Finally...A New Recipe

Italian Turkey & Veggie Skillet 

When your body starts craving vegetables, it probably means you should have upped your veg intake a couple of weeks ago. We usually eat a lot of vegetables here but lately things have gone a little sideways. Life happens.  

And there were vegetables in the fridge left over from Little Sister's pasta salad making last weekend that needed to be used pronto. I still had a half a large zucchini, half a large yellow squash and some diced onion, washed and bagged.

Mommy and J-Daddy did most of the cooking last weekend and they left me a package of ground turkey that didn't get used. I found one can of fire-roasted tomatoes in my pantry...pretty sure I bought that can by accident. My normal diced tomatoes are plain or seasoned with garlic/basil/oregano. I needed a quick trip to the grocery store this morning and picked up a box of baby spinach to finish the recipe.

When this recipe popped up on my Instagram feed a couple of days ago,  there was no question about making it. It basically used up everything here that I needed to cook before it wound up in the trash. Fresh things don't last forever. This was one of those recipes that you know won't be bad, but the big surprise was that it went far beyond "not bad" category  to the "really, really good" category. 

This is how I made it. So easy. So quick. So delicious. 

ITALIAN  TURKEY ANDJ VEGGIE SKILLET

1 medium zucchini (I used 1/2 of a large one)

1 medium yellow squash (again, I had 1/2 a large one)

1-lb. ground turkey (we like dark ground turkey)

1/2 onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced jarred garlic (or 4 cloves fresh, minced)

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

14.5-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with juice

3 cups fresh baby spinach

Quarter the zucchini and squash lengthwise and cut into thick slices. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over med-high heat. Once hot, add the squashes and let cook on one side for 2-3 minutes without stirring, until it browns. Flip it over and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add turkey, onion and minced garlic to skillet. Cook, breaking it up, until turkey shows no pink. Drain off any liquid. 

Sprinkle with dry spices and stir to coat. Add the can of tomatoes (not drained) and bring to simmer. Stir in the zucchini, squash and fresh spinach. Cook until spinach wilts, about 3-5 minutes.

You can served this over rice, pasta, spaghetti squash or do what we did and serve it up in a bowl and top it with a little parmesan. I am so happy that we have enough left for another meal.

If you are on Instagram, you can find the original recipe from @easyfamilyrecipes. Her measurements are a little different than mine because she used more turkey. Around here ground turkey is sold in 1-pound packages, so I adjusted my seasonings accordingly. I think I have bookmarked about half of her recipes there. They are quick, easy and family friendly. When I dug a little deeper I found her blog with the original recipe, plus some awesome tips.

• Yes. I did drain off the liquid from the turkey after browning. Sometimes I don't but this recipe needed that. 
• Yes. I think the fire roasted tomatoes made a (good) difference in the flavors, although you could certainly use another kind.
• No. I didn't measure 3/4 teaspoon precisely. Just don't fill up the 1 teaspoon measure all the way.
• Yes. We will make this again for sure!

Marinated Turkey Tenderloins

Marinated Turkey Tenderloin

I hate to say it, but my kitchen has been ignored for quite some time now. What a crazy couple of months we've had. Not bad crazy, but not-my-normal-schedule crazy. Last night I figured I had better cook something for Daddy-O before he trades me in for a new model. I had been gone for a good part of the day so I made one of the easiest meals I know how to cook. 

This turkey tenderloin is such a quick main dish. And to my total surprise, when I looked for the recipe here on the blog...it wasn't here. I've been making this for years. I think maybe the recipe was on a package of turkey tenderloins ages ago. 

Before I get to the recipe, let me share a couple of photos from our weekend. We drove back to visit the youngest grandchildren and to let Daddy-O meet his first grandson. 

They had several good man to man conversations.

And we were well entertained by his big sister. Her hospitality skills are strong.

So before I climb back in my car this morning to head back there (these early days require a little more help) let me get this recipe safely posted on the blog. I know some of you use the recipe index here as much as I do. For me it's like an online version of the old plastic recipe box I used for years. But this one I can reference when I'm  standing in the grocery store!

