Crisis Food - Cooking From the Pantry

I am a great lover of preparedness.  I want to be ready for any emergency, from an ice storm that takes out the power for a day or three, or something more scary, like what we all thought we should prepare for following 9-11.  Not only that, but I really hate having to go to the store after work, or sending Big Steve.

So within the past 36 hours, we have had a real crisis here.  Big Steve was involved in a bad car crash yesterday and the past day has been a whirlwind of worry and phone calls, seeing to prescriptions and doctor appts, and prayer.  Mostly prayer.

So tonight when we got home from the doctor and had a pound and a half of good ground beef thawed from that cow we bought a few weeks back, what could we do?   It was alredy 6 pm and we were really bone weary. So it was pantry cooking all the way...and this is where a prepared pantry comes in.

Here's what we had -- we'll call it homemade hamburger helper.

Boil up some pasta -- your choice.  Gluten free, or regular, or whole grain, or spinach.  The shape or flavor doesnot matter.

In the meantime, fry up some ground beef and some chopped onions.  Tonight we used 1.5 lb. pasture fed ground beef and one really large onion, chopped.

Once that is nice and done, stir in some crushed red pepper flakes, some celery seed, some seasoned salt (Morton's is gluten free) some worsterschire sauce (i like it a lot, so we added a good heaping few tablespoons, at least) and a can of crushed tomatoes, or in our case, a quart of Haney frozen chopped tomatoes.  Stir it up good.

Meantime, the pasta should be done by now.  Strain it, pour it in with the meat mixture and stir it up good.  Put this whole mess into a big pan, stir in a fat bunch of cheese (cheddar or whatever you like) and pop it into a 325 oven for 25 minutes.

Now granted, it's not fast food, but it's not unreasonable food either.  And it's frugal, and tasty, and very satisfying at the end of a very stupid and scary day.

Not sure where this whole crisis theme will bring us...stay tuned...we've only just begun...  I don't want to do stressful crisis cooking every day...so I''m off to check the freezer and pantry for something do-ahead for tomorrow.  Our schedule is already daunting...

My Heroes - There Are So Many of Them!

My humble work with Soldiers Angels has introduced me to so many heroes...men and women who are giving and sacrificing their all for my freedom to be a brat (like tonight, leftovers for dinner and the Waltons with my feet up).  I may have some struggles, but I am free to struggle, bitch and moan as the situation warrants, seek and receive assistance, you name it.  So I really believe I have nothing to complain about.

I was browsing through past blog posts, and I came upon this one, mostly because so many folks seem to keep coming back to it.  It's as true today as the day I posted, and I believe it speaks for itself.  If you're not a soldiers angel tonight, you need to fix that asap.  Seriously.  Read more here:

Happy Easter - The Haney Menu And a Few Recipes

Even without the significance of the day today, the day itself was a gift.  A gorgeous Spring day -- I think it was in the 60's even.  And I saw the first violets opened up in the yard.  My absolute favorite flowers.  They made me feel like living again!

It was hectic here today; we hosted a brunch for one gaggle of family members and dinner for another gaggle.  We were also blessed to have a dear friend of the family share our Easter celebration.

Brunch was: 

• Breakfast Casserole
• Fresh Kielbasa
• Haney Made Horseradish
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Babka
• Sweet Butter

Later, dinner was:

• Simmered Ham
• Green Bean Casserole ( My daughter Stephanie NEEDS this dish!)
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Haney Made Horseradish
• Asparagus roasted w/garlic
• Babka
• Raspberry Topped Cheesecake

Here is a montage of yesterday's preparations for today.  It's going to take me a little while to put that babka tutorial together -- perhaps a week or two.  But it will be worth it.  It's a treasured family recipe - I remember helping my mother to follow my little Polish grandmother around, measuring out her handfuls of this and pinches of that, for that is how she baked.  And her babka was the best - I can't completely replicate it.  But I'm told it's very, very close.  So I'm content with that.

You will note that Calvin is in the first shot.  This is because, although he is new to us, he has already made a decision to be a Polish cat for Easter and truly enjoy kielbasa.  If you know us, you know that this little guy has turned out to be a real chow hound.  I wasn't sure how he would feel about the kielbasa...but did I even need to wonder?????

Please also note the egg tree -- my dear father (long since deceased) selected that branch years and years ago just for this purpose. I have tried to take good care of it from year to year. Some of those eggs are store-bought -- some are eggs that my own mother decorated way back when I was a little girl. So that was way back in the dark ages!  Next Easter we'll make a project of crafting some new homemade eggs for this tree.  Store bought is nice, but I would love to replace the hand-made ones that have broken over the years.

We pray that all of our friends had as blessed a weekend as we have had here.  Now here it is not even 7:00 pm, company is gone, the house is all tidy, and already we're trying to get ready for work tomorrow.  Whew!!!!

I Finished A Project

I am always so glad when I finish a project.  I LOVE thinking about projects, and I LOVE starting projects, but what is most satisfying is finishing a project.  Unfortunately, I do more starting and WAY more thinking than I do finishing said projects.  Perhaps that's why there is so much satisfaction when I do finish.

At any rate, a co-worker and his wife recently celebrated the joyous arrival of the dear baby girl, Miss Molly Grace.  It was a first baby for them (the sweetest of experiences) and they made a choice of not finding out the sex of their new little bundle of joy until he or she arrived.  I totally applaud that decision!!!

