Weekly Menu

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I've been to the grocery store at least a half dozen times in the last week and I'm determined not to go again this week. That's probably not very practical, but I'm willing to see how long I can go. We have the basics in the house, I just need to be creative. I'll have family over tonight for the last night (can you hear the relief in my text?), and then I'm taking it easy.

Sure.

Saturday
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: BBQ beef sandwiches, Scalloped Potatoes, Cole Slaw, Ambrosia Salad, Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies, Chocolate Chip Marshamallow Bars

Sunday
Dinner: Buttermilk Brined Chicken Legs, Garlic Rice Pilaf, steamed broccoli

Monday -- Feast of St. Andrew the fisherman
Lunch: grilled cheese and tomato soup
Dinner: Creamy Tuna Tetrazzini, Waldorf Salad, Scottish Shortbread cookies

Tuesday
Lunch: Bagel and cream cheese
Dinner: Turkey Noodles Soup, Cheddar Dill Loaf

Wednesday
Lunch: leftover soup
Dinner: Cheesy Sausage and Egg Bake, Fried Potatoes, Upside Down Apple Muffins

Thursday -- Feast of St. Frances Xavier
Dinner: Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, Jesuit Brothers' Bread, buttered corn

Friday -- Feast of St. Barbara
Lunch: Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Dinner: Pasta with marinara, bread, Barbarakuchen


* Tried and true
* New to me
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Whew!

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I admit that I am completely whipped, but thankful for family (and friends) and glad that all my dishes turned out well. I followed my time line almost to the letter and dinner was served at exactly 5:30 p.m., just when I had hoped. We have tons of leftovers, so we'll be eating yummy Thanksgiving dinner for days.

My husband took a picture of one of the tables and sent it to me from his phone, so I thought I'd share.

Good night!

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Happy Thanksgiving

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I hope that you enjoy and give thanks for all of your blessings today.




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Autumn Sangria

When I have a large crowd over, I like to have a House cocktail. It saves having a stocked bar, which I don't like to have with lots of teens around -- and almost all of the children in our family are teens now. (You never know when one of them will get a stupid idea.) So I create a House adult beverage (and we always have beer) that, usually, the women enjoy before the meal. In the summer I often make Sangria, either white or red, or another fruity drink.

For Thanksgiving, I wanted to create a Sangria that had a more autumnal or winter taste. I saw a recipe in a magazine recently, but when I went looking for it I could find nothing more than a memory. But that's o.k. Sangria isn't rocket science. I used dried fruits instead of fresh peaches and berries as I would in the summer, because I wanted a heavier taste. And I use a decent bottle of wine (one I would drink), but not something expensive, because it won't taste like it did straight out of the bottle.

Autumn Sangria

1 bottle merlot
1 c. orange juice (a quality orange juice)
1/4 c. honey
6 prunes
1/4 c. raisins and dried cherries -- or another favorite dried fruit
4 cinnamon sticks
1 apple, sliced
apples, oranges, sliced (optional decoration)
ginger ale

Combine wine with juice, honey, fruit and cinnamon sticks. Refrigerate, covered, at least 8 hours, as long as a few days. Strain liquid into a pitcher and add more apple and orange slices if desired -- it's really just decoration. Serve over ice (or straight up if you like) with a splash of ice cold ginger ale.

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Another Chocolate Lovers Cake

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Here is another variation on my Chocolate Lovers Cake. We celebrated my husband's birthday with our parents over the weekend and he requested chocolate cake and chocolate icing. I made a variation of this cake, with his favorite candy on top. He is a lover of Peppermint Patties, so I used M&Ms new premium mint candies around the top and bottom, and chopped Peppermint Patties for the top. The inside was still just chocolate cake, but the exterior had a fresh, minty flavor!




