topic Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December in Kitchen

What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Winifred — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 13:51:14 GMT

Hard to believe that December is already here. This year - while full of trials and tribulations, certainly is whizzing by. And to help say hello to December, it is once again freezing here this morning.

Have said before I have no talent in putting pictures on here. Perhaps I should try it one day - but not todayl

Last night I warmed up the stew. As usual, it is better the second day. Not much left but a good base so may freeze the remainder. When I want it again, can just add some more potatoes to it as they are all gone. It was good and for two days it fed us well. Now to figure out what for tonight - I think whatever it is, it will be an easy meal.

Got Davey signed up for Math tutoring starting today. Sure hope it helps as he is not dumb, he just does not understand it. Shame on him as he has had several opportunities to turn his grades around but has not taken the initiative - hope this works a bit. Time will tell.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Preds — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 14:21:02 GMT

Sure wish I had some of that stew! Love stew!

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Snoopp — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 14:24:32 GMT

It's December! TIme does fly. I am planning on making some of the recipes Ree Drummond has online. I think she has an enchilada recipe that looks good. Hoping to make it this week.

Tonight I am using my Optigrill for steak.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 22:46:35 GMT

Afternoon all,

And if someone says Happy Holidays to me...I'm going to smack them. Then I'll say..MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Glad to see you started us, Winifred. I was out this morning having lab work and at the grocery store. Grocery shopping seems to be my new hobby.

Bought thick pork chops for dinner tonight. Not sure what will go with them. A salad for sure, want to try some new dressing. Bought at Aldi's and it has garlic floating in the bottle. That has to be good.

Have Mahjong here tomorrow so planning for that. Then Thursday is going to be very busy. Have lunch with classmates, a carry in, I'm fixing the Olive Garden Italian soup. Next I have book club at 2:00. Then going to dinner and show of "The Rat Pack".

Hope all is well and wishing you all the best.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 22:47:43 GMT

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:26:45 GMT

Morning all,

Woke up to a blanket of frost on the ground. I thought it was snow at first.But, nope, just frosty out there this morning.

I did some Christmas decorating yesterday. Found a huge branch cut off laying by the road. Packed it up and brought it home. Love the smell of pine in the house. I cut up into smaller branches. Used it in a planter outside by the door, some when into a vase with cuttings of our holly bush, and the last bit went into a vase of flowers. A lot of mileage out of that pine for sure!

Didn't fix the chops last night. Hubby said let's go out for Chinese and that is what we did. Chops will again be on the menu tonight.

Just feeling the need to make some cookies. Maybe after Mahjong today.

Best to all, enjoy the day.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 16:53:11 GMT

Hot out of the oven. DH gave them thumbs up. I did add about a cup of dried cranberries.

Pecan Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies –

Ingredients 1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until light and smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl. whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, oatmeal, and pecans. Gradually add it to the butter mixture, until just blended. Mix in the white chocolate chips. Place level tablespoons of dough on the cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until slightly golden.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Winifred — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 04:23:34 GMT

Had a simple meal this evening. Roast in the slow cooker and I tossed Italian dressing on it - super good. Of course there was also a big sweet onion with it. Sides were carrots in butter and fried cabbage - I usually have fried cabbage as a stand alone but decided to do it this way. Very good. Kitchen clean and the slow cooker soaking in nice warm soapy water - hope I stay away long enough to clean it - I usually do but sometimes I let it slide.

Was another beautiful day.

We are still trembling over the shootings yesterday in San Bernardino - just horrible. Still very active there and also Redlands where the slain suspects lived - it is only 5 minutes from me.

Hope all had a great day.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Preds — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:46:55 GMT

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

IHeartFashion — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 22:10:56 GMT

No snow or anything yet. Next week we have a party where the kids get to see Santa and get gifts from him This last weekend we did this online thing where we brought cookies to a neighbor to surprise him: https://ooh.li/26e6f0e. I want to take them to the Manhattan Post Office one day too and pick up Santa letters so we can surprise a child who really believes in Santa and wrote him a letter (don't know why I find that so cute, but I used to do it all the time when I was single and want to pick up the tradition again now that I have kids).

