After Christmas Post

Well the Christmas 'rush' is over and all the holiday guests have departed. We had as many as 7 additional people sleeping over at one point and it lasted from the 23rd until the 28th. Below is a brief rundown of what I cooked:

Christmas Eve Dinner - what we call a 'turkey pie' - made from leftover turkey, mashed potatoes and veggies (usually peas) all put together in a 9 X 13 casserole dish and frozen along with turkey gravy (frozen separately). Top the pie with pie crust and bake.

Christmas Dinner - about 19 lbs of Standing Rib Roast (2 roasts, one done on my Big Green Egg), mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, steamed carrots (steamed with chicken stock - the BEST!!), green bean casserole, lima beans in cream sauce and beef gravy (made and saved from leftovers of countless pot roasts and frozen in little pouches then combined), a pumpkin pie, a lemon meringue pie and a chocolate 'log' made with those thin chocolate cookies and whipped cream.

Day After Christmas - I had made about two gallons of spaghetti sauce with pork ribs, meatballs and sausages - simmered for hours. Served with rosemary garlic toast.

Two days after Christmas - choice of some leftover pulled pork that I had frozen along with the remaining meatballs & sausage from the previous night in small rolls along with french fries.

Breakfasts - one morning was a big batch of soft-scrambled eggs with smoked gouda cheese (YOU GOTTA TRY THIS), another day was a big batch of French Toast with bacon and ham steaks on the side........ others I can't remember

Right now I'm making a beef stew from the left-over roast beef (gonna be AWESOME!!) but I'm ready for a REST!

I hope everyone had a great holiday and I wish you a Happy New Year!!

Same day, follow-up

Another batch of Christmas Cookies (wreaths with red cinnamon balls) finished........ pork butt is brining.......... mop sauce is on the way!

Cooking for the weekend

Am hosting an Open House this Sunday (the 12th) and I've been cookin' up a storm. Chicken Purses - check..... homemade fried ravioli - check...... Christmas cookies - check........ chocolate/orange balls - check...... spritz cookies today....... and tomorrow........TOMORROW....... I've got to smoke the pork butt (about 12 hours, I figure) for the mini pulled-pork sammies.

Still to go, the hot spinach/artichoke dip, the crackers w/homemade pimento cheese spread/a slice of smoked sausage and a half olive, the 7-layer Mex dip and the veggie plate...... WHEW!!!!!

So far snow is predicted for Sat night and Sunday..... we may end up with a LOT of left-overs!

Thanksgiving

Some of you know that I cooked TWO turkeys yesterday. One inside the oven (stuffed) and the other roasted on my Big Green Egg. My friend Jeff, also a BGE enthusiast) gave me the recipe for the BGE bird. So many people have asked about that recipe I thought I should post it.

This is so insanely simply but absolutely delicious! Just as with my chickens, I usually only stuff the bid with celery, onions and occasionally carrots. Then just rub the bid with MAYO! I didn't even salt & pepper it! I roasted it in the Big Green Egg which gave it a bit of smoky flavor (though I didn't use hickory or any other fragrant wood for smoke. I just roasted @ 350 till the thigh temp was about 175 degrees (3 hrs for mine). This should work equally well in an oven, though. The skin was wonderful! The bird was moist and delicious!! and the gravy was outstanding!!!

WARNING: After I cook a chicken or turkey, I almost always boil the leftover bones, carcass, skin etc for a few hours, strain and reduce it for stock (that I then freeze). This year I obviously had TWO carcasses and dumped everything in a huge pot and started as usual. For some reason (keep reading) I didn't like the smell from (what should have been) a huge, wonderful stock. I think it was a combination of the smokiness of the second bird perhaps combined with the vinegar from the MAYO. I dumped the whole thing. Next time I make one of these, I'm gonna strip all the skin off the bird BEFORE making the stock.

Other than that, though, it was a HUGE success!

I know, I know......

It's been quite a while since I've posted...... doesn't mean I haven't been cooking, tho......

Tonight is some sauteed chicken cutlets (thin sliced)..... they're the other half of a batch that I made into a stir fry two days ago. With a baked tater and a veggie they'rte gonna be awesome!!!!!

Already made tomorrows dinner - stuffed peppers! I wanted to alternate between beef and poultry before Thanksgiving so this'll do just fine!

THEN, TURKEY!!!! TWO, in fact! One cooked inside with stuffing and the other with a mayo rub and cooked outside on the Big Green Egg! I'll report after the fact on the results but I'm SURE they're gonna be AWESOME!

TURKEY!!

Yeah, yeah I KNOW Thanksgiving is still over a month away but frozen turkeys were Buy One, Get One Free! So yesterday was a traditional turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing, peas and even some summer squash!

YUMMMMMMM.......

ROOF

A simple corner roof? Or a subliminal George Lucas inspiration?

Tuesday, Sept 28th

'Tis a cool, rainy day and we have guests for lunch. What better than some homemade chicken soup! Perhaps with some herbed butter toast!!

YUMMMMMM!!!!!

Sunday, Sept 26th - CHILI!!!!!

FIRST OF ALL, everyone must understand that I can't tolerate very spicy foods - I like the taste and the tingle but an old ulcer makes such things inedible without an entire jar of TUMS 1000's! But Kathy had a recipe for a mild chili that we made yesterday..... it was originally designed for ground turkey but I had hamburger and used that instead. Chopped green pepper and chopped onion, a bunch of spices and chili sauce and just a touch of hot sauce - all simmered for about 45 minutes (oh yeah.... red and dark red kidney beans too)! IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!!

I made cornbread (with a substitution of creamed corn for the milk) and used bacon fat in a cast iron skillet like I had seen done on several cooking shows. Even THAT was AWESOME! Crispy on the bottom and crumbly on the inside........ what a wonderful Fall meal!!!!!

Thank goodness we have leftovers of both!!!!!

Friday, September 10

OMG....... a new recipe for ribs tonight! Instead of smoking with hickory, I smoked 'em with apple wood and spritzed 'em with apple juice every half hour....... the results were just SPECTACULAR!

Thursday, September 9th

Back from a fantastic long weekend at my son's wedding in Ann Arbor. All of the food I made for the rehearsal dinner went over VERY well! There was some chicken/rice left over that I had put into 'to go' boxes and a few of the guys brought them to a local bar and got free drinks for 'em!

Started coming down with a cold yesterday so I made a hearty chicken soup - it was welcome on a cool (66) day yesterday.

August 30

WOW it's been a long time since my last post! I've been cooking/eating the traditional summer stuff (grilled dogs, hamburgers, chicken etc) but my son's wedding is less than a week away and I'm catering the rehearsal dinner so it's time to get to work!

I've already made most of dish #1 - cubes of chicken breast, sauteed and cooked in a gravy/sauce with some cooked & chopped Andouille sausage for some heat. It's frozen now and will be mixed with cooked rice on the 'day of' then baked a bit.

Time to start dish #2 - 3 Cheese Manicotti. Today I need to make the ricotta cheese.That just involves a couple of gallons of milk, some lemon juice, some heat and a bunch of time. It'll drain overnight and be ready tomorrow. I also should start simmering my tomato sauce.

Dish #3 is a variation on the above manicotti but with a different filling - this one with spinach and ground, smoked sausage added to the cheese filling. Gotta smoke some sausages!

Sunday, July 11th

Well, my beef ribs were a disappointment. I smoked 'em as per a recipe but they were tough - I'll look for another recipe with a marinade next.

