Perfect Pot Roast on the Stove

I learned so many things from my Granny. The first lesson was about unconditional love. My Grandmother or 'Granny' on my mother's side of the family grew up in a rather large family, as most people did in the depression. From that love of family she had five children of her own and I always marveled as she loved each for the unique individual that they were. Their wives and husbands became immediate members of our large family and felt as welcome in her home as they did their own parents. My father loved my grandmother immensely as did my husband Scott. She was spirited and everyone's cheerleader; reminding us all from time to time her years as cheerleader at her high school, and always had time for her family.

Granny's second lesson was how to give of one self. I fondly remember as a child how she would drive up to my parents married dormitory in college at East Texas State University and bring huge bags of groceries to my very needy, poor college student parents with two small children! Many times she would take my brother and I home for a week during my parent finals or just because my grandparents wanted to be with us. I vaguely remember those times, but the memories I have are of how much I enjoyed being with both my grandparents and aunt and uncles.

As I grew up, my grandparents divorced, but neither one never stopped spending quality time with my brother and I through our weeks spent at their homes. I don't think she or my grandfather for that matter ever thought twice about us being there or infringing on their weekends. That is just how it was and they wanted us in their lives.

Third, you know if you are follower of my blog, that one of the biggest lessons I learned from my grandmother was my love of cooking. She passed that on to my mom and down to me instinctively. Large family meals were an easy task for her. She was used to cooking for 3 sons, two daughters, a husband, and her sons and daughter in-laws. I remember watching in awe as she would cook a pie in the outside grill to not heat up her house and cook a roast on the stove top for meal that she needed in a hurry. Granny didn't measure and she wasn't a fussy cook, but she could make a Holandaise Sauce and the best cornbread you ever ate.

Today, I want to share with you her roast recipe with a little twist in spice that I made the other night. Not many people think of cooking a roast out of the oven. But in all honesty, it couldn't be simpler. My husband loved the new potatoes that cooked in the broth of the roast and dinner was ready in under an hour and a half on a week night! Roasts in my household are usually reserved for Sudnay night.

I used my Crueset Roaster, but any good quality pot will do. Just be careful to not boil your water out of the pan by having your fire up too high. So with that said, add water as you need too! Reduce your fire or temperature on your electric cooktop once you have brought your roast to a boil or a low simmer. Cover and in a relatively short time you will have your usual weekend dinner on a weekday night!

Granny's Perfect Pot Roast

1 - Chuck Roast
2 onion, quartered and sliced - not too thinly
7 new potatoes, quatered and sliced - not too thinly
5 - 6 cups water
2 tbs. Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 package of brown instant gravy

Wash pot roast and place in a roaster coeverd with 5 - 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil for ten minutes. Turn fire or temperature down to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes adding 1 tbsp. of Tony Chachere's Seasoning. Prepare potatoes and onions and add to the pot. Add 1 tbsp. of Tony Chacheres Cajun Seasoning, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and brown gravy packet. Mix gravy packet in pot until it is dissolved. Make sure you have enough water the entire time your roast cooks to cover your roast by 1 inch. Continue to cook for 45 minutes or until your roast is medium rare (when sliced through with a knife your roast will have a pink center - but not too pink).

When roast is cooked place on a serving tray and allow to stand/sit for 5 minutes. Slice going against the grain and spoon potatoes and onions around your roast. Serve with some Lima Beans, salad, and soft roll and it's a great meal anytime!

Thanks Granny! I love and miss you greatly!

Make this soon!  It's super simply and your family will love it!  One tip is use your left over roast with an added gravy the next day over toast!  It's wonderful!

Alise

Welcome Gilmer ISD to my 'Let's Blog About It' Ignite Inservice Session!

Blogging these days is everywhere!  Over two years ago I dove head first into the world of blogging becoming obsessed with everything to do with them!  What I found was an outlet for my writing, a way to share one of my passions in cooking, and a way to connect with new friends across the Internet!  These last two years have been both a learning experience and such a pleasure as I broaden my horizons and find a 'hobby' so to say that I can see myself keeping up with the rest of my life.

As a mother of three daughters and from a  host of great country cooks, passing down this tradition was and is important to me.  As my oldest daughter left for college,  I never got that hand written ookbook made for  her like I promised.  So, I turned to blogging to share our families recipes.  What stemmed from that simple gesture (for my daughters to learn to cook from my online journal so to say) has currently over 4,000 hits and now 5 followers.  Countless other 'followers' tell me they sign up by email to receive my 'post'. 

I have found that when I am inspired, I post.  When I have had an especially meaningful memory or meal, that is when I publish a post via my site 'The Ranch Kitchen' blog site.  To date I have over 46 post 35 followers, and try to post at least once every week if not two weeks.  However lately with the moving of both my daughters to their respective graduate and undergraduate colleges, life so to say has gotten in the way! 

Inspiration is found everywhere for my blog. The name itself stemmed from our ranch where we live we live on and of course my kitchen.  My husband says when were first married that if the house burned to get the kids, get the myself out, and not to forget my mother's handmade cookbook she wrote in her own handwriting.  He always liked her cooking and was pleased as punch I was trying to be as good as her. 

