I feel very fortunate to have many friends and acquaintances.
Having never been one to meet a stranger, meeting and talking with people has not been a problem for me.
In fact, when my son was younger, he would tell me to walk straight ahead and not make eye contact with anyone because he was ready to get home.
He knew there was a possibility that I might strike up a conversation with anyone at anytime.
Andrea Hall is the Lifestyles editor for the Greenwood Commonwealth. Even though I am old enough to be her mother, I consider her to be a “young friend.”
She has been learning to cook since she arrived in Greenwood and has asked me for cooking advice and recipes. We have had many laughs about recipes and ingredients that she has encountered.
My all-time favorite was when she asked me what ground chuck was - I can only imagine what she was thinking!
Andrea was telling me about a group of young girls in Greenwood who have formed a “supper club” of sorts, and I was intrigued by the details of what they do.
The girls are all transplants to the Greenwood area with Andrea being closest to her home, at a distance of 600 miles.
The other friends are here to teach at area schools.
I admire these girls for striking out on their own and leaving the comforts of home. I still live 30 miles from where I was born and can’t imagine being so far from my home.
Rita Alway, Leslie Taylor, Christy Ivie, Courtney DeMaria and Andrea formed their initial friendship while taking afternoon walks back when the weather was more suitable for outside exercise.
They quickly discovered that cooking for one was a challenge and that it was hard to get motivated to cook more than microwavable meals after a hard day of work.
They began a weekly gettogether, where they would take turns preparing dinner for each other.
They would walk, eat dinner and enjoy each other’s company. The meals quickly helped them form a family dinner mentality and they upped the ante’ to cook three to four nights a week.
Each girl chose what was her least busy day at work to prepare her meal. Since most girls had a table for four, they have a folding chair that can travel to accommodate the fifth guest.
On Friday nights, they treat themselves to an area restaurant.
There is never any pressure about the meal, or a feeling of trying to outdo the other hostesses.
Christy, who studied abroad in India, has introduced their palates to Indian food. Courtney is the queen of the slow cooker and the rest of the girls just “go with the flow.”
It warms my heart to know that these girls, who are so far away from home, have formed their own “family.”
As a deep-rooted Southern girl, I hate the thought of someone being lonely, especially at meal time.
Hope you enjoy this week’s recipes. Girls, these would be great for your group.
Thanks for reading.
DRIED BEEF CHICKEN BREASTS
1 jar dried beef
6 deboned chicken breasts
6 slices bacon
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
Place dried beef in the bottom of a 9-x-13 inch casserole that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of bacon and arrange on top of dried beef.
Mix soups and sour cream. Pour over the chicken.
Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 275 degrees for 2 ½ hours. Serve the gravy over cooked rice.
This is delicious and ready to pop in the oven after work. A simple salad completes a perfect menu.
CROCK POT SPAGHETTI
1 pound ground chuck
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
2 (8 ounces) cans tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 can diced Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 (4 ounces) can sliced mushrooms, drained
3 cups tomato juice (for a kick, try Bloody Mary mix)
1 (6 ounces) package dry spaghetti noodles, broken into pieces
Place beef in the crock pot (You may brown the meat if you prefer - it’s just a matter of preference) and add all ingredients, except spaghetti noodles.
Stir and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Turn to high and stir in dry spaghetti noodles - cook for an additional hour.
I love this recipe because everything is ready and you don’t have to boil the noodles, just pop them in the crock pot.
EASY BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
2 (10 ounces) packages frozen, chopped broccoli, slightly thawed
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (16 ounces) Mexican Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
3 soup cans water
1 teaspoon Accent seasoning
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.
Cook on low heat for an hour. Top with grated cheese and croutons.
This is a great, easy soup that is ready in an hour.