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Thanksgiving Week: To Do List

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Monday

* Clean silver
* Check linens/wash and iron if necessary
* Sweep and dust all rooms
* Shop for groceries, wine, candles
* Make Spicy Nuts
* Make table decorations


Tuesday

* Make Cranberry Sauce
and Cranberry Relish
* Clean bathrooms
* Mop floors/clean baseboards
* Make chocolate pilgrim hats
* Make Autumn Sangria


Wednesday

* Bake rolls (halfway -- finish just before dinner)
* Bake Pumpkin Corn Bread; wrap tightly with plastic wrap
* Wash fruit for cheese tray
* Make rosemary butter for the turkey
* Set dining room table
* In the evening: make mashed potatoes; place in crock pot crock and refrigerate


Thursday

8 a.m.
Bake Apple Crumble Pie

9 a.m.
* Set aside dishes for kitchen table
* Set out all serving dishes and utensils

10 a.m.:
* Wash turkey and let sit at room temp for an hour or so
(here is the USDA's web site for roasting timetable)
* Make Sausage Stuffing; refrigerate
(Chop extra onion for green beans)

10:30 a.m.:
* Rub rosemary butter under turkey skin
* Stuff turkey with onion and celery and rosemary
* Truss turkey and place in roasting pan
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees
* Peel sweet potatoes and start them boiling

11 a.m.:
* Place turkey in 400 degree oven
* Place neck and giblets in pan of water on stove-top on low heat; season
* Make Sweet Potato Souffle; refrigerate

11:30 a.m.:
* Turn oven down to 325 degrees
* Fry bacon for corn and green beans; reserve grease
* Make vinegar/sugar mixture for green beans

noon:
* Take green beans out of freezer to thaw
* Slice cabbage for beans; refrigerate
* Take corn out of freezer to thaw

2 p.m.:
* Place crock pot crock filled with potatoes in base and turn to low. Top with milk/butter mixture; cover

3 p.m.:
* Set cheese out at room temp.
* Place turkey legs in pan and season
(I roast extra legs because two is never enough)

3:30 p.m.
* Place turkey legs in the oven
* Remove stuffing from refrigerator to sit at room temp.
* Place butter in butter dishes on tables
* Fill ice bucket

4 p.m.:
* Serve cheese and fruit
* Serve spicy nuts

4:30 p.m.:
* Remove turkey from oven
* Turn oven up to 350 degrees and put stuffing, sweet potatoes in oven
* Chop giblets and make gravy

5 p.m.:
* Make green beans; keep warm
* Make corn; keep warm
* Slice pumpkin Pumpkin corn bread and place in basket
* Fill water glasses
* Light candles
* Place wine bottles on tables

5:15 p.m.
* Put rolls in oven
* Carve turkey
* Serve

Eat.
Work for a week and eat it in 20 minutes! The things we do for love.

Can you think of anything I missed?


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Feast of Christ the King

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For tomorrow's feast day, try one of the following:

Overnight Monkey Bread baked in a ring pan.

Hungarian Coffee Cake, baked in a ring pan.

A King Cake, similar to this one. Use all gold sprinkles.










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Weekly Menu

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This is menu-lite, and if you're not creating Thanksgiving dinner for 16 on Thursday, you might think it's kind of puny. It's survival cooking -- except for Sunday when we are celebrating Doug's birthday with his parents. My menu only goes through Wednesday. My Thanksgiving menu can be found here, and the rest of the week will depend on which out-of-town guests will be with us.

Sunday
Lunch: Sausage gravy and biscuits, Fried eggs
Dinner: Marinated steak, Creamy Potato Bake, House Salad, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Chocolate Lovers Birthday Cake


Monday
Lunch: soup and sandwiches
Dinner:Pancakes and bacon, fruit

Tuesday
Lunch: Baked potatoes
Dinner: Pork Chop Suey

Wednesday
Lunch: Wendy's Chili
Dinner: Linguine and Clam Sauce, salad


* Tried and true
* New to me

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Puddin'

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Is there any one who doesn't love a bowl of cold, creamy pudding? Not at my house, I tell you! It doesn't really matter what flavor, they love it all. Last week I wanted something sweet and homey for dessert and decided to make it a double header -- chocolate and tapioca. My kids love homemade chocolate pudding, and so does Doug. And I love tapioca pudding (and so does Doug!). If you make cooked pudding from the box, I encourage you to cross over to the homemade side. It takes almost the same amount of time and the difference is tremendous. I promise if you try it, you'll never go back!

