Peach Pie Muffins

The two year old woke up fussy. Two breakfasts later, he isn’t fussy anymore, but he did hit his sister. He just got out of time out, apologized and kissed her without being prompted, and now we’re all watching the best show ever. Sesame Street. Hopefully, they both will be in good moods for their visit with grandma today. I will try to sweeten them up with these peach muffins.

Ingredients

• 1 jar of peach pie filling (homemade and is heavily spiced with raisins)–about a cup and a half or two cups, drained.
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix the wet. Mix the dry. Mix together. Put into greased muffin tins or lined muffin tins.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Makes 1 dozen large muffins.

P.S. I need a shower. Also: I don’t like the Flying Fairy School on Sesame Street. Although it did teach the five year old that oyster crackers are hexagons. I think I need more coffee.

Giada’s Meatloaf (tweaked) and Rachael’s Orzo (tweaked)

Everyone in my household is out of sorts today. One out of the four of us is smiling, sweet, and caring. The rest of us need a reset button.  Good thing there’s always tomorrow.

Today would have been my mother’s birthday. I didn’t have a very good relationship with her, and she was a very broken woman, but over the past couple weeks, I have caught a glimpse of her in my daily activities. The good parts. Like the flash of a smile or perfume on a breeze, these good memories come and go and make me wonder if I just imagined them in the first place.

I spent a great deal of my life trying to not be like my mother. Every thing I did was an act of defiance, a protest. I was determined to never have kids, because she had kids and she hurt us. But time smooths over rough edges and life rarely happens according to plan or protestation. One day, I stopped running from my mother’s nature and nurture (or lack thereof), embraced the stepkids at my feet, wiped sticky faces, scolded, read a book, danced, and cooked for this family I never planned for.

I still fold towels like she taught me. And I can make a damn good meatloaf.

That being said: here’s a meatloaf recipe. And an orzo recipe. It’s what for dinner!

Giada’s Meatloaf, also known as Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sundried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, diced fine
• garlic, diced fine
• 1 cup plan bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup diced feta cheese
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper

Method: Mix it. Form it. Bake it at 375. It’s really good.

Rachael’s Orzo, also known as Cheese Orzo

Ingredients:

• 2 cups orzo
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• fresh basil and dried oregano
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup Parmesan

Method: Saute onion and garlic. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Add orzo. Stir well to make sure it doesn’t clump at the bottom. Add oregano and salt and pepper. Cook pasta in liquid until the orzo soaks up the stock and sauce. Finish by stirring in cheese and basil.

 

Whole Wheat Rotini with Basil, Mozzarella, and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of pasta
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• half of large onion, or one small onion, diced
• lots of torn basil
• fresh shredded mozzarella
• Parmesan cheese
• salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, wine to taste

Method:

Saute the onion and garlic until soft. Salt them a bit. Add tomatoes. Simmer for awhile, then taste. If it’s too salty because your canned tomatoes were salty, then add a pinch of sugar and a splash of wine or balsamic vinegar. That’s my trick for homemade tomato sauce. They always taste a bit off at first, but with the right combination of salt, sugar (or honey), and vinegar or wine, it’ll be amazing. Simmer, simmer. Add some torn basil. Boil your pasta half as long as you normally would because it’s going to be baked in the oven.

When the pasta is done enough, drain it, and add sauce. Grab a casserole dish and layer the pasta, mozzarella cheese, and basil until you’re out of ingredients. Sprinkle the top with a generous amount of Parmesan.

Cover and bake in the oven on 350 for 20-30 minutes. Take the cover off, crank up the oven, and brown the cheese after your 20 or 30 minute mark.

Dinner Breakfast Sandwiches (made with love)

Sometimes the kids are good eaters. Sometimes they are dubious. When I first started making meals for these little people, I had to really sell my food. One night, I made pork chops or something, way back when Henry and I were first dating. “Is this chicken?” one of the kids asked. “Nope. It’s pork.”
“What’s pork?”

Henry, whispered: “Say it’s chicken.”

Jenn: “It’s chicken. And I made it with love.”

From then on, for every single meal I’ve made for them, they always ask if I’ve made it with love. One time, I made chili and put in a can of diced tomatoes. Like clockwork, the oldest asked, “Jenn, did you make this with love?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“Are these pieces of your heart?” She was, of course, referring to the chunks of tomato in her chili. And she doesn’t like tomatoes.

“Yes,” I said confidently.

Henry cut me a look that said: Did you really just tell her she’s eating your heart?

I grinned and she took a bite.

We’re a weird bunch.

Tonight I made breakfast sandwiches with canned biscuits, homemade sausage, muenster cheese, and eggs.

They were cute, filling, and made with lots of love.

Sausage recipe:

• 1.5 pounds of ground pork
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp fresh sage (minced finely)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme (minced finely)
• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary (minced finely)
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

Mix thoroughly. Form into small patties for sandwiches. Fry. Or use to make sausage gravy with those biscuits. Do whatever. It’s good.

(Adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe)