Crumb Cake

My Mother in Law's birthday is today. My Aunt is coming over and she doesn't like too much chocolate. Can you imagine?? In any case, I decided to go with a crumb cake. I adapted this from
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/big-crumb-coffee-cake/

Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake

For the crumb topping:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus two tablespoons butter, melted
1 3/4 cups AP flour

For the cake:
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. (I use the baking pam)

2. To make crumbs in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. Push it down into the bottom of the bowl. It will look and feel like a solid dough.

3. To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Add chips and mix for 20 seconds.

4. Spread batter into prepared pan.

5. Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs.

6. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. While warm you can sprinkle with more chocolate chips. Cool completely before serving.

I also made some chicken parmesan and a baked ziti. I don't think I feel like baking bread now, so I guess it will be canned bread and steamed broccoli to go with it.

Happy Birthday Nanny!

Ditch the box Mac and Cheese

I am home from vacation, I missed you all and this blog more than I expected! This is really becoming a part of my life now. I have an empty fridge. In fact, I may take time out from unpacking to give it a cleaning while I can. Tomorrow the kids are going with Grandma and Grandpa for a while, so food shopping can wait. Seems like a perfect chance to get to making and posting this recipe I have been thinking about. I have some friends who don't like to cook, I can't relate. But they do want to make their kids healthy meals. Over dinner we got to talking about Mac and Cheese and my friend Elaine (Hi Elaine!) asked me if I had a good recipe that came close to the box. This is it! You can make it healthier by using whole grain pasta (I like the yellow barilla box), skim milk and lowfat cheese. Or go full fat and white flour and just feel good about feeding you children something "homemade" and less-processed. I like to make this with some steamed broccoli (the steamers for the microwave are easy and yummy) and a can of reduced fat crescent rolls. Or maybe I will make those pop overs. Ok, let's not complicate this, it is fine by itself. Try it and please, tell me how it works out for you!


2 T salted Butter
1 lb cooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese (I prefer to shred it myself, but the bag of pre- shredded works fine.)
2 C milk
1 1/2 T corn starch

Add-ins
1/2 large sweet onion- grated
3 cloves of garlic- grated
As an alternative to the onion/ garlic- you can use some garlic powder and some onion powder.

Toppings
8 strips of bacon- cooked and chopped and some shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup of bread crumbs mixed with a few T of melted butter

Basic recipe-
In a skillet, melt butter. (this is where you would add the onion and garlic and saute a few minutes) Mix milk and corn starch in a bowl and add to the skillet slowly. Add any spices you want. Salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Stir and cook until it comes to a boil (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and add cheese, stir to melt cheese and combine. Add cooked elbows to the skillet, mix and serve.

Super easy.

If you add the bacon and parm or the bread crumbs, do it when you are done. You can prep this ahead of time and reheat in the oven, or serve right from the skillet.

Wonder-Butt

I went out last night with girlfriends. It was a last minute choice to go. Paul has been working so hard, and has been so tired, that I had originally said no. But when he got home, it was just about 7pm, the kids were bathed and fed and homework was done. Paul gave his blessing, though I think he may have regretted it. So off I went to meet some friends at H2O, a wonderful Seafood restaurant in town. A glass of wine, yummy dinner, and laughing so much that, 24 hours later, my cheeks still hurt. It was almost worth it. Or maybe it was worth it.

Paul put the kids to bed. But Nathan, who is the ultimate Mama's boy, was none too pleased. He did finally sleep, but he was up at 2 and didn't sleep again till 5. From 2-4, I was mad. But around 4 am I realized that he just wanted me to hold him tight. How much longer will he want that? Now, we just got him to stop spending the second half of every night in our bed. We did this by putting a crib mattress on the floor next to me, and Just Saying No. So, I couldn't just pull him into bed, and my back hurt from lying on the floor next to him. So we went down to his room and I held him. I held him as tightly as I could, and eventually, after many tears and much tossing and turning, he slept. I smelled his sweaty head and felt his heart beat, and tried with all my might to push my fears of being exhausted out of my head, and do what??? Oh yes, count my blessings. Drink him in, the way he drinks me in.

