Po-tay-toe, Po-tot-oh What to do with them all?

I still have almost 1/2 a bag of a 10 pounder of potatoes bought right before Christmas. While I have kept them in a dark place, I fear they need to be eaten this week or they will soon be bound for the garbage can, and that is just not the direction I want to go and as yo can see, some are already sprouting. Potatoes of some sort will be my choice of side dish this week. Please add your ideas in the comments below. 

Helen Soup, known to most as Potato Cheddar, is a family favorite, first made in 1993 when an older colleague, Helen, shared her evening meal recipe. A particularly cold and wet fall, and a new job that added 15 minutes to my commute, with a traveling DH, and a 2 and 4 year old at home, meant my hands were full. Inexpensive, hearty, and easy was the dinner game plan. This soup is easy, with four cups diced carrots, four cups diced potatoes, cooked in 8 cups water with 8 stock cubes and 2 tsp of pepper. Remove half the soup to puree with a blender or hand mixer, pour back in, and add 1 cup shredded or cubed cheddar cheese. I still have cheddar from my Christmas shop, and a buy one get one on 2 pound bags carrots yielded a bounty there as well.

Parmesan Potatoes-Dice 4-6 medium size potatoes. Toss with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. When coated, toss in a mixture of  1-2 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, 1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, watching until they get crispy, and turning at least one time. 

Home Fried Potatoes are so good, my mouth waters thinking of these and a great use of leftover baked potatoes. I'm intentionally creating leftovers by baking up a bunch in my microwave. For a medium potato, dice 1/4 medium onion and fry in a tsp of butter, for a good onion to potato ration. I seem to have four leftover potatoes a lot, so usually 1 onion, 4 tsp of butter, cooked until the onion is translucent.  Add the cold, diced baked potatoes, and cook on low to heat the potatoes through. Turn up heat to get a good fry; turn gently to fry the other side, add salt and pepper to taste. 

Good old mashed- with a tsp of butter, roughly 1/2 ounce of cream cheese, and a1/2 ounce of sour cream (or plain yogurt), whipped in per potato. A five pound bag of potatoes for a holiday will have at least a stick of butter, a package of cream cheese, and a 8 ounce tub of sour cream. This method works great for reheating, or keeping warm in a crock pot. Not low cal, but a small portion does the job. Alternatively, I'll whip with just skim milk at times.

Potato Patties were a favorite as a child if we had an abundance of leftover mashed, and were getting sick of them that way. My mom would crack an egg in the potatoes, add salt, pepper, then form in a patty shape and fry on both sides in a little butter. When I do this, naturally as I do to most of my cooking, I add a ton of garlic and Italian seasoning, and if I have any cheese remnants, I'll throw that in as well. 

We'll be eating a lot of chicken this week, along with hamburgers, Sloppy Joe's, and eggs. Carrots will be the vegetable of choice due to the sale mentioned above. some of these potato sides can be frozen, like the patties and even the mashed potatoes for next week if we get tried of them. The humble, yet versatile potato.  What's your favorite way to serve? 

Comforts

DD made us some spaghetti last night. Nothing more than Barilla pasta and Ragu sauce, but at the end of a long choreography weekend for her, and a day filled with headaches and discomfort for me, it hit the spot. Comfort food. She also made me a cup of the Fortnum and Mason's tea I've been rationing since April when DD1's friend brought me us some from London. The Brit's really do make a lovely tea. I napped off an on through the day, not able to get a descent night sleep the last few nights being woken up several times. Pup kept me company, stretching out next to me, letting me feel his warmth. Pets just seem to know when extra comfort is needed, don't they. 

I'm attempting to get my stuff together long enough to get to work for a series of meetings, leading up to "the meeting" where my team gets final approval to move our plan forward, scheduled to launch December 1. I've got a comfort and care package to go with me which includes a heating pad for my lower back, which has been greatly impacted by my lack of physical mobility and a stick on heating pad for my bad knee, missing the ibuprofen I take to manage the muscle swelling. I have a container of pretzel twists and one of peanut butter plus a couple hot chocolate packets. A little protein pick-me up with a hug in a cup should help keep my energy up. Comforts.

Dishing it Out..Out and About

Minnesota dinner was a hit. It was a small group of us, but my mother-in-law joined us for dinner prior to heading for one of her many bridge clubs. It was a good thing we opted not to do a bigger get together as I might have not been able to feed the masses. Though, I do have the equivalent of the next size smaller baking dish, of Tator Tot hotdish left. While that sounds like it wasn't a hit, there were only five of us eating that one, as I made a veggie version for DD#1, and the pan was full. The picture above is post oven and here is it in it's raw uncooked state. MMMM...tots.

