Jennifer has become one of those friends that you will probably never meet in person, but you know you can email at 1:00 AM. She has been my cheerleader through the past few years and helped me learn to deal with my infertility, cheered loudly when I announced my pregnancy, and has spent considerable time telling me what skirt to buy. Even though she lives far away in the very cold Midwest, I count her among my friends. Jennifer is a working mom to one of the most adorable little boys I’ve ever seen. Despite having a demanding job, she finds the time to get dinner on the table so her family can enjoy meals together. When she and I got to talking about guest posting for each other, I was so excited. Then she told me what she was writing, and I was even more excited. Elk stew? SOUNDS AMAZING.

Cooking with wild game is a fun way to add some variety to the dinner table. Elk is an incredibly versatile meat, and its nutritional value may surprise you. Elk is very lean and low in cholesterol. A side by side comparison of elk versus beef gives us some really good reason to choose elk over beef for meals like stew.

Protein:
Beef (USDA Choice) 22.0%
Elk: 22.8%

Fat:
Beef 6.5&
Elk 0.9%

Cholesterol (mg/100g):
Beef 72
Elk 67

Calories (Kcal/100g)
Beef 180
Elk 137

Source

Now that you have a handy list of reasons to love elk, let’s look at one more reason: this amazing recipe. As a native Wisconsinite – land of the eternal winters – I’m a big fan of a nice hearty meal on a cold winter day. Stew is absolutely one of my favorites. I substituted elk for beef one day, and with a few tweaks to the recipe, there’s no going back for my family: we love our elk stew. This is an extremely easy, flavorful dish that reheats well and is sure to satisfy on a cold day.

Ingredients:

2 lbs elk stew meat

4-5 potatoes

5-6 carrots

1 onion

2 tsp beef bouillon

Flour, salt and pepper.

If you have a dutch oven, you’ll want to bust it out for this recipe and get it ready by heating about a tablespoon of oil in it. Elk stew is such a rustic sounding meal that it deserves to be cooked in a cast iron dutch oven, preferably one that was hand-forged by your great grandfather and has been passed down from one generation to the next. If you don’t have that handy, a pot will do fine.

While your oil is heating, cut the elk meat into bite-sized chunks. Flour your elk, and season generously with pepper and a bit of salt. I’ve never been accused of under-peppering anything, but elk stew really doesn’t need a lot of assistance when it comes to flavor.

Toss the floured and seasoned elk into your pot, and sear the meat well. Warning: at this point, it starts to smell really, really good. If you live in an apartment, that knocking at your door right now is just your neighbors hoping for a dinner invitation. Go ahead, invite them in – this recipe serves plenty.

Once the meat is seared, add about 6 cups of water, the bouillon and the bay leaf, and stir well. Leave it to simmer for about an hour. This is the time where you go put your feet up, switch on some quality television, and fantasize about the awesome meal that’s on its way.

After you break from your culinary reverie, cut the veggies into bite-sized chunks and add them to the stew. You’ll want to cook them for about 30 minutes, or until tender. To thicken the stew, mix 1/2 cup of flour with 1 cup of cold water and add it to the stew, stirring well to ensure that the flour doesn’t clump. By now, there may be a hungry mob at your door – seriously, this stew smells amazing.

Serve over biscuits or with fresh-baked bread. Enjoy!

All weekend our weather was in the 70s.  We played outside, had the windows open, and left our jackets at home.  Samuel, Nathan, and I went to the park on Sunday before 6:00 Mass.  I can’t believe how much Samuel loves the park especially now that he can stand and explore everything.

Isn’t he adorable?

{and big.  he turned 7 months old on Saturday.}

After our lovely weekend, Monday brought rain and more rain.  Samuel and I didn’t leave the comfort of the indoors except to venture out to the mailbox during a break in the rain.  We read books, played blocks, and I spent considerable effort trying to keep him from climbing up the bookcase.

Sometimes it seems like I knew what the weather would be like when I planned the month’s meals.  Yesterday’s meal was planned as grilled cheese and creamy tomato soup.  There is nothing more perfect on a dreary and rainy day than soup.

I used a recipe from The Joy of Cooking as a starting point.  This version of the cookbook is from the library.  However, I am so excited that my mom has decided to give me her first edition copy of The Joy of Cooking to me.  It’s been in our family for some time, and I can’t wait until she brings it with her in March!  It is going to be so cool to look through it and see what pages are worn…

Creamy Tomato Soup {inspired by The Joy of Cooking}

Ingredients:

• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tbs oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1.  Pour the two cans of diced tomatoes with their liquid into a blender.  Puree for about 30 seconds.

