Isn't she the cutest little one year old?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Pork Chop and Stuffing Bake
Here's another freezer meal I made.
Pork Chop and Stuffing Bake
4 cups crumbled cornbread (luckily I had leftovers from the meal the night before)
3/4 lb bulk pork sausage (I left this out; I dislike sausage)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup coarsely chopped apple
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage, crumbled
1 tsp salt, (plus more to sprinkle on the pork)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (plus more)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 large egg, beaten
3 T olive oil
8 thick-cut pork loin chops (about 1/3 lb each)
Sauce
2 T unsalted butter
2 T flour
1 cup apple cider (I used apple juice)
1 cup beef broth
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
Making:
Place the cornbread in a large bowl. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
Sauté the sausage (if using) in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces, until it is no longer pink. Drain all but 1T of fat from the skillet. Add the onion, celery, apple, dried thyme, sage, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook with occasional stirring for about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and chicken broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the mixture to the cornbread bowl and briefly stir to blend together. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Spread the mixture in the prepared casserole dish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and sauté until golden brown on each side. Remove the pork and place on top of the stuffing in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the sauce.
In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Slowly add the cider, beef broth, and fresh thyme, bringing the mixture to a boil. Add the cream. Let it cool, then pour over the pork chops in the prepared pan. Re-cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month (or bake immediately).
Baking:
Defrost the pork in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary. Preheat oven to 325°F. Allow the pork to come to room temperature for 20 minutes.
Bake the chops, covered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until the chops are cooked through and register 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
For as "prepared" as I'm "supposed" to be, I found myself out of sage. How could that be? I couldn't believe I didn't have any in my spice cupboard. Then I remembered, it's because it grows in my yard like mad during the spring and summer and I always just go pluck what I need. Well, I need to harvest it better so I never run out again, because having to pay for it was torture.
Pork Chop and Stuffing Bake
4 cups crumbled cornbread (luckily I had leftovers from the meal the night before)
3/4 lb bulk pork sausage (I left this out; I dislike sausage)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup coarsely chopped apple
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage, crumbled
1 tsp salt, (plus more to sprinkle on the pork)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (plus more)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 large egg, beaten
3 T olive oil
8 thick-cut pork loin chops (about 1/3 lb each)
Sauce
2 T unsalted butter
2 T flour
1 cup apple cider (I used apple juice)
1 cup beef broth
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
Making:
Place the cornbread in a large bowl. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
Sauté the sausage (if using) in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces, until it is no longer pink. Drain all but 1T of fat from the skillet. Add the onion, celery, apple, dried thyme, sage, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook with occasional stirring for about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and chicken broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the mixture to the cornbread bowl and briefly stir to blend together. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Spread the mixture in the prepared casserole dish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and sauté until golden brown on each side. Remove the pork and place on top of the stuffing in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the sauce.
In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Slowly add the cider, beef broth, and fresh thyme, bringing the mixture to a boil. Add the cream. Let it cool, then pour over the pork chops in the prepared pan. Re-cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month (or bake immediately).
Baking:
Defrost the pork in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary. Preheat oven to 325°F. Allow the pork to come to room temperature for 20 minutes.
Bake the chops, covered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until the chops are cooked through and register 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
For as "prepared" as I'm "supposed" to be, I found myself out of sage. How could that be? I couldn't believe I didn't have any in my spice cupboard. Then I remembered, it's because it grows in my yard like mad during the spring and summer and I always just go pluck what I need. Well, I need to harvest it better so I never run out again, because having to pay for it was torture.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Day I Became A Mom
Today is Samuel's birthday. Here are a few photos of the boy, back in the day. This is a four generation picture with my son, myself, my dad and my dad's mom.
This is Samuel on his first birthday. He had a bad cold at the time, which is why his shirt is all wet.
This is in a suburb of Salt Lake City where Cheryl lived. I think it was Rose Park.
A collage of photos (because my scanner was so slow).
And this is when my baby boy had his first baby girl. I upgraded my title from Mom to Nana on this day!
This is Samuel on his first birthday. He had a bad cold at the time, which is why his shirt is all wet.
This is in a suburb of Salt Lake City where Cheryl lived. I think it was Rose Park.
A collage of photos (because my scanner was so slow).
And this is when my baby boy had his first baby girl. I upgraded my title from Mom to Nana on this day!
Happy Birthday, Samuel. I love you so much!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Chicken Chili Casserole
Yesterday I told you about our planned leftovers. Wendy asked that I post the recipes I have used so far, so here is the first one.
Chicken Chili Casserole, or whatever it was that Karen re-named it :)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 T cornmeal
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
4 cups cooked chopped or shredded chicken
2 cups fresh or defrosted frozen corn
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups tortilla chips (6-8 oz)
1 12/ cups finely shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and sauté for three minutes. Add the cornmeal, stirring to incorporate it into the vegetables (about 2 minutes). Slowly add the broth and tomato sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken, corn, beans, salt and pepper. Simmer (uncovered) an additional 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Coat the inside of a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (I used two 8x8 pans to divide it in half. If you have a larger family, you could double the recipe and make one for now and freeze one for later). Line the baking dish with enough chips to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon the chili over the chips, top with remaining chips and sprinkle cheeses over the chips. Cover pan with foil.
At this point, you can either bake it immediately at 350°F for 20 minutes or if you want to freeze it, do the following:
Freezing- Allow the dish to cool a little bit, then freeze for up to one month. When ready to bake, defrost the casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Allow casserole to come to room temperature before baking (about 30 minutes). Bake (covered) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until it is hot and bubbling.
