Seasonal Sundays: Project Cooking

This week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is for all of us who need distraction during this time, this winter, this week. Will one or two work for you, maybe even become family favorites? Fingers crossed!

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Hey, all. Thank you for following Kitchen Parade, for checking in on these Sunday recipe collections. It means the world to be welcomed into your InBox and RSS readers and most of all, your kitchens. So thank you, thank you. And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

Not to be all doom'n'gloom but Lord knows, we face a hard week. A terrible week. A week dreaded since November 5th. A week to be abhorred. A week to be endured.

And then there are 209 more weeks to follow, more of the same and likely worse.

But this week, this one week, perhaps I'm not alone in burying my head in the sand.

And I don't care. Okay, that's wrong. I care, a lot. I hurt, deeply. I'm anxious, overwhelmingly. I'm scared, alarmingly.

But I'm still standing. I'm not giving up on democracy. I'm not obeying in advance. I'm not giving up my ideals. I'm not giving up on human rights. I'm not giving in to corruption and cronyism.

I'm still waving the damn flag, remaining at half staff on inauguration day. (Thank you, President Carter, for holding on so long.)

And while their lot is cozying up with billionaires and bad actors, I'm tending the homefires. My heart and mind are not for sale for a carton of eggs or a gallon of milk.

I'm baking bread. And apple pie. And decorating heart cookies with grand kids. And fussing over a three-day French beef stew. And making a chicken pot pie for the first time in a couple of decades. And maybe even pulling out the old family recipe for peroghies.

Food as distraction. It's worked before and God help me, let it help again.

Join me? I've got ideas from Kitchen Parade's archives all rounded up in one neat and tidy spot for you, below.

But maybe, those aren't quite right for you?

• Maybe throw yourself into a cookbook, a long-time favorite but gone dusty on the shelf.
• Or maybe embark on a "deep" multi-week project like our Deep Mexico: Ingredient-Driven Mexican Meal Prep. I keep wanting to do a Deep Thai or a Deep Vietnamese or a Deep Stir Fry. Or maybe, since it's so woven through my heart, more Deep Finnish (though I didn't call it that, back then) which pulled me out of a cooking funk/many weeks months away from Kitchen Parade after losing my dad and more.
• Or buying a bunch of a single ingredient (fennel, perhaps?) and then figuring out five new ways to cook it.
• Or digging for that big ol' lasagna recipe your dad used to make every Thanksgiving.
• Or where is that marmalade recipe you made just the once?
• Or really, would just fresh banana bread (which debuted in my then-Dallas kitchen as "crisis" banana bread) or chocolate chip cookies make all the difference?

Or ... I dunno, what? For you, what would it take to use food as a distraction?

And I don't just mean hitting on a box of Krispy Kremes.

But what about an early-morning tour of your town's best old-time donut shops? Or lox & bagels? Or bahn mi sandwiches? Or fish tacos? Or shrimp & grits?

The idea is to get out of your head. To look the other direction, just for awhile. To keep moving, whatever it takes. To chop wood & carry water. To call someone you love to chat with. To dress for weather and take a looooong walk. To 100% and totally avoid social media.

The outside world won't miss us for a day or two or seven. It's alllllll gonna happen, with us or without us.

The news will be terrible: lots of disinformation from the new barest-of-a-majority and hand-wringing and doom-saying from the just-barely-below-a-majority pundit types.

EFF them all.

We're on our own and we've got families to feed and loved ones to love on and ... projects to plan and execute.

"This Is It." Tomorrow is American's big Titanic moment, the one where the ship overturns and descends rapidly into the cold, unforgiving world of autocrats, fascists and not-Christian nationalists; the greedy world of billionaires after power and tax cuts on the backs of those dependent on the VA and Medicare and Medicaid; the cruel world where health care for women and human rights for undocumented immigrants are under attack. But like Jack and Rose, we intend to survive and in due course, will help the country survive as well. But for today and tomorrow and perhaps the whole week or more, push all else aside because it's time to jump ... into a life boat of a cooking project.