MARINATED TURKEY TENDERLOINS

1 pkg (about 1 lb) fresh turkey breast tenderloin

marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

1 lemon, sliced (seeds removed)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Put oil and herbs into a heavy zip top plastic bag and mix. Add the turkey tenderloins and lemon slices. (I make sure there are lemon slices on both sides of the turkey.) Seal bag and turn to coat the tenderloins. Refrigerate 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Place turkey on a broiler pan. Move oven rack to top of turkey is 5 inches from heat. Broil small tenderloins (4 per 1-lb pkg) about 10 minutes, turning once. Broil large tenderloins (2 per 1-lb pkg) about 20 minutes, turn once or until juices are clear.  

Serves 2-4

Last night Daddy-O cooked these on the grill for the first time. No messy broiler pan to clean up! They were delicious. But every other time I've made this, I've used the broiler. So it works either way.

 

Food And Friends And Family

Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

One of the best things you can do for a new mother is take her a meal. Or even part of a meal. First time mothers have lots to learn about caring for a newborn. Mothers who have other children have their hands full, too. All new mothers could use a kitchen boost. Plus, it tells them they've got friends and family who care about them.

This delicious chili was delivered by Jessica's friend. She brought food and encouragement and helpful advice for the new mom. I asked for the recipe and she sent the link and told me about her adjustments to the recipe. I want to make this when I get home. My older daughter (again...need to rename everyone here on the blog...ugh.) said she has made this recipe several times and her family loves it.

The original recipe is from Skinny Taste. We've used many of her recipes and have found them to be dependably good.

TURKEY SWEET POTATO CHILI

1 medium white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. goat cheese, divided
optional garnishes:  sliced scallions, diced avocado

Brown meats in a large pot or Dutch oven on stove top. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT goat cheese. Simmer 2 hours. Before serving, stir in half of goat cheese. Use the other half as garnish when serving. Can use scallions and avocado as garnish also.


To complete this meal, friend Ali brought cornbread and an arugula/orange salad. Oh....and chocolate chip cookies. Can't forget the cookies! This was an easy meal for us to heat up and eat. This new family is learning to eat in the minutes available here and there. This meal works.

There are so many times that homemade food says "I care." Mommy (my older daughter) had already brought Baked Rotini plus sides one night. And wise, experienced mother that she is, she divided the recipe into two square pans—one to bake, one to freeze for later.

Of course, I've taken many meals to people over the years. People with new babies, people home from the hospital, people with a bereavement. I learned from my mom who was a generous cook. But ages ago I got a phone call one day from a friend and she said, "I'm cooking your supper tonight." There was no new baby, no one was sick and no one had died. I was just doing the busy after-school chauffeuring thing. Jane wanted to do a kind thing for me. And it was AWESOME. All these years later, I don't remember what the meal was but I DO remember the dessert. It was a no-bake chocolate eclair cake. I don't have her recipe, but it was similar to this one.

Well, I've managed to make myself hungry. I'll be back soon. After I've found a snack.

Cold Rain. Warm Food.

The weather is just strange this year. We had the "endless summer" and then someone flipped the switch to "cold rain." Inches and inches of rain. And the cold...while we are still waiting on a new furnace.

Our dinner-with-TV group didn't let that stop anything. We just took appropriate measures—rain jackets, careful driving—and we all arrived safely. With food. It was my turn to bring the main dish. And this kind of night called for something that warmed us up. Chili and cornbread sounded good to me. So I made a double batch of turkey pumpkin chili. Turkey? Pumpkin? These friends were all curious when I told them what I was bringing. 

I promise no one would know it has pumpkin in it unless you tell them. It's a rich, thick chili with a mild flavor. It is the easiest chili I've made. The hands-on part is only browning the meat and chopping the onion. The rest is just stirred together. And then it cooks in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. That's it. 

It's the recipe that Mommy discovered years ago and it has become her standard Halloween night supper. I made it at her house a couple of weeks ago when my visit there included Halloween festivities. I've made it several times myself but as it often happens, I had forgotten about this recipe. It was last posted here in 2011. I'm happy it's moved back up in the recipe rotation.

I made one recipe in the crockpot and looked at it and decided that maybe that wasn't enough. So later in the day I went back to the store. Bought more turkey, beans and pumpkin and made a second batch on the stovetop. Then stirred them together. The part that didn't fit in the pot went into the freezer for later.

