Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Mulligan Stew...

When I was a very Little girl, my Father was gone most of the time. He was Career Navy, and was seldom home. When he was home, he liked to cook, and one of the things he did cook was Mulligan Stew. Now this mulligan stew was like no other made. It was made with Hamburger. He would put onions, potatoes, celery pepper and God knows whatever else into it. We grew up eating Mulligan. Mom would never make it. That was Dad's job. We would have that and bread and butter that's it.

As I got older, the stew got thicker, and went further, But I never watched him make it. Our family Rarely sat down to dinner together at the table, we ate off our laps, in front of the TV, so the pot was always on the back burner on warm. I got to where I would hate to see Mulligan on the stove. "OH yuck! Mulligan again?" Dad Loved it, but what I didn't know was that it also stretched our meager supplies farther. Left over vegetables would go into the pot, and an extra Onion or two. It only had one pound of ground Beef, and by the time It got to the bottom of the pot, there was hardly ever any meat left.

I have not thought of Mulligan in YEARS!!!

Today it was a typical November day. It was sunny and cold in the morning, and then it spit spat rain and grey clouds, then scattered sunshine, and more wind. It was the perfect day for staying under the electric blanket and slugging.

I knew Bob was coming over so I at least put on britches. Kept the flannel PJ top on though. He put the base board up in the hall, and moved the wall units out so I can get back there and paint.

While He was doing that, I was sitting at my desk cutting out recipes so I can pitch the three years of kept magazines. The sun would come out and the sky would be blue, then it would get really dark and POUR! Then sun then Heavy rain. After Bob left, Sadie and I went right back into the bedroom and crawled back under the Electric blanket and took a nap.

I woke up walked into the kitchen and saw I have a pound of ground beef to use for dinner tonite. I thought of Mulligan Stew! It is a PERFECT day for it. But Dad is gone, and with him went the recipe.

I googled it but only found a few recipes none of which were anywhere close to Dads'. I did find a blog though, so I read it. no recipe there either. There are several books called Mulligan Stew, and a website for an Irish Pub. but no recipe.

If any of you out there know of a recipe for mulligan stew that uses hamburger send it my way. I will see which one workd the best. This is another reason that the little things that you take for granted, will become very important for your children, and their children. Who would've thought that one sailors way of stretching a pound of hamburger into a few days worth of meals for a family of five would end up being the topic of his daughters BLOG?

I am so hungry for it now!!! Stew anyone?

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