June 14 - Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard 
AKA 
Granny's Garden Meals
(garden, freezer or pantry items are in parentheses)
* means recipe is included

Thursday
Barbecued Pork Baby Back Ribs
New Potato Salad (potatoes, celery, onion)
Steamed Spinach (spinach)
Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter

Thursday's garden dinner used up almost the last of the fresh spinach.  I didn't have nearly enough planted for spring, so hopefully I'll be able to grow a fall/winter crop.  It was such lovely spinach, I think the best I've ever grown.  Having it covered with tulle made all the difference in the world.  Not a single leaf was damaged by leaf miners, not a a single miner egg was found.  There are still four plants in the garden that haven't yet bolted, so that will be used for salads.

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Friday
 *Crockpot Meatloaf (onion, parsley)
Steamed New Potatoes with Butter and Light Sour Cream (potatoes)
Green Beans (2011-freezer)
Lemonade
Rhubarb pie (rhubarb) 
*Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream 

My dinner was served on a small plate, because my jeans are getting too tight and I really wanted dessert!  I'll never get Mr. Granny to stick to a really healthy diet (or to use a small plate), but at least I can feed him meals he likes, and control the portions.  The Crockpot Meatloaf was really good and moist, and there was enough left over for sandwiches, as well as another full meal for the freezer.


Fresh rhubarb was begging to be made into another pie, so I decided we might as well let it all hang out and have home made ice cream with it. The rhubarb is getting juicier now.  It bubbled out of the pie and made a bit of mess in the oven, but that needed cleaning anyway.  I was almost out of butter, so I made my usual Crisco pie crust.  Daughter Amy was here having coffee and visiting with us while I was rolling out the pastry and putting it all together and, having a one track mind, I forgot to add the cinnamon and sugar to the top as I normally would.  Oh well, it was good anyway!


Crockpot Meatloaf 
Serves 8 

 2 pounds lean ground beef 
1 cup diced onion 
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 
1 large egg 
2 large egg whites 
3/4 cup ketchup, divided 
1 tablespoon light soy sauce 
1 tablespoon dried parsley 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
1 tablespoon prepared mustard 
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed 

 In large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine ground beef, oats, egg, egg whites, 1/4 cup ketchup, soy sauce, parsley, salt and pepper. Shape mixture into loaf and place in crockpot. Combine remaining 1/2 cup catsup, mustard and brown sugar. Spread mixture over the top of meatloaf. Cover; cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (in my large crockpot, mine was done in 5 hours) or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. 

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream 

1 cup sugar 
4 egg yolks 
1 1/2 cups whole milk (it's also good with low fat milk)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream 
2 tsp. vanilla 

Combine sugar, egg yolks and milk in blender. Process until completely blended. Pour into saucepan and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and place waxed paper over the top of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Chill several hours or over night. The next day, stir in heavy cream and vanilla before adding it to your ice cream machine. Follow the ice cream machine's directions to freeze ice cream.  *For strawberry ice cream, I just mash fresh or thawed strawberries with a little sugar and add it to the chilled custard mixture.  I don't measure, but probably use about a cup of mashed berries.


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Saturday
Tuna Noodle Casserole
*Harvard Beets (beets)
Fried Zucchini (zucchini)
Salad (spinach, lettuce, celery, radishes, tomatoes)
Ranch Dressing (garlic, chives, dill, parsley)
Rhubarb Pie (rhubarb)
Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream

Mr. Granny really doesn't like tuna casserole at all, but since I harvested the first zucchini and fried it for him, he was happy enough.


Son John came by while I was cooking dinner, and ate a big cold meatloaf sandwich, topped off with rhubarb pie and home made ice cream.


Harvard Beets

2 cups cooked sliced or diced beets (reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid)
3 or 4 Tbsp. sugar (I like 4)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbsp. butter

Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch in saucepan.  Stir in vinegar and reserved beet cooking liquid.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Add beets and butter.  Heat through.

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Sunday
Pot Roast with New Potatoes, Onions and Baby Carrots (potatoes, onions, carrots)
Gravy
Salad  (lettuce, spinach, celery, radishes) with
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Home Made Strawberry Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries on Top (for Mr. Granny)
Lemonade


 The salad is ready for dressing.  Mr. Granny likes savory toppings, so he had garden fresh radishes and celery, while I opted for dried cranberries and walnuts.


Sunday dinner was one of my favorites, especially with the sweet onions, baby red potatoes and carrots that were fresh from the garden.  The browned roast, onions, beef broth and seasonings were combined in my old cast iron dutch oven, then roasted (covered) for three hours at 300F.  The potatoes were added after an hour, and the baby carrots went in for the final 45 minutes of cooking (30 minutes probably would have been enough, they were so young and tender).


I've been using a salad plate as my dinner plate.  It holds just the right amount of food for me.  Mr. Granny still gets his regular sized dinner plate filled.


Preserving the garden:  I set aside enough fresh snap peas for Monday's dinner, then prepared 16 ounces of sugar snap peas for the freezer.  These were blanched for 90 seconds, cooled in ice water, drained and patted dry, then frozen on the wire rack before bagging and sealing.

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Monday
Pan Fried Pork Chops
*Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (potatoes, onions)
Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas (sugar snap peas)
Chilled Sliced Peaches with Fresh Raspberries (raspberries)


Monday was pork chop night.  I buy pork sirloin roasts from Costco, and slice them into boneless chops.  They cook up nice and tender, and are much less expensive than packaged pork chops.  One of the small roasts (they come in a package of four) is enough for at least three meals for the two of us.  I picked the first raspberries, and scattered them over our peaches.  Mr. Granny got most of them, but that's OK....he's special.


Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
based on a recipe from KitsapFG

4 cups thinly sliced potatoes 
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (my addition)
2 tablespoons flour 
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups scalded milk 
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a 2 quart greased baking dish, place a layer of about 1/3 of the potatoes and half of the onions.  In a cup or small bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the potatoes; repeat with another layer of potatoes, the remaining onions and the flour mixture and top with remaining potato slices.  Dot with butter.  Pour milk over potatoes.  Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle cheese over top.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until scalloped potatoes are tender and cheese has melted.  Serves 6 to 8.

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Tuesday

Roast Beef Hash (onions)
Buttered Peas and Carrots (peas, carrots)
Cherry Tomatoes (tomatoes)
Pineapple and Cottage Cheese Salad
Lemonade

On Tuesday, I needed to use up the leftover roast beef.  Mr. Granny's favorite dish in the whole world is roast beef hash.  I decided to use up some of my store bought potatoes for the hash, rather than use the new potatoes from the garden.  With all the beef and onion, the flavor of the young potatoes would be wasted.  Freshly picked peas, the first of the year, were so very good with the baby carrots.  The meal was a bit heavy on the color yellow, but the tomatoes had to be used up.  And I'm always ready for lemonade.  And pineapple.  

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Wednesday

Hamburgers on Home Made Buns
Burger Toppings (onions, lettuce, relish)
Fried Zucchini (zucchini) for him -  Sweet Potato Fries for her
Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream with Raspberries (raspberries)


Two big hamburger buns for our Wednesday dinner, and nine smaller buns for the freezer.  Those small ones are just screaming to be filled with slow cooked pulled pork, but Mr. Granny doesn't like pulled pork!  Do I dare make a pot just for myself?  I think maybe I should  :-)


I got a bit carried away on the size of the burger buns.  I served one to Mr. Granny, but I opted to use one of the smaller dinner rolls for my meal.  The buns were buttered and grilled, and topped with sirloin burgers.  The Walla Walla sweet onions were just that....sweet!  And good!  Thin sliced onions, home canned sweet relish, fresh garden lettuce, cheese and mayo were the burger toppings.    I chose sweet potato fries, while Mr. Granny wanted fried zucchini (picked fresh that morning).


I drizzled my sweet potato fries with a bit of honey.  I first ate them that way at Outback Steakhouse, and developed a mad passionate love for them.

Home made vanilla ice cream, topped with fresh raspberries.


So ends a week in Granny's kitchen.....I'll bet you're all happy that's over!

Our hostess for Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard is Robin, from The Gardener of Eden. Be sure to check out her blog to see what others have been using from their gardens, pantries and freezers.


36 comments:

  1. Geez Louise! I just gained 5 pounds reading this post! My goodness...I'm going to be doing some cooking this week...really want to try the crockpot meatloaf! Delicious post!

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    1. Lynda, I like just about anything fixed in the crockpot. Easy is good!

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  2. I'm drooling.
    Everything looks fantastic. It's funny how food changes over time, all of those are recipes my grandma would have made. Except she would have made them all from packaged foods. But the only things you listed that I cook fairly regularly are the ribs and hamburgers.
    Pork roast sounds delicious though... I think I know what I'll make for dinner. :)

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    1. Anywhere, food preferences certainly do change! Mr. Granny and I look through my current magazines and just cannot imagine eating 99% of the recipes that are printed. I go back into my collection of Taste of Home magazines that date back in the 90s, and that's the food we like. I subscribed to it last year, and there weren't hardly any recipes I'd ever use. I guess, when you're older than dirt like we are, any change of routine is a no-no ;-)

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  3. I don't think I could ever remember to document my whole week. I'm lucky to remember to photograph one meal.

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    1. Daphne, I didn't remember, I just started the post last Thursday and added to it each evening. It did take extra time, with all the photos and such, but Mr. Granny says we eat better when I blog about it ;-)

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  4. did i mention that i plan on moving in? i will work in the garden for food! (and i don't even eat meat.)

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    1. It's a deal, Donna. I'll cook extra veggies for you ;-)

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  5. I'm catching up on reading and read your post - and all I can say is I'm starving - everything looks SPECTACULAR! YUM YUM! Thanks for sharing!

