The Quarantine
“The many ways to cook hamburger”
By Millie The Accidental Cook
Over a month has passed since we were quarantined due to the pandemic guidelines. It has been that long since my Mister and I have had ready-made food, food that I have not prepared and that’s my story.
Thankfully, we have had wonderful support from our children. They have taken the ‘Give Back’ program seriously.
I thought I would share our way of coping during this time. Maybe you could share your way with us… we are in this together.
During our sons’ high school years they mentioned often that (their thoughts, not mine) I could write a book on the many ways to cook hamburger meat. I became so thrifty that we could almost have a whole meal from a grain of hamburger. That thriftiness is coming back to me. When times are uncertain you conserve.
I have worked out a semi-system for our food menu each week. We simply have cut back. When I prepare coleslaw for hot dogs, I prepare enough for the next day for the barbecue sandwiches and on the third day I have the coleslaw as a side for my meat and vegetable. Speaking of coleslaw, check out my recipe below.
Potato sticks have become our substitute for potato chips, they last longer. My homemade egg salad has come in handy for soup and sandwich meals. Those school day lunches of fish sticks, English peas and mashed potatoes seem especially good now.
We did enjoy our twice a year steak dinner during the last few days as a treat. These were retrieved from my freezer stash. Since I didn’t have the baking potatoes, I used some ‘gold’ potatoes. They were delicious. After washing them, I rubbed each of them with vegetable oil and garlic powder and then wrapped the dish with aluminum foil for baking. The tenderness of the potato with that touch of garlic was over the top and somehow made up for the not quite so tender steak.
Though the COVID 19 has wreaked havoc on our country and our daily lives, so much good has come from it. Our home for Sunday lunch is usually full of good food and lots of fun with our family and oh how we miss that. My Mister and I very rarely have home-cooked food during the rest of the week. My Mister loves to go into a restaurant for a sit-down meal, whether a burger or a full meal, me, not so much.
My go-to is a simple sandwich. My how my mind has changed! I cherish the thought of his kind of meal.
My hat is off to those Moms and Dads that are continuing, making the best of the learning curve that we have been dealt. There is a verse that comes to my mind that urges all of us to be content.
Those songs of old that surely were products of experiences such as these have been of great comfort, however, I sure do wish that bald-headed daddy of mine was here to answer some of my questions.
On to the recipe…
ANOTHER RECIPE BY MILLIE
MILLIE’S MARINATED COLESLAW
- 1 large green cabbage – shredded
- 1 medium to large onion – chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper – chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper – chopped
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon of celery seed
- 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Combine the cabbage, onion, and peppers into a large bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then pour over the cabbage, onion, and pepper ingredients. Allow it to set for approximately two hours before serving.
This not only is good, but looks great, adding color and taste to any meal.
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