So we were both tired today. But we muddled through. I picked them up from school, we went to Karate and then to Friendly's for dinner. The kids were surprisingly good. They enjoyed their ice cream and Sophia even did her Homework with Nathan's "help". She is such a great big sister.

Nathan got some new books at a book exchange for school, so I convinced them to let me read to them both together when we got home and I have them both asleep by 8pm. One of the books was about Robots and the main character was "wonderbot" We all giggled quite inappropriately at that one and I think my new nick name may be wonder- butt. But, I love when they make me laugh.

So now, I am drinking a glass of Yellow Tail Chardonnay, eating a Reece's Peanut Butter cup Sundae and going upstairs to watch my DVR'ed American Idol auditions. Some days are better than others, and I am not too tired to notice.

Tax Season Monday

The Shrimp scampi I made last night was this one:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/linguine-with-shrimp-scampi-recipe3/index.html

It was good. I would double the sauce next time for a whole box of Pasta. I tried to eyeball it but I didn't add quite double and it was a little dry. I would also use smaller shrimp. I had jumbo and it was too much.

Next time I think I will try this one:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/baked-shrimp-scampi-recipe/index.html

It's "Tax Season Monday" around here. Bye Bye Daddy, see you in 13 weeks! Luckily Grandma is coming over today and staying for dinner. Every year it gets harder for Paul to leave the kids for so long, and harder for the kids to miss him so much. But quite frankly, each year gets a little easier for me. The kids are older, they understand that there is only one of me and I can't do everything Daddy does around here. They know how to take care of themselves a little better each year. I miss Paul, but the sacrifice is do-able.

Today is a school holiday, so we are all off to the gym and food shopping together I guess. Hopefully they will behave in the store. I much prefer food shopping alone.

Oh and I wanted to mention something, last night on the news they had a story from Haiti where they showed a back hoe lifting dead bodies into a dump truck. Then a story about that actress from the Eminem movie who died. Brittany Murphy, I think. They were interviewing her husband and her mother (who look like they should be married to each other, incidentally.) The two stories together, it just made me crazy. The way we place value on a single human life is so odd. Shedding tears over a single celeb death and the same tears over the devastation in that faraway place.

How can I blog about my lovely Sunday night, when the blinds close in my warm loving home, while people, mothers just like me, tuck their children (the one's they could find) in on a cardboard box surrounded by rocks to keep the UN tankers from running them over in the streets. Just praying that they will get some clean water in the morning, or worse that their baby wont die before he gets the chance to have his leg amputated with a rusty hack saw.

I guess it is important to be thankful, to be aware of the enormous gifts I have been given. And to do what you can to help. I sent some money. Seems woefully inadequate, but how could I not?

I could so easily be paralyzed by these things. I owe some debt here that will need to be paid back at some point.

Home Sweet Home

My favorite candle is burning. Home Sweet Home. And, for tonight at least, how sweet it is.

My favorite time of a night like this is when Paul closes the living room blinds. It's like the world melts away and all that is left is us, and this wonderful home, and our whiny yet wonderful children, and crazy but cool family.

Football is on, Nanny is here, the kids are playing, the playroom is a mess but the living room is clean, and Ina Garten's Shrimp Scampi is bubbling in my new cast iron skillet.

Yum.

Healthy Pancakes, better days.

Thanks for all your kind words, here and on facebook about Recharging and about my Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. I know we all have them. Two friends have told me that my blog made them feel inadequate. That is very much not my intent. I have a few good tips to share, maybe a cookbook for Child Friendly Meals in me to write, but I certainly shouldn't make any body else feel "less than". I struggle to make these things happen. I have lots of time to do it in, which really helps. Taking care of my family is my full time job, I have no other. Both women who shared those feeling with me, are working moms. Whole different ball game if you ask me. Not they they aren't wonderful mom's who cook and clean and nourish and protect their family, they are. They just wouldn't have the time to write about it like this and tie it up in a pretty little bow. But what they do is no less miraculous, wonderful, valuable, and challenging. Maybe it is they who should make me feel inadequate. But I don't want to go there, we all do our best. This is mine, and I hope you enjoy the ride. Oh and if you get some good recipes along the way, that would be wonderful! I mess up all the time (as evidenced by the Pot Pie Problem in my last entry.)

