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Hi, sweet shoppers, it’s Rebecca… and I’m going to be talking about cooking.

I don’t mind cooking… in fact I find it relaxing some days. I love finding new recipes and rarely do I make the same thing twice… I also almost never follow a recipe.   I must add my “flair” to it by adding an ingredient that isn’t listed or change up the spices… my hubby likes his food with a bit of “fight.” 😉  This style of cooking is way different from what I remember of my childhood.  My mom cooked many of the same recipes that her mom and aunt would cook… those down-home comfort foods. Mom made meals with my grandfather in mind, who she would run over meals daily to him. My dad, drove milk truck and worked many long, long days… some times not coming home until 8:00 at night… and for a number of years, she was an emergency medical technician, so given she could be called out on an ambulance call at any moments time, she needed recipes that were quick and could be reheated many times. We ended up rotating through 10 of the same  recipes… all recipes that were passed down through the generations.

Fast forward to 2012… it will be 3 weeks today that my father was rushed to the emergency room with severe leg pain and light headedness. They found out that he had developed huge blood clots in both legs, triggered from his prostrate surgery this past November.  Five years ago when he had surgery, he also ran into an issue with clotting and they had to put a screen in. Thank goodness they left that screen in – otherwise he wouldn’t be with us today. So, you are probably wondering, what the heck does this have to do with cooking? haha… well, my father has been at our house recovering since he was released from ER. So, this means that I have had to actually cook 3 meals a day for the last 3 weeks!! I’ve been so spoiled living in the city that when I don’t feel like cooking, I just have my hubby bring something home after work. My dad isn’t use to that life style, nor is it healthy for any of us… he also doesn’t care for spicy foods and he likes the traditional style of cooking. So, I have had to dig into my childhood memories for recipes.  It has been trying for me to stick with the same foods over the last few weeks… and the same foods that I served just two months ago when Dad was staying with us after his initial surgery… I’m so hungry for Mexican food at my favorite restaurant… but on the bright side, we have save money because 1. we aren’t eating out as much and 2. I’m actually planning ahead what we are making. Menu plan has always been one of those goals I want to achieve, but I don’t like knowing what I’m having two days from now… I’m a bit spontaneous when it comes to my meals… 🙂  So, today I’m going to share a recipes that has become a favorite with the boys in the household… I have made it twice already this time Dad has been with us… *sigh* this cooking is just not good for my diet goals… 🙂

Beef Pot Roast (crockpot)

• 1 two pound boneless beef chuck pot roast
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3 medium potatoes (or sweet potatoes), cut into chunks
• 3 small onions, cut in wedges
• 8 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons of instant beef bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper

Trim fat from the roast and then in a large skillet brown meat on all sides in the hot oil.  Place potatoes, carrots, and onions in cooker. Place meat over vegetables. In a small bowl combine the 3/4 cup water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon granules, and oregano. Pour over meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

To make gravy, place 1 1/2 cup of cooking juices to a saucepan and combine a 1/2 cup of cold water and flour and stir into the juices. Cook and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Rice Pudding

• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups milk, divided
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm.

 

Enjoy!! And if anyone has a great old family recipes they wouldn’t mind sharing with me… I could use some different tonight for dinner. 😉

{{hugs}}

Rebecca aka mamabee