Gettin down on the Farm!

The Skilling Family hosted the annual "Pig Roast" May 28, 2011!  While there was no actual pig roasted this year, there were several grills/smokers heating up some Boston butt, sausage & ribs.  Our family friend, Brooksie, also showed up with some Jamaican jerk chicken and red snapper.  There were tons of appetizers, side dishes, family, and friends there to celebrate!  Many hours are spent planning the weekend and this often starts months ahead of time.  Let me re-phrase that...the day after the Pig Roast we start talking about the next year and how we can make it better.  :) 

The night before the Pig Roast there are a few friends who arrive early for the weekend.  Our Friday night tradition is usually hamburgers, hot dogs, slaw, etc.  This year we decided to throw tradition out the window and cook a low country boil on Friday night!  Let me tell ya, it was awesome!  We had 25-30 guests and cooked roughly 45 pounds of food!  There are many ways to make a low country boil.  Here's what we did:

Large Uncooked Shrimp (in the shell is preferred)
Yellow Corn on the Cob, cut into chunks
Andouille Sausage or Kielbasa Sausage, chunked
Red Potatoes
*We planned on 1/3 of a pound each of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes per person*
1 box of Zatarain's crab boil
1 container of Zatarain's liquid crab boil concentrate
5 lemons, halved
2 large Vidalia onions, chunked
1 large container of Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup salt

In an 80 quart pot (with a basket) bring about 60 quarts of water to a boil 4 hours before time to eat.  Once the pot is boiling add the crab boil, old bay, and salt.  Allow this to boil for 2-3 hours in order to get the water properly flavored.  1 hour before time to eat add the crab boil concentrate, potatoes, and lemons.  Bring the water back up to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.  Then add the sausage and bring the water back up to a boil.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Add the corn and cook for 15 minutes.  Throw the onion and shrimp in for the last 5-10 minutes.  Strain and serve on a table covered in newspaper or brown paper bags.  DIG IN! 

*A big thanks to all of the cooks that helped with the food throughout the weekend and to Matt Skilling for providing us with some great pictures!*

Gouda To Go!

Sunday night we tried a new recipe for burgers on the grill.  "Bacon-Bit Burgers with Smoked Gouda" were featured as the burger of the month in one of my Rachael Ray magazines that I've had for YEARS!  Literally, YEARS!  I am in the process of weeding through my food magazines that I have been keeping since 2006.  I found my stash upstairs in the office a few months ago and couldn't believe that I let it get that out of control.  I have committed to going through each magazine (I've made it about 1/3 of the way though), ripping out anything that I think I'd cook, placing it in my recipe binder, and then cooking it.  If it's good it can stay in the binder and if we don't like, we're clipping it!  Well friends, this was a keeper!  I wish I had a taken a picture of the deliciousness!

6 slices of bacon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 and 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1 tbsp McCormick's Montreal steak seasoning
1 egg, beaten (the original recipe does not call for an egg but I added it)
sliced smoked Gouda cheese
hamburger rolls

Cook the bacon and then place on paper towels to drain the fat.  When the bacon has cooled chop it into bits.  Then cook the onions until the are translucent in the olive oil.  Combine the ground sirloin, egg, worcestershire sauce, grill seasoning, cooked onions, and bacon-bits.  Divide the meat into 4-6 patties (depending on the desired size of your burger) and then grill.  Once the burgers are almost done, place a slice of the smoked Gouda on top and melt.  Remove the burgers and then place the buns on the grill to toast. 
*Note: The burgers in the magazine were topped with smothered onions mixed with A1 steak sauce.  I chose to omit this.  They were also cooked in a pan on the stove.  You can do this if you don't want to fire up the grill.  If you cook them inside you can turn on the broiler, place 1 cheese slice on the top of the bun, and broil until the cheese is melted.*

Hot off the grill!

Frank recevied a "Big Green Egg" from our good friends, The Christies, as his wedding present.  I chuckled when Cole gave it to him and looked at me and said, "Sorry, Amanda"!  I guess they thought in some way that I would be disappointed that they weren't giving me a set of my fine china!  Absolutely not!  I have reaped the benefits of his gift ever since!  We have gotten more use out of this grill than I can even count. 

Last summer we started a Sunday night grilling tradition with Matt & Rachel.  Each week we challenged ourselves to trying new and often inventive dinners.  I think the only thing we haven't grilled on it so far is a pizza!  Here is a recipe for my flank steak.  Flank steak is a cheaper cut of meat, but when cooked right it can be delicious!  This also makes great leftover steak sandwiches!

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use light soy)
1/4 cup sherry cooking wine
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 T worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 lb flank steak

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  Place the flank steak in a gallon sized ziploc bag.  Pour the marinade over the steak and keep it in the frig at least 4 hours or up to overnight.  Grill the steak to desired temperature.  *For nights when I am cooking inside, I've also broiled this steak in the oven for 3-4 minutes per side*  Allow the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes and then thinly slice across the grain.  (Just a side note: You have to slice it across the grain or the meat will be tough)

From scatch (well, sort of!)...

I was making my own chicken stock tonight and thought I'd share a quick tip I read a few weeks ago:  Freeze your homemade chicken stock in ice cube trays.  How clever!  This way you can pop out the frozen cubes and stick them all in a ziploc bag in the freezer.  The next time you need the stock you just pull out a few cubes (eyeball the amount needed).  This is much easier than freezing it in a huge container. 

Here is the recipe I frequently use for chicken stock.  Mom used to boil her own chicken, etc.  I didn't have time for that today!  I also think that if I spend the money on the rotisserie chicken at the grocery store I should use it for all it's worth!  This is my adaptation of what Mom taught me years ago:

all of the bones from 1 rotisserie chicken
2 carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks (the leafy celery greens are ok too)
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 small onion, quartered
a few dashes of dried Italian seasoning
a little S & P

Place all of the ingredients in a stock pot and cover with 6 cups of water.  Boil for 45 minutes on medium-medium high (my stove has numbers on the dial so I cooked it on #6).  Allow it to cool for a while and skim off any fat.  Strain the broth into a large bowl.  Pour into ice cube trays or into your desired storage container and freeze.

Mamby

Pork Chops by III

When we stayed with Amanda and Frank there was one thing we looked forward to each Sunday night – grilling by III on the Big Green Egg… one of our favorite dinners was III’s pork chops.  We finally got up enough courage to try to recreate.  The recipe is simple and has only 3 ingredients: red wine vinegar, salt (little) and pepper (lots and lots) and more red wine vinegar and pepper…the flavor is amazing.  We didn’t put anything on the chops until we put them on a hot / medium grill and then we applied the seasonings liberally throughout cooking to create a flavorful red wine and pepper crust on the chops – awesome!  We used bone in loin chops and the flavor was tangy with a good bite from the pepper.

We complimented the chops with roasted veggies – cherry tomatoes, onions, squash, and mushrooms – topped with olive oil, salt and pepper, oregano and garlic salt – roast them at 350 for 25 minutes (about as long as it takes to heat the grill, and cook the pork chops).  We finished off our plates with our favorite rice – Mahatma saffron rice!  Enjoy!  - Matt & Rach

Better late than never...

We went to Savannah Wednesday through Friday to celebrate our 1st anniversary.  This was about 8 weeks late, but who cares!  Really, we chose to celebrate it late since we were heading to Tybee Island for a wedding on Saturday, May 14.  Let me tell you a little something about working 10 days in a row and then taking off for 5 days....it's well worth it!  I'm not going to lie, it was pretty rough when day 8 rolled around.  As soon as I got my pedicure on Wednesday morning I was ready to roll!  We stayed in a hotel downtown in the historic district so we were able to walk everywhere for 2 days.  Then it was off to our rental house on Tybee Island.  This part felt more like spring break 2011!  It was great to catch up with old friends and make some new memories together!  ;-)  Oh yeah, we also made it to the wedding Saturday night and were 30 minutes early!  Not bad, not bad! 

