Vegetable stew. I mean the kind you fix in the pressure cooker, there is no other like it in my mind. You fix the roast first, then you put the veggies in, I just love it. We always called it stew when I was a kid but my M-I-L kindly pointed out that wasn't stew, it was veggie soup (rolling eyes here)
Mom had one of those big pressure cookers (we did alot of canning, she needed one she could double row) it would be 75% full, she would freeze the leftovers and they were just as good (well close) reheated. I couldn't fix it for years as I had no pressure cooker. I have tried to duplicate it in the slow cooker and on the stove but the taste just isn't the same (and really even in the pressure cooker mine is always a little off from what mom could make)
I finally got one and that was the first thing I fixed, actually come to think of it that is the only thing I fix in it:)

Yumm! Both things sound good. What jumped into my mind was something My Dad made - Philidelphia Scrapple - fried chrisp with cottage cheese on the side. Everyone but me put maple syrup on it which is traditional I guess. I just like butter. Maybe I'll make it this holiday season.

OMG! I love Scrapple. And there is a local meat market that makes it. I think I know where I'm headed this weekend!

Yummy! McTavish, do any of these recipes look like the scrapple you had? (link below). I'm actually not familiar with Scrapple. I absolutely love fried corn meal mush, just with butter and some salt. The scrapple sounds like it's kind of the same, only with pork in it???

Here is a link that might be useful: Scrapple recipes

I think the closest is the Philadelphia Scrapple which is what my Dad always called it. He must have simplified it to suit himself. Our family, all great cooks, tend to "cook by ear" if you know what I mean. No Recipe. I remember a pot full of simmering water with the pork sausage meat in it. He added the cornmeal and spices and cooked longer. It cooled overnight in a glass pan in the fridge and was fried in the morning. The addition of Sage feels correct. Once when I tried it I added also poultry seasoning and tyme but I don't think that was right. Corriander (in one of the recipe's is DEFINATELY wrong). What I don't remember is the proportions of water to pork and amount of extra Sage. The sausage meat he started with would have already been seasoned. I also don't remember how much cornmeal to liquid but I guess you could get that off one of the other recipes. The combination of spicy pork sausage and cornmeal and tons of butter is mouth watering. I'm going to try it again soon. Thanks for reminding me how much I miss it! McT

Hey McT! I'm so intrigued by the idea of Scrapple that I had to try to make some--even though I don't have all the ingredients on hand. Here's what I've done so far:

I used 5 slices of bacon, chipped, and 1 med. onion chopped and browned with the bacon! Into that I added the breakfast sausage I had on hand, squeezing the pork out of the casings into small globs into the bacon onion mix, chopping it with a wooden spoon as I mix it in and then I added two cans of chicken broth and a dash of Cayenne pepper, a good bit of fresh ground black pepper, about 1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage and a good dash of Thyme! Then I found that I had some pork loin chops so I slivered one of them up into the broth mixture. I have simmered that for 30 mins. and added about 2 cups of yellow corn meal.

I tasted some of it as I put into ino a loaf pan--and it is awesome!!!! I can't wait to fry it up, maybe later tonight! I will try it with and without the maple syrup and let you know which I prefer!

This may not be the real recipe--but what I've come it is mighty good. I can't wait to do it *right*, next time!!! :o)

In fact--I'm thinking this could be a really good side dish on the Thanksgiving table. It really reminds me of cornbread stuffing,
or it could be a good start to Thanksgiving day, by being a special breakfast treat!!!

No matter which way you go about it, whether the Philadelphia Scrapple recipe that you said was closest, McT, or what you're doing right now, Janice, it sounds delicious!!

McT, I'm with your family, rarely use a recipe unless (like in this case) it was something I'd never tasted so had no idea how to go about.

I think I've got enough weekend cooking lined up as it is. I'm making home made bird suet this afternoon, which I've never done before. Then, when I was at the butcher shop buying raw beef suet, I also bought some beef liver so I'm having liver and onions for supper tonight. That ought to be enough to make some of you hungry and generate groans from the rest of you. And tomorrow, if my son and daughter in law can make it over, we're having home made chicken and noodles! So, I'm going to try to get the Scrapple on the list for Monday :-)

And micke, I'm keepeing that stew in mind too! I don't have a pressure cooker, but I did pick up some stew meat at the butcher shop too, and will fit some beef and veggie stew into the menu within the next week or so too!

Plus, I bought a ham hock for ham and bean soup too!

Wow, all these food ideas ought to just about hold me until Christmas! And the birds too :-)

If anyone is interested in trying the home made bird suet cakes, I just posted a master ingredient list over on the bird forum. I'll put the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Made Bird Suet

Good for you for being so creative. I haven't gotten beyond the thinking about it stage. We always had it for breakfast with a spoonful of cottage cheese beside it (why I don't know but it worked). Fry it fairly slowly so the inside gets really hot and it forms a thickish golden crust. Load on the butter! Everyone but me liked the maple syrup but I don't like how sweet it is. I warn you - it's addictive.

Has anyone made cottage cheese from scratch? Our daughter has and swears it is super easy and very delicious!
She says it is SO much better than the store brands! Maybe I'll make some , to go along with the Scrapple--like McT
is used to, when I do it right! I can't wait!