The good news is that it was followed by two day of EXCELLENT dinners! Last night was grilled chicken thighs (boneless) with vegetable kebabs of onion, red pepper, cherry tomatoe and mushrooms. ALL served over white rice........ simply delicious!

And tonight I opted for a simple meal of corn pancakes and bacon - one of my personal favorites!

Friday, July 9th

I haven't blogged in a while (sorry, faithful readers) cause I've been working on several projects here at the house. The new (parlor) 'gallery' is complete with pictures hanging and lights lighting and it's AWESOME!! Also been working on the upstairs bath.... removing the sink, removing the bull-nose tile and generally preparing for an entire re-facing of the tub and the wall tile (the 19th). (Still have to remove the toilet but I'm waiting until the last moment for that). But the biggest project is the new deck in the outside corner of the master bedroom and the side of the den. The posts, joists and some of the decking is IN and the new 8 ft sliding glass door to the master bedroom is IN. Still have to finish the decking and all of the outside and inside trim for the door - that'll be done next week in time for the wall-to-wall carpeting on the 19th (also) - that'll be a busy day. There are a couple of other smaller projects also but nothing I need help with right now.

ALL of this to let you know that I haven't been cooking/eating anything worth mentioning lately - merely sustenance for an already failing body that refuses to cooperate with my youthful mind!

So I worked this morning for a few hours until I ended up spending MORE time wiping th sweat from my glasses that I spent screwing in decking screws! Then I quit!

So tonight I'm trying something I've never cooked before!! BEEF ribs! They look kind of like baby back pork ribs on steroids (imagine Fred Flintstone). I've reviewed recipes for rubs, but one stood out - just salt and pepper. I had to make a special trip to get some apple wood chips (recommended over other chips) and I'll probably 'play it easy' with just a big baked potato tonight.

You'll hear about the results later - wish me luck!

Thursday, July 1st

Not much happening yesterday - awaiting a big 'push' on the new deck construction today. Soooooo, I thought I'd have another try at smoking some sausages. There is a sale here on Johnsonville products - $2.99 instead of the regular $4.99 - so I had bought some sweet sausages. I smoked them with hickory chunks at about 275 degrees for about an hour. I used less hickory than the last time and these turned out AWESOME!!!!!! SO good, in fact, that I went back to the store and bought some brats and some mild sausages AND SMOKED THOSE TOO! All of them are just delicious! Now I just have to either invite some friends or find some more recipes to use 'em all! LOL Luckily they freeze well!

Monday, June 28th - Chicken Baste Recipe

Someone commented that they wanted the recipe but unfortunately they came through listed as 'Anonymous' so I couldn't send it directly. Here it is:

Melt butter (the amount depends on how much chicken you have)-remove from heat
ADD enough CIDER vinegar to double the amount
ADD enough Worcestershire sauce to make a med dark caramel color
ADD powdered mustard (about 1/2 tsp) or a little prepared mustard (my only addition to Mom's recipe)

Add salt & pepper if you haven't already seasoned the chicken parts


Grill, basting BOTH sides of the chicken pieces several times.

That's it! Enjoy!

Friday, June 25th, later

OMG......... when I was young, I preferred white meat (chicken)...... my father preferred dark meat (legs and thighs).......

As I grew older I saw the error of my ways and crossed over to the 'dark side'. For several years now I've cooked chicken thighs on the (gas) grill using my mothers baste (a combination of butter, cider vinegar and a few other secret ingredients (reply if you want the recipe).

But THIS was the first time I cooked the thighs on my Green Egg........ OMG....... the extra flavor from the natural charcoal gave the thighs a woody flavor that NO ONE can get from either a gas grill or from those poisonous briquettes.

I'm still in chicken heaven...........

Friday, June 25th

I had originally thought about making pizza tonight (I've had a craving for pizza for several days now!)........ but I forgot that I had bought some chicken thighs on sale (four LARGE ones for $2.76!!!!!).

So it's grilled chicken thighs with homemade potato salad (with chopped onions, chopped celery, a little red pepper and a little sweet relish - with mayo and mustard, natch!)

Can't wait!!!!!

Tuesday, June 22nd

Who ever thought that a seemingly simple meal like a Taco Salad would dirty so many dishes!!!! I thought last night was bad with a roasted chicken with gravy!!!!!! Sheesh! I HATE dirty dishes!! (But I hate frozen dinners even more!)

Fathers Day, June 20th

I am celebrating my own fatherhood as well as the remembrance of my father today. I splurged on some 14-16 count shrimp and they're currently marinating. Later they'll go on skewers along with some veggies (on a separate skewer natch cause they'll need to grill longer), then just like the Outback Steakhouse ad says, "Shrimp on the barbie!"

Wednesday, June 16th

I had a great hamburger last night cooked on natural charcoal (along with sauteed green peppers and onions).......... it was wonderful (despite the Celtics loss to LA).......... tonight is a grilled thick cut boneless pork chop (I think I'll sprinkle it with some of my rib rub)......... my ribs are all rubbed and becoming happy in the fridge until tomorrow when I smoke 'em with mesquite (instead of my usual hickory) for about 5 hours. You'll read about it tomorrow.

Monday, June 14th, #2

I had some left-over chicken and chicken gravy so I thought I'd make a chicken fricassee....... by the time I cut up the chicken and added it to the gravy, there was just something thaqt I didn't care for in the smell of th mix...... OK.... DUMP that!

So now I'm roasting a chicken (in the oven - chance of showers and I melt in the rain, ya know)...... but I could make this recipe blindfolded so I KNOW it's gonna be good!

Monday, June 14th

I found some mesquite chips on sale at a store so I just HAD to buy 'em....... can't wait to try mesquite and compare it to the hickory that I've been using.

Tuesday, 15 minutes later

OK, I just HAD to go to the fridge and get out the sausages I smoked yesterday. I had to take a slice and see if they were really as good as I thought last night and here's the result - THEY WERE! (and I ended up eating about HALF of a sausage!)

Tuesday, June 9th - sausage smoking details

Someone commented and asked how I smoked the sausage yesterday. As with most smoking methods, I cooked 'low and slow', about 250 degrees with some hickory chunks. I find they tend to generate more smoke at the beginning of the process than nearer the end but that's OK. After about 45 minutes I figured they were done. They were almost BLACK but not burned in any way.... just smoky and very, VERY tasty! Next time I'll soak the hickory a little longer before I add them to the charcoal to see if I can mediate the smoking just a bit.

Later on June 8th

Now, understand, that I really like Italian sweet sausage...... my stomach can't take hot sausage (an ulcer from many years ago still affects me), but, trust me, you've NEVER had sausage until you've eaten a smoked sausage! I smoked them for about 45 minutes (with hickory)........ the tangy, smoky taste of the sausage adds sooooo much to the taste.... kinda like a boneless rib but even tastier!

I gotta remember this recipe!!!!

Tuesday, June 8th

Awwwwwwww RATS....... the weather service said the rain wasn't supposed to start until about 5:00pm so I started the Big Green Egg at about 2:30pm....... I wanted to smoke some sweet Italian sausage. Ah well..... the 'smoke' is on and the sausage are on the grill - the rain shouldn't bother anything except my skin and shirt as I go out and check on everything! But the results should be as spectacular as my ribs were - AND IT'S WORTH IT!

Saturday, June 5th

It's been a while since I've posted - been eating uninteresting (but tasty) leftovers.

But tonight I had a hankering for black beans and rice. Now usually this is a Cuban dish with just black beans served over rice. Usually I add some cubed ham along with diced celery and onion and some cumin. Tonight I departarted - Instead of ham I used sautéed bacon and I also added some leftover chicken (cut up). I served it over Basmati rice and topped it with a little sour cream - it was AWESOME! (with a slice of buttered bread on the side).

