Childhood Memories

It has been said, "If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older."  I feel very blessed to have had a wonderful childhood with many sweet memories.  Every so often I will be minding my own business, and it will hit me: a small thing will remind me of one of these sweet times.  Many of these instances, it is a certain season or a specific smell that will strike up a feeling that I thought was left far behind.

Now that I am a wife, I am trying to make quick, healthy, and delicious dinners for my sweet husband.  Recently, I was making this dish and the memories started flowing.  It is not fancy.  It is not beautiful.  But even some of the most special memories are not the most fancy or the most beautiful of times, but they are precious nonetheless.

This is how the memory went.  When we were younger, it was quite a task for my parents to get four kids under the age of 8 dressed and ready for church on Sundays.  Somehow, we always made it, not just to church, but early!  If you were not early to church, you were not on time.  After church, we would pile back into our silver minivan and head home.  When we would enter the door, smells of the Sunday roast would fill our nose and feed our soul.  There were always a little bit of leftovers but never enough for 6 people all over again.  My mom would put them in the fridge for later that night, and she would transform them.  We called it Hash.

The great thing about this dish is you can use whatever you have in your fridge.  I wanted to use a whole onion, but all I had was half.  Just like mom, you make do with what you have and add a little bit of love.  No one will know the difference.  I used russet potatoes, onion, carrots, garlic, and tarragon and sage since I had an abundance.  If you don't have any fresh herbs, dried herbs go well in this recipe too.

Chop up your veggies

In your largest pan, add a little olive oil and butter and let it melt.

Add the carrots, onion, and potatoes to the skillet with salt and pepper.

Toss the veggies around to disperse the seasoning.  Once the onions and carrots hit the hot pan, it perfumes the kitchen and the memories kick in.

We do not have many roasts in our house, but we do have a large quantity of deer sausage.  Use whatever you have left over: chicken, turkey, roast, hamburger meat, sausage...pretty much anything works!  Maybe not fish...

Take half of your herbs and add it to the pan

I have gotten into a habit of adding half of my herbs while the food is cooking and then leave the other half for a garnish.  The pop of bright green adds beautiful color, and I feel like it adds a depth of flavor.

Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add it to the pan with the sausage

Let the sausage brown, and it is time to eat!  This is perfect for a family meal because it is a one pot meal, it has fresh vegetables, and it is kid friendly, child tested, and mother approved.

This is my plate: straight up simple with a garnish of your fresh herbs.

This is Matt's plate.  My hubby loves his ketchup.  Either way is delicious!

Like I told you, this meal is not fancy, but I love it because of the sweet times that come to mind.  It makes me happy because it brings to mind all of those people that have been there for me my whole life that I love so dearly, my family.