What a Crock: Using My Pot for Good

Well, I did it. I dusted off the ol' crock pot and fired it up. It's that season again. You know the one where you wonder if you put deodorant on just one armpit or two...or maybe not at all. Did I brush my teeth? Are all the kids in the car? Where the heck are my keys?

Let's be honest, when you're in the Mommy Trenches you either pull out MREs, drive thru it, or crock pot it. Since meals ready to eat don't sound too appealing, and drive thru-ing it isn't a good healthy option all the time, crock potting it is. 

Once I realized it was Crock Pot Season, I turned to Pinterest.  Then, I found this beauty...

Chicken Fiesta Soup

I had roasted a chicken the night before so I already had shredded the leftovers.  This was speedy fast and a hit.  We paired it with Corn Casserole.  A match made in heaven!

An Easy Dinner...Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad

I'm not sure if I've ever announced my undying love for Pinterest.  Have you ever heard me talk of Pinterest?  Oh, right.  You have.  Well, here's another goody.

I would like to introduce you to the Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad.

{Pic via Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour}

Besides the fresh flavors bursting out on your taste buds, the salad is super easy to put together.  I chopped everything and tossed it in a bowl, and made the dressing 4 hours prior to dinner time.  It was liberating.  Since it's been in the upper 60's 'round these parts, I was able to play with the kids outside.  When dinner time rolled around, all I had to do was mix in the dressing and crunch in the chips.  Viola!  Dinner served (aside from the fresh fruit salad I had to throw together).  

The kids initially turned their noses up because it doesn't look too appealing, but one bite had them shoveling the salad into their pie holes at speeds I rather not discuss.  I'm still trying to recover from that visual.  What was even better was Chubby Cheekers was able to snack on the black beans, corn, and chicken while we ate.  I'm also trying to recover from what I discovered in his diaper this morning.  Let's just say, corn and the shells of the black beans DO NOT digest well...and they smell gross.  The end.

I bet you are really going to enjoy this salad now!!!  You're welcome ;)

Happy Cooking!!!

If you are feeling rather ambitious, use THIS recipe to make your own taco and ranch seasoning.  You more than likely have all the ingredients on hand and it takes just a minute to throw it together.

Zucchini Pancakes

Back in Little Miss' picky eating days, I had to sneak in the veggies.  She's so much better after years of serving the same things on her plate, but I have a new issue.  Chubby Cheekers has found his independence.

The baby only wants to feed himself.  Since he isn't even a year (I'm holding on to these last weeks), I can't just hand him a spoon.  Well I guess I could, but the mess!  Oh the mess he would make.  Nevertheless, I have to feed the kid something, and sometimes I don't feel like waging a war over how he's being fed.

For some reason, I just can't fork over a pancake to him without something in it like a fruit or veggie.  He has to have them.  I can only make so many apple cinnamon pancakes before you wonder what else is out there I can shove into a pancake.  Ah, YES!  Zucchini.  Not enough flavor to change the taste, but oh the nutrition.

Without further hesitation, I reintroduce the Zucchini Pancake.  Best wishes on getting those veggies in!  Here is my motto on kids and veggies...Don't give up, get sneaky!  Thankfully Chubby Cheekers is not picky on what he eats.  He's just picky on how he eats.  My little stinker.

My NEW Go To Snack

I am a granola bar girl.  When I need a quick snack, I grab one and devour it.  I know, I know. Great mental image, right?

Last week, I came across this on Pinterest.  Thank goodness I have friends who post healthy stuff.  Otherwise, I'd be eating cookies all the time.  I kid.  I think I kid.

So here's our family's new favorite snack.  Three different people who tried mine all said the same thing.  This tastes like no bake cookies.  In all honesty, one person who shall remain anonymous actually said, Hey!  These taste like diarrhea cookies.  And that folks, is the world I live in.  So glamorous.

Without further ado, here's the new snack we love...

Energy Bites

{pic via Give Me Some Oven}

Have a Great Weekend!

2012: Pinterest Favs

As I reflect on the most influential moments in my life, I undoubtedly have to pay tribute to Pinterest.  How life has changed with this glorious online file cabinet.  The online sorting of rooms, decorations, kid activities, style, and recipes has me excited to revamp everything.  I love it.

Despite my attempts to pin so many decorating ideas, the only 'Boards' that I frequently tackle are the kid activities and recipes.  Today I thought I break down the recipes that have changed my families lives.  Recipes that have my husband pointing at his food, shaking his head, and saying, "MmmmMmmmMmmm!!!"  Those are the recipes I love.

