Sitting here in the 70 degree weather of Southern California in January, I struggle with what to make for dinner. The Januarys of my past were cold, wet, snowy...I grew up in Ohio after all. January is the time for soups and stews...hearty meals that warm you right down to your soul. There's something about eating homemade soup that makes it different from any store bought soup...maybe because its a labor of love. Maybe all the time the ingredients spend simmering make it different. Maybe its because you can change it anyway you like and make it your own. Don't like peas? Leave'm out! Want extra potatoes? Toss'em in! Use chicken instead of beef...or venison even...anyways, I could toss out alternatives for this recipe all day long...anyway you like it, enjoy it...
One Day at a Time
I'm still struggling to accept that my Dad is gone...I saw him in the funeral home, but I've picked up my phone to call him about 25 times in the 11 days since he died. After we got off the plane in Ohio, I started bawling because I actually went to his contact information in my phone before I realize I can't call him. All I want to do right now is surround myself with anything that reminds me of him...so naturally, I walk in my kitchen and cook. There's something very therapeutic about being around food right now. I've been revisiting some more of the recipes Dad taught me. Tonight's dinner was no exception...
A Stroll Down Memory Lane...
As I sit here a little over day after my Dad passed away, I feel the over whelming urge to cook...maybe because it was always a link between us...maybe because no matter what I made he'd always eat it with a smile...or maybe because right now, thinking about the foods he taught me to cook is bringing his memory closer to me...you could tell from looking at my Dad that he enjoyed food...in fact we compared bellies when I was about 5 months pregnant with my daughter. Here's the things I'm gonna miss him making...
Tradition tradition tradition...
The Marine Corps is founded on it...families thrive on it...its a sense of familiarity, something to look forward to when nothing else is the same...its a Tradition. As a Marine wife, it didn't take me long to figure out that the only way to ever survive the constant changes was to embrace what remained the same. After we had kids, those traditions became even more important. The holiday season brings out the traditions in all of us...from what we make on Thanksgiving to when we decorate our trees...we do it all to create a tradition. When you are a military spouse, those traditions are often the only thing that keeps you going during a deployment or right after a PCS. Tasting the comforts of home at a holiday meal or seeing the kids excited to hang their stockings after the Thanksgiving meal makes whatever house a home...because home is where your heart is. Here's some of my "tradition" recipes, passed on to me mostly from my Grandma Jones. She's been gone nearly 20 years now, but I know that every year she is with me as I sit down with my family and enjoy the foods she taught me to make.
Revamped Turkey
Thanksgiving is over...and you have turkey and mashed potatoes...probably some stuffing-coming out your ears! The pumpkin pie and sweets are a given-they'll be gone in a day or two, but everything else is either gonna be pitched or eaten for the next week...so why not make it fun!!
Fall comfort food (Beef Stew and Honey Buttermilk Bread)
Fall is probably my favorite season when it comes to cooking. I love spending the time to make this hearty stew while my breadmaker makes its magic with this bread recipe. They are phenomenal together...Make sure you give yourself a couple hours to make the stew!!! This recipe is one I found in another cook book, then modified it to make it way better!!
My Story
My life as a Marine wife began in May of 2001, but my passion for cooking had been sparked many years earlier in my Grandma’s kitchen. I grew up in a small town in Ohio, surrounded by Amish. I have family that fills the hollers of West Virginia and we all love to cook. It’s what we do and we know we are good at it too. Before we get to the food, here’s my story…
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