The backbone of any good soup is a good stock. Whether it’s chicken, beef, seafood, of vegetable – it’s key. When I was first learning to cook, I had the hardest times with soups. It seemed so easy, yet, I kept messing it up. It was always too bland, or too overly seasoned. Thankfully, after a few bunk batches, I got the feel for it. It is almost too easy in it’s simplicity. Some chicken scraps, carrots, celery, onion – combined, transform into liquid gold.

You could easily substitute a turkey carcass, if you happen to have one lying around. It’s quite possible a few of you might! I like to make the stock a day ahead, and refrigerate overnight. That way the fat separates to the top of the stock, and I can skim it right off before reheating to make the whatever it is I might be doing with the stock. I find that poultry, more than anything, renders a ton of fat. So, I always like to remove as much as I can. I don’t even bother peeling the onions or the carrots. I literally stumble to the stove in the morning in my PJ’s, throw the stuff in the pot, and call it a day. Doesn’t get much easier than that, folks!

I never thought I’d say that a meat-stuffed cabbage would be my new favorite dish, but it is true. I guess that’s what living in a house with three guys will do to you! I’d tried a recipe for stuffed cabbage a while back, and I didn’t like it. It used bratwurst, which I’m not the biggest fan of in the first place. Plus, I think the dish and I had just gotten off on the wrong foot to begin with. Cabbage rolls were always something I saw other families eating, and were kind of grossed out by. Meat and cabbage, okay. But, to slather it in tomato sauce? Weird.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest, and I couldn’t wait to try it. I had originally written in Swedish meatballs into our menu for the week, but decided to swap it out for the cabbage rolls where the main ingredients (ground pork and beef) were the same. Completely and totally blew everyone away! They are braised in red wine, and that really does something for the cabbage. Cabbage can be such a harsh flavor, but the wine balances it right out. And, the cabbage mellows the wine out. It’s a win-win! The rice combined with the ground meats really lightens up the texture of the filling, too. Often meat fillings can be so dense and rubbery – this was just right. Also, I’m pleased to report that the tomato sauce fits right in perfectly. You really can’t go wrong when the base for the sauce is the delicious beefy, wine-y braising liquid. If you’re looking for a last minute Christmas Eve supper, look no further. With a little bit of prep work leafing the head of cabbage (that I actually found quite fun!), this is a dinner that takes care of itself on the stove top – so you can spend more time doing the fun stuff. Plus, the scent of it bubbling away is intoxicating…

Also, I finally hopped on the Facebook bandwagon. Stop by and say howdy over there, if you are so inclined. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!


We haven’t been eating a lot of beef recently. I usually only buy steaks and roasts when they are on sale, and it’s been a while since I’ve come across a good deal.  Beef can be so expensive, but it’s something everyone in the house really enjoys and looks forward to. Enter, the eye of the round roast. At around $3.00 per pound, it’s a very affordable cut. I love a beautiful tenderloin as much as the next person, but they’re very pricey!

This is a great option for nice dinner of roasted beef, that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Would also be great for entertaining for the Holidays (roast beast, anyone?). It requires a bit of forethought, with the salt marinade overnight, but otherwise it’s pretty effortless. If you don’t have a digital probe thermometer, I highly recommend getting one. To achieve proper medium-rare results with beef, it’s an essential piece of kitchen equipment. Makes roasting meats of any kind a “no-brainer”. I served it sliced, as is. But, it’s also wonderful with a bit of horseradish – or, a jus made from the pan drippings. Leftovers make a fabulous french dip or roast beef sandwiches the next day. Put this on your menu for Sunday dinner this week!

This year for Thanksgiving we made a turkey and a ham. Both turned out fabulous, and leftovers were gobbled up. But, after my husband’s family had gone home – I was left with the bottom portion of the ham shank. I remembered a dish that my mom always used to make with leftover ham. It was a recipe that her mom often made. I knew I wanted to try my hand at it with the remnants of the ham.

Her version included thinly sliced potatoes, layered with a thin sprinkling of flour and plenty of butter. Everything melds to a delicious mess, but I wanted to try my own spin on it. I looked up a couple of recipes, and decided on one that used a cream sauce. The original recipe didn’t call for ham, so of course I added that. I also have a surplus of frozen peas, (as I keep forgetting we have plenty, and end up buying yet another bag every other week at the grocery store) so I added some of those as well. I assembled the casserole mid-afternoon, and placed it in the refrigerator to keep until we were ready to bake it in the evening. I had our book club meeting that night, so Jon put it in the oven and baked it himself. Everyone enjoyed it, especially little Will. He devoured huge quantities of it for 3 nights in a row, until it was gone.

I always enjoy recipes that allow me to use my mandoline. But, if you don’t have one, the potatoes can easily be sliced thinly with a knife.  Also, don’t be alarmed if the dish looks a bit liquid-ey when removed from the oven. After you let it cool for about 10 minutes, it thickens right up. This is the definition of comfort food to me, folks. Add this to your menu to add warmth to one of these cold winters nights!