Falling...

I love fall.  Sweaters, football, crisp leaves, and dinners from the oven...and the crockpot!  With homeschooling, my husband's work schedule, and a busy household, the crockpot and slow oven are my favorite ways to cook.  Warm aromas filling the house as we go about the day make us feel cozy, and they also greet visitors nicely.  I tossed this into the crock early yesterday morning, and we had a wonderful lunch with no fuss in the middle of the day.  Even better, it's completely vegan (sans a bit of plain yogurt or sour cream), and therefore a Friday or fasting day option for Catholic families.  It was too good not to share.  It will be a regular menu item here!

Curried Lentil Soup

1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
3 medium potatoes, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 1/2 c. dry lentils
4 cloves minced garlic*
2-3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder*
1 tbsp cumin*
1/2 tsp cayenne*
1 1/2 tsp salt*
3 cans (about 6 c.) vegetable broth, stock, or water
      *Adjust to taste.

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cover with liquid.  Stir.  Cook on high 5 hours, or low 8-9 hours.  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Swimming in Spicy

Nadia G definitely gets a nod for this one, but we did alter the recipe a bit (to what you see below) based on our tastes and what was in the pantry.  I also doubled this recipe, because…well, as I’ve said before, I cook for an army.  Also, I served cole slaw (from 2 packages of store-shredded cabbage and a jar of Marzetti slaw dressing) as a side, but Nadia’s menu included her own citrus slaw that looked amazing.  I was just too lazy to make it.  ;)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 red chile, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

2 cups canned tuna in water, drained (about 4 cans)
1/3 cup Panko
1 generous tbsp. freeze-dried parsley
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tsp. dried mustard
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 egg, beaten

all-purpose flour for dredging, plus more for flouring your hands

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet.  Cook celery, chili pepper, garlic, cayenne, celery seed, salt, and pepper 3-4 minutes, until softened a bit and fragrant.  Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine tuna, panko, parsley, cream, mustard, onions, and egg.  Mix well, then add cooled stuff from skillet and mix.  With floured hands, form patties and dredge in flour.  (this is a messy step, not fun for the tactilely defensive sort)  Place in freezer for a few minutes to firm up.  

Cook patties in a bit of canola oil over medium heat, until golden on both sides and heated through, about 5-7 minutes. Serve with sriracha mayonnaise (see below) on buns…or not.  A bed of greens with fresh tomatoes works beautifully with a dollop of the mayo on top of the patty. Enjoy!

Sriracha mayo 
1 c. mayo
1tbsp sriracha (more or less to taste)
Mix well.

I Love You, and Your Triglycerides, Too.

I have been blessed to know some pretty fantastic human beings in my life.  Family, friends, teachers, church folk...I've had a wealth of generous, loving souls to grace my path through this life.  The southern cook in me wants to say "I love you" with food, but sometimes the food that traditionally says "I love you" isn't so loving from a health perspective.  So for some of those folks, I'm going to post a few recipes that say not just "I love you," but "I'd like you to be around for a long, long time."

Asian Boot-to-the-Head sauce

1/2 c. organic low-sodium soy sauce (yes, organic.  Don't get me started on GMO soy.)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp raw honey
1 chili pepper (cayenne is my favorite, but use what you like, mild to oh-my-goodness-is-that-legal)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 small piece ginger, grated (about the size of your pinkie's first segment)

Combine in bowl and whisk briskly, or place in clean jar and shake.  Use immediately, or refrigerate. Makes a fabulous dipping sauce for steamed veggies, shrimp or chicken, over brown rice, or stay tuned for some more uses!

Daily Bread

I've mentioned our favorite crusty bread.  The really funny thing is that it is a loaf that I've seen people pay lots of money for, but it's got to be about the easiest thing ever.  I could make it fresh for dinner every night and not spend any more hands-on time or energy than if I bought a loaf and warmed it up in the oven.  Sneaky, huh?

Rustic Dinner Loaf
To make a biga:  whisk together until smooth: 1c. flour, 1c. warm water, 1 rounded tsp. yeast.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 30 minutes, but I've left it for 24 hours or more with no ill effect.  


