Simple Venison Stew

This weather can go at any time.

I'm currently sitting in my house because running errands this morning left me exhausted.  Cleaning my car off took over twenty minutes, and going to the gym afterward?  That was just ironic, especially considering that my "cool down" was cleaning my car off AGAIN for ten minutes.

Let's not forget about the shoveling of the icy driveway that is a ligament tear of some kind waiting to happen.  Every step is a challenge to keep upright and you can almost hear Mother Nature sneering at you as you twist your torso dangerously to toss the snow from your shovel.  She knows that one unlucky turn could land you in the ER, but she doesn't care.  She laughs and drops another foot of snow, hail, sleet and freezing rain on your dreams.

This is life in northern New York.

After this winter storm Jonas came through, I had a sick thought come into my mind.  I actually smirked at the fact that so many people were finally going to feel my pain.  Not that I would ever wish ill on another human being, but wishing them to feel the blustery chill and record levels of snow and the un-diagnosed Seasonal Affective Disorder that we all feel her in the north country?  Yes, I kind of enjoyed that part.

I'm a sick individual, apparently.

I know that I very often tout winter as being one of my favorite seasons, and truthfully, it is.  I love not being sunburned or the days when it's too hot and muggy to go outside.  I love ice fishing and playing outside with my dog in the snow and all sorts of things like that.  I even have a post planned in the next couple weeks that shows my love of winter.  The problem is days when you have nothing planned.  No outdoor excursions.  Nothing, because it's too miserable out.  Too cold, too windy, too sleet-y.  A 20 degree day with light powdery snow and a little bit of sunshine can be magical.  A -10 day with north winds and a combination freezing rain and hard, dense snow that hurts your skin when it hits... is not.

On days like these, I stay inside and mutter under my breath how much I'm ready for spring already.  I usually get some cleaning done.  And, I usually get down to some cooking, so I guess my day isn't all bad.

Today, I'm making stew.  It's ugly and plain and not all that exciting, but it's my go-to on days like this.

If you have a woodstove, you can do what I do and that's just throw all of the ingredients in a pot and cook it on top of the stove until it's fully cooked.  That's how we did it growing up.  Otherwise, this is a pretty simple slow cooker recipe to throw together as well.  I'm sure a chef out there will tell you that everything needs different cooking times and blah blah blah.  This is my family's stew recipe and everything is meant to be mushy and fall apart-y in this recipe.

That's what makes it so good!  If you don't have or like venison, you can absolutely use beef.  We tend to have a lot of roasts lying around because we'd rather eat all the other parts of the deer first.  The roasts fall apart and absorb all of the stock and flavorings.  Add that to the onions, carrots and potatoes?

This is just heaven.









Simple Venison Stew

2 lb. venison roast
1 white onion, diced
3 russet potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 quarts beef stock
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Bread for dipping


Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.

If you have a wood-stove, place ingredients in an oven-safe pot and place on top of stove for 6-8 hours.  Because you cannot regulate the temperature on a wood-stove well, you should check the stew every hour to see if it's done.

Whiskey Chicken over Mashed Potatoes

Someone likes Jack Daniels.

Not me.  I'm more of a bourbon fan.  Jim Beam and I are old pals.

But my guy really has a thing for the famous Tennessee whiskey.  For Christmas, I bought him a bottle of Jack and a bottle of their cider variety, Winter Jack.  Two of his closest friends also bought him bottles.  So, now, we have four bottles.  Or, should I say, HAD four bottles.  We are down to about two bottles, seeing as he drank two half bottles of the original and the whole bottle of Winter Jack since Christmas.

Someone REALLY likes Jack Daniels.

Since I'm not a big JD fan, I decided to put these bottles to use in recipes because that's where my mind goes naturally -- "How can I cook with it?"

My first idea was homemade barbecue sauce, simply because I already knew that Jack Daniels had their own barbecue sauce franchise.  That seemed like a lot of work on a lazy day.  TGI Fridays has some signature sauces and glazes incorporating whiskey, but that, too, seemed like a lot to handle on a day when I don't have a lot of energy to do much.