No idea what tomorrow will bring - stay tuned!

Result for last nights ribs

You are reading a blog from the next spokesman promoting the BIG GREEN EGG..... who knows, maybe someday I'll be on QVC or something!

My ribs were everything I wished for and MORE!!! I used Hickory chunks (not chips) and got a lot of smoke at the beginning of the 3 1/2 hr smoke (at 225 degrees)..... then it calmed down a little. I swear the entire neighborhood probably stuck their head up in the air and said "What the hell is THAT? It smells soooo gooooood!" They were fall-off-the-bone tender, smoky..... just plain EXCELLENT - the best I've EVER had! I abided by a hint in one of many recipes I'd consulted - that was to put some apple juice in a spray bottle and spray the ribs every half hour when you turned the ribs..... I'll never do it any other way!

Company for dinner tomorrow and I'm expanding my cooking repertoire by trying a smoked brisket (flat)..... got the rub ready, got the time figured (haveta put it on at 11:00am), and have the appetizer (ham & cream cheese roll-ups with pickles & mustard) to make, have the side dish planned (orzo with roasted vegetables and feta) and the dessert as well (strawberry shortcake made with homemade buttermilk biscuits [not those cheap, spongy store-bought things] along with homemade whipped cream..... IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME!!!!!!!!

YIKES!! Have ya missed me??

Sorry everyone for my absence. I've been stripping wallpaper from our 'parlor' - a 15' X 22' room with 10' ceilings in a house that is 139 years old (and that means plaster & lath walls). Strip the paper, strip the backing, scrape with a wide putty knife, sand and then wipe with a damp sponge.... WHEW!!! Have a plasterer coming in later this week to tape and plaster a big old crack that was hidden by the paper...... but have big and GREAT plans for the room once it's finished. Now longer will it be the 'parlor' but 'the gallery'....... am mounting picture rail close to the ceiling for moveable, hanging pictures (have a LOT of my fave artist and many more done by my kids (two art majors), daughter-in-law and grand daughter plus a very successful brother-in-law. Then, suspended cable-lighting (moveable spots) to illuminate whatever is on display at the moment. It's gonna look like an Art Gallery!!!!!!! Pictures once everything is finished!

But back to cooking.......... over the last 35 years or so I've owned gas grills. The first was a Charm-Glow that I kept alive for about 20 years then a couple of Webers........ but (for what seems like forEVER) I have yearned for a BIG GREEN EGG...... if you don't know what it is, Google it. It's a ceramic cooker that uses NATURAL charcoal and can maintain temps between about 200 and 700+ degrees - so you can use it to sear steaks or smoke ribs, brisket, pork butt etc.......

So far I've cooked a couple of brined thick-cut pork chops (I thought they were great but another found them a little salty - MY fault for the seasoning, it wasn't the fault of the brine). Last night I made plain old hamburgers. They came out a little more well-done than I had hoped but I attribute that to getting use to a new (very hot) grill. But the flavor was oh, so wonderful! There is NOTHING like natural charcoal - as opposed to those poisonous things they call briquettes!

Tonight are baby back ribs. They are now languishing in a home-made rub and will smoke (using Hickory chunks for smoke) for about 3+ hours, I figure....... I'll let you know in the next post how they came out. (BTW, I also have a beef brisket flat in the refridge for later this week - same basic treatment)...... can't WAIT!!!!

Sunday, May 16th

It's a sunny day and the Celtics are playing this afternoon. Since I splurged on a steak yesterday, I'm back to less expensive meals with grilled hot dogs today! Because it's a beautiful day, I decided to make a small potato salad. OK, Background - I grew up with my mother's potato salad made with russet potatoes, Miracle Whip (I didn't taste real mayonnaise until I was almost in high school!), plain old yellow mustard with some chopped celery and onion and always a chopped, hard-boiled egg.

Recently I've moved away from the Miracle Whip in favor of a good mayo - so today I decided to make my OWN version. First, potatoes - 'B' size redskins, not russets...... next, the celery & onions. These I sauteed first in a little butter to 'soften' their sharpness. Then, when cool, combine the onions/celery with the mayo and add just a dribble (remember I'm cooking for ONE here) of Balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. I added the chopped egg to the cooled potatoes and then added the mayo mixture to the point that I liked the consistency.

The result is WONDERFUL! Soooooooo, my advice to you is to experiment a bit - you might find something wonderful yourself!!

Friday, May 13

I've been itching to grill something all week it seems but have been frustrated by the weather..... today at last the sun is out and IT'S THE DAY! Just a simple hamburger on a bakery bun topped with smoked gouda cheese and a side salad but it's gonna be WONDERFUL!!!

Sunday, May 9th

OTTO'S Chicken

I am absolutely S W O O N I N G over my roast chicken. I could lie and say that it was my exquisite cooking technique but it had EVERYTHING to do with the quality of the bird itself. I cooked it as in the past in my oven a la 'beer can chicken'.

More to come later - meanwhile I shall sit and S W O O N!

Saturday May 8th, Afternoon

Yes, I went to Otto's Turkey Farm..... and their products look AWESOME! They had small samplings of their ground turkey, smoked turkey, Apple/Turkey sausages and many, many more!

Since I only cook for myself, I opted for a fresh, whole chicken which, I found out, comes from Otto's Chicken Farm (of course, a relative). But I'd heard so many good things about their chicken that I couldn't resist. It wasn't inexpensive - roughly 2 1/2 times the cost of a comparable whole fryer in my local market. But I know I'll get a few meals from it and I was anxious to taste the difference.

Meanwhile I had to go to market to pick up just a couple of things...... I found (in the closeout meat section) some thin-sliced pork cutlets. I've blogged about 'em before but these were dirt cheap so I couldn't resist. I've already trimmed, pounded and floured 'em. I'll do an egg wash then bread crumbs and then a quick fry in a hot skillet. Everyone has heard of Wiener Schnitzel (very thin veal, cooked similarly). There is a term (but I don't have the patience to look it up) for the same thing except made with PORK instead of VEAL. THAT'S what I'm making...... so (in deference to the Germans), I'm calling it "Oinken Schnitzel'....... I've already made scalloped potatoes with your basic cream sauce and some Gruyere cheese. Once that gets to temp, I'll saute the Oinken Schnitzel and have an AWESOME meal!

Stay tuned for the results of tomorrows 'Roasted Otto's Chicken'!!!!

Saturday May 8th

My stuffed peppers were just WONDERFUL! They really hit the spot last night. Usually I only eat ONE for dinner but these were smaller peppers so I dished out one and a half for dinner. It was only a half hour after I finished when I went back for the remaining half!

Which leads me to my next dilemma - what's for dinner tonight? It might seem that I am preoccupied with my dinner meal (obsessed, perhaps?) but, truthfully, it is my only meal of the day (been this way for years now). So I try to have a decent, balanced meal for my single repast and why not make something delicious as well!

Seems that there is an 'open house' at a nearby turkey farm today. I've heard a LOT about Otto's and the quality (taste etc) of their chickens and turkeys so I think I'll go there and check it out. They even supply goose!!! (But only at Christmastime, I hear). Wish they also had duck but perhaps they can assist in my search. In any event, some form of roasted fowl may well be on the menu for this evening.

I'm really looking forward to it. Stay tuned - film at 11:00

Friday Afternoon, May 7th

A cool, rainy day........ sooooooo glad I made some stuffed peppers yesterday! I made 'em but haven't eaten them till tonight.... can't wait!

