Cooking for an Army
I have the most fun planning a meal. Envisioning it, how it will look and smell, how the table will look set and served. Implementing it is a different story. My kids gravitate toward the kitchen when I start cooking. It is almost as if the house tilts and the kids tumble into the kitchen!
Tacos in a Jiffy
|
This handy dandy casserole can be made a day ahead and is done cooking in only 25 minutes.
Prep-time for taco bake is about an hour when you add in the time for cooking hamburger. We buy 5 lbs of hamburger at a time. I divide in 1/2 and freeze 1/2 into 1/4lb burger patties. I cook the other half, adding salt, red pepper chips and 3 minced garlic cloves. This mix is used for tacos, chili, or for this recipe. Makes 15 two and a half inch square servings (approximate) Pre heat oven to 425o 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix Prepare as instructed on box and pour into 9x13 pan. 1lb of hamburger mixture (instructions above) spread over top of Jiffy mix As much of the following as you want to add avocado tomato peppers (you pick what kind) I used yellow bell & jalapeño green onion pinto or black beans shredded mexican cheese Layer the ingredients on top of the hamburger Put into 425o oven and bake for 25 minutes |
An easy way to cut an avocado
|
Chop Chop
|
|
Southwestern Wraps
Ingredients for wrapThis recipe will make 6 wraps:
3 c rice 1-15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1-15 oz can of corn, drained A couple handfuls of spinach, chopped Two cups chopped, fresh tomatoes As much chopped cilantro as you like 1/2 c of fresh salsa Two large chicken breasts Avocado, halved and sliced thin Juice of one lime |
Ingredients for sauce1 c of mayo
Stir in plenty of Cholula To spice it up, add Tabasco |
InstructionsThinly slice chicken breast. Place in heated skillet and pour Cholula sauce over the top and cook until blackening.
(Use any chipotle sauce you like, use your imagination or don't use anything.) Stir ingredients together. Squeeze lime over mix and stir. Heat whole package of wraps, opened but still in packaging, in microwave for 15-20 seconds. Fill wrap with mix. Lay chicken over the top with 3 slices of avocado. Fold sides in. Roll, slice in half. Tip: When making rice, make double and freeze half. 
|
|
Fresh Salsa
2 large jalapeños, chopped (take out seeds if you like your salsa cool)
1/2 of a white onion
cilantro
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp of salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp of chopped garlic
Puree ingredients in blender and then add a
28 oz can of petite diced tomatoes. Blend on slowest speed for a few seconds.
1/2 of a white onion
cilantro
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp of salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp of chopped garlic
Puree ingredients in blender and then add a
28 oz can of petite diced tomatoes. Blend on slowest speed for a few seconds.
Tweaking Bruschetta
I recently bought some goat cheese. I really enjoyed the sourness of it. I decided to use it with my Bruschetta recipe.
6 to 10 green onions, chopped thin
1 container of grape tomatoes, quartered and sliced in half
1 handful of basil, sliced to about the thinness of spaghetti
1 loaf of artisan french bread
Slice bread to 1/2 slices or thinner. Place on cookie sheet and broil until golden brown. Turn over and repeat. Mix above ingredients. Spread goat cheese on to toast, add a spoon of bruschetta and enjoy! (See image below)
6 to 10 green onions, chopped thin
1 container of grape tomatoes, quartered and sliced in half
1 handful of basil, sliced to about the thinness of spaghetti
1 loaf of artisan french bread
Slice bread to 1/2 slices or thinner. Place on cookie sheet and broil until golden brown. Turn over and repeat. Mix above ingredients. Spread goat cheese on to toast, add a spoon of bruschetta and enjoy! (See image below)
the tweaking
Use sliced strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, banana or fig jam. My favorite jam is Orange Fig Jam. If you don't have the artisan bread, use crackers.
To sweeten the deal, drizzle with honey or toss in raw sugar.
Instead of goat cheese use Nutella. You had me, Nutella!
To sweeten the deal, drizzle with honey or toss in raw sugar.
Instead of goat cheese use Nutella. You had me, Nutella!
|
|
|
An Apple a Day, An Avocado a Week
Avocados are packed with nutrients that are hyper beneficial to our bodies. What I love most about avocados is the taste and color. My kids love them too. It is a non fussy food. It goes with anything, turkey, or sliced roast beef, sandwiches, mango, spinach, jalepenos, blended in a veggie smoothie, etc. Get creative! My favorite apple with this mix is gala, crisp and sweet, and reasonably priced. I use plain yogurt because it has the least amount of sugar. This is a creamy, crispy, sweet and tangy salad you'll make over and over.