2.  Add the heavy cream, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the blender.  Set to blend and mix for about 1 minute.

3.  Transfer the contents to a small saucepan.  Cook on medium for 5-7 minutes or until it starts to foam slightly.

4.  Serve with grilled cheese.

Grade: A-

Comments: Tomato soup is one of those things that is so very hard to screw up.  This was very good – probably one of the best soups I’ve ever made.  I know heavy cream isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but in this case, don’t substitute it for something lighter.  The heavy cream is what makes this recipe so perfect.  It gives the soup some body, and quite frankly, you’ll only need a cup or so and you’ll be full.  It is a very filling soup.

Things here have been a little hectic {ha!}.  I’m not sure how we’ve already hit Friday, but honestly it’s been one of those weeks.  It all comes together tomorrow with a dinner party we’re hosting for some friends for Foodbuzz’s 24×24.  Until then I’m running a tight ship over here.

When I’m busy I really rely on my menu plan.  I need it to organize my day and keep me from asking that pesky “what will we have tonight?” question.  This recipe sounded a lot better when I saw it in December.  By the time I got to dinner last night and looked at it again I wasn’t so sure.  My concerns were warranted.

Turkey & Vegetable Stew {adapted from MarthaStewart.com}

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato
• 3 cups water
• 1 14.5 ox can diced tomatoes
• 1 lb turkey breast
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 small head escarole

Directions:

1.  Cook the turkey breast according to the directions.

2.  Once the turkey has cooled, cut about 1/3 of it into chunks.  {Save the rest for sandwiches.}

3.  In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat.

4.  While the oil is heating, peel the sweet potato and cut into quarters.

5.  Add the sweet potato to the oil along with the water, canned tomatoes WITH liquid, oregano, and basil.

6.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cover.  Let simmer for 20 minutes.

7.  Add the turkey to the soup.  Let simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

8.  Cut the leaves from the escarole into bite-size pieces.

9.  Add the escarole to the soup.  Stir for 2-3 minutes.

10.  Serve.

Grade: C

Comments: This is probably the most disappointing thing I’ve made in a while.  I’m not quite sure why neither of us really liked it.  It just didn’t work.  I’m not sure if it was the sweet potatoes or not, but one of the flavors didn’t quite fit.  If I made this again I’d probably ditch the sweet potatoes and add carrots, celery, and green peppers.  Maybe even some zucchini.  The escarole and turkey were delicious together, so that works as a great base for a better stew in my opinion.

It looks like Atlanta is finally coming out from under the snow!  Nathan went into the office today, but he’ll be leaving around 4:00 to beat both the traffic and the refreezing of our neighborhood which is a disaster.  We live halfway up a hill, and there are cars parked all the way up and down it because they couldn’t make it up the ice.

We’ve been holed up inside for the most part.  The thing about moving from the North to the South is that we ditched a lot of our snow gear.  I happen to own a pair of boots that I got in college, but other than that we are now ill-equipped for this weather.  Instead of venturing outside we spent a lot of time reading, playing blocks with Samuel, and just relaxing.  It was nice to have Nathan home for a few extra days!

I got lucky, and this soup happened to fall on a snowy day.  It was the perfect meal to warm me up.  If you follow me on Twitter than you know Nathan told me he hated Clam Chowder AFTER I made it.  {Just FYI the entire month’s menu is hanging in our kitchen, so it isn’t like I sprung this}.  I didn’t really care though, because it means more leftovers for me!

New England Clam Chowder {adapted from Family Circle January 2011}

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup beef broth
• 12 oz canned clams {I used whole, but minced would work fine}
• 1 lb red skin potatoes
• 2 cups thawed frozen corn
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1.  In a large pot, heat the white wine and flour on medium heat for about 2 minutes.

2,  Cut the potatoes into medium size chunks.

3.  Stir milk and beef broth into the wine mixture. Drain the liquid from the clams and add one cup to the wine mixture.

4.  Add the potatoes to the pot and cover for 10 minutes.

5.  Add the clams, corn, and pepper to the pot.  Stir and simmer to heat through {about 8 minutes}.

6.  Serve!

Grade: B+

Comments: It doesn’t taste like the New England Clam Chowder you’d get at a restaurant, because it has been lightened up a little bit.  However, it was very good & perfect for a cold winter day.  I used beef broth instead of chicken or vegetable, because I think beef has more flavor.  You can use any of the three, but the beef seemed like it helped bring out the other flavors in the soup.  I also loved the corn.  Corn and clam go so well together, and this soup really proved that.  It is worth whipping up a batch to get through these last few cold weeks!

