do it again...in a few years!

Snacking

Being pregnant means I'm hungry...oh about every 20 minutes. Sometimes I'm not proud of the choices I make, but I've found that if I get in a habit of picking a certain food attribute (calcium rich, high in fiber, etc.) at the same time each day, I snack a little better

One decadant and seemingly sinful treat I've discovered is The Skinny Cow Fudge Bars. They were voted best overall in a fudge bar comparison I read about in a magazine. There are plenty of "No Sugar Added" fudge bars out there, but this one is pretty note-worthy. In addition to only being 100 calories and 1 gram of fat, it has 10% RDV of Calcium! Wow!

Another snack I enjoy regularly is stove top popcorn. I started buying the stove top kind many months ago when I was looking for ways to cut back on our expenses. Now, even when microwave popcorn is buy one get one free, I opt for the old fashioned kind. Popcorn is a whole grain and high in fiber. If you make it on the stove top, you have complete control over how much fat and salt you add. I've found I like the way it tastes if I cook it in about 1 tbsp of oil (**Canola oil is cheaper and healthier than olive oil**) and salt the unpopped kernels with popcorn (fine) salt. Somehow it tastes slightly buttery even though I don't add butter. It isn't difficult to clean up. Add enough oil to your pan to coat the bottom and don't use more kernels than can cover the bottom one layer thick. Cook over medium heat and you'll keep from burning it. It takes a little practice to get (almost) every kernel to pop ;)

September 5-18, 2007

5 W - Mini Meatball Subs, Salad
6 R - Chicken & Broccoli Casserole, Salad
7 F - Out on the Town
8 S - Steak, Baked Potatoes, Carrots, Broccoli
9 U - Pizza, Salad
10 M - Catfish, French Fries, Hush Puppies, Pickles
11 T - Baked Chicken Supreme, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli
12 W - Grilled Pork Chops, Mac & Cheese, Broccoli
13 R - Tacos, Refried Beans, Salad
14 F - Southwest Chicken Foil Packets
15 S - Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs (Pilsbury CB 172), Jasmine Rice
16 U - Caleb's Birthday Party (finger foods)
17 M - Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad, Garlic Bread
18 T - BBQ Chicken, Baked Beans, Salad, Rolls

Homemade Starbucks

I usually don't see the rational in paying more than $3 for 10oz of coffee, but Rob babysat Caleb for me on Tuesday morning while I went to Publix and I wanted to suprise him with a Mocha - his favorite. While I was waiting in line I was tempted by the rows of fancy danishes and coffee cake. One option was Chocolate Cinnamon Bread - and it was calling my name! But I resisted and was rewarded, because at the pick up end of the counter, there were little recipe cards for Chocolate Cinnamon Bread. Caleb and I made it today and WOW! It's really not bread - more like a chocolate pound cake with a hint of cinnamon. Here's how to make it at home:

Chocolate Batter:
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temp.
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp coca
pinch ground ginger & cloves

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time - wait til each egg is no longer visible before adding the next. Combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking soda & baking powder - add to creamed mixture a couple of spoonfuls at a time until well mixed. Combine liquid ingredients, pour in and mix well. Pour batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment. Combine crust ingredients and sprinkle liberally over the batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool, remove from pan, serve slices with coffee - Starbucks, 7-11, I don't think it matters at this point. ;)

August 22 - September 4, 2007

22 W – Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
23 R - Teriyaki Chicken Breast, Broccoli, Rice
24 F - Grilled Pork Chops, Mac & Cheese, Broccoli
25 S - Rob’s Random Choice
26 U – Hot Wings, Sweet Potato Fries
27 M - Sirloin Stir Fry, Rice
28 T - Baked Chicken Breast Supreme, Sweet Potato, Broccoli
29 W - Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
30 R – Meatloaf, Salad, Biscuits
31 F – Curried Chicken Pot Pie, Salad
1 S – Chili, Corn Bread
2 U – Chili dogs, Green Peas, Carrots
3 M – Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops, Sweet Potato,
4 T -Hearty Chicken and Beans, Rice, Salad

For the record, grilled pork chops stuffed with cornbread stuffing is just about my favorite way to eat pork. I usually do not follow a recipe, I just put whatever sounds yummy (diced bell pepper, craisins, whatever), add enough chicken stock to make it perfectly moist and stuff the chops. This link does not describe the way Alton Brown demostrated how to make the stuffing pockets on Good Eats. Basically, using a boning knife, you make a small slit (1 - 1 1/2 inch) in the middle of the chop (Must be a bone in chop) and slowly sweep the tip up until you are near the edge (without cutting through), reverse the knife and repeat on the bottom - the result is a nice big pocket with a tiny little hole. You can insert the stuffing by putting it into a plastic icing tool and squirting it through the hole (Brown uses a turkey baster witht he tip cut off). I highly recommend brining the chops in advance as the link describes.

