As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Quarantine Cooking


One thing about          all three of us          being inside          all the time 

is that there is time (and desire) to cook and enjoy nice meals together. 

One of the projects I had planned to over the winter was organizing my recipe collection, but winter was busy-busy and I never got around to it. Now, however, time is something that I do have so I am slowly sifting through my loose recipes, putting them into my recipe binders according to category, and weeding out many recipes that I have not used since I put them in those binders seven or eight years ago. In the process, I am finding some new recipes to try.

We're trying not to go to the grocery store more often than necessary, so when we have a heap of kale or big bundles of asparagus or a box of mushrooms, I find ways to use them in different dishes. So in addition to trying new recipes, I am cooking creatively to use what I have. 

roasted chicken, potatoes, garlic, and rosemary: roasted asparagus

orecchiette with Alfredo sauce, mushrooms, and asparagus


I am also taking requests, so I am making some tried-and-true dishes too. (Lots of soup!) 

I often double my amounts, sometimes getting two (or even three!) meals out of one dish or one pot of soup. We also like eating leftovers for lunch. 

vegetable-beef soup with popovers

copycat recipe ~ Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana
(We thought it tasted like the real deal)


If the evening is warm, we eat on the sun porch, enjoying the fresh air and the birdsong.

I like to use my pretty dishes. As always, and maybe even more so during self-isolation, dinnertime is a special time of the day, a time to connect, a time to celebrate God's good gifts. 

 slow cooker pork and sauerkraut


One thing that I am not doing is baking. There are only three of us, and Ron is diabetic, so we don't need large amounts of carbs and sweets. We bake when we have gatherings, but . . . social isolation. (I'm not saying that we have no sweets in the house and I am not saying that Bekah and I have not eaten a whole package of Pepperidge Farm cookies. Just that we are not baking.)


sliders with leftover pork; salad





This is one of the tried-and-true recipes . . . a favorite soup introduced to us years ago by my dear daughter-in-law Sarah. Before she and Ryan were even dating, she brought it to a church soup supper and it was a hit! It is a true comfort food, creamy and full of flavor. I have made it countless times and it never fails to bring a smile. 




SARAH'S CREAMY CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:

1 small onion
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups chicken broth
3 medium carrots, peeled, ¼-inch slices
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 cups cooked chicken
2 tablespoons parsley
salt/pepper to taste
 ¼ flour
1 cup milk
1 8-oz. package cream cheese


Directions:

1) Saute onion and butter.

2) Add broth, carrots, and potatoes. Bring to boil.

3) Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

4) Add chicken, salt, pepper, and parsley; heat through.

5) Combine flour and milk until smooth. Add and bring to boil. Cook and stir until thick.

6) Reduce heat; add cream cheese. Stir until melted.


NOTES: 
~ I always double this recipe (or more if we're having guests). It is so good that I want leftovers!
~ Potatoes can be peeled or unpeeled.
~ We kind of like it when the cream cheese is almost-but-not-quite melted. 






What is happening in your quarantine kitchen? Are you cooking more? Less? Are you baking yummy things? Do tell! 


38 comments:

  1. Definitely no baking here as I am only one. I make very easy meals for myself...eggs, soup, sandwiches, toast. The kids are good at doing my shopping for me as they don’t want me in the grocery store. I am going to try online shopping and picking up my order at the store.

    Your meals look so delicious. I’d be tempted to try the Olive Garden soup as I so enjoy their soups, though I have never had that particular one.

    Think of you folks often...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh how you have warmed my heart tonight, Vee . . . knowing that you think of us. I think of you too, my thoughts often accompanied with prayer! ❤

      Your easy meals sound just right, and I love that your kids are shopping for you! Wish I could send you a bowl of the Zuppa Toscana. (Of course, it is all gone, but I'd make it again if I could get it to you!)

      Delete
  2. Okay. After I quarantine for 14 days can I come live with you. I could stay on the porch! Love your quarantine kitchen creations! We are all hoping we don't fall victim to the Quarantine 15! Gaining 15 pounds we don't need. LOL. Such a feast for my eyes to see these dishes and ideas for meals!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Come, come! But I won't let you stay on the sun porch alone . . . we'd have far too much to talk about, wouldn't we?

