It's time to BBQ!!!

My in-laws gifted us with a BBQ for my husbands birthday one year. We had made half-hearted attempts with small grills and even tried charcoal once......that has the potential to be a whole post! Anyway, we had no idea how much we would love a "real" grill until we started using this one.

It's not huge, it's not the deluxe version, but it manages just fine for what we want it to do. And we have used it year round. Yes, my husband stands outside, shivering and grinning, smelling like smoke and burnt food. We have a few favorites that seem to work all year so I thought I would share one with you. It's my favorite meatloaf made into burgers....and sorry for the measurements. I have much difficulty measuring. For those with larger families or who are having friends over, this recipe doubles and triples extremely well.

Meatloaf burgers

1 lb ground meat - use any type or blend you like
2 eggs
1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed
1 T basil flakes
1 T parsley flakes
2 T chopped dried onion
liberal sprinkle of garlic salt
3 T ketchup
1 T mustard
1 T brown sugar

Mix it all with your hands, just like meatloaf, and shape into 4 burgers. Cook on the grill on medium to med-high heat until they are firm to the touch and no longer pink in the middle.

You can make more of the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar mixture to brush on the burgers when you turn them. It makes a horrible mess on the grill but the flavor is heavenly.

Assemble just like standard burgers and enjoy! It takes about 1/4 the time of a standard meatloaf recipe and my family loves it. I hope you enjoy them also. Get Grilling!!

Dinner in a Winter Wonderland

I find myself about mid-day sitting down to the computer to get a little work done then being thoroughly distracted. I have newsletters I have signed up for that show up in my inbox, I have favorite blogs I check up on, I have recipes posted to online cooking sites that get reviews......how can food be such a huge part of my life?

My husband and I often said we wanted many children (like 7....what were we thinking?) but I have finally learned that I really just want to cook for 7 children. I love to make a mess of the kitchen for a big family dinner and I think that craving was being translated into needing to have babies. I know. Odd correlation. It took me two kids and a few years to finally understand it myself. Now I have learned to use a smaller pot when I make soup or just invite someone over for dinner. It seems to satisfy my need to nurture through creative cooking.

Honestly though, washing dishes falls outside my boundaries of nurturing. That is what I want someone else to do for me so I feel nurtured. Hint hint......

Anyway, it has continued to snow here in our valley and I really want to pull out my crock pot and use it over the weekend. I love filling it mid-morning and having a warm comforting dinner ready when it is dark and cold outside. I also love the pestering from my family wanting to know when it will be ready. I figured I would share one of my favorite crock pot recipes here so you, too, can have that wonderful aroma and famished family.

Crock Pot Dinner (I know...not original enough. Send me better recipe titles if you'd like)

2 large onions
2 large carrots
2 medium potatoes (red, yellow or bakers work)
2 lbs chicken (I prefer frozen tenders but boneless breasts work fine) kept whole
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

If you want to add any other veggies, frozen corn or peas work well. I have added broccoli but the aroma gets pretty intense. If you have a big bag of frozen asst. veggies in your freezer use those and save yourself some time.

Spray your whole crock pot with cooking spray to make clean up easier. Slice or cut the onions into wedges and layer on the bottom of the pot. Chop the carrots into big bite chunks and place half on top of the onions. Place chicken in a layer on top of carrots. Add chunked potatoes and remaining carrots. Add any additional small veggies. Spread condensed soup over the top and fill the can once with water pouring that over top of it all. Place the lid on top and set to low for 6-7 hours (depending on how full your pot is) or on high for 3-4 hours. I have a setting on my pot that does high for 2 hours then turns it down to low and stays there. That gives me about a 5 hour option if I have errands to run.

When you can smell this all over your house and it is bubbly and creamy looking it is done. Dig down and make sure the chicken is cooked through. It should be very tender and falling apart easily. Serve with a big spoon into shallow bowls to let it cool a bit easier. A loaf of crusty bread or buttermilk biscuits are perfect with this and sometimes a sprinkle of cheese or a little chopped fresh herbs.

