Friday Food: Not all Gravy

It's been a bit of a rough week, what with surgery recovery, digestive illnesses, and a cold for me. So I wouldn't say life was all gravy this week, but I did make gravy twice. Because you can make your own gravy in this life.

Deep thoughts on a Friday Food.

Okay. Moving on to the actual food . . .

Friday 

Short version: Leftovers at home, Sonic on the road

Long version: This was the day of Foot Surgery #2 for the eldest child. It was delayed due to an accident victim needing surgery, so we left the hospital about two hours later than we thought we would, at around 4 p.m.

The post-surgical child wanted a double bacon cheeseburger from Sonic, so that's what he got. I was really, really hungry, but most of the Sonic menu revolves around meat, and it was a Friday in Lent. So I just got some tater tots, and then I ate some cottage cheese when we got home.

The home crew finished off the last of the elk stew and jambalaya, because A. forgot about the Friday in Lent thing. And I couldn't blame him. It was not the best day for any of us.

Apparently, they also all had potato chips--given to us by our neighbor, Ms. Amelia--with their jambalaya, and all enthusiastically recommended this combination. So now you know.

Saturday

Short version: Jambalya-ish soup, chocolate ice cream

Long version: I forgot to tell you how I messed up when I was making the jambalaya and added twice the amount of uncooked rice that I needed. I realized this about halfway through the cooking time, so I scooped out a bunch of partially cooked rice. 

And did I throw it away? Goodness, no!*

I used it, the rest of the ham stock I had made for the jambalaya, a partial package of plain smoked sausage that had been hanging around, some of the pureed tomatoes in the refrigerator, caramelized onion from the freezer, and frozen peas to make soup. Very good it was, too.

Sunday

Short version: Elk with onion gravy, mashed potatoes, green salad with ranch dressing, chocolate ice cream or milkshakes

Long version: I found an elk roast that I had labeled "rouladen," obviously intending to make that with it. But rouladen requires marinating for like five days, and a long time cooking, so I didn't do that. Instead I just put salt, pepper, and crushed garlic in the middle, rolled it up and tied it, and pan-cooked it. 

Vaguely heart-shaped.

Then I made a gravy with caramelized onions from the freezer, flour, and the last of a cup of milk someone didn't finish.

It was really good.

I made milkshakes for those who wanted them instead of plain ice cream, and I added peanut butter. Because what's better than chocolate and peanut butter together, right?

Well, according to my children, that is not true for milkshakes. They did not like the peanut butter in their milkshakes. Crazy kids.

Monday

Short version: Tough ribs, mashed potatoes, green peas, failed jello with cream

Long version: The post-surgical child requested pork ribs for dinner. I had taken the day off to take care of him, so I could do that.

I had two racks of ribs. One wouldn't have been quite enough. Two was too many. I made them all, anyway, figuring then I'd have leftovers.

I did.

Before cooking . . .

And after. That's a lot of ribs.

Unfortunately, I didn't cook them quite long enough, and they were a bit tough. Still eaten, though.

Another boy was home with a delicate stomach, so I told him I would make him jello. This, for me, means cooking and straining strawberries, then adding gelatin powder. Last time I made jello using an online recipe, it was way too firm. So I used less gelatin this time. And it never set.

Boooo. This in combination with the tough ribs was unfortunate.

However, the liquid jello was really just a sweetened strawberry puree, so I served it anyway, with cream poured in it. I figure it's sort of like a strawberry fool, except I didn't bother to whip the cream to fold in.

The puree with the cream was actually delicious, so it wasn't a total loss or anything. Still, I was a little annoyed at this meal.

Tuesday

Short version: Leftover and improved ribs, baked spaghetti, green salad with ranch dressing

Long version: My plan for dinner was lamb chops, which I took out to thaw. However, since I was home this day, I decided to cook the ribs longer to make them more tender. A few more hours in the oven made them much better.

I had a little more than half a quart of roasted tomato puree still in the refrigerator from when I opened the jar for the jambalaya. I used that with spaghetti, caramelized onions, the ricotta I had made the week before and frozen, Parmesan cheese, and asadero cheese to make the baked spaghetti. 

Wednesday

Short version: Lamb chops, leftover spaghetti

Long version: The lamb chops were convenient for this day, when I was at work and then First Communion class. A. fried the lamb chops, with what looked like a ton of garlic. They were well-received.

Thursday

Short version: Chicken in gravy with peas, beefy rice, strawberry yogurt

Long version: When A. bought chicken for the jambalaya, he got a package of three giant chicken breasts. I only used one, so I had two left in the freezer. That's what I used for the chicken in gravy. All I did was dice the chicken, brown it, then add in minced garlic, flour, and milk to make the gravy. I threw the peas in there, too, just so I wouldn't have to use a separate dish for a vegetable.

The rice I cooked with beef stock, for the child who had a delicate stomach. And for everyone else, who ate their chicken and gravy over the rice.

When I strained the cooked strawberries for the jello earlier in the week, I was left with a cup or so of puree in the strainer. That's what I mixed into the yogurt. We don't typically have fruit for yogurt, so it was a nice change.

Refrigerator check!

A re-stock is in order. It will have to wait a few days, though.

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

* Any Pete the Cat fans out there? No? Anyway, the phrase is from Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.

Some Photos

I don't have a lot to say today. I have a cold; eldest son is laid up after his second foot surgery Friday; and the other two boys are taking it in turns to be sick and home from school.

So I just went outside, took a lap around the house, and took some pictures. And here they are.

The backyard clothesline is my spring/summer clothesline. Less sun, but also doesn't get whipped around in the terrible wind we get in the spring. I can't use it in the winter because the woodstove smoke gets in here, but it's going to be 70 degrees today, so no fire.

 

Random toys left outside. These cattle don't look too healthy to me.

Hardy parsley already showing green.

Lamb gang.

The bulb garden/mechanic's pit continues to grow.

An astonishing quantity of baling twine from hay bales that I paid the youngest two children to clean up yesterday. Totally worth five bucks to not have to pick it all up myself.

These sticks were obviously part of some game. I thought they looked quite arty arranged as they were in the morning light on the front steps.

That's all. Have a nice Tuesday.

Snapshots: Treats and Trips

We are for sure a family of readers. Now that the youngest can read, we have six people leaving books all over the house.

Literacy can be messy.

I always make crispy rice treats for the children to include with their Valentine's cards for classmates. I make enough to give to every staff member at the school, too. This year I even made enough that I gave them to the high schoolers during lunch.

Crispy treats for a crowd.

Valentine's Day was particularly challenging this year, being both a work day for me and Ash Wednesday. About the only festive thing I could manage for the children were these bread hearts to go along with their eggs at breakfast.

Only one of the children was notably enthused about this. I bet you can guess which one. Hint: It was not a boy.

One of the teachers had the good idea this year to give each child a big popcorn bucket to decorate to hold their valentines at school. They were all set up in the cafeteria so they were easy to find and fill, and they were very decorative all arranged there.

Valentine's Day Central.

Not at all related to Valentine's Day, but I discovered this week that my cowboy boots fit again.

These boots are not particularly made for walking, although they're surprisingly comfortable.

I have had these boots since I worked on a dude ranch in college, so . . . well, decades. They're narrow, with pointy toes, and they haven't fit for a few years. Apparently, however, some of the weight I have lost was in my feet, so they fit now. Nice to have another pair of shoes.

I wore them to the basketball game this week, which was, of course, a long way away. One hundred and sixty miles roundtrip, to be precise.

On the road again. And again. And again.

But at least I didn't have to do the 220-mile trip to the basketball game yesterday. A. got to go to that one. Lucky him.

There you have it! My life, snapshotted.

Friday Food: Havin' Big Fun on the Bayou*

Friday 

Short version: Tuna patties, roasted potatoes, green salad with vinaigrette, gingersnaps

Long version: I've been making fish patties with two big cans of tuna and one can of salmon, because we've been getting the salmon from the excess commodities. This time, I used all tuna, and they were better. Darn it.

I hadn't made gingersnaps in awhile, so I, well, did. I use this recipe, except I don't add the white pepper. We find them plenty spicy enough with the other spices in them. They are very good.

Saturday

Short version: Pizza, cucumbers, baked fruit with cream

Long version: One pepperoni pizza, one with just cheese, both with some fresh basil from the pot on the windowsill. I also used one of my frozen bags of roasted tomato sauce, and that makes it so much better. Not that pizza is ever bad, but it's better with garden-tomato sauce.

I still have a very large bag of frozen blueberries from Sysco that really should be used up now. So I combined them with some frozen strawberries and the last half pint of overly sweet peach jam from a couple of summers ago. Also some vanilla. Then I just baked it until most of the liquid was gone, and served it with heavy cream poured over the top.

A very popular dessert. And reasonably healthy, as desserts go.

Sunday

Short version: Birthday lobster, shrimp, sausage, spaghetti, salad, cheesecake

Long version: This was the new 14-year-old's birthday request. I got two lobster tails. The reason I got two is because getting one for each person in the family would have been exorbitantly expensive. Even two were kind of ridiculous, but at least everyone got to taste some.

A. actually cooked the shrimp and lobster tails, using a recipe he found online.

It involved splitting the tails and kind of balancing the meat on top. Better him than me.

The sausage was boudin, the spaghetti had roasted tomato sauce and a lot of butter on it, and the cheesecake was this one (but with some lemon juice added, because I don't think the zest gives enough lemon flavor).

I did not plan well for the cheesecake this year. I forgot to get graham crackers, which is one reason I used that recipe, because the crust is kind of like a shortbread. But I was out of eggs.

Oops.

We tried both the (tiny) stores in our vicinity, each in a different village ten miles from our house, and both stores were closed. We borrowed four eggs from our neighbor, and then we spent Saturday waiting around on our chickens to lay an egg. After several checks of the coop, an egg was triumphantly borne in around noon, and I made the cheesecake.

Hooray for the chickens, the heroes of the cheesecake.

The recipe actually calls for five eggs for the cheesecake filling, but I just used four. It was fine. Or it would have been fine if I had baked it long enough. I followed the instruction to bake it until an inch of the perimeter was set, but even after cooling and chilling, the center was still pretty liquidy. Boo. It did taste good, however, and no one had any trouble eating it.

It also held the candles satisfactorily.

Still kind of annoyed about that, though. And I do prefer the graham cracker crust. This cookie crust was a bit tough.

Monday

Short version: Many leftovers

Long version: There was some shrimp, sausage, and spaghetti left. Some people had the elk stew I had made on Saturday. And then there were leftover cheesecake and baked fruit.

Leftover desserts are the most fun leftover.

Tuesday

Short version: Jambalaya, chocolate pudding with cream

Long version: I celebrate all special occasions with food. Fat Tuesday is definitely a special occasion, especially for those of us with a connection to New Orleans.

Awhile ago, A. was reminiscing about the jambalaya at Popeye's, which was apparently his favorite. So I told him I would make jambalaya for Fat Tuesday.

My mother made jambalaya when I was young, but if she had a recipe, I never got it. I looked at a few online, and then, as I always do, made my own.

I don't have any homemade chicken stock this winter--it's been very sad--but I did have a ham bone in the freezer. Some recipes for jambalaya call for ham. So I boiled the bone with some onion ends for a couple of hours to make a ham stock for the jambalaya. 

I used the ham I pulled off the bone in the jambalaya, along with andouille sausage I already had on hand and a chicken breast I bought specially for this.

All the meats, ready for the rice.

I used the spices in this recipe, which seemed weird--particularly the cumin--but which A. assured me resulted in jambalaya that tasted like Popeye's. I didn't use as much chile powder, though, because I was trying to make this acceptable to those of us in the family who do not like too much spice, and the andouille is pretty spicy.

I used basmati rice, because it was the only long-grain rice I had. When it was done cooking, it tasted good, but was definitely not at all greasy. A.'s main memory of the Popeye's jambalaya, and his favorite thing about it, was the visible orange grease in it. I added about a third cup of lard that had rendered off the pork butt I cooked last week, and that helped with the flavor. It was still not remotely greasy, though. Which makes me wonder how much fat Popeye's is putting in their jambalaya.