Chocolate Pudding


1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
pinch salt
2 c. milks (I use 2%)
2 egg yolks
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, chopped roughly
1 T. butter
1 t. vanilla


In a medium saucepan, measure sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together. Gradually stir in milk and egg yolks; whisk together. Stir in chocolate. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla and stir until smooth and butter is melted. Spoon pudding into small bowls, or one large bowl. Cover with wax paper to avoid having a skin form (although we like the skin). Chill for about two hours, or until completely set.

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Tapioca Pudding


⅓ c. sugar
3 T. minute tapioca
2 ¾ c. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla


Mix together everything but the vanilla and let stand for 5 minutes. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly so the milk won't scorch the bottom. Bring to a full boil, then remove from the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.


Let the pudding for 20 minutes, then stir. Spoon into bowls and refrigerate for an hour or more, unless you like it warm.

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Thanksgiving Day Menu

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For the past week I have chosen to be in denial that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Not only is Thanksgiving an awful lot of work, and I am marginally feeling up to it, but then comes Advent and then...you know.

People have always said, "if you have your health, you have everything." But, I always had my health, and so I ignored them. Lately, with a few health issues, not serious, but annoying, I am realizing how true those words are. It is hard to get "up" for gargantuan tasks like Thanksgiving dinner when all you want to do it sleep, or at very the least, sit with your feet up.

I am making an attempt to put one foot in front of the other (and nothing more) by posting my Thanksgiving menu today. I am excited about the dishes I have planned, and I know that next week my energy level will be improved by a cooking and cleaning schedule and the knowledge that family is on their way from out of town.

Last year I decided to roast my turkey breast-side down (a la Simply Recipes) and it was really fabulous. I smooshed rosemary butter under the skin on the back, thighs and leg and I plan to use more rosemary this year and put it under the side breast skin as well. Yum! (The basic roasted turkey recipe is here -- except for the Rosemary butter part.) I am really glad I did a Turkey Postmortem last year and now I know how many potatoes to make and which sides we liked, and not to make a big Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with all those pies my mom bakes. I would like to use some rosemary infused butter in my mashed potatoes, but I'm afraid there would be a revolt. These folks that I cook for pretty much like it the same way every year.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Autumn Sangria
Cheese and fruit platter
Spicy Nuts

Rosemary Buttered Turkey and Giblet Gravy
Sausage Stuffing
Mom's Stuffing
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Souffle
Plantation Green Beans
Bacon Corn
Cranberry Relish
Cranberry Sauce
Poppy Seed rolls
Pumpkin Corn Bread
St. Francis Chardonnay

Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Apple Crumble Pie
Chocolate pilgrim hats

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Lovely, creamy, fresh yogurt

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I've mentioned before that I have become a huge fan of Greek yogurt. It's my one splurge at the grocery store -- the only thing I buy just for myself. And it is a splurge at $4.99 for a 2-cup container, or $2 for a little personal serving with a side of fruit. Expensive, but I always justify the purchase by saying, "at least it's not chocolate."

Recently, however, I sat up and took notice when Sara made her own yogurt. Make your own yogurt? I never even thought of it. The thought of making my own yogurt was like the thought of making Swiss cheese. I just never imagined I could. But, I have found that making my own yogurt is really as easy as making bread. It's more science than cooking, and once you get the procedure down, it's like magic!

I admit the first time I made it, it was a complete flop. I ended up with a crock pot full of room-temperature milk and a thin layer of yogurt on the bottom. But I examined my technique and realized I completely left out the science. I kept track of the time each step required, but didn't take the temperature of the milk -- crucial step in yogurt-making. There are basically three steps in making yogurt: (1) heat the milk up to a high enough temperature as to kill any germs that might grow in the process, (2) cool the milk down so you don't kill the yogurt cultures when you add the yogurt to the milk, (3) grow the yogurt by adding it to the milk and then keeping the milk at a warm enough temperature. Step three was where I made my mistake the first time -- my kitchen was much too cold for the yogurt to grow, so it just sat there and did nothing. The second and third times I made it, I kept my milk nice and warm, and it grew and grew and grew into a lovely, creamy whole milk yogurt. Yum!