Variations on this recipe are endless:

• use rice instead of potatoes, adjusting the liquids as necessary
• use coconut milk and sweet potatoes for an African flavor
• use a curry base instead of cream of chicken soup, serving with naans
• add a jar of salsa with the creamy soup for a southwestern flair, serving with corn chips.

I hope you have a wonderful cool weather dinner. And here's to the families with many children.....can I come cook at your house?

Holiday Happiness

It's that feeling early in the morning when it has snowed all night, the light is just starting to appear outside, my babies are still snuggled in their beds and I have the kitchen to myself. Bliss. Deep, intense joy.

The snow has covered anything I could have used to identify my yard. Inches and inches have fallen and settled the whole world outside my windows into a calm and stunning scene. Trees have bowed their branches down to kiss the ground and my little cedar looks to be resting his heavy tired head on a snowy pillow. Kitty tracks go to the windows, peering around curtains to see if a warm spot is waiting for them. A fat little quail finds shelter on the porch, watching a friend reflected in the window.

I love to pour a fresh cup of coffee, sit at the scarred wood table and flip through an old favorite cookbook. Will it be sourdough pancakes or a big gooey coffee cake? Perhaps fresh buttermilk biscuits with a jar of cantaloupe peach jam. Dutch apple pancakes with a rich cinnamon syrup and whipped cream? Tangy yogurt, mixed berry compote and a sprinkle of crunchy granola piled in layers in a parfait glass. Creamy french scrambled eggs with a smooth swirl of fontina cheese and cracked black pepper. I swear I could make and eat breakfast all day long.

As Christmas is approaching I long to find that one dish that is deceptively simple to make, fills the house with a rich smell and can be snacked on all morning. I have so many memories of cinnamon rolls, ham sandwiches, eggnog and sliced oranges. I want to find the foods that my children will remember and dream of when they grow up. I want to sneak out of my bed early on Christmas morning and slide a dish into the oven to slowly cook and wake the house. I find myself imagining the ultimate Christmas morning feel and wondering how to create it. Often I wonder if it is possible or just a fantasy women have about how we want it to look and feel and smell.

I have surrounded myself with twinkling lights on many trees throughout the house. I have added apple spice candles and warmers. Thick, warm rugs are twining across the floor in my kitchen. My toes wiggle and burrow into their depths and the kitties curl up on them in front of the heat vent. I find that I pull out my heavy pottery bowls and fat wooden spoons for cooking. The big dark pottery baking pans make meals look so warm. Heavy clay dishes and solid silverware make eating more thoughtful. Winter meals will not be rushed and winter cooking demands attention and intensity. Flavors must be richer and textures must be considered. Even a simple broth will be filled with the flavors of garlic and onion, a hearty soup bone and a splash of red wine. My soul finds rest and rejuvenation during this time of year. There will be time for busy frenetic antics in the kitchen come spring but for now I will slow down and add depth and meaning to my home, my food, my cooking and my life.

Merry Christmas. May your homes be blessed with warmth and joy.

Roasting Pans

I have been married for 12 years and today I finally bought my first roasting pan. I stood in the middle of the isle at the store and tried to remember why I have never bought one and yet I have cooked the darn bird for the last 5 years. I am still trying to understand it and it's been 5 hours (in the mean time I did actually come home). I don't believe I'll ever figure my brain out but I am sure I have had some reason for not buying one.

So, how do you choose a roasting pan? My first criteria is always cost. I just cannot afford to buy the ultimate roasting pan when I plan on using it only a few times a year. I draw the line at tinny sounding pans with no heft and scratch easily. So, somewhere in the middle is a big range of pans, standard and now electric (what??) to choose from.