Anyway. It was tasty. And a very appropriate Fat Tuesday meal. It was also a very good make-ahead meal, which worked out since I was at both a basketball game and First Communion class (conveniently across the street from each other) until about 5:30 p.m.

The chocolate pudding is not particularly appropriate for Fat Tuesday, but I had some milk that needed to be used. And I didn't mess up the amount of cornstarch this time. 

Wednesday

Short version: Breakfast burritos

Long version: We went to our Ash Wednesday Mass at 5 p.m., which meant we all just stayed in the village after school got out at 4 p.m. So when we got home, everyone was of course famished (particularly the adults, of course, because we had been fasting), and it was late.

Scrambled eggs to the rescue! I scrambled them with cheddar cheese, salsa, and canned pinto beans, then rolled them up in flour tortillas. 

No vegetable. Because . . . I just didn't.

Thursday

Short version: Leftover stew and jambalaya at home, leftover pizza and pudding on the road

Long version: I went to a basketball game in the late afternoon. I brought the pizza and pudding (in a half-pint jar, with cream) for the basketball player to eat in the car on the way home, because they were the most portable leftovers we had. A. fed the other three and himself at home with the elk stew and jambalaya. 

Refrigerator check!

Not bad. Lots of milk.

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

* This is, of course, from a song, appropriately entitled "Jambalaya." It's what I was singing as I was cooking it. Here's the CCR version.

Love Is in the Air . . .

Happy Valentine's Day!

Roses courtesy of Parents' Appreciation Night at the basketball game yesterday, just in time for Valentine's Day.

 I wish all of you a day filled with love.

In the Kitchen

It is no surprise that I spend much of my time at home in the kitchen. My style of cooking is from scratch in the sense that it is laborious and takes time. This is okay. This is my choice. 

But sometimes I get tired of it. This usually happens on days when I make so many things in one day that I'm in the kitchen for literally hours, just moving from one thing to the next.

I had one of those days on Saturday. I started at 6 a.m. with the bread dough and was mostly in the kitchen for around 12 hours. I mean, not in the kitchen continuously, because I do take breaks here and there, but the majority of my work and time on Saturday was spent cooking. I was very over the kitchen by 6 p.m.

It was, however, a very productive day, and helpful for the coming week, because of course not everything I made was consumed on Saturday. 

Because I was curious, I actually wrote down everything I made throughout the day. 

Of course I'm going to share here with you. You expected something else?

--Coffee. Always first, and always chicory coffee. I make it in a french press.

--Cream of buckwheat cereal for the family's breakfast. It was a cold, snowy morning, and we were out of both eggs and bread.

--Elk stew. A make-ahead for the coming days' lunches or short-on-time dinners.

Elk stew in progress. The things on top are frozen cubes of pureed tomatoes, and the jellied juices left from cooking a pork butt.

--A loaf pan of rendered tallow. Rendered in the oven with the stew.

--Baked strawberries/blueberries. In the oven with the stew and tallow.

--Hot cocoa when the children came in from playing in the snow. Cocoa powder+sugar+salt+vanilla+milk.

--A New-York-style cheesecake, for the next day's birthday.

Before baking.

--Chocolate syrup, for a couple of gallons of chocolate milk.

--Four loaves of sourdough bread.

--Two half-sheet-pan pizzas, the crusts made with some of the bread dough.

--Ranch dressing, for pizza dipping.

--Ricotta cheese, made at the end of the day with a gallon of milk that somehow got shoved into the back of the refrigerator and was way past its use-by date.

I also made things like tortillas with peanut butter and a salad for me, but that's more assembling than cooking.

Anyway. That was my day on Saturday. Most of those things made leftovers and about half of them I still have on hand, so it was a good investment of time. 

Snapshots: Spring? Not Quite

Decorated for Mardi Gras.

We had to decorate ourselves, too, of course.

I subbed for the preschool teacher on Monday, and it was SO HARD to stay awake during naptime.

Green things outside! Remember the mechanic's pit turned bulb garden? They're sprouting!

Of course, this is what that bed looked like this morning, since it is, well, February.

The (many) cabbage and kohlrabi seeds that sprouted don't mind the snow out their window, though.

There you have it! My life, snapshotted.