Now, if the house burns, I don't have to worry about my blog...I just make sure I back up my site from time to time, because sadly even web sites can go down and disappear.   My hope is to one day place my blog into a cookbook that can be hand held as another gift to my daughters.  Because ultimately, when I am gone one day, this blog or journal of sorts will be all that is left of me and a window into how momma cooked and how much she loved her family.

So today Gilmer ISD, as I teach you all about the relatively new world of blogging, I hope you'll see what I see!  It's a whole new world out there everyday in the digital world.  One full of constantly unfolding websites that beckon us to take a look and become a part of them.  Blogging is just that; an interactive way to not only blog on my site, but become a part of others blogs by not only commenting on them, but sharing and becoming inspired but what others do best.

So sit back, let's 'surf' the web by looking at not only my blog, but a few of my favorites!  Become a follower of my blog The Ranch Kitchen and I hope you take back with you today possibly not only something you can use in your leisure time, but see the infinite possibilities you can have with blogging in your classroom

Many thanks,

Let's get cooking,

Alise Nolan

Gilmer ISD

Academic Coordinator

2010 - 2011

Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Onion Frittata

Our garden this year has given us many things...time to be together late in the afternoon, veggies for dinner and something to share with our families and friends.  Last night was no exception.  After cooking lately what seemed like chicken, chicken, pork, and pork, I decided we needed a little variety!  One of my favorite 'gotta have it' carnival foods has always been an Italian Sausage sandwich!  It's heartburn on a bun, but I can't imagine not eating one at least once each year. 

Last night I started to crave one.  As I my middle daughter went off to the store, I asked her to pick up some Italian Sausage.  With my left over Garlic Pasta recipe from the night before - I'll share that one later this week, some roasted red bell peppers and onions from our garden made in a foil pack with a little Canola oil, and a salad with fresh garden tomatoes, dinner was done in under 20 minutes!  It was a welcome treat from chicken, chicken, pork, and pork! 

This morning as I thought of what to make the 5 girls in the house as both my youngest daughters had sleep over guest, I thought of an Italian Sausage Frittata.  What resulted is the recipe I share with you today.  With some biscuits, jam, and butter, breakfast was served in under 30 minutes!  I love trying to find new ways to reinvent my left overs.  This baked egg Frittata will definitely be cooked many more times in my families future.  It was not overly greasy and with the addition of cheese and some Slap Ya Momma Cajun Seasoning, this dish was graded up to something that I decided I would put on my blog for you today!

Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Onion Frittata

9 eggs, beaten

4 Italian Sausages, quartered and chopped

1/2 cup roasted red peppers and onions

1/4 teaspoon Slap Ya Momma Cajun Seasoning

1 cup Mexican blend cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Quarter and chop Italian Sausages.  Mince roasted red bell peppers and onions.  In a bowl beat 9 eggs.  Add the roasted red bell peppers and onions to the eggs and beat.  Add Slap Your Momma Seasoning and beat.  Add the Italian Sausages and mix well.  To this mixture add the 1 cup of Mexican Blend grated cheese and mix well.  Place in a well greased or buttered pie plate of oven proof fry pan.  Cook on 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until the center of the Frittata is set and the eggs are not soft.

Serve with garlic sprinkled biscuits - (biscuits slightly buttered before cooking on top with a sprinkle of garlic salt). 

Get cooking!

Alise

Paula's Frozen Fruit Cups

You can meet the nicest people when you aren't expecting it.  That was the case for me more than 8 years ago in Indianapolis, Indiana when I met Paula Achison over the back of cement cattle tie.  We were both at a National Jr. Exposition that our kids were attending.  Paula, I found out, loved to cook as much as I do.  One day our interest in what the other was making for our state group of kids while in the barns got the better of us and we introduced ourselves to each other.  I remember distinctly how impressed I was with her frozen fruit cups and after having one that day, I have remembered them to this day and our friendship has grown.  She is a wonderful mother, friend, and cattle woman who is a constant supporter of my blog and my daughter Bethany as she has served as National Hereford Queen this year.  As a member of the American Hereford Women she is a representative for all of us throughout our nation who are interested in not just our great Hereford cattle, CHB (Certified Hereford Beef), but mentoring and promoting our youth to lead our organization in the future! 

As my family adds one more thing to the cattle trailer for our trip to this years National Jr. Hereford Expo, the one thing I will be placing in my cooler will be this recipe that Paula got from a friend years ago for her Frozen Fruit Cups!  She messaged me a bit ago and told me that you can find them at the grocery store made by Glad Mini Cups in eight packs.  Packing in these little containers makes it both convenient and easy to store in your cooler.  I plan to serve these little fruit treats for breakfast one hot morning as a treat for our crew!