You can find loads of recipes on the internet, but they are all basically the same. You can use the crock pot to heat your milk, or the stove. I use the crock pot because it's fairly simple and I know I won't walk away from the stove and burn my milk. The second time I made it, however, I was in a bit of a hurry and so I heated the milk in the microwave to get it warm and then let the crock pot do the rest of the work. It's a bit of a trick to get the temperature just right for the third step -- growing the yogurt. I placed my crock pot, wrapped in towels, in the microwave which is above my stove. I turn the light on above the stove and it heats the inside of the microwave to a nice toasty temperature, not too hot, just warm. It's a great place for growing bread dough, too. I also turned my oven on for a just a short while to boost my initial warm temperature. Like I said, it's a bit of a trick, so you may have to try a couple different places to get it right. I have read that some folks use a heating pad, others a incandescent light bulb (basically what I do), and others yet the pilot light on the stove The key is too keep it right around 116 degrees F.

After my yogurt grows, in order to get that rich, creamy consistency of Greek yogurt, I strain a lot of the liquid out overnight in the refrigerator. If I didn't continue on with that step, I would have regular yogurt -- whole milk variety. It's still very thick and creamy, but not quite the way I like it. I lay a double thickness of cheesecloth in a strainer, spoon in the yogurt and tie it with a string, so that all of the yogurt is contained in the cheesecloth. I set the strainer in a bowl overnight and then in the morning, I have thick, creamy Greek yogurt. So yummy! And my cost -- $1.79 for a quart of Greek yogurt.

After straining overnight in the refrigerator.



The liquid that strained out -- I find it mysterious!

I make myself some fruit sauce to mix in.

Homemade Yogurt
yield 1 quart Greek yogurt

2 quarts whole or low-fat milk
(don't go below 2 percent milk-fat until you know what you're doing)
1/2 cup yogurt
(the fresher the better and no additives -- just plain yogurt -- check the ingredients)

(the beauty of the homemade yogurt is that once you make a batch, you just buy the milk to keep it going -- the last 1/2 cup goes toward the next batch)

Pour milk into the crockpot (if you use the stove -- heat it slowly)
Put it on low for (about) 2.5 hours -- it must reach 180 degrees (it could take an hour it could take four -- the temperature is the important part). Turn off the crockpot and let it sit for (about) 3 hours (my house is cool and it didn't take even close to three hours) -- you want to get it around 116 degrees F.
Stir the yogurt gently into the milk -- very gently, but thoroughly.
Wrap crockpot in a thick towel and let sit (in a warm place) for (about) 8 hours.

Your yogurt should be thick and creamy. If it is not thick, but has started to turn, crank up the heat and let it sit a little longer.

For Greek yogurt, place thickened yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth, coffee filters or a clean tea towels. Refrigerate for about 12 hours or until desired consistency is achieved.

Remember to save the last 1/2 cup for the next batch!

Here is a link for a stovetop method that I have also tried and it turned out well.

UPDATED: After making a dozen batches, I have found that the yogurt does not need to strain overnight. Just an hour on the kitchen counter before it hits the fridge is sufficient. And if you whisk the finished product for a minute or two, you will have a creamier product that is less likely to separate.



Blueberry Sauce

1 cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries


In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and sugar. Add water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes
or until blueberries are burst.




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Sweet Rice

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This is not a recipe. No more than a bowl of oatmeal is a recipe. It's my comfort food. I've been eating sweet rice for breakfast since I was a wee lass. My mother liked neither cream of wheat nor oatmeal, so she prepared white rice with milk, sugar, and cinnamon. And now whenever I make white rice for supper, I always make extra for breakfast. Mmmm. Paired with a piece of cinnamon toast and a cup of tea, it's my ultimate comfort food. My kids feel the same way.


