Domestic Family Dining

An old favorite…

2012-01-21T15:14:00.000-06:00

I’ve been a Cooking Light subscriber for years – since 1998, if I remember right. This recipe was printed in their Jan/Feb 2001 issue and was one I tried almost right away and continued to use on homemade pizza (the Chicago-Style Pizza) for a number of years. Then I put the magazine on a bookshelf, forgot about it, moved it to the farm, and just now found it again. The page is still marked and it’s been on my shelf for over 10 years! Time to take it off the shelf.

Atsa Spicy Pizza Sausage

Yield: 5 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. ground pork

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbl. fennel seeds

1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, crushed

DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain.

Note: The sausage can be frozen in zip-top plastic bags for up to 3 months.

Just a little chocolate topping…

2011-12-21T15:46:00.001-06:00

I used this Hot Fudge recipe as one layer in the Peppermint Torte I made today. So, here’s the recipe. It would be great over ice cream, too.

Hot Fudge

Yield: approx. 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS

14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 (1oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate

2 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS: Mix the first three ingredients together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir until thoroughly blended.

Sweet (irresistible) snack

2011-12-08T00:25:00.001-06:00

Nutty Cereal Mix

(I have no idea what it’s truly called because I didn’t ask for the recipe name!)

Yield: A LOT – Believe it or not, this was doubled in many of the recipes I researched.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup flaked coconut

20 oz. cereal – Crispix, Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chex

3/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted under a broiler until nicely browned)

DIRECTIONS: Boil butter, sugar, and corn syrup for 3 minutes.

Measure cereal, coconut, and almonds into a large bowl.

Pour syrup over the mixture and stir until coated.

Spread the mixture out on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Note: The almonds can be omitted or reduced, and the coconut can be reduced, as well, to suit individual tastes. Either way, it won’t last long!

Turkey

2011-11-13T19:58:00.000-06:00

I believe this was my first solo attempt at ‘large’ turkey baking.

Our 4-H club did a traditional Thanksgiving meal for it’s November meeting/potluck last year, and we enjoyed it so much we decided to do it again. Our family hosted this past Sunday and it’s always easier to bake the turkey in the location where it will be served. This is a 16 pounder and I stressed about it! I read through cookbooks and checked online to make sure I’d have enough time to roast it. Sunday morning, I got up at 5am to wash the bird (it’d been thawing since Tuesday) and prepare it for baking. I stuffed it with onions and celery, then basted it with butter and poultry seasoning. I even loosened up the skin around the breast and slathered some seasoned butter under the skin. That wasn’t easy!

The bird went into the oven at 6am. Before leaving for Mass, I did cover the bird in foil. I came home early from religious ed. and took it out of the oven at 11am. The pop-up was popped; I’m not sure for how long. I removed the bird from the oven and covered it in foil to rest and let the juices re-distribute. It sat until Noon. I started slicing and cutting up at that time. The meat wasn’t too hot to handle and it sliced nicely, even with my limited knowledge. At least no one complained!

Last year, I roasted a smaller bird and it fit in an oven bag. We didn’t have left-overs. I knew we’d need a larger bird this year because there were more people and the kids have grown. I had almost a gallon bag of leftovers and was thrilled. We’ve been eating turkey noodle soup, sandwiches, and turkey a la king all week.

I’d still like to try smoking a turkey on the grill…

Chocolate anyone??

2011-08-26T08:43:00.000-05:00

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 3.5 dozen

Note: This recipe is from my mom. You can substitute chocolate pudding and white chocolate chips or make up your own combinations. Chocolate-chocolate, chocolate-butterscotch, vanilla-chocolate… the list is long. I usually eliminate nuts from any recipe, and this recipe doubles well.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding

1 – 12oz. pkg. chocolate chips

1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 357 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and beat until smooth. Add vanilla, baking soda, and flour. Mix until ‘just’ mixed. Add pudding, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix together. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet. Remove from cookie sheet to a cooling rack and cool completely before storing.

Planning meals & MSCD

2011-08-25T18:40:00.001-05:00

As we look to start school after Labor Day, it’s also time to start up the menu planning and plan for a Mini Session Cooking Day (MSCD) while I still have time. I planned out five week’s and left plenty of room for leftovers. With Dash gone at supper time for football practice, it’s challenging to adjust the quantities appropriately!

Once school starts, free time for cooking disappears and it’s so nice to have a few home-made meals in the freezer to pull out on crazy days (you know the ones where you planned to be done at 2pm, but are still there at 5pm for some unknown reason??).

Monday was my opportunity for a MSCD. I planned it out the night before and chose recipes for which I already had ingredients on hand. This is what’s in the freezer (or frig or pantry) today…

2 gallons Italian Sausage Soup

2 gallons Taco Soup

2 dozen Meatballs

2 quarts Mexican meat filling

1 loaf Chocolate chip Pumpkin Bread (one was eaten, the other is on the counter!)

2 dozen Chocolate dipped Peanut Butter Balls*

2 dozen No-Bake cookies

2 quarts Taco Rice

10 bags Brownie mix (each makes an 8x8 inch pan)

Dash made the Brownie mix and prepared the peanut butter balls for dipping. That helped sooo very much. Some of the recipes are on my blog, others are available for free (some after joining) on the website of 30 Day Gourmet.

*These are so easy and absolutely yummy. Great treat for harvest time lunch boxes when the guys want something candy-like, but I don’t want to pay the price for candy. I had about half of a White Chocolate Flavor Ghirardelli candy making and dipping bar (2.5 lbs purchased at Sam’s Club during Christmas season) leftover. I used half (so a quarter of the package) for the recipe.

Favorite Taco Soup

2011-08-25T18:38:00.001-05:00

TACO SOUP

Notes: This recipe is from Suzie’s NE friend, Michelle M.
Servings: Approximately 12

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. Hamburger
1 small chopped onion
4 oz. can Chopped Green Chilis
1 Pkg. (1.25oz.) Taco Seasoning (we make our own Taco Seasoning Mix)
1 pkg (1oz.) Ranch mix
2 cans (15oz.) Chili Recipe Stewed Tomatoes (I can my own Mexican Stewed Tomatoes)
2 cans (15oz.) Bush’s Hot Chili Beans (generally use the store brand)
1 ½ -2 cups Water
8oz. Mexican Blend Cheeses
1 Bag Fritos (Ranch or Chili Cheese Flavored are good, but plain Fritos are used more often at our home)
8oz Sour Cream (we use more sour cream!)

DIRECTIONS:
Brown hamburger & chopped onion, drain grease. Add chopped green chilies, beans, tomatoes, taco & ranch seasonings, and water. Simmer 30-45 minutes for best results or let it simmer in the crock pot for 4-6 hours. Serve soup over the Fritos. Then, top with cheese and sour cream.

FREEZING:
Cool completely. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible. Double bag for safety! Label and freeze on a cookie tray to keep the bag flat.

PREPARATION:
Thaw in the frig or in microwave. Reheat on the stove or in a crock pot. Serve soup over Fritos. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Chocolate Substitution Chart

2011-08-22T16:29:00.000-05:00

I recently had need for chocolate substitution…
Hubby’s birthday = German Chocolate Cake.
German Chocolate Cake = Sweet Baking Chocolate 4oz.
Bare Cupboard = Substitution!

Chocolate, Bittersweet:

Substitute 1 (1-ounce) square semi-sweet baking chocolate for 1 (1-ounce) square bittersweet baking chocolate.
Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate may be used interchangeably in recipes, but there may be slight differences in flavor and texture.

Chocolate, Semi-Sweet:

3 tablespoons chocolate chips for every 1-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate.
1-ounce bittersweet baking chocolate for every 1-ounce semi-sweet bittersweet baking chocolate.
1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for every 1-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate.
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon butter, margarine or shortening for every 1 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate.

Chocolate Chips, Semi-Sweet:

1 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate for every 1 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
1-ounce sweet baking chocolate for every 1-ounce chocolate chips.
1-ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoons sugar for every 1-ounce chocolate chips

Chocolate, Sweet Baking (German's):

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 4 teaspoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter, shortening or vegetable oil for every 1-ounce German's sweet baking chocolate.
1 ounce dark sweet chocolate for every 1 ounce German's sweet baking chocolate.

Chocolate, Unsweetened:

3 level tablespoons unsweetened cocoa and 1 tablespoon butter, margarine or shortening for every 1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate.
3 level tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening, butter, or oil for every 1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate.
1/2 cup (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate chips or morsels - plus cut sugar by 1/4 cup and shortening by 1 tablespoon in your recipe.

Cocoa, Unsweetened:

Substitute equal amounts of Dutch-processed cocoa for unsweetened cocoa. Leave out any baking soda called for in the recipe.
3 tablespoon carob powder plus 2 tablespoons water for every 1-ounce unsweetened cocoa.
Do not substitute instant cocoa mix for unsweetened cocoa in any recipe.

Dutch-Process Cocoa:

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus a pinch (1/8 teaspoon) baking soda for every 1-ounce Dutch-Process Cocoa.
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (reduce fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon).
3 tablespoons carob powder for every 1-ounce Dutch Process Cocoa.

Milk Chocolate:

Substitute equal amounts of sweet chocolate OR semi-sweet chocolate for milk chocolate.

At your repeated request!

2011-08-14T15:56:00.001-05:00

Blueberry French Toast

Yield: 8-12 servings

INGREDIENTS

12-14 slices day old bread (I used a large loaf of French bread cut into 1” cubes)

2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

12 eggs

2 cups milk

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

DIRECTIONS: Cut bread into 1” cubes. Place half into greased 9x13-inch pan. cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes and place over bread cubes. top with blueberries and remaining bread. In large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and syrup. Mix well and pour over bread. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and back at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and center is set.

SAUCE

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 Tbls. cornstarch

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS: In saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Bring to boil over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes until berries burst. Put sauce into pour pitcher to serve over hot dish.

**This dish reheats fabulously! We ate it almost three days in a row and enjoyed every bite. I didn’t think to take a picture, but it looks wonderful, too.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate

2011-08-05T22:22:00.001-05:00

… is always a good combination!

Peanut Butter Finger Bars

Yield: 20 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DRIZZLE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbls. peanut butter

3 to 5 tsp. milk

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add peanut butter and blend together. Add egg and beat until mixed. Add flour, oatmeal, baking soda, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Spread mixture into a 13x9 inch pan. Press evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Immediately after taking bars out of the oven, sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips over the top. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread evenly to coat bars.

In a small bowl, mix together the Drizzle Ingredients. Drizzle over chocolate frosting. Cool completely and cut into bars. These bars freeze quite well.

Canning Cherries!

2011-07-30T17:51:00.000-05:00

Thursday was the day to accomplish the task. I enlisted Angelina because this may well be her 4-H Food Preservation project for the coming 4-H year. As a 4-Her, I remember receiving a Grand on my cherries one year.

Memories of my dad, and all of us kids, eating canned cherries are still quite vivid. I have no idea if my family will like canned cherries as much as my dad and siblings did years ago, but I’m always looking for a good alternative to boxed cold cereal for our breakfasts.

Each canned quart needs about 2 to 2.5 pounds of cherries, pints approximately half that amount. We’ll use a raw pack with a light sugar syrup. Interestingly, the Ball Canning Book recommends pricking each cherry if they are not pitted … I do NOT remember doing this when canning with my mom. Rather than rely on my somewhat shady memories of canning, we’ll prick the cherries to prevent bursting or shrinking.

Light Sugar Syrup

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

5 1/2 cups water

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat at med-high until the sugar is dissolved. Keep the sugar syrup heated until ready to pour over fruit. Each batch yields 6 1/2 cups of syrup. (I like to make a double batch right away. If there is leftover it can be stored in the frig for a couple weeks until the next canning session.)

Cherries

Raw Pack Processing:

1. Wash cherries and drain.

2. Prepare the light syrup, and keep it hot.

3. Sterilize jars. I have used the dishwasher to sterilize, but have also used the boiling water in the canner to accomplish the task. The dishwasher will keep the jars hot, but you can also use the oven to keep jars hot.

4. Ladle 1/2 cup hot syrup into a sterilized, hot jar.

5. Fill jar with cherries. Shake the jar gently to pack the cherries and leave 1/2 inch headspace.

6. Ladle hot syrup over the cherries to cover. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims and cap.

7. Process pints and quarts for 25 minutes in a boiling water canner. Since we live above sea level, our processing time is adjusted by adding 5 minutes.

8. Let jars cool for 24 hours before storing.

Strawberry Scones

2011-07-27T21:05:00.000-05:00

First saw these on Regan’s, then had to link and link to find them here! I planned to freeze them for next week, but I snuck a taste before they cooled completely. Utterly light and delightful!

My only issue is that the batter doesn’t make enough to completely fill my mini scone pan. I’ll find a way to adjust and add about a quarter more to the dough (there are plenty of strawberries to accommodate) and fill the remaining 4 scone forms. Either that or I need to make them all smaller!

My notes and changes are italicized.

Strawberry Scones

Yields: 6 large scones or 12 mini scones

Ingredients:

1 cup diced strawberries (or other fruit)

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons butter, cubed

2/3 cup half-and-half or cream or cold buttermilk*

Topping:

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. I used a mini scone pan.

If using larger fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle fruit with ½ tablespoon sugar; set aside. Be sure to dice the pieces small or they tend to fall out of the dough. They’ll still be plenty prominent in your finished scones.

Combine remaining sugar with flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut in butter (you may want to use your dingers to be sure butter is evenly mixed into flour). Stir in fruit; then add cream/half-and-half/buttermilk all at once. Use spatula to gently stir dough until it holds together. I chose to add the fruit last because I didn’t want it to break up when I was mixing the dough. I also chose to eliminate the kneading, as the dough was fully incorporated by mixing in the bowl.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to incorporate dry ingredients. Be gentle so you don’t break up the berries and don’t overwork the dough. Sprinkle dough with flour if it gets sticky.

Press the dough into a circle ¾ inch thick. If any berries peek out, push them into the dough. Cut circle into 6-8 wedges, then transfer wedges to the cookie sheet, leaving ½ inch of space between them.

Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and bake 5-10 minutes more or until the tops are beginning to brown and spring back when you push them (This took another 15-20 minutes in my oven, but keep a careful watch and check every 5 minutes – you do not want dry scones!). (The sprinkling of sugar over the top for the last few minutes of baking creates a simple, sparkly topping.) My scones were done after a total baking time of 25 minutes.

* I used slightly more (maybe 1 Tablespoon) than 2/3 cup to hold the batter together.

Awesome Jelly

2011-06-30T16:54:00.000-05:00

Angelina's Rhubarb Jelly received a Premium ribbon at the LaMoure county 4-H Achievement Days. Due to flooding in Minot, she won't have the opportunity to show her wares at the ND State Fair (all competition related events have been cancelled). But this jelly is really tasty and she learned a lot. This was her third batch of 'preserves' ... we had a little difficulty with Rhubarb Jam and fruit floating at the top, so she tried jelly with much success.

Rhubarb Jelly – courtesy of The Rhubarb Compendium

3 1/2 cups Rhubarb juice

1 pkg. Sure Jell powdered pectin

4 cups sugar

Make according to instructions for cooked jelly in Sure Jell instructions. Process for 10 minutes. Makes 6 half pints.

Rhubarb Juice

2011-06-02T22:50:00.001-05:00

Rhubarb Juice

8 cups washed and diced rhubarb

8Tbls. sugar

5 cups water

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cook until soft. Boil one minute. Strain the pulp from the juice. At this point, the juice can be used to make jelly, syrup, or canned for later use. The red stalked rhubarb will produce a beautiful red juice, but juice made with green stalks will taste the same. It was also suggested that nutmeg or cinnamon could be added to the juice for a different flavor.

First Fruit of Spring

2011-05-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

My mom tells me that at the first sign of the Rhubarb poking out of the ground, my Grandpa Earl would say, "It's time for Rhubarb Pie!" He's a fan a quite a few different pies, but the first fresh fruit pie of the season is special. I don't have a pie recipe today, but since Angelina enrolled in Food Preservation for 4-H this year, we tried Rhubarb Sauce. The first time I ever tried Rhubarb Sauce was at a 4th of July celebration hosted by friends at their farmstead. The sauce was served over ice cream, creating a perfection of sweet and tangy. I hope to acquire the recipe used that day, but for now, here is the recipe Angelina and I used to preserve our rhubarb.

Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:
1.5 to 2 lbs. rhubarb per quart jar
Sugar

Directions:
Wash the rhubarb stalks and drain. Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces (we prefer 1/2 inch). Put rhubarb in a large saucepot. For each quart rhubarb measured, add 1/2 to 1 cup sugar (we used 1/2 cup to keep the sauce more tart and tangy). Stir to coat the rhubarb with sugar; let stand 3 to 4 hours in a cool place. Bring slowly to a boil; boil 30 seconds. Pack hot rhubarb and syrup into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust seals and screw bands. Process pints and quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Remove jars from the canner and let cool at least 24 hours.

Mardi Gras King Cupcakes

2011-03-08T10:29:00.000-06:00

The lemon and nutmeg flavor of these cupcakes reminds me of the King Cake made for last year’s Mardi Gras. The cupcakes are quicker and easier for a busy mom, though!

The recipe is at King Arthur Flour…. Mardi Gras King Cupcakes.

Amaretto French Toast

2011-01-08T16:37:00.001-06:00

On our recent vacation with my side of the family, each of the ‘sibling’ families took turns in the kitchen. My brothers Eric and Doug paired up for a couple breakfasts (Doug’s wife wasn’t able to make the trip - something about being 8 mos. along in her third pregnancy and 12 hours away from her doctor in December/January in Montana where snowstorms are frequent – we missed you, Laura!).

My brother Eric in the foreground and Doug in the background.

Mmmmm … helpers or samplers??

Anyway, these two brothers served this AMAZING dish one morning and received rave reviews all around. Absolutely YUMMY! Five stars, I’m telling you!!

I made the recipe today just to relish it once more. I made it with French bread; my brothers used English Muffin bread. Both are tasty.

Tip: If you want more Amaretto flavor, slice the bread thinner. I grill this on a griddle placed over the burners on my cooktop. I’ve found that a lower heat works better and prevents burning (if the bread is soaked longer).

Amaretto French Toast

Makes about 6 servings or 18

Ingredients
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup half and half
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons Amaretto
9 tablespoons butter or margarine
18 slices brioche or egg bread (English Muffin bread and French bread work nicely, too)

Directions
In a shallow dish, whisk together all ingredients. Place bread slices into dish. Let soak for a bit, flip and let other side soak.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. When melted, retrieve slices from egg mixture and add to skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices.

Santa Lucia’s Braided Bread

2010-12-14T15:18:00.000-06:00

Link to the recipe at the Family Fun site is here. My only change was to add 1/4 tsp. of pure orange extract to the glaze because I thought it wasn’t flavored enough with just orange juice.

I’d also like to try decreasing the recipe so that it fits in my bread machine. This does make a huge amount of dough, so half the recipe would be enough for one meal or snack-time for our family. I suppose if I’d have known ahead of time or actually read through the recipe last week, I could have made two rings and frozen one for later. This time, we are just enjoying the leftover.

While I’d considered making the bread last week, I wasn’t prepared and it’s just been so hectic. So, this was a little last minute… didn’t start on the dough until after lunch (I’m just too needed in the school-room until at least lunch/dinner). It wasn’t baked until about 4pm and I frosted it before it was cooled because I’m just soooo impatient – and it smelled incredibly wonderful.

So, to celebrate the Feast of St. Lucy, we ate this wonderful bread and listened to her story – all because there happened to be a reminder to ‘read a story about the saint for today’ in Zeke’s syllabus. No dressing up, no candles, no waking up early, just thankful to be reminded of our beautiful faith and trying to live it out in the smallness of our day.

Salmon Quiche

2010-11-20T21:57:00.004-06:00

First, I have to admit that this is the first time I, or my family, have tried Salmon Quiche. My good friend, Sarah G., has offered her Salmon Quiche to me at least twice and I’ve turned up my nose! Normally, I’m game for trying anything, but Salmon Quiche?? Ewwww!

A little bit of background … my supposed dislike of anything made from canned Salmon (not to be confused with my pleasurable dining experiences with Grilled Salmon) stems from my dislike of Salmon Loaf. I have at least tried Salmon Loaf, but I just didn’t care for the texture.

So, why try it now? First, this recipe has a potato crust, which we all prefer. Second, it has Chef Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning – a little extra kick and a wonderful aroma in the kitchen. Last but, not least, I had all the ingredients on hand!

Quiche is fairly new to my cooking rotation, but after a great recipe for Ham Quiche I served at Easter a couple years ago, quiche has become a regular entrée on busy nights. Of course, having a steady supply of eggs makes quiche easy to prepare at the last minute.

This is adapted to the ingredients I had on hand from the original recipe … Smoked Salmon Quiche.
Everyone agreed that this recipe could be added to our rotation and that they would eat it again. The most enthusiastic was Angelina who went back for seconds! Eric said it was good, but then he followed up by saying, “but, I’m hungry.” However, he then cleaned up the remainders from Graham and Angelina (another whole slice was just a bit too much with ice cream dessert on the line).

So, humble apologies to my dear friend Sarah. I may have to try YOUR Salmon quiche, after all.

Salmon Quiche
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed (I thawed mine in the microwave)
1 tablespoon melted butter, plus 2 tablespoons whole butter
1 tablespoon Essence (follow the link above for this recipe) or substitute your favorite creole seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (didn’t have garlic cloves on hand)
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
7 ounces boneless, skinless canned salmon
1 tablespoons dill weed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, creole seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and toss to combine.

Dump and press the potato mixture into the prepared pie plate, spreading to evenly cover the bottom and up the sides.

Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions until clear and softened. Add the garlic powder, mix, and remove from heat.

Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and using a wooden spoon, stir in the onions and lemon juice.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring just until combined.

Add the cream, salmon, dill, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Pour the cream cheese-salmon mixture into the cooled potato crust and bake for about 60 minutes, until golden and the batter is set.

Cool quiche for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or chilled.

St. Lucy’s Eyes

2010-11-15T12:36:00.001-06:00

The credit goes to my good friend, Sarah G., on this recipe. I couldn’t get enough of them at our All Saint’s Day Party! So, in her words, here is the recipe … one you should try, in my opinion.

ST. LUCY’S EYES

Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients:

5 oz sliced olives (I used green)

1 pkg cream cheese (go crazy and use full fat! :)

16 slices deli roast beef ( I used roast beef salami)

8 (6-7 in.) flour tortillas

Directions:

Mix cream cheese with olives and spread on a tortilla. Top with 2 beef slices, overlapping slightly. Roll up tortillas, jelly-roll fashion. Trim off ends and slice each tortilla roll into 6 (3/4 in) slices. Lay them down and add a bit of cream cheese to the top for the whites of the eyes and add an olive with pimento to the top. Easy and yummy!! The kids made these all by themselves.

St. John the Baptist Brew

2010-11-15T12:32:00.001-06:00

Another All Saints Day favorite from Sarah G. We weren’t sure about how it would taste after leaving it in the frig, but it was GREAT. We both has a few cups and could’ve sipped all afternoon with our feet up, if we’d have had the time!

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST BREW

Yield: 4 (8oz.) servings

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider

2 cups vanilla ice cream

2 tablespoons honey (don't add the locusts! ;)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together and top with additional nutmeg. Serve immediately (or don't. We waited a few hours with it in the fridge and it was SOOOO good!) I also doubled the batch and will for sure triple it for Thanksgiving. Makes a great after dinner drink!!

Mexican Stewed Tomatoes

2010-09-13T10:12:00.001-05:00

This is the recipe I’ve used for over 12 years to make Mexican Stewed Tomatoes. It’s my ‘secret’ ingredient in Taco Soup!

Mexican Stewed Tomatoes (#2)

Yield: 7 quarts

Ingredients:

24 cups chopped tomatoes – I prefer Roma because they are meatier and have a great texture
5 cups onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups red pepper, chopped – I have substituted banana or green peppers
10 cloves garlic, minced
10 Tbls. dried parsley
3 1/2 Tbls. cumin
8 Tbls. chili powder
3 Tbls. oregano
4 Tbls. salt
4 Tbls. sugar
1 1/2 cups white vinegar

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large stock pot – or divide into two large pots. Bring to simmering and simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors together. During this time, prepare the pressure canner, jars, lids, screw bands, etc. After simmering, ladle hot tomatoes into warm quart jars, leaving 1” head space. Seal and place in pressure canner. Process quarts for 20 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure.

Tomatoes, waiting to ripen or be processed

This is my tomato ‘set-up’.

Strainer on the cooktop holds washed tomatoes; boiling water in the pot … tomatoes go into the water for 10 seconds to loosen the skins.

Then, they are plunged into ice cold water to cool. I peel and core the tomatoes. Lucky laying hens get to peck at the skins and cores.

Cored & skinned tomatoes. I need this 6 quart container filled with tomatoes.

Chopped onions, peppers, & garlic.

Seasonings (some are already mixed into the vegetables.

After simmering for 20 minutes.

This is my mom’s All American Stainless Steel Canner – no rubber seals to worry about. 7 quarts go into the canner. After processing, the canner cools on the stovetop. It’s cool when I can unscrew the lid. The jars will be removed to cool on a wood cutting board for 24 hours. After that time, I label and store in the root cellar.

* Now, obviously these simplified directions leave out a lot of pressure canning steps … I take for granted that if you are interested in trying this recipe, that you have pressure canned in prior years. If this is your first go-round, I suggest either purchasing the Ball Blue Book of Pressure Canning or checking out your state’s extension website for complete directions. Each year before my first pressure canning batch, I re-read the instructions for my canner. Pressure canning involves attention to detail and you may want to prepare and can your first batch of produce under the supervision of an experienced canner. However, acquiring experience in this method of canning can be a wonderful way to keep up an age-old tradition and it’s a great way to store excess garden produce.

**This recipe must be canned with a pressure canner because it includes low acid ingredients (celery, onion, peppers, seasonings). It CANNOT be canned using a water bath process.

Harvest Apple Bake

2010-08-31T14:48:00.001-05:00

In my quest to find recipes that use a LOT of eggs, I came across this breakfast dish that is prepared & refrigerated overnight. I found the recipe online at Iowa Egg Council’s website … www.iowaegg.org … I found a few other recipes to try later on, too.

Harvest Apple Bake

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1 loaf French bread
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cream
1 cup sugar
1 Tbls. vanilla
1 Tbls. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
7 medium sized cooking apples (Granny Smith is one variety)
2 Tbls. butter

Directions:

Slice bread into 1 1/2 inch slices. Place bread tightly together in a 9x13 inch greased pan. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, cream, and vanilla for about 30 seconds. Pour half of egg mixture over bread. Peel, core, and slice apples. Place sliced apples on top of bread to cover and pour the rest of the egg mixture evenly over the apples. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle evenly over the top of apples. Dot with butter.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm with syrup and a dot of whipped cream. YUM!

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

2010-08-31T14:46:00.001-05:00

Who would’ve thought my whole crew would like this soup. I made the soup because the cauliflower needed to be used and we really don’t care for the raw vegetable. The soup was easy to make and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 Tbls. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
10 oz. frozen cauliflower*
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbls. flour
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in a sauce pan, add onion. Sautee onions until translucent. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower; simmer until tender.

Use a slotted spoon to remove cauliflower from the pot into a blender. Puree the cauliflower, then add back to the pot. Mix well. Add milk, salt & pepper. Heat to a low simmer, being careful not to boil.

*I used fresh cauliflower. As the vegetable is simmered in liquid until soft, using fresh meant simmering just a bit longer.

**My own touch was to add a bit of chopped parsley and shredded cheese on top.

Peach Wow!

2010-08-30T09:46:00.001-05:00

The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook by Ree Drummand has 5 star after 5 star recipe. I’ve tried over a handful and my family has raved and ahhed over each. With a couple lugs of peaches in the frig, I made plans to try her Peach Crisp. It did NOT disappoint. I recommend you try it today!