One apple
One avocado
craisins
feta cheese
1/4 cup of plain yogurt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Pepper or red pepper chips to spice it up
Add bacon for a special treat
One avocado
craisins
feta cheese
1/4 cup of plain yogurt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Pepper or red pepper chips to spice it up
Add bacon for a special treat
Sun & C
Since today is cloudy and snowy I decided to add the sunshine of tomato & pepper soup. This soup will give the family a boost to their immune system. Peppers are loaded with vitamin C, B6, and 4% of Iron (Fe) & 11% of Potassium (K.) Both of these are excellent for our blood.
 You will need:
1 can of tomato juice 1 tsp of basil 2 1/2 cups of yellow, orange, and red peppers |
 Cook over small flame until soup simmers. Simmer for only 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt swirled in.
|
Comfort Combo
This soup is wonderful paired with shredded beef on ciabatta bread. Shredded beef is an almost no fuss meal. Rub a chuck roast with salt add some water and a beef bullion cube for each pound, plop in roaster and cook till it shreds easily with fork. If you decide to make your own ciabatta click here for the recipe. It does take two days to make. If you are not feeling that adventurous, the bread is readily sold in many grocery store bakeries.
Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving! It is a holiday that only takes a few days to plan for. We stay home for Thanksgiving. Grandma Great and Grandma Mary Ann come to our house and lend their expertise in the fun. Sometimes my sister Amy and her husband Justin and their 7 kids come over. Most of the time some of our friends show up and we have so much fun. We wait to eat till around 4:00pm so we snack on appetizers. It lasts all day and everyone raves and praises the cook! I just bow and say more applause please!
Peppers, Cheese, and Crackers please
Peppers of all shapes and sizes make for a colorful and tasty veggie tray. My family isn't big on broccoli or cauliflower, but they love the spicy stuff. Slice up some cheddar and pepper jack, some summer sausage with Kashi crackers and snack away!
I'm stuffed
I start with the stuffing at the beginning of Thanksgiving week. This year I cheated and I bought Artisan bread from Jewel. I cut it up into cubes and baked it until it was firm and formed a crust. Then I put it in a brown bag until Thursday. Our stuffing recipe: Cubed Artisan bread, 1 lb of cooked sausage, celery, green onion, fresh sage, roasted hazelnuts, cranberries and chicken broth. This year I decided to get even a little more creative and added blue cheese.
 |
 |
Jiving up Turkey
I buy a 20-22lb turkey, we usually have plenty of left overs. This year I added BACON! What a wonderful discovery! A trick to making a moist turkey is to cook it at 425 for 15 minutes and then turn it down to 325 for the rest of the time. The bacon added a totally new dimension. The skin of the turkey was crisp and firm and the flavor from the bacon, mmmmm.
 Corn puddingBox of Jiffy corn bread mix 1 cup of sour cream
Stick of butter 1 can of cream corn 2 eggs 1 can of corn, drained Mix all of the above and stir in one cup of cheddar cheese. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. |
 Green beansStir-fry fresh green beans with one strip of bacon until they are deep green in color. Add sliced almonds and season with a mix of salt, pepper and onion powder.
|
Chicken Noodlely Soup
 Roll out noodle dough and let dry for at least 1 hour.  Roll tightly and then then slice.  Lay out strips and then shake them out. |
 Make rich broth with bone in chicken thighs  Rachel pulling chicken off of bones |
Egg NoodlesI found this noodle recipe on line. I exchange a 1/4 of flour for whole wheat flour. The noodles seem to stay firmer after being cooked. I also substitute the water for whey from yogurt that I make. Yes, I know what you are saying. It is sooooo easy to make yogurt, and have you seen the price of it lately?
3 egg yolks 1 whole egg 3-5 Tbl of cold water 1 tsp salt 1 3/4 cups flour 1/4 cup of whole wheat Beat the egg yolks with the whole egg until very light. Beat in the salt and water. Stir in the flour and work with hands until blended. Divide dough into 2 parts. Roll out each part as thin as possible on a lightly floured surface. Let stand until partially dry, at least an hour and then roll up like a jelly roll and cut into strips of any desired width. Shake out strips and allow them to finish drying before using or storing. I like to double the batch then freeze half of them. |
Chicken SoupWhen making chicken soup it is best to use bone in chicken. Not only is it much less expensive, there is a lot of flavor and rich nutrients in the bones that are released when they are boiled. Allowing the chicken to cook until it is falling off the bones makes it easy to debone and gives the broth a rich flavor. When cooking soup I like to use mineral salt. It enhances flavor without saltiness. After deboning chicken and it is put back into the pot, bring it back up to boil then add a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup. Stir until mixed well. Bring to a boil then add the noodles. When noodles are tender to your liking, turn off soup and serve. This soup is wonderful served with sour dough bread.
|
Article from Geneseo Republic.
Schilling strives to cook healthy
for her family
By Jerilyn VanDeWoestyne Geneseo Republic Posted Jul 18, 2008 @ 01:45 PM Geneseo, Ill. —Family is very important to Christie Schilling of rural Geneseo and she wants to know she is cooking the healthiest food possible for them.
Christie and her husband, Bob, reside in a four-year-old home (constructed mostly by Bob), with their children, Terry, Aaron, Levi, Joseph, Isabel, Rachel, Olivia, Sam and Sophia.
Christie can often be found in the kitchen and says she has always enjoyed cooking. “I remember my grandma and I always making cookies together when I was growing up and those are precious memories for me,” she said. “But I have never been able to get my chocolate chip cookies as good as hers.” Christie feels cooking is a great way for her to be creative.
Admitting she has the ideal job, Christie is very happy to be able to be a full time, stay-at-home mom. “I love being a mom — I wouldn’t pick any other job,” she said.
Christie likes to use fresh ingredients in her cooking whenever possible and says she is always looking for ways to include healthy food choices in her family’s diet. “Fresh is just great — there is no better feeling than watching your family eat nutritionally,” she said.
Christie adds millet to soups because it is high in protein and rich in vitamins and she puts wheat germ in everything from cookie dough to pancake batter. “We even sprinkle wheat germ on yogurt. It adds kind of a nutty flavor,” she said, adding her kids love to dip banana slices in peanut butter and then in wheat germ for a snack.
“I’m also always looking for good brain food,” she said. “Walnuts are good for brain development so I use them in salads, breads and cookies. I like to cook healthy things for my family.”
Christie says she likes every part of cooking, whether it’s baking desserts or making complete meals. “And we do a lot of peanut butter sandwiches during the summer,” she laughs.
Christie also enjoys gardening and working outdoors and her beautifully landscaped yard attests to that fact. She grows some herbs including basil and sage. “Everyone should have fresh basil,” she said, adding she uses the fresh herb sliced on top of a salad where it adds a “wonderful, heavenly flavor. Basil is easy to grow, but in the winter I buy it at the grocery store,” she said. “I think it’s important to use fresh ingredients like that whenever you can.”
Basil can also be found in Christie’s homemade spaghetti sauce where it softens up and gives the sauce a wonderful flavor.
Spaghetti with homemade spaghetti sauce is one of her family’s favorite meals. The sauce she makes is from a recipe from her grandmother and is made with crushed tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic. “And I always add some kind of pork, either pork chops, ground pork or sausage,” she said. “My grandmother always said to make good spaghetti sauce, you have to have good pork and that recipe came from Italy.”
Christie says the best pork she has found is at Weber Meats in Geneseo. “The house smells so good when you’re cooking the spaghetti sauce,” she said. “We love any kinds of pasta.”
Christie grows some vegetables in her backyard garden and says lettuce is a favorite because when you cut it back, it just keeps growing. Spinach is also growing in Christie’s garden since it is easy to grow and also returns when cut back. She said the spinach is delicious in salads or sliced and added to soups.
“And even though we live quite a distance from town, I’m in town often with the kids’ activities, so I can shop for fresh produce at the grocery store several times a week,” she said, adding it’s also handy for her that some of her older children can serve as drivers and like to make the trip to town occasionally.
Christie enjoys tending to the various flower beds surrounding her home. “I have mostly perennials in the flower beds and then I use annuals in planters.”
The Schilling’s back yard also includes a swimming pool that, according to Christie, is used every day in the summer. “We just like everything about being outdoors,” she said.
The family also likes everything about cooking and Christie isn’t the only one who is at home in the kitchen. The Schillings own Giuseppe’s Pizza in Moline where her husband does most of the cooking. “Bob does all the homemade cooking at the restaurant, including the homemade spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce,” Christie said, adding their older children work at the restaurant right along with Bob. “They are hard-working kids and very thoughtful. Aaron sometimes will bring home Whitey’s shakes for his siblings and that is a real treat.”
