Country Style Hamburger

I know that today's recipe does not qualify as a recipe. It's not a photogenic dish, either. It is not close to gourmet or "company-quality."

However, when my kids and my husband see that we're having "Country Style Hamburger," they smile and sometimes even cheer. It's what I make when I need a "tried and true"-- when I don't want to hear any complaining or see any disappointed faces.

These homemade mashed potatoes are topped with browned ground beef mixed with a jar of beef gravy. That's it. (See what I mean?) I sometimes add sauteed onion, green pepper, and sliced mushrooms which makes it a teensy-weensy bit more sophisticated.

How do you make your mashed potatoes? I recently realized that the most important step to prevent gluey mashed potatoes is to warm up the milk before adding it to the hot boiled potatoes. I pour some milk into a Pyrex measuring cup, along with a pad or two of butter, and then microwave it until it's nice and warm. Did you already know to do this? In my ever present need to rush, for the last 15 years I have poured milk right from the jug. Who knew?

Tossed Salad and Omelet

Tonight I spied some leftover Spam (eek!) in the fridge, so I cut a slice of it into tiny pieces and sauteed it with a bit of onion and red pepper. Next, this salty mixture was added to the middle of this soft, creamy omelet, along with a few crumbles of feta cheese. It was just enough after a long night at the baseball fields.

Have you ever eaten an omelet and a salad together? I think they go very well together(crunchy, creamy). I must confess, however, the first time I heard this idea was while watching Frasier. ("Now I don't know what to with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs...") Good night everybody!

My Boneless Chicken Routine and Knife Scare

Tonight we had lemon-pepper grilled chicken, but I must confess...The marinade came from a bottle! Gasp! I also made some basmati rice, steamed broccoli and a simple Romaine salad with balsamic vinaigrette. My kids even loved it. To quote my 11-year-old, "I'm a big fan of this chicken."

Boneless chicken was on sale this week in massive packages. As a wise kitchen gal, I came home and dealt with the chicken immediately. After cutting off the extra fat, I cut each breast into two pieces and pounded them a little so they would cook quickly on the grill. Knowing that I have even more of this pounded chicken in the freezer (safe in freezer bags) is quite exciting to me. They defrost quickly and cook quickly. All the work up front definitely pays off.

But get this! I almost lost my eye while I was cutting the chicken! It came as a shock when my serrated knife suddenly broke in half and flew up to my face. This knife is a good quality knife that I've had for about ten years. Let this be a warning to you! I won't tell you the name of the company until I give them a chance to respond. I was not injured but merely frightened to death. I may have some future knife phobias, however...

Update: The company, Henckels, advised me to send the knife to them, and they'd look at it. A new serrated knife arrived in the mail a short time later at no charge. However, a piece from the handle of the new knife has already broken off. It is now uncomfortable to use. I'll buy myself some new knives when I can. (Probably not Henckels, however.)

Easy Garlic Bread

Hi everyone! It's been a few days since I last posted. I haven't done a lot of cooking. The other night we had take out pizza and Greek salad, and last night we went to a party and had burgers.

Tonight we had an easy meal of Buitoni four-cheese ravioli, leftover Greek salad, steamed zucchini and summer squash, and garlic bread.

I make garlic bread the way my Mom always made it when I was a kid. It has buttery garlic taste on both sides of the bread! When I make my garlic bread, however, I use two appliances my mother never used -- the microwave and the toaster oven. Once you've made garlic bread this way, you'll never feel the need to buy frozen garlic bread again (if you ever have). Note: If your bread is extra long, you may need to cut the bread in half or use your oven.

Garlic Bread

In a small dish or custard cup, place about 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Squeeze a clove or two of fresh garlic into the mixture. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals until you can smell the garlic. Optional: before microwaving, you can also add other herbs such as oregano or basil. Grated parmesan is also a nice touch. Next, make vertical slices every inch or so going down the entire length of the bread. Here comes the fun part that kids enjoy doing. Using a brush dipped in your oil mixture, paint the insides of each slice of cut bread. Finally, wrap the yummy-smelling bread in aluminum foil and bake in the toaster oven at 350 degrees until warm. It usually takes about 10 minutes or so.

Better Way to Cook Hamburgers

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I made burgers last night, but I made two changes to my usual routine.

(By usual routine, I mean, "Form patties, place on grill.")

First, I seasoned them like a meatloaf. In one pound of ground beef, I put about 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs, one egg, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce, and 1 tablespoon of A-1 Sauce. Then I formed my patties.

I'm not sure where I heard to do this, but my next step was to make a small depression with my fingers in the center of each patty before cooking it. The idea behind it is that this thinner center will allow the burger to cook faster than usual. As a result, the cooked burger will be nice and moist. It worked! I highly recommend! The flavor was enhanced by the Worcestershire and A-1.

Veggie Pasta - Simple Abundance Style

The book "Simple Abundance," by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is one that I find myself visiting quite often. It reminds me to be grateful for each day.

My favorite parts of the book are what she calls "Joyful Simplicities." She gives ideas about how to celebrate each month throughout the year, based on the weather, available foods, holidays, etc.

I was recently inspired by her July 10 entry titled "Kitchen Mysticism." Here she explains that through cooking, you mix food with love and emotion to create a sense of balance in your home.

Here's her recipe for this delicious Veggie Pasta. I used regular tomatoes and eggplants, and I didn't have any fresh oregano or yellow peppers, but it still came out excellent. The slow cooking brings out the sweetness of the vegetables.

"Slice red and yellow bell peppers, tiny eggplants, and zucchini into strips. Chop red onions, fresh basil, oregano, and Italian plum tomatoes. Saute slowly in good olive oil and minced garlic until the vegetables are soft. Take a sip of wine. Add penne pasta to boiling water for six minutes. Grate fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese...Call everyone to the table. Stop to give thanks. Offer a toast and a thanksgiving for good health, love, companionship, delicious food, and a moment of contentment. A day fully lived, simply abundant."

Homemade Popsicles

What do you think of my new popsicle molds? They are made by Tovolo, called "Yellow Groovy Pop Molds," for $7.99 at Amazon. As you can see, they create a substantial popsicle.

I searched for some good popsicle recipes online, but I didn't have enough ingredients on hand, so I made this recipe up. In my blender, I pureed some frozen mango and strawberries, and then I added some Stonyfield Vanilla Yogurt and a squirt of honey. They are a mixture of creamy and fruity.