Here was the plan -
Put a roast in the crockpot then make steam and mash potatoes after visiting the gym tonight.
Reality -
The dishwasher delivery guys came at the last end of their window and Matt took William out to buy shoes...Mama made a martini and was sitting outside when all was said and done. And Daddy wasn't very hungry. Such is life. William was content to eat leftover spaghetti and meatballs and some peas. Mom and Dad decided the roast will wait until tomorrow. But, roast, an under appreciated slab of meat needs its due. When I was a kid roast meant an under-seasoned cut of meat cooked in a pressure cooker with potatoes and watery sauce plus over-cooked carrots. Sorry mom!
At my wedding Matt and I had roast to die for and I've tried to recreate it ever since. This is what I came up with:
Rump roast (whatever size feeds your family)
1 pkg brown gravy mix
1 10 1/2 can lower sodium, lower fat cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
Mix the gravy mix, soup, and soup mix. Place the roast in a crockpot. Pour the soup mix over the top. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 6 hours. Use the liquid as gravy and thicken with equal parts flour and water as needed.
We will have this tomorrow. ;o)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
I would have never eaten that when I was 5
We have pretty much raised our son, William, to eat whatever we eat. As I have mentioned before he does eat the typical kid fair except hot dogs. He hates hot dogs. Go figure. But tonight I was thoroughly impressed. It was not a gourmet night. I am in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store but I found a box of black beans and rice in the cupboard, a chicken breast in the freezer as well as a turkey smoked sausage link. Viola dinner! And a one-dish one at that. As I type my dish washer is sitting in the kitchen dead so the fewer dirty pot and pans the better. But before I could get everything together William was asking for shrimp. Make that begging. Shrimp cocktail to be exact. Yep, I would not have eaten shrimp cocktail at that age for anything. So I make a few shrimp for him which he ate along with the rest of his dinner - all two helpings. Rice is also one of his favorites. He wasn't crazy about my cocktail sauce but I wasn't going to complain.
After dinner he asked for dessert. I had a peach that was starting to shrivel and some strawberries that needed a stomach to call home so I got inspired to make a smoothie. But when I make a smoothie I make the nutrition count. Instead of yogurt I use low-fat tofu and throw in some flax seed for fiber and good fats. So, again let me remind you, my child is 5 and happily slurped down a tofu, flax seed, and fruit smoothie and with ever sip told me how delicious it was. William often tells me he likes my dinners which is not uncommon for a child to think his mom's food is the best. I just hope that along with teaching him variety I am instilling the health benefits of food to him as well.
After dinner he asked for dessert. I had a peach that was starting to shrivel and some strawberries that needed a stomach to call home so I got inspired to make a smoothie. But when I make a smoothie I make the nutrition count. Instead of yogurt I use low-fat tofu and throw in some flax seed for fiber and good fats. So, again let me remind you, my child is 5 and happily slurped down a tofu, flax seed, and fruit smoothie and with ever sip told me how delicious it was. William often tells me he likes my dinners which is not uncommon for a child to think his mom's food is the best. I just hope that along with teaching him variety I am instilling the health benefits of food to him as well.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
What is my philosophy on food?
Lately I have been watching "The Next Food Network Star" on Food Network. One question they ask the contestants is what is his/her philosophy on food. Some contestants really struggle with this and it makes me scratch my head wondering why. If you're passionate enough about food and cooking to make it onto a televised show then you should know how you feel about and see food. Right? So what's my philosophy you ask?
I could say anything goes because that's how it feels sometimes. But if I had to tell someone what drives how I cook it would be that I try to modernize the classics. Everyone loves comfort food and you put a cookbook in front of me that has "grandma's" in the title and I'm all over it. But, to be honest, some of the foods of yesteryear weren't that great. Back in the days of lard and limited access to spices the food somehow got lost. I like to taste my food and use fats, spices, herbs, etc. to enhance it. Last week I picked up some fresh produce for dinner including corn on the cob, tomatoes, and asparagus. In trying to decide on a protein I couldn't help but think how wonderful that would all taste with fried chicken. However, we had been having a bad nutrition week so I felt like lightening up. Don't get me wrong, I love some good fried chicken and we have it on occasion but it just didn't seem right for this particular night. Instead, I looked at what I had on hand. With some chicken breasts, the remnants of a bottle of white wine, and a handful of baby bellas I pulled together chicken with a white wine and mushroom sauce. We loved it! And I didn't regret not having fried chicken at all.
