No One Knows, But… Friday, Feb 8 2013 

Secret Subject Swap Mary 10:00 am

Welcome to Take Two of February’s Secret Subject Swap. This week, 14 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

http://www.BakingInATornado.com

http://sadderbutwiser.wordpress.com/

http://suburbiainterrupted.com/

http://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com/

xcartwright.blogspot.com

http://snarkfestblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.themommyref.blogspot.com/

http://www.comeplayinthekitchen.com/

http://macdonaldsplayland.blogspot.com

http://www.theadventuresofthefamilypants.com

http://adventuresinhickeyland.blogspot.com

http://dawnsdisaster.blogspot.com/

http://sorrykid.blogspot.com

www.theblacksheepmom.blogspot.com

My subject is “No one knows, but my favorite thing is ________ because __________” and it was submitted by: http://dawnsdisaster.blogspot.com/ Here goes:

— Baking In A Tornado

Well, this is a tricky subject. I mean, I’m pretty much an open book. Ask anyone who knows me — I’m an opinionated, heart-on-her-sleeve, indoor kinda gal with a passion for cooking/baking, writing, crafts…I’m not terribly unpredictable. At all. Oh don’t think that doesn’t mean I don’t get hair-brained ideas or get a little wild and crazy at times. But it’s usually not an out-of-the-blue “where the heck did that come from?” kinda thing. Not usually. Most of my family and friends know my likes, dislikes, subjects I’m likely to embrace or rant about, favorite colors (purple, blue, black, white), favorite foods (pastas, fruits, chocolate and more chocolate!), favorite types of music, art, etc. or at least pieces if they can’t narrow it down and need to generalize. So. Is there a secret passion I have that no one has discovered yet?? Plus, in this house it’s hard to keep a secret…ask my kids. They hate that!

Well…Maybe there is something after all that might surprise a few people. I’ll start with something small that people may not know…

Though I’m not really an “outdoor gal”, I do enjoy letterboxing (www.letterboxing.org) and geocaching (www.geocaching.com). Both are like a treasure hunt, which is probably what intrigues me and why I actually am more inclined to participate. People go through a lot of trouble to hide the boxes, post the clues. I really am a huge fan. You can find letterboxes and caches just about anywhere and everywhere. They are very easy “sports” to engage in. And child-friendly. Which helps when you’re a mom of six who needs to find some way to engage her children in “outdoor” tihngs even if you’re not an “outdoor gal”…

Other than that, I seriously dislike a lot about the outdoors. If you were to meet me, you would see what I mean…I do not look the least bit athletic. I look like I — ahem! — bake. A lot. But as a woman of a more advanced age (no I am NOT old!!! just…”older” than I was, say five or ten or so years ago…), it may be slow going. And I don’t like to sweat. Not ever. It grosses me out. A LOT! However, if there is dancing involved I may be inclined to sweat just a bit. But that’s an indoor activity, which means air conditioning is a very real possibility!!! Finally…I can NOT abide things that crawl…such as bugs. You can have them! I don’t want to be walking through the woods and attract ticks, mosquitoes, spiders…And that isn’t even the half of it — there are other things in the woods or in nature that I’m not a huge fan of…like snakes, ew! I am afraid of even the little garter snakes my sons find. And mice. Oh-M-G I am paranoid of mice! When I was pregnant with my now 8 year old son, we had a few mice in the house (we live in a very rural area — not good for someone who is not a fan of creatures). I jumped up on top of the table — at 7 1/2 months pregnant, mind you — because I thought I saw a mouse. My children have to come to my rescue for anything that is alive and not a domestic, intentional pet — you know, like a dog. Or possibly a cat (though I’m allergic). Maybe even a goldfish — because if it’s swimming in its tank I know it can’t get me. Yeah, I’m not terribly brave…And that’s one issue that is not going to be resolved any time in the near future between me and the Great Outdoors, though I am working on it.

So I dislike a lot about the outdoors. Oddly enough, I’m drawn to pictures of landscapes, flowers, birds…I guess on canvas or print, there are no bugs or other creepy crawly things — and no chance of any jumping out. You know, to get me. I realize I’m way bigger, and that the thought of, say, an ant causing me major bodily damage is ridiculous. But. Yeah…not an “outdoor gal”…

So this may surprise most people (except probably the very few who know me extremely well). Ready???

Well — I love kayaking!! Yeah, it’s an outdoor kinda thing. You probably don’t even believe me after all the rants about my fear of the Great Outdoors! And oh yeah — though I live in Pennsylvania, not too far from the Susquehanna River and the Conestoga River and…well, a few more small bodies of water — I’ve only ever been kayaking in Maine. I mean maybe two vacations’ worth – maybe something like 14 days out of my entire life total. But I kayaked my heart out. Every day, weather permitting. And even a little when it wasn’t so permitting. Since I’m such an “indoor gal”, this would surprise most people.

What do I like about it? Hmmm — I really can’t even put it into words. Because secretly, between you and me — and now the internet — I’m terrified of sharks. I have no idea why. Never been in the water when one was sighted, have had no traumatic shark experiences at a zoo or aquarium or anything remotely close. Once I let my nephew pet one at an exhibit on the boardwalk…I didn’t go too near it of course. It was a small little thing (from afar). In a tank. Like a controlled exhibit. But I don’t like anything about them. I mean their teeth regenerate after they lose one! What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks?! Do any other creatures do that?? I confess I haven’t researched it — I am kinda scared to know! But yeah…I’m afraid to watch Jaws, let alone Soul Surfer (though I peeked at bits of that one from the dining room). So most oceans scare me to death. And again where was I kayaking on the two vacations I actually kayaked?? In the Atlantic Ocean!!! First of all, Maine is the backdrop for most of Stephen King’s gory stories, so why was I taking a chance in the ocean off the coast of Maine????! I don’t know — but I loved it!

I loved being on the water, feeling close to nature in a way I might not have ever been before…You can see a lot of things much more clearly – things you may otherwise have missed if you were, say, on land. For instance, I saw mussels clinging to a patch of rock that jutted out of the water only at low tide, which was too far away from the shoreline to see. Except in a kayak. I got to see lobster traps (um, “lobstah” for the Maine readers…) up close and personal. Boats, fish, seagulls, these cool ducks that dive under the water and resurface elsewhere. You can actually see some of those things from the shore, but it’s oh-so-friggin’-cool when you’re in a kayak. On another trek, at the last house we rented on the coast, kayaks were included in the rental. It was easier to kayak to my husband’s grandfather’s house than it was to drive from the rental house up the coast and down around the point to his house. Kayaking — 5 minutes. Driving — maybe 20…depending on traffic. But — Off in the not-terribly-far distance from the rental house was a small island. Where bald eagles were nesting. On the opposite side where we would not have seen them. I got in real close with the kayak and took pictures with my video camera, which had an awesome zoom lens too! The ability to glide across the water powered by my own body was — exhiliarating. Racing my husband across the small cove…exciting. Paddling in the busy ocean amid lobster boats at sunrise, seeing the men at work in the glistening light…incredible. Swishing back toward the shore while the dusk fell upon the land and the waters were smooth like glass, still and silent…breathtaking.

So yeah — love love love kayaking!!! Which I guess is not quite such a secret anymore!!!

 

Yummmmm – a simple snack Sunday, Feb 3 2013 

Snacks Mary 8:45 pm

Yesterday I was starving but it was kinda too close to supper for me to really eat much. I had some nice tomatoes I’d picked up at the farmers’ market, so I cut one into wedges and sprinkled them with fleur de sel and some fresh ground pepper — hit the spot!!!

A simple snack...

A simple snack…

 

February Secret Subject Swap! Friday, Feb 1 2013 

Secret Subject Swap Mary 12:02 pm

Well, it’s now February 1st (where did January go!?) That means that it’s almost time for the February Secret Subject Swap! The Secret Subject Swap was started by Karen at http://www.bakinginatornado.com/. This will be my first time participating, but I am so very excited! As I understand it, from Karen’s explanation, bloggers who agree to participate send in a prompt, and the host assigns a prompt to each blogger. Then the bloggers all post their pieces simultaneously on the same day at approximately the same hour. It sounds fun and challenging…I’ve already gotten my prompt and have been just waiting to hit the “publish” button…

I hope you’ll take some time to check out the swap — and even sign on to participate. And that you’ll stay tuned to catch my secret subject post, which is…Well, stay tuned and you’ll see!!!

By the way, February’s “take one” swap will be on Karen’s site today. My own post will be coming February 8th in the “take two” section…Don’t miss it!!!

 

The secret to chocolate mousse Wednesday, Jan 30 2013 

Cookbook Challenge and Desserts , Mary 8:23 pm

Well, I mentioned recently that I was interested in the cookbook challenge posted at http://growandresist.com/2012/12/21/cook-the-books-a-cookbook-challenge/. I had borrowed the January and February selections from my local library, devoured them page by glorious page recently when I was ill and stuck in bed, and then finally got into the kitchen today after finishing up chores, homeschooling and the like. I am so happy I did, with sweet results!

031

I think Dorie Greenspan is my new hero…Her recipes sound so amazing, fresh and inspired. I cannot wait to purchase my own copy of her book Around My French Table so I don’t have to worry about ruining the library’s copy while I’m playing (messily at times) in my kitchen. Her stories are interesting and entertaining, as well as educational. But I will now forever love her for the inclusion of the top-secret chocolate mousse recipe. It is probably the best I’ve ever tasted — not to mention the absolute easiest! And hey, with such a large family and crazy life…Well, I’m all for easy! You will have to buy this book and try this recipe!

033

I’ve been searching for a recipe for chocolate mousse for as long as I have been cooking. And I am so happy to have stumbled upon one that will live in my recipe files forever. So for the curious: What I liked about it…

Obviously “everything” is too general, so here’s my short list:

036First, all natural ingredients. By that I mean there are no boxes of pudding or canned anything or otherwise heavily processed, chemical-laden ingredients…It’s just chocolate, eggs, salt, sugar. That’s it. Simple. While I’ve seen other recipes that add cream, coffee or liqu0r of some kind — which I’m sure are delicious add-ins — this recipe would be great when you want to serve something elegant but fast. I always have those four ingredients handy…I mean, who doesn’t have a stash of chocolate, right??! (If you don’t, you need to start building a stash ASAP! Seriously!!!)

And guess what else catapulted this to my top fav chocolate mousse? Absolutely no gelatin of any kind — thank goodness! I despise working with gelatin…I don’t think it likes me. And I can only stomach it when doing jello shots (go figure!). It never sets up right for me. Ever. Which is sad because even my 8 year old son can get it to work. Plus, I’m trying to purge many animal products from our diet. I make an exception for the eggs because we own our own free-range chickens, thus I know where the eggs come from and how the chickens are treated, so no one needs to call PETA or anything. It’s totally legit and the chickens actually seem happy. I digress —

039

This is definitely a keeper!!! My official recipe testers loved it and some were disappointed there were no seconds. I served it with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon, though a dash of cocoa would have worked nicely too. It was very light but yet dense with chocolate, if that even makes sense. My palate was in heaven.

054

 

Reading when I am sick… Sunday, Jan 27 2013 

Reading Material , , Mary 11:53 am

032
I have liked to read (and be read to) since early on. We’re talking All. The. Time. Just ask my mother. She was so sick of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss that by the time my sister was born, my mother didn’t read quite as much to Noel because I wore out her vocal chords. And yes, my sister Noel was born around Christmas — she was my gift at age 2…under the tree in a Santa suit and everything…you can feel free to say “awwww…”. But I digress — My mom came to loathe and despise that particular book. I mean I can not stress enough how much she hated it. When my youngest son would ask her to read it (because of course he had his own copy!), she would first clench her jaws — but sweetly try to get through it for his sake — which makes her a wonderful Nana, knowing how she hated it!

At any rate, I was already reading foodie books (note the eggs and ham!) at a tender age, so it’s not really surprising that when I do fit reading into my hectic schedule I am usually reading cookbooks, cooking magazines, food blogs, foodie books or culinary mysteries. Since I am feeling really under the weather — and had to miss my middle daughter’s cheer competition today — these books were my first choice. The house is quiet with everyone gone for a while and I can take my time and savour the words and the pictures. Even though I borrowed them from the library, as soon as the budget allows I am definitely purchasing both! One can, after all, never own too many cookbooks (though my family might argue otherwise…)

Why these particular books? Well — I had stumbled upon a cookbook challenge earlier in this month, which you can find here: http://growandresist.com/2012/12/21/cook-the-books-a-cookbook-challenge/. These were the featured books for January and February 2013. I love the inclusion of narratives in both Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table (January challenge) and Andrea Nguyen’s Asian Dumplings (February challenge). The stories behind a recipe or technique always seem to draw me in, and these two books have so far provided many anecdotes, stories and explanations that are keeping me plenty intrigued. Of course that is in addition to the amazing, mouth-watering recipes I am seeing! I hope you’ll take a look and get into your kitchen — I know I can’t wait til I’m feeling better to play around a bit with some of these recipes! For now I’ll just have to remain in bed and read…

 

Spaghetti Lovers’ Soup Friday, Jan 25 2013 

Main Dish , , , , , , , , , Mary 4:42 pm

It has been quite cold in my neck o’ the woods lately. It’s a balmy 18*F now — and snowing — with a high of 21*F at some point that I am not sure we have yet or will ever reach (have I mentioned it’s snowing?!) And to think — this morning I actually considered going for a 2 1/2 mile walk when it was a mere 12*F…I wonder if that qualifies me as “crazy”?? It wouldn’t surprise me. Maybe being certifiably crazy would even give me a slight break! Though I doubt it…which is why I am still here …lol.

