Guest Post: Paying Homage to Mom's Cooking

We all remember the cooking of the women in our lives, right? I have fond memories of oat bran muffins, Thanksgiving feasts, and blueberry coffee cake. Stephen is here to talk to us about good ol' pot roast. A while back, I discussed why I never use canned cream of mushroom soup. Were I to make what I call a Heritage Recipe -- that is, one from my culinary heritage, I wouldn't be inclined to change it. If it called for cream of ___ soup, that's what I'd use. Stephen gives us a good example of a recipe from his culinary heritage that uses such a soup.

Stephen, by the way, writes at The Obsessive Chef. He lives in Denver, Colorado. Thank you, Stephen, for sharing this mouth-watering dish with us.

Pot roast Mom's way

Talk about brown food! When I was a kid my mother regularly made pot roast for Sunday dinner. It went into the oven before we went to church and was ready to eat by about 1 pm.



You can see this hunk o' meat was pretty big (took this snap after dinner). About 4 pounds in fact. It's original price was just over $16. I got it on sale for $5 from the manager's specials bin at Safeway. The reason the price was reduced was that it's "last date of sale" was yesterday. But with beef or lamb I don't consider the date specific deadline to be of any importance whatsoever. With pork or poultry I feel differently of course.



The meat has been chilled and you can see more residual congealed fat in the bottom of the container. I'll skim off more of that when I reheat it for dinner tonight.



After researching various pot roast methods I happened on one that I just had to do. It mimics the way my mom cooked our pot roasts lo these many years ago. The only real difference is the wine. She didn't use it. Whether or not she used some chicken stock or not I really don't remember.



When the casserole came out of the oven, I was surprised by how much liquid there was.

Solution? Gravy.







Pot roast mom’s way


1 7-bone chuck pot roast, about 4 lbs.


1 package dry onion soup mix


1 can undiluted mushroom soup


1 ½ cups red wine


water and flour as needed






Preheat oven to 300°.






Place pot roast in a casserole just large enough to hold it. On top of meat put onion soup mix and mushroom soup concentrate. Pour wine around meat.






Cover with foil and seal tightly. Bake for 1 hour then reduce oven to 250°. Continue baking for 3 more hours.






Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature (or put it outside if the weather’s cold). Refrigerate until the fat congeals. Scrape up fat and discard. Pour liquid into an adequately sized sauce pan for gravy.






Taste and dilute with water as necessary (mine was extremely salty and strong – I added about ¾ cup of water). Bring to a boil. Whisk in about 1 tbsp flour per (estimated) cup of liquid. It takes more time and more flour here in mile-high Denver). Keep at a strong simmer and keep whisking until the gravy thickens.

Guest Post: Solar Cooking

Hi Friends!

Today, Sharlene is going to talk to us about cooking with the power of the sun. I hope you'll enjoy what she has to say. I know I'm fascinated by the prospect of solar cooking and one day, I plan to try it out for myself!

Solar Cooking is Cutting Edge Green, Healthy, and FREE!




First of all, I really want to thank Michelle for the invitation to guest blog on All Home Cooking. All Year Long. It's always fun to meet new people and in BlogLand, it's a special joy.



Some of you may know me but, for those who don't, let me introduce myself. I'm Sharlene Thomas and the author of "A Month of SUNdays - Solar Cooking at Home." My focus is bringing solar cooking to mainstream cooks so that you can enjoy all the health and financial benefits I've enjoyed since discovering this fantastic way of preparing my meals. And, like Michelle, it's all home cooking. I would love to have you visit my blog for more information and recipes.



Let me make it clear, up front, I'm not asking anybody to get rid of their stoves or other kitchen appliances. No way! I'm simply asking that you consider adding a solar oven to your cooking arsenal to put money in your pocket, as well as help keep America green.




All you have to do is invest the same time and energy you do in preparing your current meals. Food preparation is no different from what you are already doing. Just follow your recipe and use the solar oven when it's time for the long-cooking process. Because so many people think of solar cooking primarily for camping, I work hard to make sure that my recipes include all types of cooking: down-home, original and gourment recipes, frozen and prepackaged mixes, as well. For a great introduction to solar cooking, check out my original Roasted Whole Chicken on a Celery Rack.