Also made some brownies just now - that's dessert for the next week!

Sunday, May 2nd - ASPARAGUS

When I was a boy I just HATED asparagus. Couldn't stand it. And my parents LOVED it! But I wouldn't eat it. They liked it so much that, when it was in season, they'd even make a cream sauce and put asparagus into it and serve it as 'Creamed Asparagus On Toast'.

Of course our tastes change and now I LOVE ASPARAGUS! But if you, too, like asparagus, you are probably aware of the undesirable side effect that it has on the human body - it makes your urine smell.

Well, never let it be said that I don't post helpful hints here in this blog! I stumbled on a solution!

To overcome this effect, simply parboil/blanch your asparagus FIRST and then immerse in a cold water 'shock' for about a minute then drain (that preserves the color - think 'fresh' vs 'canned' asparagus color). Then saute or grill in whatever recipe you like!

WHO takes care of you?!?!

Saturday, May 1st

Today was my father's birthday. He passed away in '91 but I still keep his birthday on my calendar.

I had invited some friends for dinner last night and always wanted to make a chicken Marsala. Most of those recipes call for pounding the cutlets this then flour, egg and breadcrumbs then sautéing them before making the sauce. But I found a recipe for cutting the breast into 3 pieces (no coating) and sauteing it. Then remove, add onions, mushrooms and then continue with the sauce. At the end, you cut the chicken pieces lengthwise and add them back to the sauce to finish cooking (if necessary) and warm them. The sauce was different too with the addition of mascarpone and some Dijon mustard. The result was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!! I had also planned a simple salad with a raspberry vinagrette topped with candied walnuts (that I made) and some rolls with the Marsala served over fettucini.

Unfortunately my guests had to cancel at the last minute (to take their son to the hospital) so I had one serving for myself and gave the rest to some friends. The recipe is a keeper, though!!

Monday, April 26

It was a breezy, cool, rainy day yesterday so what did I do? I cooked, of course!

I found a sale on boneless chuck and braised a big, thick steak for a pot roast........ then I roasted a chicken, pulled off all of the meat, roasted the carcass and made chicken stock.

Seems like I spent more time doing dishes than cooking but I meals for D A Y S !!!!

Sunday, April 25

Here I am again....... been eating left-overs (but some GREAT left-overs) for the last few days. In an earlier post I mentioned that bottom round steak I stewed. I then made a gravy and divided it into two portions. For one, I sauteed some fresh green pepper strips and added it to the meat and served it over rice. I had forgotten how sweet peppers get when used like this - it was AWESOME! I haven't used the other portion - YET!

I used some of my homemade meatballs/sauce for a great meatball sub!

Finished the left-over chicken in a series of chicken sandwiches.

Baked a sheet cake yesterday.

Today is Sunday and, in tune with my long-entrenched memory of 'Sunday Dinner', I think I'll roast another chicken. If the weather was nice, I'd cook it on the rotisserie, but we have rain here so I'll cook it in my new oven.

I'm investigating The Big Green Egg as a new BBQ grill - I've heard great things about it! Google it if you don't know what it is. More later if I make a decision.

Wednesday, April 21

I've been working off of leftovers the last couple of days - partly because I WANT to and partly because my budget requires it.

Anyhow, I think I mentioned that I made and froze two chicken pot pies...... still had chicken left (more later)

Yesterday I found a bottom round steak on sale at a ridiculous price. I cut off a small portion for dinner last night, marinated it and then grilled it. It was merely decent. I shoulda known that I've been spoiled by great cuts of steak and my palate is simply NOT gonna settle for 'grilled tough meat'.

I've cubed the rest of the steak (a bunch!) and am braising that right now. In a couple of hours, it'll be a great start to a beef stew or whatever else I wanna make of it.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to use up the last of the chicken (see earlier post). I saved just a bit of breast for a sandwich but will heat the rest with some of my leftover chicken gravy and serve that over rice. I've given up on mentioning all the spices I add to things. You know what spices YOU like (if not, EXPERIMENT! FIND OUT!!!). But the chicken is gonna make a GREAT meal tonight!

Sunday, April 18, Afternoon

If you've read this BLOG before, you KNOW that I love to cook........ but it seems like (today) that all I've done is clean up! I reduced the chicken stock and cleaned two big stock pots, decided to make another pasta sauce with meatballs, got a hint about making a potato salad with ROASTED potatoes (it's in the fridge and more on that tomorrow), emptied the dishwasher and started to refill it, so now, for dinner, I'm back to the freezer for the other half of the pizza that I doctored (then froze) about a week ago. NO PANS TO CLEAN!!!!!! YA-HOOOOOOO!

Sunday, April 18

Had a wonderful dinner last night of roast chicken, potatoes and limas (for dessert.... ;-)...). After dinner I started the process of making my chicken stock - strained it and got it into the refridge before I went to bed.

This morning I skimmed it and it's now slowly reducing on the stove and the house is filled with that wonderful smell!

Friday, April 16

no matter how hard I try sometimes I have trouble just making ONE serving of some things. Like today. I'm still living outa my freezer so I thought I'd make a simple spaghetti sauce for some pasta tonight. I had a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and I added some left-over, sliced pork for flavor. Then I remembered that I had a bag of frozen meatballs in the freezer so I added 3 of those. Then, for more flavor, I added a small can of tomato sauce. Then more spices. Then for even more flavor I added an ice cube of chicken stock from the freezer. So now, instead of a single serving, I have THREE (at least) servings of pasta sauce!!

It's a great sauce, mind you, but now I have to plan for pasta for the next week.....

I guess I just need more people to cook for.

Thursday, April 15

I had to be up in Grand Rapids yesterday and went to one of my favorite markets - Meijers. For those who don't know of it, it's like a Super WalMart but maybe just a bit more upscale.

Anyhow, I had to pick up some necessities like paper towels etc and then remembered - THEY CARRY FRESH LIMA BEANS! Now I wasn't a big fan of limas when I was young - perhaps because my mother always used frozen limas and never seemed to cook them enough. But when you can get fresh ones, cook them properly, drain them, add some butter and some milk and then let them sit overnight (yes, it's one of those dishes that gets better the next day), the result is just sublime. I eat them like a dessert - after a meal. They're that good!

So I don't know what I'm having for dinner but I KNOW WHAT I'M HAVING FOR DESSERT!!

Tuesday Afternoon, April 13

I'm sure everyone has been to the market when they have those little paper/plastic cups of samples (usually of the stuff they wanna move and not necessarily the stuff on sale). So today I was at the market and they had just such a display of pistachios...... there was a BIG display of pistachios on shelves and when I looked closely, these were labeled "Salt and Pepper".......

The sample was AWESOME so I fell into the 'come-on' and bought a bag. YOU SHOULD REALLY TRY THESE! They're like regular pistachios but with just a touch more flavor.

TRY 'EM!

Tuesday, April 13

Gotta mail my taxes in today..... got CLOBBERED because of the divorce, retirement etc. but sold enough precious stuff on ebay to make up a few thou to cover it all. Luckily that won't happen again this year.

I've decided that I liked the Dijon mustard better last night. I have enough left for at least ONE more sandwich and I'm gonna try some spicy brown along with some mayo on this one.

It's supposed to be sunny and in the 70's tomorrow so I'm planning on Koegel's hot dogs on the grill!

Monday, April 12, about 10 minutes later

OK, OK........ I lasted about 10 minutes until I just HAD to make another corned beef sandwich - THIS time with a different mustard. The first time was with a Dijon but this one is with a sharp honey mustard.