Without further ado here is my Top 10 Favorite Recipes a la Pinterest...

10. Man Pleasing Chicken
9.   Key West Grilled Chicken
8.   Baked Fajitas
7.   Beer Crockpot Chicken
6.   Black Bean Fritters
5.   Chili Con Queso Pasta
4.   Baked Meatballs
3.   Crispy SW Chicken Wraps
2.   Dinner on a Stick

And our most favorite recipe from 2012 (was first made on December 31st...it barely snuck in) was...

1.  Rosemary Lemon Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

{pic via Eat Yourself Skinny}

There you have it peeps!  Our favorite recipes from 2012.  

I would also like to give a shout out to my one true favorite meal.  

Prime Rib Roast!!!

I didn't put it on the list because the cut of meat was so expensive that I will only do it at Christmas.  Seriously, I almost didn't purchase the meat because it was 40% of my weekly grocery budget.  Yes, I spent $40 on ONE hunk of meat!  However, after one bite I realized I would do it again.

Hopeful Pins

I haven't run into too many recipes on Pinterest that were total fails, and I'm hoping these aren't either.  If you make one of these recipes, I'd love to hear from you.

Primal Jambalaya

Baja-Style Chicken Bowl

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

What's In That Stuff

A few weeks back my good friend asked if I would talk to her fitness group about eating healthy on a budget.  WHOA!  I can talk about a budget all day, but when you throw the health part in the mix I get a little nervous.  What in the world do I have to offer to others in the way of health advice?  I felt a little unsure of myself in this area.

Then I started thinking about what I serve my family.  By no means to we eat a raw food diet, but I do carefully plan what my family ingests each day.  I focus on our servings.  Are there fruits and vegetables present?  Are those fruits and vegetables serving our bodies in the manner in which they were intended?  Are we having our correct servings of protein and calcium?  Can I read and understand the purpose the ingredients on the foods I'm serving?  This last question has really changed my thoughts of feeding my family.

Since having the opportunity to stay home with my kids, it allowed me to focus more on cooking from scratch.  When I make sauces, breads, and baking goods from scratch I see exactly what goes into our food.  This has opened my eyes a ton.  For example, I never realized how much sugar can be dumped into spaghetti sauce.  When I buy the jarred sauce off the store shelf I lose my connectivity to my food.  Making my own sauce, I'm able to use other seasoning to lessen the amount of sugar and I'm aware.  Being aware allows me to focus on the other items that will be served with our meal.  Before, I never ever thought about sugar in my sauce.

{Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Homemade Meatballs}

Cooking from scratch has also allowed me to take the convenience out of junk food.  I no longer purchase store bought cookies or cakes.  If we want to have sweets, I have to make them from scratch.  It makes those cookies, cakes, or brownies turn into true treats and not a go-to crave food.  It has me weighing my options.  Do I want those cookies bad enough that I am going to take the time to make them and then clean up the mess from baking?  Sometimes it's worth it and sometimes it's not.  However, if I had a package of Oreo's sitting in the pantry all I would have to think about was whether or not I wanted to get my big booty off the couch.  Much more convenient to eat trashy.  I took that convenience out.

Same thing with chips.  We have them in the house, but it's not something the kids ask for with their lunch.  Instead, their 'crunchy' items are carrots, cucumbers, celery, or bell peppers.  I usually take the time to cut up veggies for the week so all I have to do is reach in and grab the desired serving amount.  It's just like reaching in a bag of chips.

All in all, I'm no health expert.  I am a little embarrassed to even write on this topic, but you know what?  I have worked hard to get our family to eat how we eat now.  I will continue to work to make small changes until I know I'm fueling our bodies to be the way God designed them to work.  As moms, we all want our families to be healthy and strong.  I believe feeding our bodies allows us to be that way.  This doesn't mean I will cut out our comfort foods or foods we love altogether, but I will continue to find ways to make those meals a bit more healthful or use them as special treats.

Pinterest Hit~Ultra Crispy Potatoes

How many times have you excitedly pinned something on Pinterest thinking your life was going to improve tenfold, only to realize you've been bamboozled?  Well guess what?  I pinned a side dish on Pinterest, thought I was going to be bamboozled, but ended up being wow-ed.  Maybe that should be my new motto when making dishes.  Just think they'll stink and then be pleasantly surprised when I love it.

