A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

I grew up with my mom making meatloaf. I'd call it "homemade" meatloaf. What I have learned as I have grown up, everyone has "their" favorite meatloaf and nobody really eats meatloaf made by other people. It's kind of a weird thing to me, but at the same time, I totally understand it. Think about it . . . when you're having company over, do you ever think, "I'll make meatloaf." Nope. I don't! When you're taking a meal to someone recovering from an illness or surgery, do you ever think, "I bet they'll love to have a pan of my meatloaf." Nope. Me either! Meatloaf is incredibly individual, and even familial. My mom's recipe that she gave me is "hers." But truthfully, it's really the recipe from the back of the seasoning packet. Being gluten free has caused some changes in my cooking. One is meatloaf. While I have found gluten free packages of meatloaf sea...

It's hot and we're on this "money saving" program with our air. Which means while the Mr. is at work, practically freezing everyone out of the office, I'm at home, conserving energy and agreeing to his "money saving plan" like a Proverbs 31 kind of wife. He comes home, and says, "Oh my word!  It's hot in here!!" Oh really?  "I thought the sweat beads on my forehead were from my fervent cleaning I was doing before you got home!" No? Hum . . . not sure! So back to it being hot in the house. The energy is cheaper after 7:00. Well, if I start cooking dinner at 7:00, my cherubs would think they weren't going to get fed. They'd be ravenous if I didn't do something speedy. Taco pizza fit the bill this week for something quick! Using your favorite pizza dough, whether pre-made or a mix, prepare the crust. Then get ready for this easy-peasy taco pizza! Taco Pizza 1 pizza crust (I used a glute...

A loooong time ago, a friend of mine had a football watch party. At the party, she served all kinds of tailgate-type food. One of the things she served, of course, was nachos. But they were so much tastier than just plain 'ol nachos. She had "jazzed up" the meat that she put on the nachos. The other day, I texted her to ask what her recipe was. Remember, it was a long time ago . . . but I kind of helped to jog her memory and she gave me, "it was probably   . . . " " . . .or it could have been . . ." But thinking back to what it looked like, I went with the first option of possibility. Here's my dilemma:  I typically like tacos, etc, but I don't typically prefer the taco meat. It is usually dry. It's seasoned fine, but to me, it's just kinda dry. Not so dry you have to choke it down or chase it with a big glass of water. But just sorta dry. So I took my friend's suggestion, tweeked it a bit for what...

My girl cherub loves French Dip Sandwiches. It's kinda weird, because I really don't know what she loves about them! Because truly, a French Dip sandwich is really basic. Yet, if done right, the flavors are simply . . .yummy! I know it's customary to put cheese on the sandwich. But honestly, I'm not certain that it really enhances the sandwich. I guess, ultimately, it is a matter of preference. But the Au Jus? That is NOT a matter of preference! That little component is the essence, in my opinion, of the sandwich! That's one reason why you need crusty bread. To dip the sandwich. The dip of the crusty bread that will adequately absorb the Au Jus and not get soggy to the point of falling apart . . . that is the art of the French Dip Sandwich! Beef Dip Sandwich   3 pound roast of choice 3-5 cloves garlic, whole 1 can beef broth 3 TBSP soy sauce, gluten free 2 tsp. browning sauce (I like Gravy Ma...

Sometimes I hate having just a little bit of "something" in the fridge. Like "a little bit" of onion left . . .  . . . or a little bit of lettuce . . .  . . .or a little bit of cheese. You know; the amounts where you can't throw it out, because there's too much, but you don't really have enough for what a recipe calls for. That's kind of how I came up with this casserole we had for dinner the other night. There was just "a little bit" of some ingredients, so I combined them with other "whole" ingredients. If you want to make this, but you don't have the amount of the ingredients listed, that's OK.  Just make due! If you have more than the amount listed, that's OK too!  You have a choice!  Do I use "a little bit" or the whole thing? Cowboy Sausage Casserole "a little bit" of breakfast sausage (maybe 1/2 pound or so) (substitute ground beef if desired) "a little bit...