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

Peach Pie

2010-08-24T20:25:00.002-05:00

Yes, it’s that time of year. The peach trucks roll into the biggest towns nearby and I dutifully trek to town and stand in line for my lug … or two of sweetness. I’m hoping to capture a lug or two tomorrow, in fact. While we’ll eat quite a few with cream or just plain, our favorite dessert is Grandma Golden Acres’ Peach Pie. A Peach Pie any other way just isn’t the same.

Grandma Golden Acres’ Peach Pie
Unbaked 10 inch pie shell – you can use the Never Fail Pie Crust recipe I just posted or use your favorite recipe. You can use a smaller pie crust, but you should decrease the cream/sauce or you will have leftover – I’ve been known to eat this alone. Fill the bottom with peaches; heaping is what I prefer. You’ll need about 5 or 6 large peaches (if your peaches are smaller, you’ll need 7 or 8). Pour the following sauce, well mixed, over the peaches:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cream
1 tsp. almond extract

Top the pie with a second crust & crimp the edges. Cut slits in the top if you haven’t already done something else decorative. I always place the pie plate on a large baking sheet or pizza pan to prevent spills from reaching the oven. I’d also recommend placing thin strips of aluminum foil around the crimped edge to prevent it from burning. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or Cool Whip!

Never Fail Pie Crust …

2010-08-24T19:35:00.001-05:00

for real … it’s never failed me. Even when I’ve used whole wheat pastry flour or substituted coconut oil for the shortening. The coconut oil, by the way, is delicious!

Never Fail Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping Tbls. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup lard, Crisco, butter or coconut oil
1 egg yolk
Milk

Directions:

Mix together with a fork the flour, sugar, salt and shortening. Slightly beat the egg yolk and add enough milk for 2/3 cups liquid. Mix together the 2 mixtures. Makes four 1-crust pies or 2 double crust pies.

*If you use coconut oil, you may need to add an additional 1/3 cup flour for the correct texture & ‘roll-ability’.

**I have frozen the dough with good results. Divide the dough into four portions. For the portions you will freeze, put each in a ziploc baggie. Then, place them in another baggie – essentially double bag them. Thaw fully in the refrigerator before using the dough. The outside of the dough ball may be slightly colored upon thawing, but the color won’t be noticeable after baking.

Gmail - Inbox (3) - nd.bisonfan@gmail.com

Keeping ahead of the green & yellow zucchini!

2010-08-22T17:19:00.001-05:00

Coming up with different ways to use zucchini has been elusive. Mainly because by the time I ‘find’ my zucchini they’ve grown to the length of baseball bats and the diameter of at least a softball. However, if I can harvest every - or every other - day and get the squash when they are smaller, it’s much easier to keep ahead and use them up faster. This dish is a take-off of a recipe I found in a magazine. The seasoning is mild and not too spicy.

Mexican Spaghetti

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. ground beef
2 1/4 cups water
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
8 oz. spaghetti, broken into thirds
1 Tbls. olive oil
5 or 6 small zucchini (I used both colors), cut into slices

Directions:

If you haven’t already browned the meat, do so now. Drain it and set it aside. Saute the sliced zucchini in the olive oil until softened & slightly browned. Set aside.

In a large skillet – I used my wok because it’s large & non-stick – combine the water, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, salt & cumin. Bring to a boil. Stir in the spaghetti pieces; return to boiling. Boil for 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the zucchini. Cook an additional 4 minutes or until the spaghetti is tender. Stir in the ground beef. Serve immediately.

Grandma Eva's Sponge Cake

2010-06-08T22:33:00.002-05:00

Recently received this email from my mom (I edited the title & text just slightly to eliminate ‘email-speak’ and protect identities) …

Suzie,
Was going through my recipe's looking for bar recipe's … and I found a recipe from Grandma for Sponge Cake with 12 egg yolks. Don't know if you remember it - but I made it a few times - sponge cake is rich. I like it plain, but I remember Dad liked it with a thin orange or lemon glaze. So here it is:

Grandma Eva's Sponge Cake
3 cups Cake Flour
4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
12 Egg Yolks
2 Cups Sugar
1 Tbsp Grated Orange Rind
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Cup Boiling water
Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt - Beat egg yolks until thick and light colored. Gradually add sugar, beating until very thick and light colored. Beat in orange rind, lemon juice and boiling water. Fold in flour and put in tube pan. Bake 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Invert 1 hr.

Quiche Supper

2010-04-28T08:46:00.002-05:00

I’ve become a fan of quiche. I wouldn’t have said that a year ago, because I hadn’t even made a quiche before Easter 2009. However, it’s a great way to use up bits of meat, veggies, and cheese … and it’s quick!

Quick Quiche
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, 1/2 & 1/2 or milk
1/2 cup vegetables, cooked
3/4 cup diced meat – ham, chicken, shrimp, etc.
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese – cheddar, swiss, colby, etc. (swiss is my favorite)
salt & pepper to taste
Other extras: chopped green onion, chopped chives, chopped parsley, dash of nutmeg

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray or butter a 9” pie dish. Beat the eggs and mix in the cream. Add the vegetables, meat and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Add seasoning. Pour mixture into the pie dish.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until just set in the center. **I needed to bake my quiche for 20 minutes longer. Be prepared for that!** Let set 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I usually bake pies/quiche, and anything I ‘think’ might boil over, on a large pizza pan. Save me from having to put up with a burnt smell until I have time to thoroughly clean the oven.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake ...

2010-04-23T20:56:00.001-05:00

... with the substitute cake flour.

Aside from my being a little rusty in removing all the large air bubbles, the cake looks and 'feels' right. There are a couple of large depressions around the edge and one on the top of the cake where I didn't get all the air pockets deflated before baking. I don't remember having to run knife through the batter and being so diligent about it, but I probably wasn't the one doing it! Besides, who will really be able to tell once we slice it up and put a dollop of whipped cream and raspberries over top??? Well, if they notice, hopefully they'll not say anything. SHhhhhh!

Here's the recipe I used, should you suddenly find yourself with an abundance of egg whites.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
12 egg whites (about 1 1/2 cups ... my amount was more & it turned out fine)
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Move oven rack to the lowest position. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix powdered sugar, cocoa, and flour in a separate bowl and set aside. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl on medium speed until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar on high speed, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding vanilla and salt with the last addition of sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat.

Sprinkle sugar-flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over meringue, folding in just until the sugar-flour disappears. Spoon into an ungreased tube pan. Cut gently through batter - apparently this step is pretty important!

Bake 30-35 minutes or until cracks in cake feel dry & spring back when touched lightly. Immediately turn pan upside down onto glass bottle or metal funnel. Let hang two hours or until cake is completely cool. Remove from pan.

Egg Yolk Cookies

2010-04-22T17:07:00.013-05:00

This is the recipe to have after you’ve made a home-made Angel Food cake! They’re crisp and flavorful with a nice yellow/orange tint to the batter.

Egg Yolk Cookies

Ingredients:
12 egg yolks
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 cups butter
2 –3 tsp. lemon & orange flavoring
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream sugars with butter. Add slightly beaten egg yolks.
3. Sift dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture.
4. Add flavoring. *I added 2 tsp. pure lemon extract … I didn’t have orange extract available.
5. Use a small cookie scoop to drop little balls onto the cookie sheet and then flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

6. Bake 7-10 minutes.

Cake Flour Substitute

2010-04-22T12:42:00.001-05:00

I remember my mom always having a box of Softasilk cake flour in the cupboard. Those were the days when we didn’t have many boxed cake options and our Angel Food cake was always made from scratch. For years, now, I’ve just bought the boxed mix for Angel Food cake, but that is about to change! With our new-found supply of eggs, I am making an Angel Food cake from scratch (then I can test out the 12 egg-yolk cookie recipe, which I did eventually remember to search for and print out).

But, Angel Food Cake recipes always call for cake flour, which has a lower gluten content than other flours. I do not keep cake flour on hand, so am going to try a substitution of 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted, plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch for every cup of cake flour called for in the recipe.

I have seen at least one review that said it didn’t work well for Angel Food Cake, but I am going to try it regardless. I wonder if the flour was properly sifted before being added to the Angel Food Cake batter … I’ll wonder until I try it.

Dash’s birthday is later this week, and for his celebration with family, I’m planning to make a Chocolate Angel Food cake. I remember them as being very tasty served with whipped cream and berries! I’ll post my Chocolate Angel Food cake recipe and a picture later, then you and I will both know if the cake flour substitute ‘works.’

Italian Sausage Bake

2010-03-10T21:44:00.001-06:00

This recipe is an adaptation from one found on the Velveeta box; it turned out great and the kids loved it … well except for one who doesn’t really care for spicy Italian sausage. We made a deal and he ate half the meat on his plate – made sure his water glass was handy to tame the fiery tongue!

Italian Sausage Bake
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
16oz. Rigattoni (or other tube shaped) pasta
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 lb (8 oz.) Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta as directed.
2. Brown the sausage in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add tomato sauce and oregano. Add the Velveeta and stir until thoroughly mixed.
3. In a 13x9 inch pan, mix the pasta and meat mixture together. Top with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 20-25 min. or until heated through.

** Serve with a side salad and garlic toast.

--UPDATE--
While the kids and I really liked the spicy flavor (except for the one child, anyway!) we ALL agreed that it was too much Velveeta, especially noticeable on leftovers. I would cut the amount back to 3/4 cup or even 1/2 cup.

New Cooking Resource … coming soon!

2010-03-01T11:55:00.001-06:00

30 Day Gourmet, my source and inspiration for Once a Month Cooking (OAMC) is publishing a new book called 30 Day Gourmet’s BIG Book of Freezer Cooking. If this is a topic you are at all interested in, check out the link for a 15 page preview of the book. The preview includes four sample recipes … I’m especially interested in trying the Fried Rice.

Buckwheat Pancake Mix #2

2010-02-19T10:16:00.001-06:00

Buckwheat Pancake Mix #2
Yield: 7.5 cups

Ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
7/8 cups powdered eggs*
3/4 cup dry buttermilk powder
1 1/2 Tbls. baking powder
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk. Store in an airtight container. Can be kept in the pantry for about a month or in the refrigerator/freezer for 6 months.

To Prepare:
1 cup buckwheat pancake mix #2
1/2 cup water
2 Tbls. melted butter

Stir the water and pancake mix together in a small bowl. If batter is too thick, add a bit more water and stir again. Drop approximately 1/4 cup onto hot skillet. Makes 4 pancakes. Double or triple as necessary.

*Can substitute 1/3 cup soy flour for the powdered eggs.

Shrove Tuesday – King Cake

2010-02-16T14:35:00.001-06:00

I found the recipe for King Cake at the King Arthur Flour Company website. I haven’t ever made a special cake for Shrove Tuesday, not for lack of wishing and wanting! This is the year my wish was made reality. Food coloring are generally avoided in our household, mostly due to my sensitivity, but I just couldn’t resist making the cake ‘as it should be’ … colorful and completely festive.

Mixing the dough ingredients…

While the dough rises, I mixed up the cream cheese filling:

Preparing the dough … I formed the rectangle by hand:

I was distracted, so there is no picture of the filling being placed on the dough. Fold the dough over the filling and transfer to a baking sheet:

While the dough rests and rises (about 1 hour), I colored the sugar. The green and yellow turned out nice … can you tell the other is purple??

After baking, let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack:

After completely cool, frost the cake and decorate with colored sugar:

The purple looks better on the cake than on the blue plate.

Cake was enjoyed by all!

Buckwheat Pancake Mix

2010-02-15T22:15:00.001-06:00

As a child, I can remember enjoying a little pancake variety. Sometimes, fruit such as banana slices or blueberries (my personal favorite) would be added. Occasionally, my mom would purchase buckwheat pancake mix created by an in-state company.

For Lent, we are not going to buy any additional cold cereal We’ll finish up what’s in the pantry and then necessarily be more creative. Yes, it will take more time in the morning, but we always have breads (bagels, english muffins, homemade bread), fruit, oatmeal and eggs on hand. Another goal is to teach the older kids how to make some easy breakfast dishes, including pancakes.

To cut down on pancake preparation time, I made up a double batch of buckwheat pancake mix. There are many variations, but this is the recipe I created after examining the ingredients I had on hand.

Buckwheat Pancake Mix #1
Yield: Approximately 7.5 cups mix

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
1 1/2 Tbls. baking powder
1 Tbls. salt
1/2 cup sugar

Storage:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients with a whisk. Transfer the mixture to a resealable container. Store in pantry for about 1 month, or in the refrigerator/freezer for 6 months.

__________________________________________________________

Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup Buckwheat Pancake Mix
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbls. melted butter

Directions:
Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl. If batter seems to thick, add more milk and stir again. Drop by 1/4 cup-fuls onto a hot skillet. Makes approximately 4 pancakes. Double or triple the recipe as necessary.

Caramel Puff Corn

2010-02-13T18:27:00.002-06:00

Caramel corn has always been a favorite snack of mine. But, this may actually be better than ‘regular’ caramel corn … no hulls to get stuck between teeth! It was snowing like the dickens today, so I made a batch. I had intended to make it for a Superbowl snack, but really wasn’t in the mood after our favored team wasn’t IN the Superbowl. It’ll be a perfect movie or game-night snack.

Caramel Puff Corn
Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients:
2 – 4.5 oz. bags Puff Corn

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Spray a large roaster with cooking spray and put the puffed corn in the roaster.
3. Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 2 minutes.
4. Add baking soda. Expect the caramel to expand. Pour over the puffed corn and mix thoroughly.
5. Place roaster in the oven for 45 minutes. Stir the puffed corn every 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven when done and spread over waxed paper to cool.

Pound Cake

2010-01-25T07:15:00.004-06:00

Angelina needed Pound Cake as an ingredient in a layered pudding dessert this past week. So, she and I set out to make our first ever Pound Cake. Having tried store-bought pound cake before, I wasn't thrilled about making a Pound Cake. They've usually been a little dry. However, home-made (as always) is MUCH better. Pound Cake is heavy, moist and quite rich in flavor. I've been eating plain slices all weekend.

Did you know that the first pound cakes were made with a pound each of butter, sugar, flour and eggs?? Guess that's where the name comes from...

POUND CAKE
Yield: 24 servings

2 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (almond is the way to go!)
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup evaporated milk*

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup bundt cake pan or tube pan.

2. Beat sugar, butter, almond and eggs in a large bowl, scraping the bowl constantly until mixed thoroughly.

3. Add milk and beat until mixed thoroghly.

4. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Then add to the large bowl, mixing on low speed and scraping the sides constantly.

5. Spread in the pan. Bake 70-80 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

*I used the whole can without problem. A pet peeve is when you have a 12oz can and the recipe only calls for a cup! What do you do with the extra 4oz?? I can't stand the thought of wasting it or throwing it away.

Sourdough Buns

2010-01-07T17:03:00.000-06:00

Sourdough Buns

The buns have a texture that is between bread and biscuit. They're light and slightly dry, so use them or freeze within a day or two. The King Arthur comments note the buns are moist, so the fact that mine tend to be dry (in two batches) is probably due to the fact that I'm a novice bread baker. The flavor is wonderful, so I will be baking more. It's a great way to use up sourdough starter, too.

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-31T06:38:00.001-06:00

I am now the proud owner of three new cookbooks!

One was a gift from Eric and the kids ... OK, I purchased it & it somehow became part of the gift that said "To: Suzie From: Eric & the Kids" ... I'm sure at least a few of you know how that works!!

The next was included in the Wii Fit bundle that the kids received from Santa. Technically, my name wasn't on it, but I'm claiming it and will be happy to test and serve entrees and sides to my kids ...

And, finally, the following from a good friend, Sarah (also Leo's Godmother). How she knew I didn't already have this cookbook ... I'll never know ... it was on my wishlist, too!

Fun, fun, fun in the NEW YEAR with new recipes to sink our teeth into.

Peppermint Sticks

2009-12-30T18:37:00.000-06:00

... or Candy Cane Cookies ... whichever is easier for your kids!

We opted for Peppermint Sticks, except that they are not peppermint flavored, they're just mint! Doesn't really matter, mint is a preference and I didn't have peppermint extract on hand.

Peppermint Sticks
Yield: Approx. 4 dozen

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutions)
1 cup confectioners' sugar (also known as powdered sugar)
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. green food coloring (my preference ... but red is great, too)
1/2 tsp. peppermint or mint extract

Mix butter, confectioners' sugar, and egg in a large bowl. Blend in the flour and salt. Divide the dough in half, placing half in a smaller mixing bowl. Blend food coloring and extract into the half in the bowl. Cover both halves with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour (I completely skipped this step without problem).

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Take 1 tsp. colored dough and shape into a 4 inch long rope (we used 1 1/2 tsp for the sticks). Repeat with white dough. Roll on a lightly floured surface for smooth, even ropes. Place the ropes side by side and press together lightly. Twist! Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. To create candy canes, curve the top of each cookie down to form a handle or J. Bake 11 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Carefully remove cookies to a cooling rack.

Angelina and Dash roll the ropes while Graham watches their progress

Pre-baked 'sticks'

Our Mint Sticks - YUM!

Suzie's Divinity

2009-12-16T08:35:00.016-06:00

Suzie’s Divinity
Yield: about 6 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
2 egg whites
1 tsp. flavor extract (Almond is my favorite, but Vanilla is most common)

Directions:
1. Mix sugar, corn syrup and water in an 8-cup microwavable measure or bowl (I use my Pampered Chef Large Batter Bowl) until sugar is thoroughly moistened.

2. Microwave uncovered on high for 5 minutes, take out and stir, return to microwave and heat for another 5 minutes. The original recipe said 13-15 minutes, but my microwave gets the syrup to hard ball stage (260 degrees on a candy thermometer) at 10 minutes. This part will take a little bit of experimentation, but once you figure out your microwave, write it down on your copy of the recipe. If you need more than 10 minutes, you’ll want to stir the mixture every 5 minutes.

*Before microwaving the sugar mixture, I separate the eggs and put the egg whites in my mixing bowl. I lay out my waxed paper while the sugar mixture is in the microwave. When there is 2-3 minutes left on the microwave, I start up my Kitchen-Aid mixer. This is the perfect amount of time to have the egg whites at stiff peak stage.

3. Beat egg whites in medium bowl (I use a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer for ease) until stiff peaks form. In my mixer, the egg whites are stiff in about 2 minutes at high speed.

4. Continue beating while pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed.

5. Add Almond extract. **It’s so easy to forget this step. Set out your flavoring near the mixer as a reminder!** Beat until the mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull. The dullness is key for me.

6. Drop mixture from teaspoons onto waxed paper. Let stand at room temperature until the candies feel firm.

7. Freeze in an air tight container between layers of waxed paper. Each batch makes about 6 1/2 dozen - 'little larger than a tablespoon' sized drops of Divinity.

Note: Some prefer to add nuts. You can add 2/3 cups of coarsely chopped nuts at the end of step 5, but I think it spoils the Divinity! I expect Divinity to melt in my mouth and nuts obviously thwart that expectation.

Gingerbread House

2009-12-15T10:26:00.000-06:00

Last year, Angelina made a gingerbread wreath (from a kit). The gingerbread, frosting and candies must have been a couple years old because they tasted horrible! Definitely NOT edible ... although my kids would have tried if I hadn't been afraid of teeth breaking. However, she had a great time with the kit and it was a fun decoration on our table.

While in town yesterday, I saw a kit for a gingerbread house and, on a whim, I purchased it for Angelina.

This kit is newer and says that the gingerbread house is edible ... if eaten within two weeks. The kids plan to eat it after we return from Grandma and Grandpa Golden Acres' farm. We'll see how good it tastes after that long!

Chock full of sugar ... a kid's dream concoction!

Birthday cake...

2009-12-15T08:24:00.026-06:00

... it's a little silly, but I'm making myself a birthday cake. I saw a tantalizing picture of this cake

in the catalog for this company and couldn't resist trying to make the blend of chocolate cake and mint ice cream. I was going to make homemade fudge, but I purchased a jar ... just in case I got LAZY! I'm going to use the jar of fudge.

Ingredients:
Chocolate cake mix (plus eggs, oil & water)
Fudge - one jar
Peppermint Stick ice cream (from Schwans) or substitue Chocolate Chip Mint or your favorite minty flavor

Putting 'it' together:
The cake was baked last night, I let it cool on the counter overnight (you wouldn't need to wait that long!).

This morning, I leveled the cake by cutting off the rounded top with a serrated knife... I didn't want a leaning torte! . I also cut the cake into thirds (lenthwise), so each section is a little over 4 inches wide and 9 inches long. While preparing the cake and fudge, set the ice cream on the counter to thaw a bit.

Warm the fudge in the microwave until it is spreadable. Spread 1/3 on the top of each cake section. ** I didn't refrigerate at this point, but it would be a good step to add. Then, your ice cream will not melt slightly like mine!

Spread ice cream over two sections - about 1/2 inch thick. Stack the layers; the cake with only fudge goes on top. Wrap the torte in plastic wrap and freeze for at least one hour. If you want to make it 'pretty', sprinkle crushed peppermint cany over the top. Slice as thick as needed and ENJOY!!

This is before freezing ... but doesn't it look yummy anyway?? I may or may not add crushed peppemints. Maybe I'll just add another scoop of ice cream to the top of each slice.

** UPDATE: Make sure to cool the layers of fudge topped cake in the frig before topping with ice cream. My ice cream melted - pretty much all of it - even though I thought my fudge was cooled and the completed cake was taken to the freezer immediately. It still tasted wonderful because the peppermint ice cream soaked into the cake layers, but it didn't look as pretty.

November 1-7 Menu

2009-11-03T14:50:00.001-06:00

As always, a bread (biscuits, beer batter bread, croissants, etc.), salad, fruit or veggies are generally added to the main dish. If I'm in the mood, I sometimes whip up a salad other than lettuce.

Sunday
Dinner: Pancakes and deer sausage
Supper: Country Church Fundraiser - Buffalo Supper

Monday
Dinner: Veggie Soup
Supper: Sandwiches for the Road & Field!

Tuesday
Dinner: Leftovers (Veggie Soup)
Supper: Enchilada Stuffed Shells (double and freeze one entree)

Wednesday
Dinner: Crock Pot - Roast Chicken (I usually roast two at a time)
Supper: Roast Chicken with stuffing

Thursday
Dinner: Chicken ala King (over biscuits)
Supper: Leftover (whatever needs eating)

Friday
Dinner: Tuna quesadillas
Supper: Clam Chowder

Saturday
Dinner: Leftovers (whatever needs eating)
Supper: Spaghetti w/ meat sauce

Gotta Try This ... Cookie Cake

2009-10-29T07:34:00.014-05:00

I've been reading the King Arthur Flour cooking blog and this entry was too interesting to resist trying! The tester used King Arthur mixes, but I've used a 'from scratch' chocolate chip cookie dough and local brand name cake mix (Butter Pecan flavor - although I think almost any flavor would work). This would make a great birthday cake.

Family Rating: ***** ... and that's without ice cream!

Cookie Cake
Yield: 20 svgs.

Ingredients:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (ingredients below)
Butter Pecan flavored Cake mix batter (3 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/3 cups water)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough* Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet)**

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, salt & soda together. Set aside. Cream butter, sugar, water, egg and vanilla in another bowl for 3 minutes. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix chocolate chips into the dough.
3. Lightly spray a 13x9 inch pan (it's important that the pan be as least 2 inches deep) with cooking spray. Spread the Chocolate Chip Cookie dough in the pan.

4. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges start to brown lightly. The middle should NOT be completely baked. Remove from oven and set aside (if there's time!).
5. While the cookie bottom is baking, mix the cake batter according to directions on the box.
6. Pour the cake batter over the partially baked cookie dough. Spread evenly.

7. Bake for an additional 30-38 minutes. Keep an eye on the browning ... if it browns too quickly, place a foil tent over the pan.
8. The cake is done when a tester comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
9. Eat and thoroughly enjoy! It won't last long ...

Note: The KA blog recommends serving with a scoop of ice cream and chocolate syrup. I was out of ice cream and didn't need the chocolate syrup. STILL tasted yummy and the kids didn't talk a bit while eating their treat.

*I actually had to search through my cookbooks for an appropriate recipe. I usually don't make 'plain' chocolate chip cookies; I prefer an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Recipe or a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Recipe. Additionally, the two recipes I mentioned are huge! I didn't feel like baking cookies on top of making the cookie cake, so I looked for a smaller recipe, too.

**You could substitute regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips, but the minis are really nice and distribute the chocolate throughout the batter in a more pleasing way.

Manicotti Alla Romana

2009-10-28T19:29:00.001-05:00

This is a new recipe to me. I've had the manicotti pasta on hand for a while and decided during menu planning that it was time to 'use it'. So, while this recipe doesn't recommend or even talk about doubling and freezing, that's my experiment. I'm quite certain it will work because I frozen similar dishes with great results. I am planning to change the recipe from the original I found online, so I can give you my ingredients and extended directions. Please note that the ingredients are for a double batch and I do plan to freeze half. This recipe is a bit time-consuming, so the double batch makes it more worthwhile for me.

FAMILY RATING: *****

This recipe is soooo good. For our family, one manicotti was enough for the three youngest. Graham would have had enough with 1/2 or 3/4 of a manicotti, but I dished him without thinking. He ate it anyway (I'm sure he's stuffed!) because the Cookie Cake Dessert was enticing. I served the main dish with vegetables, so there should be enough left for dinner/lunch tomorrow, as long as I supplement with veggies or garlic toast.

Manicotti Alla Romana (Doubled)
Yield: 14 servings (7 large adult servings per dish)

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. Olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

6 cloves minced garlic

2 lbs. ground beef

Sea Salt to taste

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained*

2 – 15oz. containers Ricotta Cheese

2 eggs, beaten

6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided

4 Tbls. Butter

4 Tbls. All purpose flour
4 Tbls. Beef bouillon
4 cups half & half
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbls. Chopped fresh basil
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Stir in ground beef. Cook until well browned. Season with sea salt and set aside.

2. Cook spinach according to package directions.

3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add manicotti tubes and parboil for half the recommended time on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent cracking.

4. To the ground beef, add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cooled, add beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of each 9x13 inch pan. Gently drain the manicotti tubes and carefully stuff each one with meat and cheese mixture. I put the mixture in a Ziploc storage bag, cut the corner and squeezed the mixture into the tubes. Place half the pasta in each pan. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent cracking.

Meat and ricotta cheese mixture (above).

13x9 pans prepared with 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce.

Meat and ricotta cheese mixture in a ziploc bag and ready for squeezing into the manicotti tubes.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and beef bouillon. Increase heat to med-high and cook while stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in ½ & ½ and bring to a boil, stirring constantly (a whisk works best). Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Ladle half the sauce over manicotti in each pan.

7. Stir the basil into the remaining spaghetti sauce. Ladle half the sauce over the white sauce in each pan. Try to layer the sauces without mixing.

Manicotti tubes are filled and placed in 13x9 pans (above). Ready for baking or for freezing (below).

8. Cover aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered another 10 minutes.

Freezing Directions:
After layering the sauces on the second pan, cover with plastic wrap and with a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. If you prefer, you can even measure the parmesan cheese into a baggie and freeze between the plastic wrap and foil. Label with the following instructions: Thaw completely in frig (this may be more than overnight). Remove plastic wrap and recover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees, or until done. Remove from the oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered another 10 minutes.

*If you decide not to double, it’s okay to use a full 10 oz. package of frozen spinach per ‘batch’.

An Additional Note: I used a gallon size freezer bag, but it may be more manageable to use a quart sized bag.

And, a confession ... I forgot to add the eggs to the meat and cheese mixture! However, the dish was still delicious and no one but me knew about the omission.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2009-10-27T07:56:00.001-05:00

Last week, Angelina and I mixed up a quick batch of Peanut Butter Blossoms. I use my smallest cookie scoop (it's about 1 Tbls. in size) to scoop the batter onto a plate.

Angelina rolled the scoops into balls and then rolled them in sugar and placed them on cookie sheets. Using my large Doughmakers cookie sheets, it only takes two trips to the oven to get about 3.5 dozen cookies (if I'd have used convection, it would have been one step baking for a single batch!). I prefer Hershey's kisses for the chocolate top; the kisses are placed right after taking the cookies out of the oven.

After cooling completely, the Peanut Butter Blossom cookies are stored between layers of waxed paper in the freezer. I have a small collection of Christmas tins, but they are still in storage ... so, these cookies will be frozen in Tupperware containers. They can be stored at room temp. for 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Holiday Goodies still on the list:

Divinity
Cashew Brittle
Pizzelles
Turtle Cookies
Suzie's Favorite Sugar Cookies
Creme de Menthe Brownies
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Jam Thumbprints
New This Year (my experimental recipe): Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

Note: I keep a master list of what I've frozen. However, I try NOT to remember all the goodies going into the freezer until it's really time for them to be used!

October 25-31 Menu

2009-10-24T11:11:00.001-05:00

Menus are flexible in my house. That means if leftovers last longer, I get a free pass for a meal or two! Here's what I have planned for this coming week: October 25-31. As always, a bread (biscuits, beer batter bread, croissants, etc.), salad, fruit or veggies are generally added to the main dish. Although, additions have been a little forgotten during these last weeks of pregnancy - at least I'm getting a meal on the table.

Sunday
Dinner: French toast w/ deer sausage
Supper: Taco Bar at our 4-H meeting

Monday
Dinner: Healing Cabbage Soup (I need to use up a half a cabbage)
Supper: Leftovers or sandwiches (traveling for Angelina and I = sandwiches)

Tuesday
Dinner: Hamburger Hotdish (double and freeze one entree)
Supper: Leftovers (Hamburger Hotdish)

Wednesday
Dinner: Hot Ham & Cheese sandwiches
Supper: Manicotti Alla Romana (double and freeze one entree)

Thursday
Dinner: Leftovers or sandwiches
Supper: Pizza

Friday
Dinner: Tuna sandwiches
Supper: Shrimp Alfredo

Saturday
Dinner: Leftovers (whatever needs to be eaten)
Supper: Crock Pot: Whole Chicken with Veggies

I don't plan breakfasts. We have a variety of choices available: cold & hot cereal, bagels, English muffins, bread, eggs (for those old enough, but many weeks I'll have cold boiled eggs in the frig), yogurt (homemade) and in-season fruit. Cold cereal ends up the common breakfast, but I'm working on it.

Fresh Bread

2009-10-23T08:41:00.000-05:00

I've been craving fresh bread. I should just set my breadmaker on the counter, but the counters already have enough clutter and the sight of the bread machine would probably just make me feel guilty! So, upon finding this recipe for Easy Batter Bread and seeing it's simplicity, I thought I'd give it a whirl. It has a texture similar to beer batter bread and probably wouldn't hold up for sandwiches.

While it rose fine before baking, for some unknown reason it fell a little in the middle during baking; but it tasted yummy with apricot jam and plum jelly. I think I'll have to get out my bread machine for the 'real' bread texture I'm craving.

October 18-24 Menu

2009-10-20T19:16:00.003-05:00

This is the menu I have planned for October 18–24 (we usually add biscuits, salad or veggies to the main dish):

Sunday

Dinner: Traveling – fast food

Supper: Traveling – fast food

Monday

Dinner: Tater Tot Hotdish with Romaine lettuce salad

Supper: Ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches

Tuesday
Dinner: Fiesta Chicken Pasta Soup (doubled)
Supper: Leftover Fiesta Chicken Pasta Soup

Wednesday
Dinner: Leftovers (Tater Tot Hotdish or Fiesta Chicken Pasta Soup)
Supper: Crock Pot Beef Roast

Thursday
Dinner: Hot Beef and cheese sandwiches
Supper: Beef Stroganoff with Rice (or mashed potatoes)

Friday
Dinner: Oven-baked Tuna Melts
Supper: Clam Chowder

Saturday
Dinner: Leftovers (Beef Stroganoff)
Supper: Italian Sausage Soup (doubled & I plan to freeze half)

Super Green Tea

2009-09-29T12:29:00.001-05:00

Super Green Tea

Up until now, I hadn't found a Green Tea I enjoyed sipping. This is now my favorite. It's not the ordinary bland green tea ... it has a little zing to it. I highly recommend it!

Not your usual pear sauce.

2009-09-24T19:47:00.000-05:00

Zeke would eat a pear before any other fruit ... and Graham will eat almost any fruit. The two of them have been having a pear a day since I picked up my lug last week! It's a great snack and not so sweet as other fruit. So, the pear sauce is a treat for Zeke, usually.

Suzie's Spiced Pear Sauce - approved by Zeke, Graham and Angelina

My normal method of preservation is peeling, coring, and quartering the pears to preserve them in a light syrup. This year, I wanted to try something new ... pear-sauce that resembles applesauce. I found a couple recipes and proceeded to try one out. At a point in the recipe, it said to use the 'old taste method' to adjust spice and sweetness. I adjusted to the point of it being a different recipe, so I'll post it below.

Suzie's Spiced Pear Sauce

Yield: 9.5 pints (I only canned 8 pints because that's all my canner will hold in one batch. The rest is for snacking!!)

5 quarts peeled, cored and diced pears*

2 quarts water**

1 1/2 cups sugar***
1 Tbl. lemon juice

1 Tbl. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground Cloves
1 Tbl. Stevia powder***

1. Prepare the pears by peeling, coring and dicing/pureeing. Put the prepared pears in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Add the water, sugar, lemon juice, and stevia.

2. Bring to a full, rolling boil, then reduce heat to create a low boil.

3. Add the vanilla and spices. Continue cooking at a low boil for 15 minutes. If you've chosen to dice the pears, boil until their texture is at your preference. I used a potato masher to make the pear chunks smaller in my first batch.

4. Hot water bath the pear sauce in pint jars for 12 minutes.

*For the first batch, the chunks of pear were about 1/2 inch cubes. It left the sauce chunky. I plan to puree the next batch to make it even more like applesauce.

**I used the full amount of water in my first batch. I plan to cut back to 1.5 quarts water for a thicker sauce.

***At first, I used only 1 cup of sugar, but with the amount of spice the original recipe called for, it wasn't sweet enough for my taste. The original spice combination tasted bitter to me, too. So, I added the extra 1/2 cup sugar and added cinnamon. The spice combination was much improved, but it was still not enough sweet. So I added 1 Tbl. stevia, which is equivalent to 1 cup sugar in sweetness, to make the pear sauce taste the way I wanted. If you want, you could cut the sugar to 1 cup and make up for the sweetness with extra stevia. Use the taste test!

Peppers - Green and Purple??

2009-09-18T20:32:00.000-05:00

While Jules was visiting, she also took the kids over to Grandma Green Acres' garden to make sure all the produce was picked. Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres have been on vacation and left the kids in charge of the garden. I haven't made it over, so was very grateful Jules took on this task. They picked raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers.

In our garden, they picked 13 zucchini - only one of which was still usable (the rest were quartered for composting) and tomatoes!!! The tomatoes you see on the counter are from my sprawling tomato garden - and they are red.

The peppers were purple and green. I haven't raised purple peppers before, but their flavor is very mild. I cleaned and sliced all the purple peppers. At the end, 9 bags of sliced purple peppers went into the freezer. Of the green peppers, 3 were sliced and one was diced. I used to blanche the peppers, but have since learned it's an unnecessary step.

So, the raw peppers are bagged and Food Saver seals the bags for freezing. Slick and easy. Ready to go for a winter casserole or soup. I do label and date the bags before freezing, BTW.

Loads of corn

2009-09-18T20:20:00.000-05:00

I have never 'put up' this much corn in one year! In fact, the amount put up in just this year probably tops what I've done in all my married years combined. THANK goodness my sister was here last week to help with the last batches. It would have been overwhelming for me alone.

1. The first step is to clean the corn - basically de-silk and remove any damaged areas. I wash in the right sink and transfer the cleaned cobs to the left sink/dish drain.

2. The kernals are cut off each cob. I've found a sharp paring knife works best and is quickest for me. I've tried other methods, but just prefer this. I cut the kernals in a brownie pan and use a second pan to collect the 'cut' cobs. The 'cut' cobs go into the compost pile.

3. I have a LOT of 'cut' cobs in the compost. My compost has three sections, the cobs are dumped in the long term compost! They'll take a while to decompose, but eventually I'll transfer them to the main pile.

4. One batch is comprised of 9 cups corn kernals, 3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 Tbls. salt. This mixture is brought to a boil, boiled for 15 minutes, then cooled. I like to cool the blanched/cooked corn overnight and package it for freezing the next day.

5. My sister, Jules, and I made enough to create 8.5 to 9 batches, which we spread out between four pots. One pot is already cooling in the frig. Thank goodnes for a large cooktop.

6. I was up early the next morning to package corn for freezing. This is the first year I've frozen in 3 cup packages. Our family is growing and the boys are eating more. I also froze at least a dozen 2 cup packages to give to Jules - as a thank you for all the hard work! I used the Food Saver, but you could use freezer bags. You'll just need to use the corn more quickly. I've found that the Food Saver preserves and protects from freezer burn for up to two/three years. While nutritional content may not be as good the last year, flavor has not been an issue.

** I think this might become an annual event, because I cannot imagine doing this alone. My kids just aren't quite old enough to do the cutting (they could probably wash/clean, but I'm picky about that task - I don't want to be picking out husk & silks from the cut kernals!). Next year, I'll have to remind Jules to bring a cooler so she can take her portion home right away.

BBQ sauce

2009-09-08T07:26:00.009-05:00

I prepared this BBQ sauce yesterday for Pork Spare Ribs. I baked the ribs at 200 degrees in a dutch oven for 2.5 hours, spread a bit of this sauce over them, then baked for another 1.5 hours. Then, I drained the fat, spread more BBQ sauce over the ribs and baked at 300 degrees for another 1.5 hours. The ribs were a tender and tasty treat for the Labor Day supper.

BBQ Sauce
Yield: enough sauce for about 4-5 pounds of ribs

1 Tbl. white sugar
1 Tbl. paprika
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground white pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl. lemon juice
2 Tbl. minced onion
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a small pan. Simmer for 1/2 hour, then use as needed. Some of the sauce can be reserved for dipping, if you prefer.

Plums and 'what they're good for'

2009-09-07T21:36:00.000-05:00

The sweet smell of plums was wafting around the house early today, signaling that I'd better get them used before they were too far gone. After washing (no need to remove spots, just take out spoiled or overly ripe fruit), I divided the plums into three pans and just covered them with water. Next, I boiled the fruit until it was soft and the juices were released.

Mashing before they'd been softened proved to be a big mess and resulted in me having to change shirts. So I decided to wait for the skins to split ... that went much better. After the mashing, I simmered the plums for a bit longer just to make sure all the juice was released.

Below is my straining system; I've used this since my first year of marriage. It's slow, because it only handles a small amount at a time, but it works. I remember by mom used to put the whole amount of fruit (especially chokecherries) in a pillowcase and let it drip overnight.

Below is the first 8 cups of juice. I ended up getting 23 cups of juice from the plums!

I chose to save the first 8 cups to make into jelly or syrup later. The juice will keep in the refrigerator for quite a while.

I made low-sugar jelly with the second 8 cups, using Pamona's Pectin. Obviously, it's not as sweet, but it's healthier. I chose to water bath can all the jars to ensure they sealed (and will keep longer).

The end result was 7 pints of plum jelly.

From the last 7 cups of plum juice, I prepared plum syrup. The recipe is simple ... for every 2 cups of juice, add 1 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Boil for 15 minutes, and ladle into jars. You can use the syrup immediately (refrigerate extra), or process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes to seal the jars. It turned out beautiful in color and has a great tangy taste with a hint of almond.

Chocolate Frosted Maple Cookies

2009-08-18T19:15:00.005-05:00

Okay, I obviously lean toward chocolate and desserts on this blog; this post adds another in that column. Maybe I should have called it Domestic Family Desserts!

This is a recipe I came across in a brochure called 'Pure Facts'. The recipe wasn't even named and it made an extremely small batch. So I've tweaked and doubled to come up with a recipe that produces more and lets us eat a little longer on the sweet treats.

Chocolate Frosted Maple Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen 2.5-3" cookies

Ingredients for cookie batter:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. maple extract
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Ingredients for chocolate frosting:
1/2 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet
6 Tbls. milk
2 Tbls. butter
2 cups powdered sugar

Cookie Directions:
1. Combine brown sugar and softened butter in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla extract, maple extract, and eggs. Beat well.
3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
4. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour to make it easier to handle. (I've skipped this step quite often ... impatient, I guess ... but no ill effects)
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Drop by cookie scoop (we prefer the large cookie scoop - 2 Tbls. size) onto the cookie sheet. Press lightly. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges. *NOTE: if you decrease the cookie size, you'll need to decrease the baking time.
7. Immediately remove the cookies and allow them to cool on a rack.

Frosting Directions:
1. Place chocolate chips, milk and butter in a small saucepan and melt chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar. Add more if needed for spreading consistency.
2. Frost the cooled cookies**. Allow frosting to set before storing them. The cookies do freeze well.

** A quick way to frost is to hold the cookie upside down and dip it in the frosting. There is plenty of frosting for 2 dozen large cookies when frosting in this manner.

Sour Cream Sourdough Coffee Cake

2009-08-07T11:49:00.007-05:00

Coffee Cake Ingredients:
1/2 cup King Arthur sourdough starter (I'm sure any sourdough starter will work)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sourdough starter. Beat until smooth, then stir in sour cream.
2. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Mix until blended.
3. Grease and flour a tube pan or bundt pan (I used cooking spray with flour).
4. Spread half the batter in the pan. Spread the filling over the top, then top with remaining batter.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This is one of the lightest coffee cakes I have ever made. I'm going to try it out in a 13"x9" pan with the filling sprinkled over the top. If it works, I'll make it for our upcoming homeschool book sale's breakfast menu.

I've always wondered, do coffee cakes count for breakfast or dessert ... maybe it just depends upon when you eat it!

Chocolate Chip Scones

2009-07-30T11:55:00.001-05:00

Family Review: ***** Absolutely yummy!*****

Chocolate Chip Scones
Yield: 32 scones

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbls. baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into slices
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
1/2 to 2/3 cup whole milk

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbls. water or enough for a thin glaze
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
1. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter; it's okay to leave some larger pieces of butter. Stir in the chocolate chips.

