Big salads with 1/2 lb of bacon crumbled on them and the home made rolls I made for Ann yesterday.

Had a change of plans. Ann said she didn't feel like salad so I thought I would make soup. I put some broth and chicken in the IP and cooked it, took the chicken out and shredded it and put in carrots, celery and potatoes. I cooked that and it seemed boring and dull and I might even say tasteless. I put in some herbs and then decided to make chicken stew from it and I added some gravy packets. Well, I added a little too much and it was too thick to be stew but was the perfect consistency for pot pie. So I made a pot pie and it was really fabulous. Sometimes you just have to keep going lol.

I wanted leftovers. But they are so good that they will be gone in less than an hour... So I will have to cook something.

Meatloaf! (mine is a killer meatloaf- I have witnesses to verify) roasted sprouts, mashed potatoes with horseradish...and coleslaw. ????

deleted

Hmmmm...the above ???? are an emoji I tried to attach - he was the cool one, but he didn't survive.

I need a killer meatloaf ... Wanna pm me your recipe? pleaseeeee

@Bena

I can't give you a specific recipe, because I don't have one! I am one of those cooks who just "invents along the way"...so here are the basics along with the secret that makes it awesome. Hamburger, sausage, 2 eggs, small can of tomato sauce, chopped celery, carrots, onion, and green bell pepper, bread crumbs (2 pcs bread crumbed), and a little bit of most of the spices you have (I never measure, I just toss them in) all the obvious ones, including especially the green ones, like bay leaves, basil, dill, rosemary, celery seed, cilantro, sage - also garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire, chili powder (plus anymore that you have that seem like they would be good in there)! Put a little more of the ones that you really like.Then mix everything up together and add the meats, Then shape it and put it in the baking pan and sprinkle Montreal seasoning and catsup on the top. If you start with 2 lbs burger and 1/2 lb sausage, the whole thing weighs almost 5 pounds! 350 for an hour.

Here is the "secret sauce" that seals the deal. Half cube of butter, red wine, Worcestershire (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup each) heat in microwave until butter melts. Pour over the slices you put on the plate. WOW. It is the best! I actually have found that using Port instead of wine makes it even better! You can get a cheap bottle anywhere and I use it for all that calls for red wine. It is just better!

Thanks. Two questions:
1. Would red cooking wine work or does it have to be the real deal?
2. What is a 'cube' of butter? Can you redefine that as cups, tbsps,or grams please?

Sure!
Thing 1: I don't care for cooking wines - they just don't taste the same. Get a small bottle of port and a small bottle of sherry. They keep for a long time on your shelf, and you can add them to just about anything! You can start with adding to soups or making sauces (like the one above)

Thing 2: Butter comes in a box with 4 cubes. It is 1 pound, so each cube is 1/4 pound. (Sorry - I can't/don't do metrics)

Something from the freezer section at the grocery store. It was okay. The sauce that was provided was too sweet, and the stuffed little dough-y things were not at all filling. But the point of it all was to try something that we had not eaten before. We can try something else next time.

"Cooking wine" generally doesn't taste very good but it adds the appropriate nuances to the dish. Part of the deal is that salt is added to a decent wine and it suddenly is not taxed as a beverage but rather as an ingredient. Use the same precautions when using "cooking wine" as when using salted butter or commercially produced stocks, broths or bullions to make sure you don't end up with a salt bomb. Always easier to add a little salt than to take it out.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2020 01:07AM by Flash.

1/4 lb is just fine. I should have mentioned pounds. Our butter comes in a 1 lb brick but the box is marked off in cups, 1/2 cups, and 1/4 cups.

1/4 lb of butter is 8 Tablespoons so what is wanted here is 4 Tbsp or 1/8th of a pound

Have you noticed a price increase or lower stock for the Beyond products since the meat shortages started? I had bought a few packs for my BF during Lent and was looking into getting some more now that we've been stuffing ourselves with whatever has been available. When I looked last time, there were barely any of the alternative meat items and they seemed to be more expensive than before.

@SoCalMama wrote:

Grilling today. Beyond burgers, grilled veggies, and not sure what else. Going to sit out by the pool.

Last night, grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast on cast iron skillet (lots of butter and garlic added), from the freezer, had a frozen raviolis filled with butternut squash & ricotta with kale (yum) and fresh green beans. Added a spinach salad with mushrooms & red onions with balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. Just took a few minutes to do all of it...Perfect!

Finishing up planned-over pot roast and gravy with mashed potatoes. Will steam some fresh broccoli or carrots.

I had some mushrooms to get rid of, so last night I made a mushroom melt.

I have one smoked pork chop left in the freezer. It will be cut up and "tenderized" by a slow, simmering in pork gravy and served with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. For some reason the latest batch of pork chops that I smoked turned out quite tough, but this method seems to solve that quite nicely. I am amazed at how well the strong, smoky flavor melds with the pork gravy.

I found myself with way too many cucumbers this week. I had already bought a few at the Dollar Produce and then more came in my weekly farm box. My boyfriend bought some white balsamic last week and despite loving the regular balsamic, I've never tried the white. I decided to make some cukes and shallots (too many shallots, too lol) in white balsamic and let me tell you, it was life changing lol. I think I ate 2 whole cucumbers yesterday and I'm not sorry about it.
It's a whole new world.....

@Jenny Cassada wrote:

Have you noticed a price increase or lower stock for the Beyond products since the meat shortages started? I had bought a few packs for my BF during Lent and was looking into getting some more now that we've been stuffing ourselves with whatever has been available. When I looked last time, there were barely any of the alternative meat items and they seemed to be more expensive than before.

@SoCalMama wrote:

Grilling today. Beyond burgers, grilled veggies, and not sure what else. Going to sit out by the pool.

I think that they are selling it at regular price now. I read that they were going to attempt to lower the price in hopes of getting people to give up meat once a week. I can still find it in regular grocery stores.
Don't over cook the burgers. If you overcook them, they get really tough.
I got a bunch of it at Kroger for 50-75% off awhile ago (pre-pandemic). I just froze it.

Impossible meat is supposed to be available if it isn't already. I think that it's pretty good too.

I mix it up with the brands. I found some Boca Skillet chicken (not real chicken) meals for $1.99 each. I grabbed 2. I will do Morningstar Farms chicken patties and Gardein pretty much anything. I found Quorn brand, and it is horrible. I have thrown it all in the trash.

Thanks @SoCalMama!

Today is homemade pizza and pasta. The only evening of the week when I don't cook and I am looking forward to it. What's better than enjoying "Desperate Housewives" while your husband cooks you a meal!!

We were supposed to stay at home and have Keto something or other and a movie (Alfred Hitchcock). Instead, we went off yonder and ended up with fast food and books. It's okay. All the calories were consumed before 3 PM, which according to someone who might know something gives us a few extra hours to burn the calories. We can only hope so...

Tonight -
Beyond Burger sliders on homemade buns with homemade potato salad .... and a vodka cran.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies too, but I am not having them. Not vegan.

I do meatless meals a few times a week, but I don't use meat substitues.

I also have some outstanding vegetarian recipes that call for tofu, but I substitute chicken or beef instead.

@SoCalMama wrote:

I read that they were going to attempt to lower the price in hopes of getting people to give up meat once a week.

Planned overs: baseball chicken, twice baked potato, steamed fresh broccoli

Tonight my sons are cooking. Pad Thai was what they indicated was on the menu.

I'm actually loving the shut in because 2 nights a week I cook for 4 and the kids come over, 2 nights a week they cook and we join them. The other 3 nights are leftovers or simple suppers.

Tomorrow I will probably make lasagna for a Tuesday or Wednesday family dinner and leftovers. (Lasagna is always better the next day IMHO.)

I certainly agree about the lasagna.

I certainly agree about the lasagna.
You might just decide that you supper co-op is well worth continuing after the shut down. You sons are learning more about food and cooking, and you get relief from the routine.