Honoring the Fallen.....

Last week was National Police Week. In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week is dedicated to honoring law enforcement officers and pays special recognition to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of others. ~ NLEOMF

It is a time to honor the law enforcement officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Many citizens choose this week to express their gratitude to the police officers in their own community.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way police departments all over the country honored their fallen. My own police department hosted a 'virtual' service and live-streamed it. I typically attend this service each year in-person, but as I watched from the comfort of my own home, there was no doubt that much thought and preparation went into making the service meaningful and just as special as if we had all gathered in the church. Because of the ‘stay at home order’ still in effect, I think the live-streamed service gave many citizens a first-time opportunity to watch.

In 2019, 135* officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty. Rest in peace officers.... time will not diminish our respect for you.

This video honors 32 officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, as well as  surrounding agencies: Cornelius Police Department, Davidson Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Huntersville Police Department, Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, NC Department of Motor Vehicles (Enforcement).

* Number as reported by the NLEOMF

♥

Cheesy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

When I hosted my 10th Annual Christmas Lunch for CMPD in December, I tried a new macaroni and cheese recipe. Trying out a new recipe for a table full of police officers is never a good idea, but after watching the video from 'Jehan Can Cook' on YouTube, I felt pretty good about it. And I was right....it was delicious!

I modified it a little though -- like Jehan's recipe called for Gruyere cheese and I wasn't exactly sure what Gruyere cheese was made of or how it tasted. I'm sure a mac/cheese I've ordered at some restaurants have used it, but it was kind of on the pricey side, so I decided to use more cheddar instead. And like many mac/cheese recipes, it also called for mustard, and I always leave that out. I just have never used it, and again, trying something new when feeding others is no time to test things out. 

Since I'm not a pro-chef by any stretch of the imagination, after searching the internet for a good mac/cheese recipe, I learned that shredding your own cheese is key to making great macaroni and cheese (it melts more smoothly), but there is nothing easy by the trade-off. Shredding your own cheese is very time-consuming and take it from this inexperienced cook, shred it a few days ahead of time if you don't want to have a nervous breakdown. In the end, it will be a huge time-saver. As much as you can do ahead of time, do it!

My hand-held cheese grater is quite old (it doesn't even have the gripper at the bottom like the new ones), and grating 3 lbs. of cheese can take some time. When I hosted another dinner two months later (February 2020), my Christmas macaroni and cheese came up in conversation and how long it takes to shred cheese, and one of the sergeants said..."you need a food processor!"  

Well, I wouldn't exactly call it divine intervention, but it was a wonderful coincidence -- the very next day while I was trying to wake up, I was thinking about my visit with everyone the night before. I made a pot of coffee and started scanning TV channels and QVC had a 9-cup Kitchen Aid food processor as their 'Today's Special Value w/ free shipping'. It was perfect and I knew I had to have it! It's too big; not too small. 

This is Jehan's YouTube tutorial on this recipe:

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Macaroni cooked according to directions on the package
• 2 lb. Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 8 oz Gruyere cheese ** or smoked gouda, grated   
• 8 oz White cheddar, grated
• 4 cups whole milk
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 tsp Dijon or yellow mustard (optional)
• ¼ tsp black pepper or pepper sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg beaten

** I substituted Gruyere with 8 oz. Mild Cheddar since I wasn't sure what it tasted like -- I already had 2 lbs. of Sharp cheddar. A friend of mine made this Christmas day and used Gruyere and she loved it! I'll try it next time. 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish then set aside.
• In a large heavy bottom sauce pot over low heat melt butter. Add flour and stir until smooth.
• Add milk and cook until milk is warm and sauce has thickened a bit. Set 1 1/2 cup of grated cheese aside, this will be for the top.
• Add reminder of cheeses, black pepper, Dijon mustard, salt and egg then stir until smooth. Add macaroni to the cheese sauce, stir making sure the macaroni is well coated.
• Pour into a large baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Place into oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.
• Remove from oven. Allow to cool before serving.

For Jehan's website recipe, click here.