2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla and milk together. Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Add additional milk if the mix won't hold together.

3. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into an 8" x 8" square. Cut the dough into 2" squares, for a total of 16 squares. Cut each square diagonally to form 32 small triangles.

4. Transfer to a parchment lined (or well greased) cooking sheet. They can be close together.

5. While the oven is preheating to 425 degrees F, place the pan of scones in the freezer, uncovered.

6. Bake the scones for 19 minutes and allow scones to cool on the pan.

7. Prepare the glaze. I transferred the glaze to a sandwich baggie, snipped a corner, and drizzled the glaze over the scones while on the parchment (less mess). You could also spread the glaze over each with a spatula.

** Sorry no pictures. Take my word for it, though, these are incredibly easy to make and taste great! I think I may try substituting blueberries for chocolate chips. I like the texture of this scone. They are not dense like some recipes, and neither are they too much like quick bread.

Gryo Meat

2009-07-28T16:22:00.005-05:00

Gyro's are another favorite meal. I got hooked on them in Kearney, NE where my husband and I lived during the first couple years of our marriage. I've always wanted to attempt making them at home, but hadn't found a recipe(s) until a few months ago. Then, it was searching for ground lamb! I looked near and far for fresh lamb; finally one store carried it in the frozen meat section ... success.

Traditionally made with a lamb and beef combination, gyro's also have a special sauce called Tzatziki. They are usually on pita bread and include wonderful fresh veggies. My favorite Greek restaurant, Santa Lucia's, makes their gyro's wrap style. I recently sampled their gyro's again at the Fargo Street Fair ... first a helping of shredded lettuce, then a sauteed mix of onion, zucchini, peppers, and lamb. It's all topped with a dollop or two of Tzatziki and wrapped up in foil. Messy, but yummy. They might be prepared differently in the restaurant; I cannot remember.

As gyro's require a couple ingredients with 'steps' and time to prepare, today, I'm only baking the traditional gyro meat. I plan to freeze it in thin slices for a future gyro meal.

Gyro Meat
Yield: Approx. 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lb. ground lamb
1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground marjoram
1 1/2 tsp. ground rosemary
1 tsp. ground dried thyme
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:
1. In a food processor, process the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, black pepper and salt until finely ground. Mix the meats and onion/spice mixture together in a bowl. Mix well with your hands until well combined. Pack the mixture into a 3x7 inch loaf pan. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors blend.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

3. Remove the wrap and bake the gyro meat until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F (approximately 1 hour). Drain all liquid that has accumulated in the pan. Remove the loaf from the pan and place it on a rack set above a baking dish, to catch drips. Continue baking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (approximately 15-30 minutes more). Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing. The finished loaf will be firm and slightly dry. Slice thinly.

*I forgot to take any pictures during the 'making' of the loaf. So, you'll have to settle for the 'baked' and finished product photo!

** I wrapped both loaves in plastic wrap, sealed them in a freezer ziploc bag, and froze them for later (when I have all the necessary ingredients). I also read that it's easier to thinly slice the loaf when it is slightly frozen.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

2009-06-29T11:16:00.023-05:00

The Rhubarb I transplanted from our Fargo home established itself quite well in the big garden (located on Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres property). I'd had the strawberries and rhubarb ready to go on Saturday, but just couldn't squeeze in canning.

Today, with Angelina up at Grandma Green Acres' and the boys in town for baseball/haircuts, I DID the canning. I hadn't taken out my canning supplies, but they're in one place, so it wasn't time-consuming. If supplies and ingredients are prepped, canning goes very smoothly. Plan canning for a time when you most likely won't be interrupted; I have afriend who cans at night ... after kids are in bed.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Yield: 6-8 (8oz.) half pints

Ingredients:
2 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. butter
5 1/2 cups white sugar

I followed the recipe in the Fruit Pectin box, although I did look in a couple other places. This recipe followed the quantities I had available better than others. There aren't as many pics to go with the steps ... it's just too hard because canning moves pretty quick and I just didn't have time. Here goes ...

1. All my supplies and ingredients were prepped first. I always clean an extra two or three jars; many times I'll need one for foam and often I end up with more jam than the recipe predicts. Start the water boiling in your canner so it's ready when the jars have been covered.*

The second pic shows the rhubarb, crushed strawberries, lemon juice, pectin, and butter mixed together. This mixture is brought to a full rolling boil - that means the boil cannot be stirred down - over high heat, stirring constantly.

2. All the sugar is added to the fruit. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Once again, the mixture is brought to a full rolling boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim any foam, if necessary. **If there is foam, I skim it into a jar to be used. It still tastes good on bread!

3. Ladle the jam into jars. I always end up with more jam than the recipe predicts.

4. The jars have all been filled, leaving about 1/4"- 1/2" headspace (the distance between the layer of jam and the top of the jar). My next step is to wipe the jar rims with a clean damp cloth to remove any sticky jam. If you skip this step, there is a chance your jar won't seal.

5. Next, place the lids and screw-bands. Tighten the screwband until just tight.

6. Move the covered jars to the canner. Once a full boil is reached, set your timer for 10 minutes and cover the canner.

7. When the timer signals the end of processing, remove the jars to a towel covered wood board or cutting board. The lids should seal within 24 hours ... mine usually seal within the first minute. When the top is pressed, it won't flex up and down when sealed. Let the jars cool for 12-24 hours, undisturbed.

8. Once cooled, label the jars or write on the lids with permanent maker (lids aren't reusable). The jam is good for one year, but I have used mine after a year ... as long as it's sealed and if upon opening it is not discolored and smells good.

*Many times, I'll start my canner to boil well before I start mixing the jam ingredients. It saves time in the long run, and it's better to put 'hot' jars into the canner. You do not want the jam to cool down between being ladled into jars and being placed in the canner for processing.

E-Z Moist Cake

2009-06-27T18:20:00.006-05:00

Last weekend, a friend of the family came over to visit with her kids. They brought just the right number of pieces of her mother's 'famous' cake. I didn't know about this cake ... guess I haven't been in the country long enough!! Anyway, we all enjoyed it.

I could have called for the recipe, but our friend mentioned that it was made with a mix. I figured I could find it in one of my many church cookbooks ... and I found a recipe that I believe will produce identical results.

E-Z Moist Cake
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
1 cake mix*
2 eggs
1/2 cup cultured sour cream
1 can pie filling, any flavor (cherry and chocolate are a great combo)

Directions:
Use the cake mix dry. Add all ingredients. Mix by hand or at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at high speed. (I mixed by hand because I didn't want the cherries mashed.) Spray the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. You will need to spread the batter out evenly. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I plan to frost with chocolate frosting. Chocolate frosting is great on chocolate cake with cherry pie filling (this is what our friend brought over). However, I think caramel frosting would be excellent on white cake with apple pie filling. One other note ... if you use apple pie filling, toss in about 1 tsp. cinnamon.

*Recipe recommends white, friend's mom uses chocolate ... mmm not a hard decision ... CHOCOLATE!)

Sourdough Bread

2009-06-27T17:45:00.000-05:00

This is my second attempt. The first ended up rather flat, and while it had the sourdough taste, it definitely wasn't good for much else! So, hopefully the end result you see here is better. I have been reading a lot online about sourdough. Lots of opinions out there! There is a bit of a learning curve ... mostly because I'm not a 'natural' bread baker. But, my waffles and pancakes have turned out wonderful and I felt it was time to branch out.

I was up early again today - 5:30a - so an early start for bread-making (which is a good thing). By 6a, the dough was mixed and ready to sit for its first 90 minute rise. I have such a hard time throwing out ANY starter, so this is a double batch. I split my starter yesterday with the intent of making bread this morning, so that meant I had two cups of starter ... thus the double batch. If all goes well, I'll have two loaves and sourdough buns for supper ~ and snacking.

Mixing the ingredients and forming a nice dough ball were the first steps this morning. As you can see below, the dough rose well during the first 'sitting'.

Next, I divided the huge dough ball into four portions. I formed two loaves and cut the remaining quarters into appropriate portions for buns - I was able to get about 2 dozen buns. (My picture shows 8 portions, but I had to make them a bit smaller for sandwiches. Eight portions would be great for hamburgers, though.)

Next, my formed loaves and buns are shown.

The formed loaves and buns sit for another 60 minutes to double in size, once again.

The tops are slashed on the loaves and they are ready to bake. Only time will tell ...

Buns into the oven, too. I'll try baking for 15 minutes and then check for doneness on the buns. (15 minutes is the perfect amount of time)

The loaves are done and nicely browned. They will need to cool just a bit and then I'll test a slice with rhubarb jam (courtesy of Grandma Golden Acres).

Sweet Success! The bread is delicious!! The buns turned out nice, too. I brushed the tops of the loaves and buns with butter after they came out of the oven. The best bun-maker in my hometown used to do that; I'm not sure why, but it tastes good.

Rustic Sourdough Bread
Source: King Arthur Flour
Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:
1 cup (8.5 oz.) "fed" sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) luke-warm water
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. sugar
2 tsp. instant yeast
5 cups (21.25 oz.) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth, soft dough, adding a bit of additional flour if needed. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two oval loaves. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise till very puffy, about 60 minutes. Slash the tops, and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.

My favorite sandwich

2009-05-28T16:15:00.012-05:00

My favorite sandwich - since childhood - is the Reuben Sandwich. Yes, the toasted Rye bread, corned beef, SAUERKRAUT, swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing make up my favorite sandwich. This fall, I decided to introduce my oldest two - Dash and Angelina to the flavor of the Rueben. I only gave them a quarter of a sandwich - wouldn't want to waste any. To my delight, and surprise, they liked it enough to want more!

Don't worry, I didn't even try it with my youngest two. I'm of the mind that some flavors, like sauerkraut, need a little maturity.

The Rueben Sandwich
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:
2 slices Rye bread*
3 thin slices corned beef (this varies with the cut and thickness of corned beef)
1 slice swiss cheese
1/4 cup sauerkraut
1-2 Tbl. Thousand Island dressing

1. On a small plate, melt the swiss cheese over the sliced corned beef in the microwave (about 25 seconds). While this is melting in the microwave, toast two slices of Rye bread in the toaster. I choose not to butter my bread, but you can if you prefer.

2. Slide the corned beef and melted cheese onto one slice of toasted Rye Bread.

3. Spread the sauerkraut over the top of the melted cheese.

4. Spread the Thousand Island dressing over top of the sauerkraut.

5. Cover with the second slice of toasted Rye bread, slice your sandwich and ENJOY!

*I prefer the dark Rye bread, but that wasn't available at the store where I shopped last week. So, I settled for the light. Still had good flavor, but the dark adds more in my opinion.

This is the PERFECT DISH ....

2009-05-15T07:15:00.004-05:00

... for the Father-Son Camping Trip!

Yes, my hubby is taking the boys - even almost 3yo, not-potty-trained-yet, Graham - on a Father-Son Camping Trip sponsored by our homeschool group. I always try to send a few items that can be shared by all. This baked bean recipe (either cold or heated) has been appreciated and so have the Special K Bars and homemade Trail Mix, which I send EVERY year.

This recipe is also great for Homeschool potlucks ( or any potluck for that matter) and it happens to be my favorite recipe for baked beans. I wasn't really a fan of baked beans until I tried this recipe. I think it has to do with simmering the first set of ingredients for 20 minutes and then baking for an hour. The flavors meld together to create something more than 'just beans'.

The Sweet-Sour Baked Beans would have been great at the Camping Trip .... if they hadn't been left in the frig at home ...

SWEET-SOUR BAKED BEANS
Yield: 12 servings
Original Recipe From: Grandma Green Acres

INGREDIENTS
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and sliced about ¼ “ thick
4 med. Onions, diced fine
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
½ cup cider vinegar
1 – 15oz. can butter beans, drained
1 – 15oz. can light red kidney beans, drained
1 – 15oz. can navy OR Great Northern beans, drained
1 – 28oz. can baked beans, undrained

DIRECTIONS
Place onions in skillet; add sugar, mustard, garlic powder, salt and vinegar. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes.

Simmering the onion & spices is what makes this dish extra tasty!

Bacon - nice & crispy!

Add crumbled bacon and the remaining ingredients. Pour into 3-quart casserole and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 1 hour. Transfer to a crock pot if taking for a pot-luck.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: Cool completely. Transfer to freezer safe container and freeze. OR, transfer to a freezer zip-loc bag and freeze flat.

RE-HEATING: Thaw completely in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees or stove-top until heated through.

Aunt Krista's Taco Hotdish

2009-05-12T19:13:00.005-05:00

Couple reasons for making this today ... (1) I expected leftovers from last night - there were not enough to feed me & the kids and (2) I have lettuce that needs to be used asap. My Aunt made this for my cousin's graduation (she said it's his favorite hotdish) and everyone in the family enjoyed it. WARNING: This hotdish doesn't keep well. With that fact in mind, I'm only going to make a half batch in an 8"x8" pan for dinner.

Aunt Krista’s Taco Hotdish
Yields: 10-12 servings

1 bag Taco Chips (Doritos)
2 lb. browned hamburger
1 32oz. jar Ragu or other spaghetti sauce
Shredded lettuce (1 bag for 13x9 pan)
3-4 medium tomatoes, sliced
2-4 cups cheese (mozzarella or cheddar or a mix)
Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 13x9 pan. Crush the bag of chips and layer on bottom of pan. Spread hamburger over the chips. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the meat. Layer on the following: shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and cheese.

Heat in oven until cheese is melted and dish is heated through, about 15-20 minutes. Top each portion with sour cream.

Optional: The kids and I think black olives would be a great addition to the layers

Potato Pizza Bake with a Spicy Twist

2009-05-11T17:47:00.018-05:00

Well, here I was again tonight doing the 'last minute supper dash'. I came up with Potato Pizza Bake. I had all the ingredients, except for Cheddar cheese soup. But, I did have Southwestern Style Pepper Jack soup. A quick substitute and the dish was into the oven with about 15-20 minutes of prep time.

BTW, I do have my menu plan done, but since Eric is out in the field trying to do as much as possible before an impending rainstorm, I figured steak probably wasn't a good choice for tonight. Besides, neither he nor I want to get caught grilling in the rain on our grass-less yard!