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Weekly Menu

That week seemed to whiz by didn't? I find it hard to believe that we're just a little more than one week away from Thanksgiving, followed immediately by the first Sunday in Advent. It seems like it was just mid-summer.

This week we have some lovely feast days -- St. Margaret of Scotland on Monday, and St. Elizabeth of Hungary on Tuesday. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne is on Wednesday, but I think I'm going to have to limit our celebrations this week to store up energy for Thanksgiving. We'll enjoy some lovely scones on Monday for breakfast to celebrate St. Margaret and our annual (this is the second year, so I can officially call it annual) St. Elizabeth of Hungary cake on Tuesday.

We're also celebrating our twenty-fourth wedding anniversary on Monday and Doug's 49th birthday on Friday. It's quite a busy week!

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline chilitos
Dinner: Pizza, pepperoni and Three Cheese Pizza Bianca, tossed salad

Sunday
Lunch: Omelets and toast
Dinner: at grandma and grandpa's house

Monday
Lunch: leftover pizza
Dinner: Pork Medallions with Spicy Blueberry Pomegranate Sauce, Twice Baked Potatoes, Baby Greens and Pomegranate Vinaigrette, bread

Tuesday
Lunch: scrambled eggs and toast
Dinner: Greek Burgers, Oregano Roasted Potatoes, Greek Salad, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Cake

Wednesday
Lunch: chili
Dinner: Turkey Dumpling Soup, cottage cheese and fruit

Thursday
Lunch: quesadillas and salsa
Dinner: Oven-baked Barbecue Chicken, mashed potatoes, buttered corn

Friday
Lunch: take daddy to lunch
Dinner: Chicken Parmesan, pasta and sauce, salad, garlic bread, Flan

* Tried and true
* New to me

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The Easiest Soup Ever -- Tortellini Soup

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This recipe is certainly not the cooking equivalent of rocket science. In fact, it's so easy it's almost the equivalent of opening a can of Campbell's. But, just because it's easy doesn't mean it's not good. And I wouldn't be much of a girlfriend if I didn't share the easy recipes, would I?

There are many variations on this recipe, but this is the one we like -- and the kids really gobble this soup up. You can add some fresh spinach along with the tortellini, if you like it, or use-meat filled tortellini instead of cheese.

Tortellini Soup
6 to 9 servings

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. olive oil
2 quarts homemade or canned chicken broth
14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
18 oz. fresh or frozen cheese-filled tortellini, half spinach for color
Parmesan cheese

Heat soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and turn heat down to low. Add crushed garlic and let warm for a few minutes, but don't brown it. If the heat is too high move the pot off the burner. After garlic has warmed and become fragrant, add chicken broth and stewed tomatoes. Bring broth to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. When flavor is right, add tortellini and cook until past is done. Serve with Parmesan on each serving.

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Buttermilk Pancakes

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My husband is a pancake connoisseur, aka picky pancake eater. He and I differ on what we prefer in a pancake. I like cakey (I think that's why they are called pancakes) and he likes thin, almost crepey. Of course, it all boils down to what we grew up with. His mom made thin and crepey, and my mom made thick and cakey. It's hard to make a pancake that pleases both of us. And after almost 24 years of marriage I still had not found the one, until last week.

Alton Brown came through for us.

My Georgia Peach friend Sara posted a while back that her kids had made the best pancakes using Alton Brown's recipe, so with pancakes on the dinner menu, I went looking for Alton's recipe. He had a few, but I chose the buttermilk variety because I do believe buttermilk was made for pancakes (those cows know what they're doing). Doug declared them the best pancakes he ever had and I don't think he was just saying that because when I told him it was Alton's recipe he sort of cheered like he had not really dealt me a compliment by saying they were good -- he was really giving Alton a compliment. He was kind of spunky that night.

I thought they were awfully good too -- not completely melt-in-your-mouth cakey, but definitely tender and very tasty. So I bring you Alton's recipe -- you can also add blueberries if you like (add them to each cake after you pour the batter onto the griddle), but we are pancake purists -- just butter and syrup please.

