Roast, carrots and potatoes—Matt’s mom’s version

“My mom makes it like this.”
“Well, my mom makes it like this.”
“Yeah, but your mom hates to cook and my mom doesn’t.”
Hmm….who won that argument?

We always make things the way my mom made them because I’m the one in the kitchen making it! I posted how my mom makes a roast on the Roast, carrots and potatoes post a few posts back. But Matt said to me the other day, “But don’t you like how my mom makes roast? It’s just as easy as you mom’s version.”

And it is. It also isn’t quite as rich, and I think my mom would love it. So, I’m not telling either mom I’m putting this up, and let’s see which mom catches it first! 🙂

End result

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Roast, carrots and potatoes

I’m a “meat and potatoes” girl myself. I’ve heard that line from my mother my entire life. In high school, I experimented with soufflés and quiches. No one in the house ate my food, mostly because it wasn’t meat and potatoes. Frustrated and heart-broken, I remember tossing entire freezer-burnt concoctions in the trash.

18 years later, my family is much more open-minded. They always eat my new concoctions and love them. Or at least, they tell me they do! They’d better if they’re in my house, right? (joking!)

But I try to make things they will like, and things they are comfortable with. After all, you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.

So, here’s mama’s receipe for roast, carrots and potatoes. It’s what this girl grew up eating, and one of my husband’s favorite meals.

Roast bigger than 2 to 3 pounds won't cook through in 6 hours....

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Lentil soup gone wrong

I met a colorful character in the blogging world named Alison at Alison Amazed. Born British, but brought up in Canada, her blog is littered with both English and Canadian terms. I adore folks who have one foot in one culture, the other foot in another culture and a finger and toe in a third and fourth. She makes beautiful, vegetarian dishes, but alas, I am not a real cook and need a recipe. Alison gave me directions. Not quite the same. But determined to eat more lentils for the folic acid and the fact that my cousin who lived in Chile for years claims they are so delicious she could eat them daily, I thought I’d give it a try. I can do this….right?

Who am I kidding? This chick needs a recipe. I will never be Rachael Ray. (And that’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it.)

Cooking lentils...

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Jennifer’s Whole Wheat Low-fat Lasagna

“What do you want for dinner tomorrow?”

“Lasagna—with lots of cheese.” Ahhh, my cheese-lover, no surprise there.

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Carrot cake in the crock pot

My aunt Pat asked if it was possible to make cake in the crock pot. I looked it up and honey, it’s been done! I would never have thought…..
I chose the cake I like most–carrot and found a “low-fat” recipe on food.com  by Purdy Good Cook. I looked around the kitchen and said, “Let’s do it!”

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Roasted Chicken with Veggies

A whole chicken? With the insides and the bones? I’d never even tried. It seemed too…..overwhelming. But this year of cooking and the very reason for this blog is to try something different, be bold, take a chance. To cook!

So, I did it.

I cooked a whole chicken. I touched everything. I wasn’t afraid. And it wasn’t as bad or as difficult as I thought it would be. I can do this! I am like my grandmother!

What a scary sight.

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Polish kielbasa and sauerkraut

Back when my husband and his family thought they might be Polish, he purchased a Polish cookbook and taught himself to cook like a Pole. While we were dating, besides making homemade pierogies full of cheese and potatoes for me, he also made this favorite.

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Buffalo meat loaf

Remember in middle school when the lunch lady plopped a lump of “stuff” on your plate? Upon inspection, I could never decipher the ingredients… meat and maybe something else. To me, meat loaf conjured images of nasty school lunch. I never had any desire to try it.

Now that I’m grown, however, my taste buds are happier, healthier, more open-minded buds. And boy, was I wrong about meat loaf. My husband and I fought over the last piece.

Served with fresh corn on the cob!

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South Georgia Collard Greens

I normally make my collard greens  the way mama taught me. Two bunches of collards, 1/3 cup of water and a ham hock. Stir them every time you think about it—-6 hours on low on the stove. This works. They are scrumptious.

I’ve tried flavoring with ham hock, pork neck bones, turkey necks, turkey wings, chipped pieces, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and every spice you could think of. But mama’s recipe remains tried and true.

For the fun of it though, I thought I’d try something different.

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