Christie says Bob uses her grandmothers famous spaghetti sauce recipe at the restaurant and admits “it is awesome. We have the best lasagna and when we’re lucky Bob will bring home some leftover spaghetti. The kids love it.”
Bob and Christie have owned Giuseppe’s Pizza for 12 years and she said she also worked there until a few years ago. “The customers are great,” she said, adding her husband grew up in the food business. Bob is a native of Rock Island and Christie grew up in East Moline.
“We’ve been in Geneseo 14 years now and we love it here,” Christie said. “It is the most pleasant and kindest community.”
One of her family’s favorite meals, during the warm months especially, is a kind of hoagie sandwich Christie prepares by filling hoagie buns with ham, turkey, provolone cheese, tomatoes, onion, lettuce and any other vegetable, and then adds a fresh basil dressing. “The kids love that. It is one of their favorite meals,” Christie said, adding they also like bruschetta.
“The bruschetta is another family favorite and is made by broiling slices of French bread, adding a topping of chopped tomatoes and onions then drizzling it with olive oil along with a sprinkling of cheese and broiling it until it is warm and toasty. “I can’t make the bruschetta fast enough,” she laughs.
Christie notes a frequent phrase around the house is “who ate all the___? You can fill in the blank with cookies, brownies or whatever,” she said. “Nothing lasts very long around here.”
Since the kitchen is the hub of their home, Christie says everyone just seems to naturally gravitate to that room. “And the kids all have their chores to do. I couldn’t do it without their help.”
Admitting she worries if her children are busy and dash off before they have time for a good breakfast, Christie says she tries to make sure their first meal of the day is nutritious. “French toast is a very popular breakfast item around here and the kids have started adding a little vanilla extract and cinnamon to the egg mixture before dipping the bread in it,” she said. “That gives it a really good flavor.”
Christie adds they use whole wheat bread for everything from the French toast to sandwiches. “Whole wheat bread is all we use around here,” she said.
Other popular breakfast items are pancakes or scrambled eggs that are made into sandwiches. “We all like breakfast, in fact we sometimes have breakfast for dinner,” Christie said.
On her husband’s birthday, however, Christie says the menu includes his favorite - eggs benedict with a special Hollandaise sauce.
Weekdays can be a little hectic at the Schilling home, but according to Christie, Sundays are for the family. “I’m not real strict about dinner usually, but Sunday is definitely family time for us and we all know that,” she said, adding Sunday meals include “the works”, usually something like spaghetti with a salad. “I like to do a good Italian meal on Sundays,” she laughs, adding they usually eat fairly late during the week, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. “It seems to work better for us and I really like it on those special times when we can all have a meal together.”
Christie knows her family well and can identify each of their favorite foods. “Terry’s favorite is tiramisu and it is a project,” she said. “It takes a little time to make, but it is a labor of love,” she said.
She adds Levi loves Death by Chocolate, a dessert that is made by layering a chocolate mousse and Cool Whip with crushed peanut M&M’s. “I usually put it in a glass bowl and it is a very pretty dessert,” she said.
Joseph likes to make brownies and his mother said she is trying to encourage him to be a little more creative in that effort. “I suggested he add things like Rice Krispies or peppermint chips to the brownie batter. He did that and couldn’t believe how good they were,” Christie laughs. “He likes to experiment and cooking is a great place to experiment.”
Christie likes it when her pantry is well-stocked although admits there are times when the supplies just seem to vanish. Her large and charming pantry, located just off the kitchen, however, is filled with cupboards, shelves and drawers and is home to all her necessary staples.
Presentation is important to Christie in that she likes the table to look nice. “Especially for special holidays I want to set a pretty table,” she said, adding she went online one time and typed in “how to set a pretty table” and got some really good ideas on everything from how to place the glasses to the perfect centerpiece. “For holidays I like a more formal table,” she said. “I like to prepare things, dress up the table or plate and make people feel special.”
Although Christie says she favors using fresh vegetables and fruits whenever possible, she uses frozen when fresh isn’t available noting frozen products are very good. “But I never use canned vegetables. In fact I’m surprised there are still cans out there,” she laughs.
Besides cooking and gardening, Christie lists her favorite hobby as photography. “And I like to use the computer,” she said, adding she and her husband also enjoy their coffee. “Starbuck’s is our special treat.”