Yesterday was the perfect day to indulge in a little comfort food.  We were trying to settling back into routine after vacation, and I had so much to do I couldn’t be bothered with cooking a big dinner.  That’s why I love my crock pot.  Around noon I threw this food in, and it was done just as Nathan walked in the door around 6:30.

Something I need to do more of is make soups.  While I have made plenty, I almost feel like it is something I should work on getting into the menu every week.  With February rapidly approaching I may just try that out, because there is nothing better than a well made soup on a cool day.

Chicken Noodle Soup {adapted from Taste of Home: Slow Cooker}

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fat-free sodium-free chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 lb chicken
• 1 can mushrooms
• 2 carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 tbs basil
• 1 tbs oregano
• 1/2 tbs tarragon
• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles

Directions:

1.  Peel & chop the carrots.  Dump into the crock pot.

2.  Chop the celery.  Dump into the crock pot.

3.  Wash and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.  Place into the crock pot.

4.  In the crock pot add the chicken broth, undrained canned tomatoes, drained mushrooms, and spices.

5.  Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8-9 hours.

6.  10 minutes before the chicken is done, cook the egg noodles according to the package.

7.  Mix the egg noodles into the chicken mixture and let sit in the crock pot for 5 minutes.

8.  Serve!

Grade: B

Comments: This is a solid meal that was incredibly filling and tasty.  It did fall a little flat, but it isn’t anything an onion or a tbs of garlic couldn’t fix.  The nice thing about this recipe is that you could easily adjust the vegetables to your personal liking.  My favorite thing about chicken noodle soups isn’t so much the flavor as it is just its ability to make you feel good.  I’m definitely going to be making this again when cold season comes around {again}.

Back on November 5th I had a dinner party for Nathan’s birthday the day prior.

{Yes, I realize I am WAY behind on posts.  You should see my Word document reminding me of all of the recipes I haven’t posted yet.}

I was really excited for Nathan’s birthday this year.  This was the first time since we’ve been married he has actually been home for it.  Usually he is traveling for work most of November.  Even though he had been gone early in the month, he was back in time for his birthday!  We had some friends over, and I worked on gathering up some of Nathan’s favorite foods.  It explains the lack of cohesiveness in the menu.

To see the recipes, click on the dish.  It will take you to a Google Docs page.

MENU

Beverages

Sweetwater Brewery Festive Ale

Champagne

Soup

Vegetable Barley Soup

Main Course

Italian Pork Tenderloin

NY Strip Steak

{totally forgot to take a picture of this}

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Dessert

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Homemade Thin Mints

{this week’s menu is posted}

Hello, again!  I am still without a laptop cord, so you’re going to have to excuse me for posting recipes way out of order the next few days.  I’m working from Nathan’s laptop, and for some reason it won’t dowload pictures from my iPhone.  I’m hoping to get things back to normal after the holiday.

I had originally planned to do a giveaway today, but I realized that it may be best to wait until after Thanksgiving.  A lot of people travel for the holidays, and this is a sorority sister’s company so I want it to have maximum exposure! 

This past week has been crazy.  I went out for a girls’ night on Thursday to a Junior League event for the first time since Samuel was born.  It was fun to get out with just my friends for a night {usually he comes along}, and I definitely liked being able to get dressed without asking myself “is this easy to breastfeed in?”  My wardrobe is severely limited these days to things with v-necks, cardigans, and wrap dresses, so putting on a dress with a side zipper was a huge event.

We also took Samuel to get his Christmas pictures done so we can get on ordering our Christmas cards.  He was hilarious.  Funny story: we took him to see Santa, and he was awake the whole time we were in line.  About 10 minutes before it was our turn, he started fussing so I nursed him.  He was asleep within minutes.  He slept through sitting on Santa’s lap!  Nothing could wake him up.  The pictures are adorable, but I had been looking forward to seeing his reaction.  I guess next year!

Gingery Butternut Squash Soup {adapted from Family Circle November 2010}

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.  Peel and remove seeds from squash.  Cut into 2 inch chunks.

2.  In a crock pot, mix water, squash, and ginger.  Cook on high for 3 hours {or low for 6}.

3.  Using a slatted soup, remove squash from crock pot and put in a blender.

4.  Add broth to the squash in the blender.  Blend until smooth {about 30 seconds}.

5.  Put the contents of the blender back in the crock pot for 30 minutes.

6.  When serving top with a little cheddar cheese.

Grade: B+

Comments:  What a delicious fall meal!  I think fall soups are incredibly filling, and this was no exception.  I was definitely full after just a small bowl.  I’ve never thought to cook squash in the crock pot to prep for a soup, but it was nice to just throw it in there and come back to it later {I love my crock pot.  For real.}.  My only suggestion would be to add a little pesto or sour cream.  It is missing just a little something.  The best part about this meal?  An easy starter for Thanksgiving.

