When I was old enough to move out on my own, I did what most young people do when it came to cooking. I called mom for some of my favorite recipes. Since my early years were lean financially, I couldn’t fit lasagne into the budget for many years, and often had doctored up top ramen as a meal. You know what I’m talking about. Ramen with egg stirred into it, maybe a cut up beef hot dog, broccoli if I had it, etc. our kids loved the taste and it was cheap.
Fast forward to the early teens. Our financial picture was more stable, and lasagne and many of the other family recipes were now obtainable. These were a staple for many years. Of course there were the periodic recipes gleaned from friends that I added to my repertoire also. College Bread is a staple recipe I was given by a friend 30 years ago, for when I have excess zucchini. Make ahead, freeze and pull out a beautiful loaf for company, or maybe breakfast.
That was 15 years ago. We have been empty nesters for quite some time. Until my father moved in with us a few years after my mother’s death. He loves to cook, and try new recipes. He has been good for me. I had been feeling in a good rut for quite some time. And so, my recipe search began. After trying a delicious pot pie our daughter in law made for us, I bought the recipe book it came out of, flagged every recipe I wanted to try and we have tried them.
But I must admit, a few of my favorite recipes have come from unusual places. Our local grocery store sends out coupons based on what we buy regularly. They often come in a booklet with a recipe or two. My favorite soup recipe came in that form
https://www.kroger.com/r/chicken-tortilla-soup-recipe/111222
Then there is the recipe for Spiralized Sweet Potato Chicken Enchilada Cassarole. This recipe came with a spiralizer we bought. We love the recipe made as is, but we found it can be made with thin slices of gently cooked delicate squash also. We did this for a friend who is horribly allergic to potatoes. We also made a vegan version for another guest by removing the chicken and cheese from the recipe.
https://bellahousewares.com/recipes-bella/spiralized-sweet-potato-chicken-enchilada-casserole/
The recipes I get from friends are my favorite for sentimental reasons. I always write the name of the giver on the recipe. Sometimes when I see their names, it reminds me that it has been far too long since we have talked, sometimes it reminds me to say a prayer for them. Sometimes, it just makes me smile to think of them, and the friendship we have had over the years
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Tonight, we dine on the enchilada casserole. The recipe is on the fridge, my dad is at the store getting all the ingredients while I weed the backyard with the cats following close behind.
Hope you have a great day and find some fun recipes to help you out if you are in a recipe rut! Bon a petit!
An Ordinary Life 