Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thrad

[ConorMacNessa]

JT - My family moved to Rockville in 1956. When we moved there, Wisconsin Avenue (then US 240) went to two lanes in the vicinity of where the Capital Beltway now stands. It stayed two lanes until above what is now Twinbrook Parkway. Grosvenor and allied apartments did not exist - they occupy what was then vacant land where kids flew their kites. At Nebel Street, the two Exxon stations - then Esso - sat on either side where they do now - vintage buildings - probably 40's era - now long gone. Below Nebel Street on the east side was the White Flint Golf Course and White Flint Sanitarium.

My youngest son was with me in the van Sunday afternoon - it was a great ride down Rockville Pike. I hope I have the opportunity to take that ride with him again - I've seen a lot of change in Maryland in the last 59 years.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[CottonBall]

sounds yummy!

You know what is so weird? After moving to the south, I’m having a hard time finding corn meal. There are about 8 kinds of cornmeal mixes at each store, but very few options of plain old cornmeal, if any. What if I want a different kind of cornbread than that the mix makes? They would probably be appalled here that I prefer a sweet cake-like cornmeal!

[oldvirginian]

I stopped doing business with WalMart several years ago. Too many reasons to go in to.

The only other choices are Kroger, Food Lion, a Super KMart and a local locally owned store.

After trying them all we now stick to Kroger for most food purchases.
They have a great shoppers rewards deal. Every $100 I spend in the store gets me .10/gallon discount on gas at their gas pumps, all Shell stations honor it as well.

I use a Kroger branded Visa debit card that earns extra points so I get another .05 discount on gas for .15 total. My best haul on gas got me .80 discount.
Using the card also earns me dollars off periodically. Last month I had $55 off my net grocery bill that way.

I also use digital and paper coupons.
With all the discounts and stuff I actually shop cheaper at Kroger.

I buy my paper products and cleaning supplies at Dollar General as they *always* have the cheapest prices for that kind of thing.

All in all, I save more money using Kroger and Dollar General than shopping at Wallyworld.
That’s without mentioning that the employees are more helpful and my fellow shoppers are friendlier.

[CottonBall]

We have a real butcher down the road, but it’s probably not what you have in mind, LOL! It’s a place where you bring un your critter and they’ll hand it back in neat packages.

[Jamestown1630]

I remember what upper Rockville Pike was like, before they ‘urbanized’ it all. My brother lived in Gaithersburg, and I’d drive by the King Farm and see cows - where now it’s all ‘gentrified’. (It’s been decades since I drove up that way; have they ever widened the road?)

People say that the only thing sure in life is ‘death and taxes’. I think the only thing sure in life, is Change.

Thank you for your service, ConorMacNessa.

-JT

[CottonBall]

I’ve noticed Walmart is pricey for milk and eggs, but other items are reasonable. Seems weird to me too.

Aldi’s has me spoiled- skim milk is $2.29!

[Jamestown1630]

LOL.

We do have a few ‘real butchers’ around here; but it’s not like Paris, where you can just walk to the marketplace to find one. You have to drive...a long way.

-JT

[CottonBall]

“The King Ranch Casserole is definitely a staple at Texas potlucks, picnics, birthdays, and funerals. The recipe originated around the time that canned condensed soup was making its debut, although nobody in particular seems to claim it. “

We lived in Corpus Christie for awhile and went to visit the King Ranch one day. And they claimed to have originated the recipe generations ago. They are named appropriately, anyway.

[ConorMacNessa]

You're welcome, JT - it was an honor to serve in a just cause.

The road - now MD 355, of course, is six lanes up to a point north of Gaithersburg - I can't recall exactly where - I don't get up that way much these days and the point where it goes to two lanes keeps moving north. Most of Germantown 355 is now 6-8 lanes.

It seems anachronistic when you get up to Hyattstown and Clarksburg riding on the old road next to I-270.

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[CottonBall]

Or in Italy, where you go to each little family-owned shop for each category of food - meat, fish, produce, bakery items, etc. It’s very quaint when visiting, but it has to take a lot of time. 20 years ago, supermarkets were a new thing but I imagine they’ve put these mom/pop places out of business since.

[CottonBall]

The Monterey bake sounds good.

I don’t he many casserole recipes since hubby doesn’t like them. He must’ve been one of those kids that didn’t like his food touching each other on his plate, LOL!

I found this one on Allrecipes and thought it might be good to try.

Italian Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Recipe By:MARBALET

“All the ingredients for a meatball sandwich are here, just assembled in a different manner. This recipe is always a hit at our house. We NEVER have any leftovers, it is so good!”

Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions
1Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2Mix together onions, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and ground beef. Roll into 1 inch diameter balls, and place in a baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and black pepper until smooth. Spread this mixture over each bread cube. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated mozzarella cheese.
4In a large bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce, water, and garlic. Gently stir in meatballs. Pour over the bread and cheese mixture in the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
5Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

[CottonBall]

I forgot the wine store! My nonno would take his empty bottle there and fill it up from a dispenser that was like the ones at a gas station. Very economical, I imagine.

[henkster]

This sounds like a casserole Mrs. henkster’s grandmother made. We could not get the exact recipe out of her, because there wasn’t one. It was “oh I throw in a little of this or a little of that.” But since she cooked for a farm family for 60 years, you would expect that.

[henkster]

I also miss Borders. They had a much better history selection than Barnes & Noble.

[kalee]

I was just thinking about Spanish Bar Cake the other day. My grandmother used to buy them at A&P, which she always referred to as the “tea store”. Thank you for the recipe!

[Liz]

This looks fancy but is easy to make

ENCHILADA RING

FILLING Chp chicken, olives, cheese, chilies, sour cream and taco mix. Add seeded/chp tomato, 2 tb lime juice. Reserve 2 Tb fine-crushed tortilla chips; add rest to mixture.

ASSEMBLY Unroll 2 tubes crescent dough; separate triangles. Arrange on sprayed sheetpan. Make a circle with wide ends OVERLAPPING in center and points toward outside. There should be a 5" diameter opening in center.

Spread Filling evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangles up and over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. Sprinkle w/ 2 Tb crushed chips. Can add shredded cheese. Bake 375 deg 20-25 min.

SERVE with salsa and sour cream, asst garnishes.

ING 2 cups cooked chicken 1/4 cup chopped block olives 1 cup cheddar cheese 1 small can chopped chilies, undrained 1/2 cup sour cream 1 package taco seasoning 2 rolls of crescent rolls 1 small chopped tomato 1 lime (juice) 2/3 cup finely crushed tortilla chips

[T-Bone Texan]

Is the King Ranch the reason Kenedy County has only one major town and is otherwise unpopulated?

I have a big map of TX on my wall, and Kenedy County looks empty.

[Jamestown1630]

I loved their remainders table - HUGE.

[Jamestown1630]

I’m anxious to try that recipe, and see how close she came to what I remember. Until Miss Marmelstein mentioned A&P, I hadn’t thought of it in ages. It’s a great little cake for the holidays.

-JT

[CottonBall]

Probably so! It’s 825,000 acres, bigger than Rhode Island. It’s near Kingsville (of course). I don’t know the county but it’s of Corpus. Can you imagine a ranch staying that big through the years, when all others have been subdivided over and over?