Sooooo, do you wanna know my big hit?  Good.  I'll tell you tomorrow.  I kid.

It's these lovely crunchy bites of deliciousness...

Ultra Crispy Potatoes

And with a 5 lb bag of Russet potatoes being on sale this week for $0.99, it looks like we'll be having these again soon. It also looks like my butt will be getting larger soon as well.  But, it's totally worth it!

(Erica, we're still running in the morning, riiiight???)

Beans, Beans, The Magical Fruit

If you don't know the song, I'll spare you.  However, you should really should educate yourself.  At the very least you should learn, If you're sliding into first and you feel a sudden burst...Okay, I'll stop there.

Really beans is the topic today.  Yesterday a friend from church commented on my strict grocery budget.  She mentioned exchanging meats for beans as a cost/health saving tip.  She is so right on.  Beans and lentils are so perfect in so many ways.  The only problem.  I'm not a bean eater.  I'm not a bean eater and I married a Puerto Rican.  Do you know the main ingredients for PR's?  Rice and, you guessed it, beans.  YIKES!

Over the years I have done a much better job incorporating beans into our diet, but it's mainly black beans.  So, I haven't ventured out too far in the bean department.  Disappointing, I know.

Regardless of my lack of bean consumption, I have found a few tried and true black bean recipes that I love and I just added one more.  I pinned this jewel on Pinterest a few months ago.

Black Bean Fritters

Of course I had to make adjustments.  I didn't have any cilantro.  Nor a yellow bell pepper.  Not even a tomato. I did have a green bell pepper and salsa.  That was enough to make it work.  Instead of a creamy cilantro dipping sauce, we had salsa.  Here's the review from the Torres family.

Steven-A head nod.  He was too busy stuffing his face.  That's a good thing.

Little Man-Thumb's up

Little Miss-Didn't like it.  Nothing new.  It will take her a few more times before she'll eat it.

Chubby Cheekers-Well, he liked the Milk Twins afterward

Myself-A definite hit!  Loved them.

Happy Cooking!!!

Pinterest Crock Pot Misfire

A long time ago I pinned some crock pot freezer meal recipes.  I've only put together 3 meals, but I have to share the misfire on one.  Here's the original recipe for Teriyaki Crock Pot Chicken.  Although this recipe wasn't inedible (I think I just invented a word), it wasn't a hit either.  Here's what I would do differently next time.

 

{pic via Test Kitchen of Melissa Fallis}

1. Nix the extra 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce you add in before cooking.
2. Hold off on the pineapples until you are ready to serve.  They soaked up the Teriyaki sauce and looked disgustingly brownish black.  Not appealing at all.  Flavor wise they should be there, but not until you plate it up.
3. Add colorful bell peppers to the freezer bag.  It will add some color and taste.  

With these little tips in mind, I will serve this again hoping these changes will improve the end result.  Now I'm curious about your freezer meals.  Go on, share away.  No really, share.  I want to know.  I neeeeed to know.

The Making of Pesto

Free fresh basil.  Loads of free fresh basil.  What's a girl to do?  Well, first off, I had to make the high fat, high calorie, slap some cellulite on your butt, Lemon Basil Pasta.  I love that stuff.  In fact I earned a few more dimples from it.  So worth it.

Even after making the pasta dish, I still had a gallon ziplock bag full of basil.  It left me with one choice.  Make my first ever batch of pesto.  A little research on Pinterest, okay a LOT of research on Pinterest, led me to this recipe (except I used walnuts).  Funny how I searched on Pinterest and fell into the arms of my beloved...PW.

{via: Pioneer Woman}

I digress.

The point of this whole story is the process of making pesto.  It actually has nothing to do with the pesto, but what I had to do to get it.

Since I was making it from scratch I didn't want to just throw in bagged Parmesan cheese.  I purchased Parmesan cheese sold in the specialty cheese section and grated it myself.  It really wasn't that bad, especially with the hubbie's help, and I was able to have enough to fill a Mason Jar for later.

I have to say, I will NEVER go back to pre-grated Parmesan cheese ever.  The flavor doesn't even hold a candle to the hard block (or triangle).  The flavor and the smell.

After cleaning up all the appliances from the pesto and cheese grating, I cleaned the counters and washed my hands.  Even with all the cleaning, I still smelled something funky.  Really, really funky.  I couldn't figure it out.  It wasn't just in the kitchen.  It was everywhere I went.  Bathroom, bedroom, garage, car, EVERYWHERE.

