Cooking Ahead

One of my favorite cookbooks is Light Cooking For Two by Anne Chappell. I like it because it has recipes for everything from breakfast to breads to make-ahead meals for two. I took advantage of my day off today and made two recipes that make several portions so I could have a few meals ready for days when I work late.

First up is Hearty Meat Sauce. Ground beef, onions, celery, garlic, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth and a bay leaf simmering in the pan. I dressed up the recipe and added a splash of red wine and pancetta. This will make enough sauce for three meals for us. Can someone tell me why a recipe would call for canned whole tomatoes that you have to chop to use? Couldn't you just use canned chopped tomatoes? What am I missing?
The second pot is Brunswick Stew. Poached chicken with potatoes, onion, celery, lima beans and corn. I used frozen peas instead of drained canned tomatoes and added a splash of Marsala wine. We are having this for dinner tonight with hot biscuits. The remainder will be packaged for another two meals.
What kind of make-ahead cooking do you make, if any?

Sweet P

New Year News Update

When DH and I were discussing what we wanted for Christmas, we decided we would finish the renovation on our bedroom. Last August I made this quilt and we decided to turn it into our headboard. It will be turned horizontally rather than the way it appears in the photo. I have the foam and plywood to finish the headboard. I have a bolt of teal microsuede fabric to recover a chair and ottoman.

DH chose the paint color. He painted the room yesterday. He has a few more touch up spots and then we can start putting the room back together. This is what it currently looks like:
Do you remember the Need This? Challenge I started last July? It sort of died because I didn't keep up on the posts. But I can tell you the box of kitchen tools I put away in July has not been touched so it will be donated later this month. I have added a few more items to the drawer, but I do use them. My spice drawer hasn't grown any. The pantry is fuller now and needs some sorting out. Overall I'm still happy with the results of my organizing last summer. How did you do?

I'm hosting a Homestyle Pay It Forward. What's Pay It Forward, you ask? Well, if you are one of the first 3 people who comment on this post and ask to join I will send you a Pay It Forward package of goodies for your home. The package will contain items I will select especially for you and will contain at least one handmade item. In return, you agree to post the Pay It Forward Challenge on your blog and agree to send a package to three people.

I've been a little lax on posting the last couple months. I've been juggling my new job, plus consulting hours, plus keeping up on the house and there hasn't been enough time for blogging. I'm happy to say that I have been offered a promotion at my new job and when it is finalized DH has told me I will no longer do the consulting hours. He doesn't want me working more than 40 hours a week for health reasons. By the end of this month I should be down to one job and I go back to enjoying my home as I was doing last summer. I can't wait!

Happy Homemaking!
Sweet P

Present for Coffee Time At Home

My MIL likes to give you what you ask for on Christmas day. I had told her a few weeks ago I wanted a stand mixer. I have a hand mixer, but a stand mixer would make cooking and baking more fun.

She bought me a Sunbeam Heritage Stand Mixer just like this one.
Now my question is: what should be the first item I make with it? I'm looking for suggestions. What's your favorite recipe to make that needs a stand mixer?

Sweet P

A Well-Used Wedding Present

Do you have wedding presents that you still use often? At least once a week or more?

I was wondering about this the other day when I filled our coffee carafe. DH and I don't like to let the coffee sit on the burner once it's made. So when we are not running out the door in the morning the coffee gets poured into the carafe and sits on the counter. The carafe will keep the coffee hot for several hours. The carafe matches our casual china - Garden Harvest from Mikasa.

I don't know what I would do if we ever broke the carafe. I love my carafe.

I do have one other wedding gift I use every day (or at least every day I'm in the kitchen). That is a kitchen knife set. It sits on the counter and every time I need to slice, dice, chop or cut I reach for one of the knives.

Tell me about a wedding you use nearly every day. Do you have any wedding gifts you still use?

Sweet P

New England Ice Storm

Hello from New Hampshire! Coffee Time at Home is still home, but the last two weeks have been a blur. Last Thursday night/Friday morning an ice storm came through the state.

Sometime during Thursday night we lost power to half of the house. Of course it was the half with the boiler so we had no heat. DS #2 called me and asked if he and DIL could come over because they had no electricity. Of course I said yes.

When I looked out my kitchen window this is the view I saw. Ice, everywhere ice.
This a close-up black and white photo of one of the trees in the backyard.
Here is the grass in the front yard. I really like this photo, but the ice was dangerous. At the height of the storm there were over 400,000 homes and businesses without power.
Thankfully our power was fully restored on Sunday morning. Some people are not so lucky and are still without power and could be for another week. What an awful event to happen so close to the holidays.

Speaking of the holidays, I haven't taken out any Christmas decorations. Maybe this weekend I'll get a chance to do a little holiday decorating. Since we celebrate Christmas at the in-laws we seldom do a lot of decorating in our own home. Next year will be different since the new grandchild will be here!

Happy Holidays to everyone!
Sweet P

Thanksgiving Review

The table was set by noon. Notice the napkins? I made them Thanksgiving morning.
The boys were there . . . ooops, not these boys. DH made the bed and thought we needed a few bears on the bed. Silly man!
Thanksgiving dinner was great. I didn't take any photos of the food. We were too hungry to wait for photos. I learned my kitchen does work well with three people cooking. At one point, DH was carving the turkey. I was standing at the stove stirring the gravy. DS #3 was mashing the potatoes. Everyone loved the Bacon Wrapped Turkey and the Slow Cooker Stuffing. Really they loved all of it.

After dinner we played Scrabble and Red Sox Uno. Sometime during the evening we decided to make coffee. We had several choices to go in the coffee: milk, cream, sugar and an assortment of alcohol. I love the line up in front of the coffee pot.
Last night the men made dinner. DS #3 made Chicken Marsala (with a little help from DH) and DS #2 made Green Bean Casserole with fresh green beans. DH added fresh corn on the cob. Yummy!
I officially have way too much food in the fridge right now and you know what? I'm craving a pizza right now!

DIL decided it was time to update my menu board. Here's what it reads now:
I guess that means she has to come over at least once a week to update it!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend.
Sweet P

The Pantry is Stocked- Bring on Thansgiving!

While working at home on Friday I worked on the Thanksgiving Menu and wrote the grocery list. Bright and early (and in the freezing and windy conditions) I went to the grocery store. A little over $100 and an hour later, I was home and the pantry is now stocked for the upcoming holiday week.

Here's my menu for Thursday:
Bacon-Wrapped Turkey with Cider Gravy (I just learned we probably won't be able to get the Pear Cider for the gravy. I will probably use unfiltered apple cider instead)
Slow Cooker Stuffing with sausage instead of mushrooms
Real Mashed Potatoes - requested by all the young adults in attendance and includes offers to mash the potatoes
Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes with Citrus - DH and I will probably be the only ones eating this dish.
Country Green Beans
Cranberry Relish
Dinner Rolls
Pumpkin Pie - a frozen one. I can't cook everything!
Triple Chocolate Cupcakes and maybe one other type of cupcakes.

What's on your Thanksgiving Menu?
Sweet P