      Indeed, I hope not to fall victim to the Quarantine 15! Some days, I fear that I will; some days I do okay. 😂

      Delete
  3. Your meals look delicious! Although I cook each night, I am a very simple cook. It hurts so much to stand at the stove that I make things that take 30 minutes or less. I do bake though. I have made biscuits twice and will be making muffins soon, maybe tomorrow, for breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No shame in simple meals! I have seen some of your meals on your blog and they always look delicious! My people would probably love to come to your house for breakfast!

      Delete
  4. Love your menu suggestions and the photos to go with them. I have made your Chicken Rice Soup that you posted a good while back. I really like it and it is easy..I love easy. Stay well, blessings, Sharon D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you have enjoyed the Chicken Rice Soup! As I have been going through my recipes lately, I have tossed out a great many that looked delicious but did not look easy and so I doubted that I'd ever make them . . . not when there are plenty of yummy and easy things to cook!

      May you and yours stay well, Sharon!

      Delete
  5. I have been trying some new recipes that different food bloggers post. One of my favorite blogs is Iowa Girl Eats. She cooks gluten free but I still use her recipes. She has the best Chicken Noodle Soup and her husband Ben has a recipe called Ben's Beef Stew. Both are Delicious. Love the pictures of the food you posted.

    I am doing what you are doing going through recipes and getting rid of cookbooks. Heavens I never realized how many I had.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is crazy how those recipes accumulate, isn't it?! That said, I think I need to check out Iowa Girl Eats! Thanks for the recommendation, Michelle!

      Delete
  6. Cheryl, your yummy food is making me hungry even at this hour. Since returning home from our adventure I've been trying to get back to some normalcy in our kitchen. Grayden has come to the rescue by grilling several meals as the weather has permitted. I do intend to follow your lead and clean out my recipes. I must confess to printing new ones and shoving them in a drawer. Not a pretty sight! It's always inspiring to visit with you, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Martha Ellen, it is so hard to get back our cooking mojo after a break. Or after a move, in my case! For some reason, it took me forever to feel "at home" in this kitchen. (Not the rest of the house. Just the kitchen.) Kudos to Grayden for grilling! That is always a treat!

      Thank you for your kind words, friend! (If you could see how long it is taking me to organize these recipes, I'm not sure you'd be inspired. 😉)

      Delete
  7. Your food pictures are wonderful! And I love your dishes. I'm going to print out Sarah's Creamy Chicken Soup and give that a go. Thanks for the recipe! I think a lot of us are eating good out of our freezers and pantries right now. ;^)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Becki! Hope you enjoy the soup . . . I think you will!

      Delete
  8. Inspiring post! I am enjoying cooking, but having trouble getting food in the house. I am doing WM curbside but it's hard to get a time slot. So that part is frustrating when I want to make an old favorite and don't have ingredients. We use a lot of ground turkey in recipes and I have not been able to buy that for almost two weeks. None of the stores have it for long, if they even get it. But in general I am loving this time at home and all the benefits. Love seeing families taking walks, and seeing all the exhausted dogs who are getting far more walks than they are used to! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That would be frustrating, Dotsie. Ron is doing a grocery run once per week and has found most items we need (or an acceptable substitute) for cooking. Paper towels or Clorox wipes is another story . . .

      We homebodies are making out better than some. I never thought about the dogs getting all those walks! (Our cat's life is basically the same . . . except that we are all here every day.)

      Delete
  9. OH! Cheryl, the dishes look absolutely delicious, now i am planning to go to the kitchen to prepare something, last evening I made some real comfort food, southern fried chicken, english peas, homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, and homemade biscuits., no leftovers. ~wink~
    Sarah's soup sounds delicious too, I think the cream cheese just might be the secret ingredient.I will copy, thank you for sharing,
    Thank you for visiting and for your sweet comment.
    Blessings,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like some good eating at your house! Not surprised that there were no leftovers!

      Yes, the cream cheese is definitely the secret ingredient in Sarah's soup. Hope you enjoy it!