When you're ready, uncover the biga, sprinkle the surface with 1/2 tsp. sea (or kosher) salt, and drizzle over 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add 1 cup flour and stir just until combined into a soft dough, adding more flour as necessary, just to move from a batter consistency to a wet dough.  Remove to a floured surface and shape a loaf with floured hands.  It will feel lumpy and inconsistent in texture.  Place on  parchment, silpat or cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and sprinkled with cornmeal.  With a sharp knife, cut several slashes across the surface of the loaf.  Brush surface with an egg white beaten with one tsp. water.  Let rise on cookie sheet for 1/2-45 min, then bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Brush again with egg white, and bake 20 minutes more. 

This bread is a perfect compliment to soups, stews, pasta dishes, and just about anything else.  Ecce panis!

Currying Favor

It's soup season 'round here.  Tuesday night we had this wonderful soup with our favorite crusty bread.  The bread might bear some explanation, but the soup just speaks for itself. It was a hit, and I'll be trying it again soon with vegetable stock as a Friday option. 

Sweet Potato Curry Soup
2 tbsp. butter
1 shallot, diced
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. ground cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of chipotle powder
1 tsp. curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 qt. chicken stock
1-1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and shallot.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften, then add garlic.  Cook 1-2 minutes more, until garlic is fragrant.  Add dry spices, sweet potatoes, and stock.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are soft.  Remove from heat.  Puree soup with yogurt and cilantro (or parsley) and serve.

Tales from the Fast

I know...delicious irony, right?  (Maybe that should be the title....) But it's true!  I was fasting yesterday for religious reasons, and as we are entering Lent soon, there are more fast days ahead.  I made some fasting bread for yesterday from a recipe that is used in Medjugorje by pilgrims and locals, as fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is common practice. The bread is made completely by hand, and if used for a fast, the tradition is to pray for the grace to fast well as you work the dough.  Just for fun, I used a traditional Challah shape (braided) for the loaves, but you could use any shape that suits your purpose.

Fasting Bread (*adapted)
^In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine 1/2 c. warm water and 1 rounded tbsp. (or 2 pkts) of yeast.  Let dissolve for 5-10 minutes, until foamy.
^In a separate container, combine 2c. hot water, 1 beaten egg, 1tbsp. salt,  2 tbsp.sugar, 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp. butter, and 1 c. of fruit...raisins, craisins, chopped apple, or some combination.  Set aside. 
**Also, 1 c. chopped walnuts or sliced almonds can be added to the dough.
^In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c. WW flour and 3c. AP flour.  Form a well in the center, and pour in yeast mixture. Using your hands, bring flour in from the sides of the bowl over the liquid until it has distributed evenly.  Pour the other ingredients over the flour, and continue working the dough with your hands in the bowl until it cleans the sides of the bowl. 
^Let rise until about double, then move the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly, until dough forms a ball that isn't too sticky.
^Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.  Divide each portion into 3 equal sections and roll into ropes about 12 in. long.  Braid the sections, tucking the ends under.  Repeat with other 2 loaves.  Brush the loaves with egg beaten with a tsp. of water.  
^Let rise for 1/2 hour - 45 minutes, then bake at 375 for about 35 minutes.  Let cool before slicing.
*The Medjugorje site that posted this recipe lost something in the translation from European measurements to American, so I needed to improvise a bit.

Fasting brings with it grace and discipline, and breaking the fast brings fresh appreciation for the foods we enjoy.  My son had friend over last night, and so I made them a favorite sweet treat:  Salted Caramel Brownies. Yeah.  AND...there was one waiting for me to go with my coffee this morning. It's gon' be a good day, Tater.  :)

Salted Caramel Brownies
(recipe from allrecipes.com, then doctored up to perfect yumminess)
^Combine:
1 box Devil's food cake
1/3 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. melted butter
Press half of dough into a greased 9x13 pan. 
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
^Melt 1 14oz pkg. vanilla caramels with 1/3c. evaporated milk.  Set aside.
^When bottom layer comes out of the oven, sprinkle with 1/2c mini chocolate chips and pour caramel over surface.
^Sprinkle the surface of the caramel with a healthy pinch of sea salt, then crumble the remaining dough over all.
^Bake for another 15 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares.  Collapse into blissful sugar-induced coma.

Roots

Ah, January.  Frosty mornings, flannel sheets, and that carbohydrate-induced stupor left over from holiday goodies.  We were discussing the need for some serious veggies, but who wants a light, crisp (cold!) salad in January?  Not I.  I want warm, filling goodness. So what to do?  Get to the root (veggies) of the matter!  We had a wonderful roasted root vegetable stew for dinner tonight, with a bit of beef just for fun, and all served over a bed of smashed potatoes.  Everybody left the table full, but with good dose of summertime nutrition, too.  So here it is!  As always, use what you have and what you like, season to your tastes, and remember that I cook for a small army!