Christie makes a lot of homemade soup, especially during the winter months. She says one of their favorite soups is tomato basil that she prepares by mixing together a can of diced tomatoes, tomato juice, chopped fresh basil and either half and half or whipping cream, enough to make the soup creamy. “You just mix everything together and heat it through, don’t boil it,” she said. “It’s a creamy tomato soup and really good on a cold winter day. My family will eat the whole pot when I make it.”
Another family favorite that Christie says she has been making for years is a simple macaroni and tomato dish. “I just cook macaroni and add a can of tomatoes, salt and pepper,” she said. “Sometimes I will add shredded cheese to the top, but that’s it.”
Her favorite part of cooking is the planning and working up the menu. “I like to try new and different things but sometimes that’s difficult when I’m cooking for quite a few people,” she said. “I have to be careful what spices I use because I’m cooking for 11 people, some with different tastes.”
Christie adds with the quantity of food she cooks, it’s sometimes difficult to be creative. “I like to plan menus in the morning for that day, ideally. But sometimes it’s 5 p.m. and I’m wondering what’s for dinner,” she laughs.
Christie Schilling shares some of her favorite recipes.
Sandwich dressing
Christie Schilling
1 C. mayo
2 T. lime juice
fresh basil
salt and pepper
Combine and use as sandwich dressing.
Note: “We like this dressing on homemade hoagie sandwiches.”
Spaghetti sauce
Christie Schilling
4 cans crushed tomatoes or 4 cans tomatoes, pureed to your liking
1 can water
1 small can tomato paste
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Garlic
To make good spaghetti sauce, you need good pork - chops, ground or sausage.
Mix everything together in big pot and cook until done. Pork gives sauce a wonderful flavor.
Salad dressing
Christie Schilling
1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. raw sugar
1/2 C. half and half
Mix together and dress salad.
Salad ingredients:
Chopped spinach
Chopped Romaine lettuce
Sliced strawberries
Chopped green onion
Mandarin oranges
Fresh basil
Note: The dressing is wonderful over the strawberry salad.
Bruschetta
Christie Schilling
French bread, sliced thin
Chopped green onion
Diced tomato (Plum tomatoes seem to work best)
Romano cheese
Olive oil
Fresh basil
Broil slices of French bread lightly on both sides
Top with green onion, tomato and fresh basil.
Drizzle with olive oil. Top with cheese. Broil until golden brown.
Hollandaise sauce
Christie Schilling
4 egg yolks (room temp.)
1/2 t. dry mustard
1 T. lemon juice or more for a stronger lemony flavor
Shot of tabasco sauce or pinch of cayenne
1/4 lb. butter
Place yolks, mustard, juice and hot sauce in blender.
Blend three seconds. With blender going, pour in HOT melted butter.
Secret is butter should be very hot.
Sauce will thicken immediately.
Easy chocolate eclair squares
Christie Schilling
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1-3/4 C. milk
8 oz. carton Cool Whip
44 graham crackers
3 T. butter or oleo
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 T. milk
1 C. sifted powdered sugar
Prepare pudding using 1-3/4 C. milk. Fold in Cool Whip.
In 9x13” pan, layer 1/3 crackers, cover with 1/2 of pudding mixture. Repeat layers and top with graham crackers.
Melt butter and chocolate and 2 T. milk in microwave. Stir until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Blend. Spread over crackers.
Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Note: This is a very popular dessert at our house. It is always gone very quickly!
Tiramisu
Recipe by Williams Sonoma
Christie Schilling
6 egg yolks
3/4 C. sugar
1 lb. mascarpone cheese, softened
2 C. heavy cream, chilled
2 T. rum
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. espresso, plus 2-3 C. brewed coffee
5 egg whites
40 to 50 Ladyfingers
Cocoa powder
In a mixing bowl set over- but not touching - a pan of simmering water, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and thick ribbons fall from the whisk (4-5 minutes).
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer.
Add the mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes).
In a chilled large mixing bowl, beat the cream to stiff peaks.
Add the rum, vanilla and the 2 T. espresso and beat until smooth.
In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks When the whisk is lifted straight out of the bowl and inverted, the whites should hold their shape.
With a rubber spatula, gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the cream until blended and smooth.
Add about 1 C. of the beaten egg whites and fold gently until blended.
Add the remaining egg whites and fold gently until the mixture is smooth and blended.