Potato Pizza Bake - Pepper Jack Style
Yield: 10-12 servings
Original Recipe From: Grandma Green Acres

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, browned
4 cups potatoes, thinly sliced
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can Southwestern Style Pepper Jack soup
1/2 soup can of milk
15 oz. can tomato sauce
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Brown beef. Place potatoes and onions in a large baking dish (7"x13") sprayed with cooking spray.

Spread meat over the top.

Mix cheese soup with milk until smooth. Add oregano and sugar. Pour soup mixture over the meat and potatoes -- DO NOT STIR.

Pour tomato sauce over all -- again, do not stir.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour*.

Remove cover and sprinkle cheeses over the top.

Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

*Since I was a little short on time, I increased the temp to 400 degrees and cut the baking time to 45 minutes.

NOTE: After tasting the Potato Pizza Bake with the Pepper Jack soup, I can think of no sane reason why I'd go back to the plain Cheddar Cheese soup! The flavor was great!! I also think Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup, which I keep in stock, would taste wonderful, too.

Sourdough Starter

2009-05-11T08:20:00.001-05:00

At Easter, my sister brought a catalog from the King Arthur Flour Company. All of us women-folk perused the magazine which boasted of wonderful baking mixes and helpful kitchen utensils. We all ordered a few things that we needed or wanted to try and bundled our orders to receive free shipping. I ordered more of those handy bag clips ... mine had all disappeared in the past few weeks (or maybe they were all being used) ... and a crock and starter for sourdough.

The starter arrived separately, because the plastic shipping jar was damaged in the first shipment. The company quickly replaced the starter and it arrived at my home last Friday. I was amazed at the small amount - not even a tablespoon! The first step was to add 2 tablespoons lukewarm water to loosen it from the plastic shipping jar. Then I was instructed to go through a series of steps where I mixed in water and flour. Twice I discarded half of the mixture and then added more water and flour. I felt like I was throwing out a lot of flour.

The starter is 'resting' right now. I'm at the point where I either need to use or refrigerate the starter. Since I kept both portions this time, I'm going to refrigerate half in the crock and use the other half for waffles tomorrow morning. The waffle recipe asks that you start a 'sponge' overnight, so I'll need to plan ahead to make waffles.

This is the crock, which will be used to store my starter in the refrigerator. Isn't it cute?

Sourdough is wonderful when used for grilled cheese sandwiches. I just hope my sourdough bread is tasty! I have a feeling sourdough has a learning curve, but it also seems forgiving (at least according to the directions that were included).

*The sourdough waffles turned out yummy this morning. Everyone who ate, really liked the flavor. A couple of my kids had already eaten -VERY early risers - so I had plenty of leftovers for tomorrow morning. I'm also going to freeze about a dozen of the 4"x4" squares. I haven't done that before, and am hoping the toaster can revive them to taste almost like freshly made waffles.

No Plan for Dinner??

2009-04-30T12:05:00.004-05:00

What do you get when you haven't menu planned for the last two weeks, hamburger is in large supply in the deep freeze, and there are leftover hotdog buns that will go to waste if not used?

SLOPPY DOGS!!!

Yeah! The kids loved it. I can't take the credit, though. My friend, Sarah, told me she did this a while back and it's been stuck in my mind ever since. Saved up for just the right time ... which was today.

Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup

2009-04-29T18:36:00.003-05:00

I haven't been menu planning the last few weeks. I've been gone A LOT and this week just came on too fast. So, I told my Fargo friends that I'm 'flying by the seat of my pants for menu planning this week.' It has worked out okay so far ... thank goodness!

This recipe is one for which I always keep the necessary ingredients in the pantry. It's probably the most 'processed' meal/soup that I make, so consider yourself forewarned. However, it's one that every member of my family enjoys, and it can be prepared quickly. I can usually get two meals out of a batch; although that is becoming more of a stretch as the kids get older.

Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: I can prepare it in 30 minutes or slightly less

Ingredients:

8 oz. small shells, rings, or spaghettie broken into 1" pieces (I use whatever I have on hand that is similar in size - tonight I used medium shells)

10 3/4 oz. can Fiesta Cheese Soup

10 3/4 oz. can Cream of Chicken soup

10 oz. can Enchilada sauce

14.5 oz. can chicken broth

2 cups milk

3/4 cup cubed processed cheese spread (Velveeta - I often use 1 cup)

5 oz. can chicken, drained*

2 tsp. dried parsley

2 cups tortilla nacho chips (or as many as needed - 2 cups is less than we use - chips are a treat at our home)

4 oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese (I use what's on hand)

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. In large saucepan over low heat, mix soups, enchilada sauce, chicken brother, milk and processed cheese. I like to heat this thoroughly. When heated, add the diced or canned chicken, pasta and parsely. Simmer 5 minutes over medium heat until heated through.

To Serve:

Our family crunches the chips into the bottom of our bowls and spoons the soup over the top. We garnish with the shredded cheese.

*I often use frozen diced chicken, leftover from a roasted chicken, or frozen diced chicken breast that I've prepared ahead of time for recipes such as this. Another way to 'cheat' on the chicken is to use the Oven Roasted Chicken Bite's from Schwan's. Pop them in the micro to reheat and then dice the bite's into 1/2" cubes or smaller. Schwan's really is my ticket to fast food out here in the boonies.

The label as Mexican may be a stretch, but it has Fiesta Nacho cheese soup!

Easy Pork Lo Mein

2009-04-15T18:40:00.002-05:00

After Easter Sunday, I had pork tenderloin leftover. I had marinated half the tenderloin in Tamari soy, and planned to use any leftovers in a Chinese meal. Lo Mein is one of our family favorites, but my usual recipe has chinese cabbage - a special purchase. While I had to substitute on a few fresh seasonings and herbs, I had all the ingredients for this recipe on hand. It's quick,easy, and everyone liked the dish.

Easy Pork Lo Mein
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. pork tenderloin
¼ cup Tamari soy sauce
3 garlic cloves (or substitute garlic powder, like me, if you don’t have fresh garlic available)
1 tsp. minced gingerroot (or substitute about ½ tsp. ginger powder – I didn’t have fresh!)
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
2 cups fresh snow peas (I used thawed, frozen snow peas)
1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced lengthwise
3 cups angel hair pasta
½ cup chicken broth
2 tsp. sesame oil

Directions:
1. Cut the tenderloin in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch strips. Put slices in a large re-sealable bag. Add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes to the pork. Seal and mix up the ingredients. Marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. In a large wok, stir-fry the pork for 4-5 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink. Add peas and red pepper strips. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the pasta and chicken broth; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the sesame oil.

3. NOTE: I used leftover, soy-marinated pork tenderloin. It eliminated a few steps and cut down on preparation and cooking time quite a bit. I did marinate the meat again, because a tenderloin roast doesn’t have as much soy flavor packed into it when marinated whole. It was not too salty for my family to use the ¼ cup soy to marinate the strips.

P.S. I must be getting back to my old self, because I've been wanting to cook again!! I enjoy trying new recipes...

Hash Brown and Ham Quiche

2009-04-15T13:20:00.001-05:00

This is one of the dishes I served at our Saturday morning Brunch. It disappeared so fast ... I only tasted a few scrappings from the bottom of the pie plate. The scraps were tasty enough to entice me to prepare it again today! Who says quiche is only for the breakfast hours....

With our large group, I made one and one half of this recipe and it fit in my large ceramic pie plate (about 10-11") However, be forewarned that it will take about 25 minutes extra to bake it completely (and, if you bake it longer, make sure to cover the top with foil for the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning).

Hash Brown and Ham Quiche

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups hash browns, shredded, frozen

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

3 Tbls. butter, divided

1 medium onion, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

2 tsp. all purpose flour

1 cup diced pre-cooked ham

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese - colby jack, cheddar, mexican blend, whatever you have on hand (I forgot to spread this over the top for our brunch, but no one noticed!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Nicely browned hash browns.

2. In a large skillet, saute the hash browns, salt and pepper in 2 Tablespoons butter until lightly browned. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9 inch pie plate. In the same skillet, saute the onion and green pepper in remaining butter. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the flour. Stir in the ham, eggs, and milk. Pour into the hash brown crust.

Sauted green pepper and onion, above. The Hash Brown and Ham Quiche ready to bake in the oven, below.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Easter at Our Home

2009-04-09T13:40:00.001-05:00

This year, I'm hosting my whole family for an Easter meal. That means 13 adults and 6 children - at least one of whom can eat an adult sized portion. It'll be a little different than past years as we plan to have the big meal on Saturday evening. We'll have a Saturday morning brunch followed by lots of visiting. Many need to travel back home on Sunday because they have quite a drive, therefore we are having the family meal on Saturday evening. Most of my family will return to Fargo for the night and attend Mass in the morning. Here's my menu plan for Saturday....

Morning Brunch:
Italian Sausage and Broccoli Quiche
Hash Brown Ham Quiche
Fruit Tray
Veggie Tray
Danish rolls and assorted muffins

Evening Meal:
Spiral Ham with a glaze (probably maple)
Stuffed Chicken Breast (broccoli and cheese)
Roasted Baby Potatoes with herb butter
Mixed vegetables
Romaine Salad
Crescent Rolls
Deviled Eggs
Peach Pie, Blueberry Pie, and Cheesecake

Eric, the kids, and I will attend Mass on Sunday morning. For the Sunday noon meal, I plan to prepare marinated pork tenderloin, Au Gratin potatoes, green beans, Romaine salad, homemade rolls. We're hoping that Grandma and Grandpa Green Acres will be able to join us.

*Recipes and pictures might be posted later - IF I remember to take pictures!

Birthday Cakes

2009-04-07T16:02:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, Dash celebrated his birthday (which is actually later this month on the 24th) with four friends. They had a bowling party and had a great time. Party-goers were asked to bring a donation for either Adopt-a-pet or the Cathedral of St. Mary Altar Servers.

I decorated a cake for the boys. It's not professional, but do boys care??? I usually 'do' a cake like this, or one that requires more decorating, at least every couple years. It reminds me why I'm not a professional cake decorator and reminds me that I should appreciate dexterity in my fingers. Even that amount of piping made my hands cramp!

Chicken Fajita Casserole

2009-04-06T12:26:00.010-05:00

I've been craving fajitas for quite a while. I was actually craving a beef fajita recipe that I used to make about once a month when I was first married. It was made in the crock pot and had great flavor - I'll have to post it sometime. I've been holding back on making it because I was pretty sure my kids weren't READY for it, yet. My hubby said I should just 'go for it.' However, the recipe is pretty spicy and I KNOW I would get a lot of grumbles.

Instead of using my old recipe, yesterday I finally acted upon my craving and made a Chicken Fajita Casserole. I used pre-cooked chicken to save time. The peppers are bright and colorful - just the sort of food we should eat when we are craving warmer weather and Spring-time. The kids ate it; it wasn't too spicy and did hit the spot for me.

Chicken Fajita Casserole
Yield: 10 servings

3 chicken breasts, cut into strips (or about 2.5 - 3 cups pre-cooked chicken breast, diced)
3 Tbls. olive oil
1 green pepper, sliced or diced
1 yellow pepper, sliced or diced
1 red pepper, sliced or diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup
15 0z. can tomatoes with chili peppers
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Mexican blend, but Monterey Jack would be great, too)
1/2 package flour tortillas (I had the Flat-Out wraps on hand, so I used four of them, instead)

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you aren't using pre-cooked chicken, prepare your chicken by cutting into strips and sauteeing in 1 Tbls. olive oil in a medium sized skillet. When completely cooked, set aside.

2 In a large skillet, saute the three pepper, onion, garlic and pepper in 2 Tbls. olive oil until tender. Set aside.

3. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, tomatoes, and cream of chicken soup.

4. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. Tear the tortillas into quarters and arrange half on the bottom of the pan. Layer half the chicken mixture, half the pepper mix, and half the cheese on top of the tortillas. Repeat the layers.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

6. OPTIONAL: You can serve the casserole with toppings, such as sour cream, shredded lettuce, black olives, hot sauce, extra cheese, etc. Use whatever your family enjoys.

Saint Patrick's Day - Irish Boxty

2009-03-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

In honor of St. Patrick, Patron of Ireland, we are having Irish Boxty for St. Patrick's Day on March 17. Boxty is a traditional Irish dish made of - go figure - potatoes! I haven't made this exact recipe before, but I have fried mashed potato cakes in butter. This is similar. While I cannot claim to have a trace-worthy hint of Irish in my blood, potatoes were a huge part of my Grandpa Earl's life. My mom's dad, Grandpa Earl is a potato farmer. At 95 plus years, he's still growing and harvesting potatoes. This root crop has been a part of every 'big meal' and many small meals in our family. Here's the recipe if you'd like to join us in sampling this Irish tradition.

Irish Boxty
Yield: 6

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups grated raw potato
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Toss the grated potatoes with flour in a large bowl. Add mashed potatoes and stir until combined. In another bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Mix the egg mixture into the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop in the potato mixture to form patties about 2 inches in diameter. Fry on both sides until golden brown (approximately 3 to 4 minutes on each side). Remove the patties to a paper towel lined plate. Serve while warm.

Egg in the Hole

2009-03-11T10:07:00.007-05:00

This is a favorite breakfast from childhood and late night college gatherings. In childhood, we seasoned with salt and pepper. In college, we were a bit more adventurous with the spices and tried almost anything ... then dared the recipient of our concoction to 'eat it all'!! No one ever refused the meal ... but, I stick to the salt and pepper, nowadays.

Egg in the Hole

Yield: 1 serving, but easily multiplied

Ingredients:

1 slice bread

1 large egg

butter

Tear a hole large enough for the egg yolk in the center of the bread (eat the raw bread - no waste here). You can either butter the bread, or put the dab of butter in the pan to prevent sticking and help in toasting the bread. Place the bread in a hot skillet. The skillet should be large enough to hold the slice of bread.

Crack open the egg and drop in the hole in the center of the bread slice.

Fry until the botton of the egg is 'set'. Flip the egg and bread combination over and fry on the other side until your desired doneness is met.

I like to be able to dunk the toast, but some prefer the egg to be completely done.

