Teacher adjusting to ‘school at home’, enjoys creating meals for her family

“Distance learning is something that I wasn’t prepared for in the least,” said Vardaman School teacher Leah Edington.
“ I miss my students and being in my classroom daily, but I enjoyed getting to see some of them last week when they picked up their packets. Hopefully, we will get to see each other at school again this year.”
“In the meantime, I am enjoying my time at home with my family and try to make at least one home cooked meal a day,” she said.
She and husband Walt have four children–Oakley, Alaina, Brady and Ava.
Leah learned to cook from her mama, Edna Easley. “She can whip up a meal faster than anyone I know.”

The first thing she remembers he mother teaching her to make was biscuits. “One of my favorite things is a hot biscuit with sorghum molasses,” she said.
“I use a lot of what I learned in the kitchen watching my mama growing up, along with my own ideas to cook for my family,” she said, “I’ve always loved to create things, whether it be art, jewelry, or ornaments. Cooking is another way for me to express my creativity.”

On busy weeknights, she says she goes for meals she can toss together quickly like her Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry. On weekends or when she has more time she might make lasagna or vegetable soup.
“My kids are old enough now that they can cook for themselves, but my youngest, Ava, still likes to help me when I am cooking,” she said, and “we believe in leftovers at our house, and frozen pizzas are always on hand.”
Teaching full time and raising four kids keeps her busy. “I feel blessed to be able to be at home with my kids during the school closures. Not everyone has that option, including Walt, who is a nurse practitioner,” she said.

Their oldest, Oakley, is home from MSU and they are really enjoying having him around. “He is staying busy with assignments and will take finals at the end of April to finish up his freshman year.”
“It has been an adjustment to have ‘school at home.’ Seeing that all four get their assignments done while sharing devices is sometimes a challenge, but for the most part, we’ve made it work,” she said.

Jock’s Hamburger Stew
(Aunt Patsy Easley)
1 lb. hamburger meat (browned)
1 small chopped onion
(I use 1 bag of frozen already chopped)
3-4 potatoes (diced)
2 cans chicken noodle soup
1 quart tomato juice
1 can diced tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste
Bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender.
(I double the recipe for us!)

Vegetable Soup
2-3 cups boiled chicken, shredded (keep broth for later)
2 lbs. hamburger meat (browned with diced onions)
1/2 onion (diced)
3-4 potatoes (cubed)
2-3 carrots (sliced or diced)
2 cans whole kernel corn (drained)
2 cans English peas (drained)
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 quart jar homemade tomato juice or 1 bottle store bought juice
Add 3-4 cups of chicken broth left from boiled chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook all in large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Stir often. Simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Philly Steak Loaded Baked Potatoes
Baking potatoes
Thinly sliced rib-eye steak (found in frozen food section)
Onion (I use the frozen, chopped onion.)
*could add peppers and/or mushrooms
Provolone or mozzarella cheese
Bake potatoes. Sauté onions (and other toppings if desired). Brown steak. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice open potato after it is baked. Add steak and sautéed onions over potato. Top with cheese.
*Steak and toppings could also be served in hoagie buns for a quick meal.

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
1 lb. beef stir fry strips
1 lb. broccoli (chopped)
3 cups instant white rice (follow directions on box)
Brown beef strips on medium heat. Add dashes of salt, garlic powder, and Mrs. Dash extra spicy to season.
Steam broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with stir fry strips. Serve over rice.