One at a time, submerge each ladyfinger into the remaining espresso, then put it on the bottom of a 6 qt. glass or ceramic baking or serving dish, about 2” deep.
Continue to form a complete layer.
Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the soaked ladyfingers until evenly covered.
Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers over the mascarpone cream, then spread the remaining mascarpone cream evenly over the top.
Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder to create a rich, dark topping.
Refrigerate at least four hours or up to one day before serving.
Copyright 2008 Geneseo Republic. Some rights reserved
Christie and her husband, Bob, reside in a four-year-old home (constructed mostly by Bob), with their children, Terry, Aaron, Levi, Joseph, Isabel, Rachel, Olivia, Sam and Sophia.
Christie can often be found in the kitchen and says she has always enjoyed cooking. “I remember my grandma and I always making cookies together when I was growing up and those are precious memories for me,” she said. “But I have never been able to get my chocolate chip cookies as good as hers.” Christie feels cooking is a great way for her to be creative.
Admitting she has the ideal job, Christie is very happy to be able to be a full time, stay-at-home mom. “I love being a mom — I wouldn’t pick any other job,” she said.
Christie likes to use fresh ingredients in her cooking whenever possible and says she is always looking for ways to include healthy food choices in her family’s diet. “Fresh is just great — there is no better feeling than watching your family eat nutritionally,” she said.
Christie adds millet to soups because it is high in protein and rich in vitamins and she puts wheat germ in everything from cookie dough to pancake batter. “We even sprinkle wheat germ on yogurt. It adds kind of a nutty flavor,” she said, adding her kids love to dip banana slices in peanut butter and then in wheat germ for a snack.
“I’m also always looking for good brain food,” she said. “Walnuts are good for brain development so I use them in salads, breads and cookies. I like to cook healthy things for my family.”
Christie says she likes every part of cooking, whether it’s baking desserts or making complete meals. “And we do a lot of peanut butter sandwiches during the summer,” she laughs.
Christie also enjoys gardening and working outdoors and her beautifully landscaped yard attests to that fact. She grows some herbs including basil and sage. “Everyone should have fresh basil,” she said, adding she uses the fresh herb sliced on top of a salad where it adds a “wonderful, heavenly flavor. Basil is easy to grow, but in the winter I buy it at the grocery store,” she said. “I think it’s important to use fresh ingredients like that whenever you can.”
Basil can also be found in Christie’s homemade spaghetti sauce where it softens up and gives the sauce a wonderful flavor.
Spaghetti with homemade spaghetti sauce is one of her family’s favorite meals. The sauce she makes is from a recipe from her grandmother and is made with crushed tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic. “And I always add some kind of pork, either pork chops, ground pork or sausage,” she said. “My grandmother always said to make good spaghetti sauce, you have to have good pork and that recipe came from Italy.”
Christie says the best pork she has found is at Weber Meats in Geneseo. “The house smells so good when you’re cooking the spaghetti sauce,” she said. “We love any kinds of pasta.”
Christie grows some vegetables in her backyard garden and says lettuce is a favorite because when you cut it back, it just keeps growing. Spinach is also growing in Christie’s garden since it is easy to grow and also returns when cut back. She said the spinach is delicious in salads or sliced and added to soups.
“And even though we live quite a distance from town, I’m in town often with the kids’ activities, so I can shop for fresh produce at the grocery store several times a week,” she said, adding it’s also handy for her that some of her older children can serve as drivers and like to make the trip to town occasionally.
Christie enjoys tending to the various flower beds surrounding her home. “I have mostly perennials in the flower beds and then I use annuals in planters.”
The Schilling’s back yard also includes a swimming pool that, according to Christie, is used every day in the summer. “We just like everything about being outdoors,” she said.
The family also likes everything about cooking and Christie isn’t the only one who is at home in the kitchen. The Schillings own Giuseppe’s Pizza in Moline where her husband does most of the cooking. “Bob does all the homemade cooking at the restaurant, including the homemade spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce,” Christie said, adding their older children work at the restaurant right along with Bob. “They are hard-working kids and very thoughtful. Aaron sometimes will bring home Whitey’s shakes for his siblings and that is a real treat.”
Christie says Bob uses her grandmothers famous spaghetti sauce recipe at the restaurant and admits “it is awesome. We have the best lasagna and when we’re lucky Bob will bring home some leftover spaghetti. The kids love it.”
