Back to the Table

The Cure

2009-08-26T12:03:00.004-05:00

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

We are in a difficult time in our family. Some of us have flu-like symptoms and others feel great. Basically it means that some of us want to lie in bed and sleep or at best, watch television, while others are going and blowing like normal. Being The Mommy, I know that the possibility of my getting a lot of rest is not good, so I have to find a diversion and here it is...ice cream with hot fudge sauce and sliced strawberries. Not any old ice cream either. Nope, this is the good stuff... Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla with Strawberries is just incredible. I know it is not available in all parts of the country and well, I'm sorry for you. But we can finally get Blue Bell in Tennessee and sometimes that high-dollar stuff is just worth it. I can't imagine anything tasting better on a sore throat than this ice cream and what better to top it than homemade hot fudge sauce?! It's simple, low-cost and makes a great gift.

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
makes 1 quart

12 tablespoons real butter
12 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Add sugar and evaporated milk and whisk until smooth. Stirring constantly, heat mixture to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir until smooth and pour into a quart jar. Allow to cool, place lid on jar and store in refrigerator up to 2 months. Reheat in small amounts as needed for topping ice cream, dipping fruit, drizzling over pound cake, licking off your finger, etc.

Blessings,

First Stop, Lambert's, Sikeston, MO

2009-07-05T16:01:00.005-05:00

"Throwed" Roll, Lambert's Sikeston, Missouri

All You Can Eat Fried Okra, Lambert's, Sikeston, Missouri

I'm a little late in blogging our trip. We left around noon on Tuesday, June 30. I had worked all night and took a little nap on the road while The Daddy drove. We arrived at Lambert's in Sikeston around 4:30pm. It was perfect timing! A large tour bus pulled in the lot as we were going in the door. We got a table quickly and were greeted with fresh, hot okra spooned onto our napkins. We made our choices from the menu and began watching and listening for the "Hot Rolls" guy. The rolls were HOT and delicious. The kids enjoyed catching them as they were literally thrown from across the large dining room. Other 'pass-arounds' came by but we were pretty much about the okra and rolls. There was honey on the table and a young lady came by with sorghum molasses for the rolls as well. I got pot roast with mashed potatoes and collard greens. I did get a small amount of black-eyed peas from the pass-arounds, but I didn't try the macaroni with tomatoes or the fried potatoes. The okra was delicious and I seriously cannot believe The Daddy ate as much as he did! I cleaned my plate and had another roll with honey for dessert. It was a good value of food for the money. The younger kids all had chicken and dumplings with two sides (mostly applesauce and corn) and their drink came with the price of their meal. The Daddy and Master-P had cheeseburgers, big surprise, but they were large, freshly made burgers and they were both full, a major accomplishment. Homey-G had the vegetable plate and ate more than his fair share of black-eyed peas and okra as well. Homey is not eating meat at this time. Dessert was offered but we were stuffed. Lambert's was a great place to stop, but since we live in the land of Meat and Three cafes, I wouldn't make a special trip.

Blessings,

Let Them Eat Cake

2009-06-17T21:20:00.004-05:00

Three Sugar Poundcake

Sorry to not have any entries for so very long. If you check in now and then or just come here when I mention it on FB or LDD, then you know I've been lax. It is obvious from the date on my last post that I've not been cooking anything exciting or not taking a picture of it for quite some time. It was laundry. I just couldn't get caught up. Now it's all better.

My mom was visiting a couple of weeks ago while I was sick. Bless her heart, I think feeding these bottomless pits I call my children just might have done her in. The first day I came home from the hospital, she had baked a poundcake. Honestly, I think I had forgotten how delicious they are and how easy they are to put together...no offense, Mom. I know you worked hard those two weeks! Anyway, as I began feeling better, I was poking around in my pantry and noticed I had a lot of brown sugar and some bits of dark brown sugar, too. I'm sure I bought it for a recipe and it had been sitting in there for awhile. So, like most folks I know, I googled recipes with brown sugar and promptly found a few that looked good but not exactly what I wanted. I combined/refined a few and this is what I got. It was really good and I jokingly called it Magic Poundcake because it disappeared quickly. I hope you enjoy it.