See you in the water. Mine's a big boat.

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: We're wounded but we're not dead. And we're not without agency and voices. But give us a moment to gather ourselves during this first onslaught.

In Praise Of ...

• ... the amazing ASPCA Animal Poison Control who talked me through a harrowing 45 minutes after our dog got into some post-surgery medications (entirely my fault ...) plus the emergency vet hospital who worked with them to stave off both short-term and most frighteningly, long-term and even lethal side effects ... five days later, it appears that all is well, he's asleep at my feet as I write ...


• ... a foot of snow that stayed!


• ... learning that the hymn version (Be Still My Soul) of Finlandia was played at President Carter's funeral last week

Democracy Matters

The country needs calm, thoughtful and assertive voices amid the chaos inflicted by a minority hellbent on taking/retaining generational power by strangling democratic principles and equal rights. None of us have to personally change the world. We just have to do our part. Pick one thing for the top of your To Do List this week.

TO DO: Stand up against Misinformation & Disinformation, remembering the difference with a mnemonic device, aka a memory jogger.

• MISinformation = MISLEADING info, misguided or ill-informed but without ill will.
• DISinformation = DASTARDLY lies spread with intention, even knowing the info is false.

TO DO: Remember that Shock & Awe Is an Authoritarian Strategy expressly designed to:

• ... flood the news/airwaves with the dreaded and the unthinkable.
• ... bury us in a way that makes us fear there's no digging out.
• ... make us feel hopeless, to accept the unacceptable, to look the other way.
• ... project overwhelming power, leaving us (their stated enemy) to wither away in silence.
• ... create divison within our communities.

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Cooking Project Ideas

For this week's recipe collection, I aimed for recipes to distract the mind and soothe the soul ...

• ... some, the longer the prep time, the better
• ... some, long-time American classics that bind us with focus and tenacity
• ... some, I dunno, because they just struck me as "right" for "right now"

• THE RECIPE Beef Bourguignon (French Beef Stew) Three days of preparation, one magnificent feast. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Winter Stew A master recipe, on the table in 90 minutes. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Gumbo A classic Cajun gumbo, except that the roux is cooked in the oven. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Vegan Chickpea Gumbo A hearty low-fat plant-based gumbo, packed with vegetables and Cajun flavors.

• THE RECIPE Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms Root vegetables, earthy mushrooms and nutty barley. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup A concept recipe, all about the vegetables.

• THE RECIPE American Apple Pie Savor every single tender, flaky apple bite. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Apple Cake with Warm Cinnamon-Butter Sauce My sister's simple, rustic apple cake. (PIN This)

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

• THE RECIPE Pumpkin Cheesecake A five-star dessert, full-size or mini.
• ANOTHER TAKE Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars So pretty on a plate!

• THE RECIPE Coconut Cream Pie How to move grown men to silence.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy-Easy Chocolate Coconut Pudding Just five ingredients and ten minutes to pudding.

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE How to Cook Quinoa for Meal Prep Just minutes, so handy to have on hand. PIN This

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• THE RECIPE PB&J High-Protein Overnight Oats Easy make-ahead breakfast with 35 grams protein. (PIN This)

January: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Mediterranean Eggplant Skillet Quick, easy & tasty vegetarian supper. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Moroccan Chicken A one-pot stew simmered with eggplant and tomato perfumed with Moroccan spices. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Weight Watchers Mexican "Zero Points" Soup It's spicy!
• ANOTHER TAKE Weight Watchers Zero Points Garden Vegetable Soup The original Weight Watchers soup.

Trending NOW ...

• THE RECIPE Slow-Cooked or Slow Cooker Pot Roast Three easy tricks for tender, moist and flavorful pot roast. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Cacciatore The classic Italian stew, chicken slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE (Sloooow) Baked Potatoes (How Long to Bake a Baked Potato) One Hour Is Just Not Enough.
• ANOTHER TAKE Microwave Baked Potato Good! Frankly, way better than expected.

January: Recipes Lookin' for a Little Love

• THE RECIPE My Guacamole Restaurant-style guacamole, our house recipe. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Best Quick Tomato Salsa (Red Salsa) For chips, tacos, burritos, eggs & more. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Maple-Glazed Chicken with Easy Skillet Creamed Carrots & Onions Oven-baked with a maple syrup and rosemary glaze.
• ANOTHER TAKE Rainbow Chicken Chicken and vegetables baked in the oven.

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• January 20th (Monday) - MLK Day
• January 20th (Monday) Inauguration Day (aka American Day of National Mourning)
• January 29th (Wednesday) - Lunar New Year
• February 2nd (Sunday) - Groundhog Day
• February 9th (duh, Sunday) - Superbowl Sunday!
• February 14th (Wednesday) - Valentine's
• February 17th (Monday) - President's Day
• March 1st - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Spring
• March 2nd (Sunday) - Academy Awards
• March 4th (Tuesday) - Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Night
• March 5th (Wednesday) - Ash Wednesday / Beginning of Lent
• Fridays During Lent - Friday Fish
• March 9th (Sunday) - "spring forward" time change
• March 14th (Friday) - Three-One-Four Day, a Celebration of All Thing St. Louis (314 is our area code!)
• March 14th (Friday) - Pi Day
• March 16th (Sunday) - St. Urho's Day
• March 17th (Monday) - St. Patrick's Day
• March 20th (Thursday) - First Official Day of Spring
• March 22nd (Saturday, 8:30pm your local time) - Earth Hour
• March 25th - Equal Pay Day (2024 was March 12th, way to go, ladies!)
• March 27th (Thursday) - Baseball Opening Day!


• April 20th - Easter (yikes! so late!)

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2020 Mid January (Week 4)
• 2021 Late January (An Inauguration Week of True Joy) (Week 4)
• 2022 Mid January (Week 4)
• 2023 Quick Breads (Week 4)
• 2024 Rediscovering the Lowly Carrot (Week 4) (PIN This)

RECENT WEEKS
• Snow-Day Suppers (PIN This)
• Feeding Our Vegetable Cravings (Week 2) (PIN This)
• Best of 2024 (PIN This)
• Holiday Breakfasts (Week 52) (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for January

• RESETTING AFTER THE HOLIDAYS Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for January, tons of ideas!
• BUT REALLY, DON'T MISS THIS Detox Chopped Salad The salad so good, my own sister bought a food processor just to make it.
• OR THIS Sweet Potato Soup with Quinoa & Coconut Milk Rave reviews!

Good to Know!

• TEN THINGS I Love About Our New Kitchen What we did, why we did it, what we love, what we've changed. Now updated after ten years! (PIN This)
• ONE QUICK TIP My Most-Used Kitchen Tool, a Garbage Bowl or Compost Bowl (PIN This)

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• January 19 — National Popcorn Day (How to Cook Popcorn in a Microwave in a Paper Bag)
• January 20 — National Cheese Lover's Day (Homemade & Semi-Homemade Pub Cheese)
• January 23 — National Pie Day (pie & tart recipes)
• January 23 — Rhubarb Pie Day (Rhubarb Custard Pie)
• January 24 — Peanut Butter Day (peanut butter recipes)

The Best No-Recipe Recipe I Made This Week

When I was away at school, I swear, breakfast every single day was an English muffin with peanut butter. Every single day? So boring! But I really like simplifying my life by having the same thing for breakfast (and lunch) every day, maybe not for a year but for a week or two. This week, I added sliced banana and a drizzle of honey and oh man, breakfast heaven.

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from this week.

• THIS WEEK Isn't it just so easy to throw some vegetables into the oven just as you start cooking dinner? So Good! PS This was the very first recipe posted on A Veggie Venture, on April 1 almost 20 yers ago. I'd just learned about food blogs the day before!
• THE RECIPE Roasted Cauliflower The classic, including my tips and tricks.

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Winter Tomato Soup Roasting, slow-cooking draw out summer flavor. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Summer's Tomato Soup Ripe summer tomatoes only, please. (PIN This)

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), 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, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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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, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. 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. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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