Slow Cooker Four Bean Baked Beans

When I was growing up, baked beans were a delicious part of all our cook outs and potlucks. Cans of pork and beans were mixed with ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and onions, then baked in the oven. Sometimes strips of bacon were laid on top, creating a smoky aroma and flavor that reminds me of many summers spent playing outdoors all day long and outdoor meals enjoyed with family and friends.

I haven’t made baked beans in a long time and this summer I was looking for an excuse to make some. Our neighbors hosted a potluck cookout over the weekend, and I jumped at the chance to try out a slow-cooker variation of my favorite baked beans recipe. This version is made with four kinds of beans, ground beef, and bacon and then slow-cooked for five or six hours. They smelled wonderful as they cooked, and they were a hit at the potluck. The flavor is a little sweet, a little smoky, and a little tangy, a nice combination. Read more

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup

It’s official—we’re moving. Over the Christmas holiday we learned that Michael has a new job in the DC metro area, and now we’re in the midst of selling a home and looking for another. I’m excited about returning to that area and I think it will be very good for our family, but right now it is a *lot of work* and I don’t see that changing much in the next few months. Frankly cooking is not very high on the priority list at the moment, not when the house has to be kept immaculate for potential buyers to come visit. Oh, and our three little boys need some attention every now and then (every two or three minutes).

I never really gave this much thought until now, but all of this prepping to show the house has made me realize that I often make a real mess in the kitchen. I mean, some days it looks like a kitchen bomb went off. Read more

Mom’s Pot Roast

Mom and Dad are visiting this week in anticipation of the baby’s arrival, and it’s wonderful to have them here. The boys enjoy playing with them and Mom is treating us to some of our favorite meals, like this pot roast. Of all the meals my mother and grandmothers ever made, this roast ranks as my all-time favorite from childhood. It’s good, old-fashioned, simple comfort food. The meat cooks slowly on the stove for several hours until it starts to fall apart and the aroma fills the house, drawing everyone into the kitchen. The meat melts in your mouth. Mom makes gravy from the drippings and broth, and we pour it over the meat and potatoes. And there are usually enough leftovers for another meal and sandwiches.

Grandma McClure added onions to her pot roasts, but Mom started experimenting with the Lipton Onion Soup instead of onions. Both ways are very good. The cider vinegar and ketchup are optional, but they do help to tenderize a cheaper cut of meat, so add either or both to a bottom round to help tenderize it. The chuck is more marbleized and naturally more tender and generally doesn’t require the acid. Read more

Chinese Beef and Broccoli with Tomato

I used to order this dish at China House Restaurant in Saipan, and the combination of flavors grabbed me. Admittedly this is an Americanized version of Chinese broccoli beef, but I like the extra layer of flavor the tomatoes add. Don’t add them too soon or cook them for too long; otherwise, they will turn to mush.

The key to making this dish successfully is to prep everything ahead of time. You’ll feel like you are on a cooking show with all the bowls of measured ingredients beside you, but it will help immensely because once you start stir-frying things move very quickly.

Preparation time depends on how long you want to marinate the beef, which can sit for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours. Freezing the beef for about 20 minutes prior to cutting will make it much easier to achieve very thin slices. Read more

Michael’s Spaghetti and Meatballs

We usually have some kind of pasta for Sunday dinner, and this is my husband’s favorite. He takes over the kitchen and makes the sauce and the meatballs. His philosophy is always to err on the side of more flavor, so he piles on the garlic and onions. He makes his meatballs using a pan saute method, and then drops them into the sauce while it cooks so that the character of the sauce is infused into the meatballs. The sauce is a chunky garden-style, with plenty of mushrooms, onions, peppers, and olives. We use fresh ingredients in season and canned or dried out of season. We often double the recipe and then freeze the sauce and meatballs in 32 ounce containers to pull out for quick meals.

Equipment

3-5 qt mixing bowl
#40 scoop
frying pan
sharp knife
6 qt stock pot Read more

Mom’s Stroganoff

This recipe is almost a family legend. Mom got the recipe from a friend of hers, and she has passed it on to many, many people who enjoyed the dish when visiting my parents. Since my father is a hunter, my family makes this with venison instead of beef.

Equipment

sharp knife
6 quart crock pot Read more

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