Category Archives: Eating

Chomp it up.

Bandwagons, Eating, recipes

From the family cookbook: Oreo dessert

My Aunt Judy brought her layered Oreo dessert to every family Christmas gathering, because she knew how much my stepsister and I loved it. The two of us would swarm her as soon as she came through the door, and the Oreo dessert was the first thing we piled onto our plates.

There’s nothing the least bit organic or farm-to-table in this recipe. That’s probably what makes it so tasty. I haven’t tried to make it since Aunt Judy passed away — I just don’t think it’ll be the same — but one of these days I will.

Aunt Judy’s Oreo Dessert

1/2 cup butter
large container Cool Whip
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 package Oreos
8 ounces cream cheese
large package instant chocolate pudding

Layer 1: Crush cookies and mix with butter. Press into 9×13 pan and reserve a few crumbs for the top.

Layer 2: Mix 8oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Put in 1/2 of cool whip. Mix and spread over Layer 1.

Layer 3: Mix pudding according to box directions and spread over dessert. Let set for a few minutes.

Layer 4: Spread the rest of the cool whip on top and sprinkle with remaining Oreo crumbs. Refrigerate.

Bandwagons, menu plan Monday

Coming back from vacation is never easy

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We rented a cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the weekend — although “cabin” really doesn’t seem to be the appropriate word for a place that can comfortably house 16 people. We rode go-carts and played mini-golf and went to Dollywood and ate and ate and ate. And then we ate some more.

It was an utterly delightful weekend.

Today we are back to reality, which means that instead of having my sister-in-law’s homemade salsas and guacamole with a Mexican fiesta, we’ll be having omelets and the like. Ah, well. We’ll always have the NASCAR SpeedPark.

Monday: Omelets

Tuesday: Chicken sausages and mac & cheese

Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Cracker Barrel chicken

Friday: Cheeseburgers

I’m linking this up with OrgJunkie.com’s weekly Menu Plan Monday thing.

Bandwagons, Eating, recipes

From the family cookbook: Hungarian Goulash

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This is the time of year for comfort food, and there is no greater comfort food than my mother-in-law’s goulash. It’s meaty, warm, creamy and a little bit spicy, and it’s 150 percent delicious. You can serve it over rice or egg noodles, and you’ll be happy either way.

Rockford’s Mom’s Hungarian Goulash

2 1/2 pounds sirloin tip steak, cubed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 Bay leaves
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
rice, to serve

Melt butter and oil together in pressure cooker; brown the meat. Reduce heat and add onion and garlic. Cook until onions are tender. Add paprika, Bay leaves, salt and pepper. Add water to cover. Cook according to pressure cooker directions (about 15 minutes on high pressure).

Remove Bay leaves. Add tomatoes and heat through.

Mix flour with a little water to make a thin paste; stir into goulash mixture. Stir in sour cream.

Serve over rice.