Let’s take a break from all of the pumpkin, apple, and chocolate recipes for a minute.  We need to focus on another fall staple: soup.

Soup is great, because you can usually make it pretty quickly on the stovetop or let it sit in a crock pot all day.  I love how hearty it is without being too filling, and it is the perfect end to a fall day.

A similar recipe has been sitting in my All Recipes account for quite some time.  I’ve been meaning to make it, but soup really is a fall dish so I held off.  Finally with October halfway over {!} it seemed acceptable.

Tomato Barley Soup {adapted from Allrecipes.com}

Ingredients:

• 3 celery stalks
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tomato
• 1 2/3 cup water
• 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 can sodium free vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup uncooked barley

Directions:

1.  Chop the celery.  Cut the matchstick carrots in half.

2.  In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil.  Combine the celery, carrots, and basil.  Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.

3.  Chop the tomato.

4.  In the saucepan add in the water, fresh tomato, canned tomato, vegetable broth, and barley.

5.  Bring to a boil.  Once it has boiled, set heat to low and cover.  Let simmer for 35 minutes.

Grade: A-

Comments: This was the great way to end a {85 degree} Fall day.  Barley is a great soup additive, because it makes it more filling without making it into a stew.  This is only the second time I’ve ever used it, but I definitely need to work it into more soup recipes.  The great thing about this soup is that there were TONS of leftovers.  Nathan took it to lunch the next two days.  The flavors all went together well, and if you wanted to make this into a stew, you could easily add in some meat to get it there.  Definitely a great family night recipe.

When I told Nathan chili was on the menu a few weeks ago, he looked at me like I was insane.  Who eats chili in the middle of 100 degree weather in Georgia?  Usually I’d agree, but I needed another freezable food, and chili works well.  So I turned on the stove to make some chili when it was over 100 degrees outside.  Sure, I turned up the air conditioner to compensate {I was 9 months pregnant!}, but it worked out well.

Chili {my own recipe}

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 1/2 red bell peppers
• 1 vidalia onion
• 2 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbs chili powder
• 3 tbs BBQ sauce
• 2 cans light red kidney beans, drained
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs sea salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook the ground turkey.  Cover until brown, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, chop the bell peppers and onion.
3. In a large pot, add the chopped vegetables, BBQ sauce, garlic, chili powder, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Mix and cook on low.
4. Once the turkey is done, add it to the large pot.
5. Add the beans and tomatoes to the pot with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Mix all of the ingredients well and cover.  Cook for 30 minutes on medium.
7. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Grade: A-

Comments: I tend to just go with the flow when it comes to chili.  Whatever I have around that day usually ends up in the pot.  This was definitely one of my better chilis.  Since I don’t eat spicy foods, I have to make sure to add extra chili powder to Nathan’s when I put it in the bowl.  We ate this with some cornbread {YUM}, and it was great!  We’ve since eaten the frozen leftovers, and honestly, they were amazing.  Chili freezes so well.  It retains all of its flavor, and a few minutes in the microwave is plenty to make it delicious again!

This is one of those recipes that sounded really good, it was just okay, but I would make it again if I needed something easy & fast.  Nathan liked it more than I did – not that I thought it was bad…it just felt very Sandra Lee-ish, and I am not a fan of her.

Anyway, like I said it isn’t bad…and I’m posting it because it worked great for how busy we ended up on Tuesday.  We didn’t get to eat until after 8:00 PM, so anything that took longer than 15 minutes was out of the question.

Corn Chowder {from RealSimple.com}

Ingredients:

• 4 slices Oscar Meyer Ready to Serve Bacon
• 1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed Cream of Potato soup
• 1 cup low-fat or whole milk
• 1 11-ounce can corn niblets

Directions:

1. Heat the bacon for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave; set aside.
2. Pour the cream of potato soup into a saucepan. Add the milk and corn. Break up the cooked bacon into small pieces, then stir it into the saucepan. Heat for 5 minutes or until the soup reaches a simmer.

Grade: C+

Comments: It tastes like condensed soup with corn in it.  I wasn’t impressed, but it wasn’t really bad.  Like I said in the beginning it was simple, quick, and it got dinner on the table on a night when we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  I could see this being a good meal if you had one kid who had baseball practice, another who had dance class, and you had a book club meeting.  I’ll probably make it again, but only on a night when we’re really busy.