My Fridge

The question "What's for dinner?" is usually pretty easily answered in our house because I menu plan by the month. I started doing this shortly after we were married because my husband got paid once a month. This made for a more "balanced" month, keeping the final week from being horrendously skimpy. Shortly after we moved here seven years ago and Mark started getting paid twice a month, I was tempted to change things. It was around that time that I read the average American family throws away 14-17% of food it buys. The article stated the easiest way to trim the food budget was to plan ahead. And that I do - usually 3-5 weeks at a time. 
This allows me to really cut back on the time I grocery shop. (And this busy mom/pastor's wife has no time to spare!) I make one "big" trip to Aldi each month. (Today was The Day.) I might plan a side trip to Walmart. (Gag. I try to stock-up on non-Aldi items when I get to a Wegman's but that's a whole other post!)  If I'm really, really disciplined, that's it - except for picking up milk. I schedule fresh fruits and veggies in the first half of the month and frozen/canned ones in the latter half. This method has been a life-saver in the winter, with our area's lake effect snow. We can truly "hunker down" for days on end. In the summer months, I allow for mid-month trips to farmers' markets and u-picks. 
Are there con's to this menu planning method? Yes. And I will gladly share the "problems" and my solutions in a future post. 

Countdown to Halloween: October 17th

Found this cool music box at the antique store on Crown Point (IN)'s square. It's my FAVORITE antique store!

Countdown to Halloween: October 31st

Countdown to Halloween: October 25th

Halloween or Christmas? I don't know but she sure is cute!

Countdown to Halloween: October 21st

Is it a coffee mug or music box? Or both?!?!

Countdown to Halloween: October 23rd

The backdrop to most of my Countdown to Halloween pix is actually a sleeping bag. It took about 20 pix to realize the raggedys have ROUND noses! Different!

Move Over Cinnamon Buns . . . .

It's Pizza Buns time!

I discovered this extra-tasty treats earlier in the month on the King Arthur Flour website and made them the very next day.  They are super tasty and easy. I made them tonight because Patty, Brian, and Zach are stopping by for lunch tomorrow after church. 

Here's the recipe from the website: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pizza-buns-recipe

If you are intimidated, here is a blog from KAF baker with LOTS of pictures.  It's like she is standing next to you, showing you what to do:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/12/13/holiday-baking-take-a-savory-break-pizza-buns/

A Taste of Fall

Butternut Squash Soup

A tasty favorite from my sister, Patty. It tastes like fall to me!

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2 T. butter
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 T. sugar, optional
Diced chives, for garnish

In a large saucepan, combine squash and broth. Bring to a boil, the. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until squash is very tender - about 20 minutes. 
Remove from heat and let stand until slightly cooled. Purée in batches in blender or use immersion blender. 
Return purée to saucepan and place over medium low heat. Stir in sour cream, cheese, butter, and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir till heated through (do not allow to boil). Add sugar if squash was not particularly sweet. Serve sprinkled with chives. 
Makes 4-6 servings. 

Dinner with the President

I get up about an hour before the rest of my family. Somedays, I am fortunate enough to get the chance to sit with a cup of coffee and my Treasury of Daily Prayer (app.) I love to sit in the morning calmness, reading Scriptures and praying.  But this morning was like most of my mornings - I used that precious hour to get as much chores and paperwork done as possible. On such mornings, my Jesus Time is recalling Bible verses, hymns, and the liturgy and "talking" to God as I multitask. I was praying for Rev. Matthew Harrison, the newly installed President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, at the same time I was trying to figure out what type of bread to make my family along with the homemade vegetable beef soup. That's when my mind wandered and . . .

. . . I started one of my favorite daydreams - Imaginary Dinner Party. I pick real people as guests and then make up menus I would serve them if they "happened by." I have dinner parties planned for Christopher Kimball, David Eckstein, Alton Brown, CC Sabatthia, Harlan Coben, Tom Hamilton, Glenn Beck, Bill Penzey, Sting, and Sarah Palin planned. I used to imagine groups of three or four of these people gathered at the SAME dinner party but that just would be too crazy. I mean, what would Sting and Tom Hamilton possibley have to say to each other?

Any who, I started to wonder what I would serve Pastor Harrison. I've admired him and his heart for "mercy works" for quite awhile. Mark and I now refer to many of the things I do as a pastor's wife as "mercy works." (That says so much more than "random acts of kindness.") I would assume Pastor Harrison is a very down-to-earth person so I came up with a very unpretentious meal for my imaginary dinner party with him. I thought of Beef Stew, Homemade Applesauce, and Potato Rolls with Icebox Cake for dessert. 

Since I already have my bread recipe binder out from planning tonight's dinner bread, I've decided to share with you my potato roll recipe. It came from my friend Aimee when she lent me her Zo bread machine last December. It was the first dough I made in the Zo and baked in the oven. I recently saw a potato roll recipe in King Arthur Flour's "The Baking Sheet," but it will have to be an amazing recipe to usurp this family favorite:
Add the following ingredients to your bread machine in the order directed in your owner's manual:

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup potato water (water reserved from boiling the potato)
1/2 cup boiled and mashed potato
1/4 cup butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. yeast
Egg glaze - optional

When dough cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Form into smooth balls. Arrange balls into greased 9" round pan. Cover. Let rise an hour. Brush with egg glaze. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove from pan. Attempt to cool on wire rack - chances are they'll be gone before they're cool. 

Countdown to Halloween: October 28th

This sweet orange-hair was rescued without any clothes! Poor dear!

Countdown to Halloween: October 26th

Another blue-eyed sweetheart!

Countdown to Halloween: October 24th

Andy calls these guys (which we bought all together at an antique store) "The Headsters."

Countdown to Halloween: October 22nd

Pillow Ann - too cute!

Countdown to Halloween: October 16th

This dapper little fellow says "Happy Halloween!"

Publix: A Bright Spot in the Sunshine State

For those of you who know me well, you are aware that the twenty-two months I lived and worked in central Florida in 1994-96 were NOT good times for me. (In a later post, I will share with you some of the Raggedys I adopted while living there.) Today's post is going to be about a meal I made from a favorite Publix cookbook this past Tuesday.
Public is a chain grocery store in the Southeastern United States. Getting to shop there on a weekly basis was a real treat during my dark days in the Sunshine State. For those of you who have never been to a Publix, you can always expect immaculately clean stores, good prices, outstanding store brands (Alton Brown uses many of their products on Good Eats - you can always tell a Publix brand product on his show when there's a black circle over the brand), bag boys that insist on carrying out your purchases, and lots of special services. My favorite service was the seafood cooking they provide. They will steam or deep-fry any fresh fish they offer with restaurant-like results. This was always my "pay day splurge" and to this day I feel like my seafood kitchen skills are lacking because Publix always did the cooking for me!
Twice my husband's job has required him to attend conferences in Florida in the summertime. Andy and I have been able to tag along and turn them into memorable family road trips. Getting to visit my favorite grocery store chain, while traveling through the South has always been a special bonus. It was during our 2005 trip that I discovered something new at Publix - Apron's Simple Meals. The program works like this: at the front of each Publix is a special Apron's kiosk. There is a simple dinner menu printed on a recipe card along with all the ingredients you would need to prepared it right there at the kiosk. They also have previous days' cards available. The dishes are tasty, wholesome foods - worthy of serving to company. Not "dump and bake," five-ingredients or less monstrosities that I abhor. So you had better bet this busy mom was picking up as many different cards as she could find!I happened across a hardcover Apron's cookbook in Savannah just prior to a Sand Gnats game. My snowbird parents have picked up an additional cookbook and more recipe cards. Many of these recipes have become family favorites. Don't have connections to the South - don't despair! All these tasty dishes are available to you at: http://www.publix.com/aprons/Home.do
(On rare occasions a recipe contains a Publix ingredient. If you are stumped as to what it is and/or need to know an "up North" substitution, just drop me a line in the comment section and I'll gladly help!)

Happy Birthday, Raggedy Ann!

Today, Monday, September 7, 2010 is Raggedy Ann's 95th birthday.

Johnny Gruelle received Design Patent #47,789 for Raggedy Ann on September 7, 1915.

These four Birthday Raggedys were given to me by my Mom. They came from QVC specials about ten years ago. They are breakable so they are kept extra-safe on my china cabinet. 

Happy Birthday, Raggedy Ann!

Check Out What I Did This Afternoon!

Thanks to Mark's computer, I barely made the Strong Museum's deadline. But here it is - WHEW! (Rotating a JPEG is beyond my computer skills!) From Generation to Generation: Raggedy Love | Raggedy Ann Scrapbook

Another Sweetheart at the GGCF! (Interesting legs, eh?)

Look Who We Spotted at The Great Geauga County Fair!