On the 23rd I plan to make this whole meal in a foil packet, you can read more about making foil packets here - scroll down to November 6.

August 8-21, 2007

8 W - Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
9 R - Grilled Chicken, Mac & Cheese, Broccoli
10 F - Catfish, French Fried, Cole Slaw, Hush Puppies
11 S - Sweet BBQ Pork Chops, Cole Slaw, Baked Sweet Potato
12 U - Baked Chicken, Peas, Carrots
13 M - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Peas
14 T - Beef Pitas with Yogurt Sauce, Greek Isles Pasta Salad
15 W - SW Chicken Pitas, Mexican Rice
16 R - Rob's Random Choice
17 F - Tangy Breaded Pork Chops, Salad, Bread
18 S - Thai Style Pork, Rice
19 U - Roasted Pork Loin, Potatoes, Peas
20 M - L.O. Pork Loin
21 T - Mexican Casserole, Refried Beans, Salad

Despite it's obviously ethnic name, I'm not sure if Mexican Casserole is a regional dish or not. I do know that I haven't run into it here in Miami. It's a dish that can vary a lot from person to person, and the recipe I will use is from a fundraising cookbook - however the link is quite similar. The ingredient you always find in this dish is Nacho Cheese Doritos.

All of the other links for main dishes are subscriber only on Taste of Home. If you would like the access the recipe and do not have a password, let me know and I can get the recipe for you.

July 26-August 7, 2007

26 R - Sloppy Joes, Corn, Carrots
27 F - Grilled Pork, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
28 S - L.O. Sloppy Joes, French Fries, Carrots
29 U - Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
30 M - Chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni, Salad
31 T - Crab Cakes, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad
1 W - Chicken Foil Packets
2 R - Parmesan Chicken, Broccoli, Carrots
3 F - L.O. Spaghetti, etc.
4 S - Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
5 U - Pizza, Salad
6 M - Rob's Random Choice
7 T - Grilled Chicken Quarters, Mac & Cheese, Carrots

July 5-17, 2007

5 R - Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-up, Corn on the Cob, Carrots
6 F - Grilled Pork Medallions, Creamy Orzo
7 S - Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad, Garlic Bread
8 U - Potstickers, Egg Rolls
9 M - Chicken & Yellow Rice, Salad
10 T - Cuban Black Bean Soup (BC 480), Rice, Salad
11 W - Hamburgers, French Fries, Salad
12 R - Grilled Pork, Greek Isles Pasta Salad, Carrot Sticks
13 F - Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Salad
14 S - Black Bean Chicken Tacos, Salad
15 U - Pizza, Salad
16 M - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
17 T - L.O. Spaghetti, etc.

After living here for 8 years, I've come to think of chicken and yellow rice as comfort food. The first time I visited Miami I remember that there were guys at the BCM eating chicken and yellow rice and the first year we were married, Rob and I had it A LOT!!! There are two ways to make it (other than just making chicken however and serving it with yellow rice). One way is to put a bunch of chicken thighs in a baking dish, slather it with cream of mushroom soup and bake it, while making the rice on the stove top. The other way is to dump the rice into a baking dish, nest the (raw) chicken thighs in it, slather everything with the soup and add enough water to equal however much liquid the rice calls for, cover tightly with foil and bake until about an hour. I prefer the second method - less to clean.

Make Your Own Take Out vol. 2

How do you stretch 1/2 pound of ground pork to feed 6 people? Easy! Make Potstickers!

I'm not sure whether to say that potstickers are convenience foods or that they are labor intensive. In a way, they are both. They are a food that if you invest time in preparing, you will have a convenient Asian meal another time. Here's what you need:

1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp ketchup
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
35-50 small wonton wrappers (1 package will be a little more than you need)
a little cup with water in it

and later on when you cook them:
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup chicken stock for every 6 or 7 potstickers you plan to cook

You could season the pork any way you want. I'm not crazy about worchetershire sauce, so I usually substitue with soy sauce.