Buttermilk Pancakes
serves 4 - 6

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
21/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. melted unsalted butter, plus some for frying


In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients into a lumpy batter, being careful not to over mix, see A.B.'s note below.

Heat some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Alton Brown's Note: Over-mixed batter will result in flat, heavy pancakes.

Source: Food Network

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Bento Art

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I have been neglecting my son's Bento Box lately and so when I made his lunch Monday night, I pulled the Bento out of storage. I know celery sticks with peanut butter and orange quarters are not art, but they are so much prettier in a Bento Box. Tucked inside his lunch box along side I packed a Dietz & Watson Santa Fe turkey and Muenster cheese Sandwich, and a homemade Three Musketeers brownie.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Occasionally I ask my children what they want to put on the menu, and occasionally they give me an answer that isn't "spaghetti" or "pizza." A few weeks ago I asked Noah what he wanted to eat and he said "Chicken Cordon Bleu."

I really didn't have a particular recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu -- I think I've used three or four and never really became attached to any one. So I decided to go looking for a really good recipe, or at least one that looked like it might be four or five stars.

This one, I do believe, is it -- the keeper. It's different than other Chicken Cordon Bleu recipes that I have prepared. The others have involved breading and baking, which leaves a tasty, albeit dry, piece of chicken. This recipe involved neither and it was not only tender and juicy, but there was sauce. "Oooooh," my family said, "sauce!" This recipe was lovely enough to serve company, but not so much work as to keep you from serving it on a week night.

The recipe came from allrecipes.com and I made it exactly as directed (except I used only four boneless breasts because two were so large I split them in half horizontally).

Chicken Cordon Bleu
serves 6 adults

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. paprika
6 T. butter
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 t. chicken bouillon granules
1 T. cornstarch
1 c. heavy whipping cream


Pound chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch, being careful not to pound holes in them. Place a ham slice and then a cheese slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Roll the chicken breast, tucking the edges in around the cheese and ham. Secure with toothpicks (count the toothpicks when they go in, so you know you've got them all out at the end). Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and lightly dip the chicken pieces.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat (I added a tablespoon or so of olive oil so the butter wouldn't burn), and cook the chicken until browned on all sides.


Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Transfer the breasts to a warm platter and remove the toothpicks. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm with noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.

Source: allrecipes.com


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Salisbury Steak

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Be it ever so humble, there's nothing like a Salisbury Steak for supper. This is my family's idea of a good, stick-to-your-ribs dish -- tender meat and beefy gravy, with an extra spoonful over the mashed potatoes.

According to foodreference.com, Salisbury Steak was name after 19th century American physician James H. Salisbury. Apparently Dr. Salisbury believed that many of our ills come from our food (probably pretty much correct) and thought that especially vegetables and starchy foods to be the problem (maybe not so much). He thought they "produce substances in the digestive system which poison and paralyze the tissues and can cause heart disease, tumors, mental illness and tuberculosis." As a result of his beliefs (and the belief that because we have meat teeth, 2/3 of our diet should come from meat) he strongly encouraged the consumption of meat, and created the Salisbury Steak to be eaten three times a day, "with lots of hot water to rinse out the digestive system."

I don't know about three times a day, but it is a good dish to be enjoyed occasionally -- especially if made fresh at home and not eaten from a TV dinner tray. This recipe is my family's favorite -- the meat stays tender because I use fresh bread crumbs instead of dry, and the gravy has just a little tang from a tiny bit of ketchup added. It's simple, budget- and kid-friendly. What more can you ask for? No, it's certainly not glamorous.

Salisbury Steak
serves 6

2 T. butter, divided
3 T. olive oil, divided
1/2 c. minced onion
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
salt and pepper
6 T. flour, divided
2 cups beef broth
3 T. ketchup
1 T. Worcestershire


In a large skillet, heat 1 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil until butter is melted. Add onions and cook for a few minutes over medium heat until onions are soft, but not browned. Turn off heat and cool for a few minutes.