Roasted Root Vegetable Stew

1# beef roast (I used an English shoulder...because it was on sale.)
1/2 c. flour for dredging
2 tbsp. olive oil 
6-8 oz. red wine (I used one of those single-serve bottles of merlot)
24 oz.pkg. button mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 head of roasted garlic
1 qt. beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut roast into small pieces. Dredge in flour. Heat oil in a large sauce pot or dutch oven over medium heat, and brown meat (add a bit of salt and pepper here). Add shallot.  When it starts to get fragrant, add mushrooms.  Stir frequently until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, then add the wine.  Let it bubble for a minute or so, then scrape the yummy, sticky stuff off of the bottom of the pan.  (Real cooks call this "deglazing.")  Squish the roasted garlic out of its skin and stir in.  Let the whole mess simmer for a minute or so, then add beef stock.  Stir, then let simmer uncovered while you move on the the next bit of fun.  Just don't forget to stir occasionally.

2# carrots, roughly chopped
2 turnips, cubed
3 parsnips, roughly chopped
1 rutabega, cubed 

Throw veggies in a roasting pan. Pour about 1/4 c. olive oil over the veggies, then salt and pepper them.  Use your hands to toss them until well coated, then roast in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes (until just tender and golden, not mushy), stirring occasionally.

When the happiness in the pot on the stove has reduced a bit and the meat is nice and tender, add the roasted vegetables and stir.  Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Turn off heat and serve.  We had smashed potatoes, but brown rice, white rice, bread, or just an empty bowl can all serve as a lovely base for this warm, hearty stew!

There's Got to be a Morning After

I can't believe it.  After all the food my boys ingested yesterday at our combined celebration of Thanksgiving and my son's 9th birthday, they still expected to be fed today.  Drat.  I have a kitchen full of evidence of my mad food preparation for the holiday, and not a darn thing I feel like fixing for breakfast.  Hmmm.  So with delicious memories of Aunt Pooh's stuffing still lurking in my blood chemistry, I started nosing around in the fridge.  Eggs...a couple of lonely slices of bacon...some spinach...aha.  AHA!!  And bread...yesssss.  A half-loaf of bread I made last weekend.  Just the right amount of dry.  Here goes brunch!

Morning-After Breakfast Casserole


Dry, cubed bread (1/2 a home-made loaf did the trick for us...you might need a whole loaf of storebought to fill a 9x13 baking dish)
12 eggs
1/2 c. milk
4-6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces 
1 small onion, diced
1 c. chopped mushrooms
4 c. fresh spinach, chopped
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese


Cook the bacon in a large skillet, just until it begins to crisp.  Remove the bacon from the pan, then toss the onion and mushrooms into the bacon grease.  Cook over medium heat until they are soft and the onion is translucent.  Add chopped spinach to the pan and toss with onion and bacon, then turn off the heat.  Sprinkle the nutmeg and salt and pepper over the spinach, stir to combine, and leave it to cool.  


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Stir in the cooled vegetable mixture and the bacon, then add the cheese.  Fold the bread in gently.


Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray, and pour the mixture in.  Cover with foil, and bake in a 400 oven for 35 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.  Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve. 

No word on how it fares as leftovers....

Still Cookin'

Greetings, world!  I know this blog looks suspiciously like it has been abandoned, but really, it hasn't.  I do things 'in fits,' as my grandmother used to say, and playing in the kitchen is no exception. Some days I'm a gourmet, others I'm making PB&J sandwiches.  This summer, I'm venturing into canning for the first time.   I also made my first batch of zucchini bread last week!  Along with some other fun, I'll try to post a little more faithfully this fall.  School starts next week, so maybe I'll have a moment to write something down!

Happy eating!

Deli Never Had It So Good

The lunchmeat sandwich - homemade fast food.  I have lunchmeat sandwiches filed in my brain under "cheap, easy, fast, not junk."  This isn't really the case, though.  Unless you're talking about the cheapest, most byproduct-and-chemical-laden products available, lunchmeat and cheese aren't cheap.  When you're talking about 6 kids making sandwiches or needing sandwiches made for them, it's neither fast nor easy.  And as for "not junk,"  well, that's only the case if you buy the REALLY good stuff, which STARTS at $9 /lb or so!  Needless to say, this is a meal that needs re-filed in my brain....