Well, now I’m sitting around at 4:30 PM trying to figure out what exactly I want to throw together for supper, not feeling the least in a creative or playful mood because of the foul moods of 6+ children that are milling about complaining about chores – and the fact that I won’t let them go anywhere…I am such a mean mother! But back to the supper dilemma. Fortunately the other day that was not the case!

012 My mother and I have a standing date with a local butcher about once a month. In my quest to start to eat more healthfully, as well as save money, I confess that I don’t purchase as much meat as I used to. But when I do buy meat at all, I prefer to deal with the butcher rather than the meat section of a grocery store or Walmart…I find that the cuts are nicer, and that I can stretch the meat further because of the superior quality. Plus I now know the people who run the store. I can ask questions. Even from time to time garner recipes. So I cook meat for my family maybe 1-2 times a week — much different from my early marriage when we ate meat daily. That’s progress.

So I had about 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef that was supposed to feed at least 11 people on a particular day. The odds could’ve been against me, but I had enough other ingredients on hand to throw together this lovely spaghetti lovers’ soup. I honestly don’t know where I first saw the recipe, but I used it once and then adjusted ingredients and amounts to suit my own tastes. I even did this before with a combination of ground beef and some TVP (textured vegetable protein) that I had a small amount of and wanted to use up. So I’m thinking the whole dish really could be adjusted to be vegan if you substitute vegetable broth for the beef broth originally called for. I haven’t attempted it yet, but that doesn’t mean I won’t! Anyways, back to the recipe…

Here’s what I do:

* Brown 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or more, or combine with TVP) in a pan. Season with salt and pepper. Drain and set aside.

* In a stockpot, saute one medium sweet onion (I use Vidalias) and 4 bell peppers (I used a mix of colors this time — one each of red, orange, yellow and green) chopped in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil til tender. (You can also add garlic if you like — usually I add one clove minced, but I couldn’t find it…it’s on my list for next week!)

* Add ground beef to stockpot with one 6 oz. can tomato paste, one 8 oz. can tomato sauce, one 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes (with liquid), 4 cups beef stock (or vegetable if you prefer) and 2 cups water and bring to boil over high heat.

* When soup is starting to boil, reduce heat to medium and add 4-6 oz. spaghetti noodles, broken into thirds. (I will add more to stretch the dish when necessary).

* Reduce heat to a simmer and cook til noodles are done the way you like them — in my house they are always slightly al dente, but I know some people like them very soft.

* Serve with fresh chopped parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish. I was out of parsley, at least the fresh kind, so I used cilantro this time. I also set red pepper flakes on the table for those who prefer life a little on the spicy side.

013This dish comes together pretty quickly. It’s best served with garlic bread or a thick, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside real Italian bread. If you haven’t noticed, while I do like to get creative and play with complicated or unusual recipes, as a homeschooling mom with an incredibly large house to maintain and six children’s schedules to coordinate, it is really nice (read: convenient!) to have recipes that are easy and delicious, and I appreciate the way that I can stretch a meal in order to be in a position to offer hospitality to friends and family. So there ya go — quick, easy, delish!!! It’s a keeper in my house…I almost never have leftovers!!!

 

Curried Kamut and Corn Thursday, Jan 24 2013 

Main Dish , , Mary 7:00 am

So the other day I was kind of bored with my usual lunch choices…I guess that is a creative license to play in the kitchen for sure, right?! I was not in the mood for ramen noodles again, we had exhausted the surplus of leftovers I usually heated up and the kids opted for canned beefaroni (it was on sale and yes, sometimes I cheat…at least for lunches!), which I was not in the mood for. At all. Well in my quest to (sometimes!) eat a little bit healthier, I had started to purchase more new-to-me whole grains, different dried fruits, new and untried (by us anyway) veggies, nuts, seeds…So there was plenty to experiment with. Yeah, I’m thinking “play in the kitchen”! And to top it off — I actually had a spare few moments!!!

