On a cooking binge

[gottahaveahoove]

I'm preparing for my annual trip to North Canton to celebrate Hoover's b day, and to visit my friends.


  I usually bring some home made kitchen delights.  Tonight, I'll be making a large amount of spaghetti sauce, meatballs and sausage, cookies, Irish soda bread, banana nut bread, iced tea, etc.


  Also, a co worker is preparing for her daughter's bridal shower and asked me to make the 'tea' and some cookies.


 These things will give me a chance to break out the new Kitchenaid stand mixer. I haven't really cooked much of anything since the VCCC convention.   Once more, the house will smell great. Tonight, I'll post some pics.


 Maybe I should carter when I leave the college!  The kitchen is open once more!!


 

 

[suckolux]

Nice! Sounds like fun John, enjoy! I'm sure things will smell lovely.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Thanks

both cats will sit in the kitchen all night....just by the island.


 


Luckily, they've never eaten anything from the table or the prep space.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I might be burning the midnight oil.

Tons of cookies ( 3 kinds) must be made for a delivery tomorrow.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

It was a culinary frenzy

here last night. 6 banana nut breads, 5 dozen cookies, and 6 gallons of iced tea.


  Finishing up tonight.


 

 

[gottahaveahoove]

plus,

spaghetti sauce, 10 pcs of sausage and 40 meat balls. 

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Well, all delicasies went over well

I'll make a lot of cookies again, for my students.


I tend to prepare dishes in large quantities,  to freeze for a later time.


That way, there;s always something nice  at the ready, should a surprise guest, etc arrive.


Chicken cordon bleu will be next.  Plus the century old recipe of 'the chocolate cake' for my aunt's 92nd b day!!  (looks 70)


I made 4 of them for the convention.  Some called it 'fudge'.  It's been called that before too.  It's all done by hand, wooden spoons, separated eggs, double boiler melted chocolate bricks, etc.  A lot of effort, but worth every bit.

 

[kirbyklekter]

I'm thinking

that the new kitchenaid mixers were employed during all this cooking! I know they will, come the holidays this year. Great for those big cookie batches. I'm considering buying the ice cream making attachment for the KA. It would be nice to make larger amounts than the 1qt. maker I have now!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Yes, they were!

And, yes.  In the not too distant future.............. this kitchen will be a culinary frenzy


 


I'm making 12 Chicken Parmesan, stuffed shells, sauce and meatballs.  PLUS, I promised my new students cookies...  what better way to wash them down than with some iced tea.   Can't brink cold milk to the room.  So. tea it is !!!!


I've made about 15 gallons of the stuff since that convention.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

i have that ice cream maker too

Plus..2 Cuisinart machines. They make great ice cream.


  Then, sometimes, I'll make Hoover crepes, and serve ice cream in them. Mocha crepes are a favorite at some of my gatherings.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

With the 2 Cuisinarts

and the Kitchenaid, I can make an abundance of ice cream.

Maybe I could put a little bell on my car!

I have a lot of the KA attachments.
They make quick work out of s lot of tasks, for sure.[this post was last edited: 8/20/2022-10:10]

 

[gottahaveahoove]

So yesterday I was at it again.

Here's some chicken parmesan, stuffed shells, and my great aunts killer chocolate cake.

 

[suckolux]

Yum!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

It all was very good.

My only living aunt turned 92 last week.  My sister was in too. Their birthdays are 3 days apart. My sister's b day is the same as Fidel Castro's. Mine is the same as President Kennedy's.   Go figure.


 


 So, this week,  I made may aunt's favorite things.  And, there is enough now for 9 different dinners.


  Cookies will be made tonight for my new students. My new classes have students from 9 different countries.


It's a very interesting semester so far!


 

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I have the pasta rollers,

and the pasta plates for the Kitchenaid mixer.  I keep promising myself that I'll make that home made pasta.  I make gnocchi from scratch.  I even got the gnocchi board with the ribs (like Lydia uses). They are not very hard to make, although a bit messy.  Some rainy or snowy day, out will come the pasta equipment.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Yesterday,

I made 12 chickens cordon bleu,rice, and cranberry sauce. The kitchen here was a busy place.

 

[mjhoshaw]

I'm impressed . . .

What do you teach? At what level? Lucky students!

Joel

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Thanks, Joel

I've taught a lot of stuff over the years.  I WAS a Catholic school (elementary) teacher. I taught grades3&4, everything.  Then,  grades 5,6,7,8, math and English, then music grades K-8 for years. I was on the faculty at Peabody in Baltimore (5 yrs), then  ESL for a literacy agency. Yrs ago, I also taught blind children. That was rewarding but very hard. Now, I teach English (2nd language)  to adults in a college. I have 30+ students from 9 different countries.  Some days.. ...yikes.  I've actually (accidentally) spoken French to my cats  when I got home from school.


 It's all been rewarding and challenging at the same time.I guess like everything else, right?


 

 

[gottahaveahoove]

So, today, Sunday.......................

I made 12 banana nut breads, 8 Irish sodabreads, 30 Toll House cookies.
Tomorrow.... chicken Alfreda lasagna.
Pics soon, if you'd like!