High school sweethearts Charles and Elizabeth Greenleaf met while in high school in Decatur, AL. They both attended Auburn University and officially moved to Auburn in 2006 so Charles could open Auburn Pediatric Dentistry. Elizabeth formally taught third grade but transitioned to being a stay-at-home when their children came along.
The Greenleafs have four children. Charlie (20), their oldest, is a sophomore at Auburn University majoring in Biomedical sciences. Then they have Davis (15), who is a freshman; Catherine (14), in eighth grade; and Reynolds (10), who is in third grade.
“Our kids are very active in Spring Sports, and that keeps us on the go,” Elizabeth shared. “Davis started Track at Lee-Scott Academy for the first time this year. Catherine has started Soccer and Reynolds is finishing up Basketball and will be starting Baseball soon.”
The family loves to travel together. Last year, they went to Turks & Caicos, and this year, they are looking forward to a trip to Belize. The warm waters are their favorite place to visit, so they can scuba dive and snorkel.
“We spend a lot of time in the summer in Orange Beach,” shared Elizabeth. “The boys love to fish, usually Red Snapper and Tuna, and Catherine and I love reading a book on the beach. We like to take the boat to an island and hang out with friends.”
With four kids and all of the sports activities, the family often finds themselves eating out or grabbing food to go. When there happens to be a rare night without activities at their house, they do look forward to a meal around the kitchen table.
One of the family’s favorite meals, and this month’s Dinner’s Ready recipe, is a Hamburger-Cabbage dish passed on from Elizabeth’s grandmother.
“My grandmother used to make this for us. We would all go eat with my grandparents after church every Sunday,” reminisced Elizabeth. “As an adult, I realize all the preparation and time she took to provide lunch for her three grown children and their families!”
This dish is a favorite for Elizabeth because it is easy and quick to cook. An added bonus is that the spice level can be adjusted accordingly, and the dish is very filling. Cornbread is the must-have side for the Greenleaf kids.
“Charles and I share the cooking, and if I’m being honest, Charles is the better cook,” Elizabeth said. “Charles loves to cook his fish, usually red snapper or tuna. He is always coming up with a new recipe and has even learned to make sushi! He also loves to grill. I am more of a follow-a-recipe kind of cook.”
This season of life is bringing a lot of joy to Elizabeth as she watches her children all grow into independent individuals.
I love when we get to spend good quality time as a family. We are fortunate our college student is just across town, so we get to see him frequently,” Elizabeth said. “Having a 20-year-old, two teenagers, and a pre-teen, we can connect on a deeper level. We have many laughs in this family, and it brings me joy when everyone is together.”
Hamburger-Cabbage Dish
Ingredients:
- 1 pound hamburger meat, ground
- 1 pack of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 1 can of Rotel Tomatoes
- 1 cabbage, shredded
- 1 onion, diced
- Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
- Hot sauce (to taste)
- 2-3 cups of White Rice, cooked
Directions:
- Brown the hamburger meat. Add in diced onion while browning. Once the meat is cooked through, drain the grease.
- Add onion soup mix, can of Rotel tomatoes, shredded cabbage, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to the meat and onion mixture.
- Cook covered over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the cabbage is tender.
- Serve over rice with a piece of cornbread.
