Well, my first-ever Thanksgiving turkey has been bought. It's currently staying frozen on the garage floor of my in-laws house as a mild winter storm keeps the room at a cozy 24 degrees.
It's a little intimidating to be thinking about cooking my first turkey for a Thanksgiving meal, I'll admit. All my life, I have been surrounded by fantastic cooks at the holidays. My mother, grandmother, aunt, mother-in-law....all are whizzes in the kitchen and can seriously produce a delicious meal. For the last 10 years or more, it has been tradition for the Tuercranians to gather together and feast at Thanksgiving. Those ladies lay out a spread that allows us to feast for days upon days. I. Love. It.
When college started drawing to a close, and then when I was on my own in Raleigh, I was able to still enjoy these family feasts, thanks to a willingness to drive 14 hours so I didn't have to cook. A month after Adrian and I got married, I had a mild panic attack at the thought of having to conjure up a Thanksgiving meal for my brand-new husband all on my own. The panic fueled us to drive 6 1/2 hours to ride with my parents 9 hours to St. Louis, just so we wouldn't miss family Thanksgiving and so I wouldn't have to learn to cook a turkey.
Last year, our second Thanksgiving together, we were blessed to be invited to join friends from church and their family, so again, I was spared the horror of hosting Thanksgiving. I contributed a pumpkin cheesecake and called it a day. We enjoyed the week of Thanksgiving feasting on soups for the two of us and watching a Harry Potter marathon.
This year.....I've got my game face on already. As we've settled into our new home and our new life in Denver, we've had the opportunity to meet a TON of people who are as far from home as we are. Recognizing that it's way more fun to be alone together, Adrian and I are throwing caution to the wind. I'm rising to the challenge. All these little Thanksgiving "orphans" will be extended an opportunity to come and experience first-hand a potential Thanksgiving meltdown at he VanderHouse, courtesy of yours truly. Denver friends, if you need a place to spend Thanksgiving, consider yourself invited to the fiesta!
I have no idea how to thaw a turkey, cook a turkey, clean a turkey, stuff a turkey...I'm turkey-illiterate. But, with a week and a half to learn the ins and outs of turkey-making, I'm confident something will get figured out. Right?So....umm....any tips?
Either way, everyone knows the best part of Thanksgiving isn't the turkey. It's the family, friends and thankfulness, but mostly the stuffing and mashed potatoes and pie. I'm confident my friends will pull through :)
It's that time of the month again - the time when things are tighter and moods are grumpier.
It's that week that always gets wives in a tizzy and leaves their husbands wanting more.
Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. It's the week before the big P comes to visit and then flits away again.
Surely we're not the only ones who act a little crazy in the days before Pay Day, right? When the budget is as tight as it can go and there are bills yet to be paid, we get a little grumpy. Ok, it's mostly me who gets a little grumpy. Without a solid plan of action for how to feed us for the days leading up to Pay Day, I get all fussed up trying to figure out exactly what the plan is for dinner every night, and inevitably, my last-minute meals of leftovers leave my husband hungry and wanting more to eat.
Thankfully, though we're broke with a capital B, the Lord has faithfully provided (as he always does) for us and our meals this week. Thus, here's our week's "eats on the cheap" plan. I apologize if you have no desire to read our menu for the week, but I'm proud of the planning and how it's going to all work out!
Monday: The seminary where I work provides free food from local grocery stores to seminary families on Saturdays, so while Mom and I were selling stuff at the yard sale this weekend, I was also grabbing some goodies for us to eat this week! I was able to grab a big hunk of beef for a pot roast, as well as some apples and mashed potatoes. While Mom was in town, we also took my first trip to Aldi, where I got a can of Cream of Mushroom soup for $.50. So, for Monday's dinner we had this pot roast with leftover mashed potatoes from last week. Yummy and filling.
Tuesday: Last week at Target, they had a sale ($.99) on eggplant, so along with our staples of pasta, parmesan, eggs and breadcrumbs, I'm going to be making some eggplant parmesan tonight. The only other thing I had to buy was a jar of pasta sauce for $1.40. Altogether, that's a cheap meal, and one that fills us up. One eggplant makes a lot of eggplant parmesan for two people.