Yes, electric. This is what I found on an end display:

It's a good old crockpot style roasting "oven" that will free up your own oven on the important day. Yes, it stopped me in my tracks. I stood there, looking at it and at the pan I had selected and thought about the pros and cons of each. Going for the electric roaster is the ease of use, the simple settings on the front, freeing up my oven, cooks 30% faster than an ordinary oven and still has multiple other uses and inserts for keeping buffet style foods warm. It even holds up to a 20 lb. turkey. Did I buy it? Nope. Why? It's BIG and it's UGLY!

I bought this:Yup, pretty boring. It black, slightly shiny and has a non-stick interior. It has a nice domed top to sit over the bird and holds a 25 lb. turkey. And it was on sale. So, why this one that takes up space in my oven and has to negotiate for cooking time with rolls and potatoes and pies? It's sturdy, it's easy to lift, It holds enough bird to feed everyone twice, and if it gets left out on my counter, it's OK. It actually looks nice and inspires some of those Alton Brown meals that seem so intense but are deceptively simple. This is a pan that will keep me cooking through the winter. This is a pan that can carry apples for pies and do more than one duty. How on earth was I supposed to use that electric one for anything else? I would have died from tripping on the cord!

So what do you do when faced with oval and rectangular pans? Oval pans often have lids so I'm not sure if that rules out the rectangles. Perhaps you can get more veggies into the rectangular pans. Personally, I find birds just slide a lot more in squarish pans. I'm not big on trying to rescue the bird off the floor when he's decided to go flying. I will admit that a rectangular pan may be easier to store in cabinetry and nestle with other baking pans better. I guess it is up to personal choice but if anyone has any scientific insight, let me know.

Lid on or lid off? Foil tent? There are so many "family secrets" about the perfect way to cook the turkey. Do you keep the foil on through the whole process and remove it 15 minutes before it's done to brown the top? Do you brown your bird before to "seal" in the juices? One year I said, "forget it all" and tossed the bird into my huge pressure cooker. That was one of the best tasting turkeys ever! Moist! Rich! Juicy! Not a poster child for a brown turkey ad....infact it wasn't the type of bird you would really set at the table. It was a bird that you prep in the kitchen and present fully sliced and ready to eat. I have to think that if I could have fit my pressure cooker in the oven to brown the top of the turkey it may have been a total success. Well, next time!

One last reminder......the size of roasting pan determines the size of turkey you cook. So make it big enough to do the work and make it beautiful so you don't mind looking at it.

Favorite Fall Flavors

Fall is not my season of choice, and living as we do near the Rocky Mountain Range we don't really get a choice but to experience Fall. It truly is stunning and the leaves are divine to play in, so I guess it must be how it makes me feel. I don't like to see the flowers and leaves go away. I love to spend time outside and getting my hands dirty, so to be holed up in the house seems nearly a punishment for all the work.

The one thing my family never complains about in the Fall is that I get back to making some fun and yummy food in the kitchen. When the colors fade outside I create new colors in the kitchen. The flavors, aromas and textures of autumnal food are so incredible to work with. The veggies that have no appeal all year look alluring and seductive when the snow starts coming down.

Here is a picture of what I had today for lunch.....

I have a bag of the most incredible looking yams sitting in my pantry and they seemed ideal paired with dried cranberries and pecans. I quartered and sliced one yam and placed it in a microwave safe dish. I steam cooked it for 4 minutes on high until they were fork tender. A handful of dried cranberries and a sprinkle of pecans along with a small scoop of brown sugar was all it needed. Those with more time could add sliced onions for a kick, pumpkin pie spice for more of a dessert flavor, or a crumble of warm bacon to make the ultimate combination of comfort food flavors. All in all, it was a divine lunch and I feel better having eaten something so simple and easy to digest.