Assembling the potstickers is the labor intensive part. If you grew up shelling peas, you might find this relaxing! I can wrap up 1/2 lb worth in about 45 minutes.

Mix up the ingredients (pork thru cayenne pepper) in a bowl, then set up a work area including these elements:
1 plate with wonton wrappers on it, cover with a damp paper towel
1 empty plate (the assembly platform)
bowl with pork mix in it
little cup with water
teaspoon sized measuring spoon
2 cookie sheets - lined with parchment

Take one wonton wrapper and put it on the assembly plate so that it looks like a diamond, scoop up a modest teaspoonful of the filling and place it directly in the middle. Dip your finger in the water and dampen just the edges of the bottom half of the diamond. Fold the wrapper over and work the air out (important!!!) of the potsticker sealing it where you put the water.

You could leave it like that, but that leaves two big "ears" that have no filling in them, I fold them a 2nd time like this (left picture is front view, right is back):



Place each potsticker on the cookie sheet. When the sheet is full, put the whole thing in the freezer. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Once these little guys have been in the freezer half an hour or so, you can dump them into a zip top bag and keep them in your freezer. When you want to eat them, you can just take out however many you need - 6 is good for me, 10 leaves me feeling overstuffed. (Note: There is no need to defrost.)

To cook these you heat up (med-high) a pan that is NOT non-stick - sticking is part of the cooking process here. I use a back burner to heat up my chicken stock. Use a pastry brush to "paint" the pan with oil. When it's hot, put the potstickers in and wait 2 minutes. In 2 minutes they will be totally stuck to the pan. Reduce heat to low and pour in 1/3 cup chicken stock - it will hiss and steam a lot! Put on a tight lid and cook 2 more minutes. After 2 minutes, they should let go - remove to warm plate.

Before cooking the next batch, reheat the pan, add water and scrape off any "stuff" that gets left behind. Each batch takes about 6 minutes including cleaning.

Serve with whatever sauce you want (I like hoisin) and some egg rolls (Chung's is the best, IMHO). With homemade Asian cuisine this easy and cheap, you might never go our for Chinese food again!

According to the Joy of Cooking cookbook, this is also the most authentic stir frying method for vegetables. I've tried this and the result is crisper than just stiring it until it seems done.

Recipe by Alton Brown

The Other White Meat : Green Chili Burritos

These are good! (BTW - there's no reason you couldn't substitute the pork in this recipe with chicken.)

Green Chili Burritos

1 lb boneless pork, cut into bite sized cubes
1 tbsp oil
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (undrained)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
1 fresh tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
5 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
1 (16 oz) can of refried beans
10 6-inch flour tortillas

Over medium heat, brown pork in oil; drain. Add next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Combine cornstarch and water, add to pork mixture - stir while it comes to a boil until thickened (about 2 minutes). Meanwhile, heat beans and spread evenly on tortillas. Spoon pork mixture into tortillas and fold in sides.

Reiman Media Group as posted on www.tasteofhome.com.

I put the filled tortillas in a baking dish, grated on some cheese and stuck it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Alternately you could skip the assembly step and let people fill their own tortillas at the table. I also served it with sour cream. Yum yum yum!

June 21-July 3, 2007

21 R - VBS
22 F - VBS
23 S - Rob's Random Choice
24 U - Tuna Tortellini Soup, Rolls, Carrots
25 M - Crescent Topped Casserole, Corn, Carrots
26 T - Green Chili Burritos, Salad
27 W - Church Dinner
28 R - Tuna Patties, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Carrots
29 F - Potstickers, Egg Rolls
30 S - Pork Chops, Creamy Orzo
1 U - Sub Sandwiches, Chips
2 M - Everything Lo-Mein, Egg Rolls
3 T - Grilled Chicken Quarters, Mac & Cheese, Carrots

(Hey Meredith, spot any of your food in this meal plan?)

June 7-19, 2007

7 R - Tacos, Refried Beans, Salad
8 F - Chicken with Florentine Sauce, Corn on the Cob, Broccoli
9 S - Golden Pork and Noodles, Broccoli
10 U – L.O. Tacos, Etc.
11 M – Greek Chicken Kabobs, Tomato Mozzarella Salad, Grilled Corn + dessert!
12 T – Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
13 W – Church Dinner
14 R – Parmesan Chicken, Tater Tots, Carrots
15 F – Hot Wings, Sweet Potato Fries
16 S – Pizza, Salad
17 U – L.O. Spaghetti, Etc.
18 M – VBS
19 T – VBS

Our church is holding Vacation Bible School June 18-22 and they'll be providing dinner those nights.

Great Kitchen Gadgets!

One kitchen gadget I'm getting really spoiled by is my Digital Probe Thermometer. My parents gave it to us for Christmas and it is great. I do a lot of roasting and that inevitably meant guessing at doneness or reaching into a super hot oven half a dozen times to poke at my food with a meat thermometer. But not anymore!

To use the Digital Probe Thermometer, you stick the probe in, lead the cord out of the oven and attach it to the digital thermometer. The thermometer has a magnet on the back and a little swing away foot. I use the magnet and stick it high on my oven (i.e. far away from Caleb!). Instead of setting a time, I set a target temperature and when the food reaches that temperature, a buzzer goes off. It has meant the end of us hungrily cutting into a big, juicy chicken, only to discover it's not done inside.

May 13 - 24, 2007

13 U Fajita Skillet, Salad
14 M Oriental Round Steak, Salad
15 T L.O. Oriental Round Steak
16 W Church Dinner
17 R Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
18 F Corn Dogs
19 S Bob's Crab Cakes, Broccoli, Carrot Sticks
20 U Great Northern Bean Stew, Herbed Popovers
21 M L.O. GNB Stew
22 T Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Lemon Spaghetti, Salad
23 W Church Dinner
24 R L.O. Spaghetti, etc.

This week I picked a few old favorites to compliment some brave new dishes. Corn Dogs are always a hit with Rob - I think he's eat them for breakfast. And I love Great Northern Bean Stew - it's really tasty and very cheap! Plus spaghetti is just comfort food all the way around.

Rob and I both love crab cakes and Caleb loves the name "Bob", so this new (but not unusual) crab cake recipe was an easy pick. I'm excited about the Oriental Round Steak - it'll perk along in the slow-cooker while I'm babysitting and I'll come home to a yummy smelling house (I hope!). And I look forward to trying Shrimp Fra Diavolo, which I watched Giada De Laurentiis prepare last week. I really like her recipes. Good Eats is still my favorite cooking show, but I have tried a lot of Giada's recipes and been very pleased. They always have fun names and are usually easy.

April 29 - May 12, 2007

29 U – Messy Giuseppe (RR 182), Salad
30 M – Chicken, Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Subs, Salad
1 T – L.O. Messy Giuseppe, Salad
2 W – Church Dinner
3 R – Pizza, Salad
4 F – Out of Town
5 S – Out of Town
6 U – Out of Town
7 M – Out of Town
8 T – Roast Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Biscuit
9 W – Church Dinner
10 R – Thai Chicken Pizza (using L.O. Roast Chicken – economical, eh?)
11 F – Chicken Casserole (from Remembering… pg. 68)
12 S – L.O. Chicken Casserole

The dry season is almost over, time to restock the Hurricane Kit. Remember, an emergency is not the time to suffer through food that you aren't sure is good - buy items that you know you and your family like.

New Cookbook!

During my recent trip to Arkansas, I increased my cookbook collection by one. This cookbook is a fundraiser type cookbook for, of all things, a historic cemetery. Actually I think still bury people there from time to time; the most recent burial listed was 2005.

The title is Remembering... and is all about the favorite recipes of the people buried in the Sardis Cemetery, which is next to the Sardis United Methodist Church. It says it's in Pine Grove, Arkansas and it very well may be, but I have been there and it is deep in the woods on a gravel road. I have tried to find a picture of it online in vain. It's a pretty, old church and is on the National Register of Historic places.

The funny thing about this cookbook is that it's filled with pictures...of tombstones. For example on the title page for the Appetizers, Soups and Salads section there are two pictures of the cemetery from differnt angles. It's like a grim reminder that food borne illnesses kill 5000 people every year in the US. Kind of makes you want to go sanitize your cutting board doesn't it?

On the Side : Spicy Sweet Potatoes

I'm trying to substitue sweet potatoes when I'm tempted to have white potatoes with our dinners - they are more nutritious and being pregnant I need all the nutrition I can get! These are great - easy, cheap and delicious - I found a recipe on the Taste of Home website and modified it based on what I had in the kitchen.

