For Dinner

What I'm making this week:

Catherine Newman's Pork Roast with Cider-cream Gravy. You really should go read her version of the recipe (and all of her other recipes too!), as her writing is simply magic. She's my all-time favorite writer, I think, and her now-defunct column "Bringing up Ben and Birdy" literally changed how I mother, made me into the mother I am today. (Her personal blog is here.)

Anyway, I'm reprinting her recipe here, in case that link ever breaks and I get to a-craving some pork with apples.

Pork Roast with Apples and Cider-Cream Gravy
Serves 8, or 4 with lots of leftovers for awesome sandwiches
Active time: 10 minutes; Curing time: overnight; Baking time: 1 hour

1 tablespoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried sage
Black pepper
1 2- or 3-pound boneless pork loin roast (mine was tied up; yours may or may not be)
Olive oil spray
1 red or yellow onion, halved and sliced
2 apples, cored and sliced
1 cup apple cider
2/3 cup heavy cream

The day before you plan to make the pork, combine the salt, sugar, and sage in a small bowl, and rub it well all over the pork. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap, or otherwise seal it up airtight, and refrigerate it overnight. Remove it from the fridge about an hour before you plan to cook it, if you think to, so it starts off at room temperature. (If you forget, it doesn't really matter).

Heat the oven to 400 and spray either an oven-proof skillet or a stove-proof roasting pan with olive oil. Place the pork in the pan, surround it with the apples and onions, give everything a final misting of olive oil, and pop it in the oven.

After half an hour, flip the roast over and stir up the apples and onions, then roast for another half an hour. Now remove the pork from the pan to a cutting board, tent it with foil so it stays warm, and make the sauce. Over medium heat, add the cider to the pan full of dripping, apples, and onions, and boil, scraping the pan, until the cider is reduced by half and the pan is full of something that seems kind of like a thinnish, darkish applesauce. Add the cream and simmer very gently, whisking to combine everything, then taste for salt (you will likely need to add some) and pour it into a bowl with a spoon for serving. Carve the pork into think slices and serve.

Since I haven't yet purchased my pork roast, we'll be having it tomorrow for dinner so that I can properly cure the meat overnight.

So for tonight, I'm making Sundry's Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. We have a ... squash problem around here, you could say, with squash occupying nearly every horizontal surface, all threatening to turn mushy before we can devour them. With only the bathtub and our beds left as possible storage options, we need to keep on the squash-eating wagon.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

• 1 squash (the original recipe called for butternut, I used acorn. You could probably use delicata, whatever), peeled, seeded and cubed*
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups of chicken stock (Perhaps you have a freezer full of carefully prepared servings of homeade stock, from the weekends you spend simmering giant pots of bones and vegetables. I do not, and therefore I bought a container of Wolfgang Puck’s stock-in-a-cardboard-box. Campbell’s chicken broth in a can would probably be just fine.)
• Half a cup of cream/half and half
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Brown sugar, some amount thereof
• Salt & pepper
• Cinnamon

* Peeling a squash is a giant pain in the ass. You could suffer through this, or roast it first in the oven and scoop out the cooked pieces, or use frozen squash pieces, or buy the pre-cut/pre-peeled stuff. Up to you.

Saute the onion and garlic long enough to get soft and translucent, but not to the point of browning. Put your squash pieces in a pan, add the onion and garlic (or take out the garlic now that the onion has soaked up the flavor), pour in your 2 cups of stock/broth and bring it to a boil.

Cook until the squash is mushy, then mash it up with a spoon. You could puree it in a blender, but this way it’s thick and goopy. Mmm…goopy.

Add the cream, curry powder, and brown sugar – I used about a tablespoon of the sugar, but the natural sweetness of the squash varies so I’d go by taste. Stir, then season with salt and pepper and just a dash of cinnamon.

We're also having some kind of beef, potato, and carrot stew over the weekend, we'll do our regular Friday Homemade Pizza Night, and the other nights will be filled in with left-overs. I hate- HATE- the meal planning aspect of grocery shopping and cooking. I do, however, like cooking once I have a plan.

The weeks that I make a meal plan ahead of time are so much easier and more enjoyable than the weeks that I don't make a plan. WHY I don't do it every week is a mystery to me, but I suspect that being distracted by raising children, homework, jobs, household duties, etc is partially to blame.