kamutKamut is an interesting grain. I find I appreciate it’s chewy texture and it is a great stand-in for rice, especially with the recent arsenic scare. Not many people have heard of kamut yet. Here is a site that offers some good information on various ways to prepare kamut: http://chefinyou.com/2009/08/how-to-cook-kamut/   I am really grateful to have found a local store that sells not just the grain, but also kamut flakes (which will likely be featured in a coming breakfast post!).

turmericI have also been reading a lot about how turmeric is good for many health conditions. Whenever I think of turmeric I guess I think about curry, so I decided to make a quick curried kamut dish similar to a curried rice. To get an idea of how turmeric is beneficial, you may find this site helpful as well: http://www.ask.com/web?q=turmeric+health+benefits&askid=f46453d0-1219-4cf6-bfbe-0c06bea359cb-0-us_gsb&kv=sdb&gc=0&dqi=&qsrc=999&o=4416&l=dir

Sometimes I don’t always plan too well, but some happy accidents happen in the kitchen, don’t they? I had hoped to pair the kamut with some frozen peas, but I’d used them up in a pasta alfredo-like dish earlier in the week and I was not about to venture out into the cold to run to the store — so I dug around in the freezer and found some frozen corn, which I much prefer over canned. I found the natural sweetness of the corn complimented the entire dish, so I was not disappointed.

Have I mentioned that I am horrible about measuring when I’m “just experimenting”? You will no doubt need to adjust and tweak this to your personal taste, but here is what I did:

029* Boil 1 cup water. Add 1/3 cup kamut and then simmer, covered, til close to tender (about 35 minutes).

* Add 1/3 cup frozen corn, 1 tsp turmeric and 1-2 tsp curry powder and let steam on low heat til most of the liquid is absorbed.

* Season with salt to taste.

In the original dish, I ate it as recorded in the above recipe — but for leftovers the next day it occurred to me to add some craisins (we were out of raisins) and some cashews. It gave the dish more depth of flavor, and I will be adding it to my “try on the family next time” list!

 

Cabbage and Noodles Wednesday, Jan 23 2013 

Main Dish , , Mary 3:41 pm

I had been under the weather for more than a few days with a headcold. Then I set out to clean the attic and was beseiged by dust bunnies attacking from all directions…All in all, I was not too pretty a sight over the last several days. I really wanted to get into the kitchen and cook up something a little fabulous after perusing many recipes and discussing a few options with family and friends (I did try a Carrot, Ginger and Pear Soup which may show up on a post in the near future) — but since I wasn’t really feeling too creative I instead opted for quick, easy and comforting.

This is some sort of nod to my ethnic heritage, though I’m a mix of many different things and so I am not quite sure of the official name nor the origin of this particular dish. It’s just something that has always screamed “comfort” and “cheap meal” to me, especially this particular time of year. My mother used to make this dish for our expanded-via-foster-care family. At one point she was feeding herself, my father, my sister, myself and eight to ten extra children, all squeezed into a three bedroom rancher – so a cheap meal was a good thing!! [Secretly, I hated this as a child! I don’t know why…It’s one of my favorites now. Funny how the tastebuds evolve over time!]

I like to think that it was the influence of my parents doing foster care when I was younger that sparked a desire in me to be more compassionate and understanding about altered families and the children who are ultimately the ones that suffer. Les and I did foster care early on in our marriage, and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to do it. Of course later we ended up adopting five children and though some of it was for the selfish reason that I wanted children and was told I would never have any, there is still a sense of having hopefully touched a child’s life for the better. I love all of my children and am happy to stay at home and watch them growing up. We still have the normal issues, and even some added adoption things, but we are very blessed just the same!

015Back to the dish…This recipe is so simple you almost don’t really need an actual recipe, but here is what I do:

* Saute 1 onion, sliced thin, in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add 1 medium head of cabbage, thinly sliced, and saute til wilted.

* Cook 16 oz. egg noodles per package directions. Drain.

* Toss noodles and cabbage together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Like I said, pretty simple. The picture to the left doesn’t show the finished dish — can you believe I forgot?! I guess I’m still learning, so please continue to bear with me!

Now, of course I like to play in the kitchen, so I can’t say this is always the same dish…For example, I like to carmalize the onions and cabbage slightly; but I have also served it just after the cabbage was slightly wilted such as in the picture. To make this dish stretch, I often buy a larger head of cabbage and maybe add an extra onion. I also wanted to note that earlier in life I could not stomach onions in any way. Now I can eat them cooked, so in they go!