Bob and Christie have owned Giuseppe’s Pizza for 12 years and she said she also worked there until a few years ago. “The customers are great,” she said, adding her husband grew up in the food business. Bob is a native of Rock Island and Christie grew up in East Moline.
“We’ve been in Geneseo 14 years now and we love it here,” Christie said. “It is the most pleasant and kindest community.”
One of her family’s favorite meals, during the warm months especially, is a kind of hoagie sandwich Christie prepares by filling hoagie buns with ham, turkey, provolone cheese, tomatoes, onion, lettuce and any other vegetable, and then adds a fresh basil dressing. “The kids love that. It is one of their favorite meals,” Christie said, adding they also like bruschetta.
“The bruschetta is another family favorite and is made by broiling slices of French bread, adding a topping of chopped tomatoes and onions then drizzling it with olive oil along with a sprinkling of cheese and broiling it until it is warm and toasty. “I can’t make the bruschetta fast enough,” she laughs.
Christie notes a frequent phrase around the house is “who ate all the___? You can fill in the blank with cookies, brownies or whatever,” she said. “Nothing lasts very long around here.”
Since the kitchen is the hub of their home, Christie says everyone just seems to naturally gravitate to that room. “And the kids all have their chores to do. I couldn’t do it without their help.”
Admitting she worries if her children are busy and dash off before they have time for a good breakfast, Christie says she tries to make sure their first meal of the day is nutritious. “French toast is a very popular breakfast item around here and the kids have started adding a little vanilla extract and cinnamon to the egg mixture before dipping the bread in it,” she said. “That gives it a really good flavor.”
Christie adds they use whole wheat bread for everything from the French toast to sandwiches. “Whole wheat bread is all we use around here,” she said.
Other popular breakfast items are pancakes or scrambled eggs that are made into sandwiches. “We all like breakfast, in fact we sometimes have breakfast for dinner,” Christie said.
On her husband’s birthday, however, Christie says the menu includes his favorite - eggs benedict with a special Hollandaise sauce.
Weekdays can be a little hectic at the Schilling home, but according to Christie, Sundays are for the family. “I’m not real strict about dinner usually, but Sunday is definitely family time for us and we all know that,” she said, adding Sunday meals include “the works”, usually something like spaghetti with a salad. “I like to do a good Italian meal on Sundays,” she laughs, adding they usually eat fairly late during the week, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. “It seems to work better for us and I really like it on those special times when we can all have a meal together.”
Christie knows her family well and can identify each of their favorite foods. “Terry’s favorite is tiramisu and it is a project,” she said. “It takes a little time to make, but it is a labor of love,” she said.
She adds Levi loves Death by Chocolate, a dessert that is made by layering a chocolate mousse and Cool Whip with crushed peanut M&M’s. “I usually put it in a glass bowl and it is a very pretty dessert,” she said.
Joseph likes to make brownies and his mother said she is trying to encourage him to be a little more creative in that effort. “I suggested he add things like Rice Krispies or peppermint chips to the brownie batter. He did that and couldn’t believe how good they were,” Christie laughs. “He likes to experiment and cooking is a great place to experiment.”
Christie likes it when her pantry is well-stocked although admits there are times when the supplies just seem to vanish. Her large and charming pantry, located just off the kitchen, however, is filled with cupboards, shelves and drawers and is home to all her necessary staples.
Presentation is important to Christie in that she likes the table to look nice. “Especially for special holidays I want to set a pretty table,” she said, adding she went online one time and typed in “how to set a pretty table” and got some really good ideas on everything from how to place the glasses to the perfect centerpiece. “For holidays I like a more formal table,” she said. “I like to prepare things, dress up the table or plate and make people feel special.”
Although Christie says she favors using fresh vegetables and fruits whenever possible, she uses frozen when fresh isn’t available noting frozen products are very good. “But I never use canned vegetables. In fact I’m surprised there are still cans out there,” she laughs.
Besides cooking and gardening, Christie lists her favorite hobby as photography. “And I like to use the computer,” she said, adding she and her husband also enjoy their coffee. “Starbuck’s is our special treat.”
Christie makes a lot of homemade soup, especially during the winter months. She says one of their favorite soups is tomato basil that she prepares by mixing together a can of diced tomatoes, tomato juice, chopped fresh basil and either half and half or whipping cream, enough to make the soup creamy. “You just mix everything together and heat it through, don’t boil it,” she said. “It’s a creamy tomato soup and really good on a cold winter day. My family will eat the whole pot when I make it.”
