Meatless chili?

Just dropping in to keep up my writing a bit

I went to make chili this week only to have very bad smelling ground beef
I ended up making " meatless" chili-- which believe it or not was a big hit- although I do still have some leftovers which doesn't happen a few days later- except that one batch of " brown stuff"---- sorry inside reference to faithful readers-

Something I have discovered pretty recently- if you are planning to serve frozen French fries- why not try one of the different kinds- we really like ones that have cracked black pepper-

This week I made my variation on my sister Martha's Korean stirfry -- this time I added to the stirfry veggies- two steamer bags of Asian flavored veggies - one problem- I can never seem to make enough!

But one thing there is always an abundance of white rice-
I usually end up throwing a good amount out - this time I served it as a side dish next night-- I added a good bit of margarine- pizza seasonings - seasoning salt and pepper- very tasty!

Oh and I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

This week has flown by-- I keep wishing I would get inspired to write again but you know " if wishes were horses"

So for now I will follow the few other passions that hit me-

And as I conquer the daily grind and continue to be amazed at  God's infinite grace---- I hear in the distance the haunting seemingly meaningless news of the day

Which is most likely why my response to life is sometimes simply to cook

the autumn leaves

i am on robyn and dillon's laptop today---hence no caps and no auto-correct---

i have been pondering fall or autumn as i think it sounds prettier----now i am pondering the rose by any other name thing----guess i am easily distracted these days

i am trying to force that old love of fall thing----got the pumpkin spice candles burning----already made some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins---and decorated the mantle---although a little differently this year-----

yesterday i even bought all the ingredients for chili except the ground chuck----remember my problem purchasing meat----i plan to get dillon or frank to pick up the meat monday----the next few days won't be chili weather days anyway-----

back to my buying meat problem and shopping issues in general-----i am certain some of my anxieties in this area are due to the many cases of product and food tampering when my oldest boys were very young---started this phobia-----but i push on and with robyn's help i am able to buy most of our weekly needs


okay back to autumn -----i am really missing the grandkids football games---no one is cheering or playing this year----i felt last year that it could be the last time i would pick them up for a game or pack my goody bag with candy chips and drinks-----but had i known for sure---maybe i would have cheered a little louder and brought a few more snacks--

maybe if i listen to my cd ---the one that we won't listen to until september----james taylor's "october road"

silent colors mossy grass----listen closely to the past----circle round the warmest fire---leave no doubt or secret desire---but when it's over stop and check----was it welcomed good was it softly etched---only sneak a backward glance as it's brightness fades----autumn days of gold autumn days we made---

easy and delicious

Well here I am blogging on my phone again -

Believe me this is not a true food blog but thought I would share this weeks menu-since it has been pretty well received

Monday-- okay this isn't gonna sound good but it is really tasty-
Frozen breaded chicken patties on potato buns- mayo Swiss cheese and bacon-super easy and I used the fully cooked microwaveable bacon --sometimes we also top with bread/ butter pickles and onion and tomato -served with fries and mixed veggies

Tuesday-this was Dillon's real bday so Robyn wanted to do a kinda mock thanksgiving dinner
We had rotisserie chicken- which btw I find it much easier to pull it all off the bone rather than carve it-with chicken we had instant mashed potatoes - instant stuffing- Robyn wanted to have chicken stuffing-which was good but I always prefer the pork flavor-much more flavorful and blends with any meat--also mixed veggies-we were going to have green beans-a really nice brand but our can opener broke! Crescent rolls and frozen Reese's pie topped the special dinner off
I told Robyn after-that next time it would be so easy to add cranberry sauce and candied yams - but although this dinner was scrumptious and simple- if you have it too often -it would diminish thanksgiving
And hey it did get me to thinking- several chickens no turkey- we shall see-

Wednesday-penne pasta with creamy tomato sauce and Parmesan and mozzarella cheese-served with garlic bread veggies and would you believe baked beans- gotta get more protein

For some odd reason we didn't take pictures of the other meals

Tonight Thursday -I am making a tuna casserole
Tuna- cream of mushroom celery and chicken soup ---rice and cheddar cheese-we will be having those green beans---new can opener---and biscuits

All of these dinners ran around $16 a piece for four people-with leftovers for Robyn and my lunch next day

Happy Labor Day weekend--- can you imagine I am saying that---it flew by and kinda missed me-- don't plan to let that happen again!

brunch anyone

Hi everyone -first of all I am writing this on my phone!---don't like it already -but I can't type too well because I have had a problem with my left hand-feeling better though-//

Over the weekend I had an early birthday brunch for Dillon-I like the idea of a brunch but hardly ever do one -mainly because some of the kids work on the weekends-anyway this weekend was a rare one where all were able to attend--

There will be no pictures today as Robyn says she can't do it from my phone -and btw another thing I dislike about this phone way is the auto-correct -you know how I don't capitalize -

My menu for brunch:

Scrambled eggs-two kinds-cheese-and deviled ham eggs-cheese were better-
Sausage
Ham biscuits
Hashbrowns-should have doubled them
Bagels-onion and plain-with different cream cheeses
Cinnamon and orange rolls -orange much better
Fruit
Little boxes of cereal and little bags of chocolate chip muffins
Coffee with special creamers and orange and apple breakfast drinks in the little fancy cups
Oh and of course bday cake- I forgot the ice cream and then thought-oh well it is too early for it anyway---but one of my grandkids assured me it is always the right time for ice cream- sorry

I think the morning may be a better time for people -not to early but early enough to have energy and plenty of time to get things done in the rest of the day

And you know how I tend to over do ehmmmm obsess just a wee bit over food and entertaining but I did wish I had served grits-would have been so easy!