P.S. Yes, the font type and size is ALL OVER THE PLACE, and every attempt to fix it makes another- different- paragraph messed up. I'm giving up now, but just know that the font changing isn't for dramatic effect; it's blogger's fault. (HOW difficult is it to switch to wordpress?)

Recipe: Sausage, Potato, Kale Soup

[**Edited to add: this is my favorite soup recipe. EVER. And I? I like soup.]

This is supposed to be the recipe for Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana. It's close, I think.

Sausage Potato and Kale Soup

1 lb mild ground Italian sausage

1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 large diced onion (red or white; I usually use red)

4 TBSP bacon pieces (optional)

2 cloves minced garlic (or 2 tsp garlic puree)

10 cups water

3 TBSP chicken bouillon (or about 5 cubes)

1 cup heavy cream (8 oz)

1 lb sliced potatoes and/or a few turnips

(I don't measure this; I just use whatever amount of the two I have on hand; usually about 4-6 cups, chopped)

1/2 to 1 bunch kale, chopped

*brown sausage with red pepper and set aside

*in stock pot, saute onion, bacon (if using), and garlic for about 15 minutes, until onions are soft (if not using bacon, add a glug of olive oil)

*mix chicken bouillon and water, add to onion mixture and bring to a boil

*once boiling, add potatoes and turnips and cook until soft (about 1/2 hour; less if potatoes/turnips are sliced thin)

*add heavy cream and heat through

*stir in sausage

*add kale just before serving

I usually slice the potatoes and turnips quite thin, to speed in cooking. Especially in the summer, I don't love standing over a hot pot any longer than needed.

Most of the time, I don't bother with the bacon. If we happen to have some bacon pieces (like for salads) I'll add them, but I haven't noticed that it makes a huge difference either way.

Last night, David added about 2 bunches of kale (at least twice the recommended amount) and it was still awesome. I actually loved the extra kale.

(SmugslashBrag Factor: the onions, garlic, potatoes, turnips, and kale were all fresh from our CSA, which a) is awesome and b) is so damn lucky. All of these, ripe the same week!)

Sunday Dinner, With Recipe

Yesterday, we had ourselves a good old-fashioned, farm-style Sunday Dinner. Which was consumed as our evening meal instead of our midday meal, but still.

Inspired by my newly acquired Pioneer Woman cookbook (from the library, but we'll be buying it I'm sure), we made pot roast, creamy mashed potatoes, and peach crumb cake.

I think Termerity Jane first tweeted with a link to the cake recipe, and about 5 minutes later an email came through from the Green-side of the family, planning our Easter dinner.

(Yes, they are always that organized and yes, they always plan that far ahead).

Since I had just read that mouth-watering recipe, I volunteered to make it for Easter. Without, you know, ever having made it. And if you knew the level of Suzie Homemakers and Becky Home Ecy's on David's side of the family, you'd raise one eyebrow at me and wonder what I was thinking.

I usually bring a fruit platter. Or a salad. Meanwhile, they butcher a hog in their basement, make and stuff their own sausage from a generations-old family recipe, all while also braising a leg of lamb with homemade mint sauce.

(And you probably think I'm kidding, but I'm not.)

Anyhoo, I made the peach crumb cake yesterday, to go with our Sunday Dinner. (We had friends over. We'd never be foolish enough to put the time or effort into making that kind of meal for our houseful of little ingrates, who eat the obligatory 2 nibbles before slinking off the family room to gorge on their secret stash of Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans.)

I cannot believe how easy this recipe was, and how delicious the results were! The original link, with photos, is here. (I'm printing here as well so if that link ever breaks I'll still have the recipe.) (I'm supa-smart!)

Peach Crunch Cake

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Enjoy!

Solution

So, you know how you buy a bunch of cilantro for a recipe, and then can never, EVER use it all up no matter how hard you try? And how that same bunch never seems to get any smaller, no matter how many meals you try to use the cilantro in?

Well, thanks to Beth Fish, I've got a solution for you: Cilantro Pesto!

As anyone who's ever made basil pesto can tell you, you can start with a laundry basket full of basil and end up with a nice little bowl of pesto. Same with the cilantro. You start with a big ol' bunch, and you end up with a nice little amount that you won't want to waste a single bite of. As a lover of cilantro in it's basic plain jane form, I could not believe that I could love it anymore. BUT I DO.