That said, I still like a good sandwich every once in a while.  If I take the time for prepping sandwich fillings, the older kids are fairly self-sufficient with making their own and things come together easily for the younger ones.  I can slice veggies early in the day if I need to save time at dinner.  As long as I'm not delusional about throwing it all on the table, eating, and getting out the door in 20 minutes, it's actually a decent option for our busier evenings, and leftovers are a nice bonus for lunch the next day.  Also, since all the veggies are included, I really don't have to think about side dishes if I don't want to, and that makes it a quicker meal, too.

So here's the deli spread for our house:

Whole-grain bread
Avocado spread (recipe follows)
Sliced portobello mushrooms, grilled
Provolone cheese slices
Sliced red onion, green peppers, and tomatoes
Leaf lettuce or spinach
Mayo and mustard (if anyone asks for them)

Avocado Spread
2 avocados, cubed and mashed
1 tsp. dried cilantro 
1 tsp. red pepper flake (opt., more or less to taste)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
**Use in place of mayo on sandwiches

Game Night Goodies

My kiddies are getting older, and (inevitably, I suppose) they've gotten involved in sports.  Weeknight games are the bane of my meal-planning existence.  I've been lucky enough to stumble across some great recipes that save us from bologna sandwiches or drive-thru atrocities.  This is one I found on MomAdvice.com  Amy's recipe is made with ground chuck, but I've been using black beans.  The boys love it, and I can make it early and keep it in the crock pot if I need to.  It's great with pretzels and finger veggies!

Sloppy Joes
6 c. (or 4 cans) cooked black beans**
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tsp. mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste


Cook green pepper and onion in 1 tbsp. oil until soft.  Add all other ingredients, stir well, and let simmer until heated through and sauce is homogeneous...about 30 minutes.  Serve on buns, bread, in pita pockets, or with corn chips.  **If using ground chuck, brown 2lbs., drain, then add veggies and cook until soft.  Proceed as directed.

Condensed? Whatever.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese.  I wasn't even Catholic growing up, and that was a meal that we ate a couple of times a month.  My husband's family had it as often, especially on meatless Fridays.  Tomato soup was a portable lunch option in college.  And it wasn't until after I was married that I found out that there was a way to get tomato soup that was NOT in a gelatinous, salty blob from a red and white can.  I also discovered that grilled cheese was better when the recipe didn't call for store-bought white bread and individually-wrapped processed cheese slices, or worse, Velveeta.  Eeew.  Despite the knowledge that tomato soup had indeed existed before commercially canned soup, I was never quite brave enough to try it any other way.  Until now...

This recipe came from Allrecipes.com.  I couldn't get over it...it was simple, painless, and THEY ALL ATE IT!  Condensed soup?  Not again.  Ever.  This was just WAY too good!  Paired up with some fancy grilled cheese, I'd serve it to company.  Really!

Tomato Soup
2 large cans crushed tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp. sugar
18 leaves fresh basil, chopped (I just bought a 2/3 oz. package from the grocery)
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. butter


Bring tomatoes and chicken broth to a boil in a large pot.  Boil 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, stir in basil and sugar, and let simmer 2 minutes more.  Add cream and butter.  DON'T LET IT BOIL FROM HERE ON!  Cook  just until butter is melted.  Serve, garnished with shredded parmesan cheese.


Fancy Grilled Cheese
You can make a grilled cheese, right?  Then have fun!  
Rye, whole wheat, sourdough, white, multigrain bread...
Meunster, swiss, farmer's cheese, butter cheese, pepper jack...
Caramelized onions, pickles, sliced green peppers, tomato...


I hereby lay claim to mmmm...mmmm...GOOD!

Soup du Jour

I love soup, especially when the weather's cool and/or icky.  Unloading most of the meat in our diets has made me revisit some tried-and-true favorites.  I don't use meat very often, but I do still use stock and broth, especially organic chicken broth.  So here's the Twinkle Twinkle Soup recipe, as enjoyed by all this week!  It was great at dinner, but was much better for lunch the next day, after the flavors had had time to get happy together. We had it with cranberry bran muffins, but the recipe needs some tweaking, so stay tuned!