Christmas Mac/Cheese Photo

AHOP and COVID-19

So here we are....it's mid-April and the entire world is facing this pandemic called COVID-19. I am going on my 5th week of working from home as I'm sure many of you are as well.

My last meal for the South Division was February 15. I didn't write about it, but it was a great day!

* Spaghetti w/ meat sauce
* Salad / Garlic Bread
* Cream Puffs and Banana Pudding
* Sweet Tea

17 officers sat at my table throughout the day. It was a doubleheader (lunch for 1st shift and dinner for 2nd/3rd shift). It's so much fun listening to these officers enjoying a meal together. 

Since that time, I have had to postpone all meals and cream puff deliveries. I had hoped to offer at least lunch and dinner 'To-Go' a few times, but after giving that idea more thought, I thought it best not to. That would mean a trip to the grocery store and, well, you just never know.  

I am doing my best to follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control to protect myself:

* Clean your hands often.
* Avoid close contact. 
* Cover your mouth and nose when around others.
* Cover your coughs and sneezes.
* Clean and disinfect.
To learn more about the CDC guidelines, click here.

While I may be on my 5th week of working from home, police officers don't have that luxury -- they are left vulnerable and at risk to COVID-19.

I don't expect it will be anytime soon when my friends can gather at my table, but until then, my blue candle continues to shine in my dining room window - all day, every day - to honor my friends behind the badge. It keeps me mindful to pray for them. I hope it keeps them mindful of the lady on the corner who cares about them. 

Stay well, everyone!

♥

AHOP's 10th Annual Christmas Lunch

My work is interfering with my blogging! So busy at work....so busy at home, and I have so much to share! In particular, another CMPD volunteer assignment that I am very excited about (I'll save that for another post), and I celebrated my 10 year anniversary of cooking for my friends! I am having my blog redesigned to commemorate my anniversary. 

I wanted to share the highlights from my 10th CMPD Christmas lunch for the South Division. It was a hard meal to make because I had one of my busiest months ever at work and couldn't take off the time I needed to stay on track -- I thought I would have a nervous breakdown. I was getting so far behind, but thanks to my sweet and long-time friend, Melanie, who came to my rescue the night before.

It was a very nice turn-out. After lunch, the 1st shift officers left to deliver the toys they had collected for the families who were having a rough time of it. I had just enough time to tidy up the kitchen and load the dishwasher when around 1:45 pm, several 2nd shifters stopped by. A new sergeant stopped by too who had never been to my home before, and that's always nice.

I'll share the secret to the 'make ahead' mashed potatoes in another post, but what a time-saver that was, and the macaroni and cheese recipe I found on YouTube was restaurant quality. 

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. My holiday lunch is always the highlight of my Christmas, and I look forward to it every year. I just wish it didn't go by so darn fast.

♥  

I found this Mac/Cheese recipe on YouTube. It was EXCELLENT!
I'll share the recipe in another post!

Make-ahead Mashed Potatoes -- I'll share this secret in another post. Wow! What a time-saver!

What a lovely view....

Beautiful holiday flowers from my friends in the South Division.

Dinner for the Hickory Grove Division....

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department jurisdiction is divided into 13 patrol divisions --North, University City, North Tryon, Freedom, South, Providence, Hickory Grove, Independence, Eastway, Central, Westover, Steele Creek, and Metro.   

Over the past 10 years, I have made the rounds with cream puff deliveries and, of course, hosting meals for the South Division in my home, but delivering dinner gets a little more complicated. It's a lot of back-and-forth communication and since I'm not a professional cook or caterer, I really have to stay as organized as possible so I don't forget anything and I arrive on-time.

And then there's the 'loading of the car ' -- that's a big job in itself. I dont' want to forget anything that would be easily assessible at home.

I have delivered dinner to the Metro Division several times and to Steele Creek once. The most recent dinner delivery - November 2 - was to the awesome officers of Hickory Grove. They were so warm and welcoming and I enjoyed my visit.

When I arrived on-site, I sent a note to the officer and sergeant who helped me coordinate the dinner. “I’m here”, I said. In about 5 seconds, the front door swings open and about 12 officers pile out to help unload the car...and it took every one of them. 

