Cooking For a Crowd

Tonight we cooked for a crowd.  And by crowd, I mean four other people.  Uncle Jim, Aunt Janice and Cousin Brian are visiting from Texas, so they along with Grandma came over for dinner.  There isn’t much to say about today’s babysitting adventure, since Harlee didn’t do much except lie on the floor, sit on my lap and then take a nap.  I napped with him.  We woke up to Jami coming back in the front door with groceries for this evening’s dinner.

We decided on Italian Beef… minus the beef. We substituted venison and pork for the beef.  That had been in the crock pot all day, so before company came, we prepared green beans and oven roasted potatoes, which I believe was made with another meal and can be found in an earlier post.

Jami did most of tonight’s cooking because I was still watching Harlee.  Justin was out at the farm shooting with the cousins, so we were short a babysitter.  But green beans and potatoes aren’t that difficult, so she was fine.

Anyway, company arrived, and we just had a few things to finish up before we ate. The table was set, the food laid out, and the wine was poured. It all looked delicious, and let me tell you, it was.  I think Italian beef is a foolproof recipe.  If you manage to mess that up…. Something’s wrong with you!  But seriously, it’s such an easy meal that requires little effort and the results are delicious.  Pile the meat on some toasted rolls or baguettes, top with provolone cheese and onions if desired, and you’re done.  So tasty and so easy.  And the leftovers are just as good.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal, and it was nice to sit around the table and share food with each other. After dinner, we cleared the table, poured some cups of coffee and enjoyed Jami’s homemade fudge.  Quite a tasty dessert.  You can check out those recipes in the previous post.

Harlee provided us with much entertainment throughout the evening.  He napped through dinner but afterwards woke up and giggled at Grandma and tried to eat everything in sight.  He’s started to teeth, so anything he gets his hands on goes in his mouth to chew on.  That includes your finger if you’re holding his hand.  Multiple times, his strong little grip and arms pulled my knuckle right into his mouth without me even realizing it.  It’s amazing how quickly he’s growing, and soon, there will be little teeth in that mouth.

All in all, it was a great night.  You just can’t beat a good meal with family, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time we cook for a group.  Try this meal out for yourself.  You won’t be disappointed!

Italian Meat

     (Jami's improv)

3(ish) lbs meat of choice - normally beef but in our case 2lbs of venison and 1lb of pork (to kind of deflect the game taste of the venison)

1 14.5oz can beef broth

2 tbsp Italian seasoning (divided)

2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp basil

1 tbsp parsley

3 tsp garlic powder

Place meat in a crock pot with broth, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning and rest of herbs/spices and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours (rough estimate, again I forgot to check how long it was actually in there.  Just make sure it's done in the middle!)

30 minutes before serving, remove from crock and shred (leave the juices in).  Return to crock and add the last tbsp of Italian seasoning.  Cook for 30 more minutes.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Green Beans with Almonds

2-3 lbs fresh green beans cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth

2 tbsp butter

3/4 cup slivered almonds

1 small lemon, halved

Combine beans and broth in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes or until beans are tender.  Drain beans and set aside.  In same pan (to conserve dishes!) melt the butter and add almonds and juice from half the lemon.  Cook until almonds are brown, stirring frequently.  Add beans back in along with juice from the other half (this is optional - if you prefer less zing then leave it out) and stir together.  Serve!