Summer Cooking

I love cooking on the grill in summertime! Here are a few favorites and ideas:

Hot dogs. A good dog is always better when grilled! We prefer Nathan's (skinless and Kosher) and Hillshire Farms Cheddarwurst or a good Bratwurst.

Burgers. Grilling is the best way to add flavor to a burger, but for an added kick, try mixing in some other flavors. Chopped spinach, crumbled feta, fresh ground salt and pepper, green onion and dill weed makes a super tasty combination.

Chicken. Marinate breasts, tenders, or skewered chunks for some tender, tasty chicken or just brush some good barbecue sauce on when they're nearly done. Grilled chicken served up with a fresh salad is one of the best quick summer dinners.

Steak. Sirloin, New York, Rib Eye or a filet, the trick is cooking it to perfection!

Salmon. Just brush with a little butter, squeeze on some lemon juice, top with salt and pepper and it grills up in no time. The kids love it too.

Vegetables. For anyone who claims to not love squash, peppers, onions or mushrooms just try them grilled and you might change your mind. Cut the vegetables into good-size chunks, brush with a little olive oil and top with salt and pepper and grill until tender.

Weekly Menu December 14-20

Sunday: Petite Sirloin Steaks with broccoli
Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Roast Beef Sandwiches
Wednesday: Crock Pot Soup
Thursday: Chicken Burritos
Friday: Creamy Chicken with rice and asparagus
Saturday: Broccoli Cheese Soup

The Recipe Binder

Ever since I started cooking for a family, I've been gathering recipes. After a few years of sticking every random thing I'd collected in a binder, I decided it was time to organize it all in a more logical way so I could find what I needed without sifting through everything every time.

The first four sections of the binder are based on seasons. I love having recipes organized this way. Our eating and cooking habits really do vary by the season, so this has been a great tool to

remember what's worked well and when. The plan is to have at least 15 seasonal recipes for each one (main dishes).

After the seasonal sections there are sections for Salads, Desserts, Sauces and Dressings. You can always add a section for whatever you need. And make sure to use page protectors (if it weren't for those, most of the pages would be unreadable by now).

Some of the recipes, as you can see, are handwritten or printed off the Internet:


Others were torn from magazines or ones I've typed up:

Oh...and, one thing you must keep handy for those times you just don't want to cook. Inside the pocket of the front cover:

TAKE-OUT MENUS!

Weekly Menu November 2-8

Sunday: Chicken Casserole
Monday: Saucy Chicken* with sauteed mushrooms and asparagus
Tuesday: Beef Stew
Wednesday: Taco Soup
Thursday: Slow Cooked Ribs
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Hamburgers

*This time, on the saucy chicken, I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder before topping wtih the sauce and baking. I also topped the sauce off with some parmesan cheese. It was more flavorful than usual.

The Costco List

I've finally established a sort of standard Costco list and stick to buying the stuff we use and need regularly.

- Tomatoes (I love the small tomatoes on the vine, they're priced well, nicely packaged, a good size and easy to use)
-Hearts of Romaine lettuce
- Milk
- Eggs
- Frozen chicken
- Cheese - a big block of cheddar and/or deli slices of provolone or havarti for sandwiches
- Pre-cooked bacon
- Lunch meat
- Real Butter
- Gregg's Ranch Dressing
- Cereal
- Bread (I always buy 4 loaves and keep them in the freezer)
- Fruit by the Foot, or other fruit snacks
- Granola bars, trail mix, dried fruit or some other snack for lunches
- Chips in the big box, which are great for packing lunches

The non-food items I get there (but much less frequently) are:

- Tide
- Bounce
- Glass cleaner (the kind that comes in a spray can, it works better than Windex)
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Dish detergent

Weekly Menu October 19-25

Sunday: Beef Stroganoff (not really, but that's what I called it)
Monday: Baked potatoes with chili and cheese
Tuesday: Meatballs with rice
Wednesday: Shepherd's Pie
Thursday: Baked pork chops with acorn squash
Friday: Honey-Ginger chicken and fries
Saturday: Sandwiches

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. ground beef
1 can condensed Tomato Soup
1 can green beans, drained
Mashed potatoes (best if you use real mashed, but instant ones work too)
Cheese, optional
Paprika, optional

Brown ground beef and season with a little salt and a lot of pepper. Add tomato soup and beans and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour into a casserole dish and top with mounds of mashed potatoes. Top with grated cheese, if desired, or paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This is good for a cool evening and is also easy to prepare ahead of time and chill until ready to bake. (If you do that, add about 10-15 minutes to the baking time, and cover it so the potatoes don't dry out.) Tastes great with a nice crisp green salad on the side. Or, if you don't mind the carbs, it's also good with rolls or bread.