Another way to do this is to fill individual gratin dishes with about 1 cup of chili per serving. Bake for 10 minutes covered and an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered. This way you can cook up the number of dishes needed to feed the number of people that are hungry.
We really liked this dish and we will keep it in our rotation of dinner menus. Even Bud liked it, so that means it wasn't too spicy.
Chicken Chili Casserole, or whatever it was that Karen re-named it :)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 T cornmeal
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
4 cups cooked chopped or shredded chicken
2 cups fresh or defrosted frozen corn
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups tortilla chips (6-8 oz)
1 12/ cups finely shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and sauté for three minutes. Add the cornmeal, stirring to incorporate it into the vegetables (about 2 minutes). Slowly add the broth and tomato sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken, corn, beans, salt and pepper. Simmer (uncovered) an additional 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Coat the inside of a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (I used two 8x8 pans to divide it in half. If you have a larger family, you could double the recipe and make one for now and freeze one for later). Line the baking dish with enough chips to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon the chili over the chips, top with remaining chips and sprinkle cheeses over the chips. Cover pan with foil.
At this point, you can either bake it immediately at 350°F for 20 minutes or if you want to freeze it, do the following:
Freezing- Allow the dish to cool a little bit, then freeze for up to one month. When ready to bake, defrost the casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Allow casserole to come to room temperature before baking (about 30 minutes). Bake (covered) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until it is hot and bubbling.
Another way to do this is to fill individual gratin dishes with about 1 cup of chili per serving. Bake for 10 minutes covered and an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered. This way you can cook up the number of dishes needed to feed the number of people that are hungry.
We really liked this dish and we will keep it in our rotation of dinner menus. Even Bud liked it, so that means it wasn't too spicy.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Planned Leftovers
A few weeks ago, my mom and step-dad were contemplating whether to move to a retirement center or stay where they currently live. I think the biggest reason why my mom was tempted to make the move was because she is tired of cooking.
A plan was presented to her that if she didn't move, her family could take turns bringing her dinners and helping her clean the house each week. She said that wasn't necessary, but I decided I would take that plan and tweak it a little bit and make it work anyway.
When I make dinner, I plan for a family of five instead of three. I pack up the leftovers before they are even left-over, and put them in the freezer. I'll take them down to my mom when I have several ready to go. Then she can pull them out of the freezer when she doesn't feel like cooking. If I was really smart, I'd plan on menus for eight people and freeze two- giving away one and keeping one! I'll have to work on that.
This first one is called Chicken Chili Casserole- but Karen renamed it. It is now called Cheesy Chicken and Chips. Chips on the bottom and chips on the top!
Here it is on the inside. It was good (those are black beans, not olives- in case you wondered).
This one is called Pork Chop and Stuffing Bake (for real).
I wrote the name and directions for my mom so she can easily reheat it.
Here are a few more dinners, waiting to be delivered.
The name of the book I've been using is called You've Got It Made by Diane Phillips.
It tells you the Make It Now directions as well as the Bake It Later directions. It was a book I bought from Amazon, sight unseen. I had not used the book until Karen got it out and started planning from it. I'm glad she did! I think my mom and Walt will be glad too.
Let me know if you want the recipes for the meals shown in this post.
A plan was presented to her that if she didn't move, her family could take turns bringing her dinners and helping her clean the house each week. She said that wasn't necessary, but I decided I would take that plan and tweak it a little bit and make it work anyway.
When I make dinner, I plan for a family of five instead of three. I pack up the leftovers before they are even left-over, and put them in the freezer. I'll take them down to my mom when I have several ready to go. Then she can pull them out of the freezer when she doesn't feel like cooking. If I was really smart, I'd plan on menus for eight people and freeze two- giving away one and keeping one! I'll have to work on that.
This first one is called Chicken Chili Casserole- but Karen renamed it. It is now called Cheesy Chicken and Chips. Chips on the bottom and chips on the top!
Here it is on the inside. It was good (those are black beans, not olives- in case you wondered).
This one is called Pork Chop and Stuffing Bake (for real).
I wrote the name and directions for my mom so she can easily reheat it.
Here are a few more dinners, waiting to be delivered.
It tells you the Make It Now directions as well as the Bake It Later directions. It was a book I bought from Amazon, sight unseen. I had not used the book until Karen got it out and started planning from it. I'm glad she did! I think my mom and Walt will be glad too.
Let me know if you want the recipes for the meals shown in this post.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Agnes' Turn, Turning Six!
Last week was Olive's birthday. Today is Agnes' birthday. I wish like crazy I could be with her today! She and I have a very special relationship. I'm going to show you more pictures of me on this post that what I'm actually comfortable with, but it shows you just how this little girl and I are bonded together. Please ignore all the bad hair days you are about to see on my head. Thank you.
This is just before Nick and Laura moved from Provo to Baltimore.
This was her first birthday. Her shirt says "Birthday Girl"
This is her second birthday. It was a fondue party.
Another birthday, Zoo Party!
This is at Danny and Erin's wedding in Tennessee.
Laura's friend took the photo above. They were on their way to the airport directly after the photo shoot. They misjudged how much time they had to catch their flight and missed it. The below photo is Agnes being upset they missed their flight and running back to cry in my arms. She didn't mind spending one more day at Nana's house.
We are at the Capitol Theater, watching The Nutcracker. She loved it!
Agnes was upset. She loves her Nana even more when she needs a little TLC.
Who needs snow?
Sometimes she is so "helpful."
This is the night before baby Olive arrived.
I love you my sweet Agnes! I hope you have a wonderful birthday.
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