Ravioli Stew

This is a recipe I made quite often when our children were young, mostly because it's one of those freezer recipes (make two, freeze one) that saves bunches of time. And it's so versatile that you can use whatever you have on hand!

Ravioli Stew

ingredients: (double the amounts if you intend to freeze half for a future meal)

1 pound ground beef, sweet Italian sausage, or ground pork - choose your favorite or go meatless

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the kind in the green can)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup chopped onion

canned tomatoes - sauce, crushed, diced - however you like them

1 quart broth - beef or vegetable

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon parsley flakes

1 package frozen cheese filled ravioli

Brown the meat (if you're using it) in a large pot. Drain and return to the pot.

Add the onions to the meat and cook them until they're transparent.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except ravioli) and bring the stew to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or so. Stir occasionally, and add some water if the stew gets too thick.

At this point, you can put half of the stew in the freezer and save it for a busy day.

In a separate large pot, cook the ravioli according to package directions.

Put one serving of cooked ravioli in a large bowl and ladle the stew over the pasta. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and serve with a salad and some garlic bread. Seasoned croutons are also a great addition! Just sprinkle them on the top.

Like I said, this has been a family favorite for years!

This post is actually and two-in-one when it comes to meal ideas. :)

One thing my husband and I like to do on these long spring and summer evenings is to take a picnic to Custer State Park, find a quiet pull-off, and enjoy the wildlife.

A week or so ago, we stopped by a little grocery store and picked up some deli sandwiches. We found our quiet spot and watched the bison and antelope while we listened to the meadowlarks in the meadows around us.

Have you ever heard a meadowlark's song?

Meanwhile, we watched a storm pass by to the north.

The pictures don't convey even half the beauty.

Before long, the storm had passed, we had finished our supper, and we went on our way.

The evening was wearing on and we wanted to get home before dark. As we drove along, we spotted these two young bison making their way down a hill. They must have been grazing on top during the afternoon, but now were on their way to a watering hole and a quiet place to spend the night.

It's always a sad moment when we turn our truck toward home after a foray into the Hills, but the end of the day must come, right?

We'll be back soon, though. Maybe this week....

Don't forget - Naomi's Hope is coming out next month!!!

You can pre-order Naomi's Hope through my website: www.JanDrexler.com

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com

Resurrecting corn, allelujah! Taste a bit of summer in your Thanksgiving.

Helllooooo, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have something that will do you no good at all this Thanksgiving. (You're welcome.) But this coming summer, if you harken back to this post, you can follow the directions to make sure you have fresh corn for Thanksgiving 2015! You can't say I'm not a forward thinker.

So, my friend Stacey (of the secret recipe fame) recently sent me this e-mail about what they're having for Thanksgiving. Because I can't be there and good friends always want to know what the other one is eating, right?? Right.

(This is a random picture if sugar cookies I made last year. It's me, handing my sombrero-wearing hubby my heart. Awwwwwww..... He looks like a pirate! So dashing.)

(This is our good things jar. Around New Year's Day, we'll open it and read all the good things that have happened this year. It's STUFFED and it's only November!!!)

(Another random photo, this time of the birdcage this sits above my desk. It helps me think. I believe in the power of twinkle lights...)

Now that we've gotten the pretty pictures out of the way, I'm just going to cut and paste from her e-mail because I'm lazy and I don't think she'll sue me for plagiarism. I mean, I'm pretty sure she won't. I am but a poor author! 

     "First ,way back in September, we gleaned come corn from a farmer friend. We processed some for the freezer to enjoy at Thanksgiving.  

Need: 3-4 TBS of sugar, 6 ears if corn, ice, LOTS of ice, water, large bowl and big pot, also gallon size zip lock type freezer bags.