Obviously, I didn't do any cooking over the past 5 days and I enjoyed every calorie consumed during our trip!  We visited some new places and an old favorite or two!  I decided to give you a quick run-down of some of the awesome eats we discovered in Savannah and while on Tybee Island. 

Cheers!
Mamby

Awesome tapas and wine - http://www.jazzdsavannah.com/ 
Good live music and drinks - http://www.bohemianhotelsavannah.com/dining/dining.asp
Great casual lunch - http://www.debisrestaurant.com/
Our "Anniversary" dinner spot - http://www.alligatorsoul.com/
Rehearsal Dinner - http://www.chart-house.com/
Our farewell lunch with good friends - http://stingraysontybee.com/
Wedding site - http://tybeeweddingchapel.com/

Chicken and Rice :)

As I said, I'm a huge fan of one pot meals...This one is a favorite of mine, and will also keep in the fridge for a few days - great for leftovers :)

Chicken and Rice

1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cans of all white meat chicken (Swanson is a good brand)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
32 oz chicken stock
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 bag of Ben's 90 second microwaveable rice

Combine onion, celery, carrot, garlic and butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Let simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in chicken stock. Add canned chicken and lemon juice, then bring to a boil for about 5-7 minutes. Microwave the rice and add it at the end. Use salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be thick, like a stew...Add oyster crackers and a dash of hot sauce to each bowl - yummy!
This is super easy and tasty. You can use fresh chicken if you like, but since this recipe combines all the ingredients, the canned stuff is fine. Also, I only buy microwaveable rice because I'm a dummy when it comes to cooking regular rice:)

Best Dishes!

"Stormy"

Ok...So, someone who goes by the name of "Stormy" has become a follower of our blog! I have NO idea who this is (wink, wink) but I know that "Stormy" loves to cook as well!
Here is a dish that he taught me, and I have literally eaten this side dish 3 times a week ever since :)

1 head of broccoli, diced into florets
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2-3 T olive oil

Heat olive oil on med/high in a skillet and add garlic and broccoli. Stir well. Continue stirring. Let the pan crisp the broccoli and garlic for about 5 minutes, and then serve.
The end result is crisp broccoli with great flavor :)  Mamby says the recipe is great with green beans or asparagus as well.
I'll have to ask "Stormy" if he learned this while filming Star Wars :) Don't know if veggies are served in the Galactic Empire or not!

One pot meals :)

I am a big fan of one pot meals - especially soups! You can basically make soup out of anything (well..almost anything :)
Below is a recipe for a soup I've made many times for friends and family.

Tomato Parmesan Soup

1 28oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes (no specific brand)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 medium onion
Dash of Italian seasoning (really any herbs will do - use what you like)
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour (all purpose is fine)
32 oz of Chicken stock
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
S&P to taste

Dice onion and crush garlic. Place in a large stock pot with stick of butter, over medium heat, then add your seasonings. Let the onions saute until clear, then whisk in flour to make a roux. (Roux = butter + flour). Whisk continually for one minute to let the flour cook, then whisk in 32oz of chicken stock. Add the entire can of whole tomatoes - juice and all. Then use a hand blender to emulsify the ingredients. The tomatoes will get blended in with the onions into a smooth mixture. Let simmer for another 10 min and then remove from heat. Add the cream and parmesan last, while the pot is removed from the burner.
You can always substitute half & half instead of using heavy cream...or low fat parmesan. I've made it both ways and it is still tasty!

My carb fix

It's no secret that I love, love, LOVE pasta!  I love it so much that I have to consciously try to cook it only once or twice per month.  I would eat pasta several times per week and gladly choose it over rice or potatoes.  I can't explain why, but pasta is my comfort food.  While a red or white sauce is delicious, I have grown to like pastas that are sauce-free.  Sounds weird, but it's good!  I like to actually taste all of the love that I've thrown into the pan and not feel like I'm eating a gigantic bite of marinara. 

