Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Stay warm and keep shoveling!


It's a Snow Day here in NE Kansas!  The college has closed for the day, so my husband's at home-- which makes the day festive, like a stolen weekend.  We've been shoveling the driveway in shifts; introducing our two-year-old to the construction of snowballs (which she begs to bring indoors with her!); and eating a piping hot lunch that in itself isn't much-- grilled cheese and Campbells soup-- but that really evokes those comforting childhood memories.



Since Glühwein also goes so well with that snowed-in feeling, I'll link to a recipe...  But honestly, I tend to cheat by stirring spoonfuls of orange marmalade and sugar into an individual mug of hot red wine, along with a sprinkle of cinnamon!  It's in my plan for the evening.  That, and lighting our gas-guzzling fireplace, which is a guilty pleasure in itself.

Warm wishes to everyone!  What does your family do on a Snow Day?

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

A Menu That Worked

Since I'm always interested in easy meal plans with lots of make-ahead components, I thought I'd share the menu from a recent afternoon get-together that I thought worked particularly well.  As you'll see, it's slow-cooker heavy, since-- lazy as I am-- I now own two of these workhorses!

In my small slow cooker Spinach and Artichoke Dip (8 oz cream cheese; 2 cups grated mozzarella; 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained of course; and 1 bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.  Combine in the slow cooker and heat on "low"-- stirring every now and then--until it's all nicely melted.)  I assembled this about an hour before our guests arrived, and set out crackers, a serving spoon, small plates, etc., so that they could help themselves directly from the slow cooker.

In my large slow cooker: Pot Roast  This was a 6-lb beef chuck roast that I cooked overnight (12 hours) on "low" along with a cup of red wine; a can of beef broth; a package of frozen mixed peppers and onions; and (key) the drippings from at least six strips of bacon, which I also crumbled into the pot.  In the morning I added extra seasonings to taste, including paprika, caraway seed, salt, and a couple tablespoons of sour cream.

In the ovenSlow-Roasted Tomatoes ...  Wow.  Last month I'd never even heard of this dish, and now I'm convinced that it's the perfect make-ahead side for wintertime!  Following this recipe from the most recent issue of Cooking Light, I baked plum tomato halves overnight in a 200-degree oven.  The next morning, I was able to chill them and later-- just before dinner-- reheat them, adding a sprinkle of mozzarella and fresh basil.  The taste was intensely rich, complimenting the pot roast so well; moreover, the (scant) leftovers reheated nicely on the next day, too, without any apparent change in texture or moisture.  I'm definitely making this again!

On the stovetopMashed Potatoes, which I'd boiled the previous night, ready for day-of mashing with butter and cream ... and Steamed Asparagus, just a quick three minutes in a steamer basket.

Bread and Butter, of course; and then:

Dessert #1 A guest asked "what to bring?" and I pounced on the offer!  She made a marvellous homemade Apfelkuchen-- and hopefully she'll also post the recipe on her blog, as I thought it absolutely perfect: light and mildly (not cloyingly) sweet.   I just couldn't stop cutting slices for myself!

Dessert #2 (and I might also label this "In the Refrigerator") I'd made a batch of Rote Grütze, a wonderful German berry dessert-- sort of a thick compote served with heavy cream-- which I love, love, love!  A German military wife hooked me on it last year, after which it became one of my go-to recipes.  And it's so simple!  While this version (also easy) calls for fresh fruit and cornstrach, I only stewed a large bag of frozen mixed berries and a small bag of frozen cherries together (with just enough water to cover) in a large pot; slightly thickened the mixture with a package of vanilla cook-and-serve pudding; and then added just a tablespoon of sugar.  I then chilled it overnight, and served it in bowls with a small pitcher of heavy cream... and wished that I didn't have to share!

As you'll note, I could do most of the work on the previous night, after children were in bed.  At that time I set up the pot roast, which began to cook shortly before midnight; prepped the tomatoes and put them in the oven to roast overnight; boiled the potatoes; and made the Rote Grütze.  On the morning of the get-together, all that I really had to do was throw the spinach-artichoke ingredients in a crock pot; season the pot roast; mash the potatoes; slide the tomatoes back into the oven; and steam the asparagus.  ...Yes, plenty of time left to stress over a wrinkled tablecloth and try to match the napkins (a losing battle)! 


I'd love to see examples of your successful menus!  If you have a post or an idea to share, please leave me a note in the comment box... And as always, thank you!  Although married for over eleven years, I still feel like a novice when it comes to entertaining.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

How to prepare for a baby without "preparing for a baby"

This post is for those moms-to-be who are waiting to adopt a newborn baby as their first child.

...And for readers unfamiliar with the (domestic infant) adoption procress, I'll explain:  These adoptive moms (dads, too!) have relinquished control.  Initially, they wait for a phone call-- and it could come at any time-- that will connect them with a birthmom-to-be and her baby, due six months from now; seven days from now; or perhaps already born.  Who can predict?  This birthmother will either choose them, or choose someone else, to parent her child.  Who (besides the birthmom, of course) can explain her reasons?  ...Afterward, the adoptive parents wait to hear that the birthmother has checked into the hospital.  Perhaps she'll invite them to be present at her baby's birth; and perhaps not.  Perhaps she'll want to spend some time in the hospital with her new baby.  Perhaps she'll let the adoptive parents visit. 

They wait, conscious that until the last moment-- and the "last moment" varies from state to state-- the birthmom can always change her mind and decide to parent, as is her right.  This happens.

It's risky, emotionally risky, to prepare when the outcome is so uncertain.  I've heard of adoptive moms-to-be having baby showers, decorating nurseries, buying strollers and clothing; but I myself was not one of these moms.  The thought of returning home, childless, to the sight of an empty crib was gut-wrenching. 

That said, it's tough to sit still amid so much anxiety, too, so-- for adoptive moms-to-be who would like to do something, anything, to get ready (anything that doesn't scream "baby"), here is a list of what I wish I'd done beforehand:

Ways to Prepare for a Baby without "Preparing for a Baby"

Declutter and organize-- big time.  If, like me, you don't have a handle on your own belongings, how can you possibly absorb the vast amounts of baby-related stuff that you'll accumulate after your child comes home?  I wish I'd mercilessly sorted through my closet, our basement, our kitchen cabinets, etc., so that at least these areas would be under control and ready to admit new items.  As it is, I'm constantly fighting overflow...  Don't be like me.

Prepare freezer meals. Many moms of my acquaintance stock their freezers during the last months of pregnancy, and the idea also makes sense when you're hoping to adopt.  After all, you never know when you'll need to coast in the kitchen for a couple of weeks!  ...And while you're at it, buy a slow cooker.  Pre-parenthood, I never thought of using one (why bother, when a Dutch oven performs so much better?), but nowadays I'm slow-cooker dependent.

Arrange small comforts for yourself, such as warm pajamas (essential when baby wakes in the depth of a winter's night), fleecy clothes for stay-at-home days, your favorite tea, a scented candle.  Download audiobooks and music; corral your favorite books in an accessible place (so as not to waste those precious naptime minutes).  Whatever happens next, you'll need-- and deserve-- some effortless pampering.

Collect laundry baskets.  This sounds (and is) so trivial, but-- honestly, where's an empty one when I need it?  Babies add laundry and subtract from the time available to fold and put it away, so that my original set of two laundry baskets quickly expanded to four and five.  And I wish I had more.  Why?  They're so useful for transporting items up and down stairs; organizing toys; and I don't know what else.
 

Can you think of other ways to "prepare without preparing"?  If so, please add them to the comment box!


Adoptive moms-to-be, I hope that this post finds you hopeful and smiling!  The wait can be difficult; and of course, because you want very much to be selfless, your mind will rush to qualify and deny the difficulty, but-- yes, this has been (as they say) a rollercoaster, hasn't it?  I wish you luck; I wish you peace; and I wish that I could give you a big hug, too.  Hang in there!