Then, I found this recipe at Spicy Southern Kitchen, and I mustered up the energy for that.  At first, I really only picked it because it was a whole meal, rather than making a sauce and still having to come up with a meal plan to accompany it.  The more I read it though, the more I wanted to try it.  It definitely sounded different, but it also had a creamy base that sounded really comforting and satisfying.  I imagined that the whiskey would provide just a hint of smokey heat that would warm my bones on a cold day like today.

Once I finally made it and tested it, the taste was just what I thought it would be and nothing what I expected, all at the same time.  The creamy texture was heavenly.  I'm such a fan of creamy sauces, to the point that I'm pretty sure alfredo sauce is my chicken noodle soup substitute.  It feels good to my heart and soul.

I put the sauce and chicken over mashed potatoes.  I don't know why.  I was hankering for mashed potatoes, too, I suppose.  I feel like any time you smother a hunk of chicken in sauce, it requires some type of carb.  You need a vessel for scooping up all the sauce and juices that accumulate on your plate.  A plate of plain, lightly salted mashed potatoes is perfect.  It absorbs some of the creamy sauce and flavors them with a hint of whiskey flavor.

There's no burn.  I should have anticipated that when I lit the whiskey on fire.  I expected a faint warmth down my throat, but what I got instead was the flavor of the oak barrel-taste you know from whiskey.  It's different, but it's really good.  And, I can say that as someone who really doesn't like whiskey.

All in all, it's a really tasty dinner option when you've only got a little whiskey left over and it makes an unusual but delicious sauce that really turns your chicken and potatoes up a notch!

















Whiskey Chicken over Pasta
(adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen)

1 lb. potatoes, cooked and mashed (you can use your favorite recipe here)1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup whiskey (I used Jack Daniels)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning


Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant and
translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook an additional
minute.

Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.

Add whiskey and carefully ignite the alcohol.  Once the flames go out,
add the chicken stock and let simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Add cream and cook an additional 5-7 minutes, letting the mixture
simmer and thicken.

Mix the cornstarch and water together in a cup and more into the cream
mixture.  Stir to incorporate and let the mixture continue to thicken.

Add the parsley, basil, Italian seasoning.  Season to taste.

Place chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes and pour sauce over the top.

Chicken Fajita Pasta

Today is an awake kind of day.

Not so much, like, I woke up on the right side of the bed and everything has been cheery and wonderful and I feel like a new person.  More like, I've been awake for several hours having gotten up much earlier than usual, and now I'm going to work 12 hours overnight, so I'll be up for pretty much 24-25 hours straight.  By the way, I don't understand the phrase "right side of the bed."  Is there a wrong side?  Is there an improper way to exit a bed?  I personally have a tendency to crawl off the foot of the bed and leave my blankets and pillows crumpled up in some corner of the mattress, so I assume that I technically wake up on the wrong side most of the time.

Being a night owl and night-shifter, I am used to weird sleep intervals and consistently getting too little of it.  This isn't really anything new, but since I'm restricting both my normal caloric intake and my normal sugar intake, I find that this schedule with its lack of sleep is a little more daunting.  And, to be honest, it makes me a little cranky.

Luckily, I don't have anyone in this house to take my anger out on.  Knowing me, I could spew some venom at a loved one so poisonous that it could permanently wreck our relationship just because I'm a little overtired.  I've met me.

All I have to vent my frustration at today is a cat who, like all cats, doesn't care if I yell or scream; she's just going to keep napping and intermittently snapping her tail with disdain for me and all humankind.  And, then there's my dog, who is so big and fluffy and beautiful, but who apparently feels that it is necessary to bark at every sight and sound within a 5 mile radius.  Since he's spoiled to the point of almost being a human child, I've sent him to his room (yes, his own room, with a full-sized bed and comforter) several times today.  He's currently huffing at me from the top of the stairs, his way of reminding me that I should let him come back downstairs and relieve him from his time-out.  

