Cooking Through Stock-up Sales

You can get this print at http://www.art.com/

Wow, those countertops are almost exactly like mine! The blue "print" with stainless steel trim and matching backsplash is what I have, just a lighter, uglier blue. I love the more open countertops, though. I hate countertops cluttered with canisters and appliances. Mine are pretty cluttered right now, so after looking at this picture, I'll try to squeeze in some kitchen tidying today.

Lately, we've been having some great sales at the grocery store. They're the kind that are so good that you bulk up on the item. However, they're rather limited in variety, so I end up with a lot of one thing and not too much of anything else. Finding creative ways to cook the same meat is challenging. I'm finally at the tail end of the rolls of ground sausage (yesterday, I made sausage buiscuts and gravy). Now, I'm entering that rolls of ground beef phase. The added challenge is that hubby is rather fed up with pasta, so that rules out a large amount of recipes that use ground beef. On top of that, I have to make sure the kiddos are going to eat it, too. Too many Indian or Mexican dishes, and they won't have dinner at all! It's too spicy or too many complicated flavors for them. I'm not a huge casserole fan, but will give in if I find a decent recipe.

So, today I'm going to create a creamy soup with potatoes and ground beef. It may be a cheese soup and it might even have broccoli in it. It's a rainy day, so I know hubby will appreciate a soup.

As a side note, I'm an advocate for eating what's put in front of you when it comes to young children and mealtime. I'm not going to make boxed mac and cheese 4 times a week for picky eaters. I expect my children to eat good food and eat what I make. However, I also try to remember that foods taste differently to children. Their young tastebuds can only handle so much. Too many flavor combinations can be unappealing to them. Spicy foods, even if it isn't too hot for us may be too hot for them. Also, certain veggies, especially the green kind, can taste too bitter to them. Trying to incorporate their palates into your meal planning may make for a less stressful meal time.

The soup was a success. It turned out like a Cheeseburger Soup. Even my son ate two bowls of it! Here's what I did.

I put 1 tablespoon of butter in my pot and after it melted I added a pound of ground beef. I let that cook covered until no longer pink. I then added a handful of flour, salt and pepper to taste and then poured in some raw milk (if you don't use raw, use whole) and about a cup to cup and a half of water. In that I added some diced potatoes, some chopped red onion and one large garlic clove. I let that cook until the potatoes were tender and then I added some shredded cheddar cheese and colby cheese (about a cup of shredded cheese total). When that melted, I added a little sprinkling of parmesan cheese for interest. It was yummy!