I hate when I thaw out something for dinner and then we don't need it. That happened to me just the other night! I thawed out ground beef, with no idea of what I was going to do with it. Then the Mr. figured out that he was the only one that would be home for dinner and told me not to cook anything. But I already had the meat thawed, so the rational side of me said, "Self, why not go ahead and make something that can be used for dinner in a night or two." I didn't respond to myself, because there's a point when self-talk becomes strangely . . . strange! While browning the beef, I got out all of the ingredients for sloppy joes. I don't really care for sloppy joes, but the rest of the family likes them. But while grabbing the final ingredient, I decided I didn't want to make that and I would make soup. After looking through the cabinet, I grabbed a few cans of things and made this soup. I had no idea if it would be...

Many years ago, while living in Arizona, a friend brought dinner to us one night after we had our first cherub. That dinner left such a lasting impression on us that I still make it and it's one of our family favorites. Not only do I make the "main entree" like Lisa made, but I make the VERY dinner she brought to us 16 years ago! Zippy meatballs, cooked carrots, and mashed potatoes. It just goes together! Yesterday, when my girl cherub got new wires, hooks, and smaller rubber bands for her braces, and it made her teeth really sore! Tonight for dinner, we are faced with a dilemma! While we feel sorry for her, we still want to eat. And we don't want "soft food" either! I thought of meatballs! While we do really adore the zippy meatballs, I was wanting something to serve with rice. Sweet and Sour meatballs! Perfect choice! When you google that recipe, normally you find the appetizer option, using frozen meatballs. ...

Image from the internet I think this is my very favorite marinade right now! I love it for it's deep flavor that makes the meat taste like it took hours to achieve the taste. I've been using this marinade for several years, but it wasn't until recently that I have become enamored with it. As in, I use it all the time. Lately, every piece of chicken gets dunked in this marinade. Not dunked . . . soaked! I've told you my marinade method: come home from the grocery store and divide my meat into gallon ziplock bags based on what I'm going to be using it for. Those things that need to be marinated, gets the marinade thrown in the bag right away, then off to the freezer it goes. My theory:  it marinates while it's going into a deep freeze and it marinates more while it's thawing out! It's a win-win situation for everyone! Back to this marinade, I've always purchased a small, normal size bottle. I use it on chicken, beef...

 My boy cherub turns 16! I think I'm ok with it. . . the driving part, that is! Is he qualified to be behind the wheel? NO! None of us where . . . but it's a right of passage, huh? Is he walking out to a car, sitting in the driveway, with a big bow tied to the top of it as his present? NO! That's only in the movies, or in other people's lives, but not in ours! It wasn't in mine when I turned 16. It surely wasn't in the Mr.'s, therefore, it is not in my boy cherub's! We are celebrating his 16th birthday though, and have been for a week now! He kind of likes it that way! Tonight, even though it isn't his birthday, we are having his family birthday meal. You know, where you can pick whatever you want for dinner, even if it doesn't go together? This year, he picked Cuban food. I'm a little shocked! Not by the Cuban food, but that it isn...

I think I have said it before, but it's worth saying again. I really like my crock pot! My cherubs aren't too fond of it! They say they get tired of crock pot food! I say you aren't old enough to appreciate a crock pot! Since there is a small battle that surrounds the crock pot at our house, I try to make our crock pot meals "worthy." This recipe has made it's rounds 'round town, but I've never made it until now. I'm so sad that I've missed out all these years! Easy French Dip Sandwiches 3-5 pound boneless beef  roast 1-2 envelopes Lipton onion soup mix 2 cans beef broth 1 tsp black pepper Ciabatta rolls  ("hard" bread absorbs the au jus!) provolone cheese Combine the dry soup mix, broth and pepper, pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred with two forks on a cutting board. Place the meat back in the crock pot with the liqui...

