Colonial Cooking

Haley and I are working our way through Everyday Life: Colonial Times by Walter Hazen, a workbook with readings and activities. On our chapter about food and drink in Colonial Times, we came upon a recipe for journeycakes "or johnnycakes." Did you know that early colonial people ate corn in some form or another nearly 365 days a year?? (And I worry about having chili more than once a month. Ha!)

Haley made our journeycakes herself and they were very yummy.

Journeycakes

1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tbsp molasses
1/4 cup sugar

Grease 9x13 pan (or smaller if you prefer thicker cakes) with oil or butter. Mix dry ingredients together then add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Pour into baking pan and bake at 350 deg. The recipe said to bake 20 minutes but we needed to bake ours for about 35-40 min for the middle to get dry enough and I imagine in a smaller pan, you'd need to bake even longer.

Haley took a journeycake for breakfast on the way to violin. "A journeycake for her journey to violin lessons." LOL

What's for dinner?

Whenever I have a day without a full schedule I manage to try a new recipe. This recipe came originally from my sister who gave it to my mom. My sister got it from http://www.allrecipes.com/. I doubled it to feed my family.

Old Time Chicken Divan

2 heads broccoli cut into florrets, steamed until tender-crisp, then run under cold water and drained well.

2 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken cut into pieces

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp sherry or white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
 pinch pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Locatelli cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan over med. heat. Whisk in flour and cook whisking constantly until begins to turn to a pale beige (about 3 min). Whisk in sherry, broth, and cream until smooth. Bring to boil over med-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 min; add salt and pepper.

Place drained broccoli into 9X13 pan. Top with half the cream sauce. Place chicken on top then mix cheese into remaining sauce and pour over chicken. Top with extra cheese if desired.

Bake at 350 for 20 min or until heated through then broil for a few minutes to brown top. Serve over egg noodles or other favorite noodles. Enjoy!

Chicken Potpie...

Nothing better on a cool day! Not your normal pie kinda potpie but the southern kind with slippery noodles. Yummy!

Chicken Potpie

In a huge stock pot place a large roaster chicken (add some boneless skinless chicken breasts if feeding a crowd), cover with water, then add 1 can Cream of Chicken soup, 1 med onion chopped, 2 celery sticks chopped, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to boil then let simmer on low for hours (3-4 hours to all day if you want).

Take about 2 cups of chicken stock from stock pot and place in fridge to cool while you prepare dough...

Mix together:
3.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp baking powder
pepper to taste

Cut in 1/2 cup Crisco completely. Then add reserved cooled stock a little at a time, mixing in as you go until dough comes together in a ball (drier is better than too sticky). Roll out of floured surface very thinly (less than 1/4 inch...the thinner the better). Cut into small squares and place on a plate.

Remove chicken from stock pot (it should fall apart so be careful). Bring liquid to a boil then drop the dough pieces into the liquid one by one moving already added pieces to the side with a spoon while dropping in others. Put heat to low and cook 30-45 min.

While potpie is cooking remove chicken from bones then serve noodles over chicken pieces.

We like to have it with candied sweet potatoes and peas on the side.

Crepes

Wednesday, while doing her daily reading, Haley came upon the word "crepes." She wanted to know what "crep-pes" are so I decided to make some apple crepes for dessert. We bought all the ingredients after her violin lesson then made them after dinner. I doubled the crepe recipe then made up the apple filling recipe to go with them.

Apple Crepes
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter melted

Whisk together egg and flour. Slowly add in milk and water while stirring. Add salt and butter then beat until smooth. Let sit for about 30 min. Cook over medium heat on lightly greased pan by scooping 1/4 cup batter into pan then tilting pan with circular motion so batter coats surface evenly. Cook about 2 min. Loosen with spatula and turn to cook other side.

Apple Filling
8 tart apples (Granny Smith or like) peeled and sliced thin
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Melt butter in pan. Add other ingredients and cook until apples are soft. Spoon a bit into cooked crepes, roll crepe then top with whipped cream or ice cream (or both which is how we ate them).

Pork, the other white meat...

Yesterday was extremely busy with the boys home from school for Columbus Day which was nice because I got to sleep in until 7:40am...really nice because Haley and I didn't get home and into bed until midnight the night before. Haley had a violin lesson so got up and practiced for a bit before we headed out. After violin, we drove the boys to Poppop's house for their daily workout. They are both getting very strong and have been very dedicated to working out. I had about 1 hour 15 min to cook and eat dinner before taking Newt and his friend to wrestling. This recipe worked great.

San Francisco Pork Chops:

6 pork chops (boneless centercut works best with fat removed)
2-3 cloves minced garlic

Sauce: (combine in small bowl)
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup dry sherry
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Brown chops on both sides in a large pan on med-high heat. Remove. Add a little oil to pan if needed then saute 2-3 cloves minced garlic for 1 min. Place chops back in skillet then pour sauce over. Cover tightly and simmer for 30 min. Remove chops to platter.

Stir 8 tsp cornstarch into 1/2 cup water and add to sauce. Cook until sauce thickens. Pour over chops. Serve over hot buttered egg noodles. Enjoy!

Recipe of the week...

My friend, Kate, brought it to my attention that I have been posting recipes every Tuesday based on what we've eaten the night before. She also informed me that she has been trying those recipes so now I feel pressured to continue to provide her with some dinner inspiration.

The problem is that....I, um, didn't cook tonight. We had leftovers from a party we attended yesterday. So, I am pulling out one of our favorite recipes that also brings back memories of our trip a couple summer's ago to Yellowstone National Park. While at the park we did a dinner where Dylan, Newt, and I rode on horseback while Daddy and Haley rode a chuckwagon out for a campfire dinner. We thought the draw was the horses but it turned out that the food was excellent. I found this recipe when I returned home and we have it every now and then. It makes a great meal with a salad or can be a sidedish (or a great dish for covered dish suppers).

Roosevelt Western Beans

1lb. ground beef or sausage (I double the recipe and use a combo of both)
1/2 lb. bacon chopped in small pieces
1 onion diced
16oz. can pork and beans
15.5 oz. can kidney beans drained
17 oz. can lima beans drained
15 oz. can butter beans drained
16 oz. can spicy pinto beans (sometimes hard to find)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cidar vinegar
1.5 Tbsp. mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

Brown bacon and meat. Drain and add onion. Cook until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake at 325 deg for 45 min (+) or put into crock pot and cook all day.

I didn't cook dinner tonight but I did bake an apple pie. Apples are definitely in season. Did I ever mention that I love fall??

French Apple Pie

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Crisco
2-3 Tbsp cold water

Mix salt and flour. Cut in Crisco until resembles small pebbles. Add water a tbsp at a time until crust comes together. Roll out between 2 pieces floured wax paper and put into deep dish pie pan.

8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt

Mix together and put into prepared crust. Top with crumb topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup firm stick butter

Cut butter into flour and sugar. Bake 50 minutes being sure to cover top with foil for last 15 minutes to prevent excess browning.

Enjoy!!

Fall, Jambalaya, and Pumpkin Bread...

We had a busy day yesterday. It was raining for the first time in a long time and I had to go to a work meeting. Haley hung out with Poppop for the morning then we did her schoolwork and practicing there while waiting for the boys to walk over from school to do their workouts.

I had a craving for Jambalaya today...haven't had it in the longest time but it just seemed like a good day for it and it's quick. I picked up the ingredients on my way home from work along with some yummy apples from a roadside stand which will soon go into a pie.

Jambalaya:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small sweet green peppper chopped
1 med stalk celery chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves minced garlic

Heat oil in a large pan then add the rest and cook until soft.
Add:
1lb. can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/8 tsp each cloves, allspice, and cayenne pepper

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 min. Add:
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 cup cooked hot sausage
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 lb. small shrimp

Cook until shrimp turn pink. (about 5 min)
I used a jalapeno sausage made at the local butcher shop so didn't put in any spices and doubled the recipe but served it over the rice instead of putting the rice in. I also left out the cloves. It was delicious!

Haley has been asking for pumpkin bread since the weather has gotten cooler and pumpkins are out for sale everywhere. She was really excited that Daddy brought home 3 for our front steps to decorate.

Here's our Pumpkin Bread recipe...

Mix well:

16 oz. canned pumpkin
1 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
2 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs

Add:

3 cups flour (used 1 cup white and 2 cups wheat)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (can add raisins if desired but we didn't desire)

Back in 2 loaf pans (about 8X4X2) for an hour.

Yummy!

Recipes...

The past few years have been very busy so I haven't had the time to do the cooking I enjoy. Haley and I have planned to try a new recipe or dig up old recipes we've had before but haven't made it into our regular meals.

Tonight we are resurrecting an old favorite that can also be used as an appetizer...

Honeyed Chicken Teriyaki

2lbs. boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Oil for frying

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in egg then dredge in seasoned flour. Cook chicken in 1/2 inch oil over med high heat half at a time until brown. Drain on paper towels.

Heat in a small pan:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp dried sherry
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger

Dip cooked chicken pieces in glaze mixture then place on a rack in a baking pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes brushing again with glaze halfway through cooking time.

A Day in Our Lives...

Our days rarely follow a normal pattern. Many days Haley has lessons so homeschooling is done on the run. This is what a day looks like when we get to stay home all day.

I woke up early to get the boys breakfast before sending them off to school. Haley followed me up not long after. It's rare that she sleeps past 7am.

Daddy stayed home to paint the garage...yeah! finally he worked on my house instead of someone else's...and it looks great btw. Haley and I had the day at home for school. We started the morning with cups of a delicious, new Chai tea blend we had purchased in NY the other day then Haley ate breakfast while I took a shower and woke up.

Haley came into the bathroom while I was dressing to inform me that she had done her violin review. She loves to surprise me! She has a list with columns for each day of the week then all the Suzuki pieces from Books 1-7 written out in order so that each day she plays a sampling from each book and in a week all pieces are played once. She's not to Book 7 yet so when a piece gets polished and her violin teacher doesn't want to hear it any more, we include it in the review list. Current pieces are practiced later in the day.

Our first subject of the day was writing. I am helping to test out a new 5th grade writing program called Writing with Ease and just recieved the first few lessons in the mail so we began it by reading a passage for Haley to summarize. I wrote out her math for the next few days while she completed her assignment. She just started Saxon 76 which is in textbook format so, since she is still young, I write out the problems from the exercises for her except word problems where knowing what to write is important.

We had to take a short trip to town to get the ingredients needed for dinner...Chicken Chili (recipe at end of this post) and I was going to pick up prescriptions. They weren't ready yet...one not even called in so I left feeling a bit aggravated since that was the main reason for my trip.

We arrived home a short time later and began what we like to call Haley's "Suzuki practice" which now includes 2 octave scales in a circle of 5ths, 3 octave scales also in a circle of 5ths but 3 a day rather than the entire circle, reading through a few short sight reading pieces from various books many of which include 2 parts so I generally play piano for one part while Haley plays the other part, Wohfarht music reading study of the week, exercises from a book for shifting, then work on new pieces which are pieces in various stages of the working process. This week she has 3 pieces she's polishing up and some double stops for another as a preview for a future piece. She and her teacher are finishing up some lose ends since this summer was a bit disjointed. All in all, her "Suzuki practice" takes about 1.5 hours with an occassional hug break here and there.

After practice is lunch. Haley gets to read or watch a little TV while she eats. On this day, I had to download her video from her fiddle lesson in NY on Wednesday and while she eats, I go through it marking the items she needs to practice and deleting extraneous footage so she can practice efficiently the next couple weeks to prepare for the next lesson.

Following lunch, I set Haley up on the computer to do PLATO Life Science. When I purchased this through http://www.homeschoolbuyerscoop.com/, I got a cheaper rate by agreeing to use it in a certain time slot. Our slot is 11-1:45pm. It has worked out well so far and she's been doing it since the beginning of August. Haley completes an entire lesson including the post-test and we place the post-test printout in her schedule folder.

We had a short break on the trampoline...Haley likes to call this "gym." Ha! Then we worked through her math and read some history. We are doing US Colonial History so we read a story about Jamestown settlement and some selections from a neat book called "We Were There, Too" which tells the true stories of young people present at various times in history often from their own writings or the writings of people around them. Yesterday was the story of Pocahontas and two other young boys in Jamestown.

Haley sat to do her "Brian practice." We've found the best way for her to practice her fiddling is for me to take video of her lessons with Brian, download them to the computer, label them, then let her practice with the videos. I tried writing the bowings on the music but it was difficult to keep up. With the video, she can watch how to bow her tunes and she can do it on her own. Occassionally, I will check what she's playing before a lesson to see if she made necessary changes but she does really well on her own. Yesterday, however, the electric went out while she was practicing...this seems to happen way too regularly here.

The boys got home from school then the kids played through one of the sets they are performing this weekend at Cold Spring Village's Folk Festival. I made dinner, we ate, then the kids all played outside on bikes, pogo sticks, and scooters and I got a few minutes to read my latest book. Later, Haley and I hung out with Grammy and Poppop while Newt walked across the street to see the high school football game.


White Chicken Chili Recipe

2lb boneless skinless chicken breast in pieces
1 med. onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced

Brown chicken in a pan with garlic and onion then add:
2 cans chicken broth
3 cans cannellini beans
4 small cans chopped green chilis
2 tsp each oregano, cumin, and salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Bring to a boil then lower heat. Cook uncovered for at least an hour on low.

Add: 16 oz. sour cream and 1 cup heavy cream.
Heat to warm then serve over rice.
Delicious!