A few years ago I had dinner at my friend Jen's house.  She made us this pasta with turkey sausage and a bunch of other fresh ingredients with no sauce.  I took her idea and have made my own version.  If you've ever watched Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals you'll hear her say she loves what she calls "Go to meals".  These are meals that are guaranteed to be good over and over again.  (I think that her voice is super annoying and prefer to watch her on mute!)  Well, this is my "Go to meal".  You can substitute the green veggie with whatever you have on hand (cooked broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper, etc).  I've also substituted the roasted red peppers with grape tomatoes.  This a great way to clean out your crisper drawer in the frig and pack in some fresh veggies!

1 package Italian sausage links
1 small container pre-sliced mushrooms (button or baby bellas)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jar of roasted red peppers, sliced (packed in water)
1 bag of fresh spinach
1 pound rotini or bowtie pasta
Fresh parmesean cheese
2 T olive oil
S & P
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Start a large pot of water boiling and cook/drain the pasta according to the package directions. 

While the pasta water heats and while the pasta cooks: brown the Italian sausage in a large 12 inch skillet (with a "lip" or high edge) and drain the fat.  Wipe out the skillet to remove any excess fat.  Using the same skillet, saute the mushrooms in the olive oil.  When the mushrooms are cooked about halfway, add the garlic and onions.  Saute for 5 minutes.  Add salt & pepper to taste, red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers, and the entire bag of spinach.  Allow the spinach to wilt and then add the cooked sausage.  Add the cooked pasta to the meat/veggie mix and toss to evenly combine.  Serve and top with some freshly shredded parm. 

Mamby

The secret's in the sauce :)

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is make marinades, salad dressings, and sauces :)  I've decided to share an easy-to-make and tasty marinade that works well on all types of beef, pork, or chicken. I usually make a large batch at a time (just multiply the recipe by 4) and it will keep in the fridge for up to a month! I'm not a measurer by nature, but I've tried to come as close to the actual amounts as possible :)

2 Garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
1 cup Soy sauce
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
Dash of Worchestershire
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Squirt of honey
1 cup Olive oil

Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender. After they are fully mixed, stream in the olive oil while the blender is still on. If it's too salty for your tastebuds, add more honey. If it's too sweet, just add more dijon!

You can also use a hand blender or food processor if you dont have an actual blender handy.
Hope you enjoy it - I will post more sauces and dressings soon!
Best Dishes,
Meliss

Butter, Bacon, or Ranch?

Those are the three ingredients that my husband says could be added to any dish and it would automatically be better!  Well, I've learned over the past 6+ years that he was right!  He's also been known to say on more than one occasion, "Everything is better with bacon".  Mom only used butter at home when baking.  She also made homemade "Italian" dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, seasoned salt, pepper, and oregano) every night.  We only ate bottled salad dressings at restaurants or at a friend's house. A few years into dating Frank admitted to me that he'd been scouring the frig for a bottle of ranch dressing.  I laughed and later told Mom about his years of searching for a good ole bottle of ranch! The next time we were home she had a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch ready for him. ;)  Bacon is almost always on hand in Mom's frig and most Saturday mornings you can find my Dad frying up at least a pound of it!

The first time I ever cooked for Frank I made us this yummy pasta dish and a homemade salad.  At this time, I did not know that he only preferred ranch dressing!  I made a spicy sausage pasta along with a "crunchy salad".  This salad is loaded with several delicious sweet, salty, and crunchy ingredients.  One of the stars is bacon!  I made the salad and Frank gobbled it all up! 

Here is the recipe for the "Whitehouse Plantation Crunchy Salad" (I do not know who is the original author, but I will give credit where credit is due.  I got this recipe from Mom after it was served at one of our neighborhood supper clubs.)

1 head of iceburg lettuce, chopped
3/4 cup chow mein noodles
1/3 cup slivered almonds
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped

Dressing:
1/2 cup veg oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine the sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a food processor (or blender).  Slowly pour in the oil to emulsify.  Toss with all of the salad ingredients.  ENJOY!

Mamby

The kitchen is the heart of the home! (and it has sweets!)

