Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 39
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I have never felt a year go by more quickly than this year. I am not sure if it is because I have been counting every week through this challenge and now realize we are almost done, or if it is because I am getting older and they always say that time flies the older you get. Whatever the case, it is hard to believe that we have completed 39 weeks of cooking through Magnolia Table in a year. With only 34 recipes to go and 105 complete, we are racing towards the finish line. This week of delicious Potato Gratin Mini Stacks (p.179) and Steamed Artichokes (p.185) moved us closer and closer towards that goal, which I know will be here before we know it.
Potato Gratin Mini Stacks
As many of you know, this week has been the first week of Charlie’s chemo treatments. Upon discovering that these potato stacks were one of our recipes, I decided to make them the night before his first treatment for two reasons. First, we thought we might be going to Bible study (which always includes a potluck, so I could bring them already prepared) and second, if the cooking smell was going to be too much for Charlie, I would have them made ahead of time to eliminate any issues. While the day proved to be too taxing to allow us to make it to Bible study, our plan of making the stacks ahead of time proved to be a great decision because all Charlie asked for after his treatments were saltine crackers and potatoes. And guess what?! The Potato Gratin Mini Stacks were waiting for him and hit the spot perfectly. Praise the Lord for having this recipe already on our Magnolia schedule this week. These Potato Gratin Mini Stacks are soft, comforting, slightly cheesy and very tasty. Not complicated at all, they come together quite easily and reheat wonderfully, so I highly recommend trying them out.
Crowd Average Rating:
The Potato Gratin Mini Stacks gained an average rating of 8! Upon first eating them, Charlie rated them a 43 out of 10 simply because at that moment they were just perfect. While I might not rate them as perfect as I thought they could use a touch more salt, they are very delicious and certainly will be something we make in the future.
Steamed Artichokes
As I absolutely love marinated artichokes and grew up enjoying fresh artichokes as well, I was very excited for this dish, which was a good thing, seeing as I became the only one to try them. Soft, buttery and with a hint of garlic, these Steamed Artichokes are fairly simple to pull together and are worth a try if you enjoy this vegetable.
Crowd Average Rating:
While I typically love artichokes, I rated this recipe a 5. While Joanna’s recipe is thorough and tasty, I have always enjoyed freshly steamed artichokes with mayonnaise instead of butter, so it was hard for me personally to make the transition without hoping for mayonnaise. Similarly, I found I needed to steam the artichokes for about 15 minutes longer than originally thought, so I am not sure if it was my steamer basket or what exactly was taking place, but the cooking process became a little bit more of an ordeal than I was originally expecting. Overall, if you love steamed artichokes and are wanting to branch out, this would be a great recipe to try, but for us, I am not sure it will become a staple around our table.
Looking Ahead – Week Forty
Week 40 Shopping List Includes:
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Jicama
- Limes
- Cilantro
- Cayenne pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Avocado
- Chives
- Jalapeno
- Olive oil
- White onion
- Chicken broth
- Black beans
- Cream of chicken soup
- Salsa Verde
- Enchilada sauce
- Sour cream
- Garlic salt
- Shredded chicken
- Fire roasted diced green chiles
- Cheddar cheese
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Ground beef
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Tortilla chips
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
Looking ahead to week 40 within our Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year Guide, this upcoming week will feature King Ranch Chicken (p.207), Sheet Pan Nachos (p.151) and Fresh Tomato Salsa (p.157). While not many of last week’s ingredients will carry over this week, each of these three recipes use many of the same components so if you decide to make one, ingredients wise you will be close to making them all! I absolutely love fresh salsa, and while I did not expect this to be the case as it now is October, I might even able able to still use homemade tomatoes from our garden!
Final Thoughts
While this year has brought many cooking adventures, fun times around the table and new ways to approach hospitality, it also has become a tool used by the Lord to take care of us. Whether it be in preparing Charlie for treatments as I mentioned last week, or taking care of him once he started this week, God has been so good in the ways that He orchestrated my planning so many months ago. I hope that if you are cooking along with us that the Lord will use this schedule to bless your lives at just the right moments as well.
Happy cooking!
Chloe
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Chloe, this was simply beautiful!!! I cried, but I know you are not surprised! Thank you for being so honest and open about your and Charlie’s journey and how God is absolutely guiding and walking before you. Thank you for being genuine and sharing your story. God will honor your faithfulness I am sure!! Love you!
Thank you so much Danette! He definitely is leading and we are getting a front row seat to see how He is working… even through Magnolia! Thank you for all of your love and support in this journey! Love you!