The all new 100% upgraded Park Cooking Thread

[fredi*frogi]

Since the soapbox is coming to an end soon, my friends on our cooking thread that sin started asked that I start a new one over here. So here I am!

Everyone feel free to join in and post your favorite recipes or questions or even stuff in daily life!

I'll start with a recipe I made up when I had round steak thawed out but I didn't want the hassle of making chicken fried steak.

I cut the round steak in 4 manageable pieces. Placed in a 9 X 13 baking pan and sprinkled a package of au jus gravy mix over top, then I put 4 table spoons of butter, one on each piece. I baked it in the oven, preheated to 350°, for about 45 mins. Turned out very well, but the Plumber (my husband) said I needed to cook it at a lower temp for a bit longer, so if I do this again, I'll go 325 and an hour or an hour and 15 mins. I served with mashed potatoes and gravy I made with the pan drippings and green beans. 

Mom came over last nite with pork steaks so the Plumber grilled them up and brushed them with Blues Hog BBQ Sauce. She made her (gross) creamed (she means snot) peas and potatoes. The Plumber loved them, I still they look like peas in snot! I made broccoli cheddar rice to have instead of the peas and snot!

I hope to see everyone here soon! 🙂

[fruitflogger]

Since I refuse to go into Holland during "Tulip Hell" aka "Tulip Time" ..........I've sort of been eating "out of the pantry" this week. Baked potatoes, canned soup, spaghetti etc. I have a prescription sitting at Walgreens in Holland waiting for pickup, not until Sunday when it's all over.

Today it is windy & cold (high in the mid 50s........I drove 3 miles over to the lakeshore, the temperature dropped 4 degrees). Every joint hurts right now, but I'm trying to get flowers planted in the front garden bed, finish taking out the brush in the one are of the backyard, etc.

The C.A.T. has his routine in order......go out, check out the farm, come back to the house for a snack/drink & go back out again.😼

(If he drank coffee.....it would almost be like a small Mr. Fabulous was here. Almost.)😔

[fredi*frogi]

((Fruit)) C.A.T. will be a good friend to you!

I don't blame you for staying away from Holland, I probably would, too, if I were you!

We're heating up, then cooling down, then heating up. At least we're staying mostly in the 70's during the day and the 50's at nite. We're getting rain right now, like we should have been getting in all of April. 

Not sure what I'm cooking tonite, but I'll figure something out, I'm sure!

[fruitflogger]

We have been in the mid 70s/muggy for the last two days. I think I can (finally) put the snow rake back in the garage. The C.A.T. is pouting......because I took the comforter & his "special blanket" (Vellux) to the laundromat & packed them away for the summer. Let's see how long it takes him to pulll apart the light cotton open-weave blanket.......string is string.

I'd like to know how people with kids (& tons of laundry) can afford to go to the laundromat......it cost me $7 to wash the comforter, $3 for the blanket & another  $2 for the dryers. Oh, my dryer is on the fritz, starts then shuts off after2-3 minutes, then will not start again for about 45 minutes (of course, I had a full load of laundry in it). I ended up hanging stuff on hangers/draped over the shower rod/over the backs of chairs......it looked like one of those N.Y. tenament photos from "The American Experience".

I haven't had much of an appetite the last few days......tonight's going to be a dinner salad & a rarity. I found a perfectly ripe honeydew at Meijer, so I'll gorge on melon for a couple of days.

I found a ham shank in the freezer that needed to be used up. I cooked it in the crockpot with a can of chicken broth & some "seasoning veggie odds/ends", took the meat off the bone, cleared the fat & I guess I will make a small batch of potato soup on Monday.

Time to check the "alien potatoes" in the pantry cupboard.

[fredi*frogi]

We're heading into the 80° days here. And, of course, the humidity is high, as per usual. It just sort of sprinkled on us this morning, but even without the sun shining, it's dense feeling out there! 

I don't know, either, Fruit. I hate going to the laundry mat, it's so expensive when I have a perfectly good washer and dryer at home, but our comforters don't fit in the washer, and I know I don't wash them often enough!

I did sour kraut, polish sausage and parsley potatoes last nite. The Plumber came up with a reciepe that I'm going to try tonite, if it's any good, I'll share it! 

[fruitflogger]

We had dense fog this morning, then temps in the 86-87 range. Miserably hot & muggy.

I went this morning & took some of the family planters to the cemetery......can't get them in the car all at the same time. I tore out/replanted two concrete planters for one relative that are only 6 x 6 inches. They were solid roots, so they got partial new soil, 2 white geraniums & some dwarf sweet william (they were already in there, have kept coming back for several years). There's one more planter to deliver & one concrete one that needs to be taken apart & replanted.  So far, my SIL has made no effort on the planters for Mr. Fabulous, their mom or the grandparents......I don't know if she's taking care of them or not.

It was too hot to do much else, so I worked on putting together some "silk" planters for my side of the family.....got one ready for my dad, my older brother who passed away last summer....& now two for younger brothers. Every time I go home, the trunk gets fuller. 