I'd like to say "Beef" in the title, or "pork." or maybe even "chicken." But because this is versatile, I just called it meat. Doesn't sound appetizing, does it? I know! I'm not sure that I would have read much further than the title! But I'm just saying, that if you'll give this a whirl, you'll be glad that you hung with me! This can be as spicy as you want. I like this recipe because it's kind of a sweet heat. Because my girl cherub is a wimp when it comes to much spice, I kept it easy. But I will say, I could have easily added an extra toss of the chipotle peppers! Which!  Let me tell you my most exciting find on the grocery aisle this past shopping trip! Normally, I have to buy a can of chipotle peppers. Like this: I pop the top, use what I need and freeze the rest until another recipe. But then I found the peppers, chopped, in a jar . . . a small jar, but none-the-less, a jar! That means I...

I really should have planned better! I made a menu and went to the store. I planned for some new recipes. Recipes from cookbooks that I bought while we were on our Summer vacation last year in Europe. Exciting recipes! Recipes that weren't cooked in the crockpot.  . . . and there's the dilemma! I worked all week! I put everything in the freezer and revamped our weekly menu! One night, I created this dinner sensation!  It's a keeper in our family . . . maybe your family will like it too! Southwest Gravy over Cornbread 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 can tomatoes with chilies 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can cheddar cheese soup 1 tsp. chili powder cornbread mix necessary ingredients for your cornbread mix green chilies Prepare your cornbread according to the package directions.  Add the desired amount of green chilies to the batter.  Place in the oven and cook according to directions while you cook the meat mixture. Ov...

We have been back from vacation for a week now. I need to go to the grocery store. We had empty cabinets before vacation; that's because we had been in NYC for 12 days! When we returned from NYC, I didn't go to the store because we were leaving for vacation in just 10 days! Why go buy stuff, right? I'm not even making this up! I haven't been to the store since July 2. We've been living on weird stuff out of the freezer! It's allowed me to be creative! I think that's good! But now, the grocery list is SO extensive, that I don't want to go to the store! I'm going to have to push that mess up and down the aisles, lug it onto the conveyor belt to check out, lug it back into the basket, to lug it into the back of my car, to lug it into the house, then to put it all up. . . only to later stand in front of the refrigerator that afternoon and wonder, "what's for dinner?" No!  That doesn't sound fu...

This was my Mother's Day lunch. I say " my " because we each had different stuff. It was like being at a restaurant but it was at home. It was so fun! On Saturday, we went to one of our favorite grocery stores . . . yes, we have a "favorite" grocery store! We decided to have corn on the cob, a salad, and gluten-free cornbread. Then, we headed to the meat market and we all picked out whatever kind of meat/fish/chicken we wanted to grill. I picked a filet. I never pick a filet. Ever . But it just looked good! It's amazing that fresh, red, uncooked meat can look good! I asked for the smallest cut, because I'm not a steak eater. At lunch, I was so sad I hadn't asked for a bigger steak. It was perfection! Pure perfection! Matter of fact, it was the hit of the lunch table. The Mr. and the cherubs were so envious of my creation! I love being a mother! Coffee-Crusted Steak 1 favorite cut of steak Sea Salt Fresh ...

We've been eating this meal for 14 years. Lisa brought it to us when the boy cherub was born. We were living in Phoenix, Arizona at the time. Since then, I have made it, shared it, frozen it, and sent it! Many times I'll double the recipe and freeze half of it, uncooked, with the sauce poured over it, in a disposable pan which makes for an easy dinner for us or to give away. When Lisa brought it to us, she brought it with cooked carrots and mashed potatoes. We still eat it with carrots, only now I roast them, and we always have mashed potatoes too! When you make this, you can put whatever side you want with it -- but I'm just saying, to make it "right" you'll want to make carrots and potatoes! Zippy Meatballs 1 1/2 pounds ground beef* 3/4 cup oatmeal 1/2 cup milk salt and pepper to taste 1/2 onion, more or less depending on taste, chopped fine Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the beef and remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Scoop out in...