Gotta stop now and enjoy.

Monday, April 12

Evidently the folks here in my town were economically challenged back in February for St Patrick's Day cause today I found a HALF OFF sale on corned beef! I scooped up a small piece for about $5.00. I've already cooked it along with some potatoes and green peas AND had half a sandwich (which was AWESOME!).

I have a feeling that there's another sandwich in my future later tonight.

Saturday, April 10

Sorry for my absence, but, in truth, my meals lately have been rather boring. A hamburger on the grill..... a chicken stew........ a 'doctored' frozen pizza (I know, I never shoulda done that!).

Today is finally a gorgeous Spring day and I thought of a meal that my family always loved - we called them meatoaf burgers...... tis really a hamburger mixed as if it were meatloaf. Trust me, it stays soooo moist when grilled......... but this time I crossed it with another family fave, what we called a 'surprise burger' - two thin hamburgers with ingredients in between and sealed before grilling. So it's a meatloaf burger with just a slice of cheese between that I'll grill. The accompaniment will be some raosted red potatoes with onions. I'll let you know how it turns out.

The other cooking for the day was about 30 meatballs (beef & pork) with milked bread, sauteed onions, bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire Sauce and salt & pepper. Right now I'm freezing them and will then put them individually into a freezer bag so I can use them when I wish. I had a taste of one and they're gonna be GREAT!

I have a small piece of pork loin defrosting in the fridge and tomorrow will be some [pounded] loin chops with perhaps a baked potato.

More later.

Very Good Friday!

I don't wanna say that I was tired but I went to bed at 7:00 pm and got up at 5:30 am..... my back is a little better, though. I can't believe that it was 65 degrees at 5:30 this morning?!?! And it's supposed to go up to 85 today.... WTF???? This is only APRIL!!!!!

I didn't smoke my cigar yesterday but I'll DEFINITELY get to it this afternoon! First though, I'm making a trip up to GR to go to Lowe's to buy some thin oak boards. I made (upon request) a spice rack for my neighbor...... now HIS neighbor wants me to make them one too - just like it.

No plans yet for dinner..... cooked a hamburger last night on the grill.... Mmmmmmm........

Thursday, April 1st

I've neglected you far too long, gentle readers...... my only excuse is that I was traveling back East for a couple of weeks. But WHAT a trip!

Saw old friends Jeannie & Dick and Robin and Alex in Westchester County (NY)...... cooked a GREAT meal of crab cakes and wild rice and sauteed Sea Bass with sauteed aspragus..... it was WONDERFUL! Then another of steak (on the grill, of course) with baked potatoes, green beans w/garlic and roasted onions (also on the grill)!!!!

Back to Virginia...... and a dinner for 6 of braised lamb shanks (OMG - soooooo good!) with a positively GREAT recipe of roasted vegetables and orzo........

In between all of the traveling there was a GREAT burger (on charcoal - thanks Alex!), a frittata, pizza made with a garlic/herb crust, AND a trip to "5 Guys" burger joint (a first for me - not in my area yet but check around, if they're in yours, GO THERE!!!!)

I'm back home in MI now debating which flavor of Gravy Train will be the choice for tonight (HEY! Warm it up, soften the chunks and close your eyes - you'll be surprised!).....

Raked a little this am, went to the garden store and bought grass seed and fertilizer and deer repellant (they're everywhere here and eat all the budding flowers!)...... but my back is on the 'ragged edge' so I'm relaxing for the rest of the day. S'posed to be 80 today so I may even sit outside and smoke a well-deserved cigar - haven't had one in a couple of years and I'm looking forward to it!

Tuesday Afternoon

I've been living off of leftovers for the last few days. Today I went to the market and was thinking of a steak but there was a SALE on short ribs!!!

I sauteed carrots, onions, garlic and celery..... added the short ribs and browned them........... then deglazed with red wine, reduced that and added chicken stock and beef stock and all the veggies.

Put the whole mix into the oven @ 325......... the smell is AWESOME!!!!.........

Thursday Afternoon

I needed to cook three chicken breasts yesterday so I threw them in a pressure cooker and cooked 'em. Today I had two hamburgers in the fridge and wondered what the heck I could do with 'em. So I made some meatballs and cooked those. I'll use a couple in some tomato sauce and freeze the rest.

Meatballs are in the fridge awaiting tomorrow's meal and today I used the chicken to make a chicken stew with potatoes, carrots, peas, some chopped celery and some sauteed mushrooms. I'll serve that over some homemade biscuits for dinner! YUM!

Saturday Morn

Well I haven't been to the market in a few days and I'm having WITHDRAWAL! LOL I've got a list and I have a couple of other errands to do today so I'll stop in later this morning.

Tonight is gonna be a variation of my childhood Saturday Night Supper of hot dogs and baked beans only tonight I'm gonna have brats (I had poached some after a sale then froze them - gonna brown 'em out on the grill). I had tried those Bush's Grilling Beans but they didn't work out - they all fell through the grates. So I'll fall back on my (doctored) B & M's.

First, though, I have to take a look at the sale circular for the market for NEXT week - I don't wanna buy something today that'll go on sale tomorrow!

Thursday Afternoon

Yeah, yeah, yeah.......... I haven't blogged in a while...... partly due to the fact that I've been eating (somewhat) boring leftovers and partly because I've had a couple of nights off having dinner with friends.

Anyway, my latest obsession is orzo...... I saw a video online about orzo and thought that I'd want to try it! I initially made the recipe as per online but it called for the addition of red pepper flakes - the result was that I was running for the TUMS!!!!! The next time I modified the recipe I omitted those and cut down the liquid also. The deal was, I wanted to have something that I could put into a SS mold (individual, about 3") and bake in the oven so that when it was served, it would result in a small, cake-like structure.

The result was good but I'm gonna modify the liquid a little more and add some lemon zest at the end to give it a little 'freshness' (because I intend to serve this with some sea bass.

I'll let you know how it comes out!

Friday Noon

I had originally wanted to go to the market today and buy some orzo. I've never made it but wanted to try - sounds pretty simple. BUT it's snowing (again!) so I opted to go to the fridge and poke around. Found a 'tube' of Italian sausage that I had once bought with the intention of browning it and using some on top of a homemade pizza (but never got around to it).

So I browned that up, put most of it into a 'suck bag' and into the freezer and am making a sausage/tomato sauce w/onions and mushrooms for pasta tonight.

I've been a bit absorbed by the Olympics recently so the other night I made a simple tomato soup and a BLT...... STILL wanna try a couple of orzo recipes, tho...... have to make a dinner (probably sea bass) for friends in a few weeks and orzo would be a great accompaniment! I'll keep you informed.

I've been selling some stuff on ebay and got a bit of extra cash so I bought a couple of new pots - a 2 qt and a 4 qt stainless tri-clad (aluminum sandwiched between stainless steel) and they're awesome! I have a 13" skillet of the same brand so they perform just as expected!

I also bought a 6 qt porcelain-coated cast iron cocotte (w/lid) for stuff like lamb shanks, BIG stews, short ribs etc - hell, I could even roast a chicken in there! (can't WAIT to try that!).

That's it for now - maybe tomorrow I'll work on the orzo.

Wednesday Afternoon

I made a BIG batch of Chicken Cacciatore (or, my version of it, made with boneless chicken) and added the rice like before. I'm anxious to see if a large batch has the same taste as the smaller portion that I made last week. It's in the fridge now, 'marrying'..... it's for dinner tomorrow night.

