GRANDMA’S KITCHEN

Grandma’s

Kitchen

Sylvia Hughes with her grandmother, Bertie Dameron.

Beautiful things are beginning to happen in nature. Leaves have appeared on the trees. Shrubs are blooming and so are flowers. The colors are so amazing to see after the blandness of winter. There is something about spring that brings not only new life to plants but to us as well. This spring has a feeling of freedom because the corona virus is dying out. Masks are no longer required in most places and we can smile at people and see them smile back. I have missed that.

Do you have the urge to get out and enjoy the weather and maybe plant a few things? I have some things tugging at me. I have a little cleaning up that needs to be done in my flowerbeds and weed killer needs to be sprayed in some places.

There is a wild flower bed I am working on. At my age, it is a little at a time.

If you work at a job and then go outside to do things when you get home, you don’t have much time to cook for yourself or your family. Putting something in the oven while you work outside or having something to fix quickly when you come in makes life easier. It has gotten so expensive to eat out and you can fix healthier meals at home.

A little prep time at night can make meals such as fajitas or stir fry quick and easy the next day. Preparing a dish for the oven the night before and putting it in the refrigerator gives you a meal you only have to turn on the oven and put in the oven. Cold plates are good when the weather gets hotter. Making a shopping list with easy plan ahead meals is another way to save time.

Some ideas for cold plates are deli meats, chicken salad (you can use a rotisserie chicken and make the night before), cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, cheeses of different types and pickles (sweet, dill, bread and butter). Drizzle a little of your favorite dressing over the food. Serve with any type of crackers or Melba toast.

I have a few ideas just to get your creative juices flowing.

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Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.

Pork Subgum

1 lb. Boneless pork chops 1 bunch green onions, chopped, tops included1 large green pepper, cut in strips½ lb. mushrooms, sliced 1 can chop suey vegetables or bean sprouts½ cup walnut or almond pieces 1 ½ cup chicken stock 1 tb. Plus 1 tsp. Cornstarch 1 tb. Soy sauce salt and pepper to taste 1 can fried noodles, heated Cut pork into ½ inch cubes, removing fat. Saute in skillet until crisp. Cover and cook 5 minutes, remove from pan.Saute onions, green pepper and mushrooms 2 minutes. Add vegetables or bean sprouts, meat, nuts and stock. Heat until hot. Add cornstarch to soy sauce, Stir in and stir until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Serve with hot noodles. (Doing your chopping the night before)

New eNglaNd Salad roll

1 cup salad shrimp or lobster (can use imitation) ½ cup celery ½ cup finely diced cucumber ¼ cup red bell pepper 1 small green onion, tops included Dressing; 2 tb. Mayonnaise 3 teaspoons mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice Add a few dashes of hot sauce (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste Whisk dressing together until smooth. Add rest of ingredients. Put on sandwich rolls and top with slaw mix

Pork ChoPS aNd PotatoeS

6 pork chops 6 potatoes, cut in fourths 1 tb. Soy sauce 2 tb. Oil 2 tsp. Lemon juice 1 tb. Worcestershire sauce 2 tb. Light brown sugar 2 tb. Catchup Place pork chops and potatoes in a baking dish. Whisk remaining ingredients and pour half over chops and potatoes.Cook 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Drain juices carefully. Add remaining sauce and bake 30 more minutes.