2 or 3 Sweet Potatoes
2 or 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
Some salt
Some cayenne pepper
Some cinnamon

Cut the sweet potatoes up into little pieces, an inch or smaller - smaller means a higher surface to mass ration which means more crispy outer bits of goodness. Yum. Toss pieces into a zip top bag and pour in the olive oil. Seal and shake. Combine the other ingredients and then pour into the bag. Seal and shake. Pour the contents into a baking dish and bake at 400 for 40-45 minutes. Yum yum yum!

April 12 - 28, 2007

The dates omitted are days I will be in Arkansas.

12 R – Chicken Florentine, Cannellini Beans, Salad
13 F – One Pan Pork with Parmesan Fries, Green Beans
14 S – Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Carrot Sticks
15 U – Pappas House Dinner
16 M – Chicken Fajitas, Refried Beans, Salad
17 T – Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad

23 M – Cacio e Pepe (RR 30)
24 T – Saucy Stir Fried Pork
25 W – Church Dinner
26 R – Ramen Shrimp Pouches, Egg Rolls
27 F – L.O. Spaghetti, etc.
28 S – Shepherd’s Pie, Salad

Cacio e Pepe means cheese and pepper in Italian - in this case it's a pasta dish, but evidentally you can cacio e pepe any number of foods. Supposedly pasta made in this style is what people eat all the time at home in Rome (hey that rhymes!). It sounded easy and interesting.

That's Sweet! : Clean and Easy Beignets

I discovered this trick by accident yesterday. I was making Curry Chicken Pot Pie, which calls for puff pastry on top. I had left over puff pastry and didn't want to throw it away, so I cut it into little squares and put it on a greased piece of foil. I popped it in the oven for about 13 minutes. While they puffed and browned, inspiration struck. Why not dust those little puffy squares with powdered sugar? So when they came out of the oven, I did.

Without mixing dough or messing with boiling oil, I made little puffy sweet bites that taste remarkably like Beignets. Served warm with a cup of coffee, you might just think you're in New Orleans!

March 29 - April 11

Still not 100%, but feeling more like myself. At least enough to be sick of frozen meals and ready to try cooking again. I slipped in ultra easy meals for Sundays and days when I babysit. Actually there are a couple of meals on this that I crave one minute and think sound disgusting the next, so goes pregnancy, so we'll see if we eat everything on this list! Still, I'm looking forward to home cooked food.

29 R – Veggie Delight with Sausage
30 F – Mexican Pork Chops, Broccoli, Tater Tots
31 S – Jambalaya Casserole, Salad
1 U – Turkey Pot Pies, Salad
2 M – L.O. Jambalaya Casserole, etc.
3 T – Crab Cakes, Mushroom Risotto, Carrot Sticks
4 W – Church Dinner
5 R – Roast Chicken, Broccoli, Sweet Potato, Corn on the Cob
6 F – Black Bean Chicken Tacos, Salad
7 S – Rob’s Random Request
8 U – Frozen Pizza, Salad
9 M – Meatloaf, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Corn on the Cob
10 T – Beef Taco Skillet, Salad
11 W – Church Dinner

It seems like at least once every couple of weeks, Rob has a random desire for food I never dreamed of putting on the meal plan, so I figured it into the equation and he can pick whatever he fancies (within reason) that day.

Back in Town, but Not Back to Normal

We've returned home from our vacation, but my normal appetite has not! Oh I'm hungry enough, but I can't seem to crave the same foods from one day to the next. I think this happened with Caleb too. Yesterday I went to Publix craving Mac & Cheese - fantisizing about how good it would taste, I bought a bulk pack...only to realize today that even thinking about noodles makes me sick! This is crazy, or maybe normal...

Anyway, cooking is just beyond me at this point. I'm thankful for the frozen food section because that is going to be our source of meals for a little while longer.

A Little Hiatus

I won't be posting a new meal plan for a couple of weeks. Because of my nausea and general distain for most foods right now (see my other blog for more details), thinking about meal plans is a sort of disgusting thing to do right now. Rob and Caleb will be at the mercy of my whims I guess. Also in a week we'll be at Disney for a week. I'll get back to regular when I get back to my old self...or new self, depending on how you look at it.

In case your curious about my cravings, when I was pregnant with Caleb I craved sour Skittles with an incredible intensity. I haven't craved them yet, but I have been overwhelmed with desire for crispy chicken sandwiches - with mayonaise. And earlier today I really wanted grits, which I made for myself and they were fabulous. I may eat some more for dinner.

Comfort Foods : Thai Style Brisket

My first venture into brisket-ing was well rewarded. This recipe is very easy and very tasty. I cooked it in the slow cooker while I was babysitting - so it cooked nearly 11 hours (yes, I babysit 11 hours frequently - I don't know who it's a longer day for, me or the parents!)

Thai Style Brisket*

First you need a 3-4lb fresh beef brisket, cut it in half, and brown both sides in a hot skillet with about 2 tbsp olive oil. Stick the browned brisket in the crockpot.

Mix up:

1 cup chunky peanut butter
2/3 cup soy sauce
4 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp pepper

and pour it over the brisket in the crockpot. Set it on low.

After it cooks for at least 8 1/2 hours, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch in 1 cup cold water and pour it in and crank the crockpot up to high.

MEANWHILE...stirfry 1 1/4 cups julienned carrots, 1 sliced medium sweet red pepper, 1 sliced medium green pepper, and 1/2 cup of green onion until tender-crisp. Top the brisket with the veggies and serve with rice! YUM!

*Taste of Home, August/September 2005, Reiman Publishing.

February 9-22, 2007

9 F - Thai Style Brisket, Rice
10 S - L.O. Brisket
11 U - L.O. Brisket
12 M - Spicy Mac and Cheese, Carrots, Broccoli
13 T - Potstickers, Egg Rolls
14 W - Church Dinner
15 R - Tacos, Refried Beans, Salad
16 F - L.O. Tacos, etc.
17 S - out of town
18 U - out of town
19 M - out of town
20 T - Parmesan Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, Salad
21 W - Church Dinner
22 R - L.O. Potstickers, Egg Rolls

Yeah! Lots of leftovers, means less work for me! I'm excited about making brisket, I've never tried it, but Taste of Home magazine had several very tempting brisket recipes in their latest issue. Curious about Spicy Mac and Cheese, all it is is mac with some salsa. Rob's not crazy about meatless meals, but he'll be in Cape Cod that night. Oh and impressed by my egg rolls? Don't be - I'm buying frozen!

FYI - New Budget

After checking how much I really spent on groceries the last two months, I have decided to increase our food budget to $150 every two weeks - or $25 per person per week.

Tastes Like Chicken : Parmesan Chicken

Parmesan Chicken...not Chicken Parmesan, there's a difference! This is a easy, yummy recipe that won a national potluck dinner competition sponsored by Taste of Home magazine in 2003. The parmesan coating is wonderful, because when parmesan cheese melts it makes a crispy, crusty coating. It would probably also make great chicken fingers if you used chicken tenders or cut boneless breast into strips. I served it with twice baked potatoes and a spinach salad. YUMMY!!!

Parmesan Chicken*

GROUP 1
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper

GROUP 2
2 eggs
3 tbsp milk

GROUP 3
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs (I used panko)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Get 3 shallow bowls, round cake pans, or pie plates and combine ingredients in the 3 groups listed. First dip the breasts in the flour mixture, shake off excess. Then in the egg mixture, then roll breasts in the cheese mixture to coat. Spray or grease a baking pan, add chicken, and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (or until the juices run clear).

(Alt. - Use a 3-4lb broiler/fryer chicken cut up, increase baking time to at least 60 minutes or until the juices run clear.)

*Taste of Home 2004 Annual Recipes, Reiman Media Group, Inc.

January 26 - February 8

26 F - Southwestern Beef Stew (LC 81), Corn Muffins
27 S - Appetizer/Game Party with a few friends - we're making hot wings
28 U - L.O. Beef Stew
29 M - Stuffed Chicken Breasts (LC 142), Creamy Orzo
30 T - Spanish Pork Chops, Green Beans
31 W - Church Dinner
1 R - Parmesan Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes
2 F - Frozen Pizza, Salad
3 S - Drunken Tuscan Pasta (RR 202), Salad
4 U - Chicken Curry Bombay (LC 130), Jasmine Rice, Carrots
5 M - L.O. Chicken Curry
6 T - Chicken Ole (LC 120), Mexican Rice, Salda
7 W - Church Dinner
8 R - Frozen Pizza, Salad

Now that Caleb's eating more, I'm finding it even more challening to fit all our food into $100! I have to confess, I've already over spent a couple of times this year (and it's only January!!). Well, we have to eat. If I change the limit, I'll update the site to reflect that. It will still be budget cooking, just budget cooking for 2 adults and one toddler with a big appetite! I read that they go through a finicky period where you worry that they're starving themselves, but we haven't hit that yet.

