Pork Stew with Sage and Garlic

"Ragout de Porc a la Sauge et a l'ail."
For the Slow Cooker

For the Meat:
1 Medium Sized Pork Loin
Salt and Pepper
2 tbs olive oil

For the Sauce:
1 chopped onion
6 cloves of garlic minced or 3 tbs of jarred minced garlic
2 tbs finely chopped sage
2 bay leaves
1 can of chopped tomatoes drained or 1 pint of cheery tomatoes halved
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 chicken or beef bouillon

1. To prepare the sauce, combine all ingredients in a container and store until ready to use.  The sauce can be doubled or multiplied by four for The Suburban Challenge and frozen until ready to use. I made four batches at one time:

2. To prepare the dish: slice the meat into rounds. Salt and pepper each side. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the pork rounds and brown on each side. About 2 minutes per side.

3. Place browned pork into slow cooker and pour one batch of sauce over the top. Cover and cook on high for two hours. (Turn it on, go to the gym, come home and dinner is ready.)

In this photo, I served the pork with a side of cauliflower.

The Suburban Challenge's Journey Through France -

 - or at least through all of my French cookbooks.

Thus far, The Suburban Challenge has mastered some great comfort foods - meatloaf, chicken pot pie, sloppy joes. However, there are not a lot of recipes out there that lend themselves well to freezing, precooking, or slow cookers. Therefore, I am taking my AllClad, 7 qt. slow cooker to France, figuratively of course. I am going to sort through my collection of French cookbooks (eight in all) and alter/vary/manipulate recipes to not only meet the needs of The Suburban Challenge (make ahead and healthy), but also to meet the needs of my most cherished kitchen appliance - My Crock Pot.  No passport required to follow me on this journey.

I took this picture in Besancon, France while studying abroad in 2009. I politely asked the farmer if it was OK to take pictures of his produce for my classroom in the US.  He happily gave me permission and then tried to get me to also take a picture of his mother.

A key characteristic of French cooking is fresh produce. The French love fresh fruits and vegetables and will make one ingredient the "star" of a recipe. They also get very excited about Market Day. Every city has one or two days a week for their Farmer's Markets. In Besancon, it was every Tuesday morning 8-12.  I could always tell which day was Market Day because the bus to school was filled with little old ladies accompanied by their 'rolling' shopping bags.

Although monster sized grocery stores have emerged in France, there are still a handful of traditionalist who will only buy their produce on Market Day.

This is a self-portrait of me eating a Nutella filled beignet (donut).  It has nothing to do with The Suburban Challenge, but it reminds me of heaven and I like to drool from time to time. This recipe will not be attempted, but dang......

Quick Bolognese Sauce

This meat sauce is a delicate and creamy alternative to traditional marinara sauces.  I am too much of a "foodie" to open a jar of Prego for my family.  Bolognese Sauce has an interesting flavor that will WOW your family. It freezes well, so make a couple of batches.

Grocery List for 1 Batch:
1 tbsp olive oil
l large onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey meat
2 oz bacon, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken or beef broth
2 tbs sour cream
1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Increase to medium-high heat and add ground turkey and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
2. Add the wine and boil until it has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, cream, and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Store or Freeze sauce until ready to use.

I cooked two batches at a time. It took a total of about 45-50 minutes to cook the two batches.  So, Monday night I prepared two, went to the gym, prepared two more to complete my goal of four and still only had to do the dishes once.  I froze three batches and saved the other for Tuesday night's dinner - Baked Pasta with Bolognese.

Three Ways to Enjoy Bolognese Sauce
1. Over Pasta
2. Baked Pasta - Combine sauce, 1 pound of cooked pasta, and 15 oz ricotta cheese. Place into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on the top and bake until the surface is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes at 350.
3. Lasagna Bolognese - Preheat oven to 375. Butter lasagna pan. Using no-boil lasagna noodles, start the first layer of noodles spread a thin layer of white sauce and top with a layer of Bolognese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering as many times as you can finishing with white sauce and Parmesan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let it cool for 15 minutes before cutting.   (White Sauce - 3 cups whole milk, 6 tbs butter, 6 tbs flour, salt. Over medium heat, heat the milk until small bubbles appear, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan and stir in melted butter. Whisk in flour 1/2 tsp at a time. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt. Return the pan to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 1 minute.)

We can travel to Spain where the rain falls mainly on the plains...

sounds insane, 'cause it is. We can laugh, we can sing, have ten kids and give them everything.... 

The Suburban Challenge would be nothing without love. Lets face it - we do it for love. How have I gone on so far without addressing the elephant in the room - Romance.  In a busy schedule with goals and obstacles such as with The Suburban Challenge romance falls out of importance.  I will be the first to take full credit for the busy schedule and the lack of romance, thus I can take full credit for inspiring a little. After all, I plan the menu each week.

"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches" (Proverbs 24:3-4). There is a depth of beauty and meaning inside your wife or husband that will amaze you as you discover more of it. Enter the mystery with expectations and enthusiasm. Desire to know this person even better than you do now. Make him or her your chosen field of study, and you will fill your home with the kind of riches only love can provide - The Love Dare.

So tonight, it is my treat.  Dinner will be cooked as always, but the rest of the night is unplanned.  The table is set with two candles in the middle.  It will probably be 8:00 before they are lit (once Cam goes to sleep) but as soon as he walks through the door, he will know.....game on.....

The Suburban Challenge Works!!

I have learned that by manipulating the time that it takes to cook dinner each night (by cooking only one night per week, four entrees) allows extra time to workout and loose the last 10 pounds, increases the amount of time to spend with your family, allows each night's dinner to be fresh and health, allows you to start a garden, and saves money because you are consolidating ingredients. For example, this week we are eating:
Monday - Chicken Pot Pie (previously frozen)
Tuesday - Baked Pasta with a Bolognese Sauce, making four batches of Bolognese Sauce
Wednesday - Black Bean Soup (previously frozen)
Thursday - Chicken with White Wine Sauce in the Slower Cooker, (sauce previously frozen)
Friday  - A surprise yet to be determined.

My Successes: I have had apples for snacks for the last two weeks, I am down 2 pounds, the Spring Garden is planted, I was able to jog this week with the dog and the stroller, and I am not yet bankrupt for the month with payday arriving next week.

Still unsure if freezing three entrees every week will work for you? Try an alternative:
1. Only make two of every dish, 1 to eat that night and freeze the other for next week.
2. Build a group with three other friends.  Each member of the group chooses a different recipe. Make your four entrees and swap three of them. Then, you are all still only cooking once a week, yet eating four different meals each night. Call yourselves The Suburban Exchange.

Recipe Coming Soon - Bolognese Sauce, not your average Pasta Sauce.

Time to Plant

This will be my third year having a garden. Oddly enough, each year it gets bigger and bigger. Although there is an obvious economic value in turning $15 dollars worth of vegetable plants into $115 dollars worth of fresh produce, there is also an intrinsic value of seeing hard work sprout from the earth and bear fruit. I encourage all who participate in The Suburban Challenge to plant a garden this year.  Intimidated?  Stick with me and I'll walk you through it......

The Week of March 19-25:  Prep your soil.  Plow, till, tear up!!  Get oxygen to the dormant soil and start killing off the grass in the area you are using for a garden.

Plant Spring Garden March 19-March 28th:  The following plants can handle a little cold so they will do OK if we have a few more cold mornings in March and April. Plant them now and you will have spring salads and coleslaw for May and June.

• Broccoli
• Onions
• Potatoes
• All Lettuces
• Carrots
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• English/Spring Peas

Friday March 18th we had the garden plowed.  Saturday March 19th we planted English Peas, Spinach, and Carrots all from seeds.  We then planted 4 green cabbage, 2 red cabbage, 10 spring onions, 10 broccoli, 4 romaine lettuce, 4 brussel sprouts, 3 swiss chard, and 3 bok choy. In this picture you can see the romaine lettuce on the right and the brussel sprouts on the left. 

If this is your first garden only plant a third of the above amounts!

*Having trouble keeping up with the Suburban Challenge? Then follow me on Facebook for updates: Bree Rollins Stillings

This post is dedicated to Rex McCall....The Ultimate Gardner!! During World War II he trained German Prisoners of War how to garden.  We miss you and love you Pawpaw.



Healthy Sloppy Joes

Although opening a can of store-bought Sloppy Joe mix is very easy, this recipe only takes an hour to prepare all 4 batches. However, I feel all warm and cozy knowing that I am eating a serving of Cauliflower with this homemade version. GO FIBER!

The key ingredient to this recipe is pureed cauliflower. Each batch uses 1 cup of puree, which is about 1/2 of a head of cauliflower. If you are accepting The Suburban Challenge and you are making four batches (1 to consume and 3 to freeze) then you will need 2 heads of cauliflower.  However, due to the labor involved for steaming and pureeing, go ahead and do 3 heads of cauliflower.  I sat aside the 4 cups I needed for the Sloppy Joes and then blended 10 oz. of breast milk (you can use formula or water) into the remaining cauliflower and made baby food. If baby food is no longer on your "To Do" list - then freeze the remaining cauliflower for future use.  (Mix into instant Mashed Potatoes to fool the family.)

The 4 cups for the 4 batches of Sloppy Joes are on the right and the baby food is on the left.  I freeze baby food in ice trays, then store them in a plastic bag. One 'ice cube' is about 2 tablespoons of food - a perfect serving.
To Prepare Cauliflower: Cut off cauliflower florets and steam for approximately 20 minutes, or until Cauliflower can be mashed with the back of a spoon. Then puree in a food processor.
I did this step two days before I actually had time to make the Sloppy Joes.

Grocery List: (For the Challenge)Olive Oil
4 onions
4 lbs. ground turkey
4 cups cauliflower, pureed
2 cups Beef Broth
8 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 8oz cans of Tomato Sauce
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 teaspoons Paprika
4 teaspoons Chili Powder
8 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

To Prepare 1 Batch:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat in a large fry pan. Add one chopped onion and cook until onion beings to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown.
2. Once meat is browned add 1 cup cauliflower, 1/2 cup of beef broth, 2 tbs tomato paste, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 tbs Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 2 tbs brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir ingredients and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes.

In this picture, Steve and I were making 2 batches at a time. We found out that the batch in the large fry pan (left) cooked quicker and thickened up better. I guess the extra space allowed the waters to evaporate better. Therefore, we made the remaining two batches in this pan alone.

White Wine Slow Cooking Sauce

This week's featured recipe is much more freezer friendly. I will be the first person to admit that making four chicken pot pies to freeze is a little difficult if you do not already own a deep freezer. This week's recipe is a sauce to be used in the slow cooker. When you are ready to use, thaw the sauce and pour it over 4-6 chicken breast in a slow cooker. Thus, you only need room in your freezer for three "sauces."

Grocery List for 4 Sauce Mixtures:
Four Onions
4 - 4oz cans of mushrooms
1 package of Turkey Bacon
Salt and Pepper
4 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Bottle of White Wine (I went cheap on this. $2.99 Aldi)
8 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
8 teaspoons minced garlic
Chicken Breast

1. Cook all the bacon. Cut into small pieces.
2. Set up four containers. Three will go in the freezer.  In each container, crumble the bacon, aproximately five strips in each container.  Continue to add to each container 1 chopped onion, 1 can of mushrooms drained, 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of wine, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir.
3. Continue with the directions to cook one batch and freeze the others till ready to cook.
4. Rinse 4-6 chicken breast and pat dry. Rub with a little salt and pepper and place into a slow cooker. Pour sauce directly on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or 3.5 hours on high.

Distribution of the Booty

In my daily reading of the Bible, I glanced ahead and noticed the title on the next page "Distribution of the Booty, " Numbers 31. Although I found out later it described how the treasures from Midian should be distributed, it inspired me to write my own "Distribution of the Booty." There are two booties. The first is already distributed enough and should never be looked at or analyzed. In fact, the title of that project should be "The Laws of the Booty" or "Covers for the Booty." The second, is much more practical for the times. I created an Excell Spreadsheet to record every dollar in and out for an entire month. It is very eye opening to see where you can cut $50 per month. (If the state has its way and cuts salaries 3% next year I will have $50 less per month in dollars. If they also cut Mater's Pay I will see a $300 decrease in pay. The Booty will become much more thinner, therefore making the distribution much tighter.) Enjoy distributing your booty! 

I can't diet - nor will I diet!

Let's face it - I love to eat!! I have always loved to eat. And, I love to eat things that taste good. Perhaps this is why my most successful diet lasted only two weeks. My church had its annual BBQ this weekend - and I reveled in it.  I had a sandwich Saturday, one for dinner on Sunday, and I have packed my lunch for tomorrow with another sandwich. At the end of the day, my commitment to my church family is more important than physical appearances. Hence, why I must enjoy BBQ sandwiches, He He. I also had family over for a delicious brunch after Camilla's baptism at church - Grits Casserole, Ham Biscuits, Bread Pudding, a salad, Berry Trifle, and Mimosas.  I think it is clear now why the epic "Last Ten Pounds" has become epic: a long narrative poem, grand. Will this epic ever have an end?

I can't diet - nor will I diet. I have tried so many times since 1995 to lose ten pounds. Unsuccessfully I fall back into old habits. Thus, I have accepted my size, my pre-baby size that is. Currently,I am back to the ten pound cat and mouse game to get back to the pre-baby size that is over sized but acceptable. Yet, I will not diet!

Solutions? I am getting physical. Last week I posted my goal for a twenty minute workout.  It took me till Friday to accomplish it - but it was completed. This week's goal is an apple.  Gala Apples were on sale this week so I bought a whole bag. My plan is to replace my morning snack, which normally ranges from a couple of Ritz crackers to a granola bar, with a newly purchased Gala Apple. Everything else will remain the same. I love to eat, and this week I am loving the Gala Apple!!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Foster's Market, a restaurant I worked at while in college, made an incredible Chicken Pot Pie with homemade buttermilk biscuits as a topping.  Although this rendition is a far cry from the homemade version, it sings a song of remembrance to the classic. Making 4 Casseroles:
The Grocery List
Cream of Chicken Soup   4  10.5 oz cans
Cream of Celery Soup      4  10.5 oz cans
Can of Mixed Vegetables       4   15 oz cans, drained
Can of potatoes       4    15 oz cans, drained and chopped
Cooked, chopped chicken      4   12.5 oz cans, drained
Chicken Broth        4 cups
All Purpose Flour        1 cup
Water     2 cups
Salt      1 teaspoon
Pepper    1/2  teaspoon
Can of Mushrooms      4   4 oz cans, drained
Biscuits       4 cans of 12 oven ready Buttermilk Biscuits
Butter    2 tablespoons, melted

In a medium mixing bowl combine the chicken broth and flour. Whisk together, then add the water.  Set aside.  In each of the four 9x13 casserole dishes, combine 1 can of cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, mixed vegetables, potatoes, chicken, and mushrooms. To each mixture, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add 1.5 cups of flour broth mixture to each dish. Gently incorporate the ingredients until evenly distributed. Top each pie with 12 biscuits. With a pastry brush, brush the tops of all biscuits with melted butter.

To freeze, spray the bottom side of a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray. This will prevent the biscuits from sticking to the cover while they thaw. Lie flat in freezer.

To cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook thawed pie, uncovered for 70 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and biscuits are golden. (The pie that was never frozen can be cooked in 45 minutes.)