Back in the old days, when I needed to stretch food ingredients as far as possible, Sloppy joes were on heavy rotation. Thank goodness that is no longer true.

However, I forget how nummy some of those cheap eats actually were and I need to go back and revisit a few.

Since the boys aren’t eating with us very often, I can really cook anything I want.

I start by sautéing an onion and a green pepper. When it’s soft, I add the meat and brown. I like to add granulated onion and garlic. Next I add tomato paste. Depending on the amount of meat I’m using will determine the amount of paste I use.

Simmer this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes.

G likes this on a brioche bun, toasted in the broiler.

*****from the Recipe Box:

I really like green peppers. If that’s not your choice, use any color you do like.

and remember: Why don’t the 99% of us who aren’t offended by everything, quit catering to the 1% who are. Big kiss, Lynn

Our carnivore sous chef was up up for another cooking lesson and he requested rib eyes for dinner. This is one pricey piece of meat and I’d not cooked one before so I did a lot of research. Our local grocery was charging $31.00 a pound. I know, shut up! Even Costco was charging $13.00. Cowabunga. I remember the old days when I would feed the 5 of us with one pound of hamburger. It was very hard for me to pay that kind of money.

R wanted to grill them, but we ended up getting torrential downpours. I ended up doing my stove top method. This has turned into my tried and true cooking method.

Normally, I would get my cast iron pan screaming hot, but I decided to add a little olive oil to the pan for the caramelization. This would have caused a little too much potential for charring. I only use salt and pepper when cooking meat on the stovetop, so even putting olive oil in the pan is a big step.

I ended up putting the lid on them periodically. They were a fairly thick and I wanted to have a medium rare inside and a nicely browned exterior. I based them with butter; as if they weren’t fat enough. Num.

*****From the Recipe Box:

To go from someone who ate no meat to someone who will periodically eat a rib eye is a big deal for me.

I usually cook these to about 115 degrees internally and then let them rest for at least 5 minutes.

and remember: Wise people are not always silent, but they know when to be. Big kiss, Lynn

We’ve talked so much about Beef Wellington. When I came across this recipe, I thought Eureka! I can try it without a major outlay of time and money.

So right off the bat, I made these with pork. I sent my sous chef to the grocery for a beef tenderloin and he came home with pork. But, I thought what the heck. It actually turned out for the best, because now I know it works with different meats. I even had the sous chef pound out the remaining pork loin into schnitzel. Numm.

1. 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2. 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
3. 2 lb. beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1” cubes
4. 1 tbsp. butter
5. 6 oz. cremini mushrooms, minced
6. 2 shallots, minced
7. 1 tbsp. rosemary, chopped (plus whole sprigs for garnish)
8. 1/4 c. Dijon mustard
9. 1 Egg, lightly beaten
10. S & P

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and sear all over, until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and clean skillet.
3. Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in rosemary and remove from heat.
4. On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Roll each sheet into a large square, about 1/8″-thick. Cut each into 9 squares. Place one piece of meat onto each square and dollop with about a teaspoon of mustard. Top the meat with about a tablespoon of the mushroom mixture. Fold pastry edges over the meat and pinch to seal. Place on baking sheets and brush with egg wash. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden-brown. Garnish with rosemary sprigs before serving.

***From the Recipe Box:

This makes a great nibble with drinks.

Chicken breasts work as well I hear.

If someone can tell me why my pictures turn out yellow so often, I would totally appreciate it.

and remember what Buddha said: We are what we think.  All that we are arises with our thoughts.  With our thoughts, we make the world.  Big kiss, Lynn

I’ve been watching lots of cooking shows lately, but this recipe came from watching Sunday football. Who knew. We love casseroles. We love one-pot dinners. So I thought we’d give it a try. Plus, G thought it looked really good.

So, how did it go? G loved it He liked the bacon flavor and the texture. Me? Not so much. Remember, I’m one of the few people on the planet not a bacon fan. I love regular carbonara, but this one actually tasted extra salty. I know! Whatever. Bottom line, it tasted Campbell soupy. Not that that’s a bad thing, but my Pasta Scassi puts this to shame.

I doubt if I’ll make this again even though G thought it was a hit.

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 large shallot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup or 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
• 3 1/2 cups Swanson® Natural Goodness® Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

• Step 1 Cook the bacon and shallot in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until the bacon is browned, stirring occasionally.
• Step 2 Stir the soup, broth and cheese in the saucepot and heat to a boil.  Stir in the spaghetti. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or until the spaghetti is tender and the soup mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the peas and sprinkle with the additional cheese just before serving, if desired.

*****From the Recipe Box:

For a flavor twist, substitute 2 cups fresh baby arugula for the peas and diced pancetta for the bacon.

Sometimes easy is the way to go.

and remember: If women took up arms to defend their reproductive rights, the GOP would ban assault rifles yesterday. Big Kiss, Lynn

G went to Costco alone the other day. This is always a mistake. He finds treasures that I would never look at. This time it was short ribs.

I’ve never cooked short ribs before, so first I had to find a recipe. Thank you Al Gore for inventing the Internet. What would I do without you?

• cooking spray
• 3 ribs celery, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 5 pounds beef short ribs
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef consomme (such as Campbell’s ®)
• ½ (10.5 ounce) can water

• Step 1 Prepare a slow cooker crock with cooking spray.
• Step 2 Spread celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in the bottom of the crock. Season short ribs with salt and pepper; place atop the vegetables. Pour beef consommé and water into the crock.
• Step 3 on High until the ribs are fork-tender, 5 to 7 hours.
• Step 4 Remove the ribs from the slow cooker to a platter. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables.
• Step 5 Strip meat from the bones of the ribs. Discard bones and transfer meat to a bowl. Shred meat with 2 forks and serve with strained broth.

*****From the Recipe Box::

I made short rib sandwiches with the meat. I don’t like my meat too fatty, so this was hard for me. I did a lot of separating.

I didn’t have any beef broth so I just used chicken broth.

I don’t think I’m a fan. G wouldn’t commit to them either. I think it will be awhile before we do them again. If I do it again, I will use Asian spices.

and remember what Albert Einstein said: Learn from yesterday.  Live for today.  Hope for tomorrow.  and the most important thing:  never stop questioning. Big kiss, Lynn