I think two of these recipes have red wine in them. I bought a bottle for a recipe last week. They say that you should never cook with wine you wouldn't drink. I've always assumed that means you should buy expensive stuff. Well since I don't generally drink it, I just bought what was cheapest.

Chewing the Fat about Frying

Now I know most of you avoid deep fried foods because they’re unhealthy, greasy and just plain bad for you, but not me! No, I skip fried foods because I’m scared stiff of boiling oil. Or at least…I was. And then one day I bought a deep fat thermometer, AKA candy thermometer – different from a meat thermometer because it goes up to 400 degrees, I don’t want to eat a chicken that’s seen that kind of heat!

It turns out that although liquid fat is, well, a liquid, frying with liquid fat is a dry cooking method. When foods are cooked in boiling oil the heat of the oil begins heating up the water in the food, turning it into steam and forcing it out of the food. That’s why there are so many bubbles when you fry food in oil.

The trouble with fat is if it’s not hot enough, your food will just sit in the not-quite-hot-enough fat for a while waiting for all that bubbling to begin. So you shouldn’t put the food into the fat until it reaches a high enough temperature to begin cooking the food as soon as it hits the fat. That’s where the thermometer comes into play. After some experience, you should be able to tell if it’s hot enough by watching it, but a deep fat thermometer is essential for deep-frying novices.

Once the food is in the sputtering, popping fat it will bubble like crazy until almost all the water is gone. It works like two people pressing their hands together and leaning into each other. So long as both people push, neither will fall. If one lets go, the other one ends up with a bloody nose. Once the water stops pushing back on the fat, the fat starts seeping into the food – making it really greasy, really fatty, and really bad for you. If you pull the food as the bubbling begins to subside, you should get crispy fried food, not soggy, greasy fried food.

Like all cooking methods, it takes some practice – and I’m still practicing myself – but knowing a little more about oil (other than it’s greasy!) has given me the cautious confidence to use it as a cooking method from time to time.

Silicone Bakeware gets an A+

Rob got me a square silicone baking pan for my birthday. I tried it out today with much success:

I'm impressed - I didn't grease it or spray it or line it with anything. It also cooked very evenly; the cake didn't have one side higher than the other. Very nice.

January 11-24, 2007

My new Rachel Ray cookbook Express Lane Meals is reflected in this meal plan. I searched for the recipes online and hyperlinked the ones listed on the Food Network site. Otherwise I listed RR and the page number.

Pasta Delight is from a cookbook I inherited when I married Rob. He made a lot of bachelor meals from it and this is one of his favorites. It’s just penne pasta with sautéed plum tomatoes, zucchini and garlic, plus some Parmesan cheese on top. It’s easy and quick. I’m adding the sausage this week because I’ll already have it on hand for the subs.

11 F – Frozen Pizza
12 S – Cowboy Spaghetti/Garlic Bread/Salad
13 U – L.O. Spaghetti, etc.
14 M – Chicken with Scallion-Lime Sauce and Sweet Carrot Rice (RR 68)
15 T – Linguine with Clam Sauce (RR 32)/Garlic Bread/Salad
16 W – Church Dinner
17 R – Pork Milanese/Creamy Orzo/Carrot Sticks
18 F – Chicken Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Subs/Scalloped Potatoes/Carrot Sticks
19 S – Curry Chicken Pot Pie
20 U – L.O. Curry Chicken Pot Pie
21 M – Pasta Delight with Chicken Sausage
22 T – Chicken and Yellow Rice/Green Beans
23 W – Church Dinner
24 R – Fabulous Fish and Asparagus (RR 132)

Make Your Own Take Out vol. 1

Hope no one is going hungry for lack of meal plans! I'll be posting a new one soon.

For Christmas, Rob's parents gave me Rachel Ray's new cookbook Express Lane Meals. I've already made 4 recipes from it. We ate this one last night:

Sweet Soy-Glazed Chicken with Carrot-Sesame Noodles

Whew, well all of her recipes have "Titles"! It is really good! Actually I've tried several Asian themed recipes in the last year that I plan to post, this is the first of the series.