Directions:

1. Have all the cobs of corn shucked and silks removed before starting this.
2. Pour ice into a big bowl, then fill a third of the way with very cold water; set aside on the counter near your stove.
3. Now, over to the stove, fill the large pot less then half way with water and add in the sugar; bring to a full boil.
4. Add in as many cobs of corn that will fit into the pot without over crowding
5. Bring the water up to a FULL boil again; cook the corn JUST until the cobs turn a darker yellow which will not take long (about 3 minutes) turning the cobs over in the water, if necessary, using long tongs to guarantee  even cooking.
6. Just when the corn takes on a darker shade of yellow, use long tongs to grab out one ear and immediately plunge it into the bowl of ice water and allow to sit until completely cooled. Keep adding corn and ice as needed.
7. Place the cobs onto a clean tea towel to drain slightly.
8. Gather around 6 cobs in a large bag, then freeze

TaDa.. Now it is November: 

1. WHEN READY TO USE; remove as many cobs as you wish from the freezer place on the counter to thaw slightly (the corn does not have to be completely thawed)

 To heat the corn; place 1 cob into a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 3-4 minutes or until completely heated through, turning the cob halfway through cooking time-Very important

 or for a more even heating place 1 cob of corn into a Glad Simply Cooking Microwave Steaming bag, seal and microwave for 3 minutes.
(Your hostess here. I think Stacey staged this shot in her local big box store. I mean, nobody has a microwave THAT CLEAN.)

There will be hot liquid on the plate so be careful! Get rid of it before you serve.

The corn is now ready to eat and enjoy!

It can be done in the oven in larger quantities with more rotating. It is a bit chewy yet it is wonderful to bring out a plate during gatherings in the winter!

(Me, again!) So, thank you for sharing your tips and tricks for bringing corn back from the freezer, Stacey! And I must say, I do love your red butter dish. And your corn holders. And your absolutely gorgeous counters. I'm still planning on taking a writing retreat to your house some day. I'll be no trouble at all. I'll be very quiet... except for when I ring my little bell to let you know when to bring me sandwiches and warm up my coffee.

Oh, and here's Stacey's e-mail signature. HILARIOUS!

Surviving Savage, Montana with the help of lots of coffee.

 Until next time, everyone and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Gone With The Wind

I’m in Atlanta this weekend for the Romance Writers of America (RWA) National Conference. Now, I know what you are thinking: Gone with the Wind.

But I write WWII medical romance aimed at the inspirational market.  So I envisioned my time here as a bunch of women in 1940s suits and bottles of coke.

It's been lovely to see some of the contributors to Yankee-Belle and other writers I know.  I am taking some great classes and meeting with friends who live in the area.  It’s a good time to be in Hotlanta.  The weather has finally turned back to good old Southern heat and humidity.  But the hotel is really cold.

Yep, this is what it feels like in my hotel. I am glad I painted my toenails. Otherwise, they would look blue.

Trying to figure out what I can eat with my allergies is always difficult at conference events.  I pack emergency supplies of almonds, eat a lot of salads, and drink plenty of water.  You can only live on so much plain chicken, the main conference food group.  Gluten free was not a choice. Sigh. I'll need to talk to someone about that.

But the major issue for a lot of conference attendees isn’t what they eat but what their families will eat while they are gone.  You can't enjoy yourself in a workshop entitled "Making a Lasting Impression Writing A First Kiss" if your spouse is texting, "We're starving. Middle child is about to eat the baby." Telling him to get a bag of Hershey's Kisses, enthralled as you are in the workshop topic, is not an acceptable answer.



Now some spouses, like Man O, are thrilled to be on their own with no nutrition police around.  He heads off to the ballpark for hotdogs, ice cream and a Triple A baseball game.  I try not to think about Man O's cholesterol levels in my absence.

But those with tiny tots and growing teens often are not so fortunate. Panic ensues if Mom/Dad isn't around to cook. So instead of packing suitcases, days before conferences are spent making meals to stock in the freezer.  Pantries are filled to overflowing. Extra treats are bought due to mommy guilt. I remember those days. I feared the house catching on fire and burning like the torching of Atlanta if the family cooked something complicated.

Here was my go to list of "Mom's away" items:

• Stouffer's Lasagna
• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (yes, in the blue box. Don't judge me because my kids ate the neon orange stuff.) 
• Baby carrots, grapes and bananas
• Sandwich fixings including peanut butter to go with the bananas
• Spaghetti fixings with the ground beef pre-cooked and put in the freezer
• Coupons for pizza delivery (I was trying to be realistic) 

The list actually kind of makes me shudder now. But the kids and Man O survived and greeted my return with loud trumpets, applause...and requests for real food.  After making me think they barely survived on the land, had to make their clothing out of curtains and...oh, that's Gone With The Wind. 


So, what do you fix in advance for family if you are "gone with the wind" and away from home for work or other reasons? Or do you leave them to their own devices? And if you are like me, how do you make do at work functions where the food isn't quite in line with your diet?