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

spix — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 22:12:23 GMT

@Winifred, when you make fried cabbage, do you shred & fry in butter/oil? I love cabbage always make it creamed for Thanksgiving as my grandmother did, I shred it fry it together with cooked crisp bacon, then add it to the cream sauce, would I do the same just without the cream sauce?

Hope things are calming down by you, stay home if you can.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Winifred — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 00:34:32 GMT

Spix, I do not shred it. I cut it in chunks - enough to get somewhat tender at the beginning of cooking. I use my trusty iron frying pan, put a bit of water in it, cover the cabbage and cook it on slow heat for a bit over an hour. Do not hold my feet to the fire on times as that is always a gamble when cooking fresh veggies. After they get a bit tender I put either olive oil or veggie oil in the pan - In days gone by it was ONLY bacon grease but those days are gone. Breaks my heart because bacon grease is the very best thing going to season veggies. But heart problems, strokes, etc have kept a lot of people away from bacon. I rarely eat it. Anyway, I cook it sometimes for two hours and then rev up the heat - the advantage of an iron frying pan - and make sure it gets a bit toasty around the edges. I LOVE it. You can salt and pepper per your taste. When I eat just the fried cabbage, I often have sliced tomatoes and cornbread - that is all!!!! Great meal It shrinks way too much but that is the nature of the beast.

Ever tried fried yellow squash - or fried summer (white) squash? Hmn. Soooooooo good.

Am not cooking this evening as we have a lot of leftover from last night - roast, cabbage and carrots.

Have a great day tomorrow.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

spix — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 15:52:47 GMT

@Winifred, Thanx, I'm going to try it

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Winifred — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 13:26:24 GMT

We had leftovers last night - each eating when they wanted to. Sure worked for me and my Fridge is empty - I really love that as all too often I have to toss some food because it sat there way too long. Tonight will probably have fried yellow squash - this with cornbread and sliced tomatoes. Yep, getting better in being able to find tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. In past years I have gone months at a time with no tomatoes as I will NOT eat the grocery store variety of tomatoes which do not smell nor taste like they are suppose to. More and more are growing organic and/or hot house tomatoes. Such a big difference. If anyone is interested I slice my yellow squash, slice a BIG onion, sometimes two and always a sweet onion and put them in a tad of water - of course in my trusty old iron frying pan. Cook them much like I do my cabbage but it does not take as long as cabbage as the squash tenderizes out much quicker. Sometimes I drain the water off if I put too much in there and then put oil and cook away. I usually use a lid until nearing the end and like the cabbage, I raise the heat to brown it a bit. Sure is good. Salt and pepper to your taste.

Another cold morning but not as bad as the past couple mornings. Hopefully the day will warm up a bit - have church and then back home and the kids and I will get some chores done around this house. Have to sort my recycles but cannot get them turned in until Tuesday. I may just take them up to the grocery store but they do not pay back what you are suppose to get back. State law says we get back every penny spent on cans, plastic, some glass - that does NOT happen at grocery stores. Also does not happen at a lot of recycling plants. I do not understand it as that is the law. So how would one know? SEveral times I have actually counted the different things being recycled and since we pay flat fees for the different things you can figure it out to the penny. Now, it is not something I would do often as it is a nightmare to figure it out but I have taken the time. RARELY do you get your money back. I have complained but to no avail. LOL.Hope one and all have a great day.

If I do get some of the work done in the house I may put out my table Christmas tree and then pray we can keep the little boy away from it. Hmmmn.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 22:59:27 GMT

Evening all,

Just finished off the soup that was left over from class party. It is still so good. Had to water it down a little as there was not much left in the crock pot. I made Copy Cat Olive Garden soupa.

Have been very busy. Hope I can cancel a couple of things is coming week so I can wrap presents, pack clothes for heading south.

I fry my cabbage about the same way as you, Winifred. I slice the cabbage about 1/4 inch think, melt butter, add sliced onion, cabbage, and salt. Sometimes I add ham, sausage, or bacon if I have it.