Twinkle Twinkle, Little Soup!
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 large carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and diced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 quarts chicken broth or stock
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. frozen corn
1 c. stars pasta
Heat olive oil over medium heat in large stock pot.  Add in carrots, onions, apple, and celery.  Cook for a few minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and get fragrant.  Add bay leaves and poultry seasoning, then add chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer 20 minutes or so, until veggies are just tender.  Return to boil, and add pasta.  Cook for 5-6 minutes (or whatever time pasta directions call for), then add frozen veggies.  Stir to combine, return to boil, then turn off heat.  After about 5 minutes, frozen veggies should have thawed and be heated through, and soup should be cool enough to serve.  Enjoy!

Variations on a Theme of Saturday

We had roast beef hot-shots with green beans Saturday evening, by request.   Today I found myself with a fairly decent amount of roast beef and gravy left over, and some mashed potatoes.  There was enough for a meal...for some other, smaller family.  So here's the leftovers meal, resurrected with some fresh dinner rolls.   I used some frozen veggies and some fresh, but use what you've got.  That's why they're called leftovers!

Rerun Stoup
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
2 bay leaves
Place these in crock pot with a little water...just enough to cover.  
Add leftover gravy, meat, mashed potatoes, etc.
Stir to combine.  Add enough liquid (water, broth, stock) to bring to desired thickness.  Turn on low and ignore until about an hour before dinnertime.  Add 1/2 c. each frozen peas and corn, stir, and continue to ignore.  Serve.


Sneaky Dinner Rolls (makes 2 dozen)
In bowl of electric mixer, combine:
2 pkgs. yeast (5 tsp)
1/2 c. warm water  (110-115 deg.)
1 tsp sugar
Let stand 5-10 min. until foamy.
**If using instant yeast, skip this step.  Just put the yeast with the flour and add the water with other liquids
Add to yeast mixture:
3 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. sugar
1-1/4 c. warm milk (110-115 deg.)
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs
Mix well, with dough hook, until fully combined and smooth.
Then add gradually:
2-3 c. all-purpose flour (just until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl)
1/3 c. flax seeds
When dough is fairly smooth, remove hook and cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let rise until double - 30-60 min., depending on temperature and how happy the yeast are.  With silicone spatula, scrape dough out onto a floured board or countertop.  Knead a few seconds to form a soft ball.  Divide dough in half.  Form 12 even rolls from each half and place in 2 9x13 pans, 1 13x18 cake pan, or 24 muffin cups.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 min, until golden brown.

Sweet (and Spicy) Scents of Fall

Have I mentioned that I love fall cooking?   Today's celebration is apple butter!  There's a batch bubbling in my crock pot now, just waiting to be spread thickly on some soft home-made bread.  My house smells so good!

Apple Butter
10-12 medium(ish) apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. sucanat

Combine all ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on low 8-12 hours, (depending on apple variety and desired texture), stirring occasionally.  Whisk smooth.

**This recipe is simple and infinitely adaptable.  You can use different varieties of apples - firmer ones (like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp) take longer, and you'll have chunkier apple butter.  Softer varieties (like Gala or McIntosh) cook more quickly and make smoother apple butter.  You can mix and match them with whatever you have.  You can adjust the sweetness, use all white sugar, all brown, or a combination.  You can use more or less spice.  You can cook it in a slow cooker and ignore it, or on the stove top and keep an eye on it.  It's entirely up to you...bon apetit!

Dairy Discoveries

I remember the day I thought my Grandma (the cook) was losing her mind.  She bought a yogurt maker.  After her first batch, she put it on a shelf and never used it again.  Why?  Because "milk just isn't what it's supposed to be."  Boy, was I confused.  I remained confused about that day until recently, when a friend introduced me to the culinary wonder that is raw milk.  If you don't know, raw milk is milk that is "sraight from the cow" - unpasteurized, unhomogenized, totally un-messed-with.  Lovely stuff.  So I did what any self-respecting farm wife would have done a century ago:  I made butter.  I also made yogurt, and have used the milk in two of my favorite bread recipes with stellar results.  Son-of-a-gun, Grandma wasn't losing it after all.  Milk really wasn't what it had been when she was growing up on the farm...what it was "supposed to be."  What a great discovery!

I'm very fortunate to have some wonderful friends who generously share their knowledge of traditional kitchen practices.  We also have German Baptist and Amish communities nearby, and many of those families are also using the same techniques and recipes they have used for generations, and they are happy to share them to keep the traditions of "real" food alive and growing.

So, about that butter...

