Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Comfort Foods

Snow day!  It's a good day to stay home and be cozy.


Cozy day, cozy foods.  For breakfast, oatmeal with butter and brown sugar.  Craig had never heard of eating it that way before we were married.  Is that something that I got from growing up in Canada?  Regardless, if you haven't tried it that way, you really must.  Yum, yum!

I didn't get a photo of our steaming bowls of porridge, so you will have to be content with a picture of the raw oats.


Last night for supper, when three out of five of us were in various stages of tummy discomfort, I made a very simple chicken and rice soup.  I just boiled and chopped a couple chicken breasts, added it to three quarts of broth,  added 3/4 cup of long grain white rice, and simmered 20 minutes until the rice was cooked.

When making a quick soup like this, particularly if there isn't much added flavor other than the broth, I recommend using a soup base rather than bouillon or canned broth.   It's much richer (and this brand adds no MSG).

 After the kids come in from playing in the snow, we'll make some hot chocolate.  My favorite recipe is made with sweetened condensed milk (I usually replace some of the water with regular milk).  Serve with lots of whipped cream!



For lunch, we'll have the left-over soup and grilled cheese.  The baking method makes it easy to make toasted cheese sandwiches for a bunch of people at one time.



For supper, I'm planning to make meatloaf.  I'm excited to get to mix it up with the stand mixer I got for Christmas.  Doing it by hand always froze my hands to the point of pain!  Here's my favorite meatloaf recipe:

Combine in large bowl, and reserve 4T:
1/2 cup ketchup, 2 T brown sugar, 1/2 tsp ground mustard

To the remaining above mixture, add:
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp seasoned salt, 1-1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 egg

Add 1-1/2 lbs ground beef and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.  Combine well, form into a loaf, and bake at 350 degrees for 65 minutes.  Top with reserved ketchup mixture and bake 15 more minutes.

The kids like it because there are no chunks of veggies.  I like the piquant flavor.  And if there are any leftovers, you know what that means.  Meatloaf sandwiches for lunch the next day!


I hope you have a comfort food kind of day, too!
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18 comments:

Leah said...

thank you for the grilled cheese recipe!! my daughter HATES grilled cheese because i always burn it.. ;) but she should enjoy this one.

FrouFrouBritches said...

Oh my! I've never heard of this recipe for hot chocolate. Eagle Brand is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world!!!! MMMMM! Thanks! I'll give it a try! As far as the oatmeal, I usually HATE oatmeal, but with butter and brown sugar is the ONLY way I'll eat it.

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

Holly, you're making me soooo hungry, lol!

Oatmeal is the best in this weather!

S
xo

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Those sandwiches look sooooo good. I haven't had lunch yet, and now I'm drooling. ;)

Tricia said...

As if I was not already hungry enough.... ;)
Thanks for the recipes, love.

xo*t

Stephanie said...

I never thought of making several grilled-cheese sandwiches all at once in the oven... genius! Thanks for the helpful tip!! Now I'm craving one and while I have all the ingredients for the sandwich, I'll have to run out for the tomato soup!! Can't do without it ;)

Melinda said...

ALL RIGHT! Now I am REALLY hungry. Minus the oatmeal i take a taste of the rest.
We are having Veggie beef soup tonight with bisquits.

Happy Eating.

Melinda

Mindy said...

Ahhh. One cannot go wrong wih grilled cheese. Just had one, with bacon. Yum!! ~Mindy

Rustown Mom said...

I am sooo jealous of all that lovely snow - all we have here is sunshine and 40 degrees at night...): I love making soups in the crock when it's cold. And a pot of beans with the leftover ham bone from Christmas cannot be beat! Tonight I let Stouffer's do the cooking, but your meatloaf recipe sounds divine. And YES, I eat my oatmeal with butter, brown sugar, and evap milk! YUM!

Richella Parham said...

I didn't know you grew up in Canada! What province? No wonder you're so interesting! :) Do you miss Tim Horton's?

You are a dab hand at comfort food, I must say! Wow! And aren't you so glad you have a stand mixer? I'm not sure what I'd do without mine--you'll find you use it more and more!

Ellyn said...

I have never had porridge with butter and brown sugar and prefer it with milk and little brown sugar... I to thank you for the idea of baking grilled cheese sandwiches - wonderful idea for a group! Thanks.
...Ellyn

Tania Pelletier said...

I eat my oatmeal with brown sugar (not the butter) and milk! I'm in Washington state!!

Tania

Amber said...

Ok, I thought I was the only person whose hands absolutely froze when mixing up meatloaf! Glad to know it's not just me - I always have my kitchen sink water running with warm water while mixing :)

Mrs Mary Joy Pershing said...

I love your recipe for grilled cheese in the oven!!! I hate making it on the stove! Always burn at least one of them! And this way they will all be done at the same time! You are SO smart! :D I must try it!

Have a great night! Stay cozy and warm...temps are dropping out there!

Building Home with Him,

Mary Joy

Paula@SweetPea said...

Oatmeal with brown sugar is the only way I can eat it. A cold day like this one is the perfect time for it.

Do you know that I have never made meatloaf? Just the other day my husband requested it. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Erin @ Two Story Cottage said...

I'm visiting from the CSI project! I did not know you could bake a grilled cheese - why didn't I think of that?? I will have to try it. Thank you! :)

Karen At Home Blog said...

Hi Holly, your home and neighborhood remind me so much of my own. We have a brand new builder home too in a master planned neighborhood.

BTW, you do not look 40!!!!

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Janet, said...

Everything looks so good. Seems I always want home made soup or chili on cold snowy days. With all that snow, have you ever made snow cream for the kids (and the adults)? It's delicious.