Seasonal Sundays (Week 45) Stress Cooking & Eating

Hey, Y'all. We've got a hella week ahead ... how about we just give it up now and lean into stress cooking and stress eating?

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

[With apologies to Kitchen Parade followers from outside the U.S., I don't mean to ignore you. It's just such a huge moment in the U.S. even if the rest of the world is affected too. Calls and texts from my Canadian and Finnish family/friends, suffice it to say, we're all holding our breath ...]

So F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. But Still. Worry. High Tension. Harsh Words. More Polls and Prognostications Than Covid Cases. (And That's Sayin' Somethin'. At Least One Has an End In Sight.) Outright Fear. Fearless Fury. Determination. Hoping Against Hope. Fearing the Worst. Trying Not to Throw Up. So Ready For the Election Foreplay to Be Over, the Uncertainty to End.

Yeah it could be a rough week ...

For those who have yet to vote, Plan to Vote and execute a Voting Plan on Tuesday.

And at the end of the day, or the week, or the month, or the year, or the term, who knows, however long it takes ... we shall have a President born of Division + High Stakes with Half+/- the Country Overjoyed and Half+/- Devastated.

My head is formulating action plans for each scenario. If I'm overjoyed, I'll be privately high-fiving with fellow revelers. But I promise myself that I will not flaunt the results and am preparing to reach out to the other half. If this country, this experimental democracy, is to survive, kindness and generosity must be offered, whichever side prevails. Look up the word magnanimous. If ever there's a Do Unto Others moment, it is now.

And if I'm devastated, look for me in a cave of despair, never to emerge again, well, at the moment I'm unprepared for that. But I do need a plan, both to hold myself and those I love together.

My prediction, 0% margin of error, is stress eating for the unforeseeable future. So I've collected a bunch of recipes to fuel the coming week without falling into a pit of pizza pickup. Keeping you busy in the kitchen if that helps. Familiar comfort foods that won't throw you off your center like chain-binging Doritos and Oreos.

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: Here in the middle of the country, it's been a warm, sunny fall. One night last week, it was so pretty we sat outside, bare-footed, bare-armed, until nearly midnight. The stars? So big and close. That October night air? I wanted to deep-breathe it all in, never forgetting its unusual sweetness. Luka the dog wandered the yard, sniffing here, nose to the air there, just poking. He wandered back for a scritch, then startled at the sound of deer snuffles up the south hill. On alert, he pointed, working out what known unknowns and unknown unknowns might be out there ... I grabbed my phone, switched on the flashlight and voila, Dog Peering Into the Dark.

And isn't that what the country (and even the world) collectively is doing in these last hours before Election Day Vote Counting Week, peering into the darkness, understanding all too well its consequence but for now, just waiting, worrying ...

Mask up. Vote. Take care of yourself.

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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 Old-Fashioned Southern Brunswick Stew An old-fashioned southern tradition for election gatherings.
• ANOTHER TAKE Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms Root vegetables, earthy mushrooms and nutty barley.

Compliments!

• "Your wonderful recipe was the inspiration for my version. I had left over pulled pork & butterkin squash to substitute for the ground meat & pumpkin. I added some diced zucchini & cumin. It was absolutely delicious!" ~ QuiltingAgain
• THE RECIPE Supper Casserole with Pumpkin & Green Chile Cornbread Topping

• "Thick sliced bacon in a Stoned Ridged Baking Dish (Small) at 400F. The first batch of 4 slices took 23 minutes. The second batch took 18 minutes. The third batch took 16 minutes. You have to watch this carefully. You can't take back overdone. I know you know that. The bacon came out perfect. I'm sitting here eating a Keto friendly BLT made of the bacon. Yum!" ~ Lefty
• THE RECIPE Baked Bacon How to cook perfect bacon in the oven.

Stress Meal Prep

• THE RECIPE Maple-Glazed Pecans Crisp and barely sweet. Pecan Pizzazz!
• ANOTHER TAKE Sweet Pumpkin Seed Crumbles

• THE RECIPE How to Make Homemade Applesauce No added sugar!
• ANOTHER TAKE Roasted Applesauce with Raspberries Glorious color and brightness!

• 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.

Girding for Stress-Filled Days

• THE RECIPE Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole No bread! Just eggs, green chiles, bits of cheese and a surprising ingredient, cottage cheese.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole Just eggs, hash browns, salsa, cheese. Then adapt!

• THE RECIPE Spinach Brownies
• ANOTHER TAKE On-the-Run Breakfast Bars

• THE RECIPE Creamy Oatmeal
• ANOTHER TAKE Creamy Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oats Make a big batch then rewarm for fast, healthy breakfasts.

Hope? Do We Dare Say It Out Loud?

• Political historian Heather Cox Richardson says Yes, absolutely.
• Photojournalist and Reagan/Obama White House photographer Pete Sousa offers up a Spotify playlist Joy to the Polls

Mindless Distractions

Pandemic stress? Election stress? Whatever the source, for months now my brain needs light fare. These are completely out-of-the-ordinary pre-Covid choices for me, light and soap opera-y, all plot and character.