Then I had to sneeze. I lifted my hand up to my nose and then it hit me.  Hit me like a fart in an elevator.  I about passed out.  The funk was on my hand.  It smelled like butt!  Despite all my hand washing, I could not get the smell out of my fingers.  Thankfully, friends on facebook came to the rescue and the same trick that worked for getting the garlic smell off my fingers worked for the booty smell.  A little bit of Dawn and stainless steel rid my fingers of the cheese.

So even though I will never buy package Parmesan cheese again, I refuse to live with a hand that smells like butt.  My resolution?  Buy stock in Dawn dish soap.

PB Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

Once upon a time I was a high school kid getting ready to head to college.  My brother and I were going to live in an apartment together and I didn't know how to cook (hard to believe, I know).  My long time childhood, middle school, high school BFF did cook.  One big problem.  She was going to OU and I was heading to NSU.  Have no despair.  She put together a cook book for me full of my favorite things she knew how to make.  Gosh, I love her.

One of the recipes she added was my all time favorite cookie made from cake batter.  They are so simple and delicious.  I could eat them all.  No, really.  I ate them all once.  That was back when I could see all my abs and weighed about 115 lbs.

I digress.  Without further ado I would like to introduce the best cookies ever...

PB Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter/margarine
1 cup peanut butter
1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 package chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Beat eggs, water, butter, peanut butter, and half of cake mix (dry).
• Stir in remaining cake mix and chocolate chips.
• Bake 10-12 minutes

Told you it was easy!  You might want to go ahead and pick up two boxes of yellow cake mix because you'll have some chocolate chips left over.  You wouldn't want those to go to waste would you?

How Grilled Chicken Improves My Life

Surely I am the ONLY mom who has a crazy busy life.  I assume the vast majority of you readers sip your morning coffee in utter silence if you choose and eat bon-bons each and every afternoon as you watch your children not only clean, but detail every corner of your home.  No?  This isn't how it goes down at your pad?  You also have a crazy busy life?  Ahhhh, then my grilled chicken will improve your life as well.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend I invented an idea that will revolutionize the world in a way we have never experienced, but I do think this may shave some time off your dwelling in the kitchen.  Are you ready for it?  Grilled chicken.

How is grilled chicken going to help me out? you ask.  Well it's not so much the chicken, but how you go about it.

First off, have you heard of Pinterest?  If not, I strongly urge you to NOT join if you value using your time wisely.  However, if you like to live in dreamland and peruse information and how-to's for all facets of life, then yes, check it out.

Now, once you find yourself in the Food and Drink section of Pinterest, then you will undoubtedly find many different ways to marinate chicken before grilling.  Like...

Garlic Mustard

Key West

Cilantro Thai

Grilled Island Chicken

Honey Spiced

Those are just a few to start with that have a little different flavors for your taste buds. 

You might still be wondering how grilled chicken is going to save you time, but alas, I'm about to share.  Most folks have a down day in the week. For that day have a few bags of chicken thawed.  At our house, I only need two bags to kick out four meals.  I divide the breasts into four large ziplock bags, each with a different marinade (sometimes I just do two marinades depending on what I'm using the chicken for), and allow the breasts to marinade for a couple of hours (at least).  

Then I throw it all on the grill at dinner time.  We go ahead and eat dinner off one of the marinades.  This meal is almost always just a regular breast not used in other recipes and  a few more time consuming sides.  I do this because it's my down day and I have the time to crank out more elaborate meals.

After we have completed our family dinner, I deal with the other chicken breasts.  Usually, these breasts get sliced or diced to go into other meals for the week, or frozen for future use.  I use that meat for chicken to toss on large dinner salads, OR to throw in an Italian or Thai dish, OR to use on a sandwich, OR to use with fajitas, OR..alrighty, you get the point.  It gets used.

Basically, I do all the chicken grilling on one night. It saves me so much time later in the week.  Again, not a head spinning idea, but it helps me nonetheless.  Maybe it will help you.  Or maybe I'm just a loon.  Don't answer that, m-kay?  

Caloric Chicken

I'm about to let out a big secret.  You will never look at me the same again.  I am a recipe picture looker.  Doesn't sound that bad does it?  I am infamous for looking at the pictures and barely scanning the ingredient list.  Look at the directions?  Nah.  That would take too long.