DD#1 made the "salad" under my guesstimated directions. I said I don't generally make these quintessential Minnesota delicacies, so was going by what I thought my sister always puts in hers. If you didn't really believe it, yes, those are Snickers candy bars in that bowl with the apples. Leftovers include the hot dish, one serving of the veggie version, about one and 1/2 cups of wild rice soup, and two spoonfuls of Snickers salad. I made those white chocolate cake mix cookies as well as the brownies, so there are also plenty of treats going into the week. A themed dinner party was kind of fun. I imagine my MIL will tell of the "event" to her bridge friends and others, throughout the week as this would be something we would hear her tell us about-in great detail. 

My weekend isn't only about cooking. DD#2 and I headed over to the armory where a craft and vendor fair was going on. I love a good craft and vendor show, but had decided unless something really seemed necessary (and really what would be necessary) I was just looking and getting out of the house. I almost succumbed three times. First, Tastefully Simple was having a show special, of $5.00 shipping on an order of $50.00 or more, plus many items discounted. I love having dip and spread packets, quick bread mixes, and interesting jams and sauces at the ready. However, with the variety in the grocery stores these days, a co-op in town, and several whole foods stores between work and home, there is no reason to order these kinds of convenience foods. I think companies like this and the other one I know, Wild Tree served a purpose at one time when wholesome, easy to prepare foods were hard to come by-when things like cream of something soups were the norm for busy people.

There were two side by side tables  of hand knit and hand braided dish cloths, pot scrubbers, and rag rugs. I love the quality of the dishcloths-thick, but with enough give that they fit in a glass or around a curved dish. The rag rugs were gorgeous, and one would look so good in my entry! I passed on both. I'm sure combined ages of the sweet ladies selling their wares was at least 160 and they were chatting up a storm with everyone, so hard not to buy something. The final gauntlet element was the bakery stand with slices of cheesecake and gourmet cupcakes. The coconut cream had my name on it and the red velvet had DD#2's. We were brave, and walked briskly past, remembering I had a kitchen full of treats at home. 

On the calendar today is church, haircuts, some clothes purging, and the show choir banquet. DD#1 and friend are with us another day, not that we'll see much of them as they have plans again in Minneapolis. D has kept R busy and they went to a late  comedy improv show last night in a trendy part of the city. They were home well after I had hit my bed, having the need of several ibuprofen as those lower back muscles were causing me loads of grief, somewhat out of the blue about the time I was doing final dinner prep. I had planned to meet my friend S and others that came out for a piano bar night as an old friend of hers, acquaintance of mine, was in town, but knew I couldn't deal with driving or even riding in a car. Today is the best day of the weekend weather wise, and my back feels better, so time to get on with my day.

Foodies..Minnesota Style

Perhaps no one thinks about Minnesota when you think fine cuisine.  I bet though, if you've ever past through our great state, you will have gotten a fond appreciation for good and hearty comfort food and perhaps a liking for a salad, that really is not a salad, but rather a desert. These are the foods I will be making for my Minnesota Foodie feast tonight. In reality, these, short of the soup, are not dishes I make very much at all, but evoke memories from childhood and still make appearances at family gatherings and potlucks. I have not begun cooking yet, but here is the menu so far. A few more items might slip in if something pops into my head. There will be no Lutefisk. That was one food that could have stayed in Norway. DD#1 took her friend for a Juicy Lucy the other day, so I will not be making those scrumptious burgers either, but I kind of want one now. 

First, and so stereotypically Minnesota it could not NOT be on the menu. I am speaking about Tator Tot Hotdish. Don't let any web writer or travel blogger fool you into saying "hotdish" is pronounced "hoddish". I've never heard it called hoddish in my life, except perhaps if it was a guy asking for another scoop while still having a bite of the last helping in his mouth. Minnesota is one of the highest educated states, and we speak proper grammar, and while we may add colorful and quaint expressions to our sentences, you know, we say hot-dish  as it is phonetically meant to be said. Geesh! 

I had to get that of my chest. I had a lot of suggestions to make the green pistachios and pineapple salad, all the rave at every Lutheran  church funeral spread. I don't like it, and don't like to prepare things I don't like to eat, so passing on that in favor of a more recent Minnesota "salad" creation, the Snickers Salad. This delicious concoction of sweet, salty, and tart combines crisp, preferably a tarter apple, pieces of a Snicker candy bars, and dry roasted salted peanuts, mixed together and liberally bound with a tub of Cool Whip. Yes, I did call it a Snicker salad. For it to be really Minnesotan, I suppose we should use a Pearson's Nut Goodie, but I like Snickers better. 