I didn't feel up to making the potato soup, I'll do that tomorrow....I ended up making chicken salad sandwiches with avacado for dinner. There's still some left that I might turn into pasta & veggie salad.

[fredi*frogi]

((fruit)) I am not surprised SIL hasn't done anything, I also wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't taking care of them. It's always hard and I'm thinking of you.

So the Plumber came up with the idea of making two boxes of mac and cheese and mixing that with a package of browned burger. It was actually pretty good!

My mom gave me some asparagus and the Plumber found a different recipe for it on Facebook. I think we'll have the leftover mac/cheese/burger and the asparagus tonite, unless the Plumber has other plans. 

After a long day yesterday, I caved and ordered tacos from the bar. They were pretty good, actually!

[fruitflogger]

Since no one has posted for over a week.....I'm guessing you're all living on crackers & beer. Mai Tais for the more "posh".

Our temps have maxed out in the low 60s (got down to 46 Wed. night)....so I'm making a batch of chili.

I got lucky at Meijer yesterday.....they had boneless chicken thighs (a cut called a "saddle"....so I'm guessing it's two thighs joined together by back meat), cyro packed two thighs per pack...for a total of 6.

$2.50......roughly 40 cents a thigh. Makes it easy to pull a pack out to thaw for dinner. And the way they are packaged makes that whole "thawed chicken juice" thing disappear.

I found a recipe for a refridgerator pie......has a Marscapone cheese filling, with a top of dark chocolate ganache. They used a graham cracker crust......but I found one at Meijer that is made from pecans (they also have a walnut one). Says you can also wrap/store in the freezer. May swirl a bit of the raspberry syrup through the filling.

But first.....I have to clean up the kitchen, so I can get it dirty.

[fredi*frogi]

No Mai Tais here, Fruit, but I did have my traditional after the city wide yard sale drink of an Ameretto Sour on Saturday, then lots of beer! LOL

I haven't really been making anything 'new' it's the same old same old. We had frozen pizza last nite because after the weekend and taking care of dad's legs I was beat. 

Pretty sure we're going to have hot dogs and mac and cheese for supper tonite. If I had fish sticks we'd have those, instead of the hot dogs, lol

I went to grab a package of the cojack cheese sticks (like the string cheese, only cojack) to make the string cheese stuff manicotti with this week, but they were out of them. Then I was talking to the Plumber and he said why don't you buy a block of it and cut it into the sticks. I'm telling you, sometimes that man is a genius! LMAO 

[shirleys809304]

Crackers, but no beer.  The heat is on now (outside) so I have a feeling one of these days after working in the yard, I'm going to have to have a cold one.

I made Chicken Adobo this weekend.  Tossed in a few sliced green olives with pimento and small diced red bell pepper.   A little additional course ground pepper and a nice simmer.  Had been awhile since had it and it was soooo good! 

Fruit, the pie sounds wickedly delicious.....

[fredi*frogi]

Nothing new to report here, other than I am exhausted, as per usual. My dad hasn't turned his AC on yet and it was 87° yesterday. As you can imagine I was sweating like crazy while washing/wrapping his legs. He asked me if I was sweating and I said yep, it's hot in here. He said feels pretty good to me. I was like, whatever, dad!

Just talked to the nurse, and dad's legs are drying up. I hope they keep drying up. 

We had hot dogs and mac and cheese for supper last nite. I was beat!

No idea about tonite, tho the Plumber mentioned goulash last nite. So that might be what I fix. 

[fruitflogger]

We are supposed to get into the high 80s today. Went out first thing this morning to water the cemetery plants real well.

Since it's going to be too hot to do stuff outdoors......pie is a "go" today.😋

[fruitflogger]

The pie is completed......& chilling in the fridge. Thing weighs about 4lbs. 

The scale will be screaming.🙄

[shirleys809304]

Can't wait to try that pie!! 😛☕🍽

[fredi*frogi]

I can't wait to hear about the pie, Fruit!

Mom gave me more asparagus yesterday so I did the Crispy Parmesan asparagus sticks in the oven. I cooked chicken and taters first then the asparagus. It's so very good! Have I posted the recipe here yet?

We'll be having leftover goulash tonite. The Plumber has been late almost every nite this week helping his buddy get (new to him) house ready to move into. It's been a lot of work, but it's looking very nice and I'm sure they can't wait to get it done and moved into!

[elheron-grande]

Hi Shirl... 'Tacking on' to your post:  Not exactly pie news but could be interesting.

Heron purchased a container of "Wholly Guacamole".  At the local Kroger supermercado subsidiary.  This is labeled "Avocado Verde".  This is also labeled as "Tomatillo Salsa" added.  The label also states 'mild'.

This is really a tasty treat.  Almost as good as Nopales.  For folks that like a small bit of capsaicin in their food, this could be a nice treat.

Heron really likes this chatboard. However, it always makes him hungry before it is time to eat...!