Today I received the rotisserie for my gas grill that I ordered - I just HAD to buy a small chicken and try it out tonight. It's currently turning at about 425 degrees for about another 30 minutes and then I'm going to turn it down to about 250 for a couple of hours.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Sunday

Open House today..... pray for this Victorian relic to sell, please.

Today sounds like a good day for a couple of grilled brats and some homemade mac and cheese.... with some great sweet/hot mustard and the Olympics!

Wednesday Eve

Well I'm not sure that I can truly call it 'cacciatore'.... I'll just call it DELICIOUS!!

Wednesday Morning

OK, I know this is a little unconventional but I have this problem. Remember the other day I bought one of those rotisserie chickens you always see in the market? That's the one that make that great stock - yep.... that's the one. Well I saved all of the chicken meat in the fridge. THEN yesterday I was in the market picking up a fresh loaf of ciabatta bread and found whole chickens on a 'Managers Special' for $.49/lb !!!!!!! Well, I just couldn't resist....... THEN, I had to find a different way of cooking it so I made a beer can chicken (if you haven't heard of it or MADE it, make a comment and I'll explain - but it's GREAT!).

SO...... I cooked THAT chicken last night....... NOW I HAVE A BUNCH OF CHICKEN IN THE FRIDGE AND HAVE TO FIND SOME WAY TO USE IT UP!!!

So here's the unconventional part - I know chicken cacciatore is traditionally made starting with uncooked chicken, but I'm gonna make some with my leftover cooked chicken and some of my homemade stock. The only things I need are a red pepper and some mushrooms.

I'll blog about the results later but I think it's gonna be great!

Monday Afternoon

I know it's been a few days since my last blog - but that doesn't mean that I've been shirkin'......... I roasted a chicken and cleaned the oven...... made a chicken stew and have enjoyed that for a couple of days.

Scored a 2 for 1 pot roast and made one and froze one.... made the gravy today and that will wait for later this week.

I bought one of those rotisserie chickens at the market (mainly cause I didn't wanna dirty up my oven) and boned that and roasted the bones etc and reduced that today..... it's gonna make a GREAT stock!!!!!

Tonight is chicken stew on ciabatta bread..... gonna be AWESOME!!!!!

Thursday Afternoon - Misc (2)

Just sliced the steak........ I sliced it thin..... but then I noticed that that one section of the rib eye (you know, that outer section of either a rib eye steak or a prime rib) that always gets well done but is (OH SO) tender. I sliced THAT part separately and saved it for sandwiches, the rest of the 'eye' I cut up for the 'stoup' (combination soup & stew).

The soup was a little 'tomato - y' for my taste so I DID drain it a little and added some beef stock and then the steak. I may even thicken the broth for a more stew-like consistency.

BUT IT'S GONNA BE A W E S O M E!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday Afternoon - Misc

Besides the recent posts pertaining to what I've been making for dinner, I've also been busy doing a bunch of miscellaneous chores involved with my love of cooking.

I had more left-over ciabatta bread and made more bread crumbs and froze them.

I browned the chicken carcass and simmered it for stock. Cooled it, skimmed it, reduced it, skimmed and strained again and finally poured it into a couple of muffin tins and froze it. Next I'll take the 'stock muffins' and empty the tins and put the (still frozen) 'muffins' into a plastic bag in the freezer for use in soups, gravies etc.

Later this afternoon I'm going to cut up the leftover steak from last night and add it to a vegetable soup (canned - it was on a big sale)..... I'll have to taste a bit because I may replace some of the vegetable broth of the soup with some beef stock (bought).... we'll see.

I've been investigation the replacement of my double oven - it's an O L D model (electric) with no self-cleaning feature. It's also only 24" wide....... a couple of the comments by people who have viewed the house mentioned it. I've been selling some stuff on ebay so I MIGHT invest in a new double oven. I also should replace the cooktop. It's one of those glass-topped electric models but the glass has a new crack and the whole thing should be replaced. I wish I could buy a GAS model, but then I'd have to have a gas line run and, as much as I hate electric burners, I might just do an electric model. I think the combination of the cooktop and new ovens might add to the value of the house (for sale).

I'm getting the 'itch' to replace some of my pots/pans...... most of mine are inherited pots from my family (the older Revere-ware) but they no longer sit flush on my cooktop. Plus, newer pots are triple-layered (stainless steel outside/inside with a layer of aluminum between for conductivity)....... I have an 'All-Clad' pot that I'm fond of but I don't see a huge advantage for the BIG cost differential. I may have to investigate this - not that I NEED a lot of pots, but I just want a couple that don't wander around the stove when I try to boil some water!

That's it for now.

Thursday Morn

I had a lot of snowblowing to do yesterday so I wasn't in the mood for a complicated dinner. I rummaged around the freezer and found a rib eye steak that I had vacuum-sealed (while on sale) and defrosted that and cooked that out on the grill. Baked potato and some candied carrots (candied with a touch of maple syrup) rounded out dinner....... yummy. The steak was so big that I still have half of it left! I think what I'll do is to cut it into small pieces and add it to some Progresso vegetable soup that I scored on sale last week.

Tonight it's back to the leftover chicken from the other night with that wonderful gravy - I'll be doin' the Happy Dance after dinner tonight!

Tuesday Evening

My roasted chicken was p o s i t i v e l y A W E S O M E!!!!!!

BUT

At this moment...... this day..... this week..... this month..... even this YEAR........ is there anything better than a jacket-baked potato topped with homemade gravy? I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!!!

Tuesday Afternoon

I'm in the middle of a BIG snowstorm here. Just finished snow-blowing 3 driveways, 2 walks and a city block of sidewalk. Now I'm inside and looking forward to dinner!

Speaking of dinner, I was going to make a beef roast but I didn't want to wait for it to defrost. I had to go out to the Post Office this am so I stopped at the market and picked up a small chicken...... $.69 a POUND!!! It's roasting now and I'm gonna relax a bit before beginning the whole potato and gravy chore.

Sunday - SUPER BOWL

Made myself a small homemade pizza - yummy

My Saints are comin' back - 10 - 3 now!

Saturday Late Afternoon

Last night was left-overs....... but WHAT left-overs!!!! If you've been reading the BLOG you might remember the Sunday Gravy meal I made a couple of weeks ago. Well, I had frozen the left-over sauce (along with the meatballs and sausage) and I reheated that last night and served it over some noodles.... YUMMMMMMMMMM

Tonight is Saturday so it's traditional franks and beans....... hot dogs with sweet mustard, relish, onion and bacon along with some 'doctored' baked beans.

Tomorrow, SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, I may just have to have a homemade pizza..... but I'll need a few things from the market tomorrow morning....... but 'tis a GREAT way to celebrate the Super Bowl!!!

Thursday Afternoon

I had to upgrade a couple of 3-way switches today (successfully - YAY!!) and then do a couple of errands BUT on the 'food front', I'm spending a few minutes making BREAD CRUMBS..... yes, I know, I could go out and BUY bread crumbs, but I've found that they aren't as tasty (or coarse) as the ones I can MAKE.

Now...... I like bread.... but GOOD bread...... hearty, chewy, stick-to-your-ribs bread...... and my market bakes their own chiabatta bread, which I REALLY like. BUT, being the single person that I am, I don't often finish an entire loaf before it begins to get stale. SO...... what I do is to freeze the leftover slices until I get a certain quantity of them, then toast them in the oven at about 200 degrees until they're VERY dry, then plop them into a food processor and make crumbs. These I then freeze (in the same bag that I had stored the bread slices). EASY!