TURKEY, WHITE BEAN, PUMPKIN CHILI

2 lb. ground turkey 

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (I use the jar kind)

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder (more or less, to taste)

1 teaspoon oregano

2 bay leaves

1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree (not the pie filling kind)

2 (15-oz) can great northern beans, rinsed & drained

1 (4-1/2 oz) can chopped green chiles

2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I add a little more)

Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, minced cilantro, etc.

Heat large skillet over high heat. Add turkey and cook, breaking it apart, until done, about 5 minutes. Add to Crockpot. Add oil to skillet, then onions and garlic. Saute about 3-4 minutes. Add cumin and saute another minute. Add to Crockpot.

Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chiles, chili powder, oregano, salt and bay leaves. Stir to mix. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Remove bay leaves before serving.

If you want to skip the Crockpot, make it in a large pot on the stovetop. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about an hour or so, stirring occasionally.

And a bowl of chili needs warm cornbread to go with it. I like all cornbread and corn muffins. But this has to be my favorite recipe. 

CORNY CORNBREAD

1/2 cup vegetable oil (plus extra for greasing the pan)

1-3/4 cups self-rising cornmeal mix

1 cup cream-style corn 

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream (the light kind works just as well)

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease a 7x11-inch baking pan or a 10-inch cast iron skillet with cooking oil. Preheat the pan in the oven. 

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, stirring with a spoon until combined. Pour batter into the preheated pan. Place pan in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

You can also bake this in a muffin pan. I don't preheat the muffin pan. Makes 12 muffins. Bake for about 25 minute, or until golden brown.

If you have leftover cornbread, wrap it well and pop it in the freezer for a busy day later. 

This weekly TV watching wasn't intended to be a forever thing. But when we reached the end of A Place To Call Home, everyone wants to find a new show and keep the fun going. It's been so nice to spend a comfortable evening with good friends nearly once a week. 

As we count our blessings while we prepare for Thanksgiving, let us say a prayer for the victims of the horrific fires in California, the people who are fighting those fires and those who are caring for the thousands of newly homeless people. 

Sloppy. Simple. Supper.

A week with the grandchildren means a week of meals that are kid friendly. Recipes that were once my kitchen staples but recipes that have now dropped way down in my rotation. This sloppy joe recipe made me famous at church for many years. It was my standard for church suppers for youth groups.

Even the kids who didn't like sloppy joes (aka Manwich) LOVED this recipe. That might be because it doesn't taste like Manwich. (Personally, I never thought Manwich was that bad.) The seasonings here are so simple that there is not much to dislike. The overall flavor has a hint of sweetness. Kids like that. I like that.

I made this earlier this week while Mommy had the girls at ballet lessons. I've made this so many times I don't need to look up the recipe. Even all these years later. Just remember, besides the meat, it's a cup of ketchup and one tablespoon of four other things—sweet/sour/savory/tangy. That's easy to remember.

SLOPPY JOES

1-1/2 lbs lean ground beef or turkey (I've made it with a 1 lb pk, too.)
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Brown meat and drain. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Spoon over toasted hamburger buns.

If I use ground turkey, which comes in one-pound packages,  I will add some chopped onion when I brown the meat to help bulk it up. It also helps flavor the milder turkey.

If you are making this for a crowd, it's easy to increase the proportions. And it freezes well, too, so you might make extra for the freezer for a super quick supper on one of "those" nights.

One friend of Mommy's, who got this recipe from us, told me this was her standard "take supper to the new Mommy" meal. She takes the sloppy joe mix, buns, chips, and maybe slaw or baked beans and a pack of paper plates. Easy for the one taking it to make. Easy for the one receiving supper to get on the table. If there are toddler or preschool siblings in the house, this is a meal they will like.

Honest disclosure here...I have had kids tell me they don't like this, won't eat this, have no intention of trying this. But if I can get them to taste one bite, I've never had one who didn't change their mind. Maybe it's the name they don't like. Call it something else if you wish.

Baby Girl gobbled her supper up the night I made the Sloppy Joes. She polished off the leftovers the next day at lunch. And begged to have it again that night for supper (there wasn't any more left) when we were having cabbage with smoked sausage and tomatoes. I can totally understand that. But to her credit, she did eat the cabbage and the "little porks."

Fried Cabbage with Smoked Sausage

Fried Cabbage with Smoked Sausage

After a holiday weekend that included coconut cake and a splendid pumpkin pie where all the leftovers stayed at my house, we were in need of food that's more basic. And I needed quick. And easy. I have handbell practice tonight and won't get home until about 7:30.

This morning I remembered this recipe, but I had trouble finding it here. On my own blog. It's now listed in two places in the index—under MAIN DISHES, listed under both beef and turkey. Depends on which sausage you use. Remember, you can always use the search box at the top left. That's what I did. Searched for "cabbage" and this recipe was way down in the posts that came up. But I did find it.

So here is the recipe again. It might be new to you. Or, maybe like me, you had forgotten this one. It's delicious. And in my way of thinking, it's a one dish meal. It has three vegetables...cabbage, onion, and tomatoes. And the smoked sausage. Tonight that's the whole meal for us. If Daddy-O is lucky, he might get a slice of garlic bread with it.

We have figured out that we liked it better left over. So it was perfect for me to make this afternoon after errands so that dinner will be ready to heat when I get home tonight. You can make it in the morning. You can make it the night before. I love a flexible recipe.

FRIED CABBAGE with SMOKED SAUSAGE

3-4 tablespoons butter
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 package smoked sausage, sliced in rounds (my turkey sausage was 13 oz.)
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes (or Rotel if you like spicy)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add cabbage and onion. Cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes, stirring to keep from sticking to pan. Add remaining ingredients. Cover. Lower heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Serves about 6


Blog posts between now and Christmas will be done as I can find a few spare minutes. Not promising any kind of regularity. But don't give up on me! 

Home From The City

No Bean Turkey Chili

It was a Cinderella kind of weekend. Not the part where the mean women tormented Cinderella, but the good fairy godmother part of the story. I spent the weekend in the city with Jessica. The main purpose for the trip was to shop for a dress for me to wear to her wedding. I am SO not a shopper. The thoughts of serious shopping—important shopping—did not thrill me. It was more like it filled me with dread with a touch of terror. But it turned out to be so much fun. A truly memorable morning.

I tried on dress after dress. Dresses that sparkled and glittered. Dresses that glimmered and shimmered. Dresses that were slim. Dresses that were poofy. For this blue-jean wearing grandmother, it was like finding another me that I didn't know was there. One that enjoyed dressing up. Or, maybe playing dress up. I understand a little better now why the small granddaughters love their princess dresses.

The whole weekend had a bit of magic about it. On Friday we visited one of the quaint nearby neighborhoods for a little browsing before dinner. As we strolled down the busy sidewalk, a middle school girl shouted out to me, "I love your shoes!" A clerk in a shop told me the same thing a little later. I've never been overly concerned about being fashionable. But it was fun to think that maybe for once I hit the mark.

After the shopping and lunch at the OK Cafe on Saturday, we spent the afternoon at home. Jessica worked while I knitted and watched a Craftsy class. (More about that class later.) Then she whipped up a quick supper for us to enjoy while we watched a movie. She has been doing a month of Whole 30 recipes and this was a recipe she has made before and liked.

I imagine that if I had read this recipe before making it, I would have kept looking. But this chili without beans was delicious. One that I'd make here at home. It's nice to have some healthy recipes on hand. I know. I know. All of our recipes should be healthy. But that's not always the case. We try to balance the indulgent foods with healthy foods, aiming to tip the scale toward the healthy side. Way toward that side of the scale.

The hardest part of making this chili would be peeling and dicing the sweet potato. Jessica had a container of potatoes already peeled and diced. She's used the sweet potatoes in many of her dishes lately, so stirring up this chili was a breeze. Jessica also tossed in some diced green peppers and tomatoes because there some on hand that needed to be used.

If your meals need to be gluten free, this one is. I do have friends that are very careful about avoiding gluten. Thankfully, my only requirement is that it be delicious. It is that, too.

NO-BEAN TURKEY SWEET POTATO CHILI (with Jessica's notes)

• 1 lb. ground turkey (I used 93% lean)
• kosher salt, to taste
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 10 oz. can Rotel mild tomatoes with green chilies (I used the Whole Foods organic kind)
• 8 oz can tomato sauce (I looked for the one with the lowest amount of sugar)
• ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp cumin, or to taste
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
• diced avocado, for garnish
• optional toppings: shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, scallions

In a large skillet, brown turkey over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks into smaller pieces and season with salt and cumin. When meat is browned and cooked through, add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes over medium heat.

Add the can of Rotel tomatoes, sweet potato, tomato sauce, water, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and bay leaf. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are soft and cooked through, about 25 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Add ¼ cup more water if needed. Remove bay leaf and serve.

You can served this with extra toppings, like shredded cheese, scallions, and sour cream. I added a spoonful of sour cream to my bowl and loved the extra richness. Now that cooler weather is here—well, the weatherman has PROMISED it will be cool tomorrow—I'm happy to have a new chili recipe to enjoy. Thanks, Jessica! Thanks for the recipe. Thanks for your hospitality. Thanks for a fun mother-daughter weekend.

If you have a few minutes, take a look at Jessica's blog, which right now contains many of the recipes she's been using lately. She's an excellent cook and as an artist, her food photos are always better than mine, too.

PS....Yes. I did find a dress!

The Five O'Clock Hour...Ouch

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

After our restful few days at the lake, where life was slow and quiet, I drove down the next day to stay with Mommy and her girls, where life is anything BUT slow and quiet. I forget how loud and busy and chaotic a house with three girls can be. I'm here while J-Daddy is away. Another set of adult hands is useful this week.

Tonight the most helpful thing I did was to take Baby Girl upstairs to her room while Mommy cooked supper. Little Sister stayed downstairs. Sometimes separation is a good thing. Did you ever call the 5:00-6:00 pm time slot "the arsenic hour?" Or, perhaps the "witching hour?" (Or, did you have an even more descriptive name for it? And it might start at 6:00 pm at your house.) That is when everything breaks loose because the little ones are hungry and tired and cranky. And the mommy is tired and cranky. The grandmother is running out of patience, too. 

But the upstairs/downstairs approach worked last night. Peace was restored and Mommy made a delicious dinner. This is a recipe she has used before. It's a good one that I'll make at home. I love good meatloaf. This was the first time I've had turkey meatloaf, but it surely won't be the last time.

While Mommy cooked, I read a zillion story books to Baby Girl and watched her play and dance. Little Sister chose to take some books to her favorite big chair downstairs. I'm pretty sure Mommy enjoyed an hour in the kitchen without a little one wrapped around her leg and a slightly bigger one hanging on her other leg and no one crying, "Make her stop! No! That's mine!" It's funny....after supper, those two little ones were happy to see each other and played beautifully together until bedtime. It was just that hour before supper. Maybe I should just call it the "unhappy hour." But it's on the clock and the clock hands have to pass over five and six, too, like they do all the other numbers.

I have no clue how Mommy does it every night. I know I did it night after night all those years ago, but goodness, I do not remember how. I think it's just a matter of hanging in there, knowing it does get easier when you pass the terrible twos. Mommy often says, "The days are long but the years are short."

BBQ TURKEY MEATLOAF
       (recipe from Chew Out Loud)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 lbs. ground turkey (a 1-lb package works, too)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
1 large egg
3/4 cup barbecue sauce combined with 1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack on lower middle position.

In a skillet, heat oil on medium high. Cook onion and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/4 cup of the barbecue/ketchup mixture, salt and pepper. Add the onion and garlic. Mix thoroughly.

In a 9x13-inch pan, use your hands to shape meatloaf mixture into a rectangle, about 8x4 inches. (Line the pan with foil for easy clean-up.) Reserve 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce mixture. Brush remaining sauce on top and sides of meatloaf.

Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes, until the internal temp reaches at least 165 degrees. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons of sauce and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4


I generally like the ground turkey that is not the breast meat. I find that it has better flavor, texture and appearance than the ground white turkey.

Second Time's The Charm

Turkey Meatballs

I had this ready to post earlier in the month just after the family when home after the holidays, but other things kept jumping in front of this recipe. But today, while we wait to see if we have frozen weather this weekend, I'll share it. Thankfully, there are still some meatballs in the freezer. Might be perfect for an easy supper if we are here snowed in for a couple of days.

I know I posted this recipe only a few weeks ago, and this is quick to post again, but I changed the cooking method this time and it made all the difference. A lot of difference. We liked them okay the first time. This time everyone loved them! Little ones. Son-in-law. Everyone. The first time I cooked some of these, I did it all in the skillet—browned the meatballs, poured sauce over and cooked them until done. (The original recipe didn't give a cooking method, just the mixing and freezing directions.) When I cooked them on the stovetop, the meatballs kind of fell apart and the texture was softer than I liked. Cooking them in the oven gave a better texture to the meatballs. I won't try another way after this success.

I had a double batch of these in the freezer to help feed the family while they were here for the holiday. This was a favorite dinner of their two week stay. I am always looking for ways to make supper easy when the little girls are here. Pulling things from the freezer really helps.

 This is a double batch, ready for the freezer.

TURKEY MEATBALLS
    adapted from Martha Stewart

3 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (lean, dark meat)
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 tsp. from a jar)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
coarse salt and pepper to taste

Place bread in food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with milk; set aside at least 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, green onions, garlic, parsley, egg, salt (1-1/2 tsp) and pepper (1/4 tsp) and breadcrumb mixture. Mix gently with a fork.

With your hands, form into meatballs (1 meatball = 2 level tablespoons). Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

To freeze: place meatballs on baking sheet in freezer for 1 hour. Move meatballs to a ziplock freezer bag. Label and date. Store frozen up to 3 months.

Makes about 30 meatballs. (I got 28)

To cook frozen meatballs:
This time I heated a large non-stick skillet with olive oil to medium hot. Then I browned the frozen meatballs. Just used my tongs to turn them a couple of times and get a good brown on two or three sides. I don't think any of them were browned all over. I turned them as best I could, but didn't try for complete browning. I didn't want them to break apart.

I moved the browned meatballs into a 8x11-inch baking dish (that's a 2-qt dish) that I had sprayed lightly with PAM. I poured a jar of spaghetti sauce into the warm skillet, then added a can of diced tomatoes and a couple of good shakes of Italian seasoning. Stir that all up and let it simmer a few minutes.

Pour sauce over the meatballs and cover dish with foil. Bake at 350 degrees (preheated) for 1 hour.


This time I served the meatballs with cheese tortellini.  This was a nice change from spaghetti. As we kept talking about how good these are, we said they could also be good for making meatball subs, or meatball sliders. I have enough left in the freezer to cook again. Next time I might pour barbecue sauce over the browned meatballs before baking, then serve them with mashed potatoes.

I also had whole wheat sourdough bread in the freezer. And I just open a can of green beans because I was really looking for easy—and Baby Girl likes green beans. That's as good a reason as any to cook them.

This recipe is now definitely a "keeper."

Make Mine Meatballs

 

I couldn't do it—I couldn't post a new recipe here before I had fully tested it. Or, at least one of my daughters had made it. Or, I had eaten the finished product. Last night I pulled a few meatballs from the freezer and made supper. I browned the frozen meatballs in the skillet. They stuck a little. Poured a partial jar of spaghetti sauce over it to finish cooking. Didn't watch that close enough and nearly burned it all. Moved it all to a non-stick skillet and added in some canned diced tomatoes w/garlic, basil, oregano and let this simmer, covered, until the meatballs were done. I checked them with a thermometer. Next time I'll start with a non-stick skillet.


I am going out on a limb here. I have made these meatballs and they are in the freezer. But I have not cooked them yet. I am trusting the many reviewers who have said they are very good. I am really trying to get a jump on my cooking—especially things that my non-red-meat-eating daughter can have. We will have the family here for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas. And I want to play with grandchildren then, not spend all my time in the kitchen.

 

This recipe came from Martha Stewart. If you check the recipe here, there are links to several ways to use these meatballs. One recipe calls for the meatballs to be cooked from the frozen state in a skillet. Another one cooks them under the broiler and doesn't mention being frozen. One reviewer said that they held together better after they had been frozen. I'm sure I will be using this recipe as a freezer recipe.

My own changes and hints? I doubled the recipe. If I was going to squish my hands in raw ground turkey, I might as well make enough at one time.  I used a little less pepper than the original recipe because the suggested amount just looked like a lot to me. Make that suit your family. I used green onions instead of scallions. That's what my store sells.

I think my meatballs might be a little bigger than they should be. I actually measured out the first one and tried to make the rest of them match. But I didn't get quite the yield that the recipe states. My double batch gave me 56 meatballs. (According to Martha's recipe, I should have had 70.)  Should you decide to triple this recipe like some of the reviewers did, you'll need a HUGE mixing bowl. The doubled recipe filled my biggest bowl.

From the lesson-learned-the-hard-way department (years ago—not this time,) use a pot holder to remove the baking sheets from your freezer. A frozen pan hurts your fingers almost as much as an oven burn.

This is a good recipe. But you need to remember that these meatballs are made with turkey and not ground beef. The texture is a little different. But I will make these again.

TURKEY MEATBALLS
    adapted from Martha Stewart

3 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (lean, dark meat)
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 tsp. from a jar)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 large egg
coarse salt and pepper to taste

Place bread in food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with milk; set aside at least 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, green onions, garlic, parsley, egg, salt (1-1/2 tsp) and pepper (1/4 tsp) and breadcrumb mixture. Mix gently with a fork.

With your hands, form into meatballs (1 meatball = 2 level tablespoons). Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

To freeze: place meatballs on baking sheet in freezer for 1 hour. Move meatballs to a ziplock freezer bag. Lable and date. Store frozen up to 3 months.

Makes about 30 meatballs.


I forget how old I am most of the time. But when I pulled out the food processor for this recipe, I saw that it didn't have a polarized plug—that's the kind with one prong wider than the other. You know, it only goes into the outlet in one direction. Bet some of you have never seen an appliance without one of those.

Life With A Little

I had forgotten what life with a three-year-old in residence is like. I was a stay-at-home mom, so I'm sure this is what I did. I remember it was hard sometimes, but I have forgotten the specifics. Little Sister is at the "why" stage of life. Last night we had turkey for dinner. "What is this?" "Turkey," I answered. "Why?" "Because it's not chicken." "Why?" All day long. But the tiresome parts (that would be answering the "why" question about 47 times a day) are balanced by the fun parts.

"Mimi, you need to make more hummingbird juice." Our hummingbird feeder was empty.

"Have you seen the light flash?" That took me a while, after scanning the pasture at dusk, to figure out she wanted a flashlight.

"Ugh! Baby just "bless you'd" all over me. I can see "bless you" on my arm!" Always the first to say "bless you" when someone sneezes, Little Sister thinks that's what you call a sneeze.

She keeps it interesting, for sure.

Nearly all of our meals have been here at home this summer. Taking Little Sister and three-month-old Baby Girl is way more effort than cooking a meal. But I have looked for quick meals, easy meals and kid-friendly meals.

This recipe was a favorite of out girls when they were growing up. And Little Sister got excited when she found out we were having it for dinner a few nights ago. She loves it as much as they did. Not fancy, but if you are feeding kids, give it a try.

The recipe came from a magazine ad for Kraft barbecue sauce and Hungry Jack biscuits. A magazine ad from years and years ago. The name was Barbecue Flat Jack, so named (I think) because of the Hungry Jack biscuits. Well, over the years, in our house it morphed into Barbecue Flapjack. And so we just call it that now even though it has nothing to do with pancakes!

BBQ FLAPJACK

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/4 chopped onion
1/2-3/4 cup barbecue sauce (you don't want the meat "soupy")
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10-count) can of flaky biscuits

Preheat oven to 375 degreese. In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Stir in BBQ sauce and Tabasco. Simmer while preparing crust.
Separate biscuits and place into an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish to make a crust. Press over bottom and 1 inch up the sides to form crust.
Spread hot meat mixture over dough. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Hanging In There

Not sure that I'm even getting things in here in any kind of order, but at least family and friends who are readers will know that we are hanging in there. And for the most part, doing okay.

We spent the weekend battling kid germs of assorted varieties. There were a couple of long nights and some worry until everyone was better. So far, the mama-to-be has stayed away from the germs. And I have repeatedly washed and wiped everything in sight.

Little Sister announced to her daddy when he got home, "I was very sick." But here is proof that she is over it! The sun came out yesterday, literally and figuratively. She and had I fun playing outdoors.

Big Sister had a bout with different germs, but she is well, too. Fingers crossed that we will all stay healthy for a while. In trying to keep things from spreading, I have washed and wiped everything in the house multiple times. That also includes many, many handwashings. I have suffered from really dry hands since I've been here. Even Little Sister has told me my hands were rough when I help her out of the tub. 

Yesterday morning I made a quick trip to the store for essentials and happened to spy a bottle of Corn Huskers lotion on the bottom shelf. This is what my grandmother used. There was always a bottle by her kitchen sink. It cost less than $3.00. So I tossed a bottle into my cart with the other things I was getting. By yesterday afternoon, my hands were visibly better. Why have I not used this before? 

And there is some cooking going on here. I am looking for the easiest things I can find to keep us fed. I bought a boneless turkey breast this weekend with no recipe in mind. But a quick Google search led me to this recipe. I changed the cooking directions, but used her rub ingredients exactly as written. 

OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

1 boneless turkey breast (mine was about 3-1/2 lbs.)

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon minced dry onion

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Reynold's Oven Bag, large size

1 tablespoon flour for bag

Thaw turkey completely if frozen. (Mine was fresh.) 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix all of the dry ingredients. Pat turkey dry. Rub with olive oil. Pat herb mix all over turkey. 

Add flour to oven bag and shake. Place seasoned turkey into bag and fasten bag with enclosed tie. Place into 9x13-inch baking dish. Cut six 1/2-inch slits into bag. 

Bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until internal temp of turkey reaches 170 degrees. The instructions enclosed with the oven bags will give cooking times for different sized turkey breasts. Read those before you start.

Let rest 20 minutes before removing from bag. For neater slices, refrigerate overnight.

This turned out SO good. And it was the easiest recipe for roasted turkey I saw. Using the oven bag keeps the meat moist, even when I cooked it a little past the desired temperature. The meat will also brown through the bag. Plus, the clean up is easy because nothing is baked on to the dish. You could use a bone-in turkey breast, too. It's all about the seasoning rub. 

We made sandwiches with sliced turkey, provolone cheese and cranberry mayo. And we had turkey for dinner last night with vegetables. 

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The Holidays Begin

Busy times around here for the last couple of weeks as Thanksgiving came and went. Getting ready for everyone to come home for the holiday was fun. There was even snow the day before Thanksgiving. What a way to start the holiday! We had a full house, with someone sleeping in every room. Little Sister was excited to have a "big girl bed" (also known as an air mattress) to sleep on this time. It felt like our house had a revolving door for a few days as everyone hurried here and there trying to visit with other family.

But some of our best times were the "in between" times when we had a few minutes to enjoy each other. Little Sister and Daddy-O had the best impromptu jam session, with Little Sister fully in charge.

Thanksgiving Day was spent with extended family. We loved sampling all the good dishes that everyone brought. The only downside of this kind of celebration is that we don't have turkey leftovers to nibble on for the next week. This year I remedied that by putting a turkey breast in the slow cooker as we left for the family dinner. When we got home, we had turkey for sandwiches like everyone else! I have cooked turkey breasts in the crockpot before, but this recipe was a little different. I liked it this way.

TURKEY BREAST in the SLOW COOKER

4-6 lb. turkey breast

2 cups white wine (or apple juice or chicken broth)

1 onion, peeled & quartered

1/4 cup butter

1-2 celery stalks, halved

handful of parsley (optional)

salt & pepper, to taste

Wash the turkey breast and pat dry. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Place it breast-side down in 6-qt. crockpot. Add onion, celery, parsley, and butter into the cavity. Pour wine over the top of turkey breast. Cook on HIHG for 4-6 hours or LOW for 7-9 hours. (Internal temperature should read 170 degrees on a meat thermometer.)

When I was growing up, one of my favorite things was when my mother cooked a hen (or turkey) and made a hen mulligan with the last of the leftovers. I liked it better than the turkey dinner in the beginning. This is the kind of recipe that should be considered a "guideline" rather than one requiring exact measurement. These are the amounts my mother wrote down for me, but I'm sure she never measured anything. 

HEN (TURKEY) MULLIGAN

2-3 cups cooked hen or turkey, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped fine

3 medium potatoes, peeled & diced

3-4 cups water or broth (if using canned broth, use a mix of broth & water)

3 tablespoons butter

1 (15-oz) can cream-style corn (I used an 8-oz can this time)

Mix all ingredients, except corn, in a large pot. Cook until potatoes and onions are done. Stir in corn and heat thoroughly.   

We took time to give thanks for everyone being together for a few days and then getting back home safely. Now, to start Christmas preparations. We hope we have everyone back here in a few weeks. Maybe Santa will make a stop at the farm!