I'm working full-time now.  But it's not full-time forever; it's full-time for now! I have a long-term sub job while the teacher has her first baby. It's a great class of 4th grade kids!  Last week was our first full-week together. I think it went well!  But I have really big shoes to fill!  Even though I'm enjoying this new experience, I still adore my responsibilities at home and I don't want things to change. But I'm learning how to balance it all without losing my own "balance!" One of the quick dinners I created last week came out of the need for a one-skillet, easy cleanup kind of meal! I had a thought of what I wanted, so I began my search on the internet. You know my saying:  "If I can think of something "new," then I know it's already out there!  There is absolutely NO WAY that I'm smart enough to come up with something entirely unthought of!" Sure enough, there were several recipes, but ...

I can NOT believe I haven't posted this recipe. This is an easy, have-on-hand, throw-together-quick dinner. That's a winner! The Mr. was more excited about this last night than the cherubs where! From the kitchen, I hear him say, "Yeah!  Tater Tot Casserole!  I love that stuff!" And he does. And so do the cherubs. And so I'm glad to make it! What's funny about this casserole:  I only make it in the Fall and Winter. That's it. I've relegated it to a seasonal casserole. That's OK. It makes the family more appreciative! Tater Tot Casserole 1 TBSP oil 1/2 onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup* (see below for gluten free substitution) pepper salt (I don't salt because of the soup, but you can if you want!) cheddar cheese, grated 1 16oz  package frozen tater tots** In a pan, heat the oil.  Add the onions, green ...

What do you call something when you make it up? It's the hardest thing to name something! Take your child, for example . . .remember how you thought about it; wrote it out; said it out loud; thought of other children with the same name . . . and changed the name of your child? Well, now just think about that same process, but for a recipe! It's so stressful! This recipe is made up . . .according to me! I cooked a pork loin the other night. Which means leftovers. Days of left overs! I try to make our left overs not look like left overs. Because I don't like left overs. So when they look different, my mind is fooled. It's a great trick I play on myself! On day number three of still having pork loin -- I came up with this little treat. We were all pleased. As in "All!" What's great; if you need this to be gluten free, just use your gluten free foods!  It's that easy! Cowboy Nachos 1 package frozen waffle fries BBQ...

When the Mr. and I got married, my mom made me a cookbook of family favorites. Not just my family favorites, but the Mr.'s too. One of the recipes is for creamed tacos. I know. Doesn't have great sound appeal. But they're really good. Really! Last week, being short on time and even shorter on creativity, I thought, "creamed tacos sound good." But I didn't want to fool with it. I did have the stuff to make it though. But I still didn't want to fool with it. So, I thought to myself, "Self, why not make the creamed part and pour it over pasta?" After all, I had left-over cooked pasta in the frig.! "Self, you are amazing!" That's what I thought to myself! So, I did just what I thought. The Mr. loved it because he loves anything pasta. The girl cherub chowed down on it before we ran out the door to dance. The boy cherub wasn't so hip on it -- he was in a "I'm picky tonight and you ...

 A couple of weekends ago we had lunch with some friends after church and my friend made a fantastic meal. I asked her to share the recipes with me . . . which really means I'm sharing them with you! By the way -- I asked her if I could post it here and she said "Yes!"  It's your lucky day! She served this fantastic meat so we could make soft tacos.  It was spicy and perfect! It was delicious! How do you say "delicious" in Spanish? I don't know, but I do know you'll want to make this meat  . . .and don't forget to make the Green Chili rice to serve with it! Slow Cooked Mexican Beef 1  (4 pound) chuck roast 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 1/4 cups diced green chili pepper* 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper* 1 (5 ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce* 1 teaspoon garlic powder Directions Trim the roast of any excess fat, ...