Pepperoni Rolls: It's a West Virginia Thing

Pepperoni rolls are the unofficial state food of West Virginia.  I say this like I've lived here long enough to really know.  But it is true.  I have three sources on this one.  Source #1- my neighbor told me.  Perhaps that makes me sound gullible.  But the guy grew up here and I believe anything he tells me about the region.  Ok, that does make me sound gullible.  Good thing I've got source #2- they sell them at the gas station.  And experience has taught me that some of the best food comes from gas stations.  The most satisfying breakfast burritos are from Allsup's and world renowned cinnamon rolls are found at Johnson's Corner.  And then there's #3- the internet told me so.  So there you have it.

The story is that pepperoni rolls started in Fairmont, West Virginia.  An Italian baker started selling these babies back in the 20's to miners, who loved the portable but filling snack.  Of course, the miners just ate them plain.  I like to serve them with a little tomato sauce, seasoned with fresh basil and garlic.   The rolls sometimes contain pickled peppers and sometimes cheese, largely based on the taste of the baker.  The recipe I include omits the peppers but includes mozzarella.


And just be prepared.  They are addictive.  If you find yourself promising your family that "these would make good occasional lunches/dinners/snacks", they may hold you to that.  On that note, make a double batch and freeze the second batch.  Homemade hot pockets.  If making a double batch, after teh first rise, divide the dough in half.  Place one half back in the bowl, cover again, and store in the fridge to delay its rising further until you are ready for it.

Note for the Gluten-Free: the most basic modern homemade pepperoni roll recipes use frozen Italian bread dough.  If you have a source for G.F. bread dough or a dough recipe and can find G.F. pepperoni, try it out and let me know the results.  I would love to post your findings.

                                                                    How to make Pepperoni Rolls:

Makes: 16
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours
Active Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients;
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 t. dry active yeast
1/2 t. salt
2 T. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/3 c. vegetable oil plus 1 T. for bowl
4 c. flour, approx.
1 8 oz. package pepperoni slices
2 c. shredded mozzarella
olive oil for brushing

1. In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar.  Let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast is foamy.  Add salt, minced garlic, egg and oil.  Stir in the 1 1/2 cups of flour, using a sturdy spoon.  Work in as much remaining flour, a little at a time as needed, until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring with ease.  Turn out onto floured surface.  Continue adding flour while you knead until dough is smooth and elastic.

2.  Add oil to bowl and turn to coat completely.  Place dough in bowl and cover with  a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, loosely covered.  Let dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour. 

3.  Re-flour surface and very lightly flour dough surface to make it easier to work with.  Cut in half and roll into two balls. 

4.  Working with one half at a time, continuously divide in half until you have eight pieces.  Repeat with second ball of dough. 

5. Divide your pepperoni into 16 sections.  This should come to around 6 slices per roll.  Stretch a piece of dough by pulling gently in your hands, rotating as you pull, until you have about a 4" circle.  Lay down on surface.  Layer pepperoni in a circle in the center, leaving space around the edges.  Add a good pinch of cheese.  Fold the sides up around the pepperonis and pinch all seams shut.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Brush rolls with olive oil.

6.  Let rolls rise 30 minutes.  During this time, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

7.  Let cool and enjoy.  Or let sit overnight for best results.   (It lets the pepperoni grease soak into the dough.)

Keeping It Fresh Friday: Loaded Baked Potato Salad and Quick Pickles

Sorry I don't have my own photographs for this week.  Its been a crazy week and while I've kept my family fed, I fell behind on actually photographing what we were about to eat.  I guess the hungry whiny kids won this round.  The photos come from http://www.marthastewart.com/, as do the recipes.

We do a lot of different takes on grilled cheese in my house.  I love grilled cheese but I also love variety.  Some delicious combinations we've come across include: fresh mozzarella with basil and tomato, peanut butter with cheddar and sliced apple, and ham and cheese with apple butter.  It makes for satisfying dinners when paired with soup or salad and they are always quick meals.

For this week's variation, I made sandwiches with quick pickles.  I love pickles and was interested in trying my own.  The great thing about making your own pickles is that you can control the salt, making a lower-sodium pickle into a much healthier snack for your family.  Any leftover pickles will save for about 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge, if you haven't eaten them all before then, that is.  You can, of course, substitute for store-bought pickles if you're really crunched for time.  (Get it?  Crunched?)

The potato salad is certainly inspired by baked potatoes loaded with blue cheese, bacon and chives.  Yum!
 
How to make Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Serves: 4-6
Time: 20 min. plus chilling time, if desired

Ingredients:
24 oz. Small red potatoes
3 T. coarse salt
1 1/2 oz. crumbled blue cheese, plus more 
       for garnish
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. red wine vinegar
1 t. dijon mustard
1 T. fresh chopped chives, plus more for 
       garnish
8 slices of bacon

1. Place scrubbed potatoes in saucepan with salt.  Add just enough water to cover and bring to a simmer.  Cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  Halve the potatoes.  (Quarter larger ones, just so that all are roughly the same size.)

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in 400 degree oven, set on a rack over a deep baking pan or dish, for about 15 minutes, or until crispy.  Drain well on paper towels and crumble.  Alternatively, you can pan fry the bacon.

3.  In small bowl, mix together blue cheese, buttermilk, red wine vinegar and mustard.

4.  Combine potatoes, dressing, most of the bacon, and chives.  Either chill salad or serve at room temperature.  Garnish with remaining blue cheese, chives and bacon before serving. 

How to make Cheddar Sandwiches with Quick Pickles and Honey-Mustard
Serves: 4
Time: 15 min. plus chilling time, if desired 

Ingredients:
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 medium English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 c. cider vinegar
4 T. honey, divided
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 t. mustard seeds
1/2 t. coarse salt
2 t. grainy mustard
8 slices of multigrain loaf
4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, thinly
       sliced
2 T. butter

1. Put onion and cucumber in non-reactive heat-proof bowl.  Bring vinegar, 2 T. honey, bay leaves, ginger, mustard seeds, salt and 1/2 c. water in saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Remove bay leaves and pour over cucumbers and onions.  Stir and press down on vegetables to submerge.  Cover and let cool completely.  Either use or remove to the fridge.  


2. Stir together remaining 2 T. honey and mustard.  Set aside.  Spread bread with softened butter on outside of slices for grilling.  Spread with honey-mustard.  Divide cheese among the sandwiches.  Top with some of the pickled vegetables.  Top with bread.  Grill on hot griddle over medium heat, turning once, until both sides are golden. 

Recipes and pictures adapted from www.marthastewart.com, 2011

Homemade Journals

I love love love new journals.  I'm not always so good at keeping up a journal but I really enjoy picking out a new blank book, imagining all the intelligent and insightful things I will write in it, and then eventually throwing it in a drawer to be forgotten.  So finding a more affordable way to fuel this habit is a good thing for me.  Or perhaps an enabling thing for me.  I'm still on the fence on this one.

Hence, fabric-covering composition books.  The blue one pictured is actually not for me, but was a Father's Day gift for my husband to work on the recipes that he's constantly revising.  No more pieces of paper stuffed in a binder, but a place to gather all those notes together.  Mark's a really good cook, the kind that can cook on the fly.  He's been working on a few signature dishes for a while now and every time he makes them, its never the same experiences, as he's always fine-tuning his recipes.  I hand stitched the cover fabric in a simplified version of Japanese sashiko, a technique I will talk more about soon.

But here's the basics on how to add some personal style to your own notebooks.

How to Fabric Cover a Notebook:
Supplies:
1 Composition book or non-spiral-bound notebook
1 piece of fabric of desired pattern for outside
1 piece of coordinating fabric for binding and inside
iron-on adhesive, such as Heat n' Bond
Scissors
Pencil
Tailor's chalk or washable fabric pen
Ruler


1. Cut outer fabric into two pieces.  The measurements should be the width by height of the notebook cover plus 1".  Ex. for a 7"x9" notebook, you want two 7"x10" pieces.

2.  Cut binding fabric.  The measurements should be 3" by the height of the notebook plus 1".  Ex. for 7"x9" notebook, you need 3"x10". 

3.  Cut inside cover fabric into two pieces.  The measurement should be the width and height of the notebook.  Ex. 7"x9".

4.  Cut adhesive to the size of all fabric pieces.

5.  Iron on adhesive to the back of all fabric pieces, webbing facing the fabric. Remove paper from fabric pieces.

6. Center cover piece on front cover with 1/2" overhanging top, bottom and the side that opens the book.  Leave space for the binding, using the already existing binding as a guide.  Iron onto cover, careful not to heat the overhang.  Open notebook.  Fold top and bottom of overhang onto inside cover.  Iron.  As if you were folding a package, angle edges of the side overhang, fold over the remaining, and iron to adhere.  Repeat with back cover.

7.  For binding, slightly fold over the long edges to create a faux-hem, about 1/4".  Iron carefully, making sure not to set the rest of the fabric.  Open the notebook and center on the binding with 1/2" overhanging top and bottom.  Iron.  Cut slits at the mid point of the overhang.  Open to the inside cover, fold the flaps over, and iron.  Repeat on back inside cover.

8.  Center inside cover pieces and iron to adhere.  If the inside fabric is a lot lighter than the outside fabric, you can first glue thin poster board, cut to the cover size, to the inside of the notebook so that the extra overhang won't show through.  Then attach the fabric over the poster board.

Keeping It Fresh Friday: Cajun Shrimp Boil

I love the idea of spending a few weeks in a beach house somewhere on the Atlantic coast.  So while I'm not yet on that beach, we can still enjoy a little summer beach house dining. 

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart.  Not surprising, as her summer recipes tend to favor New England coastal favorites.  I loved this recipe in particular because of the Cajun twist given what is more a Mid-Atlantic dish.  Just a tiny hint of heat.  If you're more of a traditional kind of girl or guy, you can substitute Old Bay for the creole seasoning.

This meal is super simple but would make a fun dish for summertime entertaining.  Especially in an enamel cast-iron pot, it looks showy and peel-and-eat shrimp has that fun, summer vibe to it.  And this recipe could easily be made in larger quantities.  I had tons of extra room in my stock pot.  

Cajun-style Shrimp Boil on Rice
Serves: 4
Time: 30 min.
       Prep Time: 15 min.
       Cook Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:
salt
1 1/2 c. long-grain white rice
2 T. unsalted butter
1 large celery stalk, diced small (about 3/4 c.)
1 small bunch green onions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 t. Creole seasoning
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 large lemon, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1 3/4 lbs. shell-on, deveined large shrimp

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 c. salted water to a boil.  Stir in rice and return to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until rice is tender, about 15 min.  Remove pot from heat and let stand, covered, 5 min.  Fluff with a fork.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add celery, green onion whites, and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 min.  Add creole seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 1 min.

3.  Add Worcestershire, lemon, and shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and coated with sauce, about 4 min.  Sprinkle green onion tops over shrimp.  Serve shrimp over rice.

I Don't Always Have to be a Martha (not Stewart)

"As they continued on their journey [Jesus] entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.  She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.  Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?  Tell her to help me.'  The Lord said to her in reply, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her"  (Luke 10:38-42).

Beginning a blog about my busy home life and I was reminded of a book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, which reflects on that passage.  Wow.  Am I becoming too much of a Martha and not enough of a Mary?

Let me illustrate.  About a month ago, we invited our neighbors over for a Saturday night dinner.  They've been great neighbors and we wanted to thank them for being so welcoming in our first few weeks in our new house.  Simple but extremely fresh meal, we promised.  I made focaccia bread, threw together a simple tomato sauce, and had a bottle of Italian wine breathing.  Then I took out the pasta maker.  Since our previous experiments with it had turned out well, I figured I could entertain guests with fresh homemade pasta.  I didn't use enough flour between rollings.  As a result, it tore and clumped and made a general mess.  Mark stepped in and tried to make sense of the chaos I had created.  I'm sure our neighbors heard me yelling at my wonderful husband minutes before they knocked on the door.  I should have realized that our neighbors are so Southern in their generous habits that I could have served them shoelaces covered in tomato sauce and they would have not only eaten it, but praised it.  I should have realized that Mark was trying to help me rather than hinder me.  I should have realized that in the end, the meal wasn't about the actual food as much as the fellowship.  But I failed to hear God whispering in my heart, "Carrie, Carrie, you are anxious and worried about many things."  I was certainly behaving like a Martha.

The more I've read this passage in recent years, the more I sympathize with Martha.  In her two simple sentences, so much is going on behind her words.  Especially if you're a woman, don't you hear what she isn't saying?  "Lord, the first loaf of bread came out a little lop-side, so that had to be started again.  And the linens had to be pressed three times before they were as crisp as you deserve.  The lamb wasn't roasted right, the wine was only common wine, and don't even get me started on the cheese.  That useless Mary doesn't even seem to notice that I have so much to do.  Don't you all know that I could use some help? Why should I have to ask for it?"  Martha is perhaps the precursor to Martha Stewart.  Perfection expected of everyone and everything.  Martha's problem is not so much what she is doing, but why she is doing it. By contrast, Mary recognizes the moment for what it really is.  Martha not only is missing her chance but is begrudging her sister for not following in her lead and do all that "is essential". 

Am I becoming more like Martha or like Mary?  Ten years ago, I would have found that question laughable.  Surely, my mother and my sister never thought I would be writing a blog about domesticity.  I was definitely the youngest sister, letting everyone else pick up my slack for me.  Unlike Mary, I wasn't nobly doing this to spend time with God.  No, no.  If you have a younger sibling you suspect that's not what they are doing.  If you are a younger sibling, you know.   Fast forward a few years.  I was in ministry.  Sitting quietly with the Lord wasn't just something I enjoyed, it was practically a job requirement.  My life was a nice balance between being in action and service and having time for reflection and prayer. 

So what happened?  Well, I had a family.  As the neediness of young children pushed aside my own wants, I've let it become my excuse for not always following my own needs.  Finding quiet time with God has been replaced by other chores I believe ought to be done.  I do believe that what I do for my family is important.  And what I do can be expressions of service and love.  But still I struggle to find the balance.  To choose the better part, in each situation. 

I need to continually question my attitudes: is what I do an act of love and grace or are my motives more selfish?  Are they instead ones of self-seeking praise, of guilt, or pride?  Do I begrudge others, especially those closest to me, their own better parts, nagging about what ought to be done?  Do I recognize Christ calling me to silence or am I letting my mind be filled by the noise of my dailiness? 

How do you keep your life in balance, between action and contemplation?  Between serving and listening?

Keeping It Fresh Friday: Tarragon Chicken and Veggies with Green Goddess Dip

Alternative Title: "So you bought a lot of tarragon at the farmer's market without a plan for it?"

Here's a quick and easy solution if you've ever found yourself in that dilemma.  Or if you're just looking for a fresh meal in the summertime.

You can serve the tarragon-butter sauce over other proteins.  My original plan was actually salmon, until the lady at the grocery store picked up the last fillets just as I got to the fish counter.

There is a reason I list the Green Goddess Dip recipe first.  The original instructions are to let it chill at least 1 hour.  If you are like me and forget to start this an hour before dinner time, just make it first before the chicken or any other prep and have it be the last thing you place on the table.  This give you about 30 minutes chill time.  And don't worry about carefully chopping the garlic and herbs.  They are going into a processor which will finish the job for you.  As for the mayo and sour cream, use any fat content you're comfortable.  You can also use non-mayos. I, however, am not sure this would work with the tarragon-butter sauce.  I strongly recommend you use real unsalted butter here.  (Besides, butter is actually better for you than margarine.  If you must pick between the two, choose butter.)

How to Make Green Goddess Dip for Crudite:
Makes: 1 cup

Time: 5 min.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. mayo 
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 small garlic glove, minced
2 green onions, chopped
2 T. chopped fresh parsley,
       Italian flat-leaf if avaliable
2 T. chopped fresh chives
1 T. chopped fresh tarragon
1 c. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
 various vegetables for dipping

1. Process mayo, vinegar, garlic, green onions, and herbs in food processor until combined.

2. Whisk in sour cream and season to taste.  Refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 4 days.

3.  Cut veggies and serve along with dip.


 
 




How to Make Sauteed Chicken with Tarragon-Butter Sauce:
Serves: 4
Time: 25 min.
       Prep Time: 10 min.
       Cook Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders
salt and pepper
4 T. butter, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/3 c. dry white wine
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fresh tarragon
1 T. chopped fresh parsley, Italian flat-leaf if avaliable
1 T. lemon juice

1. Pound chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap to an even thickness, or thinness really.  (This not only helps the chicken cook faster and more evenly but makes it more tender.)  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Melt 1 T. of butter in small saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add wine and boil until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3.  Heat olive oil in large, heavy fry pan over medium-high heat.  (This is where those beautiful babies, my cast irons, come out.)  Saute chicken until golden and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  If not all your chicken fit in the first batch, remove cooked chicken to a plate and cover loosely with foil while cooking the remaining chicken.

4. Return shallot mixture to burner over low heat.  Whisk in remaining 3 T. butter, a tablespoon at a time, whisking each tablespoon until incorporated before adding more.  Once all the butter is incorporated, remove from heat.  Whisk in tarragon, parsley, and lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve chicken with tarragon butter sauce poured over.


Green Goddess Dip adapted from MarthaStewart.com, 2011
Pan-Seared Chicken with Tarragon-Butter Sauce adapted from Gourmet on Epi, July 2005

Filling that Unfillable Bowl

We have a cute bowl that I love but have hard time figuring out how to fill it.  Its easy by the time September comes.  First, apples, which changes to pumpkins in October, mixed squash in November and then large jingle bells in December.  Then Christmas is over and I always end up stashing it away because I'm tired of staring at an empty bowl.  I hate putting in food items that are too perishable; it takes a lot to fill it and they just go bad before we eat them.  So this was my non-perishable solution.





How to Decoupage Decorative Ball Bowl Fillers:

Supplies:
paper (something with texture looks best)
pencil
circle stencil, large punch or round object (I used a shot glass)
scissors
styrofoam balls (found in floral section of craft stores)
decoupage glue, such as Mod Podge
foam brush
drying board, if you have one*

1.  Trace circles on wrong side paper, if yours has a wrong side, and cut out. 

2.  Brush a little glue onto back of a circle and attach to ball.  Fold and pinch it a little to form to the surface.  Slightly overlapping with remaining circles, repeat to cover surface.  Warning: the glue doesn't hold to the actual foam very well.  Mostly you are gluing the circles to one another.  This makes it a little tricky at the beginning but you'll quickly get the hang of it.  Its also a good idea to stop every once in a while to reshape the glued area with your hands to make it a little tighter of a fit. 

3.  Brush glue evenly over entire surface.  Place on drying board, if using, and let dry, at least 1 hour. 


*I have a multi-purpose drying board I made for projects such as this.  It was originally used for dying Easter eggs.  They are great for drying round objects with minimal contact points.  And they are so easy to make.  All you need is a thick foam poster board, a pencil and a ruler, and straight pins with flat heads.  Mark out a 1" grid on the board and place pins in where the lines intersect. 

It's in the Bag

Singer (as in the sewing machine manufacturer) holds sewing classes regularly for staff at Martha Stewart. I guess if you work for Martha, you better know the basics. This project is their first sewing project. Its easy, reversible, and can totally fit your style based on what fabric you select. And its it cute?

I made two of these bags in a day, different styles, of course. That's start to finish. I washed the fabric, cut the fabric, pinned the panels in the morning and sewed in the afternoon. The most time-consuming part is slip-stitching the handle shut after pulling it right side out. But still quick to make. The second most time-consuming part was figuring out how to piece together the template after enlarging it to 200% on 3 pages to get it all copied. Thank you Office Max lady for your help!(No, she doesn't read this blog.)

Again, I'm going to leave the instructions up to Martha. Their clear and concise.

How to Make a Reversible Purse:
http://www.marthastewart.com/264167/reversible-purse

Keeping It Fresh Fridays: Orzo with Sausage, Roasted Peppers and Tomato

This is a great recipe from Giada De Laurentis.  We've simplified a few things.  (Roasting my own peppers just takes time I don't have on a week night.)  Its a family favorite, one we've made several times.  We don't often repeat recipes, because we just like trying out new dishes.  But this is one we keep in our regular repertoire.  If you're unfamiliar with orzo, you'll find it in the pasta section of most grocery stores.  It may look a little like long grain rice, but its actually a pasta.

How to Make Orzo with Sausage, Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes:
Serves 4-6.
Estimated time 0:17
       Prep time 0:07
       Cook time 0:10

Ingredients:
1 lb. orzo
3 c. low-sodium chicken stock
3 c. water
1/2 T. sea salt
1 16-oz. jar roasted red peppers,
        sliced into 1/4" pieces
2 links of Italian sweet sausage
        (pork, turkey or tofu), 
        removed from casing
1 clove of garlic
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 t. red pepper flakes, if desired
2 T. chopped fresh parsley, Italian flat-leaf if available, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c. ricotta salata cheese, if available, or feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, stock and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the orzo and cook until tender but firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high heat in large skillet.  Add sausage and saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.  Add peppers, tomatoes and pepper flakes, if using.  Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.

3.  Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water, then drain the orzo.  Transfer orzo to serving bowl.  Add the sausage mixture, 1 T. parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss well to combine all ingredients.  Add cooking water, if needed, to loosen the pasta.  Top with cheese and remaining parsley and serve.

adapted from Giada De Laurentis for the Food Network, 2008


 

Coming Attractions: Quick, Fresh Weeknight Dinners

My sister came to me with a dilemna.  "We're going overseas for several months.  We won't have a fully stocked kitchen with a lot of appliances.  The grocery stores, while they carry great fresh, local food, won't have a ton of variety.  Can you help me find quick meals, using just a few easy-to-find ingredients?"

While we might not all be living in France, I believe my sister's need is what we're all looking for.  We all want weeknight meals that are quick, easy, and don't require long lists of ingredients or extra stops at specialty stores.  And if they can be healthy meals that our family finds delicious, then we really win.

Yeah, Mark and I do love to throw down with more complicated meals that often can only be made after stocking up supplies in a larger city.  But those are weekend things and not how we cook daily.  I'm really glad my sister brought this to my attention.  I never thought about blogging about our weeknight meals, because they are so, well, weeknight.  But just like you, these are the majority of the meals we cook. 

So, I will begin a weekly posting called "Keeping It Fresh Friday", in which I will offer recipes for simple, quick family meals. 

I want to explain the basic ruling principals of my family's meals.  First, flavor is king.  Something has either got to really save me time or being the most amazing super food for me to substitute it when a recipe calls for a tastier ingredient.  We cook fairly healthy but there are times when real butter, heavy cream, salt and fatty cuts of meat are just necessary, in my opinion.  Its all about moderation.  Second, my family tries to eat as fresh as possible.  If it only takes a minute or two longer for me to use a fresh ingredient than a prepackaged one, I will always choose that option.   Yes, you can do this and still make meals under thirty minutes.  (I don't mean to sound Rachel Ray-ish).  And third, we aren't afraid of spice.  Not just heat, but variety, from Mediterranean to Mexican, South East Asian to Middle Eastern.   If that doesn't sound like you, you might want to dial down the quantity of spices going into these dishes.

When I say family meals, yes, they are meals my whole family eats.  Even the baby.  But I won't call them "kid-friendly" because I understand that what my kids find friendly, yours might not.  You know your own kids' preferences, your personal tastes, and your family's other dietary needs.  These are simply meals that my family enjoys.

So be looking for the first installment of "Keeping It Fresh Fridays" coming at the end of this week.  And Buen Provecho!