Don't be too overwhelmed by the ingredient list - there are a lot!

Salt
1 lb long cut pasta - spaghetti, vermicelli, whatever
1/4 cup tamari, plus 1 tbsp
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup chicken stock, plus 1/4 cup
The Juice of one Lime
4 large garlic cloves - 1 crushed, 3 chopped
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
5 or 6 carrots, peeled and shredded
black pepper
3 big chicken breast or 6 cutlets
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup each fresh chopped cilantro, basil, and parsley

While cooking the pasta, preheat a grill (I used George Forman), and make the soy glaze by combining 1/4 c. of the tamari, the brown sugar, 1/4 cup of chicken stock, the lime juice, crushed garlic, 1/4 of the ginger, and the red pepper flakes. Simmer in a small pan over medium-high heat and cook for about 4 minutes. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of oil, then carrots, onion, chopped garlic, remaining ginger, and a little salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, season the chicken with pepper, drizzle it with oil and slap it on the grill. Cook it for a couple of minutes to get "grill marks" then brush it with the soy glaze several times throughout the cooking. When it's done move it to a plate, tent it with foil and let it rest.

Back with the carrots - add the rest of the chicken stock and tamari and bring it to a boil for 1 minute. Add the drained pasta, stir and let cook about 30 more seconds. Kill the heat, sprinkle with sesame seed and herbs. Stir it up well, slice the chicken on the bias, top the noodles with the chicken and voila!



Caleb says, "It's finger lickin' good!"

By the way, Tamari is a special kind of soy sauce. Regular soy sauce is cheaper, but tamari tastes better to me! It's not that expensive, so I'd rather use it.

On the Side : Creamy Orzo

This little side dish has become a quick favorite of mine. It's kind of like mac and cheese goes out on the town. Orzo is a tiny, rice shaped pasta. You can find it right near the ABC shaped noodles. It tastes great zapped in the microwave the next day (unlike mac and cheese) and Caleb likes it a lot!

You can substitute the shallot with a small onion, but I wouldn't recommend it. The shallot add a specific flavor that I think make the dish.

Creamy Orzo*

1/2 pound orzo
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
half of a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes (juiced drained)
3/4 c. whipping cream
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
salt
pepper

Cook orzo to al dente, stirring often (about 8 minutes). Drain, reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute shallot and garlic, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cooke 8 minutes. Stir in cream and peas. Add drained orzo and toss to coat. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan. Stir, if it's too thick add some pasta liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

*Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network (I halved the recipe, this version makes about 5 or 6 side servings.)

In the Cookie Jar : Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

I made these cookies twice during the holidays. They were so good; I think I’m going to celebrate Christmas in July, just to have an excuse to make them again! They’re kind of a cookie version of Peppermint Patties.

Making pinwheel cookies isn’t really hard, but it is a little trickier than drop cookies. The first batch I made weren’t very round (but they still looked nice). When I made the second batch, I slid the dough roll into a long glass container I have for storing pasta, then put the whole thing in the fridge. They were much more round and spiral-y.

Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies*

First make regular sugar cookie dough – recipe follows:

3 c. flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 c. unsalted butter (softened)
1 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp milk

Sift dry ingredients, set aside. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and milk, beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Beat until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Now instead of rolling this out and cutting it into Christmas trees…

Split the dough into two roughly equal balls in two separate bowls. In Bowl A – add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 3 ounces of melted unsweetened chocolate – squish with (clean) hands until all the dough is chocolate colored. In Bowl B – add 1tsp peppermint extract, 4 or 5 crushed candy canes (about ½ cup), and the yolk of 1 egg – again squish with (clean) hands until fully mixed.

Cover both dough balls and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Then, roll both dough balls out to ¼ inch thickness (roll on powdered sugar instead of flour). Place peppermint dough on top of chocolate dough and press around the edges. Roll dough into a log, wrap in wax paper and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat over to 375, cut dough into ½ inch slices and place cookies 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet (*using parchment is a good idea, the melted candy cane bits really adhere to the baking sheet). Bake for 6 minutes, pull out the pan, turn it around and bake 7 more minutes. Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes, move to wire rack to cool completely.

Yields: not nearly enough

*Alton Brown, Food Network.