This year we will be eating with the state associations that will be providing lunch and some dinners nightly.  It's a huge task for these states to host a Jr. Nationals with over 1,500 head of cattle in attendance and over 900 jrs. and their parents in attendance each year.  We've been a little scared this year that our nationals may be cancelled due to flood water conditions and heavy rains north of Kansas City, Missiouri.  But thankfully for the north the rains have subsided some and for those of us in Texas we just wish they would send it our way!  Hay this year will be hard to come by. Pray for us!  Fires and drought have ravaged the ranches and land in our state this spring and summer season of 2011. 

This summer our Bethany will serve as National Hereford Queen and she could not be more excited.  She and I have planned a Queen's Tea at her insistence.  Little girls, their mothers, former National Queens and the American Hereford Women are in for a fun treat and etiquette lesson on Tea by our friend Diane Johnson of Details by Design of Fort Worth who will give an overview at our event.  Bethany is really looking forward to getting to meet all the little Hereford girls in attendance!

Good luck to all the juniors in attendance and especially our little Audrey who will be showing at her 3rd Jr. Nationals.  I will be also cooking my Chicken Spaghetti For A Crowd once again and expect to see all my 'kids' at the stalls on that day!  I'll let you know when it's on the menu.  So stop by our stalls just to visit and catch up!  Safe travels and to everyone enjoy your July.  Stay cool and please try the fantastic recipe below.  You will not be disappointed!

Frozen Fruit Cups From Paula Achison - Anita's Frozen Fruit Cups:

1 cup each of assorted fruits like cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, etc.

1 container of frozen orange juice concentrate

Mix fruit and frozen orange juice concentrate together.  Place in Glad Mini Bowls and freeze.  You can serve these frozen, slightly thawed, or completely thawed according to your taste.  ***You can use any fresh fruit that is in season says Paula. Cantaloupe, grapes,strawberries etc. Sometimes she would put in a can of peaches for the juice. The real secret to the dish she says is the frozen orange juice concentrate that you stir in undiluted. This keeps the fruit from turning brown. Then she puts the fruit mixture in small cups and freeze them.  She uses the reusable Glad Mini Bowls in the eight pack with a lid to freeze them.

Paula says that during the summer her boys would work for a large farming/cattle operation. They both enjoyed Anita's wonderful cooking as much as the money. They always were telling about something she made and the Frozen Fruit Cups was one thing she would pack in a cooler for a snack in the tractor or combine. 

Get cooking! 

Below are some pictures of our National Jr. Hereford Expo in Indiana last year!

Alise and Paula!

Our group of great kids from the state of Texas at opening ceremonies!

My girls last Jr. Nationals to all show in!

Audrey showing in PeeWee Showmanship Competition.  She made the Finals and top 11 with her heifer Angel, her favorite Hereford to this day!

My husband Scott and oldest daughter Ilissa smiling at Audrey showing in Showmanship!

The Ranch Kitchen's Fried Green Tomatoes

Each year my husband plants a huge garden.  Each year we say it will be smaller.  Each year our garden is just as big!!  We enjoy the fresh tomatoes, potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, peppers, corn, cucumbers, watermelon, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, radishes and eggplant...and I still don't think I mentioned all that we grow! 

One result of our garden is that we have taught our daughters that when you grow one, you share with others.  Each year when friends come over they'll find veggies in a bag in their trucks and cars.  I even once thanked our local friend/doctor for a stitches on one of our girls with some garden vegetables! 

With groceries increasing in price each year and especially this one, I save a small fortune at the grocery store with our homegrown vegetables.  Since our beef comes from our Hereford cattle, on some nights most of our meal comes right off the ranch!  It's satisfying knowing that.  My mom used to say how my Grandfather would tell her and her sister and brothers the same thing and how proud he was to be able to produce most of their meal on those nights long ago! 

I hope we instilled in our daughters the tradition of gardening.  Scott is the planter and I am the cook.  It works out well that way.  There is nothing it seems that ever compares to a homegrown tomato or squash!

Just the other night I decided to cook Fried Green Tomatoes because with over 30 tomato plants we have a lot of green tomatoes!  They turned out really good.  If you have never tasted them or cooked them for yourself...they have a sweet flavor that is wonderful!  Below is my rendition of this classic Southern recipe!  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did!  To me a little ketchup is a must on the side!

The Ranch Kitchen's Fried Green Tomatoes

3 - 6 green tomatoes that are on the verge of turning pink, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 package of yellow cornbread mix
1 cup flour, all purpose
1 egg
1/2 cup water

Slice your tomatoes 1/2 inch in thickness.  In a bowl place the instant yellow cornbread mix and flour and mix together well.  In another bowl place the egg and 1/2 cup water and mix until frothy.  Dip the tomatoes in the egg and water mixture and then in the cornbread mix.  In a Teflon coated fry pan place tomatoes in 1 to 1 1/2 inch of Canola Oil.  Gently turn tomatoes as they brown to a golden brown on each side.  When both sides are browned, place tomatoes on a serving platter lined with paper towels to sop up the left over oil.  Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt or regular salt.  Serve warm with a dollop of ketchup!  Enjoy!

Get cooking! 

Alise

Some are slightly browner than others....sometimes you have to step away from the pan...just don't wait too long!