I love that part. It makes me smile big even thinking back. 

It took just a few minutes to set up everything and then everyone fixed a plate.

And just like that....it's over! These hard-working officers are back on the street doing what they do best -- protecting and serving the community.

The load on the way home was a lot lighter.  

This division will be moving soon to a new location and a brand new building. On December 1, I did a ride-along with Hickory Grove and the officer showed me their new building currently under construction. It's going to be beautiful and I couldn't be happier for them.   

♥

Why are chicken pot pies so hard to make?

I have made Chicken Pot Pie twice over the last decade for my friends behind the badge. Once in 2012 in individual ramekins and again in 2015.

In 2012, I made the gravy from scratch. It was a nightmare to make, but in the end it turned out great, but I vowed to never make it from scratch again.  

In 2015, I simplified the recipe by using Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup and canned vegetables. It was pretty good and I won't forget how Sgt. BJ raved about it, but for this lunch, I wanted a 'showstopper' pot pie for the officers at my table. 

Last week, I had a moment of temporary insanity and decided to make it from scratch (again).

I found this recipe on YouTube by chef, Laura Vitale, and tested it twice for myself. Each time I made it it was delicious! The thickness was just right and it had a good flavor.

I took a half-day off from work the day before my lunch and had the lunch prep under control. I made chef, Laura Vitale's recipe again, only this time, the gravy was way too thick and it was greasy.

What changed? Why didn't it turn out like the last two pot pies?

Well, here comes the problem of not being a professional chef, because I don't know what changed.  Was it because I tripled the recipe to make a giant Pot Pie? Maybe I didn't need to triple the butter or the heavy cream? I must've goofed it up somehow trying to triple the recipe. All I know is that I was at the grocery store at MIDNIGHT Friday night buying more chicken broth.

If you make it 'as written', I think you will also love it. By Laura Vitale (click here).

Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5:30 am and I shot out of bed like a piece of toast. The first thing I did was fire up the stove and I started making the chicken pot pie sauce again, but this time I used a different recipe. With the lunch just a few hours away, I couldn't risk another fail. The pot pie had to go in the oven at 9:30 am.

The second batch had a good flavor, by Food Network's Tyler Florence (click here), but I thought it was a little too soupy. Being a novice cook, I was afraid to start adding thickeners. Three hours before these officers were to arrive is no time to be experimental! Had this batch not turned out, I would've been ordering pizza.

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon! Great conversation and these guys can make me laugh. The four officers who came have been coming to my house for more than 9-1/2 years and it was the first time this sergeant stopped by. By the time the last two officers left, it was almost time for 2nd shift to log-on, so I asked the sergeant to let them know in case they wanted to stop by and make a To-Go box (and a few did).

After the three 2nd shift officers left, I rested for about 90 minutes and around 4:00 pm, I made a To-Box and delivered it to an officer across town. 

So this old girl's job is not done -- the search for  the perfect 'fool proof' Chicken Pot Pie continues and I will find it! If anyone has a chicken pot pie recipe that you family raves about, I would love to hear from you -- please share in the comments.    

♥

Sweet Cornbread (click here)

Easy Southern Banana Pudding (click here)

Sweet Cornbread....

For years I have been looking for a good cornbread recipe. You know....the kind you get at family home-cooking restaurants. Mine has never measured up. It was always crumbly and, for the most part, tasteless. One restaurant chef actually gave me their recipe, but it was deliciously complicated, and I need 'easy' for this bunch, while not compromising goodness. I guess that's why I experiment so much.

While trying to perfect my Chicken Pot Pie recipe before inviting the troops back, I was also looking for a good cornbread recipe (they go hand-in-hand), and I found this recipe on the AllRecipes website. I really liked this recipe as it reminded me of cornbread I have had at a nearby restaurant. It didn't fall apart while trying to butter it and it had a lot of flavor.