Tonight's dinner is STEAK! I scored a (reduced price) steak at the market and figured I could splurge a little. Soooooo,
Grilled New York Strip Steak with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms with a big baked potato (wiped with olive oil and then salted and baked).

IT'S GONNA BE WONDERFUL!!!!

Tuesday Afternoon

Hello all:

I'm still here.... just not cooking too much worth posting about.... until now....... I've been experimenting with the pork cutlets even more! Welllll, that's in between an old fashioned hamburger and some oven-fried chicken.

I took the cutlets and put 'em in a freezer bag and pounded them thinner. Then flour dredge, egg dip, homemade crumbs, egg again and crumbs again then fried them in about 1/2" of oil. They cooked in literally 15 seconds (on each side). I was a little concerned that the pork wouldn't be done but one cut into it proved me wrong. They were sooooo tender I could cut 'em with a fork - they were like a chicken-fried steak veal scaloppine!!! AWESOME!!!!!

I just saw a post about a a consumer version of a Sous Vide cooker that has me drooling. It's HERE:

http://gizmodo.com/5461100/sousvide-supreme-review-how-to-cook-from-the-inside-out

Better yet, at the end of the page is a link to a DIY project to MAKE one!!!!! I am SO there!!!!! I've GOTTA buy one o'those gadgets and try this!!!!! The most intriguing part of it is the implications for stuff like short ribs (as mentioned in the link). OH MY!!!!! I may even have to BUY the book mentioned in the link!

Enjoy all you 'foodies' out there..... wish there was a 'counter' that could tell me how many people read/visit this blog.

ENJOY!

Wed Eve

The pork cutlets were OUTSTANDING!! I did something a little different this time - flour, egg then homemade breadcrumbs. A quick saute until golden and then finished in the oven - topped with a little caramelized onion and some strips of roasted red pepper and then a slice of provolone cheese and broiled until melted..... WONDERFUL!!!

Wednesday Morn

Last night was another 'old fashioned comfort food' meal - grilled hamburger with homemade French fries. Tonight will be a sauteed pork cutlet with the leftover potato casserole from the other night.

I've spent a couple of hours reading online about wood smokers. This is something that I've been wanting to do for a l o n g time...... part of me wants to try one of the basic ones ($100 or so), part of me wants the 'mini fridge' style of electric smokers and another part of me wants to splurge and buy one of those 'Big Green Eggs' where I could grill as well as smoke. I'm never going to enter a BBQ competition or anything but I'd definitely want to be able to host a party or picnic with a whole bunch of friends!

So if anyone has an opinion about smokers (gas vs. wood, what style etc, etc), please leave a comment here (assuming anyone is still reading this... LOL).

Monday Morn

Dinner last night was awesome! The steak was grilled and very tasty, the scalloped potatoes were great and, instead of a green vegetable, I bought a bunch of orange ones - carrots, which I par boiled and then candied....Mmmm.

Falling temps and snow on the way for the entire week - luckily the freezer has plenty to eat so perhaps just one quick trip to the market to pick up a couple of odds and ends will take me until the weekend.

Sunday Morn

A VERY satisfying dinner last night - ya know, sometimes I just crave some old fashioned comfort food - like the hot dogs last night. Mustard, relish, onions and crumbled bacon..... mmm, mmmmm, MMMMMMMM!

It started out to be a simple meal of hot dogs, (doctored) baked beans and maybe some chips but I ended up making a bunch more work for myself cause I wanted some French Fries too..... making French Fries isn't difficult at all, it just requires deep frying TWICE - once at a lower temp to cook and soften, then once at a higher temp to crisp. It's just a little more work to clean up rather than sticking something frozen into the oven. But the end product is WONDERFUL! AND you can do 'em in smaller batches (cooking only at the lower temp) and then crisp 'em and have 'em HOT if you want some more!

As I said in yesterdays blog, today I'm having a New York strip steak (a small one). I seasoned it yesterday with a mesquite seasoning and let it sit overnight. I can't decide whether I want to go SIMPLE (baked potato) or more fancy (perhaps scalloped potatoes or something like that). I have some wonderful Gruyere cheese, milk, butter, onion and potatoes so that'd be easy - it'd just take a little more effort. OK..... I've talked (written) myself into the scalloped potatoes. Now for a green vegetable. I don't have anything fresh on hand but I have to go to the market anyway so I'll pick up something there. Maybe even some wild mushrooms to saute!!

Stay tuned!

Hmmmmm...... How Cum...... ?

I just emptied my full dishwasher. How cum the silverware rack was chock full and in addition there were mixing bowls, measuring cups, coffee mugs, a multitude of other cooking implements (whisks, spatulas, tongs, ladles).... but only ONE plate?????

OMG! Has it really been one week!

One week since my last Blog?!?! YIKES! Sorry everyone..... it's been kind of an uneventful week for a couple of reasons: 1) I kinda got tired of cleaning up after myself (seems like I could cook for FIVE and have the same number of dishes!) and, 2) I just wanted to save some money (I haven't reached the Ramen Noodle stage but I DID have soup and a sandwich a coupla times).

All of that said, last night I made something that I haven't made in AGES....... PANCAKES! Specifically, CORN pancakes. I had forgotten how much I liked these. In the store where I shop I saw a particular, well-known brand on sale. Then I noticed that there were two KINDS of their buttermilk pancakes. One was the 'Easy' recipe (just add water) and the other was the regular recipe of add milk, oil and an egg. No one will ever convince me that the 'Easy' box was gonna taste as good and the regular so that's the one I bought.

I got out my trusty cast iron grill and set it over a couple of burners to heat while I mixed everything together then added the drained corn. Luckily I also had some (REAL) Maple Syrup in the fridge. I had one end of the grill on LOW and the other on my grilling temp so I could keep some pancakes warm while still cooking others. I tell ya, I never moved from the stove! As soon as each pancake finished, it was onto my plate, added some butter and just a little Maple Syrup and into my mouth - NO LINE, NO WAITING!

The box says that the smallest mixable batch makes 8 - 10 pancakes. I hesitated to try to halve the recipe so I made the whole batch - Hell the whole box only cost me about $1.50!! Anyhow, after all of my perpetual motion of pour the batter, butter, pour syrup, eat a couple of bites, flip the pancakes, eat a couple more bites, check for doneness, eat a couple more bites, remove finished pancakes then REPEAT, I swear I only had enough batter left for a single pancake! OMG did I really eat THAT many?!?!

I also scored a family-pak of New York Strip Steaks that had been reduced (end-of-the-week-and-they-still-haven't-sold-sale). Three will go right to the freezer (individually) and perhaps the fourth will be on the grill tomorrow!

Meanwhile, it's Saturday once again and I still have some hot dogs (frozen) from my last beans and franks menu and I had been lucky enough to score some decent baked beans in those SMALL, one-serving cans for $.98.... wooHOO! Course I'll still doctor 'em up a bit (mostly with molasses and onion) but they'll do. (I've never made my own baked beans. I have my Mother's bean pot but not her recipe, which was WONDERFUL!!! I'm just gonna haveta try that some day.)

TIP: look in your market for Honeycup (Uniquely Sharp) mustard..... it comes in a little six-sided jar...... it's not your regular yellow mustard. It's pricey but I don't use it exclusively either so that's how I justify the cost....LOL

Saturday Late Afternoon

It's Saturday - and, if you're from New England like I am, what do you have for dinner on a saturday night? FRANKS AND BEANS!! I didn't take the trouble to bake my own but I DID doctor up some canned baked beans and they'll do. The snow is off the grill so I can make the dogs out there.

Best of all, VERY few dishes to do!!!!!