Next time

unexpected moments

well i can hardly believe it is past the middle of july----this summer has been sorta routine---but every once in a while something will come along to surprise us-----

robyn and dillon are going to have a baby---this will make frank's and my eighth grandchild-----i was 44 when my very first grandchild was born---he will be sixteen this coming fall-----sometimes when i look at him i hear his two year old voice---and then i shake my head to realize he is rapidly relating some obscure tidbit of knowledge--only i don't recognize the deep cadence coming out of his lips---

we have two grandsons and five granddaughters----i would imagine robyn is having a boy----not sure why-

robyn was only three and a half when she became an aunt----she and my oldest grandson have been more like siblings, in the way they treat each other-----the other night when robyn and dillon announced at frank's birthday dinner, the news----the oldest grandson didn't notice what was said at first and when he did---he goes WHAT----and the younger grandson---teasing exclaimed "robyn is a woman now"-----same grandson told dillon----"dillon you are gonna be a good dad--you are good with kids"----so sweet---

it is early for the sharing of this news but robyn didn't want to wait-----and i suppose it is good to let joy come out------no one knows what a day shall bring anyway, so maybe we should all be quick to celebrate the joy that is----the joy of now----

i am gonna leave you today with a video and you may wonder why i chose this---but it was one of those unexpected rare moments life can give you------one as i watched it could feel myself looking back at one day---maybe some future Christmas season when he is home with mama------and i will think to myself---how lucky-how blessed that robyn happened to mention studying france and this is what came of it----

"the joy of kinda cooking"

okay i know---you would think i have a cooking show or column huh-----

this week i combined some simple homemade dishes with a couple of ready to go main dishes and easy sides---

monday was fish sandwiches----fish fillets shaped for buns----they were on sale--"gordons"---now i usually don't mind their frozen fish but these were not good---very small and mushy----

if i tried that idea again---i would buy a better fish and add tomato---we also added tartar sauce and muenster cheese---i would change to a stronger cheese and splurge on a better bun than store brand--
with the sandwiches, i served canned turnip greens--french fries and pinto beans---btw "lucks" beans are really good---

tuesday i made my famous chicken pot pie---you cannot go wrong with this one and each time i make it a little different---doesn't matter----

i use three cans of chunky chicken potato broccoli cheese soup----add large can french onions----two bags of any mixed vegetables--i usually use one california blend and another blend  that has either a cheese sauce or butter herb sauce--i use steamer bags of vegetables and cook them first---large bag of cheddar cheese---lots of pepper some salt and garlic salt----cook 350 for about an hour then top with refrigerated  biscuits brushing with margarine or butter and topping with italian seasonings

with the pot pie i had herb buttered rice and pickled beets-

last night i made my family's renown "hot dog hash"--yeah you read that right--

hot dogs cut thinly--and don't judge remember---canned sliced potatoes---with plenty of onion---last night i only had frozen onion with green peppers but it was all the same----i also tried it in the wok--using some oil-

this is one of my family's favorite meals---i kid you not----i served brussel sprouts again---canned biscuits and corn---

something else i did this week and may continue---i bought three nights worth of frozen desserts---we rarely have dessert but hey life is too short to leave out the sweet stuff---at least a small bite-----you can't beat cheesecake and those little "pepperidge farm" cakes---inexpensive anyway and lots of times on sale as they were this week--just add a little good vanilla ice-cream and everyone is happy-

tonight we will have frozen lasagna- peas with mushrooms and garlic bread------

you know it is true---nothing beats home-cooking and if you are using your stove-oven or even your microwave-you are doing it----hey it wasn't until my two oldest sons were grown that they found out slice and bake cookies weren't homemade----but they sure did enjoy making them all the same---happy cooking!

we had our list and everything

not much going on my way or anything i can really share haha----

robyn and i went to the store this week, fully intending to come away with all the ingredients needed for wonderful homemade dishes for our week's dinners---

we left the local food lion with ready boxed meals where you do add your own chicken beef or tuna and frozen shrimp scampi and dare i admit----frozen pizza--

what i learned from this week's meals-----

okay---chicken alfredo is not good in the chicken helper--which was really velveeta chicken helper--
you still do pretty much the same amount of preparation with little taste-----in defense of velveeta---they do have several choices that are very tasty--one of which is their bacon ranch chicken----

in fairness this next part is very subjective as i rarely touch dishes with shrimp in them---- i sampled the shrimp scampi but could not stomach it for that night's dinner and ate instead, the horrible left-over chicken alfredo----

i learned that there are some brands of frozen brussel sprouts that aren't bad----bird's eye lightly sauced---only thing to change would be if they offered a larger size steamer bag---i bought two but for four people i could have used three----i mentioned that to a facebook status they had and they said they would pass that on to their production people---i will be waiting-

okay---those frozen pizzas are very good looking and so many kinds---and cheaper than even little caesar's

 they are smaller when you retrieve them from their over sized boxes and they are tasteless and hard as cardboard crusts----of the few kinds we have tried, i would have to say--the tombstone are the best

oh and lastly---where oh where are the good flavored ice-creams---i mean i like ice-cream but can't hardly ever find a flavor i love-----and the few ones that used to have cake in them or pie crust have gone to hard beady little nuggets of something not resembling cake or pie crust in the least

just sharing the wealth of knowledge of this lazy weeks "cooking"