So, instead of napping, I'm brewing another pot of coffee and deciding what to make for my overnight shift tonight.  I like taking spicy food to work because I feel like it kind of wakes me up when I get in a slump.  I love chicken fajitas, but since I haven't had time to do any proper grocery shopping, I've got no bread and no tortillas.  Luckily, I've got pasta so I can make this yummy dish.

I've made this for myself a couple times before, usually because I'm in a similar grocery status, but it's super tasty and filling.  It is a neat twist on fajitas and you don't have to bother laying things because you can just throw it all on a plate messy-style and enjoy.

I like this version just as much as traditional fajitas, but this requires a little less work and it's a little easier to transport if you're taking it to work!

Chicken Fajita Pasta

1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained according to package instructions

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 white onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1/2 cup mushrooms

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 lb. chicken breast, cubed

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp. Fajita seasoning

Mexican-blend shredded cheese and cilantro, for garnish


Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until clear and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

Add garlic, peppers and mushrooms, and cook until vegetables are soft.

Add chicken and cook until all pieces are thoroughly cooked with no pink in the center.

Pour in chicken broth and let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, thickening some.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and fajita seasoning.

Pour sauce mixture over pasta before serving.

Rahmspinat (German-Style Creamed Spinach)

I'm going in a different direction today.

I've been trying to eat healthier as part of my New Year's resolution, but I've also been chowing down on small servings of indulgent sweets and sweetened mixed drinks over the last couple days.  Some would call it moderation, but if I am being really honest, this second week of January has been hard on my goals.  I haven't done nearly as well as I'd hoped to in my quest to change my eating habits, but there have been some small battles won, so I'm not giving up.

I want to incorporate more vegetables into my diet, so I'm starting with spinach.  Since I'm on the fence about spinach -- I love it in some recipes and hate it in others -- I decided to try this not-super-healthy recipe for creamed spinach that might get me to fall in love with it a little bit more.  

This recipe is a german-style dish that, according to my internet searches, was originally called "rahmspinat".  It almost has a macaroni and cheese base with the cream, cheese and hint of nutmeg.  I had to throw some onion and garlic in it because, well, I have to have onion and garlic in everything to be happy.  

I don't really like, or really know, any good German cheeses.  I'm not really a cheese connoisseur, but I know what flavors I like and what I prefer with spinach and my preference is cheddar.  That's why I picked white cheddar to go with this creamed spinach dish.  The closest thing to German cheese that I really like is the dutch-based Gouda, but like spinach, my love-hate relationship with Gouda is dependent on what recipe I'm using it in.  People who make traditional rahmspinat probably use something else entirely, but it's my recipe and my cheddar!

I like this as a side dish for something like a grilled chicken dish, but I suspect you could even do something like a stuffed chicken breast or a chicken roll-up using this as a filling.  It would be an easy way to get your lean proteins and veggies into one meal.  The cream and cheese only make it slightly unhealthy but it adds a good dose of flavor that might help keep you on track with your good-eating plans!

Rahmspinat (German-Style Creamed Spinach)

 

2 10oz. boxes frozen spinach, thawed

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 small white onion, finely diced

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

1-2 diced hard-boiled egg for garnish

 

Use a paper towel to thoroughly dry the thawed spinach.

 

In a large skillet, cook onion in oil over medium heat until translucent and fragrant.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute.  Add the cream and bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer.  Let mixture thicken uncovered, about 10 minutes.

 

Add cheese and nutmeg.  Stir until cheese is completely melted.  Add spinach and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, and season to taste. 

 

Remove from heat and transfer to serving dish. 

 

Garnish with slices of hard boiled eggs.

Coffee Liqueur

Coffeeeeee.

One of my most prized possessions is my coffee-maker.  Not for sentimental reasons, but more because I'm pretty sure my survival, or at least, the survival of those around me, relies solely on my daily intake of caffeine.

So, after the success of making Irish Cream over the holidays, I wanted to try to make my own coffee liqueur.  I like a little coffee flavor in some of my drinks, and I've even used it in a few desserts.  So, I wanted my next DIY liqueur to be a coffee-flavored liqueur.

There's a little more work to this recipe than the Irish Cream, but it's still super easy.  It just requires a little stove-top work.

I had two equal-sized glass bottles that would hold this batch with a little extra room at the top.  I think you could easily multiply this batch to make more liqueur if you were planning to gift this.  It's a pretty easy homemade gift and a neat way to add a little homemade-ness to your own bar!












Kahlua
(adapted from Beanilla)

2 cups water
3/4 cup instant coffee crystals
4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups vodka
1 vanilla bean, halved


Combine water, coffee and sugar in a large pot over medium heat.  Stir
until sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and cool completely.

Add vodka.

Pour into two equal sized containers.

Add 1/2 a vanilla bean to each container and seal tightly.

Let sit for at least one month before serving.

Irish Cream

I loooooove homemade gifts.

Whether it's giving or receiving, I love when someone puts a great deal of effort into creating something for another person, even if it's super easy or inexpensive.

Throughout the year, I keep a running list on the Notes app of my iPhone designated specifically for gift ideas.  In my list, I keep the names of my closest friends and family paired with things they have said they want or things I think they would like.  I also keep a list of things I see throughout the year that inspire me or bring out the gifting spirit in me.  When birthdays and Christmas come along, this list makes shopping super easy.

A lot of my gift ideas are homemade ideas that I stumble across, either over the internet or things I see while shopping or out exploring the world.  One of the things I've been researching lately is ways to make flavored alcohols and liqueurs.  Since I know my friends are all different in terms of their favorite mixed drinks, it's an easy way to personalize your gift for someone you know will like the flavors.

I have a lot of Irish friends and family, and a lot of us like a little bit of Irish cream in our coffees on our mornings off.  We also use it to make traditional Irish Car Bomb drinks on St. Patrick's Day.  So, I felt like learning how to make my own Irish cream would be a neat way to honor our traditions.

I gifted some of this Irish cream to some of my closest people over Christmas, and they seemed to genuinely love it.  A couple times, we brewed up some coffee just to try it!  It reinforces my belief that people love and appreciate homemade gifts as much as I do.

It's super easy to make, and a large batch can be divided into several containers.  The hardest part is searching through thrift stores for neat glass bottles to use for a pretty presentation.

I can't wait to make another batch of this for St. Patty's day!












Irish Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Irish whiskey
1/2 tsp espresso powder
2 tbsp Hershey's chocolate syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Serve with coffee or with any recipe calling for Irish cream.

Refrigerate.

French Hot Chocolate

It's just after New Years.

And, I know what you're thinking.  2016 is the year of the "NEW ME."  In fact, the new YOU is probably still nursing that hand cramp from furiously scribbling out new resolutions for your radical life makeover.  Now that we're a couple days into January, you've probably already had to scrap a couple of those goals, or transfer them to your "NEW ME 2017" list.

If it sounds like I'm being cynical, believe me, I'm not.  I'm a huge supporter of goal-setting.  I have already shared with you some of my biggest resolutions for this year.  And, for the most part, I'm doing good.  I mean, I've already cheated on my diet.  I've done hardly any of the workouts I wanted to, blaming it on the sudden change in weather from "where is the snow?" to "where is the sun?"  I haven't drank nearly as much water as I promised myself I would, and drank way more coffee than I said I would.  I'm human.  You're human.  It happens.

I've pinpointed some areas in my life that are contributing to my poor performance thus far.  Primarily, my problem is my job.  A night-shift career wreaks havoc on your body, constantly messing up your eating schedule, sleeping schedule, and ultimately, I believe, your metabolism.  There's also the emotional stress of caring for others.  Some days, it's a good, "healthy" stress and other times, it's a very, very unhealthy level of stress.  It's the kind of stress that makes you crave something like this Paris-style hot chocolate because nothing sounds better than waking up from a deep day nap to enjoy a big hot cup of extra-rich goodness.

I'm sorry, kind of.

I don't mean to tempt you away from your health goals.  It's just... look at this hot chocolate.  It's so rich and chocolate-y, it's like drinking a melted bar of the world's tastiest chocolate candy bar. It's thicker and more concentrated than normal hot cocoa, so it's not something that I'd chug to keep warm at a football game in the fall or something like that.  It's a cup that needs to be savored, and sipped slowly while wrapping yourself in a blanket by the fire and read a book you've been dying to pick up, or maybe tucking yourself in to watch one of your favorite movies on a stormy winter night.

I definitely couldn't drink this every night, especially if I want to stay on track with my resolutions, but I think that this is a great way to soothe yourself after a long, hard day and treat yourself for being the big, tough warrior at life that you are!














French Hot Chocolate
(adapted from www.wellplated.com)

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp espresso powder
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Whipped cream, for garnish


Whisk whole milk, heavy cream and espresso powder together over medium
heat until it begins to lightly bubble.  Do not let the mixture come
to a full boil.

Remove from heat.

Stir in chocolate, until mixture is homogenous.

Serve with whipped cream.

Slow Cooker Hoppin' John

My New Year's Resolution should have been aimed at punctuality.

Obviously, I'm a little late to the party, both in my complete failure to know this recipe even existed, and also in getting a New Year's Day tradition up for viewing a solid eight days after you needed it.

2017 maybe?

I'm a mess, I know.

See, what happened is --- I really wanted to try to perfect rice cooking in a slow cooker.  Mostly, because I have a tendency not so much to burn rice, but more to cook a solid layer of sticky, impenetrable rice into the bottom of my stove pot.  And before you start hurling your tips and tricks my way, please know that I've tried everything the internet has offered to me with no luck.  I'm simply not good at cooking rice.

For the longest time, I used a microwaveable rice cooker with a 100% success rate.  The rice cooker went MIA during the move into my new house a couple years ago, and I decided I didn't need a replacement because I was going to cook it on the stove.  Like an adult.

FAIL.

Every time.

Add it to the list of things that seem easy to do that I just can't.  Examples --- I lose my phone and/or car keys every single day for at least ten minutes.  Just yesterday, I fell on ice walking my dog and left the iPhone that slid out of my pocket out in the cold for a solid 45 minutes.  That phone is my lifesaver considering it has six alarms set on it.  The first four are purely for getting me out of bed since it turns out, I am highly skilled at the art of the snooze button and I require approximately 24 loud dings in my ear before I'm willing to get out of bed.  My short term memory is almost non-existent, so I probably won't do what you asked me to five minutes ago.  My world and all my responsibilities stop the minute I think my dog is in ANY form of mild to moderate distress.  I can't master the art of the perfect curl, no matter what curling iron I buy.  I can't use a traditional vegetable peeler so most of my veggies go in the pot with the skin on.  And I still need someone to come light my grill for me because I always burn my knuckles somehow, no matter how focused I am.

There are hundreds of things I have yet to master in this life, obviously.  And cooking rice is one of them.

I'm attempting to give myself a small victory here by saying that while stove-top rice is still eluding me, I can serve up a pretty mean dish of slow cooker rice.  I made Hoppin' John simply because it turned out I had most of the ingredients for it in my house - minus the black eyed peas that I never keep stocked in my pantry for some reason.  Once I had those, I tossed everything into the slow cooker and anxiously awaited for my rice to turn out.

I was pleasantly surprised that it did not stick to the bottom of the slow cooker or burn onto it as I expected.  I read a lot of material on putting down a significant grease factor to the walls and bottom of the dish before adding the rice.  I also read that minimal stirring was suggested, so I waited until the very end to mix it all together.

I've never had this dish before, so I didn't know what to expect.  It called for onion and pepper so I decided to make mine with the Cajun/Creole trinity of pepper, celery and onion.  And, I added a little cayenne for some heat.

It actually came out pretty well.  I'm impressed with my first slow cooker rice experience and I'd definitely serve this with a cajun-style main dish, maybe some seafood?

I do love me some good Southern-style catfish!














Slow Cooker Hoppin' John

2 cups cooked rice

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 small white onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced

2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 cups black eyed peas, soaked and drained

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

Spray the sides and bottom of the slow cooker with a nonstick spray. 

Pour rice into bottom of a well-greased slow cooker.

Add all the rest of the ingredients over the rice. 

Cook on high for four hours, stirring minimally.

Give everything a complete stir prior to serving.

Unstuffed Cabbage

Most of my resolutions this new year are pretty standard.  I wanted to eat better, look better and save money.  The usuals, as far as I'm concerned.  Within the "eat better" category, I set myself a number of smaller goals that I thought would help me start my diet journey.  I wanted to drink more water, eat more green (vegetables) and eat less white (flour, sugar).  I'm too old to give in to the notion that I can successfully cut out an entire food group.

I've met me.  Not happening.

So, with that "Been there, done that" mindset, I've gone for slow and steady, opting to eat everything in moderation, but stick to a daily calorie goal.  

I do have some low-carb/slow-carb/no-carb recipes I've kept around because they were genuinely tasty meals that didn't make me feel like I was depriving myself.  One of my favorites is this hearty meal I call Unstuffed Cabbage.

My family was not big on stuffed cabbage growing up.  The first time I tried it was in college, when my suite-mates made pigs in a blanket and I finally had to admit that I despised all things pork after two reluctant bites in.  I found a recipe for stuffed cabbage with ground beef, or galumpkis, and that's what I've used ever since.

While stuffed cabbage is super easy to make, you can actually toss out the only step that requires any  modicum of effort simply by NOT stuffing the cabbage.  In fact, just tossing all of the ingredients into a slow cooker makes this one of the easiest versions you can find.  And, it still tastes just as good, even if the presentation loses a few points.

Truth be told, if I'm being 100% honest, I really like this with a piece of toasted baguette on the side.  So... maybe I don't eat this as no-carb as I'd like to.  But there's a healthy dose of tomato power, plus cabbage power for your required daily vegetable servings.  Ground beef is not the leanest of meats, but it's protein and it's delicious.  And, it tastes hearty, like you could bring a pot of it with you to enjoy during outdoor winter activities because it's warm and it keeps you feeling full for a long time.  It reminds me a lot of goulash, which was a huge thing in the winters of my childhood.  Any time we went to hunting camp, ice fishing or down to our sugar shanty to collect sap for syrup, we usually had a pot of goulash or chili.  Even while substituting cabbage for pasta, it still gives me a nostalgic feeling.

This is another super easy slow cooker recipe that I promise will keep you warm and on track this January!

Unstuffed Cabbage

2 lb. ground beef

1 white onion, finely diced

1 small green cabbage, diced

2 tbsp. minced garlic

1 28oz, can of diced tomatoes

1 cup tomato sauce

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

Salt & Pepper to taste

Throw all ingredients in a large slow cooker.  

Cook on high for 4 hours.

Serve with crackers or bread, if desired.

Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Trash Casserole

I know it's January.

Thanksgiving has come and gone.

While I try to reserve the whole-turkey roasting for the actual holiday, we have wild turkey meat stashed in our freezer that we often cook with Thanksgiving-like side dishes.  We are huge lovers of anything that contains potatoes, stuffing or any of the ingredients to make green bean casserole.

If you've ever been to Rochester, New York, you may be familiar with a culinary phenomenon known as the "Garbage Plate".  Essentially, this is a mash-up of a main dish and several side dishes into one singular mess on a serving plate.  Usually, it's made of summer-time barbecue foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, macaroni salad, baked beans and whatever else you can think of.