Here is one for your weekend, it is hard to mess it up.... and it is one of those recipe's that make you feel like Super Mom. Go ahead, you can do it!


Chocolate Chip Applesauce Pancakes
serves 4 children (or two for two days)

1 large egg
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (If you don't have this, go ahead and use all white this time)
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tbsp agave nectar (Sub with honey or even sugar if you don't have this on hand)
2 tbsp strawberry applesauce (this is what I had on hand, I would use unsweetened next time)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 or 2 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Whisk egg until it’s foamy. Add everything else except the chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Drop batter into prepared pan. I used Pam this time, with just a drop of crisco for the crispy edges. plop a few chips on each pancake, I usually do smiley faces. Cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping once. Nathan eats these with Syrup, Sophia eats them plain. I feel good watching them eat them knowing they are slightly healthier than my usual recipe.

Adapted from a recipe for Lightened Up Raspberry Applesauce Pancakes at http://sarahscucinabella.com (I think hers sound yummy too, but my children wouldn't go near anything with fruit in it. They are however eating oranges after their pancakes, as I type this.)

Voices Carry

I am starting to think about my "voice". When you read this blog, do you know me? I mean, yeah, I like pink and roses and tea rose perfume... I also love to bake and cook yummy healthy meals for my family. I aim to keep my house warm and cozy and safe. I have a wonderful husband and two delightful children. Blah Blah Blah... Sure, as a friend of mine waits for her son's MRI results from the cancer center where he was treated for brain cancer a year ago, I am counting my blessings. But still... blah blah blah, you know? Sometimes I get pissed off.

Let me tell you about last night. It's been a few days of nonstop. Dentists, Doctors, Karate classes, school, gym, run run run. Last night I got home exhausted at 5 and made a chicken pot pie with the last of the chicken I roasted on Monday. It is a tried and true recipe. I cooked while the kids whined and complained and made me furious. But I was determined to get a hot meal on the table by 6. I also reheated leftovers for the kids who complained that they don't like chicken pot pie (really? WTF?) and cut carrot sticks so they would eat something healthy. I set the damn table (see where this is going, do you?)... My Mother In Law came up for dinner without being called (I think it was the two kids screaming at once while I shouted at them to shut up that got her to come up, actually) , Paul got home from work as I was yelling at S. to finish her damn homework so I could get dinner on the table. I cut into the pot pie to serve it and it was like soup. It never thickened. I almost threw the whole thing at someone. Probably would have been Paul since that is his job, to be the receiver of my wrath. From there, it was downhill. N. was crying, I spent dinner rocking him in the chair while everyone else choked down dinner. Paul and I snapped at each other all night. The kids cried themselves to sleep. Nanny got to retreat to her quiet basement apartment (lucky her).

I have no words of wisdom to insert here. Sorry.

Tonight we have a baby sitter and tickets to Avatar in Imax 3-D.

Thank God.

Rechargable Batteries?

How do you recharge? Re-energize? It's almost tax season here in CPA-wife land. This is a time when I frequently feel burned out. It's cold outside, my kids are busy, my husband is not home and when he is home, he needs soothing, loving, and stress relief, not to take over my burdens.

I should interject here that Paul is am amazing husband and father. He is super involved in his kids lives. He co-parents when he is here. He is present to them, and me, and his mother, and anyone else who needs him. During Tax Season, though, too many people need him. I try not to be one of them as much as possible. The best gift I can give him is to take care of things around here so he can relax when he is home. Something inevitably comes up, but we try.

So back to recharging. I usually use food. A cup of tea and a scone, warm from the oven. A few cookies and a glass of milk. Wine and cheese. You get the idea. But as you may or may not know, last March (I know, during tax season, oy) I got a lap band. I am down 60 pounds and going strong. So I need some new ideas.

1) tickling my son and listening to him giggle

2) blogging

3) a glass of cold water and an hour to read other people's blogs

4) a long hot shower

5) playing checkers with my daughter

How do you recharge? I need ideas. Those don't feel adequate.

Christmas Dinner in Links

Our Christmas Dinner in links....

http://www.bigoven.com/163014-Classic-Creamed-Spinach-recipe.html

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/vermicelli/

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/lemon_chicken/

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/braised_onions/

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/lemon_chicken/

Beef Tenderloin (Just seasoned seared and cooked) with http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Horseradish-Sauce-2/Detail.aspx

Roasted asparagus (My usual recipe)

http://sarahscucinabella.com/2009/12/17/make-this-ultimate-chocolate-truffle-pie-recipe/#more-2116

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Key-Lime-Pie-VII/Detail.aspx

I also have brown sugar shortbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter blossoms. Oh and don't forget the gingerbread houses the kids made and wrapped up and saved to share with their cousins on Christmas night.

Next year I plan to develop my own recipes and plan it out here to share with all of you. In fact, stay tuned for my romantic New Years Eve dinner for two. I am thinking Seared Tuna, Jasmine rice, Peanut dipping sauce, Soy dipping sauce, Roasted brocolli, and something chocolate and decadent for dessert.... Did I mention that my kids are sleeping at my parent's house for New years? Yep. Merry Christmas to us!

Hope your holiday is wonderful, delicious, and joyful!

Coupon Crazy

I am obsessed. With saving money at the grocery store. I started a few months ago after N. went to school and I decided to start shopping myself again after years of using the Peapod delivery thing. I read some websites of those coupon clipping guru's and bought a coupon holder and the first trip I saved $50 on a $250 order. I was hooked. The obsession had begun.

Here are my tips:

1) Clip every coupon you think you would possibly ever use, pull them out of the dispensers at the store, take them from your Mom if she doesn't need them. Even if it is something you can't imagine wanting but if it were free you would take it. Clip Clip Clip.

2) Organize the coupons in one of those cute little folder things that fits in your purse. Cute is important. It makes the whole thing much more fun. Mine is by Mary Englebreit. I got it at Michael's... with a coupon. But I digress... I organize by aisle. Every few weeks I go though and discard expired ones. I also try to take note when one I really should use is about to expire so I don't miss my chance.

3) Read the store circular. I will not go store hopping. Maybe when I am retired and wearing orthopedic shoes I will have time for that, but for now, not so much. I go to Stop and Shop. That is the only circular I look at, with one exception (see tip #4). I use the circular to make my shopping list. I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale, never unless it is something I need that exact week. The longer you shop this way, the easier this gets because you will start to stock up on the things you use when they go on sale. My goal is to only shop the center aisles for sale items. It doesn't work as well for perishables since they are harder to stock up on.

4) Clip any "$5 or $10 off your entire order" coupons from competing stores. Most stores take them from competitors.

5) I make my list on a big sheet of paper, I start it a few days ahead of time so I am not rushing. I list anything at all that is on sale and I have a coupon for. Often those things can be almost free so if you might use it or a friend might use it, buy it. I also list anything in the circular I need and anything with coupons I need. I list my perishables. Lastly I list things that are not on sale, that I don't have coupons for, and that I need right away. I often star these so I can keep my eye out for brands that might be on sale that I wasn't aware of. I also star anything on my list that I am afraid I will miss (because I do that a lot and time is money, is it not?)

6) Take advantage of any store promotions. Stop and Shop had a deal where if you earned a certain number of points you got a coupon for up to 20% off an order. I collected my coupon as soon as I was eligible and set it aside for my big Christmas shopping trip (more on this in a moment). In the meantime I qualified for another 10% the week the program ended and collected that and used it on a regular shopping trip.

7) Stock up on items you know you will use that do not go bad, when they are on sale. I buy four boxes of wheat thins at a time when they go on sale and I have a coupon. I know we will eat them. I store them in the garage. The trick is to remember what you have down there. I think one day I will make an inventory list, but so far I just remember.