This is precisely what happened last night.  I started to make Chicken Kiev.  Oops.  I was supposed to prepare it and then refrigerate it for at least an hour before baking.  Since I only had an hour to make it start to finish I was out of luck. No Chicken Kiev for us.

Being the desperate inventive cook I am, I put together a new dish.  I would like to name it Caloric Chicken.  The name should speak for itself.

Caloric Chicken

4 chicken breast thawed
2 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
4 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
4 tsp of green onions, finely diced
4 Tbsp Ranch dressing
garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

• Using the flat end of the meat mallet, thin chicken to 1/4 inch thickness
• Season with garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste
• In the center of the chicken sprinkle 1 Tbsp of cheese, 1 tsp of green onion, and a pinch of bacon into each breast.
• Roll up each breast and secure with a toothpick.
• Drizzle 1 Tbsp of Ranch on each piece
• Bake, uncovered, @ 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until juices run clear

Happy Cooking!!!

Creamy Deliciousness

Since I was a complete failure this week in the area of menu making, I turned to my Pinterest board and chose a dish.  Last night it happened to be this one because I had all the ingredients...

{Pic via Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour}

It was creamy deliciousness in a dish.  It was also extremely fattening...cheeses...mayo...creamed soup.  Calories, calories, calories.  I tried to tell myself it was healthy because of the broccoli, but I wasn't fooling anyone.  That dish added at least a few more kernels of cottage cheese to my thighs.  Shucks.  Gonna have to do some more workouts.

Anyhoo...if you're interested in adding cottage cheese to your thighs, here's the link to the recipe.

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Classic Croque Monsieur

Who doesn't like a ham and cheese sandwich? Okay, I know one.  Steven.  He is NOT a ham person.  I don't know how we ended up together because I love ham.  Love it like a fat kid loves cake.  Even though Mr. doesn't like ham, I took my chances on this sandwich because it has a French name.  Steven loves to pretend he can speak French so as long I told him the name he would be distracted.  Distracted by pretending to be French and saying, Croque Monsieur over and over and over again.

Thankfully, my plan worked.  I told him the name, but didn't tell him what was in it.  I think the conversation went like this...

Phone rings


Me: "Hello."

Steven:  "Hey Babe.  I was wondering what's for dinner?"

Me:  "It's a new recipe.  A French sandwich called Croque Monsieur."

Steven:  "Ohhh, Croque Monsieur...I like it."

See how my master plan worked.  It was pretty simple.  French...it's a great tool when distracting my husband. Heck, you should see him when the Target commercial comes on. You know, the one where the people jump out of the hot air balloon? He loves that one.  You know why?  Yep, you guessed it.  It's a French song.

Enough of my husband's fetish with trying to speak French, here's the deets on the way I did the sandwich...

Croque Monsieur


8 Slices of French bread
2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard (or dijon)
1 Tbsp mayo
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 ham
4 slices Provolone cheese

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Melt butter in 9x13 dish.
• Mix mustard and mayo together.  Spread on each slice of bread.
• Slap on the ham and cheese and build the sandwich.
• In a shallow dish (I used a pie pan), wisk eggs and milk together.
• Using tongs dip each sandwich, on both sides, in the egg mixture.  Allow the bread to soak up the liquid.
• Place in melted butter, and bake for 5 minutes on each side or until bread becomes golden brown.

This really was a nice surprise.  Warm, delicious, and easy to make.  Plus, it's French!  An added bonus at the Torres house.

Time Savers for the Kitchen

With the days longer and light showing its face more, I really don't want to be in the kitchen.  I want to be outside playing with the kids.  In order to satisfy my desire to soak in the sun, I've paired together a few recipes that will save me (and you) time in the kitchen.

PW's Pizza Dough makes enough for two meals.  Here's a really easy way to make two separate meals from one days work...

Meal #1: Homemade Pizza and Salad
Meal #2: Baked Club Pinwheels, Veggies with Dip, and Fresh Fruit Salad

Prepping It All: 

• Make dough at least an hour before you start or a few days before.
• Prepare salad.
• Slice up veggies for pizza toppings and Meal #2 (i.e. peppers, cucumbers, celery, carrots, etc).
• Split the dough into two equal balls.  Roll them both out on a floured surface.  

Meal #1:
Prepare one rolled out crust for your pizza.  Bake.