SWEET CORNBREAD

From this recipe on AllRecipes

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cornbread muffin mix (I used Jiffy mix)
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (8 ounce) can canned cream corn
1/2 cup white sugar (I started to add just 1/4 c. of sugar, but decided to do as written)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. I used a muffin tin (12 muffins), lightly greased w/ butter and I sprayed Pam too. Original recipe called for a lightly greased a 9x13 inch baking pan, but I was worried there wasn't enough batter.
• Place the muffin mix a large mixing bowl. Stir in the milk and egg. Mix in the cream corn and sugar. If using a muffin tin, using a spring scoop makes it easy, if you have one. I filled the tins about 2/3 full.  
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of pan comes out clean. I started checking the muffins around 20 minutes.  

One officer benefited from a "test" Chicken Pot Pie to-go box. He recently transferred to another division and I don't run into him nearly as much as I used to (if at all), but he is very sweet to stay in touch, so a to-go box was the least I can do.

♥

Lasagna...tested and approved by the cops I cook for

I received a text message from an officer Sunday night asking for my lasagna recipe. The officer's birthday was the following day and her husband was making her birthday dinner. Asking for a recipe is the ultimate compliment for any cook, and an extra special compliment that my lasagna was birthday dinner-worthy.   

It took a little doing to pull the entire recipe together because the sauce recipe is in one place and the filling is in another. Not to mention explaining the 'building' of lasagna...that, in itself, is a big production. 

I don't have good picture of the lasagna on a plate, but I will next month and I will update this post.  

The sauce recipe is the Pioneer Woman's recipe (from the Food Network) and it makes a bunch! As written, it will make (3) 13x9" pans of  lasagna, or one large chafing tin (pictured below), but since it is somewhat time-consuming to make, I go ahead and make it as written, and then I can enjoy it during the week with spaghetti or freeze it.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Click here for the original Pioneer Woman's recipe 

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Ground Beef or Ground Round (I Used Ground Round)
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole large Yellow Onion, Diced 
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced  
• 6 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup White Wine OR Low Sodium Beef Broth if you prefer (I used the beef broth since I'm cooking for the Po-Po)
• 2 cans 28 Ounce Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (14 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes  (14 oz cans are sometimes hard to find so you might have to buy 3 28 oz cans (instead of 2) and only use half of the 3rd can
• 1 can (small, 4-ounce) Tomato Paste
• 1 jar good store-bought Marinara Sauce (I used Ragu Traditional, but you use your favorite)
• 1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 2 tablespoons Sugar (I used a little more than 2 tablespoons - it's tart)
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

Instructions

Pioneer Woman's step-by-step photos and instructions, click here.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until totally browned. Remove meat from pot with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. Set aside.  

Discard any grease in pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the diced onion and diced bell pepper. Stir it around for 1-1/2 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute. *Note: dicing the onion, green pepper, and garlic the night before is a huge time-saver.

Pour in the wine (or beef broth) and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1-1/2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine, then add oregano, thyme, sugar, and salt. Stir, then add cooked ground beef and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

LASAGNA FILLING AND LAYERING

40 years ago, the Mueller's Lasagna Noodle box had a recipe on the box called 'Classic Lasagna' and it was made with Cottage Cheese (not Ricotta). Being newly married at the time and an inexperienced cook, I followed the recipe as written and have been making it with Cottage Cheese ever since. If your preference is Ricotta, use that instead and I'm sure it will be delicious! 

This filling is for one (1) 13x9" pan of lasagna:

1 16 oz  Breakstone's Small Curd 4% Milkfat Cottage Cheese (or Ricotta)

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese (be careful not to use low fat -- it won't melt right)

1/2 cup Parmesan

2 eggs, lightly beaten
* Buy 2 packages of Mozzarella so you have two full cups left over to sprinkle on top (see below).

In a large mixing bowl add 2 cups (16 oz) cottage cheese (or ricotta), 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Add lightly beaten eggs and mix well.  

After the sauce is ready, spray the bottom of the lasagna pan with spray PAM.