Cilantro Pesto:

In a little CuisineArt type gadget, whir together cilantro and about 2 cloves of garlic. (I used about 1 cup of cilantro). Then add a glug of olive oil, a handful of grated Parmesan cheese, a squirt of lemon juice, and some salt. Whir again until well blended.

We used it to top our black beans and rice burritos. I'm eating the leftovers RIGHT NOW, and it is probably even *better* than it was originally. Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm.

For black beans that even my uber-picky husband will somewhat willingly choke down, I saute a slice of diced onion and add the can of rinsed beans to the pan and heat through. I often use minute rice, but I add salt and a little pad of butter to the boiling water before the rice.

I made the entire meal in about 10 minutes. And that's including the quesadillas I made for the children. (I am a realist, folks.)

Also? I have no more cilantro wilting in my fridge. Win!

Bread

Sometimes, thinking of the addition of anything else in our lives seems like too much. Like one teensy tiny extra step to the day and we will all fall over the cliff or into a black hole or, ah, something.

But as Marin gets bigger, and as we do this whole "parenting gig" year after year, things do start to seem easier. And there are spaces in our lives where we can add a project, a non-child related interest, or even just a new recipe.

This is how baking bread has come to be a regular(ish) part of our lives.

Friday nights have become "Pizza Night" around here, and the kids are really getting into the process of making the pies from scratch. They all love to help roll out the dough, and Marin is a huge fan of grating cheese.

I use our bread machine* (acquired years ago from a friend who no longer wanted it... thanks Slugger!) to make the dough. When it's done rising we roll it out, top it, and bake it on a baking stone.

This is the recipe we use, adapted from the recipe booklet that came with the bread machine:

Add ingredients to the machine in this order:

1 1/2 C warm water

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 1/4 C flour (I use 1 1/4 C of whole wheat flour. Any more than that, and the dough is supersticky.)

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar (or honey)

2 tsp dry yeast

Set machine to "dough only". Takes about 90 minutes, but if you are crunched for time, it's not necessary to let it rise.

Recipe will make 2 12" pizzas. Top and bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes, on bottom rack of oven.

Another favorite around here is this recipe for pita bread. Really, that site will give you much better instructions- with photos!- than I could. We love, love, love this bread, and it really is not possible to mess it up. (We always add a bit of whole wheat flour... but again, too much and the dough is really sticky). This recipe is done completely "by hand".

Finally, we recently tried Amanda Soule's Who Bread recipe for the bread machine, and we are in looooooooove with it. My biggest beef with a bread machine (besides the effed up shape of the loaf) is that I've never found a recipe where the bread was awesome for more than 1 hour after baking.

This recipe, though, is awesome. Sweet, soft, moist, and just as tasty the next day. Plus, I can dump some stuff in a odd shaped pan, punch some buttons, take a nap, and wake to aahhhhhh, fresh bread.

I find that baking bread is one of the household tasks that is satisfying all the way around. Easy to make, meditative to kneed, possible to have child "helpers", wonderful to smell baking, and then always tasty to eat. Add in the Smug Factor of I made this from scratch, and well, it's worth the time and mess.

*With my tiny kitchen, I am not a fan of "kitchen appliance for every occasion". However, I do make room for our bread machine (it lives on the dining room floor between uses, because we are super glamorous, OBV.)

It's Still Magical For The Children

Listen, I can easily get swept up into the whole grossness of Christmas consumerism. I could easily be convinced to skip all the shopping and spending on stuff that no one needs and put the money towards, say, a goat for a family in [insert 3rd World Country of choice here]. In fact, I think those programs are wonderful, and I wish I dedicated more of our money to causes like that (instead of paying the damn dentist $4200- readers, you read that right. That's a whole living room set. Puke.)

But see, I have to remember that the presents, and the waiting, and the suspense, and the sparkle of having something new, is part of the magic of childhood. I need to remember that, for my nearly 5 year old twins, this is the Peak for them, when Christmas will never again be this awesome. Next year, and the year after, and the year after that, they will become less innocent. At some point they will figure out that Santa isn't real, that reindeer don't fly, and that mom and dad shop on a budget. Bor-ing.

So it is for them, these little humans that I love so much, that I shelled out hard earned cash on Baby Alive. Now, for those of you without any Pink People under your roof, let me explain: Baby Alive drinks a bottle and then pees her diaper. Some versions of this doll even eat baby food and then SHIT their pants. Did I get the shitting version? NO! We have enough actual people in this house that soil their pants (or arguable worse- yell "MOM! WIPE ME!"). Plus, you have to buy FOOD to feed a DOLL. Um, no. (It's like getting an actual baby, only without the human brain inside the skull that grows and develops and becomes, you know, a member of the family.)

