Happy Thanksgiving

My parents are coming to town tomorrow night.  We are excited to have them this year for Thanksgiving.  Last year we were in Hilton Head with my parents and my sister's family.  I was sick as a dog with a respiratory virus and shingles, so this year I have great hopes of a healthy Turkey Day.

Of course healthy at this time of the year is nearly impossible.  So, when Brooks woke up with a stomachache, I was not too surprised.  I actually handled it quite well and began to make my 

"To Do" list in my head.  I had a whole house to clean and a few things to cook for Thursday.  I'd just been waiting for a good excuse to stay home all day.

The weather is rainy - and it is chilly.  I think the high is 47° today.  Actually, that's warm compared to the weekend.  November has been exceptionally cold this year.  Hopefully it will be unusually warm in January and February.  I'm just hoping............

In order to check one item off of my list, I had to make 3 trips to the grocery store today!  Oh the things I will do just to please my husband.  I kept forgetting little items that can't be left out of Tim's very favorite holiday breakfast, mincemeat pies.  I think I enjoy making them as much as he enjoys eating them.  It's the only thing I've ever made that involves chopping oranges and lemons, peel and all.   

I got my recipe from Tim's mom.  She got it from her mother-in-law, Tim's grandmother.  The two of us are continuing a tradition passed down from Nenaw's family.  They were frugal, rural people who killed hogs in the wintertime using the head for mincement which was canned for pies.  By the time Billie (my mother-in-law) joined the family in 1953, Nenaw had switched to purchasing pork roasts.  Thank goodness!

It took me a mere 10 years to decide I would try a mincemeat pie.  There was just something about eating a pie with meat in it that turned me away.  However, at some point, I started to love them.  I think part of it is that I finally acquired a taste for the mixture and the other is my love for those in this family.  I always love traditions!

Here is our version of a mincemeat pie:

Cook a 4 pound pork butt roast till tender.  Shred it in a food processor.  Save the broth.

While pork is cooking, chop by hand or in a food processor: 3 oranges, 2 lemons, and 5 unpeeled apples.

Add meat and fruit to a 6 quart pot with the following:

2 lbs. raisins, 3 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 

1 tablespoon of each: cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, salt.

2 cups of each: apple juice, orange juice, pork broth

1 cup of cider vinegar.

The mixture will be very soupy.  Simmer on top of stove for about an hour until flavors have blended and fruit rinds are tender.  Most of the liquid should cook out but do not allow it to become too dry.  If more liquid is needed during cooking, add more of the above liquids.  Stir frequently, being careful not to let it stick.

A crock pot is worry free (cook several hours on HIGH).  I always use a crock pot.

This makes approximately 12 pints which I put in freezer containers and freeze after it has cooled.

A pint will fill a double crusted 9" pie.  Prick the top crust and bake at 400°  until the crust is done.

Our family makes an individual pie.  A double pie recipe with 1 pint of mincemeat will make 8 pies.

You should try it sometime.  It's a Ragsdale Family Tradition!  

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!

Benefits of Cooking Ahead

I used this system a few weeks ago, before we left on our vacation.  I know how busy our weekly schedule is, so I didn't want my mom to have to stress over cooking as she juggled the many activities after school.

Two weeks before I left (the first week of school), I took advantage of the long, quiet days, and cooked ahead.  I cooked chicken enchiladas, spaghetti, tacos, stuffed shells, bbq chuck roast (crockpot), banana bread, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, chicken heroes, and pizza stuff ALL IN ONE DAY!!  The best part of that day was our dinner.  We ate lasagna with friends in their new, beautiful kitchen!  I think I mentioned it before, but when I cook something all day, I can never bring myself to eat it that night.  It's too far into my nasal cavity to contemplate tasting it, too.  I know, I'm wierd, that is a fact.  So, our weekly dinner with this family (at their house) fit in just perfectly.

If you want to see perfect (and beautiful), check out their kitchen on the brick floor website!  The lasagna was terrific, too, and not only because it was cooked by someone other than me!

Once I returned home from our week dodging hurricanes, I still had several items in the freezer.   Using my pre-cooked dinners, I had 4 entrees this week - 2 went with us to scouts and we ate 2 at home.  It was so nice to have them available right after returning from a vacation.  I could concentrate on laundry, cleaning, and spending time with the kids rather than cooking dinner every night.

As we approach fall, I will add soups to my list.  I try to have soup night on Mondays.  We have so many activities that night, it is easy to keep hot soup in the crock pot and serve it in a custom time frame, according to each family member's schedule.

If you have any good freezer-safe recipes, I'd love to have them.  I am always looking for a new addition to my "cook ahead" repertiore.

A Month of Meals

While on vacation in Texas, I received some great feedback on my blog.  I really enjoyed hearing what you think about my topics and what your favorites have been. A few weeks ago,  I received an email from one of my readers who was inquiring exactly how I accomplished my “organized cooking phase” and how I incorporated the slow cooker into my routine.  Rather than responding only to her, I figured some of you might be interested in hearing more, too, so let me explain.

I’ve talked to many friends who have organized their own rendition of monthly cooking.  My favorite was a neighbor in Oklahoma.  They had 4 families in a “group”.  Each family was assigned a week – during their week the cooking family was responsible for cooking the main course for their family and the other 3.  They delivered the food everyday at  a certain time.  The non-cooking family prepared their own vegetables and sides and received a home-cooked meal 4 nights a week for 3 weeks.  However, with our family size, and the fact that we have moved around so much, I was never able to find 3 other families with whom we could collaborate.

Instead, I decided to record a list of meals our family liked well enough to eat on a regular basis.  The list I remember included:  tacos, spaghetti, lasagna, chicken tetrazzini, chicken enchiladas, hamburgers, pork chops (couldn’t leave those out, 18f!), and ham.  In addition, I listed vegetables and sides that would complement our meals.  I actually cooked the entrées and some of the vegetables in one cooking session.  At the end of one month, I would plan the grocery list for the upcoming month.

Here's how my system works: I spent 2 days (usually) preparing the main courses.  I would begin by boiling, enough chicken for the enchiladas and tetrazzini.  While it was cooking, I also browned enough ground beef to cover the tacos, spaghetti, and lasagna.  While all meats were on the stove, I made patties from ground round and froze them individually in freezer bags.  Once the beef had been cooked, I separated the taco meat and seasoned it accordingly.  I then added the spaghetti sauce (either canned, or what I had also cooked on the stove).  Now I was ready to divide the meat sauce for spaghetti and lasagna.  I cooked the spaghetti noodles while I assembled the lasagna.  Once the lasagna was ready, the spaghetti could be mixed and placed in a pan.  I used all of my casserole dishes and reused Sister Schubert’s round aluminum tins to hold all of my prepared dishes.

The enchiladas and tetrazzini were also made in tandem.  As the tetrazzini ingredients melded on the stove, I assembled the enchiladas.  Once it was all said and done, I would have a total of 4 to 6 pans of tetrazzini (my recipe makes a ton), 2 pans of lasagna (8x8), 2 Sister-sized pans of spaghetti, hamburgers, 2 batches of taco meat, and 3 pans of enchiladas.  Once it was all done, I had at least 17 day’s worth of food for us to eat (and share when someone needed dinner due to a  new baby).  We still had sandwiches and grilled various meals, so really, I had more than enough to cover a month or two!   Looking back on those days, the task seems daunting, but it didn’t take too long.  After all, I had 3 kids 5 and under plus a newborn!  The hardest part was planning it all and being disciplined enough to spend that much continuous time in the kitchen.

I get tired of food on a regular basis, so I can’t serve something more than once in a week.  If we have left-overs, I will reheat and serve it, but I try to make the portions small enough that we don’t have to eat it more than twice in a week.

This plan really cuts out excess grocery trips during the week.  I found that I could go once a week to replenish milk, bread, and produce, thus reducing the excess that I pick up when I am there everyday!

A Texas Favorite

I grew up eating this pie around the Christmas Holidays. My mom always made it with Blue Bell Peppermint Ice Cream, which you can only find around Christmas! I made it last night for Valentine's Day. I used Blue Bell's Chocolate Covered Cherry ice cream - and it was scrumptious. Easy, too!

Ice Cream Pie

Set 1/2 gallon of ice cream out for 20 minutes, or until soft. Scoop the ice cream into a chocolate graham cracker crust. Completely fill the pie and smooth it out on top. Add a creative topping for decoration (optional). Put in freezer for 2 hours.

When you are ready to serve, let it sit out for 15 minutes before you slice the pie. I always top mine with homemade chocolate sauce. I melt semi-sweet chocolate chips, a little milk and a tablespoon of margarine in the microwave. Ladle sauce generously on top of pie!

Any flavor ice cream will be yummy. If it's available, buy Blue Bell (it has cows and kids on the carton). It's only available in 17 states. I grew up on Blue Bell, being from Texas, and all. My favorite flavor was always Dutch Chocolate. When I was in high school my favorite changed to Chocolate Almond Marshmallow, although it is rather hard to find. My parents always have a half- gallon in the freezer waiting for me when I fly into town - if it is available, that is!

Blue Bell rolled into East Tennessee during the summer of 2006. We went straight out and bought 5 different flavors. Yep, FIVE! I couldn't wait to set that creaminess on my tongue. It isn't too creamy and not too sweet. It is just perfect. Blue Bell sets the standard for me -it isn't too creamy and it isn't too sweet.

Last summer I ventured out and tried Chocolate Covered Cherry and Chocolate Covered Strawberry. They are excellent, too. Brooks prefers the C.C.Strawberry while I like the C.C.Cherry. Reed sticks to the Dutch Chocolate. Caroline and MH love the Cookies 'n Cream. Cole is a Mint Chocolate Chip boy.

Well, now you know our preferences and what we ate last night. It was a great Valentine's Day at our house. Don't forget to buy Blue Bell the next time you are at the store - I'm dyin' to know what your flavor is....

How About This for Breakfast?

Here's a tasty and easy option for your Saturday morning breakfast! My kids love it.

Sharalynn's Sticky Buns

Do this the night before:

Grease a bundt pan with Pam. Put 1 package (24) frozen dinner rolls into the bundt pan.. Sprinkle the following over the rolls in the given order:

1/2 c. sugar

1-1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1/2 c. raisins (optional)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 box (4 oz.) butterscotch pudding and pie filling (not instant)

Cut 1 stick butter into pats and place on top.

Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise overnight.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cover with foil after 1st 15 minutes. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before flipping onto a plate.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Family Favorite Recipes

Our family has many favorite recipes which I have made over the years.  I am going to add one a week to my blog in order to have them on the computer.  I might as well put them here, and in the future, when a friend wants a copy, all you will have to do is visit the woman has been known to have (at least) 13 pair of patterned pants in her closet.

Here is our #1 requested recipe:

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

3 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. miniature chocolate chips

1 egg, well-beaten

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. oil

Topping:  3 T. sugar & 2 T. brown sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line with paper cups or grease bottom only of 12 muffin cups.  In medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 c. sugar, baking powder, salt & chocolate chips.  Stir in egg, milk, and oil, just until dry ingredients are moist.  Batter will be lumpy.  Spoon batter into muffin cups - 2/3 full.  Combine topping mix and sprinkle over muffins.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins