Seasonal Sundays (Week 41) Fall Comfort Food

It's October and I've collected a few "fall favorites" ... cozy comfort food for cooler, shorter days.

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Well, hey, all!

After taking August off (sort of, I still only managed four whole days "off" during the whole quarter) and using September Sundays to relaunch the How to Save Money on Groceries, Seasonal Sundays is back and hey, here you are too! Thank you for that!

And we've been at this pandemic thing for what, now, seven months? I don't know about you but the weeks whiz by, blink and it's Monday again.

And where will we be after another seven months, that would be May 2021? Will the next seven months pass just as fast? And what if there's another 7 months after that???

Does the very thought make anyone quake?

Hang in there, all ...

A Personal Exercise in Democracy

Our ballots arrived this week. We've been committed to voting early but are now re-thinking the decision. But the ballots' very presence in a kitchen drawer is a beacon demanding thought and attention, a high-pitched timer, a blinking beam.

Who else was (or is) a single-issue voter? I was, in my 20s. Was it a wise stance? Maybe, maybe not. In that 20-20 mirror, it did express a youthful zealotry for right and wrong, also the privilege of a life where "just one thing" could sit upon a pedestal above all else.

Would I ever love just one child? just one parent? choose eating vs breathing? working vs sleeping? or to lighten up a little ... just one vegetable or ice cream flavor over all others?

And this.

In other times, a single-issue vote wasn't a precarious choice. The "other side" might oppose my single issue but should "they" prevail at the ballot box, well, there was little worry that the very country was in peril.

So yeah, the 2020 ballot calls. It matters. And every vote should matter, mine just as much but no more than yours.

But what, exactly, do those marks on the ballot articulate?

This week, a busy brain began a furious list of the issues that cement my vote. I moved the whirlwind to pen and paper, a formal declaration of what I stand for and the conditions I resist. The list started off long; over some days I tweaked and teased, questioning adherence on each issue.

It's a personal exercise I recommend, taking stock of the meaning of your own vote.

Then go vote, early, in person on November 3, your call.

Our votes matter. Our choices matter even more.

About Political Ads

Just FYI, political ads are showing up on my sites. Odds are, for the next few weeks, we'll see tons of political ads across sites, mine included. Here's how online ads work in this day and age.

• I don't pick the ads. If you see an ad that offends/bothers you, it's not "my" ad and doesn't reflect "my" viewpoint.
• I don't even see the ads you see. The ads you see are different than the ads I see.
• Each of us sees different ads based on what "the Internet" knows about us and what the eyeballs the advertiser is targeting.
• If an ad is spreading false information, encouraging violence, etc, report it! The ad will likely include two small blue buttons in one corner. Click the arrow for more ad choices. Click the x to report something else.
• I could turn off all political ads but really, I'm loathe to forgo the income.
• It's gonna be a looooong few weeks ...

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PICK ONE

Pick One is for those of us overwhelmed by life's unending choices. If that resonates, then check out this one recipe and then call it a day. It's one that I think could make the most difference, the one I hope will become a regular in your kitchen, as it is in mine.

• THE RECIPE Chicken Cider Stew Another Quick Supper, one skillet perfect for fall.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken with Creamy Cider Gravy Another Quick Supper, moist chicken in a mahogany sauce.

Compliments!

• "Yum, thank you for the recipe! I needed to use up some garden tomatoes and peppers. I was a little nervous about leaving the skins and seeds in the tomatoes, and using a mix of yellow, orange and red tomatoes, but it all worked out fine and was yummy. I was planning to throw in some butternut squash but forgot. I loved the smokiness of the chipotle powder!" ~ Anonymous
• THE RECIPE Fresh-Tomato Chili

Cook. Eat. Repeat.

Here's my appeal for mealtime minimalism, the idea that you don't have to think up a new breakfast or a new lunch every day. It's a way to think less about food rather than more. It's maintains that the ritual of healthy satisfying staples can fill you up in a way that the new and the novel cannot.

• THE RECIPE Perfect Stovetop Brown Rice
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Cook White Rice

Back-Pocket Recipe

We all keep certain recipes in our virtual back pockets, right? We might not need them right this minute but recognize their usefulness in our recipe repertoires.

In seven months, we've done carryout exactly twice, first for my husband's birthday and then again a week later. Both times, I was shocked. Even a relatively simple order cost the equivalent of a week's worth of groceries!

So we've taken to splurging every so often, cooking a simple but special meal at home, some times fish, some times steaks, once lobster! for my birthday, some times ... lamb chops, one of my very favorite foods of all time.

• THE RECIPE Perfect Lamb Chops How to cook lamb chops perfectly each and every time.
• ANOTHER TAKE Frozen Steaks Perfectly cooked steaks, starting with frozen meat!

Comfort Food

Lord knows, we can use a little relief right now. So much on the line. Such rancor and division. So much uncertainty. We've been turning to comfort food (hello, pasta ...) without a total Christmas-cookie-style breakdown.

• THE RECIPE Mac n Chicken Just mac 'n' cheese with chicken, just mac 'n' cheese with protein.
• ANOTHER TAKE Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet Colorful bell peppers in a light cream sauce.

Is Your Mammogram Up to Date? Mine Wasn't.

A year ago this week, I was dealing with lingering effects of breast cancer treatment. I shared the news with all of you. Wow, such an outpouring of love and support: I remain touched and grateful.

But some of you also realized your own mammograms, like mine, were out of date and promised to rectify that. Have you? Really, HAVE YOU?

Is your mammogram up-to-date???

And if yours is, what about your daughters'? Your best friends'? Your sisters' and nieces'? Your neighbor's? Your co-workers?

Check in, won't you, please, with everyone you can think of? I got a long overdue mammogram only because a longtime friend made me promise.

BACK STORY Survivor Soup (Beet, Potato & Cauliflower Soup)

And Now, That Dried Bean Public Service Announcement

Who's actually depleted that stock of dried beans we bought last spring? Time's running out ...

This is the time of year when I usually toss out all the beans in the house because odds are good, they are o-l-d and won't cook.

But so far? I'm still having luck with the beans I purchased last spring and labeled as purchased last spring so there's no confusing them with beans bought a year ago.

THE REASON Why Dried Beans Won't Cook

• THE RECIPE Creamy Slow Cooker Beans How to cook dried beans from scratch in a slow cooker.
• STILL MORE IDEAS for canned & dried beans

Something for the Steaming Soup Pot

• THE RECIPE Hamburger Soup A hearty soup with chunks of meat and a cornucopia of bright-colored vegetables.
• ANOTHER TAKE My Chicken Noodle Soup The way I make it, meaty and noodle-y with just a few noodles.

Something Sweet

• THE RECIPE Molasses Cookies An old-fashioned favorite.
• ANOTHER TAKE Oatmeal Raisin Cookies For raisin-lovers and raisin-haters.

What's New?!

• THE COLLECTION How to Make a Meal with What You Have: Select Recipes for Cooking from Your Fridge & Pantry
• A RESOURCE FOR How to Save Money on Groceries

• THE RECIPE Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet Colorful bell peppers in a light cream sauce.
• ANOTHER TAKE Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon Another easy pasta supper, lemony, garlicky, cheesy, broccoli good.

• THE RECIPE Soft Rolls for Sandwiches (NOLA-Style French Rolls) Especially for extra-good sandwiches, crispy crusts, soft interiors.
• ANOTHER TAKE Light & Fluffy Homemade Whole-Grain Bread & Buns The light and fluffy texture that so many people prefer.

• THE RECIPE Chicken Salad for Sandwiches Makes up in minutes with pantry ingredients.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy Ham Salad Use up leftover ham from the freezer.

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Pork & Poblano Skillet A Quick Supper where a smoky pepper sweetens supper.
• ANOTHER TAKE Tender Pork Tenderloin with Cumin Carrot Fries

• THE RECIPE Simple Lentil Salad with Seasonal Vegetables A concept recipe for a supper salad.
• ANOTHER TAKE Red Quinoa Salad Your Way, a Quick Supper, Healthy grains, crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs & creamy cheese.

• THE RECIPE Swedish Rye Bread Slightly sweet, densely delicious.
• ANOTHER TAKE Best-Ever Oatmeal Bread Hearty and substantial, slightly sweetened with molasses. A family favorite!

• THE RECIPE Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos) Easy, healthy build-your-own crispy baked tortillas.
• ANOTHER TAKE Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos So handy to have on hand!

• THE RECIPE Quinoa Salad with Tomato-Balsamic Vinaigrette Served warm or chilled with seasonal veggies.
• ANOTHER TAKE Quinoa Salad with Zucchini & Lemon Light and bright, make it over and over.

• THE RECIPE Simple Swiss Chard How to sauté chard in a skillet, just three ingredients.
• ANOTHER TAKE Swiss Chard Skillet Supper with Tomatoes, Corn, Fresh Dill & Feta A hearty, late-summer meal, all in one skillet.

Text Me Back!

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com, dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, whatever.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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2020