The peeing-only baby it is. I got them this "Only at Target" version. And get this- the dolls are anatomically correct. They are going to die- DIE- when they open up those diapers. And that, friends, is magic for ME.

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Holiday tip: Do not store the decadent, melty, AWESOME chocolate truffles (that you pilfered from your husbands office) next to the toaster oven. Especially if you use said toaster oven 90 or more time/day.

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Hey, want a quick and easy (and also quite TASTEEE) holiday recipe? No? Had enough tempting recipes lately? Then just skip this last part.

Ritz Cracker Cookies

You will need:

Ritz crackers
peanut butter
chocolate almond bark
sprinkles

Directions:
Melt chocolate on stove. (A double-boiler will ensure the chocolate doesn't burn). Smear peanut butter between 2 crackers for a "cracker sandwich". 2 sleeves makes a moderate amount, a whole box makes a generous batch. Dip the cracker sandwiches in chocolate until completely covered. Place on wax paper and sprinkle. Let harden. DONE. Now eat no less that 4 cookies, reminding yourself that peanut butter is healthy.

The girls and I made these once already, and then promptly ate them all, so I don't have any pictures to show you. Perhaps we'll make them later, and I'll add pictures? We'll see.

Your New Favorite Summer Drink (Nonalcoholic)

Pammy was here today, as planned, and it was fabulous, as expected. (Marin slept SOOOOOOO good last night. I bow to you, Oh Gods of Pink Bubble Gum Medicine.) We made pita pizzas with hummus and tons of veggies for us, and regular cheese pizza for the kiddos. We ate guacamole and black bean dip and baked a cake (the Better than Sex kind, you know with sweetened condensed milk, caramel, and topped with whipped cream and toffee bits). And then Pammy pulled off the drink of all drinks; it was so tastalicious that my mouth waters as I type this. Here's how:

Pammy's Lemon/Mint Slushie
Juice of 2 lemons (I don't have a juicer, she just used her hands)
1/3 to 1/2 cup of honey
5-7 mint leaves

Put in blender, add ice to fill blender and chop her up.
Taste, to make sure it's not too sour. Add more honey if needed.
Blend some more.
Pour slush into two tall glasses and enjoy.

Seriously, even if you don't particularly like honey or mint or lemon individually, together this is amazingly refreshing.

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Now that you have a yummy drink in your hand, mind if I bother you with one more question? Does any one else out there feel like our generation of parents are held MORE accountable for their kids than ever before. I'm thinking specifically of supervising the children, and how now days we parents are expected to NEVER let them out of our sight, even in our own homes.

When I was growing up, I played outside for the majority of the summer while my mom, and all the other moms, were inside. They fed us, and bandaged us if we needed it, and we had to come home when the street lights came on, but they certainly didn't watch us while we played. Even my cousins, who are high schoolers now, were allowed- expected even- to go out and play on their own. Back then, if kids got hurt it was because accidents happen and kids get hurt and that's just how things go.

As a parent today, I feel like magazines, parenting experts, and books all put the pressure on us parents to be there Every Second. I want to protect my kids from harm as much as the next guy, but the pressure to not allow them to get hurt is a little overwhelming. I feel like the attitude that sometimes kids get hurt has disappeared. Kate's broken arm is a perfect example. Everyone is always asking her/us what happened. Luckily, I can say- truthfully- that it happened at Grandma's. But their reaction is "Oh, I bet she feels terrible. I guess she'll be watching them like a hawk now." And I keep thinking, Um, No, she doesn't feel terrible because it was not preventable and sometimes shit happens.

For the record, I do allow the kids to play, both inside and out, when I am not right there. Yes, they have gotten hurt, and cut each other's hair, and colored on things they shouldn't have. Bad decisions have been made, and consequences have followed, but I feel like it's GOOD for them. I'm always within earshot, and I check on them regularly. Yet. I feel like if anything serious ever DID happen, I'd be to blame. Does anyone else feel this way? Do you allow your child/children to play unsupervised in your home? In your yard? At what age, if ever, is this ok? (Sure, babies and toddler DO need to be watched like hawks, but what about 4 1/2 year olds?)