Beef and Noodles

Beef and noodles is a common dinner here in the Midwest. I moved here over thirty years ago, and when I got here there was much excitement when someone was having beef and noodles. When I first tried it, I was very underwhelmed. I never saw what the big deal was about beef and noodles. Then I, for some reason I am not sure why, just made my own version of it one day, and then everyone that tried it was very excited about my beef and noodles. I still don't see what the big deal is, but it is a comfort food, and comforting it is.

I never saw a recipe just like mine until I came upon this cookbook online. This is The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook printed, in 1944, at the height of World War II. If ever the whole world needed a comfort food, it was then. Lily, in her infinite wisdom, wrote several cookbooks. This one is a jewel. Lily was British and became an American. She brought with her many of the thrifty bits of wisdom that the British came to use on a regular basis during the times they endured during the war. This cookbook uses whatever you have on hand and makes a very adequate meal out of it.  

I won't go into a full cookbook review, but it has menus for a liberal diet (one where you have resources), a moderate-cost adequate diet, a minimum-cost adequate diet, and a restricted diet for emergency use only. The implications of having this knowledge are a really useful way to keep you and your family resilient. It was this information that made me dive into this cookbook, and then I found it: my way of making beef and noodles.

 In this recipe book Lily calls it creamed noodles. It is basically a white sauce poured over noodles.

I make a beef gravy and pour it over the noodles and beef. There are versions of this, often with a can of cream of mushroom soup in it. Mine is just beef gravy, beef, and noodles. One other change I made is that I use fettuccine noodles, because I am not a fan of the Amish-style egg noodles.

Beef and Noodles (Creamed Noodles)

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 ounces of dried fettuccine, cooked and drained 

2 quarts of water, to boil noodles

1 cup or more of shredded beef roast, leftovers will work. 

1/2 can Keystone beef roast is usually how I make it.

Sauce: 

I make a thicker sauce, so I use more butter and flour than a thin sauce.

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups of beef broth

Method:

Put the fettuccine into a 2 quarts of boiling water to cook. When noodles return to a boil after you have added them to water, cook for 12 minutes. About half way through the cooking (6 minutes) add the beef roast to your noodles, so it can warm and incorporate into the dish.

While noodles are cooking, make your beef gravy sauce.

Use a separate medium saucepan and melt your butter into it. Add the flour and whisk this roux for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in your beef broth. You can add a cup and then later another cup or all at once and it will eventually thicken into your gravy. Stir continuously until you have the desired consistency, I make mine thick.

Drain the water off of the noodles and the shredded roast. Pour the beef gravy sauce into the noodles and stir until all noodles are coated in the gravy.

Serve hot. 

There you have it! Beef and noodles with a WWII spin as creamed noodles. It is my favorite way to make them. I have never written this recipe down; I always make it from memory. All the children I feed love them, and they are easy to make; best of all you can use leftover beef roast. I have even used leftover beef and beef broth from French dips to make this, and it all turns out good.

In Victory,

Sherry

Honey Roasted Autumn Spiced Chicken

I got the idea to roast a whole chicken with autumn spices. I wasn't the first person to come up with it, but it was a delicious idea. This was the second chicken I made like this in two weeks' time.

This was the first chicken I roasted like this, and when I put the honey on it, it burnt, so this is the back of the chicken, which wasn't burnt. The solution to this was simple: just tent the chicken with foil in the last baking session, and the problem was solved.

Honey Roasted Autumn Spiced Whole Chicken

Ingredients:

6 lb. chicken

2 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch onion powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the salt, and all spices in a small bowl. Rinse the chicken with cool water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Coat the chicken with the honey; both sides, and then rub the spice mixture over the whole chicken and also into the cavity of the chicken. 

Place the chicken into a greased dutch oven and lay the chicken breast-side down. Cover and roast for 45 minutes, then increase the temperature to 400°F, remove the lid , and roast 20 minutes more. Flip the chicken breast-side up and tent the top of the dutch oven with a loose foil layer. Roast 30 minutes longer and it is done when the thickest part of the chicken (thigh) reaches 165°F.

The sides in the meal were:

Cinnamon and honey roasted plums: 

I used what I had which were:

4-5 plums

Cut the plums in half and remove the stone. 

Place in a shallow baking dish with 

2 tablespoons water. 

Drizzle with: 

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon lemon and sprinkle with cinnamon. 

Place in 350°F preheated oven. 

Cover the dish with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until fork tender but not falling apart. 

The baking dish will naturally make an amazing glaze that can be drizzled on the plums or the chicken.

This recipe will work with peaches, apricots, nectarines or any stone fruit. 

I also served it with my standard mashed potatoes, green beans, and orange wedges.

This is my favorite way to make biscuits, in a cast iron skillet. There is no wasted dough and no extra manipulation of the dough to re-roll out, which takes more time and does not make as nice a biscuit. 

I found a wonderful 2-ingredient recipe that is so simple, and it may now be my favorite.

Two-Ingredient Skillet Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 500°F. 

Prepare a well seasoned cast-iron skillet (I think mine is a nine or ten inch.)

place the flour in a large bowl. Gradually stir in cream and stir until just incorporated. (this will be a sticky dough). Scrape out the biscuit dough onto a lightly floured surface. 

Gently knead the dough and roll out until a 1/2-inch thick and I make it the shape of my cast iron skillet. I place the disc of dough into the skillet and cut into it the square biscuits with a dough cutter/scraper. Place the skillet into the oven and bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and serve hot. 

Enjoy!

In Victory,

Sherry

My Favorite Way to Roast a Whole Chicken

I have tried roasting a whole chicken many different ways, but until I tried doing it like Jill Winger from The Prairie Homestead Cookbook. I could not get a chicken roasted to perfection. She has a technique of roasting it with the lid on in a dutch oven and then roasting it without the lid. 

I won't give away her recipe, but I did find a lady who shows you the technique of roasting and flipping on this Youtube channel. I am not associated with The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, but it is one of my favorite cookbooks. 

The recipe roasts the chicken to perfection every time! It is very tender and moist. We are dining with Peter Rabbit here and having the roast chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and sautéed apples with cinnamon. 

Why so much comfort food? Because it is snowing again and, it is a wintery wonderland outside.

In Victory,

Sherry

Things I Don't Buy Anymore

 
I have been wanting to make this post where I go over all the things I no longer buy at the grocery store. I was really surprised that when I found all the items, there were a lot more than I thought. I have shifted to making a lot of this because of health reasons, but it is also cheaper to make this food at home.  
The first thing I no longer buy is bread. This is my sourdough sandwich bread. It has way fewer ingredients than the store bought. It is better for you too. I did buy a loaf of sourdough at the store when we were short on time one week, and I brought the loaf home and compared it to my bread, and the two loaves looked the same. It is a winner, and it makes up so easy in the bread maker.
*Note: If sourdough is not your favorite bread. I do like this recipe also, and it turns out a wonderful grocery store style white sandwich bread.

Ranch dressing: The quality of ranch dressing in the bottle was just starting to bother me. Especially when my family pours so much of it on their food. So I took a new turn and decided to make it. It has been a success, and the family loves it.

Biscuits: It has been a few years since I bought a can of biscuits. They are really easy to make, and, oh, so good! 

Cream of mushroom soup: You can also make this into any "cream of" soup. It really has a nice texture and works well in recipes too. 
*Note: Updating as of 10/14/24. I will also keep the "cream of" soups from the grocery store in my pantry after watching the events of this season's hurricanes.

Muffins: I took a day a few months ago and made it a muffin baking day. I then froze most of them. We have been unthawing these muffins and using them for breakfasts or snacks. They froze so well, I couldn't tell I hadn't just baked them. I wasn't expecting that!

Cinnamon rolls: Okay, need I say more! Fresh cinnamon rolls can be made in an hour. They are delicious, and the free smells related to this activity make it so worthwhile!! 

Frozen pizza dough: You can do a lot more with pizza dough than just make pizza. It is so easy to make and put in the freezer. I always have pizza dough ready to go.

Pizza: I no longer buy frozen pizzas. I used to buy about 12 a week! We started making pizza and haven't looked back. It is way healthier and easy to do.  
*Note update: I do also still buy the occasional grocery store frozen pizza, at my husband's insistence, when I am canning and gardening a lot. I went for a year or more without buying these pizzas, but sometimes you need a quick meal.

Cheese sticks: These are garlic cheese sticks. You could make plain ones. They work well for picky children and adults alike and go great with pizza. Dip them in marinara or ranch! 

Cranberry sauce: No more jellified cans of cranberry sauce for my family. I make this from scratch and can it so it is available for a side anytime we want to eat it.

Pie: I quit buying store pies a while ago. They are expensive, and I just fell out of the habit of getting them. We only eat about one a month, and it is no trouble to make them. 

Brownies: We used to buy the kids a lot of brownies, and I just make them now. It is a one-bowl and bake item that is so easy and fresher than the boxed, ready made brownies.

Cookies: I have made more chocolate chip cookies than anything else for the blog. It has always been my one weakness! I usually don't buy them anymore. I always have the ingredients on hand and can make a batch really fast.

Fruit jams and butters: I made a lot of jam this winter. I canned them all, and I still haven't gotten around to sharing them on the blog. I made so many that I now think I will just share our favorites. More on that soon. 

So I challenge you to make some of these items at home and forgo the convenience for healthier food. I included links to each food item in the text. They link back to my Victory Cottage cookbook. I share all my recipes for free on the link to this page at the top of the blog. 

Let me know if you make any of these items too! 

*Disclaimer: You have to do what is right for you and your family. Since I wrote this post, I have found legitimate reasons to stock the grocery store versions of these made from scratch items. It goes on a month-by-month basis at our house. In the winter I cook more, and in the summer I will get in the garden more.

In Victory!

Sherry

Garlic Cheese Sticks

A few weeks ago, I shared my pizza dough recipe, and today I am showing you another way to use it. These are garlic cheese sticks. They are delicious as an appetizer or just as a meal with a side salad. You can also dip them in your favorite marinara sauce. My guys are not filled up by a 12-inch pizza, so I often make this to go with the pizza.  