Oh, and beef stew was the first thing that came to my mind that I haven't made in ages that I love, but hubby does
not! He has such bad memories from the kind his Mom and Dad (and his Grandmother, too) made which was from the
worst cuts, very globby, jellied and fat filled! He can't seem to get past it! But I LOVE the kind my mother, grandmother
and I made! Lots of beef, potatoes, celery, onions and carrots (with a couple of bay leaves) and we'd make thick gravy
of the liquid and juices at the end! We'd serve it over bread when I was a youngster! That was some 'good eats'!Sigh!

Thankfully, the daughters love it so maybe I'll make some real soon for those of us who do love it! Hubby can fix his shrimp
he loves to make! Not a fan of shrimp, myself!

Bay leaves are the one herb that I absolutely could not make a beef stew without! I love the subtle flavor they add. And your poor husband, not to be able to enjoy a really good stew. I feel bad for him.

Oh yeah, and the bread. I love beef stew over not just bread but BUTTERED Bread! More calories and fat I don't need, of course....

My mom made cottage cheese once in a while when I was a kid. I like the purchased kind but always found the home made kind of, hmmm, almost gritty. But maybe that was just the way my mom made it. I'd love to hear how yours turns out when you try it!

Here's the recipe for cottage cheese daughter has! She got it from the program 'Good Eats'! She and her two boys,
ages 4 and 5 love that show! They tape them and the boys beg her to play them over and over. They've really gotten
interested in cooking, themselves and even use play dough to reinact the shows! She's letting them help her alot now!

Quick Cottage Cheese

1 gallon pasteurized skim milk
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup half-and half-or heavy cream

Pour the skim milk into a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat to 120 degrees F. Remove from the heat
and gently pour in the vinegar. Stir slowly for 1 to 2 minutes. The curd will separate from the whey. Cover and
allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a colander lined with a tea towel and allow to sit and drain for 5 minutes. Gather up the edges
of the cloth and rinse under cold water for 3 to 5 minutes or until the curd is completely cooled, squeezing and
moving the mixture the whole time.

Once cooled, squeeze as dry as possible and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine, breaking up
the curd into bite-size pieces as you go. If ready to serve immediately, stir in the half-and-half or heavy
cream. If not, transfer to a sealable container and place in the refrigerator.

Add the half and half or heavy cream just prior to serving.

Oh, and her hubby (our SIL) is here with the boys right now, having watched Ohio State and Illinois (boo hoo--OSU lost)
and he says it's really good and not gritty at all, when she makes it!

Janice,
That beef stew sure brings back memories. Mom used to make it and we would spoon it over egg noodles. That was one of my favorite meals along with her potato soup.
I have never been able to develop a taste for scrapple but that Philadelphia scrapple sure sounds good. May just have to try that one myself!
Art

Do it Art! Make the Scrapple! Even my lame attempt turned out really good! And that's before frying it up!
We got up later than usual, this a.m., and wound up flying to make it to church on time so I didn't get to fix
it yet--the slicing and frying of it but maybe tonight? :o)

We went to the grocery last night, specifically to pick up the fixin's for a Thanksgiving meal for our Thanksgiving
basket drive, and I purchased some pork ribs and more sausage to make up some more, hopefully more inline with
the recipes!

Oh yes--potato soup--another favorite! And, there is another thing my Mom would make--chicken and dumplings!
She would often save out some of the chicken and broth to spoon over a thick stack of saltine crackers. You have to get
the ratio of broth to crackers just right, but it was delicious, especially when you're not feeling very good. She'd always
make that when we were sick! It was very comforting--along with hot tea with lots of cream and sugar!!!

Some good memories here!

Janice,
You hit on another favorite of mine with chicken and dumplings. Mom always made drop dumplings and I refused to eat rolled dumplings until maybe 5 years ago. Definately bringing back some memories!
Art

I love chicken and dumplings, one of my favorites:)
We sometimes put our stew in bread bowls, makes it really good. Plus I love making the bread bowls, something you can do with the kids, they can have their own little ball of dough to knead:)

EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW Scrapple!

Living here right outside of Philly it can be gotten everywhere from the local grocery to the farmers markets. Personally, I don't care for it at all, but if someone wants me to ship it to them (overnight, dry ice) I can do that.

AS far as things I haven't made in a while, I rarely bake unless it is near the holidays so there are lots of baked goodies and candy in my very near future. Truffles, Apricot Almond bars, Linzer cookies, etc will all be done in the next week or two.

Alexa

Alexa--All your baking plans sound really wonderful! I know your family has to be looking forward to
you making all those wonderful sounding goodies!

I'm drooling on the keyboard just reading about them!LOL Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration but
they do sound really yummy! :o)

BTW--that scrapple thing I attempted, DID taste alot like cornbread dressing!
Problem is, hubby hates dressing so it was a waste to have around here.
It was fun to experiment with though. Probably not going to be something I do again,
but I did enjoy the effort and COULD eat something like it again, if given the opportunity
to try the REAL thing!

I've never seen it in restaurants or stores in these parts, though. But I really don't need
another thing to tempt me to add inches to my girth, anymore. Nuff of those to choose
from already. I love almost anything, in the way of food--not what you'd call a picky eater
--unfortunately!

All that nice food talk...
...and here I am...following a DIET...to lose 10 pounds.

Yicks...

Papou