Wednesday: I made a pot of black bean soup over the weekend, again, using leftovers and cheap buys from the store. At $.60 a can, I had bought five cans of black beans last week. I combined those with some diced red and yellow onions, some chicken broth, some white wine, a splash of white vinegar, an adobo pepper (for some smoky heat!), some garlic powder and cumin and a little taste of brown sugar. I loosely followed this recipe (you should know by now I don't use recipes as-written. Ever.) For a little added protein, I threw in some shredded, leftover rotisserie chicken. Top with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese and it's delicious! Even my husband, who told me he only likes Panera's black bean soup, said it was his favorite black bean soup ever. We've already gotten one meal off of it, then we'll eat from it again tomorrow and hopefully have just enough left over for Friday.
Thursday: We're going to a conference Wednesday and Thursday and after it finishes on Thursday, A is meeting with a group of men from Summit for their regular church planting cohort. I'm meeting with our Summit Denver family group and hopefully going to Moe's to enjoy a $3 Cinco de Moe's burrito. Check and see if that deal is going on in your area. If it is, enjoy a $3 meal of chips, salsa, water and burrito!
Friday: When Friday rolls around, we almost always do Fajita Fridays. It's a tradition in the VanderHouse, but I always make them with chicken. Since we don't have any chicken (actually, I just remembered we have two breasts in the freezer), I'm going to use the leftover beef from Monday night, simmered in the remnants of the spicy black bean soup. From that, I'll make some other delicious Mexican-y concoction for our Fajita Friday.
Saturday: If the paycheck hasn't come in yet, I'm going to lobby for us to use some gift cards on ourselves. Thanks to generous family members, we're well-stocked with Olive Garden cards. Thanks to Noodles & Co. for taking a long time on a (free!) birthday order, we also have two cards good for free noodle bowls from there. THAT'S some excellent customer service. I'm going to lobby we go there after church and enjoy a free meal of pad thai or the like :)
So, if you're in the throes of the week before Pay Day, too, what are you doing for meals? How do you feed your family on a budget? While I'm proud of this week's menu - I always have room for improvement!
A week later, and I seem to be nearly out of the woods. The congestion and fever that plagued me all weekend and the beginning of the week is slowly subsiding, and I'm thankful for that. It's still hanging out in a 3x3'' area of my sinuses and throat, but other than that, I'm jolly :)
This is something I have been meaning to share for a while, and since I need to actually be working on articles for work, but can't seem to get the creative juices flowing, I figured I'd share this and see where I end up! About two weeks ago, I attempted to make something that I've never done before. I've never ever tasted it done well before, although my husband certainly has. Having lived almost 10 years in the Lowcountry (Charleston, SC) area, he is quite particular about his shrimp and grits. And so naturally, I needed to prove to him I could do it, just like the pros.
Having only eaten shrimp and grits once, and not having been impressed at all (the Charleston establishment shall remain nameless...but let me just say this famous dish at the grill named after corn is NOT recommended by me) I had literally no idea what it was supposed to taste like. I was also at a disadvantage because I would be cooking with Quaker instant grits, which all the recipe sites said absolutely NOT to do. Whoops. However, considering that I don't really follow recipes, it should be no surprise I threw the rulebook out the window and walked on the wild side with instant grits. I'm a culinary rebel.
So anyway, I started with four packs of instant grits, donated to us by Kristel upon her pantry-cleaning before the move to Denver. I cooked according to directions, except substituting some half and half for some of the water for creamier grits. I would have used chicken broth in place of water, too, if I had any. As they cooked, I dropped handfuls of shredded cheese in to make them tasty and cheesy (the less-then-impressive grits I ate in SC had little to no cheese flavor to them, so you better believe I ramped that junk UP).
Meanwhile, I cooked about four slices of bacon. After the bacon grease incident several months back, I swore I would never cook bacon on the stove again, but alas, I did. Now you know how much I love my husband. And how determined I was to knock his socks off with tasty Shrimp 'n Grits.
