Crabby, Crabby, Crabby!

I think it's safe to say I've been quite a crab these last couple of days. Sometimes I wonder if my moods cycle with my body or if it's just life stressors working their magic on me, because I can't always pinpoint the reason for my crabbiness.

Mother's Day is coming up and for many Barren Betties it's one of the hardest "holidays" of the year. It's a reminder that we still don't get the opportunity to enjoy breakfast in bed with a snotty nosed toddler, or a necklace with our children's birthstones, or a homemade card that says, "I love you Mommy!" It's another day where we feel alone and singled out as the last woman on earth to feel the happiness having children can bring to your life. I am lucky because I have 2 wonderful stepchildren who give me the opportunity to feel "mom-like" from time to time. Sometimes I even get wonderful Happy Mother's Day Stepmom cards, and I get what I think must be "that feeling." I feel so proud of them, so happy and touched that they thought of me, and that maybe they do appreciate what little I am able to do for them. Nonetheless, I told my husband I didn't want to celebrate Mother's Day last year and I think I'll make the same declaration this year. I just don't feel like I've earned it, especially now that the kids are pretty much off on their own and don't need me as much. I also don't want to be reminded that I'm nobody's "real" mom.

So I suppose my crabbiness stems from this. It's also been crazy busy around here trying to tie up loose ends and make final decisions on our house, something I'm not very good at--decision making! Building a house has been a challenging project for me because there are so many decisions to be made. Why can't it be as easy as baking a cake? Then the only decision you have is "What flavor?" Today, though, through my seriously foul mood, I knew I had to bake something! Baking has become a coping mechanism for me, as has eating. When I am feeling especially down, I know I can pull something delicious out of the oven and almost instantly feel better. Because I was feeling more feisty than depressed, I decided tonight was a good night for a new recipe. We haven't been eating very well this week, so I was ready for a good, meat & potatoes meal. And while that was cooking, I made some Pity Party Chocolate Chip cookie bars, because I was too tired and lazy to make cookies.

My dear husband went back for seconds on this recipe (and thirds on the cookie bars...), and we agreed it's definitely a "make again meal." I felt better seeing him eat and enjoy the meal and dessert, then I unloaded my frustrations for the day while he sat back and listened. Bless his heart, that's what I needed most today.

The recipe is an easy way to make Salisbury Steak, a meal that always reminds me of my Grandma S. I can't say I particularly liked her version, though it didn't matter what Grandma made, it was good! For some reason, though, when I hear Salisbury Steak I think of her and the meals I shared at her dinner table for the few months she & Grandpa were kind enough to take me in. And salute to you Grandpa, because I completely ignored the gravy starter in this recipe and made your never fail roux. Alright, here it is:

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy
1 egg
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed French onion soup, undiluted, divided
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
Pinch pepper
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 T. flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
6 c. hot cooked noodles
Chopped fresh parsley, optional

In large bowl, beat egg. Stir in beef, 1/3 cup soup, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix gently. Shape into 6 oval patties. Brown in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside, discard drippings. Whisk together flour and water in skillet. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and remaining soup. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Return patties to skillet, cover and simmer 15 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Serve patties and gravy over noodles. Garnish with parsley. Serves 6.

My changes: As usual, I halved the recipe. I happened to have a 2 lb package of hamburger thawed, so I used 1 lb beef. I added roughly half an egg (the other half went into cookie bars) and a 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Just a sprinkle of salt, though, because gravy will be salty. I made the whole recipe of gravy because I figured "What will I do with a partially used can of soup?" I also started my gravy with a roux, so instead of using the flour and water combo, I used 1 T. flour with 1 T. butter. I also added about a half a soup can, maybe a third, of water because the gravy thickened up quite well. I served ours with boiled potatoes and what my husband deems "magic vegetables," otherwise known as mixed vegetables. Really hit the spot and can't wait to eat it warmed over in my toaster oven for lunch tomorrow! Hopefully I won't be so crabby. At least it will be Friday.

Rainy Weekend Americanized Mexican Eats

It has been cold and rainy here in SD. I'm not complaining. I quite enjoy these rainy days, though they always make me feel like curling up in my old recliner with a good movie. Unfortunately, there just isn't time for that today. I managed to get my rump out the door and go to yoga this morning and I am so glad I did! It will keep me motivated to push on through this day and not fall into Grandma's old recliner.

I was making myself some coffee, though I swear I'm going to quit (they say caffeine can lead to early miscarriage, so I've sworn off of it in the past. However, these days I don't worry about it as much because when you can't even get pregnant to start, it's not worth worrying over 1 cup of coffee in the morning) and I was thinking about baking today and that I'm craving some Americanized Mexican food. I think I'm going to make Taco Skillet Supper tonight. I found this recipe in a cookbook put out by Herberger's (one of my Salvation Army finds...) and thought it sounded just odd enough to maybe be good, and I tell you what--It's surprisingly good! So I encourage you to look past this rather odd combo to see the flavor potential, and how incredibly easy it is to prepare! I'm not going to promise low fat, gluten free (though you could probably easily convert it), low carb or anything like that, but rather promise a good, hearty, Midwestern Americanized Mexican dish!

 Taco Skillet Supper

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 (10.5 oz) can bacon-bean soup
1/2 soup can of water
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or "Mexican" blend cheese)
Chopped tomatoes
Lettuce
Taco chips
Sour cream
Salsa

Mix ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk & seasoning together. Shape into patties (about hamburger size or smaller). Brown patties. Mix soup and water and pour over patties. Cook about 15 minutes more or until patties are done. Top with cheese and your favorite toppings. Good served with Mexican rice. Serves 4-6.

When I first made these I made 2 mistakes: 1) I made the patties way too big. I think I got 3 patties out of all that hamburger because the recipe says "serves 4". I think you could easily make 6-8 smaller patties and they'd be more managable and better for leftovers; 2) I tried frying these in a pan that wasn't non-stick and didn't have enough fat so they stuck to the pan like none other because of the egg in the mixture. So make sure to fry these in a non-stick skillet or maybe grill them. I also use only 1 lb of hamburger and just adjust accordingly or use 1/2 lb ground pork!

For a nice side dish, here's approximately how to make Mexican rice. Martha, a Mexican immigrant and good friend of ours from our time living in Wisconsin, once tried to tell me how to make her rice. Here's what I remember with my own American twists and fill-in's to make it work.

Mexican Rice
1 cup long grain white rice
1-2 T. olive oil, corn oil or butter
1/4 cup or more to taste of chopped onion
1/4 cup or more to taste of chopped green pepper
1 glove garlic crushed or a few sprinkles garlic powder
1 small can tomato sauce
2 cups water or chicken broth
Tabasco
Salt
Pepper

Cook onion and pepper in hot oil until tender, adding garlic about half way through. Add rice and cook about 3-5 minutes to get it coated with oil and starting to toast. Add liquid and tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. You may need to add a bit more liquid as it cooks. Throw in a couple squirts of Tabasco, and give 'er a mix. This is a simple dish. It's not knock your socks off, but just a simply flavored side. You could add cheese to the top or jalapenos instead of green peppers. Some people might want to add some cumin and/or chili powder for extra kick and flavor. I like it simple. You could also half the tomato sauce if you don't like it so tomatoey.

Well, looks like the rain has eased up a bit. DH has requested my presence at our new house to help him sweep the floor and prepare for insulation Monday. Then it's to town for appliance shopping! I wish I could say I look forward to it, but shopping with a man isnt' my idea of a good time. :)