Place meat, bread crumbs, egg and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper in a bowl. Add slightly cooled onions and mix up with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.

Form into patties -- I can get six from this amount of meat. Place four tablespoons of flour in a shallow dish. Heat remaining butter and olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Lightly dip each patty in flour and then place in hot oil. Allow patties to cook until each side is browned, turning just once.

In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 c. beef broth, ketchup, and Worcestershire. Pour into skillet with patties and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to med-low and cover, keeping at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove cooked patties from skillet to a serving platter. Whisk remaining 2 T. flour into remaining 1/2 c. beef broth. Add to skillet and cook over medium high heat whisking to dissolve any lumps. When gravy comes to a boil it will thicken. Cook for a few minutes, then pour a few spoonfuls over patties and pour the remaining gravy into a gravy boat. Serve with hot mashed potatoes or noodles.


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Trick-or-treat Brownies

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If you have any chocolate candy left over from trick-or-treat, chop it up and add it to this brownie batter for a double chocolate delight. I added 1/2 cup chopped Three Musketeers, but peanut butter cups, Snickers, Milk Ways are all good, just to name a few. I would have thrown some M&Ms on top for color, but my husband objects to M&Ms on top of baked goods. He's such a killjoy. ;-)

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Weekly Menu

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This has been quite a week. Peach came down with a mysterious illness on Tuesday and we've pretty much been home all week long. I don't mind a home week, in fact I definitely prefer it to running around.

We had a couple of really good meals and some very yummy pancakes -- all new recipes, so I'll be sure to share as soon as I can. I have a backlog of pictures on my desktop -- evidence that I'm behind posting recipes. I can't be running up and down the stairs for Peach and posting recipes though. Hoping she turns a corner today -- I think she has watched almost every children's DVD we own and she's very tired of being stuck in bed, even if it does mean meals are delivered on a tray and mama comes when she rings the bell.

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline Chili
Dinner: BBQ Chicken Pizza, salad

Sunday
Lunch: BLTs and chips
Dinner: Lidia's Chicken and Potatoes, Peas and Bacon, Crunchy, Chewy, Delicious Bread

Monday
Lunch: grilled cheese and tomato soup
Dinner: Taco Salad (I like to make mine with Wendy's-style chili instead of taco meat. It's healthier with the beans and vegetables than plain meat and spices) with guacamole and chips

Tuesday -- Feast of St. Leo the Great
Lunch: pancakes
Dinner: Tortellini Soup (something like this -- I'll post my version with pictures), Italian bread, Lion Cake

Wednesday -- Feast of St. Martin
Lunch: chili
Dinner: Greek Burgers, roasted potatoes, Greek salad
If weather permits, we'll have a Martinmas bonfire and maybe some s'mores.

Thursday
Lunch: quesadillas
Dinner: Pulled Pork Sandwiches (prepared in the crockpot), Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Cabbage slaw

Friday
Lunch: egg sandwiches
Dinner: Salmon Nicoise Salad, Pan de Horno (cheese pizza for kiddies)

* Tried and true
* New to me

Julie & Julia, the book

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A few weeks ago I told you that I had been to see the movie, Julie & Julia. I enjoyed it. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD -- I think I'll own it (a rarity, I assure you).

Because I so thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I decided to reserve the book at the library. I started it about a week ago, and today, as I reached page 147 out of 307 pages, I quit. I will read no further.

There are a variety of reasons, and because my mother taught me that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all, I won't bash the author. Let's just say that the character portrayed in the movie by the cute, perky, virtuous Amy Adams, is nothing like the real deal.

As you may have heard, there is a lot of language in it. The majority of which is the F word. Blech.

There is also a lot of Republican bashing. And I'm not talking about jokingly. I'm talking serious hate. There's just no reason why I should continue to subject myself to it voluntarily, and on page 147 I decided I just couldn't read another word when I read this sentence: "Aunt Sukie is a schoolteacher in Waxahacie, Texas, and one of those smart, kind people who nonetheless mystifies you by continuing to vote Republican."