So, here is how it works out. Usually I save about $50-$75 off of a $300 order bringing it down to around $225 or $250. Today though, I made Paul dig us out of a blizzard, left the kids home with my mother in law, and made Paul come with me to the store. We used two carts, stocked up big time on needed things like detergent and bottled water, and got almost everything I need for Christmas dinner. I did not get all the perishable stuff but I got everything else.

The total was $605.87. I saved a total of $214.70. I paid $394.56.

For the win!!! It is not always that dramatic, but it adds up. And it makes me really really happy!

Slowing down

It's a busy time of year. My son's birthday is Wednesday, Hanukkah is upon us, Christmas is coming, and so on and so forth. I have been reading a lot about Slow Parenting, Free Range Parenting, and thinking a lot about getting back to basics. In cooking, that translates to focusing on how I can make it easy to cook healthful, whole food, tasty meals and treats. Doing so in a way that makes it likely for me to do it often.

I always bake a lot around Christmas. Cookies and pies and breads galore. But this year I have been baking every week. The kids have been eating homemade, non processed home baked cookies every day at school in their Bento lunches. So I am not really feeling the need to go nuts. I suppose I could take this opportunity to bake fussier cookies that look beautiful on the table. I don't have time to do this usually. But frankly, who has time to do it now? So instead, I will stick to three cookies (I think)... my famous Big Chocolate Chip cookies (I made double the dough when I baked for the Daisy troupe last week, so it is in the fridge and ready to go), peanut butter blossoms with dark chocolate kisses (because Paul loves them and I love him.) and a simple rustic butter cookie. I asked some friends how they thought I should get my desired rectangle shape, and I got many ideas. Many included using my spritz cookie thing which is gathering dust at the moment, some involved rolling and cutting them into cookie cutter shapes, I went simple. I pushed the dough flat with my hands and cut the shapes with a knife. They came out good and rustic looking and simple. So as much as I love decorating cookies with my kids, this year we are sticking with easy.

Recipes to come, when I have some time to focus on them. For now, I am roasting a chicken for dinner, cleaning the house for the after school religion class my friend teaches here in my dining room, and rushing off to pick up N. at pre school.

Did I mention that I saved $78 at the super market today in coupons? Want to know my method?

Investing in Turkey Stock

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was nice, quiet and grateful. S. said a lovely prayer she learned at religion, the food was good, the pies were sinful, the company was the best. Our town lost two children this week to being hit by cars. It is so sad, and yet it reminds us again, as if we needed it, that life is a fleeting thing and no one can count on tomorrow.

Bill, my father in law, passed away last April, just after Easter. At that dinner I made a toast about how much I valued us all being together and how we all knew it wouldn't be this way forever. I certainly never expected to have him go so soon.

This holiday was quiet without him. He would have been so proud of S. saying that prayer. He would have enjoyed the food with abandon, and laughed more than anyone else at the table. We tried to honor him, by eating, laughing, enjoying and taking the time to appreciate each other.

In the spirit of taking time, I am making Turkey Stock. I plan to use it in my cooking, saving some for Christmas Dinner. I will use it instead of buying canned stock, so we will save money. But the biggest investment I see is in the lesson slow cooking teaches my children. They grow up in such a fast environment. Everything is convenient and quick. This shows them that we can be less wasteful, save money, make food that tastes better and is also better for us, and most importantly, that things that take time can be better than the convenient choice.

So before we sat down to eat our leftovers, I picked over the bones of the turkey and put what was left into a pot. Here is what I put in with it...

1 Turkey Carcass
1 cup of leftover roasted root veggies from last night. (Not important but will add to the depth of flavor)
all the leftover parts of the celery from my cooking (Stems, flowers, and two stalks that were left) I keep them big so I can strain them out later)
2 carrots (I love to eat these later so I peel them before I put them in)
1 yellow onion quartered
two handfuls of parsley
one handful of Thyme
2 bay leaves
a handful of kosher salt
a few teaspoons of black pepper
Cover the whole thing with cold water and boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for four to six hours. Near the end, taste it and season it with salt and pepper as needed. When it is done, let it cool a little and strain it using a cheese cloth draped over a colander. Put the colander over another big pot or bowl, and get some help with this step it can be spilly. Cool completely over night in the pot you cooked it in, I put the pot right in the fridge once it is cool enough. In the morning you can skim off most of the fat and freeze it in single use sizes, in freezer bags. (They freeze flat for easy storage.) Don't over fill the bags because the stock will expand a little when it freezes.