So I had to decide -- what type of gift, and in what manner.  Finally, it was decided that a blankie was in order, and yellow was so cheerful, that had to be the main color.

Now to the technical stuff for my crochet friends.  This blankie is nothing more than a single crochet ripple over 7 stitches, done in the back loops only.  So it's skip one, crochet one, crochet three, crochet one, skip two, repeat.  That's really all there is to it!  Back loops only, mind you.  Any problems, let me know, and I'll try to help you.

The results are here -- I decided to photograph it at my desk.  After all, it WAS for a co-worker!

The main thing about a project is to be mindful of the receiver while it is being created.  We hear a lot about prayer shawls and such these days.  This little blankie is full of prayers for little Molly Grace and her Mom & Dad as well.  We here at The Haney Place wish them a full and happy life!!!

Spring, or Lack Thereof!

I drove this morning to see my daughter give a reading at MCLA in North Adams, Massachusetts.  Of course, given the fact that she is my own flesh and blood, I was in awe of the beauty, the cuteness, the wonder of her.  The fact that she looks like me has NOTHING to do with it!  All kidding aside, she is a very gifted writer, which is a good thing, since that is her major and desired field.

At any rate, I checked this blog for a post proclaiming Spring last year.  I know this winter has seemed endless to those of us in Upstate NY...sometimes our perspective is narrow.  I didn't think that was the case this year.  We really are enjoying (NOT enjoying) an extended winter this year.  Nothing has opened here...everything is still asleep.  Dormant, I believe, is the word for the stuff trying to exist outside.  Also the stuff (ourselves included) trying to exist inside.  But it wasn't this way last year at this time.  By witness:  http://thehaneyplace.blogspot.com/2010/04/its-really-spring.html

At any rate, let's stay like my daughter.  Let's keep the creation coming...the beauty of the human spirit does not depend on the season.  Not if it's REALLY within us...

Knitting the Queen Mother...

I enjoy knitting.  I prefer crochet, but knitting is ok too.  Like many fiber enthusiasts, I can get carried away in the acquisition of said fibers.  Big Steve could share some secrets about yarn stowed here and there through the Haney Place, but he'd rather speak of other things, most times.  Some people collect patterns as well as yarn.  Some patterns are just a bit on the kooky side. 

Which brings us to the big event, next Friday, April 29.  The royal wedding.  Many Americans don't want to hear anything about it.  Many Americans can't get enough of the news.  I'm sort of in the middle - I don't approve of lavish weddings in general, but it would be fun to see all the pretty dresses and flowers and such when money is no object.

So combine a love of needlework with a fun topic, and what do you get?  Along comes a book titled Knit Your Own Royal Wedding!!!  No kidding - here it is:

Seriously???!!!???  Just a little over the top, even for me!  But if time and money were no object, who knows???  At the very least, I think the author/designer should get an "A" for creativity!

End of the Winter Peach Cobbler (and dinner of course)

Well, there aren't any more Haney peaches here from last year, as you can well imagine.  So for a last minute "company" dessert, what could we do?  Canned peaches to the rescue!  This was a truly simple recipe, and that warm peach cobbler seemed to be a blessing to all here tonight.

So here we go:

2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter

Whip it all up good, and then add:

2 cups milk alternately with
2 cups self rising flour

Mix it all up, throw it all into a well greased 9 x 13 pan and then then dump a 29 oz. can of canned peaches on top and bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or so...

Here you go in photos both before:

And after (note how those pretty peaches sank to the bottom and moistened everything real nice..)

Tonight's dinner was grilled marinated flank steak, store bought dinner rolls with butter, and a lovely rice/spinach/egg/cheese thing I threw together without thinking about it.  If you want to make it, let me know, and I'll figure it out.  We marinated the flank steak (from that pastured cow we got a few weeks back) and it looked something like this (I'm still rubbing my tummy...)

And the rice/spinach/egg/cheese thing looked something like this...

And when they were digging in, it looked something like this...

No leftovers tonight, so I consider it a success.  When Steve and I remove ourselves from this place, I declare I will need farmhands to feed, at the very least....

At any rate, here at the Haney Place we pray tonight that God would bless you as richly as He has blessed us.

Asian Inspired Drumsticks and Fried Rice

Wow...a seriously substantial meal.  It was a cooperative effort.  I did the meat, Big Steve did the rice on the side.

So....Good CHEAP eats Haney style...as usual, it's more method than recipe, so here we go!  Take a mess of drumsticks.  If you're frugal, they're way cheap at the market.  If you're whole foods, you don't need drumsticks, just a mess of chicken parts (one cut up chicken will more than do).  Leave the skin on.  Just my opionion.  Then mix up some chili sauce and soy sauce, equal parts.  Add a mess of minced garlic.  Stir it up.  Put your drumsticks (or other parts) into a pan big enough to hold them in a single layer.  Then spread the soy/chili sauce/garlic on top.  Now sprinkle on some sesame seeds - however much makes you happy.  Now, put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour-ish.

Next, throw the whole mess into the oven (uncovered) for about 35-40 mins at 350.

Meantime....chop up some onion and celery and garlic and toss it about in a wok with some extra virgin coconut oil (oh, mamma -- but you could use any oil you have) and toss and toss and toss (with soy sauce and a bit of horseradish) until it's as splendid as you can make it. 

This is GOOD, friends.  I'm just about to go up for seconds.  No kidding, my plate is in my lap and my dogs are wondering why they haven't had a bite yet!