Another disappointment was the lack of quantifiable information about Julia Child. Most of the information about Julia in the movie must have come from the screenwriter's researchers because maybe three percent of the book, at the very most, was about Julia directly.

I will sum up the tone of book with the author's own statement about herself. I think it says everything you should know before you read it. It might be confusing as she is referring to one of her best girlfriends before she makes the statement about herself in parenthesis.

"It's not as if Gwen is some uncontainable libertine, Falstaff personified as an impressively bitter, petite blond with fashion sense (and I say this as a person with nearly depthless reserves of bitterness)."

As bitter as a square of unsweetened baking chocolate, I'd say.

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Romaine and Pepita Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

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Last Friday we had friends over for a simple get-together to visit and begin celebrating the feast days ahead. Pizza was on the menu, a variety of choices to satisfy everyone's tastes, and I had a tossed salad in mind but had to work out some kinks in my recipe. I did some internet hunting and came up with just the recipe I was looking for. Years (and years) ago when we ate out at restaurants (when all of our children could eat from a children's menu), we enjoyed Don Pablo's, a family-style, chain Mexican spot nearby. On the menu, they had a salad that I just loved. It was a simple salad, I think topped with grilled chicken (but I could be wrong on that -- it's been a long time) and pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels) and a fabulous spicy ranch dressing. The dressing was the one thing I had not previously figured out, but now I have it down. I served it to our friends on Friday and everyone really enjoyed it. I skipped the chicken because it was not a dinner salad, but I will keep it in mind for next summer when a grilled chicken salad is just the thing.

If you prep your salad ahead of time, like I did, hold off on the pepitas until you serve so that they don't get soggy. The actual ingredients of the salad can vary -- it's the basic romaine, pepitas and dressing that count the most. I kept it simple with carrot coins and sliced red onion. You can add diced tomatoes, zucchini rounds, whatever sounds good to you.

Romaine and Pepita Salad
makes six side salads

5 c. cleaned, chopped romaine lettuce
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin coins
3 slices red onion, quartered
1/3 c. pepitas, roasted and salted (buy them roasted and salted)

Cilantro Ranch dressing

3 fresh tomatillos, peeled and cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic
1 pkg. Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1 c. mayonnaise (you could use sour cream also)
½ cup buttermilk
3/4 c. fresh cilantro
heavy dash cayenne pepper


Place tomatillos and garlic in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Add mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, buttermilk and process until smooth. Add cilantro and cayenne and pulse until cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

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Spoon Bread

Today's recipe is a southern dish known as Spoon Bread. I had never had Spoon Bread until I went to Williamsburg, Virginia, on my honeymoon. It's a very southern dish, and even though I spent many of my formative years in the south, we lived in Florida which is too far south to be south. Make any sense?

While on our honeymoon we ate at Christiana Campbell's, one of the historical Williamsburg venues. Servers dress in period costume and the menu is inspired by traditional colonial foods. When our server brought our meal, he told us, "This is Spoon Bread and it looooves butter," in his sweet southern drawl. We learned it's a soft custardy corn bread and it does indeed love butter. We also loved it. I purchased a Colonial Williamsburg cookbook while we were there, and have enjoyed this lovely dish for the past 24 years. It's a very homey dish, and both simple and very inexpensive to make. If you like cornbread, I guarantee you'll love it.

Christiana Campbell’s Tavern Spoon Bread

1 1⁄ 2 c. boiling water
2 c. milk
1 1/2 t. sugar
1 1⁄ 4 t. salt
2 T. butter
1 1⁄ 2 c. cornmeal
5 eggs
1 T. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a large shallow dish.
Combine milk and water and heat to simmer.
Add the cornmeal, salt, sugar and butter and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens (the recipe says five minutes but it never takes that long for me).
Remove from the heat.
Beat the eggs with the baking powder until they are very light and fluffy, then add them to the cornmeal mixture. Mix well.
Pour into prepared dish.
Bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot -- and with butter.

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Source: The Williamsburg Cookbook

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