Nomday: What About Parties?

Happy Nomday after another very busy weekend! With all of the holiday parties and shenanigans complete meals are likely the last thing on anyone’s mind. I know we have been eating and creating finger foods for days! But, they are just as great to toss in your lunch box or pile on as adorable entrees. So, what are some of your favorite things to make and take to potlucks and year end shindigs? Please, no more cookies, fluff salads or cheese and cracker trays! 

How about mini lamb and veggie kabobs?

Mini-crescent dogs?

Home-made pizza rolls?

These are a few to get you started! Happy holidays!

Nomday: Stroganoff and Meatloaf

I haven’t done a post about the amazing beef stroganoff in a long while, so that is so our dinner for this week! But, because I am now planning for all day meals, we are doing a bulk purchase and did two beef dishes; apologies to all the veggie-eaters out there. Please make a salad or some steamed carrots for the side dish that will go along great with both meals.

Beef Stroganoff

Approximate Cost: $15.00

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 – 8 hours

3 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 small carton sliced mushrooms

3 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

8 oz. sour cream

Brown ground beef, drain and set aside. Saute onion, mushrooms and garlic until soft. Combine all ingredients in crock-pot. Stir until blended. Serve with noodles.

Meatloaf

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 – 8 hours

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lbs. ground sausage

2 tblsp. Greek seasoning

1 tsp. garlic chopped

½ cup red onion, chopped

Worcestershire Sauce to taste

Form meat mixture into a loaf and place in crockpot. Cook on medium heat.

Nomday: Another Easy Meatloaf Recipe!

I know, more meatloaf, but there is a reason for it. Summer in Arizona is a confusing time in terms of eating. When we are working outside we want something cold; when we indoors we are freezing! If you work in an office a nice reheated slice of meatloaf can be just the thing to get through the A/C induced hypothermia. If you would rather something cold for lunch, thin sliced meatloaf sandwich with a bit of tomato and spinach leaves is great! So, you see, the meatloaf is truly the perfect food!

Basic Meatloaf

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Approximate Cost: $15.00

3 pounds ground beef

1 14 ounce can sliced mushrooms

2/3 bag of shredded cheddar cheese

1 packet onion soup mix

Catsup to taste

Mix all ingredients, except catsup, in large bowl or directly in crockpot. Press into loaf leaving space along the walls of the crockpot. Drizzle catsup over top of loaf. Cook on low heat for eight hours.

Golabkis! (Cabbage Rolls)

Golabkis! These little rolls of goodness were the icon of my youth in a Polish family. I never made them on my own because, well, watching my mom and grand-mom struggle with wilted cabbage leaves just did not induce a deep desire to give it a go. Well, as it turns out, I should have shown them all. I am pretty sure I can attribute my mad golabki rolling skills to making far too many tedious Asian foods, but so be it. That is just how I roll. 

If you do give this recipe a try and find rolling slimy cabbage leaves not to be among your skill sets, there is a means to cheat. Layering the cabbage and meat mixture with tomato sauce into a crockpot serves the same flavor, without the presentation.

Cabbage Rolls

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 9 hours

3 lbs. ground beef

2 cups cooked rice

1 large head of cabbage

1 can condensed tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Scald cabbage just enough to separate leaves. Remove leaves from head of cabbage gently, trying to keep whole. Set leaves on paper towels to cool. Prepare meat in a large bowl; add rice, salt and pepper; mix well. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture in center of each leaf; fold in sides and roll ends over meat. Place in Crock Pot. Pour tomato sauce over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Nomday Max's Tacos

So, JD is off on the adventure of a lifetime to Upstate New York for a year! Thirteen and leaving the nest already. But, he did want one last Arizona specialty meal before jaunting off.

Tacos (Max Style)

2 tblsp Cumin

3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup water

2 lbs ground turkey or beef

Sour cream

Salsa

Lettuce

Tomato

Shredded cheese

Soft tortillas

Mix cumin and garlic in water while meat browns in skillet. Add season mixture to meat and simmer until cooked. Create your amazing taco!

Nomday: Tomato Soup and Egg Salad

It is way too hot in Arizona for soup! But, some of us work in frigid office buildings. Soups are cheap to make and easy for the body to burn. They are also a great way to get some veggies when grabbing a bag of chips or a hot dog seems so much easier. And, if you are really not into soup, well there is always a simple sandwich.

Easy Tomato Soup

2 14 ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1 packet onion soup mix

½ cup beef broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and simmer, stirring frequently. This is just as great served cold after cooked.

Egg Salad

6 hard boil eggs

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons deli mustard

¼ red onion chopped

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop eggs. Blend all ingredients in a large bowl.

Nomday: Stuffed Red Peppers

Stuff Red Peppers in Crockpot

Approximate Cost: $35.00

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 – 6 hours

3 lbs 80% lean ground beef

1.5 lbs ground hot sausage

6 – 8 large red peppers (tops and seeds removed)

1 small carton mushrooms (chopped)

2 small tomatoes (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

2 cans pasta sauce

1 packet tomato pesto mix

1 packet garlic and onion mix

Parmesan cheese to taste

Blend meat, and chopped veggies with garlic and onion mix. Fill peppers with meat mix. Place peppers into crockpot. They should fit snug. Mix tomato pesto mix with pasta sauce. Pour sauce over peppers to fill crockpot. Coat peppers with parmesan cheese. Cover. Cook on high for four hours.

Nomday: Beef Stew?

Okay, so, one household is not a fan of beef in any form save ground, and the other prefers roast to stew chunks. That means two different styles on a recipe meant to be beef ‘stew’.

Approximate Cost: $20.00

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 9 – 10 hours

4 - 6 medium potatoes, cut into pieces, unpeeled

12 small whole white onions, peeled, fresh

1 8 oz. bag baby carrots

1 red or green bell pepper, seeded, cut into pieces

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes (ground beef works too)

2 cans beef broth

Oregano

Paprika

Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Place potatoes, onions, and baby carrots in slow cooker. Add bell pepper and beef. In small bowl, combine broth, oregano, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over meat and vegetables.

Also, to add to the sometimes humorous stories that go along with Nomday recipes; the “Mad” Cow Dis-ease. It may not be the most appetizing thought while cooking beef stew, but my little brain gets a little worped.

What if all of the cases of Mad Cow Disease were actually on account of a bovine rebellion? Imagine it. Day after day, cow after cow enjoys the easy, albeit dull existence of farmed life. Every cow, grazing easy or fed fattening trough vittles. Not a predator in the world, or the few villains that do make it across the safety barricades, are eliminated post haste by the defenders of the cows. The cows have no idea that their valiant caretakers, who feed and house, protect, and provide medical attention when needed, are really just saving the cattle for themselves. The cows don’t know this. They are happy in their little comfy world. That is, until one cow sees the reality behind the veil. “Dear me!” he thinks. “I must warn the others!”

He goes ‘mad’, our rebellious bovine does. Mad as hell and as he communes with other of his moo-brothers/ sisters, they too go mad! They run amok, they cry out at all hours! What are the farmers to do? Ah! A plague. They cannot merely kill these trouble makers. They must make example of them. Remove them from the herd first, post warning that these are the infected, the unwell. Stay away!

Mad cow, or just irate?