Tuna Roll-ups

2009-03-11T06:45:00.000-05:00

I really do like tuna & so does the rest of the family. It's just that I've become complacent about thinking outside of the norm of 'tuna on a bun' for our Friday meals away from home. So, this is another attempt to spice it up a bit.

Tuna Roll-Ups
Yield: 4 roll-ups

Ingredients:
1 - 6oz. can drained canned water-packed tuna
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 Tablespoons chopped celery
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish*
4 four tortillas - 8" is a good size

Mix tuna, cheese, celery, mayo and relish. Spread evenly on the tortillas; roll up. Place seam side down on a microwaveable plate. Microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds or until the cheese begins to melt. To serve cold, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

It would be easy to substitue another meat ... turkey, chicken or ham would be good, as well. You could also eliminate the tortillas and serve the spread on English muffin halves or bagel halves.

*Normally, relish is something I can myself. My version isn't as sweet as store bought, so Miracle Whip could be substituted for the mayo without being too sweet.

The Chai Experiment

2009-03-06T10:15:00.005-06:00

You all know I like Chai tea! My favorite brand is Tazo - that's what Starbucks uses to prepare their Chai Tea Latte and this used to be a sometimes (okay, probably more like -at least- weekly) treat when we lived in town. Often, when Eric had early morning meetings, he'd bring back a cup for me. He loves to do those little things - and I love him for it!

Since we moved about a 100 miles from the nearest Starbucks, I’ve been buying Tazo Decaf Chai. It’s a decaffeinated spiced black tea latte concentrate; you can also buy caffeinated. I don’t need the caffeine. Anyway, today I though I’d experiment because I also buy the Tazo Chai tea in tea bags. Same brand – should turn out to be approximately the same thing if I add milk and sweetener… right?? Well, that's what I'm counting on in this mini-mixing experiment.

The extras in the concentrate amount to cane sugar, honey, ginger juice, natural flavors, vanilla and citric acid. I happen to have cane sugar, honey and vanilla in my pantry. I figured the ginger isn’t necessary, because it’s already included in the tea mix. The natural flavors I won’t worry about, and the citric acid is most likely for preservation – which I don’t need, either. To prepare the Chai tea from the concentrate, you mix equal measures of the concentrate and your choice of milk (or milk substitute); and then heat the mixture in the microwave. I always use whole milk because I like the smoothness of the drink and I think it tastes better.

Earlier this morning, I brewed a cup of Tazo Chai tea. By the time I made the latte, my tea had cooled, but I’ll reheat it. So, equal amounts of Tazo Chai tea and whole milk mixed in a mug. I added about ¼ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon cane sugar. (The cane sugar I’m using is called Sugar in the Raw® Natural Cane Turbinado Sugar From Hawaii. I’m sure the cane sugar could be substituted with white sugar or stevia, but I have it on hand and may as well use it.)

The result is very close to what I enjoy from Starbucks. It is more economical than purchasing the concentrate, and if I save half the of brewed tea for later or the next morning - I'm ahead even more! Here's my recipe...

Tazo Chai Tea Latte
Yield: 1 mug

1/2 mug (about 1/2 cup) brewed Tazo Chai tea - either decaffienated or caffienated (whichever suits you!)
1/2 mug (about 1/2 cup) whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cane sugar

Mix together and heat in the microwave to desired temperature. I usually hit the beverage button - hasn't failed me yet. Since mine is usually cooled by the time I'm down to the last 1/4 of the mug, I can say that it would also be great over ice, as iced tea latte.

Menu Planning #3

2009-03-02T18:20:00.001-06:00

This is my menu for this week and the following week. I'll include a few of the new recipes later. I honestly wish that I could be more creative with Fridays. Our schedule this year has us on the road for most Fridays, so meal preparation is very limited. I have so many great non-meat meals for Fridays. I, and everyone else in the family, miss our non-meat and seafood meals so much that they've oftentimes found their way into the weekday plans. I am VERY thankful that the kids, Eric and I like tuna. It's our Friday staple - at least for this year!

March 1-7
Sunday
Dinner: Scrambled Eggs & Venison Sausage
Supper: Leftovers (Eric and I will be gone all afternoon and we have plenty of leftover items to be used up)

Monday
Dinner: Cornbread Topped Hot Dog Casserole
Supper: Beef Stroganoff over Noodles

Tuesday
Dinner: Leftovers
Supper: Chipped Beef in Gravy over Buttermilk Biscuits

Wednesday
Dinner: Leftovers (first priority) or sandwiches
Supper: Ham & Cheese Sandwiches (cold packed, as we’ll be away from home for supper)

Thursday
Dinner: Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti
Supper: Leftover Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti

Friday – Away from home
Dinner: Eat at ND Winter Show in Valley City
Supper: Eat out at Fish Fry

Saturday – Away from home
Dinner: Eat out
Supper: Eat out

March 8-14
Sunday
Dinner: Pancakes & Venison Sausage
Supper: Classic Meat Loaf and Baked Potatoes

Monday
Dinner: Leftover Classic Meat Loaf
Supper: Baked Potato Soup

Tuesday
Dinner: Leftover Baked Potato Soup
Supper: Chicken Enchiladas

Wednesday
Dinner: Taco Soup
Supper: Leftover Taco Soup

Thursday
Dinner: Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
Supper: Italian Sausage Soup

Friday - Away from Home
Dinner: Egg Salad Sandwiches
Supper: Egg Salad Sandwiches

Saturday
Dinner: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Supper: Hamburgers with Oven Baked Fries

Fish image from ChristArt

Hot Dogs?

2009-03-02T14:30:00.006-06:00

This morning, 2yo Graham found me to ask if we could have Hot Dogs for dinner. Hot Dogs? Where in the world did that idea originate! Hot Dogs are a rare meal at our house. When we lived in town, Hot Dogs were reserved for quick meals before rushing off to attend an NDSU Bison FB game. Since moving, we enjoy Hot Dogs at the game as a treat. Regardless, the last time Graham had a Hot Dog was probably back in November 2008.

Knowing I had Hot Dogs in the freezer, I decided to see what I could concoct with ingredients on hand. I found a recipe for Hot Dog Cornbread Casserole that sounded like it might fit our tastes. After reducing and eliminating different ingredients, I came up with the following recipe.

Cornbread Topped Hot Dog Casserole
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
12 oz. Hot Dogs
1 (12oz.) can baked beans
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk

Optional ingredients:
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup chopped onion

1. Cut hot dogs into 1/2 inch pieces. Put in a 2 quart baking dish (I used a round 2 qt. baking dish) with beans, ketchup, water, mustard and worcestershire sauce.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in medium bowl. Stir in cornmeal. Add egg and rest of ingredients. Stir just enough to combine.
3. Spread cornmeal mixture over top of the beans. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Recipe Review! The kids absolutely would eat this again. I found it a bit bland for my tastes; adding the optional ingredients may have helped.

Raspberry Syrup

2009-03-02T06:15:00.000-06:00

I purchased bulk, frozen raspberries from a food coop quite some time ago. Many of you might have given them over to compost it was so long ago. But, even with freezer age, I cannot throw out the berries! Their taste might be slightly compromised (okay, when I first brought them home, they were amazingly sweet and delicious, so I am expecting a less than ideal syrup flavor), but I think I can salvage them for our use here at home. Sugar makes pretty much anything taste good, and Raspberry Syrup will be a treat on pancakes, waffles or French toast on an upcoming Lenten Sunday.

Raspberry Syrup

Yield: Approximately 6 cups

Ingredients
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.
2. Stir in water.
3. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil.
4. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the raspberries, cooking gently over low heat until the syrup reaches your desired thickness.

WOW, am I impressed! I cannot detect a hint of freezer age in the syrup. And, the color is beautiful.

I did not strain the raspberries for this recipe. Some people may find the syrup more pleasing if about 1/2 of the seeds are strained out and if the berries are crushed. I just did not want to take the extra time when I couldn't be sure of results with using old berries. In hindsight, I could have taken this extra step.

I've saved glass syrup jars that have been purchased or given as gifts over the years. I prefer glass over plastic, and therefore give up the safety feature of a squeeze bottle! Since I don't have a funnel large enough to allow the berries to pass through, I made a foil funnel to transfer the syrup into jars.

Sarah's Terrific Tuna Toasties

2009-02-28T08:07:00.011-06:00

Angelina and I ate at a friend's home on Friday for lunch. Sarah made these wonderfully simple, but healthy Terrific Tuna Toasties. When we are on the road nearly every Friday, cold sandwiches have become the norm. To have a hot lunch was such a treat for me, that I probably should have abstained

. . . it is Lent, afterall!

Terrific Tuna Toasties
Serves 8, but easily doubled

8 hamburger or dollar buns, halved
1/2 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1/4 small onion, diced
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can tuna (Sarah prefers tuna in water, so do I!)
2 cups crushed potato chips*

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a large cookie sheet with tin foil (easy clean-up!).
2. Dice veggies in food processor or by hand.
3. Put diced veggies, tuna, cheese and mayonnaise/Miracle Whip in a large bowl and mix.
4. Place bun halves on cookie sheet and top each with a spoonful of the tuna mixture.
5. Measure 2 cups of chips and put them into a Ziploc bag. Smash away!
6. Sprinkle chip crumbles on top of the tuna mixture on each bun. Sarah says to press the chip crumbs down good to get all the flavor!
7. Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
8. Eat and enjoy what you have made!!
9. To complete the lunch, Sarah added cut up apples and bananas. And of course, the remainder of the chips!

* Sarah used Cheddar Cheese Ripple potato chips. I really liked this extra flavor punch and bought a bag at the grocery store on my way home!

Here's a picture of my rendition of Sarah's Terrific Tuna Toasties. I didn't have buns on hand, so mine are made with slices of whole wheat bread. I also think they'd be excellent made with bagel or English muffin halves.

Pepperoni Spaghetti Pie

2009-02-23T11:29:00.000-06:00

The recipe that inspired this dish originally came to me from menus4moms.com. I did change some of the ingredients to suite what I had on hand, and I added a few ingredients, as well. My family thought this was a keeper. We are all looking forward to leftovers!! Here's my adjusted recipe.

Pepperoni Spaghetti Pie
Yield: 12 servings

1 lb. ground hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 (4oz.) can mushrooms
1 (26oz.) can or jar pasta sauce
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. sweet basil, dried
1 tsp. oregano, dried
2 Tbl. parsely, dried
1/2 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper, ground
1 lb. spaghetti, broken into 1 to 2 inch pieces
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (5oz.) pkg sliced pepperoni*
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pasta as directed on the package. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

2. Brown the hamburger in a large skillet. Drain excess liquid. Once browned and drained, add the onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender.

3. Add the pasta sauce, tomato sauce and all the seasonings. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes to combine flavors.

4. Combine the milk and eggs in a large bowl. Mix the spaghetti into the milk and egg mixture to coat.

5. Lightly spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.

6. Place half the spaghetti mixture in the pan, then place half the meat mixture on top. Repeat these two layers. Arrange pepperoni over the top of the layers. Spread 2 cheeses over the top of the pepperoni.

7. Cover the pie with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To Freeze: After the pepperoni is arranged, put the pie in the refrigerator to cool. Once cooled completely, spread the 2 cheeses over the top. Wrap the pie with freezer wrap (I usually use plastic wrap and foil - cheese will eat away at foil, so the plastic wrap is necessary for freezeing). It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To Prepare from Freezer: Thaw the pie overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and cover again with the foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

*I try to avoid meats that have nitrates added. I thought I'd have to make an exception for this recipe, but was surprised to find that non-nitrate pepperoni is available!

Crispy Almonds

2009-02-11T10:07:00.008-06:00

My mom (Grandma Golden Acres) has made this recipe many times, and all of us enjoy this nutty snack when we are home to the farm for a visit. The almonds are crunchy and and the sea salt brings out the wonderful almond flavor. I purchased almonds in bulk from the food coop in late January with the intention of preparing them my mom's way. Of course, that is just now getting done, too!

Crispy Almonds
Yield: 4 cups

4 cups almonds, preferably skinned*
1 tablespoon sea salt
filtered water

Mix almonds with salt water and soak in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread on a stainless steel baking sheet or pan and place in a warm ove (ideally 150 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occaisionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

*While skinless almonds are preferred, my mom and I both used almonds with skin on. The results are still wonderfully crisp

NOTE: My mom usually doubles the recipe, so I made my first batch this way, too. If you are going to have the oven on for that long, you may as well make it more worthwhile! Also, while the recipe recommends 150 degrees, my oven's lowest temperature is 170 degrees. This worked just fine, without any ill effects.

Soaking the almonds in sea salted water - add enough water so that there is about 1/2 to 1 inch of space. The almonds will absorb the liquid and expand.

Crisping in the oven.

Every time I stirred the almonds, I grabbed a few. I wanted to experience and taste how they changed throughout the day. This is a great healthy snack.

Freezing Onions

2009-02-11T09:26:00.010-06:00

I haven't done this before, so I asked help from a friend who does this with 20 lb. or more bags of bulk onions. She mentioned that onions are really hot this time of year and that maybe I should consider wearing goggles! After purchasing about 10 lb. of onions from the food buying club in late January, I had intended to store them in my root cellar. However, during the two weeks of sitting on the boot bench waiting for me to find time, some had sprouted and two had completely spoiled.

Yesterday became the day to tackle the onions.

I started cleaning and quartering early in the morning and quickly realized this job would have to be done in spurts and inbetween tears! I could only do about 4 or 5 before needing a break. Needless to say, it was a long process and took all day to complete. I thought to myself, how in the world am I going to chop these when I can barely handle quartering?? And, where are the kids' swim goggles??

Thank goodness I remembered the handy food processer attachment on my blender. The first batch was chopped very finely - more my ineptitude at chopping the first time & not intended. The next batches were chopped to the size that I would normally use in dishes and soups.

My friend did recommend double bagging & then storing in a container. They are smelly and I don't want the smell to migrate to other foods in the freezer. So far, they are double bagged. I froze them on a tray last night and will remove them to a covered container for long term storage today. The onions are frozen in 1/2 cup packs (in a sandwich baggie) and then double bagged in freezer ziplocs.

It wasn't too bad, and I needed a good tear jerker anyway.