By the way — this is an excellent way to make use of seasonal produce. Cabbage is pretty inexpensive around my way at the moment, and I am blessed to be able to still get some fresh cabbage at reasonable prices rather than have to rely on grocery store offerings.

 

Venison Gravy Tuesday, Jan 15 2013 

Uncategorized , , Mary 3:31 am

I know, I know — I said I don’t really eat meat. Not many varieties and not very often. Well, I truly don’t. However, I also mentioned that I do cook it up for my awesome famly. I throw in enough fruits, veggies, grains and legumes every week though, so I don’t really mind cooking up something they want once in a while…

My husband, Les, has been hunting for the majority of his life. That doesn’t mean he always gets anything. In fact, there were quite a few “dry spells” over the last several years. My father-in-law lives in the home he grew up in, located in a somewhat remote (ie, not built up yet) area in south-central Pennsylvania. The little house sits at the base of a ridge, which is where my father-in-law, my husband and several of my children learned to hunt. Behind the house is a little patch of woods, with a field breaking the space up a bit before another stretch of woods dots the ridge. Somewhere amidst all the trees is a tree stand that Les built back when he was a teen, and which my oldest son patches up from time to time so it can still be used.

I’m not really sure what the statistics are for the number of deer in Pennsylvania, but I do know that the number of hunters who descend upon our state every fall has got to be pushing a million, as license sales for 2011 totaled around 933,208 (from: http://www.outdoornews.com/August-2012/Pennsylvania-lags-in-sales-of-hunting-licenses/). I know a lot of people have issues with “killing Bambi”, but hunters in this state are more active in conservation efforts than in many other areas, and hunting really does control the deer population. I grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey, so I’m not too experienced with hunting overall…I took the hunter’s safety course with my now 14 year-old daughter. I’m honestly more of an “indoor gal” — as evidenced by most of my favorite past-times: writing, reading, sitting at the bookstore, cooking, baking…!

Anyway, no one in our immediate family had gotten a deer in the last several years, but this year we were blessed to have Les get two — in one day! He shot a doe at first light, then got a nice buck later in the day. What this means is that we will have meat for our freezer, and it’s a more healthful and compassionate option than, say, buying bulk meat in the grocer that came from questionable means! I have seen many documentaries on slaughterhouses and I am convinced that hunting is really the less evil way to get meat. Les and the kids out-voted me to have a good portion of the deer turned into deer bologna, which I am not really a fan of…I had hoped to try my hand at making deer jerky. Maybe, but doesn’t seem terribly promising this year. Anyway, I am thankful that the family now has various cuts of meat for some hearty winter meals like stews, roasts and the like, as well as some ground venison for miscellaneous dishes.

Not a gal who really loves wild game, I have to say that my mother-in-law coud cook a really tender, really amazing venison steak. Unfortunately she is no longer with us, having lost a battle with lymphoma in June 2009 the day after her 60th birthday. Les will often reminisce about some of the things she could do with food, especially with the cuts of meat that hunting provided for their family. I was kind of honored when he said that the meal I made last night replicated one of her meals…it was one of the highest compliments I have ever gotten.

So without further adieu, here’s my recipe for a venison gravy. I served it over boiled pierogies last night for a quick, filling meal, but you could easily serve it over pasta or rice, or just over top of toast in an open-faced sandwich kind of way. I also tend to add extra mushrooms or broth to make this meal stretch to feed my 8+ usual dinner crew!

089

Brown 1 lb. ground venison in a stock pot with 1/2 cup chopped creimini mushrooms in 2 Tbsp butter on medium. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add one pinch crumbled dried rosemary and lower temperature slightly so as not to scorch the bottom (maybe this is just my old stove…?).

Add 1/4 cup beef broth and simmer til liquid is mostly absorbed, then add another 1/4 cup beef broth and 1-2 tsp of cornstarch to thicken. (I continue alternating beef broth and cornstarch in the above increments until the gravy is as thick as I’d like). Re-season to taste and serve warm.

 

Pomegranates… Monday, Jan 14 2013 

Uncategorized Mary 11:04 pm

I have recently discovered this tangy, juicy fruit, thanks to quite a few cookbooks featuring some mouthwatering recipes I’ve come across. So far the most unusual has been for pomegranate fudge, which I have in my “to try” recipe file. I enjoy cooking with the already-sold-in-a-bottle juice, but I am learning to use the actual arils, which are the “seeds” pictured below. You can find some interesting information and a plethora of recipes at http://pomegranates.org/

042

Do you have a favorite way to use this vibrant fruit?

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »