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A Life From Scratch.

A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

A letter to M.

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Dear M:

Ok, for the past month or so I feel like you’ve been dealt the short end of the stick around here. Somehow every weekend has produced a rather long honey to do list. I promise once spring passes it will get shorter. I just feel like things need. to. be. done. now. I can’t feel like I am fully to blame here as I recall you waking ME up one rainy Saturday morning all bright eyed and bushy tailed asking me what was on the project to do list for the day. Regardless though, it’s been a lot on your plate. It’s never a good sign when you become on a first name basis with the guys at Ace Hardware and Home Depot.

Somehow you have completely maintained not one but two homes, painted 3 rooms and a ceiling, installed lighting and fans, repaired a broken sink faucet, distressed and painted 3 pieces of furniture (they totally rock!), replaced doors, locks, and screens all the while keeping up with your actual white collar job that involves transporting yourself to the city daily so we can afford all of the above. Oh and in the midst of all this we are hosting Easter….sooo….obviously that involves some sort of work in the yard. Please don’t hate me.

The icing on the cake? While I was still snoozing away in my deep Easter coma Monday morning you were up at 5AM for a flight out of Midway to Salt Lake City. If I were you at that point I would have probably thought something along the lines of ‘I hate my life.’ So, here is my thank you to you. I knew you had to come home to something special – something that I would never make myself for dinner but that was purely an unselfish act to show my gratitude for all your hard work. I hope you enjoy as much as you enjoy the upcoming weekend that has absolutely nothing on the calendar. Oh wait – I think you want to replace 10 doors in our home. That’s your call.

Love,
C

A note on the meatloaf for M:

First of all, I know. Stop shuddering. I have never been a fan but this one is different. It’s wrapped in bacon. And there is a brown sugar glaze you spread on the top and slowly add more while it is baking away. Killer. The smell alone is worth it, never mind the look on M’s face when he saw what was waiting for him when he walked in the home. Need to make a guy smile? Here lies your answer.

Meatloaf
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lbs ground beef
  2. 3 slices plain white bread
  3. 1/2 cup whole milk
  4. 2 eggs, beaten
  5. 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
  6. 1 large garlic clove, minced
  7. salt & pepper
  8. bacon, about 6 thin slices
  9. 1 1/2 cup ketchup
  10. 1/3 cup brown sugar
  11. tabasco, as much as you'd like
  12. 1/2 tsp dry mustard
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Pour milk over your bread slices and allow to soak for a few minutes.
  3. Combine all ingredients, up until the bacon, together in a large bowl. With clean hands mix away!
  4. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a broiler pan on top of your baking sheet and form your meat mixture into a loaf on top. (This way all the grease from the meats will drip down!). Take your bacon slices and wrap around the top of the loaf, tucking the edges underneath.
  5. Mix together the remaining ingredients to form your glaze and pour about 1/3 cup over the top and use a spoon to cover evenly. Bake for 45 minutes. Take out, pour another 1/3 cup over and bake for an additional 15 minutes until nice and browned all over.
  6. Use the remaining sauce for serving on the side.
Adapted from Pioneer Woman
Adapted from Pioneer Woman
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Perfect with mashed potatoes for dipping and a 37 degree Chicago night.

Courtney

The perfect 50 degree meal.

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After our unexpected wave of summer weather we have settled back down into the lower 50’s/60’s. Cooking went from outside on the grill to inside on the stove the other evening when I decided to make this cozy skillet meal. It’s perfect for those not too cold yet not too warm nights. A lighter comfort meal, if you would.

This meal was inspired from a ‘Real Simple’ recipe (love) yet once I got into it I ended up changing quite a bit for some reason…apparently I was in a creative mood. Cooking a meal all in a skillet can do that to me. I tend to get oddly giddy over one pot meals…hello easy clean up!

Anyways, the end result turned out awesome. We inhaled it. My only complaint? Nothing leftover for lunch the next day.

Skillet Sausage
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 TBS olive oil, plus 1 TSP olive oil
  2. 1 lbs Italian Sausage (or chicken Italian sausage, my preference)
  3. 1/2 onion, chopped
  4. 3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  5. 3 celery stalk, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  6. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  7. 2 bunches swiss chard, or kale
  8. 2 15.5 ounce cans cannelloni beans, rinsed and mostly drained
  9. kosher salt & black pepper
  10. 1/2 cup or so panko bread crumbs (use as many as you'd like)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Cut your sausages into large chunks (roughly 3-4 inches) if not already linked. Add them to the warmed skillet and brown on all sides for 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Lower your heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened. Add in your garlic at the end and give it a good stir. Add in your chard or kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the beans, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 tsp of pepper and salt to the skillet. Nestle the sausages back in the beans and bring to a boil.
  5. In a small bowl combine your panko bread crumbs with the remaining tsp of so of olive oil. Sprinkle over the skillet. Add a few more for good measure and extra crunch!
  6. Transfer the skillet to your oven and bake until golden, 25 - 30 minutes.
Adapted from Real Simple
Adapted from Real Simple
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Makes 50 degrees totally doable, right?
Courtney

The secret’s in the sauce.

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If you’ve been reading my blog for some time now, you’ll know I tend to take a laid back approach when it comes to cooking. Yes, I have my over the top moments, but in general I’m all about shortcuts and finding great staple recipes for those evening rushes.

I set out to make homemade enchiladas yesterday afternoon to bring over to M’s dad’s for dinner together. I found that a lot of the recipes called for enchilada sauce ‘from the can.’ After a bit of reading I found this homemade enchilada sauce and knew I stumbled upon something special. This was not the time for short cuts!

If you start with this rockstar sauce and purchase some really good tortillas, you’re set up for one heck of a dinner. Use your imagination from there. As M’s parents had chicken the night before I choose a lean ground beef with lots of veggies. You could use shredded chicken or even go vegetarian by using only cheese or simply veggies. The choice is yours.

Once you get the routine down these came together pretty quickly. Make sure you make all 12 – or even more if you can squeeze them in your dish. There was not a spec left after dinner. A true sign of blog worthy recipe!

Homemade Enchiladas
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Ingredients
  1. You’ll need about 2.5 cups enchilada sauce, homemade or from a can
  2. 2 TBS canola oil
  3. 1 lbs lean ground beef
  4. 1 large onion, small dice
  5. 1 zucchini, small dice
  6. 1 cup corn
  7. 12 corn tortillas (find ones that contain wheat, as they are easier to roll)
  8. 2-3 good handfuls of shredded cheddar
  9. shredded ice berg lettuce, for serving
  10. avocado, sliced, for serving
  11. sour cream, for serving
Instructions
  1. Make your sauce, if you are choosing to make it homemade.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the ground beef until lightly browned. Drain off the excess fat.
  4. Add your veggies to the mix and sauté until softened, just 3-4 minutes.
  5. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with non stick spray. Spoon in ½ cup or so of the sauce along the bottom of the baking dish and spread around evenly with a spoon.
  6. Take a tortilla, fill it with a small amount of your meat and veggie mixture, a sprinkle of cheese, and a TBS or so of your sauce. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in your baking dish. Repeat with your remaining tortillas.
  7. Top your rolled enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven. Take off the foil, add a few handfuls of cheese, and bake for 5 minutes more to melt the cheese.
  8. To keep things a bit lighter, I served them a top shredded ice berg lettuce, sliced avocado, and a small dollop of sour cream. Yet of course you could go the traditional route of beans and rice, no one is judging you.
Notes
  1. Homemade enchilada sauce recipe: http://www.recipegirl.com/2006/05/01/enchilada-sauce/
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Hey, I’ll admit it – I ate 3 and wanted more!
Courtney

‘Ropa Vieja.’

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We had a really great meal last night. It was a sloooow cooked Cuban braised beef and pepper stew. The recipe was a twist on the classic Cuban dish called ‘Ropa Vieja.’ In Spanish (as long as we are trying to practice that in our home) it means “old clothes.” The slow cooking process of the meat and colored vegetables literally makes them fall apart, thus resembling a jumble of rags.

And what a tasty jumble of rags indeed! I think this is my first slow-cooker meal I have posted on this site. While I do tend to use mine from time to time I really do prefer cooking as the best way to unwind at the end of the day. This meal reminded me though how wonderful it can be to throw everything in a pot, leave for the day, and come home to not only a delicious smelling home but an absolutely delicious meal.

This recipe calls to be served over white rice. I upped the health factor a bit by using brown. When it was all together and assembled it was kind of like making your own burrito bowl at home. Dig in and enjoy – Andale!

Slow-Cooker Cuban Braised Beef & Peppers
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  2. 2 red bell peppers, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
  3. 1 onion, cut into 8 large wedges
  4. 2 tsp dried oregano
  5. 2 tsp ground cumin
  6. 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  7. 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  8. 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, cut crosswise into 3 pieces
  9. 1 cup long grain rice, white or brown
  10. 1 avocado, sliced
  11. freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
  1. In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients up until the meat.
  2. Nestle the flank steak in the vegetables and cook, covered, until it is tender and pulls apart easily. (High for 4-5 hours, low for 7-8 hours).
  3. Cook your rice according to the package directions.
  4. Using two forks, shred the beef and fold it gently into the cooking liquid. Serve upon the rice and top with the avocado and cilantro.
Adapted from Real Simple
Adapted from Real Simple
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Chiptole, at home!
Courtney

A new trick for up your sleeve.

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I’m a firm believer in the statement that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Approaching 8 years of marriage I can say one of my strongest points is my kitchen abilities. I am the first to recognize that at times I’m not always a peach to live with so somehow this is all working out A OK thanks to what I can produce for our table. I always have that to fall back on.

So the statement, to me, is very true. But you don’t have to always go with the stomach – sometimes it can just start with a smell. And that’s where this little trick comes in.

I can almost guarantee you that if you make this, and put it in your oven at the appropriate time, and your significant other walks in the door that you will have won him/her over. The smell alone will make them swoon and forget that you never ever remember to turn off your curling iron or keep your car clean or bring out the garbage when he travels or that you might have made one too many purchases at say, J Crew or Nordstroms.

The timing has to be right though, so be sure to coordinate with their schedule. I made sure I knew what train M was on, got the oven ready, and then slid my creation into the oven once I knew he’d be in his car driving home. Like clockwork 15 minutes later he walked in the door to what can only be described as one of the best smells in the world. Yes, I’ve still got it.

What IS this creation I’m talking about? Well, it comes from my mom – so we know it’s good. She gave us these amazing blueberry muffins and the best black bean soup ever. This time it’s her ‘California Mexicali Beans.’ I promise you, even if you aren’t a baked bean kind of person (I’m not) the smell alone will win you over. You’ll most likely have a bite or two…and then be hooked. Oh, and they are much better than your standard baked beans you think of sitting in a sad dish at a potluck.

Make them along the side of fajitas (locals, they make awesome ready to sizzle marinaded chicken or steak with veggies at Orchard Prime Meats in LZ), make them on a taco night, make them as a side to juicy burgers. They are crazy easy and your best sure fire bet to gain a point or two back with your significant other. Not that YOU need it….wink wink.

California Mexicali Beans
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Ingredients
  1. 2 16 ounce cans of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  2. 8 slices of thick bacon, diced and cooked
  3. 1/2 cup catsup
  4. 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  5. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  6. 1/2 tsp chili powder
  7. 1 onion, diced
  8. 1/2 tsp cumin seed
  9. 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees at just the right time.
  2. Combine all ingredients, except the cheese. Bake for 45 minutes in a covered casserole for 45 minutes. Sprinkle cheese all over the top. Cover again and bake for 15 additional minutes.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Promise it works.
Courtney

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