Friday Late Afternoon

It's FRIDAY!!! And I'm bringing out that smaller frozen pizza I made a while ago. I'll 'doctor' it a bit and it'll be GREAT!!

I also scored a coup at the market today - boneless center cut pork loins, (small ones) BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE!! So I froze one - the other will go for some pork cutlets, a couple of brined pork chops and maybe some BBQ pork!!! waHOOO!!!

Also bought 3 boneless chicken cutlets (on sale) - already sauteed them and they're in the fridge. LOTS of possibilities for those next week too!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dinner Last Night

Dinner last night was fantastic! The only exception was the garlic bread - I used a new recipe and was NOT happy with the outcome at all! BUMMER. For a dessert I made POT Du Creme (French Custard) topped with strawberry preserves. Everything (except for the garlic bread) was awesome! And I have a LOT of leftover sauce/meat!! wooHOO!

Monday Eve

The noodles are made and drying, the sauce (with the meatballs, sausage and pork) is warming, the garlic bread is awaiting company before warming and the salad is made.

I THINK I'M READY!!

Sunday late afternoon

My Sunday Gravy is done and IT'S DELICIOUS!! It's cooling now but I'll reheat tomorrow. Decided that, though it's a bunch of work, I'll make home made noodles/spaghetti to go with it. Salad is done and I decided to make a cucumber salad too. Dessert is Pot du Creme (a French custard that I'll serve with some strawberry preserves. Also made a garlic bread.

It's gonna be a GREAT meal with good friends.

Meanwhile, dinner tonight is leftover pizza from the other night - it'll be just as good!

Sunday Morn

My Sunday Gravy is once again heating - I may transfer about half of it to my large crock pot later - we'll see. Meanwhile (lest you think that all I do is cook), I haveta do some laundry and otherwise straighten up the house before the Patriots game at 1:00.

2nd pic

Off topic but interesting

I saw the deer last night..... but waited until today to take pics of their footsteps


Two pics of deer tracks in my back yard

Saturday eve

The Sunday Gravy is now mellowing in the snow outside - I'll bring it in before the deer get to it tonight but, meanwhile, it's the quickest way to cool it.

I added a sauté pan full of pork cubes and he meatballs from the oven. I'll reheat tomorrow and then chill once again. Guests are coming on Monday eve so I may end up making homemade noodles too.

Now that I've spent so much time with the sauce, it's time to make myself some dinner. I think I'll crisp some grated potatoes and top with some chicken in gravy.

BACON Pic

Saturday - afternoon 2:15 - BACON TIP

A good friend suggested that I put this tip on my blog. I'm a single guy and I LOVE bacon (welllll, I LOVE my kids and many of my friends but I really LIKE bacon!).

The problem is that whenever I bought bacon, I used only a little and most of it often went wasted. But I found a great way to store it (frozen) in small bunches - as LONG AS YOU HAVE ONE OF THOSE SEAL-A-MEAL devices!!!!!

I always cut my bacon in half - always have, always will. I start by making a l o n g bag in my SAM (seal-a-meal). I then take three or four pieces and place them in the bag at a time.

See the picture in the next post - it illustrates an entire pound of bacon - it can be folded and frozen just like this. When ever I want a few pieces, I cut the bag, take out what I need and then reseal the bag and put it back in the freezer.

I hope this helps others........

Saturday - early afternoon

Ya know, sometimes I go to the market to pick up just a few odds and ends and end up touring the meat case just for some inspiration. Well I FOUND it just yesterday! I bought a package of pork neck bones (had never seen 'em in this market before) and they were reduced in price! Bought a POUND for $1.05.... that's right, $1.05!!!!!

Now normally these things don't have enough meat on them for ANY kind of meal but I roasted them in a hot oven for about 45 minutes and just added 'em to (what will become) a GIGANTIC Sunday Gravy! If you're confused about that definition, look back at a much earlier post.

So, I sauteed some onion and garlic, added some tomato paste and gently browned that then added tomato sauce and petite diced tomatoes and a bunch of spices and some water. When the bones were browned, I added those. ALL of that will simmer for several hours. I also have some frozen Italian sausages (that I'd previously poached) and I'll cut those up into big bites and add later. AND I scored some ground beef (on sale) and will make a bunch of meatballs too!

I'm now sure that I'll HAVE to switch to a bigger stick pot (and probably invite a bunch of friends over too!) but this will all cook and probably finish tomorrow afternoon. I'll adjust seasonings then.

The layers of flavor from the tomato, pork, sausage and meatballs is gonna be FABULOUS!!! I haven't decided yet if I'll make my own spaghetti or just use store-bought - either way IT'S GONNA BE GREAT!!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's evaluation!

Friday 3:30PM

Pizza last night was AWESOME! Froze the leftovers (1/2 of the lg one and an entire smaller pizza).

Had snow overnight so something in me just HAD to have a roast chicken today. Nothin fancy, just good, old fashioned comfort food on a cold day. I can't WAIT!

Gooooood Pizza!

Thursday 1:40PM

Had to get out more bacon. I 1/2 cooked the first batch but couldn't stop snaking on it. SOLUTION: MAKE MORE!!!!!

Thursday 1:00PM

Veggies and meat are all sliced and ready...... I also found some pepperoni and julienned that.... and some..... BACON!!!! BACON, BACON, BACON....... BBAACCOONN!!!!!!

Dough is proofing...... gotta make my fresh tomato sauce....... but have LOTS of time.

Results later......... Mmmm, mmmmm, mm, mmm, mmmmmmmmmm

Thursday Morn

I haven't blogged in a couple of days because I'm still working on some leftovers. Since it's only ME, whenever I make something like Pot Roast, I end up with leftovers which mutated into hot beef (open face) sandwiches with gravy and some thinly sliced for a cold sandwich and a gravy/tomato sauce with the beef and some red kidney beans and spices for a very mild chili kind of thing. And the other day I roasted a couple of chicken breasts, ate one and the other is ready for sandwiches now too.

Today it's snowing and a good day to stay inside. So I'm making homemade pizza with homemade dough and sauce topped with onions, green peppers and sausage. Mmmmmmmmm It's gonna be sooooooo good!

A C O L D Sunday

Temps this morning are -5 with wind chill - soooo thankful I went shopping YESTERDAY! I'm in need of comfort food today - my youngest son called a couple of days ago wanting hints on a pot roast so that's been on my mind ever since. Pot Roast it IS! I'll follow my home recipe (see much earlier post) and may even have a cup of homemade onion soup to start!

I'm BA - ACK!

Ahhhh gentle readers, I have neglected you much longer than I ever anticipated. All I can say is that the wedding and the subsequent flooding in my basement have held me captive for a few weeks. But that doesn't mean that I wasn't cooking! So here's a small summary of some of the special things I've made over the last couple of weeks:

Christmas Eve dinner - I splurged and bought a couple of lobsters and steamed them - an extravagance that I can only afford once in a l o n g while.

Christmas Dinner - There was going to be six of us for dinner so I made a standing rib roast. Nothing fancy, just salt, pepper and flour dusting then roasted. It was MAGNIFICENT!

Since then, homemade meat ravioli (from the freezer) - just as good as the day I first made it!

Grilled lamb chops rubbed with fresh garlic and a bunch of salt and pepper - lamb is truly my favorite read meat!

Homemade meatloaf made with beef and pork and the traditional additives.

Tonight was a simple tomato sauce with chunks of leftover meatloaf used as meatballs served over pasta (alas, not homemade).

I shall be posting much more regularly in the future and I wish you all a Happy New Year.