 

Garlic Cheese Sticks

Ingredients:

12-inch pizza dough (recipe here)

1-2 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Pizza spice topping (optional)

Instructions:

Have your oven preheated to 485°F with a pizza stone already in the oven.

Roll out your pizza dough to 12-inch round on parchment paper. Melt the butter and brush on the dough leaving an edge uncovered by the butter. Sprinkle the garlic powder across the crust. I just sprinkle it right out of the container. You can go as heavy or as light as you want with this. I also use the roasted garlic powder, it has a really great flavor. Then top the whole thing with your shredded mozzarella. I have also used Italian seasoning on the cheese or a prepared pizza spice topping, but that is optional. When the oven has gotten preheated place the cheese sticks in the oven and cook for around 10 minutes. Your looking for the edges to be a deep golden brown and the whole dough to be cooked through. Take out of oven and cut as sticks, pictured below.

Here are the finished cheese sticks. They are really great! If you have the time to make up the pizza dough and freeze it, it is so simple to quickly go to the kitchen and make these or a pizza. I have replaced all store bought-pizzas with this, and we haven't missed the store brands. 

In Victory,

Sherry

Pizza Dough From Scratch

We used to buy a lot of brand-name frozen pizzas every week at the grocery store. With a house of guys we ate a lot of them, but I quit cold turkey and started to make my own pizza. It is way cheaper and so much healthier. Today, I will share with you my homemade pizza dough. Years ago, I shared this, but I have changed the recipe a lot since then, so it was time for a redo. This is a picture of the activated yeast before I mix it with the flour. 

I mix my dough in this bread bowl. I bought it years ago at a flea market. 

I have tried this recipe in the bread machine, but it seems to make the dough too tough, so I prefer to hand-knead it for around five minutes, and then it is ready to proof.

Some of the equipment I use to make pizza is a pizza stone, a pizza peel, parchment paper, a kitchen scale, a digital cooking thermometer, and an air fryer with a proof setting to proof the dough. You wouldn't have to have these things to make the pizza, but it does help to make the pizza turn out more like your favorite pizzeria. In this picture I am covering the dough to place in the proofer.

In this picture, the dough has proofed for an hour and risen nicely. 

I will now make six equal portions of the dough, and put them in a labeled baggie, and place them in the freezer or refrigerator if using therm right away.

I have tried several flours for this recipe. The best and most widely available flour that will give you

pizzeria results is bread flour. I have tried 00 flour, but it isn't absolutely necessary to go to the expense of buying that flour for that light, airy, crisp crust.

Here is the dough out of the freezer. I have put it in the microwave on defrost for 1-2 minutes, or maybe a little longer, until it is no longer frozen. 

I place it on parchment paper and roll out a 12-inch pizza. Dimple the dough with your fingers to get that airy crispy crust.

Here is the veggie pizza, ready for the oven. I bake it on a pizza stone in a preheated 485°F in a oven. 

My pizza has evolved over the years. It is getting easier to recreate a takeout pizza without the expense. I am prefecting our favorite sauce and will share that soon, as well as a recipe for cheesesticks.

Pizza Dough from Scratch                                           Yield: 6-12 inch pizzas

Ingredients:

600 gm bread flour (4 3/4 cups)

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cup of water, warm (100°F)

1 teaspoon sugar placed in the water to dislove

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Combine flour, salt, in a large bowl. Weighing the flour will be more acurate. Add the water, yeast, and the sugar to a measuring cup set in a warm place and wait to see the yeast activate. (As in the first picture above.) After the yeast is activated add the olive oil to the water and yeast mixture. Add water mixture to the flour mixture and combine till liquid is dispersed. Turn the dough onto your preferred kneading surface and knead the dough around five minutes. Cover the dough with a tea towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise for an hour or use proof setting on an air fryer. 

When fully risen cut dough into 6 equal parts and freeze or use right away. 

To cook preheat oven and pizza stone to 485°F.

Roll out dough to a 12-inch crust and top as desired. (Use only enough sauce to cover.) Bake on the hot stone 11 minutes. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Pizza at home can be made rather easily and much cheaper and healthier for you than the frozen store brands. I have not bought another store pizza since making this dough. It has been around five years now.

In Victory,

Sherry

Autumn at the Cottage

How is autumn going for you? Here at the cottage, I have styled the hutch in the cottage corner for autumn.

This was a past mantel I styled for autumn. I love any chance I have to show off the pewter.

The mantel right now is very simple. It still lingers with a few summer blossoms. Enjoying them till the first frost, which should be this week.

I brought the hydrangeas in to dry. I have never tried this before; hopefully it will work. Their color is very lovely.

There might also be some baking. I tried a chicken pot pie with puff pastry this weekend. I have never made this from scratch before. 

I am dreaming of Thanksgiving tables and what I might use for them. It is the only holiday we still celebrate.

I am also putting more food out for snacks on cozy weekends. The home is your sanctuary away from the noise of the world. What do you do to keep it that way?

In Victory,

Sherry