Once the bacon was done (without incident, thank you, Lord) I drained it on some paper towels and began to make gravy, also for the first-ever time in my life. I threw a few pinches of flour, some black pepper and some skim milk in with the bacon grease and began to heat it up until bubbling, thick and well....gravy-like. (On a side note, have you ever tried to explain gravy to someone from South American in Spanish?!? No? I have. It's really difficult. Like, more difficult than just MAKING gravy, so I recommend you just go that route if you ever find yourself in that particular situation).
Meanwhile, in another pan, I began to saute some sliced onions, some fresh chopped mushrooms and some garlic in a wee bit of olive oil. Maybe it was butter. Alas, my memory fails me, but I'm sure either would be tasty. I cooked those things until they looked just about right and tasty, then added in a bunch of shrimp. The little shrimps (say that out loud in a funny voice. I just did. Isn't it fun?) had been cooked and frozen previously, so had been thawing in some tap water with a few squirts of lemon juice in it. I drained them, added them to the onion/mushroom mixture and cooked for three minutes. Three minutes because I learned that's the perfect amount of time for tender shrimp and who likes tough shrimp?
I never said it would be healthy. But it sure was TASTY! And - my husband said it was LOTS better than the Shrimp 'n Grits from that Corn Grill (not difficult) and rivaled some of the best versions he had ever eaten. Mission accomplished :)
Do you make shrimp 'n grits? How can I improve upon this? Suggestions, thoughts, accolades, etc :)
Thanks to Swagbucks, I have been earning Amazon.com gift cards and stacking them up, waiting to redeem them for this little beauty - a sushi kit of our very own, at NO cost to us! :)
I figured, sushi is delicious, but SO expensive for how little you often get! So, why not get a kit and try to make some at home? So we did. It comes with everything except the fresh fillings and chopsticks!
Saturday afternoon, I started out by cooking the included sushi rice, a semi-confusing process that left me a little worried I'd screw it up big time. However, I finally figured out all it really is is boiling the rice, turning the temp down, turning the burners off, fluffing and re-covering with a towel. After cooking and cooling, the rice gets mixed with some really strong-smelling vinegar. Then, we covered it with a wet cloth and went to worship at our wonderful church.
When we came home - it was on.
A chopped the cucumber and avocado for California Rolls, and some cream cheese for Philadelphia rolls. He's so tough, with that knife and all.
Our first roll didn't look so hot! Here's why. First, the instruction booklet says to "Toast the nori (seaweed sheets) over a medium flame"....Um. We don't have any flames except scented candles. I didn't figure that would be wise. Instead, I put it in the toaster oven on about 200 for a few minutes to warm it up - no idea if it actually helped or not!
Secondly, they tell you to cut the nori in half....however, the "cut in half" dimensions matched the size it already was. So, with our first roll, we cut it in half and rolled it wrong. Thus, we didn't have enough to wrap the rice/fillings. It looked more like a taco shell. We're multi-cultural, even with our sushi.
However, it was delicious!! After watching some ever-helpful YouTube videos and getting frustrated about the mechanics of it all, we finally got some decent looking rolls!
When we finally sat down to eat our feast about an hour and a half later, we had a curious onlooker. Silly dog, sushi's for people.
Maybe he wanted some of our homemade egg-drop soup instead. (Who am I kidding? It wasn't homemade, unless you count dropping an egg into a boiling pot of pre-packaged mix as homemade!)
In the spirit of culture, we mixed some wasabi powder with water and a LOT of soy sauce (that junk is SPICY!) in our honeymoon mug from Mexico! And voile! Our sushi feast!!
We had enough left over rolls for lunch the next day, and enough rice left to make one more roll with some salmon, avocado and cream cheese. That was my favorite.
So, for those of you who have made sushi - tips for next time? Because there WILL be a next time!
Saturday was the perfect rainy day for baking. My Mom always bakes on rainy days, and it just seems the most appropriate time to be in the kitchen, whipping up something tasty to eat.
I did not bake on Saturday. I baked on Sunday, when it was a perfect day to lay out by the pool.
Also, there was no "whipping up" involved. The pie-making process took FOR-E-VER.
Our roommate brought back a whole bunch of fresh-picked peaches to share with us, and A mentioned several times how much he loves his mom's peach pie. I figured it couldn't be too difficult to make a peach pie, and while I was at it, why didn't we just make two and share one with our small group?
It was not my brightest idea.
First, we have a very tiny kitchen with little counter space. Second, our dishwasher isn't working, so we have to wash everything by hand. This makes baking and using a lot of utensils a less-brilliant idea, currently. Third, I was not in a pie-baking mood - not in hour #1 and definitely not in hour #4. Fourth - Superfluous trips to the grocery store for eggs when the recipe doesn't actually call for eggs are annoying.
Anyways, here's a few photos of the pie-making process. My sweet husband wanted it to be a fun activity we did together, so he peeled and sliced all the peaches. That was a HUGE help, and if he hadn't done it, I'd probably still be trying to make those pies. I'm that stubborn.
First, quadrupling the recipe for the crusts and making the dough.
Whoops. Forgot we don't have a rolling pin! A sheet of wax paper, my fist and a can of frosting was a nice improv.
Prepping the peaches - boil them first for a minute, then plunge them in ice-cold water. It's supposed to make them easier to peel, but A said the jury is still out on that.
The fruits, literally, of his labor! Look at all those peaches.
Ben was exhausted from all the hard work.
My first attempt at making a lattice pie. I thought it looked decent.
The finished products!
Thanks for all of the delicious-looking recipe ideas and the recommendations on Pioneer Woman! I'm definitely excited to get back into the swing of cooking. Tuesday, when I asked for requests on dinner, I ended up experimenting and trying to recreate an idea I had seen on Kraft Foods - Bruschetta Chicken.
We ate dinner with an "autentico Italiano" last week, who informed me that bruschetta should be pronounced bru-sketta. In her honor, I tried some Bru-Sketta Chicken and parmesan asparagus with a Caesar salad.
It was tasty, although if you try and do it, don't do what I did: Place chunks of raw garlic in the mix. Woo-wee - was our breath strong! I diced a Roma tomato and mixed it with fresh garlic, some chunks of mozzarella and some fat-free Italian dressing (which I cook with A LOT), then put it on top of some baked chicken. Instead, saute the garlic in some olive oil first, then add it into the mix. This keeps the garlic flavor more subtle and palatable. Unless we're trying to ward off vampires (and since I'm Team Edward, I'm not) we won't be partaking in raw garlic again!
Tonight is date night, or I'd be plotting exactly what I can do for dinner and trying out some of those recipes!
Since it's date night, I wanted to try and look cute for my beloved, so I threw on a new skirt I hoped he might like. He did. I like it for this reason: It was less than $4.
Those of you who know me know I LOVE a good bargain, and I like the thrill of the hunt for them! Before Montana, I had gone to Goodwill to find some cowboy boots (no luck) and instead walked out with this skirt and genuine leather purse - $3.59 and $4, respectively. Ann Taylor Loft and Gap, respectively. I was pretty delighted and still am. This thrift store kick may stick around for a while! If it does, I'll try and institute Thrifty Thursdays, since I love alliteration!
Do you like bargain hunting? What are some of the best spots to snag a good deal? We are all about saving some money here at the VanderHouse, so let me at 'em!
As we're trying to get back into the swing of things, I am trying to get back into a cooking groove - you know, enjoying it and making things actually taste good.
Last night, figuring A would want something homecooked and being slightly hungry after all the stomach issues, I made what is normally an old faithful: tuna burgers with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.
It was obvious to me I'm not quite back in the groove yet. The meal tasted OK, but it was just so-so. Kind of bland and kind of dry.
Tuna burgers are always a hit around the Vanderburg house, but last night was a bit of a flop. Blame it on my timing or my taste buds.
So anyways, at lunch I watched Hell's Kitchen, which always inspires me to be a great chef, and started trying to figure out tonight's dinner menu. I hit up my two favorite recipe sites, Kraft foods and AllRecipes. Although there are pros and cons to both, I favor one over the other, and always get excited about trying their recipes.
Ladies, if you use these sites, do you prefer one? What are some of your favorite recipes I need to try from them? Also, let me know if you have any dinner suggestions as I keep searching ;)
I'm going to try not to use a ton of dishes, since our dishwasher is broken. Again. I don't know how many times now I have emptied the dishwasher and we have washed the dishes by hand, but it is one time too many.
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