I’m starting to think about fall food as the weather is beginning to change. This recipe was really easy to put together, but packed a lot of flavor. It cooks in under an hour, so it works even on a weeknight.

Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

1 pork tenderloin

2 large apples, quartered

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch slices or chunks

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

10 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a roasting pan or glass baking pan (about 13×8) and place the pork tenderloin in it. Arrange the apples and sweet potatoes around the pork. Sprinkle the garlic, onions, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper over everything. Pour cider and vinegar into pan. Bake uncovered for about 45-50 minutes, until the pork is 140 degrees.

If you want to make gravy, remove pork and veggies from the pan and place the pan on a burner. Add 1 cup chicken broth and enough Wondra flour to thicken to your tastes (I like my gravy thick!) and cook over high, stirring or whisking constantly until it thickens.

I’m starting to think about fall food as the weather is beginning to change. This recipe was really easy to put together, but packed a lot of flavor. It cooks in under an hour, so it works even on a weeknight. Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Apples 1 pork tenderloin 2 large apples, quartered 2 … Read more →

I got my final batch of tomatoes from the CSA, so I’m going to be officially done with tomatoes as soon as they are gone. Here’s an incredibly simple end-of-summer side dish to use up your last batch!

Pan-Fried Tomatoes with Feta and Basil

Slice your tomato into slices that are between 1/4 inch and a 1/2 inch thick. Mix one egg with a dash of water. Dip each slice in the egg wash, then in breadcrumbs. Place in a pan that has been coated with olive oil. Fry over medium high heat until browned, then flip. On the top of the tomatoes, place one basil leaf and a sprinkling of feta. When the tomato is brown on the bottom, serve.

How do you like to use up those last tomatoes of the season?

I got my final batch of tomatoes from the CSA, so I’m going to be officially done with tomatoes as soon as they are gone. Here’s an incredibly simple end-of-summer side dish to use up your last batch! Pan-Fried Tomatoes with Feta and Basil Slice your tomato into slices that are between 1/4 inch and … Read more →

This is an incredibly simple recipe that packs a lot of flavor, and helps use up some of those summer veggies. I served this with brown rice and steamed green beans.

Salmon with Summer Vegetables

4 large leaves Swiss chard, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 shallot, peeled and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)

Heat your grill. Put the chard in boiling water and cook until tender. Drain and allow to cool, then squeeze most of the water out. Mix in a small bowl with the tomato, shallot, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Grill the salmon. Place half the veggies and juice on each fillet and serve.

This is an incredibly simple recipe that packs a lot of flavor, and helps use up some of those summer veggies. I served this with brown rice and steamed green beans. Salmon with Summer Vegetables 4 large leaves Swiss chard, chopped 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 shallot, peeled and chopped salt and pepper to taste … Read more →

I had never heard of this until this summer, when my aunt mentioned it to me. We then visited a Mennonite shop in the Finger Lakes and when I noticed it in the case, I had to buy some. I didn’t know what it was and did some research when I got home. What I’ve learned is that rolled butter is made from whey cream instead of sweet cream, which is a byproduct of cheesemaking. I also learned that nearly all the rolled butter sold in the US is made in a factory in Wisconsin (Alcam Creamery). The butter is made in a (mechanical) churn, then it is handrolled into logs and wrapped in waxed paper for sale. You can see a video here.

The thing that mattered to me was the taste. Would it be better? I think it does have a slightly deeper flavor than store-bought butter, but it wasn’t enough to knock me off my feet and start ordering this by mail. My next butter adventure is going to be sampling some European butters from the grocery store, because I noticed that the butter in Italy was much better than what we have here, so I want to try some at home.

I had never heard of this until this summer, when my aunt mentioned it to me. We then visited a Mennonite shop in the Finger Lakes and when I noticed it in the case, I had to buy some. I didn’t know what it was and did some research when I got home. What I’ve … Read more →

Fall is always when I make time to work on projects around the house. Our summers are very busy with a vacation and spending almost every weekend at my parents’ lake house, so I feel like I’m never really here, and I feel as though I let it all go to hell in a handbasket around here. Once school starts and we are on a normal schedule, I get down to brass tacks, getting things into shape and re-organizing.

Managing Meds

This week I tackled the kitchen medicine cabinet. I have a pull out cabinet in my kitchen where I keep all of the prescriptions and supplements we take. I use a lot of herbal supplements and I have a pretty high turnover in what I use, depending on what’s going on. When we were in the cycle of going to the lake every Friday night through Sunday, I just left a bag of meds on the counter, since there was no sense in unpacking and packing them every 4 days. I’ve finally put them away and cleaned out the cabinet, putting away herbals we aren’t using in a closet, and making room for new ones. Having that off my counter has made my kitchen feel bigger and better organized.

Bathroom Closet

Next on my organizing list is my bathroom closet. I was looking for something in it this week and became so frustrated I just took everything out and put it in a laundry basket. I need to go through it, toss things I’m not using, and reorganize it. I have a big container of travel sized items that needs to be purged and I would really love it if I could get the closet to the point where things do not fall off the shelves every time I reach in.

Freezer

We have a side by side fridge in the kitchen and an upright freezer in the basement. The upstairs freezer was a disaster. We emptied it out and organized it and now I can actually find things. Note to self: stop putting meat in there. I just forget about it and it gets freezer burned!

Household Catch Up Weekend

We took a weekend and made a huge list of all the little things that needed to get done around here and just worked out way down the list: installing a new toilet seat, self-cleaning the oven, cleaning  up piles of stuff, cleaning out the dryer vent, oiling squeaky hinges and more. Making a list of little things and then methodically working through it helps us get a lot done!

Hanging It All Up

An ongoing project that is on the list is dealing with the artwork and photos from our trip to Italy. We took some things for framing, have a few more to go and I bought frames for photos. Now I have to figure out what to do with them!

Wastebasket Clean Up

On my list is to take all of the wastebaskets outside and scrub the insides with soap. This is one of those once a year jobs that I need to remember to get to.

Artificial Plant Day

I am planning a day to bring all of my artificial plants and silk flowers into the kitchen and clean them thoroughly with a soapy cloth. They attract dust and never really get clean when they’re lightly dusted.

 

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

Getting back into the school routine isn’t always easy. In the past I have sounded like a broken record, telling my son how important it is to eat breakfast before school. Some mornings he just can’t seem to find anything. Everyone here agrees that eating protein in the mornings helps us get through the days and keeps our hunger in check, so I try to encourage that (I even agreed he could eat leftover sesame chicken a couple of mornings ago). He loves, loves, loves breakfast sandwiches from places like Dunkin’ Donuts. However, he does not like cheese. There are no frozen breakfast sandwiches without cheese (and I really hate buying premade frozen things like that). So I bought bagels and frozen sausage patties (I would much rather buy fresh organic patties, but we’re working up to that! He’s pretty particular). Then I scrambled a dozen eggs and cooked them up in a giant pan, breaking it up into 7 bagel-sized pieces. I froze each egg item in a ziploc bag. Now when he gets up he can throw the egg and sausage into the microwave and toast a bagel and he has an instant breakfast sandwich.

Fall is always when I make time to work on projects around the house. Our summers are very busy with a vacation and spending almost every weekend at my parents’ lake house, so I feel like I’m never really here, and I feel as though I let it all go to hell in a handbasket … Read more →

Since we got home from Italy, I’ve been focusing on making a lot of American food, mostly because everyone has been tired of anything even slightly Italian! My latest foray is the Philly cheesesteak, which I’ve redesigned to make a little more highbrow.

Crazy Philly Cheesesteak

1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

6 Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

6 cups fresh spinach

1 lb flank steak, sliced paper thin against the grain

1 tbsp Worchestershire

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tbsp A1 steak sauce

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tomato, thinly sliced

6 slices provolone cheese

4 ounces goat cheese

6 small sub rolls (about 5 inches)

Cook the onion in 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat until partially caramelized (about 15 minutes). Remove from skillet.

While this is cooking, mix the steak with the Worchestershire, olive oil, garlic, A1 and salt and pepper, and allow to rest.

Cook mushrooms in a teaspoon of olive oil until cooked through. Remove from skillet. Cook spinach in 1 tsp olive oil until completely wilted. Remove from skillet.

Cook the beef in the skillet until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes on medium high.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the sub rolls. Cut them in half and scoop out some of the bread from the bottom half (use to make breadcrumbs or stuffing for another recipe). Spread goat cheese on the bottom half of the rolls. Place one slice of provolone cheese on the top part of each roll, and place under the broiler until melted.

Assemble the sandwiches by placing onion, mushroom, spinach, and tomato on the bottom half of the roll. Top with the beef and place the top of the roll on it.

Serves 6.

This was a huge hit. I served it with sweet potato fries and green beans. My preference would be for whole grain sub rolls, but I couldn’t find them. It’s very important that you cut the beef paper thin or it will not be tender. If you’re having trouble, pop the meat in the freezer for about 15 minutes and slice it after removing.

 

Since we got home from Italy, I’ve been focusing on making a lot of American food, mostly because everyone has been tired of anything even slightly Italian! My latest foray is the Philly cheesesteak, which I’ve redesigned to make a little more highbrow. Crazy Philly Cheesesteak 1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced 6 Baby Bella … Read more →

I spotted this recipe in the front of Bon Appetit and made my own version of it.

Malt Vinegar-Glazed Chicken Breasts

Glaze:

1/2 cup malt vinegar

1/8 cup dark molasses

1 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp ground coriander

pinch cayenne pepper

pepper to taste

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 bay leaf

 

Chicken

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup salt

1/8 cup malt vinegar

4 sprigs fresh thyme

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Glaze:

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then set aside

Chicken:

Mix sugar, salt, vinegar, thyme and 1 cup water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir in 6 cups cold water. Allow to cool. Add chicken breasts to the pot. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight).

Remove chicken from brine and grill over medium high heat. When it is close to done, brush with the glaze. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165.

We loved the rich, dark flavor of this chicken that was not overpowering at all. You should use all of the glaze when basting the chicken. It cooks to a lovely golden brown and malt vinegar gives it a nice gentle tang. I marinated only 4 hours and it had lots of flavor. I’ll be making this recipe again. The leftovers were fantastic in chicken sandwiches and in salads!

 

I spotted this recipe in the front of Bon Appetit and made my own version of it. Malt Vinegar-Glazed Chicken Breasts Glaze: 1/2 cup malt vinegar 1/8 cup dark molasses 1 tbsp honey 1/4 tsp ground coriander pinch cayenne pepper pepper to taste 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 bay leaf   Chicken 1/4 cup brown sugar … Read more →

Are you drowning in tomatoes? I am, so I’m looking everywhere for ideas! I came across a recipe for tomato cobbler in Food Network Magazine. I made some tweaks to it, so here’s my version:

Tomato Cobbler

filling:

3 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 large tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tsp brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

5 tbsp flour

 

Topping:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1/3 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese

2/3 cup skim milk

2 tsp whole grain mustard

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Melt butter in a large skilled and cook onion until soft. Add garlic, thyme and cayenne and cook another minute. Add tomatoes, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes soften (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in flour and cherry tomatoes. Pour into casserole dish.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, cheese and butter in a food processor and process until it resembles coarse meal. Add the mustard and pour in the milk with the machine running until it is just combined. Drop dough by spoonfuls over the tomato mixture. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour then allow to rest about 15 minutes. Serve this in small bowls since it is like a stew.

I really enjoyed this. It’s essentially dressed up stewed tomatoes. It smells great. You could make this in individual little casserole bowls if you wanted (I would adjust the cooking time down for this). The biscuits on top are wonderfully tender and the smoky cheddar goes really well with the tomatoes.

 

Are you drowning in tomatoes? I am, so I’m looking everywhere for ideas! I came across a recipe for tomato cobbler in Food Network Magazine. I made some tweaks to it, so here’s my version: Tomato Cobbler filling: 3 tbsp butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh thyme 1/8 tsp … Read more →

We used to rent a cottage on beautiful Cayuga Lake every summer when our daughter was little.  We had the greatest times there: fishing, swimming, feeding the ducks, and exploring the Finger Lakes of NY. One of our greatest finds was a little store run by Mennonites, called Sauder’s Store, in nearby Seneca Falls (and if you aren’t aware, Seneca Falls, NY is the town used in It’s A Wonderful Life called Bedford Falls in the movie and is also home to women’s voting rights: the women’s rights convention was held here and began the movement to give women the right to vote – they have a museum about it you should visit if you are in the area).

At the time we used to visit yearly while staying on Cayuga, it was a well-kept secret: hard to find if you didn’t know it was there. It was a small little place that sold Mennonite baked goods, bulk items, produce and specialty items from the area. We used to get up early to get there to have the greatest selection of baked goods! Since we stopped staying on Cayuga Lake, we try to drive out every couple of years to the shop. We hadn’t been in a while, and my parents’ house on Conesus Lake gets us about halfway there, so this past weekend we decided to make the trek (about an hour and a half from the lake house, about 2 hours from our house if we drove from here).

The store has expanded over the years and carries more items than ever before, as well as handmade wood furniture, handmade wagons, Amish quilts (they only had one when I was there, but I looked!), and plants. We filled a cart and brought home many wonderful items:

• birch beer (I bought 2 cases since it can be hard to find!)
• sassafrass soda
• Utz potato chips
• bulk spices
• butterscotch peanut butter
• bulk cake decorations
• smoothie mix
• Lebanon bologna (looks like salami, tastes like bologna or thuringer)
• smoked cheddar cheese
• blueberry cheese
• rolled butter (made from whey cream instead of sweet cream; it’s supposed to have an amazing flavor: I’ve never tried it before and will report back when I have)
• smoked pork chops (now you can buy these in the grocery store, but back when we used to come here, you couldn’t, so they were a special treat and I still think theirs has much better flavor)
• German hot dogs with cheese in them
• beef sticks
• cinnamon rolls
• whoopie pies (chocolate and pumpkin)
• pickles
  

  Sweet Corn puff snacks

• jam
• alphabet noodles (I can’t find these anywhere, ever, so I was thrilled to stumble on them)
• shoofly pie
• Himalayan grain mix
• canned vanilla peaches

and much more. The aisles are jammed with bulk candy, spices, pastas, cooking mixes, flours, snacks, baking products, sodas, and it is all very different from what you can find at a regular grocery store.

We also bought an Amish-made basket as a gift for my mother-in-

law (signed on the back and dated, which is nice).

The shop is owned and run by Mennonites (basically Amish-light) and many, many Mennonites from the Finger Lakes area shop there. My great-grandmother was a Mennonite and I recognize the little caps they wear as one she wore in a photo I have of her. They have a huge selection of books about the Amish and Mennonites. They also sell wooden toys, and things like puzzles, sticker books, stationery, and other interesting little gift items. I am always on the lookout for narrow shopping list pads that are magnetic to keep on my fridge. I like to change them out for the seasons and holidays. They had an entire wall of these (I thought I had died and gone to heaven).

Shopping here always feels like stepping into a different world. There are now several

stores like this scattered throughout the Finger Lakes, but we’ll always go back to Sauder’s since we’ve been customers for almost 20 years and it reminds us of the wonderful times we had staying on Cayuga Lake. And I love that the foods we bring home are simple country-style items.  I love to make complicated meals, but I also love to eat things that are just simple and delicious, and that’s what we find here.

We used to rent a cottage on beautiful Cayuga Lake every summer when our daughter was little.  We had the greatest times there: fishing, swimming, feeding the ducks, and exploring the Finger Lakes of NY. One of our greatest finds was a little store run by Mennonites, called Sauder’s Store, in nearby Seneca Falls (and … Read more →

Homegrown corn is what it’s all about in August in western NY state. We all have our fave farm stands (my CSA does not grow corn – I wish they did because I can’t find a single stand that sells organic corn) and corn on the cob is common part of dinner at this time of year.

I almost always make a batch of corn chowder, when I get tired of corn on the cob. Here is this year’s version:

Summer Corn Chowder
4 slices bacon, diced

1 large onion

2 celery stalks

3 large carrots, peeled

4 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

7 ears of corn

2 medium potatoes, peeled, diced

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp fresh thyme

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through. Remove bacon, leaving the grease. Chop the onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor then cook in the oil until the onion is translucent. Cut the corn off the cobs, reserving cobs. Add milk and broth to the pot and add the cobs and potatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove cobs. Add bacon, corn, salt, pepper, thyme, and chives and simmer another 15 minutes. Serves 8.

Sometimes I add a diced chicken breast to this to make it heartier. Diced red pepper is also nice because it adds color (but my daughter hates red pepper so I never do that!). You can also sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on each bowl. This is fantastic with BBQ chicken.

Homegrown corn is what it’s all about in August in western NY state. We all have our fave farm stands (my CSA does not grow corn – I wish they did because I can’t find a single stand that sells organic corn) and corn on the cob is common part of dinner at this time … Read more →