For a starter, I will have cups of cream of wild rice soup. I couldn't find any in the grocery store, but if I was so fortunate to have foraged a few morel mushrooms, they would have made the soup over the top. I have a cheat recipe that starts with a box of long grain and wild rice mix, but the real Minnesota chef's will be buying the raw rice, washing it several times and soaking it the night before, 

Desert will be a pan of brownies. No Minnesota picnic spread, family gathering, church dinner, or weekend at the lake is complete without a pan of brownies. Or are brownies just a salad, in a pan? I am not sure now. Apparently Minnesota cuisine is so foodie worthy, Movoto made a video of the oh so cool people on the west coast tasting Minnesota dishes. I think overall, it was a thumbs up. I'll let you know tomorrow what our English friend's verdict was. 

It really Is So Much Better Than My Mom's

It is goulash.  I'm feeling nostalgic this week and wanted some hearty rib sticking comfort food. Thick and rich tomato sauce with ground beef, clinging to tender but firm pasta. Yeah, that wasn't exactly how mom made it. I've mentioned before the hot dish my mom called goulash was little more than hamburger, cooked tomato juice, and elbow macaroni.  DD#1 reminded me that sometimes she would use the macaroni from the boxed mac and cheese, and sometimes leftover Sloppy Joe meat-getting crazy on all of us! Her's was cheap, filling, but no spice, no flavor, and nothing I really wanted to add to my families dinner table.  I loved my mom, but spice was not her thing.  Mine is just as easy, if not quite as cost effective, but close if I buy bargain staples. Here's my sort of recipe.

Goulash-Sam Style

 12-16 ounces pasta-depending on how many your feeding and how saucy you want it
1 # ground beef
2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
course ground pepper
garlic (I use garlic powder because I always have on hand)
Italian seasoning
salt to taste and for pasta water

Cook pasta to directions,  
While water is getting ready, brown ground beef, breaking up in little pieces, salt and pepper to taste.
Drain fat, rinse if you really want the fat out-I don't
Stir in tomato's, tomato paste, and bring to a simmer.
Add spices-at least 1 1/2 tsp of each=more to taste.
Keep bubbling gently until pasta is done.

Once pasta is done, drain, then mix all together in the pasta pan. Put the cover on and let all the flavors meld about 10-15 minutes,  Serve.   My camera was not workung but I found this free picture that looks just like my version.

I'm now at five in my Blog Every Day November challenge.  Look for this on a Twitter feed near you. #BEDN

Picture from globe-view.com

Candy Bars Do Not a Supper Make

It has been a crazy day, but a three day weekend is ahead as it is my Friday off tomorrow.  I was most grateful for my little candy stash, but let me tell you, when your blood sugar drops about 6:15, a Nestle Crunch and Almond Joy, will only give you a quick rush, out not sustain your brain.  I learned DH is just ordering pizza for him and DD#2.  I will miss hot pizza, but my evening is pretty good as well. 

I have now been working with a sort of new coworker, she switched to my program in August, for about six weeks.  We are doing a presentation tonight together and having fun setting it up.  She is young, smart, energetic, and super kind.  I hit the jackpot when she joined my team. How about you?  How are you transitioning into the weekend? Will you days be filled with smiles and Snicker bars, or might you actually be thinking like a grownup with your menu selection?

Breakfast

There are not many commonplace experiences I enjoy more than breakfast.  I'm not talking about the bran flakes in the cereal bowl, mug of coffee and a bagel kind of breakfast, which is typical of most of my mornings.  When I think about enjoying breakfast, it is the full on eggs, potatoes bacon and sausage, and if possible, biscuits and gravy.  Add a bottomless pot of coffee, and once I leave the table, I probably need nothing more the rest of the day; that is how satisfying a big full breakfast is to me.  

This love of breakfast is rooted back to my childhood. When I was growing up, Sunday's were still a day of rest or at least not a day of employment. After we went to church, it was normally my dad that would make the big Sunday breakfast. Pancakes or waffles, big pans of scrambled eggs or  batch after batch of over easy ones, and a pan of bacon and sausage. The toaster kept popping up warm bread to smear with butter and jam. We would take our time eating because food came out in batches, all lingering around the table. The girls cleaned up after and then we all went on with our day, dad now able to relax with the Sunday paper, and a ball game on the television or radio.  As the years went on, and we kids were out of the house, we often would meet my parents after church for breakfast at a favorite diner in town. We rarely go out for breakfast anymore since my parents have passed away.  

Lately, a meal like this is more likely to  be on our supper menu, as none of the three of us are up and eating at the same time. Add to that the mess of the various pans and the time to sit and enjoy, we just don't choose to build the full breakfast into our morning routine. But this morning will be different.  DD#1 is home, and like her mother, she loves the full on breakfast as well. Of course, hers will be minus the bacon, sausage, and sausage gravy.  There might be a side of pancakes. While I wasn't planning on eating out, the unexpectant extra two days of her company, has made me decide to splurge on a mother daughter breakfast, and some downtown window shopping. DH is at work, and DD#2 is already out with friends, and the kitchen is remotely clean to the point I don't want to create another mess. How about you?  When is a meal more than a meal?   

Paradise on 12 Grains

Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse - and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness -
And Wilderness is Paradise now.
- Omar Khayyam

Ahh, the things we can give ourselves that lend to such simple enjoyment. I had a hectic day today.  It was good, but several curves thrown in. An impromptu meeting with the big big boss, a gnarly tangle to help a school get out of, and my exit ramp closed for the duration of the summer kept me hopping and improvising throughout the day.  To top it off, DD#1 left some equipment she needs for work in her old room after coming home for the weekend.  I met her between her home an ours, saving her 80 minutes round trip, but adding 20 to my end of day.  With stomach growling, I was like an ostrich with my head in the sand, avoiding the Taco Bell, Wendy's, and Chipotle I passed on my detour and made it home without spending money we don't need to spend on food I don't need to eat. 

However, my will power didn't make the rumbling go away, and by7:00, I was getting quite famished, with DD#2 expected to arrive home any minute, probably famished as well.  Even though it was hot out weather wise, the thought of a boring sandwich or a quick salad  didn't appeal to my taste buds.  I decided to combine the two. The result was phenomenal.

On 12 grain bread, I lightly buttered 4 slices of bread and put butter side down on a cookie sheet I heated up in the broiler.  I topped two slices with cheddar, garlic powder, and sliced marinated artichoke hearts.  On the other two slices went mozzarella, more garlic powder, and baby spinach leaves, piled high.  I took a little of the marinade form the artichokes and dribbled over the spinach, and popped the lot under the broiler for about six minutes.  Folded on top of each other, and cut ins squares, to make them easier to handle, I prepared for bite one.  The veggies and cheese oozed together in my mouth taking me to a happy place. DD#2 bit in and proclaimed, "OMG, Mom. This is so good." 

I should have taken a picture of my process, but quite frankly, I didn't think it would be anything to write about.  "Sam, I hate to break it to you,", you may be thinking, "it really isn't."  Seriously though, it was that good.  I would dare to put it up against any pub or cafe grilled cheese, and at a price because of my bargain ingredient so less than $1.00 a sandwich, I want to write about it.  I don't have a vendetta against the fast food industry, but sometimes when I am hungry, and stressed, or rushed, I think I need to turn to a quick drive through window to feed myself and my family.  In the same time it would have taken, at this time of day, to pull through the drive in, pay, and get back on the road, would have been no less, and probably more, than my prep time took.  I've shared before that I like to use things like onion spread, or other spreads to uplift the humble grilled cheeses.  This was a bit beyond and now my mind is already prepping a sandwich line for the full bounty of late summer.

How about you?  What have you discovered my luck, or with intentional invention in the kitchen? I'll leave you with DD's 1/2 eaten sandwich to gaze upon. 

Cookies for the Soul

My extended family draws names for Christmas.  We all dread drawing one of the guys names because men seem to be historically difficult to buy a modestly priced gift for that have any real thought. Getting one of the girls makes for fun shopping, and thoughtful gift giving because we know each other so well.  We are a practical bunch, so things purchased are not silly, but genuinely wanted, but with a twist of personal touch.  The recipe I am going to share is from one such gift I received probably 19 years ago from my oldest brothers wife.  At that time I had been married about 8 years and most of  my kitchen bake ware had seen better times.  I desperately needed new cookie sheets.  I received from her one of the new at that time, insulated cookie sheets that  keep the pan just the right temperature and really help get perfectly baked cookies. 

The cookie sheet alone, as they are on the pricey side, would have been a lovely gift.  She thoughtfully added a bag of chocolate chips, a hand knitted potholder, and a recipe for the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies I would ever eat. I like to think the addition of oatmeal in place of part of the flour, makes them healthy, or at least healthier. The combination of using real butter and not margarine or Crisco, with the oatmeal, gives a nutty caramel taste that is soothing right down to your soul. these are heartier than a regular chocolate chip, so freeze better, and stand up on a lunch bag. When it was the five of us at home, plus assorted neighborhood kids in and out of the house, I doubled the batch and we still went through them quickly.  I don't use the full bag of chips-maybe 2/3 as I like a little more of the cookie flavor to come through.  I do this with the Nestle Toll House recipe as well-reserve part of the chips.  If you are a chocolate fiend, go for the full bag!  We use the remaining chips for other house favorites like ants on a log or in pancakes or muffins.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C Sugar

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 Cup Butter** (Do not substitute anything for the butter)

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

 

1 1/4 C Flour

2 C Quick Cooking oats

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

 

1 12 oz. Package semi-sweet Chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350

Cream softened butter with the sugar, add eggs one at a time and blend well. In separate bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda, add oats. Combine dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well blended and you can easily make dough balls.  Add chocolate chips. 

 

Bake approximately 11 minutes.  For best results, bake only one cookie sheet at a time on middle rack, and let rest 2-3 minutes before removing from the sheet to a wire rack or paper for cooling.

Comfort Food...with a Twist

My brother once said, "I used to think mom was a really good cook until I grew up and learned there is something called spices." I'll give my mom a lot of credit for putting wholesome, filling, and nutritious meals on the table, but my brother had a point. Salt and pepper was about it for putting a little extra flavor, and we had some pretty bland meals.  One of our favorites back then, and total comfort food, was what she called goulash.  Now those of you of Hungarian descent will be mortified at using that term for what I am going to describe, but that was our family name.  Even after we as kids were grown and out of the house, if it was a Saturday or Sunday afternoon impromptu gathering with kids and cousins, she would cook up a big batch of either Sloppy Joes, or her goulash. 

Basically it was hamburger cooked  loosely with some onion, salt and pepper, a big box of Creamette elbow macaroni, cooked to package directions, and a large can of tomato juice.  She would combine all the ingredients and let it cook until the juice had been cooked down and absorbed around the pasta, creating a kind of sauce.  Leftovers reheated were even better.  Sometimes she would use leftover Sloppy Joe meat that she had kept in the freezer-not enough for a meal on its own,  instead of fresh hamburger.  She was inventive, and didn't let food go to waste. I was craving some of that comfort food, but at this point, my palate needs a little more spice.  So here is my version.

1/2# hamburger cooked with 1 chopped onion, salt, pepper, and plenty of garlic powder
(tonight I had some leftover fresh mushrooms so I sliced them up to cook with the hamburger as well)
Once brown, add a 15 oz. can dice tomatoes, and 1 small can tomato paste. Add generous amounts of more garlic powder, Italian seasoning, more pepper, and a few healthy shakes of  chili powder.
While this is all simmering, cook 1# of elbow macaroni to box directions, drain, then add back to the pot, with the hamburger tomato mixture.  Mom always bought Creamette, but I have whatever was a good deal, though our preference is Barilla. Stir. It is now ready to eat. 

This was not so different than mom's, but it had more spice and more texture because of the dice tomato's instead of juice. Not counting the spices because I get those so dirt cheap I couldn't even estimate what I spent-maybe $ .25 worth  total, this came in under $6.00, and will feed the three of us to stuffed, with leftovers for DH lunch tomorrow, and probably a reheated dinner for my daughter after her confirmation class. It probably could and should go farther, but both DH and DD#2 have high metabolism and are athletic, so burn the carbs.  I reserved about two cups of cooked pasta so the hot dish would be  bit saucier, and I wanted to mix the left over macaroni with some chopped vegetables and a couple hard boiled eggs for a cold pasta salad for  my lunch tomorrow, making a $ .50 lunch.

Have you perked up or refreshed any family favorites from your childhood?  What meals stir up those comforting memories?  Chime in, and feel free to link to a favorite recipe or two.

My Advent Challenge changed from what I intended this morning.  I had a bag with some great tween age virtually brand new clothes to drop off at Family Services, along with some assorted jewelry.  We were running late out the door, and there it sat.  However, I was able to improvise, and  decided to give back to  my co-workers and put a fresh box of cinnamon tea in the break room this afternoon for a little pick me up.  I'll need to refresh my desk drawer supply, but it has been a cold week already.  A new dusting of snow will mean half of everyone in Minnesota will forget how to drive again, making for a long commute home for some of us.  I hope someone warmed themselves before getting on the road. It's all about comfort for me today.