Meal #2:
While you're waiting for your pizza to bake, you can easily prepare your next night's meal.  Take the other half of the rolled out dough and prepare the Baked Club Pinwheels according to directions, but don't bake.  Once you have the dough layered up and rolled, give the dough a good coat of olive oil to keep the dough from drying out.  Wrap entire roll in waxed paper and store in the fridge for the following evening.  Also store your cut up veggies in an air tight container.  BAM!  You have your following day's meal all ready to go.  All you have to do is heat the oven and bake.

By the time you're done preparing Meal #2 and cleaned up your mess, the pizza is ready to come out of the oven.  From start to finish this takes me only 35 minutes to prepare two meals.  They may not be the fanciest of meals, but they are good and much better than take out.  After all, take out could take 35 minutes by the time you drive there, order, get home, and plate it up.  Plus that would only be for one meal.  This way you get two!

An Epiphany

Steven and I love Layered Zucchini Parmesan. 

 

{photo via Handle the Heat}

It's super delicious and fairly healthy.  What I don't love is the prep in making it.  Not that the steps are super involved, but it ranks right up there with unloading the dishwasher.  It's TEDIOUS!  Cutting all those little discs of zucchini and then individually coating and dipping them in bread crumbs.  Then baking those little discs and flipping each one over one by one by one by one by one by one...okay you get it. 

So with all that said, I was trying to psych myself up for preparing this yummy dish the other night. I did jumping jacks.  A few laps around the island in the kitchen, and that's when it came to me.  

Why on God's green Earth do I have to cut all these little discs?  Why can't I cut the zucchini in slices lengthwise?

This moment of clarity has rocked my world and cut out a good 20 minutes of my prep time.  It was a real epiphany on my part.  I'm so thankful.  Now I can make this dish even more frequently.  I may just put in on my menu every week.

Old Fashion Sloppy Joes

There are two ways to make Sloppy Joes...the old fashion way and the seasoning packet way.  Both ways get the job done, but there's just something about the oldies that are goodies.

Unfortunately, I don't have a pic for you, but honestly...how different can Sloppy Joes look?  You've seen one, you've seen them all.  However, it's the taste that matters.  After trying multiple recipes over the years, this is the combo our family ended up with.  It's quite the hit.  I even think Adam Sandler would be proud.

Old Fashion Sloppy Joes


1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• Brown meat, then add onion, red bell pepper until they are tender.  Drain fat.
• Mix in tomato paste, paprika, cumin, vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. 
• Continue to hear for 5-10 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stew like.
• Serve over browned hamburger buns.

Happy Cooking!!!

Food From the Farm

Earlier this week I traveled with just my mom to visit my grandparents.  I love my kids dearly, but it was nice to spend some quality time with my mom and to be able to sit uninterrupted and visit with my grandparents.

One thing my grandpa has always been good at is sharing stories from his past.  He has spent countless hours researching our genealogy.  He's even worked hard to document the genealogy of Steven's family. Basically, a family tree full of Swedes and Puerto Ricans.  What a combination!  If you're wondering what happens when you cross a Swede and a Puerto Rican, this is what you get...

{A pretty great merger if you ask me}

On this particular trip, my grandpa wanted to share a story from the 1930's when he was a boy.  The story really reminds me of how much we've lost our connection to food.  We go to the store, buy our food, and cook it up.  We forget what really had to be done to put a meal together.  Let me remind you...

When my grandpa was a young boy, his grandmother handed him a cast iron skillet and told him to take a trip to the smokehouse.  He was to cut a slab of pork, stop by to pick up some eggs from the hen house, and hand her the ingredients in the cast iron skillet.  By the time his task was done and he was headed back to the farm house, his grandmother had buttermilk biscuits baking in the wood stove.  She took his pork and eggs and cooked them up. 

Can you even imagine the taste of that breakfast?  Everything so fresh.  You knew exactly where your food came from.  You were connected to your food.  You worked hard for what you ate.  Convenience and food weren't words that were ever associated together.

What was even more amazing was as my grandpa was talking of his past, another woman, who was also in the dining hall, stopped at our table.  She recalled times of a similar past.  If I could go back to one time period for one day, it would be the 1930's.  I would like to experience the smokehouse, the hen house, the wood burning stove, the fresh food, the work to prepare a meal, all of it.  Since that's not going to happen, I guess I'll continue to listen and cherish the memories told by my grandpa.

{A gigantic me listening to an amazing grandpa}