      Delete
  10. Ha! You saw what we had last night for dinner...breakfast! I had some leftover potatoes that were starting to go bad, so I boiled them and kept in the refrigerator to use through out the week. Blueberries from the freezer for Blueberry pancakes. And thankfully we still have lots of jars of home canned peaches from the summer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I did see your breakfast-for-dinner on your IG feed. Yum!

      Great way to save that produce!

      Delete
  11. Okay, I have got to try that soup recipe. I had a few whole chickens in the deep freeze so I will start one defrosting today. Would you believe I just tried orecchiette pasta for the first time recently? It was recommended on a Food Network show as a favorite pasta for mac and cheese. I could only find it at one grocery store here and I bought a box before the pasta shelves were emptied. I will definitely be buying more. My daughter, daughter-in-law, and I have all commented on the extra baking we are doing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brenda, I feel confident that you will enjoy Sarah's soup!

      Thanks for the recommendation to use orecchiette pasta in mac and cheese. I will definitely try that! I love trying different pasta shapes, so I happened upon orecchiette because it was cute! (How's that for a cooking tip? Haha!)

      Delete
  12. That creamy chicken soup does sound wonderful and I think that I have everything on hand that I would need to prepare it.

    We have been eating a lot of soups and also very simple meals like baked potatoes with chili, or frittatas and omelets, that sort of thing.

    My hubby tried his hand at baking oatmeal bread last week, and that turned out very well. He plans to bake more this week.

    We are eating very well, and our freezer and pantry are well stocked.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mrs. T, hose are exactly the kind of meals that I like . . . soups, frittatas, one-dish meals. Oatmeal bread sounds tempting too! Mmmmmm! Kudos to your hubby!

      Delete
  13. Your quarantine meals sound delicious! I've been trying a few new things, too, but never seem to remember to take photos. I'm going to check out the Zuppa Toscana, as that appeals just now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lorrie! I have photos of food, our cat (he's photogenic), and our remodeled bedroom in my recent pics. Not sure what that says about my life . . . 😉



      Delete
  14. I made your Zuppa Toscana for dinner tonight, and... oh my goodness, was that good! We had salad and crusty bread on the side, and now here I am thinking about those leftovers in the fridge. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Melissa! We thought it was a great copycat recipe. Zuppa Toscana is Ron's favorite Olive Garden soup, and he thought the copycat version tasted as good as the original!

      Delete
  15. OH MY!!........
    I think I gain some weight just looking at your dinners!
    We haven't gone out of our home in two weeks and don't plan on for another 3 weeks. Now is the time to do a deep clean on it!

    Your dinners look so yummy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With all of this time inside, we're able to cook and clean . . . although I must confess that I've found more joy in cooking lately. We are naturally pretty tidy, but I need to find some motivation to do some of the deep cleaning you're talking about. I haven't found it yet! 😬

      Delete
  16. oh my goodness what gorgeous groceries! thank you for your daughter-in-love's soup recipe .. I WILL make it w/in the next two weeks. popovers -- swOon. i'm cooking. a lot. and baking though I shouldn't be making sweets as the hubs is borderline diabetic and too much sugar isn't exactly great for me either. making bread though - and tortillas. I refuse to purchase store bought bread any longer. snowed again last night but we're anticipating 5 days of mostly sun very soon. and a bit warmer temps. looking forward. sheltering in place is easy when you live in an unpopulated forested area. double swOon. but we're still taking precautions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Precautions are good, and it seems like our creativity is stimulated by not running to the store so often. (Well, mine is. You are a creative cook always!) Ooooo . . . homemade bread at your house!

      Delete
  17. Cheryl, I've been cooking constantly. A nice dinner is a real morale booster for Mr Delightful. And for me. But I could use a break--can you deliver some of those great meals you're making?! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jean, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could share?!

      Delete
  18. I wonder if a person could add fresh spinach instead of the kale? I'm going to plan spinach in my garden. Planted kale a few years ago and had a bonanza crop but didn't care for the flavor... gave it away!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the Zuppa Toscana? I don't see why you can't use spinach. In fact, I used to make a similar soup that had spinach in it. Of course, the texture will be different as kale is firmer, but it will still be yummy!

      Delete
  19. I am enjoying catching up with your posts! The food looks amazing! I think that I will give the pasta with mushrooms and asparagus a try.
    We are limiting our baking too. 😊

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...