• Spread one cup of meat sauce to the bottom of the lasagna pan.
• Add three COOKED lasagna noodles lengthwise on top of sauce. Spread about 1/3 of cheese    mix on top of noodles. I do little even scoops, then try to spread it the best you can. Top with meat sauce (it's more than a cup - maybe 1-1/2 cups?) You want to make sure the noodles are covered well each time, but not so much you lose the filling.
• Repeat layers twice -- noodles - cheese mixture - sauce.
• After the last layer of cheese and sauce, add your last layer of noodles and top with meat sauce.  Make sure the ends are covered well with sauce so they don't burn.
• Cover lasagna with tin foil and bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees. Take a peek at 50 minutes and see how it looks. If it looks really hot, remove foil and spread 1-2 cups of mozzarella on top and return to oven until melted and golden.

PHOTOS FROM MY OCTOBER 27th DINNER FOR CMPD METRO DIVISION:

As you can see, I haven't mastered the 'panoramic' photo feature on my phone.

Every officer signed this card that night with their own little message. I didn't include all the special comments in this photo. 

 

Spaghetti night at AHOP.....

Spaghetti night at AHOP was earlier this month.

I have made lasagna several times in the past year, but it has been a while since I made spaghetti. I love my lasagna (and my friends love it too), but it was a welcome change not doing the whole 'production' that lasagna brings. And anyone who has made lasagna knows what I'm talking about it. And when I make it, it's like x 4!  

11 officers stopped by that night. 

When the first officer arrived, he took a picture of the food and sent a text message out to a few officers on his shift. One reply came back almost immediately. It said '17', which means 'en route'. The second officer hugged me when he arrived and said it 'made his day' when the message went out that I was cooking dinner, and that's always nice to hear. 

Another officer was fixing his plate when a call came in on his ear piece and he said 'I gotta go'! So I quickly got a To-Go box and threw all of his food in there and he was on his way (the life of a police officer). 

Several officers came that night who had never been to my home before. I love it when an officer comes for the first time. I think they're taken aback at how comfortable they feel right from the get-go....or at least I think they do. I try to make it their 'safe place' -- no photos (except for the food); no strangers; and they can enjoy a hot meal at a table and conversation with the other officers. 

The last three officers left at 10:20 pm. I loaded the dishwasher with as many dishes as it would hold, soaked the dishes that wouldn't fit, and the old girl went to bed! 

I love doing this so much!   ♥

- - - - - - - - - 
                                                                          

My spaghetti sauce recipe is a modified version of The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond (the Food Network). The recipe below is with my modifications, for example -- I only added one large onion instead of two; and only one green pepper instead of two. I know not everyone cares for onions and/or green peppers, so I try to take this into consideration when I'm cooking for others.

And an FYI...I use this sauce when making lasagna. One pot makes three (3) 13x9 inch lasagna pans.

Please be sure to review the complete unmodified version of this recipe by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman.  Click HERE!

Spaghetti Sauce 
Servings:  18 servings
IMPORTANT: This recipe can easily be halved!

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Ground Beef or Ground Round (I Used Ground Round)
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole large Yellow Onion, Diced 
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced  
• 6 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup White Wine OR Low Sodium Beef Broth if you prefer (I used the beef broth since I was cooking for the Po-Po)
• 2 cans 28 Ounce Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (14 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (small, 4-ounce) Tomato Paste
• 1 jar good store-bought Marinara Sauce (I used Ragu Traditional, but you use your favorite)
• 1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 2 tablespoons Sugar (I used a little more than 2 tablespoons -- it was tart)
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked Al Dente And Tossed With Olive Oil

Instructions
(Read Ree Drummond's instructions. She has step-by-step photos and instructions. click HERE.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until totally browned. Remove meat from pot with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. Set aside.  

Discard any grease in pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the diced onion and diced bell pepper. Stir it around for 1-1/2 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute. *Note: dicing the onion, green pepper, and garlic the night before is a huge time-saver.

Pour in the wine (or beef broth) and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1-1/2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine, then add oregano, thyme, sugar, and salt. Stir, then add cooked ground beef and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or more beef broth if it needs more liquid.

Before serving, drizzle olive oil on the cooked/drained spaghetti noodles and toss. Serve with a nice salad and a big piece of garlic bread. 

This before and after picture is a terrific testimonial of how terrific The Pioneer Woman's spaghetti sauce recipe is!

 

♥