Elizabeth Setzler's Dunbar Macaroni

I often reflect on my grandmother, Claudia "Elizabeth" Setzler and her superb Southern cooking. She knew so many recipes by heart. Sometimes she didn't use measuring cups and would calculate dry ingredients by how much she was holding in her hand. And her baked goods always turned out deliciously perfect. But, just because I share her first name doesn't mean that I inherited her natural culinary talent. I'm more of a "foodie" and love to eat.

Cooking is sometimes a challenge for me. I've exploded hotdogs in the microwave, burned many pre-made cinnamon rolls, and often get so lost in the deluge of interesting recipes that I end up ordering a pizza. But I'm learning! I'm enthusiastic! I'm experimental! I'm proud that in college I tried to make homemade French Onion soup in my dorm room. I also baked a great spinach lasagna in the "bare bones" kitchen of the Language House (which I spent an hour cleaning up before I even started). When my young family was going through an "egg" phase, I was ecstatic to discover how to scramble an egg in the microwave with just a paper bowl and towel. Many years ago, when I was living with my older sister, who is a gifted chef and did the majority of the cooking, she was impressed by my homemade marinara sauce--which I relied completely on the memory of how my mom made her sauce. To this day, I love making sauces. Though I do often enjoy trying out sauces from jars. For me, mindful cooking has become practical way to express your creativity and nourish your family. Since these are high-priorities for me, I continue to pursue developing my cooking skills. Though I enjoy taking many breaks and eating out, too. And, on some busy school nights, I've resorted to high-quality frozen microwavable meals.

What really helps motivate my cooking at home is when family members share their enthusiasm in meal-planning, prep work, appreciation AND clean-up. It's a major BONUS when I find a food that my whole family likes. Which, at last, brings me back to my wonderful late grandmother. She could prepare dishes that pleased the palate of a huge family. Which, I'm sure, was not always an easy task.

She made some sophisticated dishes but one that has lingered most in my "palate memory" was a simple, spaghetti casserole. It appealed to her 12 grandchildren (and adults, too). Last winter, I longed for this "comfort food" and searched for it online. I came across a reference to Dunbar Macaroni by the author, Pat Conroy. He attended his friend's funeral in Newberry, SC and tried it there. When I read the ingredients, I knew it was very similar to my grandmother's. However, there was no mention of adding any liquid to keep the casserole moist. My grandfather raised turkeys in Newberry County and I'm guessing that she probably added turkey broth. I made a few other modifications and here's what I believe to be a fairly good representation of her version of Dunbar Macaroni.

Setzler Farm (Elizabeth and Carl with their children and turkeys) in 1956

Elizabeth Setzler's Dunbar Macaroni

1 box of spaghetti

2 large onions (diced)

1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes

1/2 cup to turkey broth

3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 TBS of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

20-30 saltine crackers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil the spaghetti, drain, and set aside.

Saute the diced onions in 2 TBS of water

Cook for about 10 min.

 Add the can of tomatoes to the onions. Cook for another 10 min (until most of the liquid is cooked off). 

Put the drained spaghetti back in a large pot. Add the tomato and onion mixture, sharp cheddar cheese, turkey broth, and butter. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour mixture in a casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 min.

Remove foil and place saltines on top. Bake for another 10 min.

Serve with a smile (and sweet memories of my grandmother)!

Healthy substitutions:
Panko crumbs for saltines
quinoa pasta for spaghetti
zuchinni slivers for spaghetti
fresh stewed tomatoes (or "canned" tomatoes in a box)
veggie shreds for sharp cheddar cheese

Happy National "Peanut Butter & Jelly" Day--Celebrate with a Smoothie!

When we moved into our new home, my mom gave us a smoothie maker as a house-warming gift. I was intrigued by this new appliance. I've tried out a bunch of recipes. This Peanut Butter Berry Smoothie is one of my family's favorites. It makes a delicious nutritious breakfast or an afternoon snack. I've even shared it with Scott Jurek, ultra-marathoner/smoothie fan. This must have been his secret to setting the new record. 😉

Peanut Butter Berry Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk

1 cup Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt

1 cup of frozen mixed berries

1 banana

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup of crushed ice

Add peanut butter, banana, mixed berries, almond milk, vanilla yogurt, and crushed ice in a processor.

Pour the smoothie mixture in a fancy glass and, if desired, add a banana for garnish.

Enjoy!

Happy National "Peanut Butter & Jelly" Day!

Easter Weekend Menu

From the brass-blasting, worship at our church to the aquatic egg hunt in our pool, Easter weekend will be a memorable celebration. Besides these joyous activities, there's always the question: "What will we eat?" Here's the menu that I prepared a couple of years ago when we hosted family.

Friday Night

Black Bean Burgers

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/black-bean-burgers-recipe.html

Tabbouleh

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tabbouleh-recipe.html

Broccoli Slaw

http://addapinch.com/cooking/2013/02/02/broccoli-slaw-recipe/#axzz2ygBsb8FQ

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=50409

Easter Peeps S'mores
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Easter-S'mores-With-Peeps

Fruits of the Spirit

Saturday Breakfast

Egg in a Basket of hash browns
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/03/eggs-in-hash-brown-nests/

Easy King's Cake
www.foodnetwork.com
http://wearesparkhouse.org/kids/spark/

Saturday Lunch

Downtown Dining
Roanoke City Market

Saturday Dinner

Homemade Pasta

with a choice of pesto, marinara, or puttanesca sauce
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/grilled-vegetable-lasagna-with-puttanesca-sauce-and-pesto-oil-recipe.html

Easter Basket Cupcakes and mini pies from 
www.bubblecake.com

and/or (depending how much energy we've got left)

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Dessert/Easter-Basket-Cupcakes

Sunday Breakfast

Bagels and assortment of pastries

Sunday Lunch
Buffet at HHCC

www.huntinghillscc.com

Welcome to our Home at Easter

The Hamptons: The place that seems to attract people like bees to a hive!

Okay... I'm guilty... I stole the quote from the back of a Tate's cookie package from the Hamptons. But, something about the imagery reflects my attitude about the Hamptons. The place is sweet, rich, and magnetic. A few weeks ago, when I found out that my family and I might go, I felt like someone was telling me that I was going to the moon. I just never thought the possibility existed. I grew up in northern New Jersey and now live in a small city in Virginia. And, I know it's shallow, but I couldn't wait to tell people that we were going!

Coming from the South, getting to the Hamptons was a haul. We followed our "Garmin girl" like cult members and ended up taking an extensive tour of Brooklyn. Then, before reaching Montauk Hwy, we spent miles of traffic lights on Sunrise Highway. We were ecstatic to reach our destination (and would definitely be taking an alternate route back)!

We were meeting up with our extended family. The Southampton house was spacious, grand and "homey" with eight bedrooms, a modern kitchen, vaulted-ceiling family room, and a library. The backyard included a pool, tennis and basketball court. This beautiful space would be our home for the next few days.

Some might disagree, but the area where we stayed reminded me of my hometown--Upper Saddle River (but at the beach). The roads were windy. The lots were wooded. And the houses were impressive. As you approached downtown, some of the land became lush pastures. Once you reached the quaint downtown of Southhampton near the ocean, the roads became grid-like. It was like a "quilt" of estates, surrounded by majestic borders of hedges.

The Southampton beach was spectacular and unspoiled. Because it was April, I wrapped myself in a cozy towel to ward off the chill. But, my husband and twin daughters, didn't seem to notice and merrily collected sea shells. So, this is what we did:

Tuesday: Southampton Beach and lunch at "The Golden Pear"
Wednesday: Duck Walk Winery, Munn Point, "Tate's Bakery" and North Sea Harbor
Thursday: East Hampton, Montauk, and dinner at "World Pie"
Friday: Southampton Beach, lunch at "Townline BBQ", Wolffer Winery

In the words of my daughters: "It was the BEST Spring Break ever!" And, I'll put it like this: The Hamptons set the stage, but it was the company that we kept that made the experience special. Probably my lasting memories will linger around the homecooked meals shared around the long Tuscan table at the Southampton house, conversations on the front porch, and fireworks on the tennis court.

  

Pretzels and Prayer

My family belongs to a vibrant church with an innovative Sunday school program called "The River." It has a fun way of approaching Christian topics and teaching Bible lessons. You may wonder how this relates to the eating experience of a food blogger. Well, in our family, even Sunday school has a strong connection to food. Each grade (K-3) rotates through a workshop (Art, Games, Science, Bible Skills and COOKING). The workshops focus on a theme. Every few weeks the theme changes. Once in awhile, I have the opportunity to assist with the class--dubbing me the Sunday school "sous chef." On this occasion, the topic was "Prayer."

Who would think that you could combine cooking and prayer to teach a Sunday school class? Well, these creative teachers DID! They decided to make pretzels with the children. Did you know that pretzels were invented by a monk in the 16th century to remind people to pray? The shape of the pretzel symbolizes arms folded across the chest. This was a common prayer position at that time.

For the cooking portion of the lesson, the students helped measure, combine & mix the ingredients (flour, sugar, egg and water). Then they kneaded the dough and rolled it into thin strand. Next, they twisted them into pretzel shapes applied an egg wash, and sprinkled it with sea salt. Finally, the teachers arranged the pretzels on a pan and baked them in the oven at 425 degrees for 25 min. Helpful hint: Use parchment paper and write each child's name next to the pretzel.

While the pretzels baked, one of the teachers taught the lesson on prayer. She described the different types of prayer (adorational, confessional, thanksgiving and special). The lesson concluded with an explanation and recitation of "The Lord's Prayer."  When the "Amens" were said, the pretzels were ready. The children enjoyed eating them and talking about prayer. Thus, putting a "tasty" and meaningful finish on the power of prayer.