Making Pierogi

 

I was lucky enough to be invited to a friend’s house on Wednesday to learn how to make Pierogi.  And, I love Pierogi.  If I am at a restaurant and Pierogi are on the menu, that is what I will order every time. I am not Polish and did not grow up making any Polish dishes, but in the Detroit area, Polish food is very commonplace and have many friends and relatives who are great Polish cooks.  There was a Polish festival we attended often and there is an area of Detroit known for it’s Polish restaurants.  I’ve had delicious Pierogi in Pittsburgh where my daughter lives, as well.

So, Pierogi are basically a filled dumpling that is boiled, then sautéd with chopped onion.  It is traditionally served with sour cream.   The ones that I made and brought home are filled with sauerkraut, minced onions and sour cream and everyone’s favorite mashed potato, grated onion and cheese.

The hardest part is rolling out the dough and cutting the squares evenly, but after that you soon get the hang of filling and shaping them. We boiled the ones we made, put on cookie sheets and then placed the cookie sheets in the freezer.  After the Pierogi are frozen, you can put them in freezer bags to take out and sauté anytime you wish.  

My friend did cook up a few for us to try and they were so good.  I am now all set for meatless Fridays during Lent and have a new skill I can use again.

Happy Friday!

A Make Your Momma’s Recipe Party

 

We put an interesting twist on our MSU basketball watch party yesterday.  It was decided that the dish everyone would bring to share would be something our mothers made in the 60’s or 70’s.  It was a stroll down memory lane and the fun part was hearing everyone’s stories. We enjoyed sloppy joe’s, deviled eggs, homemade mac and cheese, strawberry pretzel jello salad, iceberg lettuce salad and three bean salad. Desserts were peanut butter cookies and a decadent chocolate cake.

I brought an appetizer that my mother always made at Christmas using the gold standard of the 70’s - Velvetta cheese.  It is a recipe I had forgotten about, but still delicious.  It was fun to go back in time with some of these classic dishes which may not fit into today’s healthier eating, but have that comfort food factor. When was the last time you had any kind of jello dish?  It’s been awhile for me, but reminded me so much of childhood pot lucks when there was always one or two on the table.  

The basketball game was a loss for MSU, but the party food theme was a win that everyone had fun with.

What would be the dish you would bring?

My Mother’s Party Browns

1 package party rye bread

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb hot sausage

3/4 lb velvetta cheese, cubed

2 T oregeno

2 T Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and Pepper

Brown ground beef and sausage.  Add cheese and seasonings.  Put bread on a cookie sheet and top with meat mixture.  Bake in 350 degree oven 12-14 minutes or until bread is slightly crispy.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Life Lately

 

Life is busy, but good busy.  I have been quite social with breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I have also been getting my hands dirty, which I love; both in my volunteer role and still working hard in my neighborhood to get things back to normal after the hurricane damage.  There has been a lot of mulch spread this past week, including in my role as a captain for Make A Difference Day in Venice.  

I ventured out to a park that is very close to me, but is known for having a lot of alligators since it is adjacent to a river.  It really is a nice, peaceful walk with old Florida ambience.  And, I am definitely much braver and more nonchalant about gators than when I first moved to Florida.  Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you.  But, the warning signs you see are just a little different here lol

Finally, I have been making a point to read more lately.  I finished The Henna Artist and it is exactly the kind of book that makes me appreciate being in a book club. I can’t say I would have picked if up on my own volition, but I throughly enjoyed it and found it is the kind of book that immerses you in the culture and characters so much, that when you are done it stays in your thoughts.  

Have a wonderful weekend!