The house smells yummy, all the better to enjoy our leftovers.

And of course, I saved room for leftover pie.

Learning to plan

We are tightening our bootstraps around here. We are trying to save some money. Or rather, spend less, as the case may be. As many of you are too I expect. So I have taken to clipping coupons and comparing them to the store circular. Stocking up when things are on sale and hopefully avoiding buying too much at full price. Obviously the more you stock up, the eaisier this is. I spent the last few days planning our Thanksgiving menu, clipping coupons, checking circulars, and trying to be sure the scale of our meal is scaled down to our smaller group. The smaller group... well that is another post in and of itself.

With Thanksgiving, and actually any big meal I am cooking, I like to plan it well in advance, know when things move in and out of the oven, when I am to be doing what. I like to be on a schedule. It helps me to feel in control and relax and enjoy the cooking.

The Menu

I will have cheese and crackers, and my dad is making Lobster Rolls as an appetizer.

"Mom's Roast Turkey" from Elise at Simply Recipes.
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000037moms_roast_turkey.php

Gravy from that same recipe.

Stuffing- this I make myself, I use a mix, some sauteed onions and celery, some chicken broth and my slow cooker. It's not a science. I add enough broth to moisten (Apologies to Kelly who doesn't like descriptive food words.), and add more broth every hour or so when I stir it if the stuffing needs it. I like having it in the slow cooker, frees up valuable oven time.

Mashed Potatoes- Again, no recipe to speak of. I use Yukon Golds, peel, cut in small chunks, put in a pot of cold water and boil till soft. I mash them up with some roasted garlic, melted butter, heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste. Wa-La! Yum. One day I will have to write up these recipes but I am too busy planning now. ;)

Roasted Asparagus- I chop off the ends, put in a ziplock with olive oil and kosher salt and toss. Lay them out on a baking sheet and roast at 400 till done. Usually somewhere around the 10 minute mark.

Corn Bread- I am trying a new recipe this year, it looks good.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandmothers-Buttermilk-Cornbread/Detail.aspx

My Dad is making a port wine cranberry sauce.

For dessert, two pies. One I have made before and it is amazing and one new one I chose to help me not waste some ingredients....

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandma-Oples-Apple-Pie/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buttermilk-Pie-IV/Detail.aspx

So here is my plan-

Monday-

Move Turkey to fridge

Thursday-

Move Turkey to counter at 11
11:30 Roast Garlic
12:30pm Make Turkey (4 hours?) eat at 5, so start cooking at 12:30
12:40pm Stuffing in crock pot
prep ingredients for corn bread
Prep Pies
3pm Serve cheese and crackers and lobster rolls at 3.
4:00 prepare corn bread
prepare potatoes
4:30ish Take Turkey Out
bake corn bread
make mashed potatoes
make gravy
carve turkey
corn bread out
Roast Asparagus
bake two pies
eat dinner while pies bake
take pies out and serve

Could I do more in advance? Yes, I could. And some years I have. This year I am looking forward to spending the day cooking and eating things fresh and hot. I am having a small group this year, of people I see all the time, and I dont feel as much need to socialize. Plus, people will gather in the kitchen and cook with me. It seems like the right plan for this year. I will let you know how it goes.

Meatballs and Mayhem

S. had strep and has been home for two days. N. is grouchy and crabby. Today, they go back to school. You would think I would be happy, but I have to go to the dentist for two fillings and to have my crown replaced (apparently the old dentist did it wrong, surprise surprise.)
I do have a new Blackberry which I am hoping to have up and running by tonight so that makes me smile. Oh and last night we had yummy meatballs. I have always struggled with meatballs. Too tough, too small, too big, not cooked enough, cooked too much, no flavor, too spicy... you get the idea. You know, I am Jewish, my mother never cooked. She made Shake and Bake and TV Dinners. And when Weight Watchers started making frozen meals, we were immediate converts. So Italian cooking is a bit of a stretch for me. But I have tried. And yesterday a friend of mine mentioned "Fried Meatballs" and how it is an all day event for her, but everyone loves them. I would have asked for the recipe, but I don't do all day cooking. I needed an easier version. So I read a million recipes, watched a few videos, and I am pretty happy with the result...