I siphoned the cream off the top of the milk with a turkey baster, put it in a jar, and let it sit out on the counter overnight (12 hours or so.)  The next day, I poured it into the bowl of the Kitchen Aid mixer, put on the whisk attachment, and let 'er rip.  I found out that milk flies.  So I made a makeshift tent out of aluminum foil and put it over the top of the mixer and the bowl.  Much better.  About half-an-hour later, I had whipped butter in my  bowl!  I strained the butter through a fine sieve to separate the buttermilk, then chilled it.  It made its debut on the dinner table with baked potatoes the next day to enthusiastic praise.  I think that counts as a success story!

The New Breakfast of Champions

"Mom, you're awesome.  That's the bomb.  You're going to do that again, right?  Please?"  Music to my ears!  Needless to say, that one's a keeper; it's warm, yummy, and nutritious.  The magical concoction in question was groats from the crockpot, warm and waiting when the little darlings ventured downstairs this morning.  Added bonus:  I threw it all in last night before I went up to bed.  No hassle for me this morning!  I'm all for ANYTHING that reduces morning hassle.

The Breakfast of Champions 
     (I made 6 cups...you can adjust the amount to fit your needs.  Just keep a 4-1 ratio of water to grain)

1-1/2 c.  steel cut oat groats
6 c. water
1/2 c. sucanat
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped


Stir all ingredients together in crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.


*We ate ours with a generous dollop of plain homemade yogurt.  Enjoy!

Cold Weather Cook

I love summer, but I think I'd starve without "winter" cooking.  My absolute strong suit:  baking!  My Grandmother (the NOT southern one that was a really good cook) used to tell me "There's a proper way to do things.  It's not just throwing things in a bowl."  She was my go-to person when I was first married and learning to cook for everyday meals, not just follow recipes for special occasions.  In recent years, I've looked to the scientific culinary genius that is Alton Brown to learn more about how cooking works.  I've not made anyone sick yet with my cooking, but baking is definitely my forte.  Breads, quick breads, cookies, cakes, muffins...there's my element.  Most recently, I've been looking to eliminate refined sugars and flours in these goods without making them inedible. I've not had trouble finding taste-testers!

I've also been a fan of slow-cooking, both in the oven and in the crock pot.  This could get more tricky this year, as we've nearly eliminated meat in our regular menus.  I'll be playing with legumes, mushrooms and whole grains more, learning new things about seasonings and cooking methods to come up with hearty, warming winter meals.  It should be fun!  I'll post the stuff worth sharing, and would love to read whatever input you have along the way.

Here's to yummy, warm comfort food!

You Are What You Eat

We've established that I love to cook.  I'm harboring this fantasy of someday being able to do anything I need to in the kitchen with basic, natural ingredients.  I am proud of the fact that I can put dinner on the table without NEEDING a recipe to follow or a box to open.  As a family, we've been moving more and more away from processed foods and refined ingredients to whole, unmessed-with foods.  We buy organic when it's available and financially possible.  When it's not, I make whatever I can.  It's a fun challenge for me to make something I've seen in a store or a restaurant, and do it better.  Now, don't get me wrong; there are take-out menus stashed in a drawer in my kitchen.  Drive-thrus are not a foreign experience for our family, but they are (thankfully) a rare concession when time or poor planning gets the best of me.  I feel blessed that my kids recognize junk food when they see (taste, smell) it, and prefer "real" food any day of the week.  It's the exception, not the rule in their nutrition.

So...we aim to be healthier by eating healthier.  If we eat food refined and processed beyond all recognition, we can expect to feel un-nourished and unhealthy.  Better living through chemistry?  Not in my kitchen!

Branching Out

As my Kentucky-born Grandma would say, I do things in "fits." I read in fits, study in fits, practice in fits, cook in fits, clean in fits, write in fits...and occasionally, I have a "fit" when it's convenient to do so. It looks like today might be one of those days! As a Mom of six busy boys, and wife to a very busy liturgist, musician and teacher, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I've been pitied for it, but here's the secret: I LOVE IT! I love to cook, I love to learn about food and cooking, and I take great joy in creating and perfecting recipes and sharing them with my family. Luckily enough, it's one of the few things I do well that has a practical application in my life!

So here's the plan: I'm going to cook, and hopefully keep an open forum about what's going on in my kitchen. I'll post pictures, recipes, links, technical tips, or whatever else seems relevant. And I'd love it if you'd do the same! Ready...Set...GO!!