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  6. You've been busy! Everything look so tasty!

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    1. Thanks, Jenny. The garden goodies are coming in faster now, we have to be more inventive on how to use them! I'd rather eat them fresh than have to freeze or can them, except for tomatoes, beans and peppers.

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  7. oh wow now that all looks so great!!!

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    1. Soon, my dear Mrs. P., soon....you'll be showing us all your garden goodies!

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  8. You're too much Granny! I have to copy these recipes....but, it may be easier to just move next door to you!

    Everything looks amazing!

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    1. I wish you would, Robin. That would make two of us happy!

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  9. I had to stop in the middle of reading your post and get a snack! Unfortunately there was no rhubarb pie or homemade ice cream or fresh buns in my kitchen. Mr. Granny is a very, very lucky man!

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    1. Haha, Julie, Mr. Granny will be put on a diet this week. No more pie!

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  10. I ditto everyone's sentiments on Mr. Grannys good fortune! Your meals are so thoughtful, well planned and scrumptious looking! I'm going to steal quite a few. For the record, Tuna casserole is a favorite, my husband isn't a fan, so it's a treasured meal! You inspire the bst in all your blog followers, Annie's Granny! :-)

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    1. Thank you, Gracie, that is very kind of you! I did give in to Mr. Granny on one thing. I didn't put peas in the tuna casserole :-)

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  11. Mr. Granny not like pulled pork?! Heresy! Infidel! - Ok so really that just means more for you. Just back from Memphis, shrine of all things BBQ... and the pulled pork was sublime. You dishes look wonderful. I want to eat at your house!

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    1. David, fear not. I am still working on pork roast #1, which has given us chops for dinner #1, stir fry for dinner #2, and yes, there is just enough left for a bit of pulled pork! I'll cook it tomorrow, and he'll eat it or go hungry. Or maybe I'll just have pulled pork on homemade rolls for lunch all week! Yes, that sounds like a winner ;-)

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  12. Hi Annie, I wish you were my cook!! So many yummy looking recipes! How do you find time to garden afte cooking up all those yummy meals? Nancy

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    1. Nancy, for me gardening is a passion, cooking but a necessity. I have my priorities ;-)

      You'll notice I cook very plain meals. Meat, starch, vegetable, salad. I seldom make desserts, but the newness of the ice cream machine hasn't yet worn off and the rhubarb plant is growing as fast as I can make it into pies!

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  13. I would be like your kids and just happen by at meal/dessert times. :)

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    1. Langela, you'd get pretty hungry if you only showed up for dessert! Believe me, those don't happen all that often. Mr. Granny has been known to go to the store for Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough, and has learned to bake them all by himself! I have never cared for baking or dessert making. Maybe because if I bake, I eat. All of it. No willpower!

      The newness of the ice cream machine will wear off soon, and the rhubarb only gives us one pie a month. Of course, there's strawberry shortcake season coming on..... :-)

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  14. I don't know how you do it. It boggles my mind. Maybe if I had lessons, maybe if I moved next door . . . Every meal looks scrumptious.

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    1. Dianefaith, join the crowd! Pretty soon I'll have all my blogging friends living next door.....not a bad idea, I'll bet you'd keep those %$*&#@* weeds cut along the fence!

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  15. You make the very best meals ever! Honestly, I was quite starving after reading this post even though I had just finished a good and substantial breakfast! I suspicion Mr. Granny really does not know how good he has it.

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    1. Kitsap, Mr. Granny loved your potato recipe. It was really special with freshly dug new potatoes. Yes, he usually just takes the meals for granted, but does show some appreciation for fried zucchini and creamed peas with new potatoes. And rhubarb pie. And fresh raspberries.

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  16. You are an inspiration taking the time to document and post all this just for one week. Great job...I notice you have mentioned several times you make fresh bread. Do you have an easy recipe you would like to post? I know how to make zucchini bread pretty good now, I know that isn't really bread, but I want to learn how to make a real loaf of home made white bread.

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    1. Kris, I use this recipe:

      http://www.food.com/recipe/moomies-beautiful-burger-buns-219357


      I usually add 2 Tbsp. powdered milk with the flour.


      It's for buns, but I use it for bread as well. It makes one 1-1/2 pound loaf. I mix it up in my bread machine, but I take it out as soon as it finishes kneading the dough and put it in a greased 1-gallon zip lock bag. I let it rise until doubled, then punch it down and form it into a loaf and place it in a greased bread pan. Cover and let rise again, until doubled. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

      I sometimes let the bread machine do the whole thing, using a light crust setting (on my machine I use "sandwich" setting).

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    2. Thanks Granny, this may be a rookie question, but do you have to have a bread machine to make bread and mix it up? Can you just use a regular electric mixer?

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    3. Kris, if your mixer is strong enough and has dough hooks. I often use my food processor, which is even faster than the bread machine. Food processor bread is the easiest! If you need to know how to do that, just let me know.

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