Will say good night, have much to do before bed.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Preds — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 09:56:35 GMT

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:51:47 GMT

Morning,

Calendar is filling up quickly and I have been cancelling several appointments today to free up the week. In the mean time, Nelson has bee making some doctor's appointments so not sure how that works out.

Want to bake some more cookies again today. Have this strange urge to bake cooks...What's with that, I ask myself? Don't usually bake at Christmas. Will make those Dainty Sugar cookies, makes a lot and always good.

Served coffee at church yesterday, all 3 services. Was so busy. Big attendance and always good to see so many young men. That is exciting. Many young families too. That's what a church needs to stay alive.

No snow here, could reach 60 Saturday. Deep fog today, schools were closed.

Hope all is well, enjoy the day.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Winifred — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 13:48:39 GMT

Fried some chicken legs and then put them in gravy last night - meat fell from the bone and the kids gobbled them up. Had mashed taters and broccoli as go withs. Also some sliced tomatoes. Very good.

Starting tomorrow the weather experts say we will have rain through Friday. We can use it - will wait and see however. That means Davey must rake up the leaves which have fallen today so we we can put them out Thursday morning. He is not going to be happy when I tell him - not many out there but have always kept them up. Do not wait until every leaf has fallen - what a pain to do that. Unfortunately I can no longer get out there and do it every day - sure use to - now it is Davey's turn. LOL. He is not going to have much time to do it and will gripe like everything as he has tutoring after school at the school. He needs to also go another day. Tutoring is free and lasts and hour - important that he go. Was so surprised when I saw the tutoring was free - just a couple years ago it was NOT free - had to pay by the hour. I think it is great this is offered. As irritated as I get at the high school here - it is overcrowded and the kids struggle because of that - they do offer some good programs. By the way there is no need it be overcrowded - a new high school was built and has been operative for four years now but they are using it as a Middle School - just dumb = as we had plenty of room for the Middle school. They took one of the middle schools and made it a second Continuation School. Maybe if they would put the kids in the right schools a second Continuation School would NOT be necessary. Dumb.

Have a good day everyone and eat well!!!!! Stay warm - we are suppose to get up to 80 today - sure hope so then the freeze starts back in tomorrow with the rain.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 14:35:53 GMT

Good Morning,

Still unseasonally warm here...it is high 40's. Seems so strange for December. Just doesn't look and feel right.

Dinner was simple last night, hamburger patties and a nice salad. Had some hot apple tea that we brought back from Turkey several years ago. Forgot I had it in the cabinet. Nice for an evening drink.

Have a lunch date with a friend, then regular doctor check up, and going to see a preview of Dowden Abby tonight. Did get a couple of packages wrapped. Just need to keep plugging away at it.

Wishing everyone a good day.

Re: What's Cooking this Merry Month of December

Soushi24 — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 15:06:08 GMT

Italian Sub Salad Recipe

Feel free to add anything else you like to eat on a hoagie or sub. You can serve this as a salad or on rolls. Great for a get together or to spice up your salad! This salad does not store well. Plan to eat it all in one sitting or you will have a soggy mess of leftovers.

Ingredients

Large head Iceberg lettuce
¼ lb hard salami
¼ lb pepperoni
¼ lb ham
¼ lb turkey
½ lb cheese (your choice)
⅛ C Italian dressing
small onion thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes cubed
2 - 3 TBSP mayo
½ tsp Italian Seasoning
Optional ingredients
black olives
sweet peppers
hot peppers
pickles
cucumbers
peppers

Instructions

Clean lettuce and tear into bite size pieces and place in large bowl with onion.
Chop meat and cheeses into bite size pieces
Toss together.
Add dressing and toss again.
Add mayo and toss again.
Add more dressing or mayo if needed.
Add any optional ingredients.
Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.
Gently fold in Tomatoes.
Chill and serve immediately

Recipe by Just 2 Sisters at http://just2sisters.com/italian-sub-salad-recipe/