While this might sound absolutely wretched, I can promise you that it's way better than it sounds.  Every forkful contains a hint of your favorite meal, even if it's not the most handsome presentation.  Since I've got these wild turkey breasts sitting in the freezer and a craving for Thanksgiving without all the work, I'm going to make my own version of Nick Tahou's famous Garbage Plate by creating a slow cooker-style Trash Casserole.

I realize that some of you may get slightly bent out of shape at the propsect of using store-bought items in your casserole.  As much as I can, I like to make things all from scratch,  But, this casserole is meant to be indulgent, and easy.  So, to me, it makes sense to use store-bought goods.  We do use wild turkey meat in this, but you could use the breasts off a store-bought turkey if you like.  We also used some frozen green beans we kept from our garden last summer, but I've used canned beans before with the same results.  There are homemade versions of each layer of this recipe, so you can use your judgment as to what you want to use.

This is an easy way to enjoy Thanksgiving favorite without going overboard with the cooking and prepping.  In fact, throwing everything frozen and turning the slow cooker on is the hardest part of the whole process.  Four hours later, it's done and ready for eating!

Happy Thanksgiving in January!












Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Trash Casserole

2 frozen turkey breasts
2 cups frozen french fries
1 box store-bough stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
3 cups green beans

Gravy for serving, if desired
Cranberry sauce for serving, if desired


In a bowl, combine soup and sour cream.

In a large slow-cooker, layer ingredients from the bottom up as follows: turkey, french fries, stuffing mix, sour cream mixture and green beans.

Cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Spoon onto a plate and thoroughly mix ingredients together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce, if desired.

Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin.

Pumpkin Spice.

Pumpkin Everythingggg.

If you haven't noticed by now, I love pumpkin things.  Savory pumpkin things.  Sweet pumpkin things.  I love it all.  From buying the pumpkins (usually along with a gallon of cider and a couple bushels of apples at the local orchard), to the carving for Halloween, to the pumpkin seeds and finally to the puree for making cookies, pies and raviolis.  

I made my very first batch of homemade pumpkin puree back in November, but life got in the way before I could actually share the recipe with you.  Now, that I'm trying my best to be a diligent blogger in 2016, I'm sharing this recipe from a few months back.  Hopefully, it will give you something to consider attempting this coming fall!

The biggest piece of advice I can give you when making puree is drain! drain! drain!  Get as much as the juice or liquid or pumpkin perspiration or whatever you want to call it out of the roasted veggie pieces.  To get the consistency I wanted I actually had to do some draining twice with a cheesecloth - once after the roasting process and again after I used an emulsifier to make the puree.  Otherwise, your puree will be very thin.  I can only imagine that the change in consistency would cause problems with baking measurements and flavor down the road.

According to the vast resource known as the internet, some people have the opposite problem and require a little extra moisture to get the consistency they wanted.  This was not the case with the two batches I made, which is why I'm telling you to drain the excess.  However, I recommend using your own judgment in obtaining a consistency close to the canned version.  A few drops of water might make all the difference.  

This recipe will serve as the basis for some of my upcoming posts, where I utilize pumpkin puree in some sweet and savory dishes.  Even in January, my heart and taste buds forever live in a pumpkin spiced autumn!

Pumpkin Puree


1 pumpkin


Preheat oven 350F.

Cut pumpkin into two halves from stem to base.  Use a large melon baller or spoon to remove the  stringy flesh and seeds. (Save seeds for pepitas!)

 Place cut side down on a baking sheet, and place in oven to cook for about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Let cool.

Peel skin off the flesh and discard skin.  If the flesh seems too wet, use a cheesecloth and collander to filter out some of the excess water.  Place the flesh in a large bowl.   Use an emulsifier to create a puree.  You can also use a food processor using the puree setting.  If the mixture is still too thin, you may need to use the cheesecloth again.  If the puree is too dry, you can add water in tablespoon increments to achieve the desired consistency.

Freeze puree in until ready to use.  I froze the puree in 2 cup servings per container.