• Offspring (Netflix) I recommended this Australian series last spring. I started it in early March, just as we went into lockdown. I limited myself to one episode a day, hoping that at the end of the 40-something episodes, the world might look different. It didn't, of course. But ever since, "Nina" and her offspring are the standard to which I compare all screen-centric diversions.
• Emily in Paris (Netflix) Just finished this yesterday, just found it really sweet. Once again, it transported me to another world ...
• Winter in Paradise (affiliate link), the first book in Elin Hilderbrand's Paradise trilogy

Stress Snacks

• THE RECIPE My Guacamole Restaurant-style guacamole, our house recipe.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Guacamole with Tomatillos

• THE RECIPE Best Quick Tomato Salsa (Red Salsa) For chips, tacos, burritos, eggs & more
• ANOTHER TAKE Green Chile Sauce (Salsa Verde) New Mexico-style salsa verde

Stress-Reduction Soups

• THE RECIPE White Chicken Chili An old favorite, a little lighter.
• ANOTHER TAKE My Chicken Noodle Soup The way I make it, meaty and noodle-y with just a few noodles.

• THE RECIPE Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup Traditional on Tuesdays, without fail.
• ANOTHER TAKE Sausage & Kale Split Pea Soup A classic split pea soup recipe made extra-hearty.

• THE RECIPE Hamburger Soup A hearty soup with chunks of meat and a cornucopia of bright-colored vegetables.
• ANOTHER TAKE Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach Turkey & vegetables in a lemony broth.

Stress-Relief Suppers

• THE RECIPE Chicken Cacciatore The classic Italian dish, chicken slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce.
• ANOTHER TAKE Italian Lemon Chicken Italian-style baked chicken, lemon-y and garlick-y.

• THE RECIPE Cast Iron Meatloaf My go-to recipe for meatloaf.
• ANOTHER TAKE Elk Meatloaf Adapted from the easy Quaker Oats meatloaf with ground beef, elk, bison, venison or even turkey.

• 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.

Something New to You? A Challenge!

It's one thing to know what we like. It's another to get caught in a rut of repetition. Every so often, I may offer a challenge to try something that just might be new. The challenge is yours to accept – or y'know, not – but I hope to pique your palate!

• THE RECIPE American Apple Pie Savor every single tender, flaky apple bite.
• ANOTHER TAKE Apple-Butter Pumpkin Pie Naturally sweetened apple butter and pumpkin purée in an easy press-in graham cracker crust.

Spring Forward, Fall Back and All That.

You know that the time changed overnight, right? at least for many of us?

After the time change, I miss the late-day light but love the gift of an extra hour. When I was at school, we always planned the fall house party for this weekend, it meant an extra hour of hay bales and beer drinking ... or recovering. (For the record, the drinking age in my state was 18 then ...) And the Monday after the time change has long been my favorite day for an after-work walk, see White Chicken Chili.

So what did you do with today's "extra" hour? Hit theW snooze button? Make a special breakfast?

And how would be our lives be different if we somehow carved out an extra hour every day, even every week? What would you "do" with a self-gifted hour? If it's important, make it happen ...

No-Stress Sweets

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Chocolate Coconut Pudding Just five ingredients and ten minutes to pudding.
• ANOTHER TAKE Light 'n' Easy Chocolate Pudding Sweet and satisfying but won't ruin your diet.

• THE RECIPE Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Frosting A special-occasion cake yet simple to make.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake Dark, moist and chocolate-y, even two or three days after baking. Fun sprinkles?!

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

Leftover Halloween Candy?

• MINI SNICKERS Snickers Cookies on Sticks (or NOT)
• M&Ms & SMARTIES Perfect M&M Cookies
• GUM DROPS Gum Drop Cookies

Days of the Dead (November 1 & 2)

• Pan de Muerto (Bread for Day of the Dead), the traditional bread from Latin America to communicate with loved ones who have passed on.

Soups & Salads Especially for November

• NOVEMBER's COLLECTION Seasonal Soups & Salads for November, tons of ideas!
• LOOKING AHEAD Seasonal Soups & Salad for December, holiday simplicity

Trending

My Top 10 Recipes are predictable, hello Ham 101: What to Know Before Buying a Ham and How to Roast a Whole Pumpkin. But every week, seasonal recipes catch the internet's attention and start to trend.

KITCHEN PARADE
• Julia Child's Soubise (Onion & Rice Casserole) Thin ribbons of onion with rice and a little cream and cheese.

A VEGGIE VENTURE
• Cabbage & White Bean Stew

Seasonal Showcase

• THE FAVORITES My Favorite Apple Recipes All my favorite apple recipes, savory and sweet.
• STILL MORE Apple Recipes

What's New?!

• THE RECIPE Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup
• ANOTHER TAKE Quick Cauliflower Soup or Quick Broccoli Soup Healthful veggie soups on the table in minutes.

• THE RECIPE Microwave Green Chili Cheese Grits Two quick 'n' easy secrets for creamy grits.
• ANOTHER TAKE Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits My healthy substitute for mac 'n' cheese.

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Squash Puff An old family recipe, traditional for Thanksgiving.
• ANOTHER TAKE Turnip Puff or Rutabaga Puff A family Thanksgiving favorite.

• THE RECIPE Cranberry Chutney A holiday tradition, fresh cranberries plus dried fruit, nuts and wintry spices.
• ANOTHER TAKE Savory Rhubarb Chutney A savory chutney made with rhubarb, onion and dried fruit.

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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