Change of Command

“That’s Mrs. Potter. She always goes on the right side of my desk. Five sisters and not a bum in the bunch.”

“I never start the day without throwing Mrs. Potter a salute.”

Mom's Christmas Carols Music

Each year when the box of Christmas decorations was brought out, Mom's Christmas carols music book also made an appearance.

If you study the numbers in the upper left-hand corner of the cover, you'll see that "25" is underlined.  My guess is that is the price of the carols book: 25¢.

The title page bears 3 copyright dates.  I'm guessing that Mom's book was printed in 1952, the 3rd date: MCMLII.

When the Christmas decorations were packed away, the carols book went back into the box.  That way the book survived many years.  None of us knows what finally happened to it.  It was probably pitched during one of Mom's clean-outs.

Kinda Cold

November 11, 12, and 13, 2019

Mom's Oven Stew

My sister shared with us a recipe card that our mother had written.  It includes modifications that Jane had made.

Oven Stew

Layer in roaster or dutch oven:
2 lbs. cubed beef
1 large onion, sliced
6 ribs celery, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

Sprinkle on top:
3 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. minute tapioca

Mix together and pour over top:
2 1/2 C. tomato juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Cover and bake at 250º for at least 4 hours.

Peel and cut 4 or 5 potatoes into bite-size pieces. Add to stew; cover and bake 1 hour longer.

Leftover Leftovers

last night's supper

I opened the microwave tonight to heat up leftovers from last night’s supper and discovered yesterday’s lunch inside.

Yesterday I made myself a ham and cheese “half” sandwich (made with 1 slice of bread).  I put the leftover au gratin potatoes from the previous night’s supper in the microwave and heated them up.

Then I forgot about them.  Only to find them tonight.

John said, “Well, that train has left the track.”  Referring to my Mom-brain.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

One-Pot Pasta With Spinach & Tomatoes
Total time:            30 minutes
Serves:                   4

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 C. chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (14.5-oz.) unsalted petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 C. unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
8 oz. whole-grain spaghetti or linguine (such as Barilla)
1/2 tsp. salt
10 oz. fresh spinach
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion starts to brown.

Add tomatoes, stock, oregano, and pasta, in that order. Bring to a boil. Add noodles; stir to submerge in liquid. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 7 minutes or until pasta is almost done.

Uncover; stir in salt. Add spinach in batches, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Notes:  Swap out spaghetti for any short pasta shape, such as elbow macaroni, rotini, or shells.
Use fresh grape tomatoes instead, and add fresh herbs.
Try adding chopped skinless, boneless chicken thighs, ground beef, or ground turkey for a heartier dish.

www.cookinglight.com       10/2019