Ok - I know that the "real" heart of our home is our mother :)  But the kitchen is where we all end up whenever all of us gather at the Farm! We have all logged countless hours chopping, cutting, dicing, and marinating our way to a great meal. Growing up, we hardly ever went out to eat...our Mom cooked dinner for us every night, and did it from fresh ingredients. To this day, my siblings and I would rather use fresh veggies over canned, scratch ingredients over boxed, and we all have asked Mom "How do I do this?" or "What if this happens?" when faced with a cooking issue. My Mom, sister, and sister-in-law all know how to bake...anything!!  Given my lack of a sweet tooth, I never bothered to learn. Now that I'm older, I regret that I can't even operate an Easy-Bake oven. (Do those still exist?)   So I have much to learn, and am very thankful for my 3 wise women (Mom, Mamby, and Rachy) and what they can teach me!

The Food Lover's Companion

My first "place" was a 1 bedroom apartment in Athens.  I crammed my tiny kitchen full of various kitchen odds and ends.  Most of my supplies were hand-me-downs from our old lake house, my Mom's kitchen from our first home, my sister, or a local discount store.  I remember calling Mom countless times asking her what ingredient was in a specific recipe or calling Melissa to ask her how she made her shrimp scampi.  Those phone calls eventually led them gifting me The Food Lover's Companion.  If you've never heard of it you are going to love it!  It is essentially a dictionary related solely to food.  Whatever the ingredient you are sure to find it in this book.  Thousands of foods are listed in it from A - Z.  I have used it as a kitchen reference for years and the food stained pages are proof!  I encourage you to pick up a copy or if you know someone who is just starting off in the kitchen, buy one for them! 

My niece, Catherine, is now entering into her sophomore year at Valdosta State University.  She moved out of her dorm recently and into her first apartment..ahh, memories!!  When Frank and I got married we packed up all of my old kitchen supplies for her.  Last week I gave my sister-in-law, Elizabeth, all of the boxes to bring to her at college.  With the stress of college and work, I didn't want her to worry about going out and spending money on things that I already had for her for free.  My other niece, Emily, is very passionate about cooking.  She helps plan the meals for family gatherings and I love that when I ask what I can bring to dinner Elizabeth says, "Let me talk to Emily first"!  I think I know what they're all getting for Christmas!

Best Dishes!
Mamby

http://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Companion-Barrons-Cooking-Guide/dp/0764112589

Decisions, Decisions...

"What to name this blog?"  "Who will read it?"  "Will they like it?"

These are just some of the first things we thought about when considering starting a food blog.  After careful consideration (and about an hour on the phone), we agreed on a title.  We love to eat, so we thank the Lord we love to cook!  We are grateful that our mother loves to cook and our grandmothers weren't too shabby in the kitchen either!  An added blessing is that we love being together in the kitchen! 

When the Skilling ladies are in the kitchen it usually looks something like this:  Melissa & Rachel (Meliss' & Rach) are at the center island counter chopping away, Amanda (Mamby) is busy mixing or cooking several different things at once, and Nancy (Mom, Nan, or as we affectionately call her "Mama Skilling" or "Mama Spiel") is hovering around the kitchen island poking and prodding all of our various concoctions.  As Mom comes over to "help" she manages to taste our dishes, add a little bit of this or that, and give us some of her hints on what we could do to improve our recipes.  All the while insisting that she is, "not trying to tell us what to do"!  Even though she is in fact telling us what to do, we love it! 

When there's a family gathering we could bet a million dollars that one of the first phrases we say to each other is, "What are we going to eat?".  Countless hours are spent on the phone passing ideas back and forth.  (Thankfully we have Verizon and talk for free!)  Sometimes the planning starts a month ahead of time.  Each family member has their own personal favorite food that they want to make or a new idea that comes to mind.  Thus ensues the food battle.  This tug-of-war continues until we've reached an end result that is well balanced and agreed upon by all.  Since everyone has their own ideas/thoughts on what to do, no one ever leaves the table hungry! 

We hope that you enjoy our posts and are able to use some of the recipes/ideas provided!