A solar oven can do everything a conventional oven can do -- but the fuel is FREE -- and, with care, your oven can last 20 or 30 years. Now, that is some serious money in your pocket. Need an example of what can happen to your energy bill? Check this post.

Tired of people complaining about your food or making you feel bad, check out my posting "An Honest Opinion is a Matter of Taste" to feel better.

Having a garden can only enhance home cooking. Want an easy way to plant a garden, anywhere, for fresh veggies and fruit, without the backbreaking labor? Check out this post, "Save Your Back - Use Lasagna Gardening." There's nothing like fresh veggies to make a meal sparkle.

Do yourself a favor and find out how many sunny days and partially-sunny days you have available in your state (we have 272 in NC!) and take advantage of the benefits of solar cooking. You will definitely see a difference in your utility bill and, not only will you be doing your part in saving our fossil fuels, you'll love the food!

Guest Post: Feeding a Family with Allergies

The wonderfully adaptable Kim from Something Worth Sharing is going to talk to us about living with food allergies today.


Allergies & Me



I had so much to learn. Little did I know when my third son was diagnosed with a severe and life-threatening allergy to eggs in 2007 that it was only the start of an ongoing journey with allergies. Fast forward to 2010 and we have added many more food and non-food allergies, had several anaphylactic reactions (one where I used the EpiPen and had a ride with my second son in the ambulance to our Children’s Hospital) and done lots of my own learning as well as educating family and friends about food allergies! Three of my 4 children have food allergies that now include: eggs, dairy, peanut/nuts, sesame, kiwi, barley and rice. And so, our journey began and where are we today? Well, today we’ve learned how to shop and read labels (every time) to ensure safety for our children. Who would have thought that dairy proteins can lurk in deli meat, in most baking and even in hand soaps?


I have also learned how to cook and bake safely. Sometimes things don’t turn out (like the time I made Alfredo sauce with Vanilla Soy milk...it was OK, just a little sweet!) but for the most part my kids gobble up what I make and tell me it’s the best. That makes it all so worth it. I do all my own baking – bread, hot dog buns, cinnamon buns, cakes, muffins, granola, cookies and more!

And I ALWAYS make is safe for ALL my kids. I’ve learned to use soy milk in place of regular milk, egg replacer or egg substitutes for eggs and alternatives for butter. I LOVE THE CHALLENGE of creating safe food for my children. Not only do I strive to make it safe, but I try and make it nutritious, economical and fun (I always secretly hope that other children are jealous of the food my kids are eating!).


Well, this is a food blog, so I’m sure you waiting with held breath for a recipe...breathe now! Here are some yummy “Cream Cookies” that my mom made me as I was growing up. Mine are adapted (see substitutions in brackets) to be safe...and yummy! These are the perfect cookie to make with the kids and are great made into fun shapes and iced with funky coloured icing. They freeze well...if they make it to the freezer. Enjoy!

CREAM COOKIES


Cream together:


2 cups sugar


1 cup softened butter (I use dairy free Fleishmann’s margarine)


Add:


1 cup milk (I use soy milk, you could also try with almond or rice milk)


2 eggs (I use Celimix Egg replacer)

Stir In:


2tsp baking soda


4 cups flour


**you will have to add more flour until a soft dough is formed.


Chill dough to make rolling out easier. Roll about ¼ inch thick and cut into shapes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Cool on rack, ice and eat!

About Me: I am a mom to 4 energetic and lovable children. We have food allergies, but try not to let it run our life. Life is do-able with allergies. It just takes planning. I also work part-time as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. I love BOTH my jobs! I love the challenge of creating food for my family and friends.

Hot Outside? Time for Ice Cream!

Head on over to Mandy's Recipe Box where you'll find me talking about three different frozen treats to keep you cool this summer. :)

Come Check it Out

Keli at Feeding Four asked me to guest post on her blog. Won't you head on over and check it out? Keli uses coupons, sales matching, and rebates to feed her family of four on $25 a week! I was honored when she asked me to write an article for her blog.
So head on over there for an excellent recipe and money-saving tips on buying in the meat department.