Not a Whole Day Meatballs and Easy Sauce

2 pounds ground beef (I used sirlion, because I usually do)
2 eggs
1 onion diced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup skim milk
handful of dried parsley and basil mixed together
1 t Janes mixed up salt
3 T of butter (softened)
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup beef broth
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can crushed tomatoes with basil garlic and oregano

Heat up pan and add a bit of the olive oil. Saute the chopped onions until soft and translucent.

Set onions aside to cool.

Put the bread crumbs an a small bowl, add the milk, stir and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the 2 eggs, add the meat, the Parsley, Basil, Mixed up salt and or any spices you might like. Then add the wet bread crumbs, the cooled onions and the softened butter. Mix until combined with your hands. (Don't over mix, it can toughen the meat)

Add the remaning olive oil to your pan and heat. When the pan is hot start rolling ping pong sized meatballs and dropping them in. Shake pan around often to evenly brown the balls and keep them as round as possible. Do not crowd the pan. (It took me a few batches).

When you are done, set aside as many as you want to use in tonights sauce and let the rest cool on the counter. When they are cool freeze in a tupperware. Once they are frozen you can transfer to a ziplock bag and keep in the freezer for another meal. (I add them frozen to sauce and cook them up)

Add a little beef broth to the pan and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Then add the cans of tomatoes. At this point you can add a drop of sugar or some spices to taste. Once it is warm and combined and you like the taste, add the meatballs and cook for at least 30 minutes.

I served this with Rotini and a loaf of Italian bread.

It was a nice ending to a difficult day.

Jumping In

I am trying to savor the moments. Treasure the time. Be aware and awake and involved. My children are growing up so fast and life goes so fast. S. is 6 and N. is 3, almost 4. My house is completely renovated and looks just as I always dreamed it would. My body is on it's way to being the way I have always wanted it to be. (I have lost 50 pounds this year after Lap Band Surgery and a lot of hard work.) My husband P. has a job that makes him happy (something I don't take for granted now a days.) I have wonderful friends, an amazing, close family, and in short, a life I need to value and notice and honor.

I cook and bake a lot, so I expect that this blog will be a way for me to share my recipes with you. I entertain often, so I plan to use this blog as a way to plot out menus and plans. And I spend a lot of time doing my primary job which is mothering. So I suppose I will mother out loud a bit as well.

What's on the menu tonight? Chicken drumsticks, asparagus, and perogies. I am trying to get away from processed food as much as I can (much more on that in the future, I promise) and my children like dark meat chicken. Sometimes. I just can't keep doing the nuggets and turkey hot dog routine to get protein in them. So, they don't like the skin, they don't like the breading if it is thick, but if it doesn't look good... they wont give it a chance. It's a challenge. So for today..

Breaded Chicken Legs

10 drumsticks
1/2 C Bread Crumbs
1/2 C Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoons chicken seasoning (I use the roasted garlic and herb mix)
1/4 C White Whole Wheat Flour
2 eggs
1/2 C Skim Milk
1/4 C Salt (I will explain this, I promise)

First I soak the chicken legs in cold water mixed with 1/4 cup of salt. This helps to get some of the blood out of the bones, so it doesn't show up on the final product.

Then I cut the skins off all of the drumsticks.

I dry the drumsticks and dip them in the two eggs beaten and mixed with the milk. ( I used a Pyrex and dipped then in one at a time)

Then a drop them 3 at a time into a zip lock loaded up with the remaining ingredients (Flour, bread crumbs, parmesan and seasoning) Shake them around to coat.

Put the drums in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turn over and bake again for 30 more minutes or until done.

I will update and let you know how it goes...

For now, welcome to my kitchen counter, have a lovley afternoon.