Funny how comforting it feels to start a post for Mean Plan Monday. It's been awhile, and gives me a feeling of "normal" even though my "normal" has changed!
Going from cooking for eight, then for fewer and fewer until now I cook for anywhere from just one to four or five, depending on who I'm with. It's been quite an adjustment learning to cook for less people, and I have friends and family who have enjoyed the fact that it is taking me some time to realize I don't need to make much food.
Between new business endeavors, including getting my Etsy shop back up and running (this week I hope!) and getting ready to sell some recently acquired treasures via Craigslist, picking up kids from school (their father decided to move 45 minutes away from where the family house is, where I apparently have to stay until it sells -- so it's alot of driving back and forth), and lots of other things, I'm definitely keeping busy! But, just as always, despite how busy I may be, having home-cooked meals with and for my kids continues to be something important to me.
I hope you are ready for fall and pumpkin patches and cooking food in the crockpot! Let me know if you try any of the recipes I include below, and how you like them.
Thinking of Pumpkin Butter and SOUP, and maybe Soup's On Saturday...
Here are some things I have made in the past couple of weeks that I thought I'd share:
~ Homemade pizza using Trader Joe's or bread machine pizza crust. I've made this with or for the kids every Friday night for close to two years now. Now that I only get every other Friday with the kids, I make sure we keep doing it. My daughter especially always wants to have it. I think it is part the yummy pizza and part just feeling like "normal" and keeping tradition. I think I will post more about this in a couple weeks.
~ Taco Corn Chip Casserole This was a recipe I found while searching out instructions for a home decor idea a friend mentioned. It turned out to be a good recipe we enjoyed. And I had leftovers to share with friends the next day. They loved it too! (Suzy is dressed kind of risque but just scroll down and you will see the recipe right away!)
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| Her photo is prettier than mine, but mine sure tasted good:) |
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| I made a small dish for Mr. Picky. NO veggies. |
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| Watermelon went great with it! |
I have made French Dips for my family for years.
It is something everyone has loved.
Well, except Mr. Picky Pants. But that's just him.
Despite the warm days, it started getting chilly outside this week in the mornings and evenings
so it was a perfect time to make a favorite hot sandwich.
Ingredients:
Sliced Roast Beef
Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
Mushrooms
Onions
Green peppers if desired
Jack or Mozzarella cheese
Au Jus
To make them, I saute mushrooms and onions in my red pan in some olive oil, bacon fat, or butter. If you like peppers, you'd add those too. I would normally add some salt, but au jus is pretty salty, and you are going to dip thirsty bread into it and soak it up, so use caution if you aren't familiar with au jus.
For heating the roast beef, I use one of several methods; I have added the sliced roast beef to the mushrooms and onions as they are sauteing, but some people don't like the veggies on their sandwich and it's hard to pick them out. I have also heated the au jus in my red fry pan then added the roast beef until heated through. This is my favorite method because the au jus gets into the beef and the beef gets into the au jus and it's really quite yummy when the juice soaks into the bread. In a pinch (when I get started late!), I have also microwaved the beef -- but please do not repeat this because I wouldn't want word to get out.
I have used packaged au jus many times, especially when we're camping. But, as noted above, the sodium content is very high, so read your package and try to choose the one with least sodium. This is not sea salt! And make sure there is no MSG. I have also used canned Beef Consomme which is really good. Using a home cooked, cooked-down beef bone broth is best. For extra tang, to the consomme or home cooked beef broth, I like to add a couple teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and sometimes a little garlic.
When I have the "innards" all warm and ready, I broil sourdough sandwich buns under the broiler until lightly browned. This step helps to prevent the bread from getting too soggy, breaking off, and becoming a floater when it is dipped into the au jus. Then I place sliced or grated mozzarella or jack cheese on one or both sides, depending on who I'm cooking for and how much cheese I have, and place back under the broiler until cheese is melted.
Now add the meat and veggies as desired. You must cut in half to get good dipping leverage. Dip, and enjoy!