I also dissect ingredients. I can honestly say that 99% of the time when I use a recipe I change it in some way. My mind is constantly thinking of which ingredients I can substitute that may be easier to find or may simply satisfy my family's tastes better. My poor husband has sat through many a meal with me in a restaurant that I critique to figure out what's in it and what I could do to make it better at home. And there are certain things like pasta that I will never order out. If it won't present a challenge for me to make at home I won't order it. I use eating out as a learning and growing experience as much as using it as a break from cooking. Yes, even foodies need a break sometimes.
I am fortunate in many ways. I have a husband that will try anything once. We've had some winners like the aforementioned chicken but I've had some doosies as well that elicits a "what do you call this dish" which means "please don't make this again." My son is pretty varietal in what he will eat as well. He's a boy who loves his chicken nuggets and Chef Boyardee but he also, at the age of 2, was sitting down to eat grilled salmon and thinks nothing of having fresh asparagus as a vegetable option. Now at 5 he will eat most of what I put in front of him without complaint. This summer his particular favorite is grilled shrimp. I too am lucky that I live in a large enough area that finding ingredients presents little challenge. Food Network is the televised bible of food for me and if I see something there, I have a good chance of finding it here. I also think I have a skill in dissecting a recipe or a dish and making it my own. Most of the time I feel like I make people pretty happy through food. And I like to make it fun. After a trip to the zoo it's not unheard of for me to make my son a zoo themed dinner. Let's face it. We have to eat so why not enjoy both the process and the final product.
I could say anything goes because that's how it feels sometimes. But if I had to tell someone what drives how I cook it would be that I try to modernize the classics. Everyone loves comfort food and you put a cookbook in front of me that has "grandma's" in the title and I'm all over it. But, to be honest, some of the foods of yesteryear weren't that great. Back in the days of lard and limited access to spices the food somehow got lost. I like to taste my food and use fats, spices, herbs, etc. to enhance it. Last week I picked up some fresh produce for dinner including corn on the cob, tomatoes, and asparagus. In trying to decide on a protein I couldn't help but think how wonderful that would all taste with fried chicken. However, we had been having a bad nutrition week so I felt like lightening up. Don't get me wrong, I love some good fried chicken and we have it on occasion but it just didn't seem right for this particular night. Instead, I looked at what I had on hand. With some chicken breasts, the remnants of a bottle of white wine, and a handful of baby bellas I pulled together chicken with a white wine and mushroom sauce. We loved it! And I didn't regret not having fried chicken at all.
I also dissect ingredients. I can honestly say that 99% of the time when I use a recipe I change it in some way. My mind is constantly thinking of which ingredients I can substitute that may be easier to find or may simply satisfy my family's tastes better. My poor husband has sat through many a meal with me in a restaurant that I critique to figure out what's in it and what I could do to make it better at home. And there are certain things like pasta that I will never order out. If it won't present a challenge for me to make at home I won't order it. I use eating out as a learning and growing experience as much as using it as a break from cooking. Yes, even foodies need a break sometimes.
I am fortunate in many ways. I have a husband that will try anything once. We've had some winners like the aforementioned chicken but I've had some doosies as well that elicits a "what do you call this dish" which means "please don't make this again." My son is pretty varietal in what he will eat as well. He's a boy who loves his chicken nuggets and Chef Boyardee but he also, at the age of 2, was sitting down to eat grilled salmon and thinks nothing of having fresh asparagus as a vegetable option. Now at 5 he will eat most of what I put in front of him without complaint. This summer his particular favorite is grilled shrimp. I too am lucky that I live in a large enough area that finding ingredients presents little challenge. Food Network is the televised bible of food for me and if I see something there, I have a good chance of finding it here. I also think I have a skill in dissecting a recipe or a dish and making it my own. Most of the time I feel like I make people pretty happy through food. And I like to make it fun. After a trip to the zoo it's not unheard of for me to make my son a zoo themed dinner. Let's face it. We have to eat so why not enjoy both the process and the final product.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
I love food
Welcome to my food blog. As the title suggests, I love food. I love to buy it, cook it, eat it, and watch shows about it. This is about my experience with food. My history. Recipes. Successes as well as failures. Special occasions. I want to share it all. I am not a trained chef, though if I had it all to do over again I may have been. Nor do I cook gourmet food every night of the week. In our household we can go from steak with a wine and mushroom sauce one night to a casserole made with [gasp] soup the next. I am a real woman with a real family and a real job. That means every minute of every day is filled, but I hope to share some of my exciting culinary adventures (as well as my failures).
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