The flavors of fall fruits and vegetables are too enticing to pass up at this time of year. Some of my favorites are:

squash, every shape size and color
yams and sweet potatoes (whatever you have left in the pantry come spring works very well tossed in the garden to make sweet potato plants....)
big, juicy onions
fat heads of garlic
oranges, lemons and limes
clementines for a burst of sunshine in your mouth mid-winter
red grapefruits in a spinach salad
beets....oh my, I love beets
carrots, parsnips and turnips
celery root (thank you friends who grew this and filled my freezer)
cranberries....toss a few extra bags in the freezer, too

In all honesty, a choice of fruits or veggies, a few meats in the freezer to select from and a batch of fresh pasta dough or fluffy rice is all it takes to make this crowd happy. There is something so nourishing to my soul when I can make chicken noodle soup with big fat chewy homemade noodles, roasted chicken pieces and plenty of carrots, parsnips, celery, onion and parsley. Surround it all with a fragrant thick broth and you have a meal for kings.

Send in your favorite fall recipe. This is the time to be thinking about those favorite flavor combinations so you don't get tired of turkey and stuffing in a few weeks. I'll have some ideas for those leftovers, too.

Let the kitchen antics begin.....

We host an annual Harvest Fest in our home for our neighbors. Each year I am surprised by the lack of neighborhood get-together's and then I am thrust into the hysteria of planning our own event and I know why the socializing isn't happening. It's a lot of hard work! I guess I can equate it with natural child birth...the end results are so wonderful, you forget the time you had to spend in preparation.

I love this time of year, when the seasons begin to change. The chill in the air is refreshing and brisk and reminds me the holiday season is swiftly approaching. It is such a wonderful time to cozy up the house...adding layers of blankets, heavier curtains at the windows, indirect lighting in warm and inviting reading nooks.....it's all preparatory for those long winter months here in the Rocky Mountain valleys when we are surrounded by snow and icicles and beautifully frosted windows. This event gives me an excuse to start the settling in my house a few weeks early.

There is a feel I always try to achieve before I have company over. I want my friends to want to stay, put up their feet and have a nice long visit. I want people to linger and visit and renew friendships. I want the smells and flavors to soothe the senses and nourish the soul. I want my friends to say, "Can we do this again next week?". To me, that would be the ultimate compliment.

So, my home has been operating on a near frantic level with lists being written and rooms being cleared of clutter. Summer is removed and autumnal reds, oranges and browns are set out. Chocolate velvet curtains are hung, herbs are planted to sit in window sills, candles are clustered together, blankets and throws are scattered on chairs and benches, the fire pit is lit and crackling outside with chairs ringing the flames. Vases of deep purple asters are scattered through rooms and the lights are turned down low. A little music, some cider simmering and we are ready.

It's the feeling you get in your heart when you see your neighbors and friends walking down the street toward your home. They carry pots of soups, baskets of warm rolls, fresh pies from the oven. It feels so right, so nourishing in every way. It feels wonderful to know you are providing a place to relax and have a good meal. I truly believe I get more benefits from the experience than anyone else.

The fascinating moment is this.....and it always happens....no matter how many seating areas I create, no matter how many chairs and tables and inviting little spots I set up, people congregate in the kitchen. They line the perimeter. They hold their plates in one hand and gesture with their spoons. They are like the guardians of the soup pots, holding their treasures and leaning on counters while talking boisterously. Their laughter rolls through the house. What is the lure of being in the kitchen where all the activity and frenzy is happening? The aroma is hypnotizing and the food is all beautifully displayed for their perusal. What keeps the crowd from sitting in comfortable chairs and having a place to set their dishes? What, what, what? I guess it really comes down to this question.....does it really matter?

I come away from those couple of hours refreshed and settled. My home is clean and has been full of chatter and laughter. My heart is lighter. My fridge is stocked with soups and pies for the rest of the weekend. I have reconnected with my friends and know they are well. Does it matter that I had to reach around and across them in my kitchen to get spoons from drawers and cups from cupboards? Not at all.

But it does make me want to make my kitchen bigger.