Friday Food: To Colorado and Back

Friday 

Short version: Pork and sauerruben, leftovers

Long version: I had made sauerruben again this year--fermented turnips, like sauerkraut is for cabbage--and canned it this day. I had some of the liquid left and a bit of the actual turnip, so I used it to cook the bone and random bits of pork left from cutting the pork butt into steaks for grilling. Luckily, it was a very cool day, so I could simmer it for a long time to get the meat off, which is what I did.

Then I defatted the juices and reduced them to make a sauce for the meat. It was very good.

We had lots of potato salad and baked beans left from the day before.

Saturday

Short version: Various leftover meats and other leftovers, tortillas and cheese

Long version: We had the pork and sauerruben, lamb steaks, and grilled pork that I heated up all together on the stove.

Meat skillet.

And yet more baked beans and potato salad. But not quite enough of either, and anyway a couple of people aren't a fan of mayonnaise-dressed potato salad, so they had the tortillas and cheese.

Sunday

Short version: Spanish tortilla, frozen peas, baked peaches and cream

Long version: I had made this spanish tortilla the day before for dinner, because I didn't realize I had enough meat left over to make another meal. It worked out, though, because I spent all day running around getting ready to leave for a family trip to Colorado, so I was glad I had something already made.

The peaches came from Nick the Peach Guy. We saw him at church in the morning and he said he still had peaches in his freezer from a couple of years ago. Did we want them?

The answer is always yes.

The peaches had been frozen whole. The nice thing about frozen peaches is that when they thaw, the skins slip right off. So, with Poppy's help, we skinned the peaches, pulled them in half to remove the pits, and baked them that way. They were small peaches, so they didn't need any more cutting. I drained off some of the excess liquid, added sugar, vanilla, and some apricot jam I had made partially with honey that only about half the family liked. Then I baked the peaches while I was baking cookies.

Peachy.

They were delicious. Especially with heavy cream poured right over the top. Of course.

Monday

Short version: Colorado barbecue

Long version: This was the day we drove to Grand Lake, Colorado, to meet my family. We gathered there at a giant house to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. 

The scenery on the way there was ultra-Colorado.

My brother picked up food from a barbecue restaurant on his way there so no one had to cook this night. There were ribs and chicken and pork and brisket and lots of side dishes. It was very good.

Tuesday

Short version: Enchilada casserole, guacamole, peach crisp

Long version: My sister made this meal for us all. It was an enchilada casserole with chicken, I think. She also made guacamole with something like 14 avocados, and it was all eaten this night. We're a family of guacamole eaters, for sure.

She had also bought peaches at the farmers market near her house, which she used to make a crisp. I was too full to eat any, but I was told it was delicious.

Wednesday

Short version: Ham, rice, Holy's cabbage, roasted carrots, tomato salad, cake and ice cream

Long version: This was my night to prepare dinner. I made everything but the rice and tomato salad ahead of time, transported it in a cooler, and just heated it all up for the meal.

Heating.

My sister had also brought a bunch of tomatoes from the farmers market, which I used to make the tomato salad. Yum.

The cake was for a grandchild's 12th birthday and the anniversary. The cake itself was from a mix, but I made the buttercream frosting because we have a family member who doesn't eat high fructose corn syrup. I had never made buttercream without a mixer, but it worked out fine. I just had to beat it hard with a spoon.

I decided to decorate the cake with my signature cake-decorating skills.

S and J are my parents; C is the birthday kid.

I think this is the Ugliest of all Ugly Cakes. You might even say it takes the cake.

Okay, don't say that. That was terrible. The frosting was good, though.

Thursday

Short version: Leftover ham, leftover rice, corn

Long version: We got home this day at 5:15 p.m. I had thought I would make a skillet meal with the ham and rice, but in the end I just heated them up separately in the microwave, along with frozen corn.

Refrigerator check:

A very unorganized refrigerator with all the food left from our family gathering I was sent home with just thrown in there when we got home.

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?