When I was doing the OAMC when my children were growing up, I did it alone. Now that my children are grown and have families of their own, I thought about starting it up again to do it with them and to help them with their meals. Also I get a bonus, and they do too, the bonus is bonding time between us. I must say that I'm a bit surprised that my daughters like it. My future daughter-in-law will be joining us for the first time this weekend. She has always had something else going on and hasn't been able to make it, but I do believe she is excited about it.
Friday night will be our shopping night. I will be going along with my future daughter-in-law to help her out and to get her going in the right direction. MMMmmm time for us to bond. How fun!
If you are wondering if this is more economical than your normal way of life. Let me have you do a test. Let's say you don't have a meal planned for Tuesday evening, and after a busy day at the office and running the kids to their activities you arrive home to wonder, and probably hear from the family, "what's for dinner?". After standing in front of your pantry or your refrigerator and not finding any "ideas" you decide to go to a fast food place or a pizza place. Here is the test I want you to take. Time yourself. From the time you leave your house to the time you return. Then..another evening, prepare a similar meal in the comfort of your own kitchen. Time yourself, from the time you start preparations to the time you are done clearing the table. Let me tell you....I've done this test. No contest......I can, with a little organization and knowledge, prepare the meal in less time or the same amount of time. And the money saved amazed me when I did this test. And I had the knowledge of knowing that the food is better for my family than the fatty, greasy foods from the fast food/pizza place. It might be a little more effort on your part, as far as planning and the labor of actually preparing the meal and the clean up, but if you get the family to join in, you get the bonus of FAMILY TIME and the children will learn some skills and to work together.
Okay...one meal we will preparing this weekend is PENNE IN CREAM SAUCE WITH SAUSAGE; ITALIAN BREAD; TEXAS SHEET CAKE.
The day before your cooking day you will want to do your prep work. After each of the recipes I will try to tell you what you should do for the prep work. This entails chopping onions, garlic, celery, etc. Grating the cheeses. Any recipe that calls for the meat to be cooked, you can cook it ahead also.
PENNE IN CREAM SAUCE WITH SAUSAGE
1 T butter
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 T olive oil
1 cup whipping cream
2 cups sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1/2 lb hot Italian Sausage
2/3 cups dry white wine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese*
1 lb mini penne pasta*
Melt the butter with the oil in large skillet over medium - high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Add the sausage and saute until golden brown and cooked through, breaking up the sausage as it cooks, about 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
Add the wine to the skillet with drained meat and boil until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and simmer 3 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool, package in a labeled 1-gallon freezer container, and freeze with 1 cup Parmesan cheese in a sandwich bag attached.
To serve, thaw the meat sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until tender but still firm to bite.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
PREP DAY Slice the onions and chop the garlic. You could saute the onions and garlic and sausages and drain. Put in a container and refrigerate until the cooking day.
FREEZE I also freeze the pasta in a bag along with the cream sauce. I do NOT cook it prior, just freeze with the sauce. Then you have all of the ingredients together.
ITALIAN BREAD
2 pkgs yeast
3 T sugar
3 T shortening
3 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
8 to 10 cups flour, divided
1 T salt
1 egg, beaten
melted butter
Dissolve yeast, sugar and shortening in water. Stir in 4 cups of flour, salt and egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 -8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and allow to rise in warm place, punching dough down every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Then allow dough to rise for 1 additional hour, or until doubled. Punch dough down; let rest 10 minutes. Divide into two loaves. Slash tops and place on greased 9x5x3 loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven; cool on wire rack. Brush with melted butter.
To SERVE Thaw at room temperature. If wrapped in aluminum foil, heat at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. I have sliced them and put garlic butter on each slice and then wrap in foil and bake for the 15 minutes.
If you are one that is intimidated by the bread making process you can purchase the Italian bread. If you are in a group of OAMCookers, and someone in the group wants to make the bread for the group, that works great too. I LOVE making bread so I do it and have done it. This makes 2 loaves so one recipe can feed two families.
TEXAS SHEET CAKE
1 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs beaten.
Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup + 2 T milk
1 lb powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecan pieces (optional)
COOKING DAY
Combine butter, cocoa, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add sour cream and beaten eggs. Add cocoa mixture and mix well. Pour into greased and floured 15 x 10 jellyroll pan. If you do not have this large size pan, you can also use 2 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pans. (do not make this cake in a 9 x 13 pan - it will not turn out as well). Bake cake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Frost while still warm.
For frosting, place butter and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and nuts (if desired). Stir to mix well. Allow frosting to cool for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour frosting evenly over warm cake and spread with knife. Allow to cool completely and cover cake with layer of plastic wrap and then heavy duty foil. Freeze.
SERVING DAY Allow cake to thaw, and serve. This cake is delicious after freezing. It will be very moist.
I, personally, like to make this cake a couple of days before the cooking day and get it in the freezer. With it only being my husband and I in our household, I bake it in the 8 x 8 pans...so I get a couple of cakes out of this recipe.
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