Another family favorite that Christie says she has been making for years is a simple macaroni and tomato dish. “I just cook macaroni and add a can of tomatoes, salt and pepper,” she said. “Sometimes I will add shredded cheese to the top, but that’s it.”
Her favorite part of cooking is the planning and working up the menu. “I like to try new and different things but sometimes that’s difficult when I’m cooking for quite a few people,” she said. “I have to be careful what spices I use because I’m cooking for 11 people, some with different tastes.”
Christie adds with the quantity of food she cooks, it’s sometimes difficult to be creative. “I like to plan menus in the morning for that day, ideally. But sometimes it’s 5 p.m. and I’m wondering what’s for dinner,” she laughs.
Christie Schilling shares some of her favorite recipes.
Sandwich dressing
Christie Schilling
1 C. mayo
2 T. lime juice
fresh basil
salt and pepper
Combine and use as sandwich dressing.
Note: “We like this dressing on homemade hoagie sandwiches.”
Spaghetti sauce
Christie Schilling
4 cans crushed tomatoes or 4 cans tomatoes, pureed to your liking
1 can water
1 small can tomato paste
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Garlic
To make good spaghetti sauce, you need good pork - chops, ground or sausage.
Mix everything together in big pot and cook until done. Pork gives sauce a wonderful flavor.
Salad dressing
Christie Schilling
1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. raw sugar
1/2 C. half and half
Mix together and dress salad.
Salad ingredients:
Chopped spinach
Chopped Romaine lettuce
Sliced strawberries
Chopped green onion
Mandarin oranges
Fresh basil
Note: The dressing is wonderful over the strawberry salad.
Bruschetta
Christie Schilling
French bread, sliced thin
Chopped green onion
Diced tomato (Plum tomatoes seem to work best)
Romano cheese
Olive oil
Fresh basil
Broil slices of French bread lightly on both sides
Top with green onion, tomato and fresh basil.
Drizzle with olive oil. Top with cheese. Broil until golden brown.
Hollandaise sauce
Christie Schilling
4 egg yolks (room temp.)
1/2 t. dry mustard
1 T. lemon juice or more for a stronger lemony flavor
Shot of tabasco sauce or pinch of cayenne
1/4 lb. butter
Place yolks, mustard, juice and hot sauce in blender.
Blend three seconds. With blender going, pour in HOT melted butter.
Secret is butter should be very hot.
Sauce will thicken immediately.
Easy chocolate eclair squares
Christie Schilling
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1-3/4 C. milk
8 oz. carton Cool Whip
44 graham crackers
3 T. butter or oleo
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 T. milk
1 C. sifted powdered sugar
Prepare pudding using 1-3/4 C. milk. Fold in Cool Whip.
In 9x13” pan, layer 1/3 crackers, cover with 1/2 of pudding mixture. Repeat layers and top with graham crackers.
Melt butter and chocolate and 2 T. milk in microwave. Stir until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Blend. Spread over crackers.
Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Note: This is a very popular dessert at our house. It is always gone very quickly!
Tiramisu
Recipe by Williams Sonoma
Christie Schilling
6 egg yolks
3/4 C. sugar
1 lb. mascarpone cheese, softened
2 C. heavy cream, chilled
2 T. rum
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. espresso, plus 2-3 C. brewed coffee
5 egg whites
40 to 50 Ladyfingers
Cocoa powder
In a mixing bowl set over- but not touching - a pan of simmering water, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and thick ribbons fall from the whisk (4-5 minutes).
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer.
Add the mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes).
In a chilled large mixing bowl, beat the cream to stiff peaks.
Add the rum, vanilla and the 2 T. espresso and beat until smooth.
In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks When the whisk is lifted straight out of the bowl and inverted, the whites should hold their shape.
With a rubber spatula, gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the cream until blended and smooth.
Add about 1 C. of the beaten egg whites and fold gently until blended.
Add the remaining egg whites and fold gently until the mixture is smooth and blended.
One at a time, submerge each ladyfinger into the remaining espresso, then put it on the bottom of a 6 qt. glass or ceramic baking or serving dish, about 2” deep.
Continue to form a complete layer.
Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the soaked ladyfingers until evenly covered.
Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers over the mascarpone cream, then spread the remaining mascarpone cream evenly over the top.
Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder to create a rich, dark topping.
Refrigerate at least four hours or up to one day before serving.
Copyright 2008 Geneseo Republic. Some rights reserved
Picture from Williams Sonoma web page.
|