Three Sugar Pound Cake

This makes a dense cake with a delicious slightly sticky crust. Perfect for topping with berries!

1 cup dark brown sugar**
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 sticks butter, at room temperature
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract, really
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Move rack to middle of oven. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt or tube pan.
Mix 3 types of sugar and butter with a mixer for 6 minutes on low speed. The mixture should be very light and fluffy with no visible sugar lumps. (This was a critical step and my KA made it easier.) Add eggs, beating well after each one. Scrape down the bowl, beat another minute and add vanilla. Add buttermilk and dry ingredients alternately, ending with buttermilk. Beat just until incorporated. It is important NOT to over beat the flour or it will get tough. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 60 to 75 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out with just a bit of crumb. Cake will be brown on the outside but not burned-looking.
Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out on rack to cool. Try not to eat it hot...well, no...eat it hot...it's good! :0) Tastes even better the next day, if it lasts.

** If you don't have dark brown sugar, just use 2 cups light brown sugar and add a tablespoon of molasses to the cake.

Blessings,

Hurry Curry

2009-02-24T16:32:00.003-06:00

A Photo Sort of Similar to My Curry

Okay, just for the record, the above photo is a lovely googled image of Thai Red Curry with Shrimp. I simply forgot to take a photo of the curry I created on Saturday night. I have numerous excuses, but I'll save those for another time. Suffice it to say, our curry was delicious and photo-worthy, but also eaten, gone, snarfed, nom nom nom.
It all started with a local grocery store having Buy-One-Get-One-Free deals on Wild Caught Argentine Sea Scallops. I'm a sucker for wild-caught seafood. I'm such a snob, I know, but I hate farm-raised seafood....blergh, just the thought of it all swimming around in it's own...well, anyway. I do buy wild-caught shrimp, salmon and most other fish. This seemed like a saawweeet deal. It was. I got 2 1-lb bags for $7.00. I've been following Weight Watchers again since the first of the year. I wanted a delicious and tasty use for the scallops that didn't involve lots of butter and garlic (oh but that would have been nice, too). Since we love Thai food, I jumped at the chance to give it a try. It was a little more pointy than my normal meals, but as a treat and certainly as a restuarant-quality meal, it was great! Remember that I'm trying to add lots of vegetables in our diets, so use your own preferences and discrection on that part. Enough gabbing...here's how I made it!

Thai Red Curry with Scallops

1 can lite coconut milk
1- 1 1/2 tbsp. Thai red curry paste (my brand was Thai Kitchen)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2-4 cups chopped fresh vegetables, I used fresh asparagus, cut in half, fresh green beans, a red pepper, sliced, a zucchini, sliced, a yellow squash, sliced, a lot of fresh mushrooms, sliced, and green onions cut on the bias
2 tbsp. Thai fish sauce
1 lb. frozen scallops or peeled shrimp
6-8 fresh basil leaves, torn in large pieces
Sirarcha to taste
Hot Cooked Jasmine Rice

In a very large skillet, heat the coconut milk and red curry paste to a high simmer. Let simmer 5 minutes or until the coconut milk has reduced a bit and thickened. Add brown sugar and simmer another minute. Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender. Stir in fish sauce, seafood and basil. Stir and cook just until seafood is done, about 4 minutes. Serve with additional fish sauce and Sirarcha sauce for more heat. Serve on rice to soak up the delicious sauce. Yum!

Big Sister's Favorite New Soup

2009-02-01T09:58:00.004-06:00

Italian Wedding Soup

We had some friends over a few weeks back to bake cookies. Lunch that day was soup. Big Sister requested this one and it was, as always, tasty and simple. I know it may not be true Italian Wedding Soup, but that's what we call it. Hope you like it, too.

Italian Wedding Soup

1 lb. lean ground turkey (don't buy plain ground turkey, buy the lean stuff)
1 tbsp. Penzey's Italian Sausage Seasoning (you haven't ordered any YET?)
3 quarts good chicken broth (homemade is great, organic store bought is okay, too)
1 lb. small pasta, whole wheat or regular, you choose...that is ditalini in the photo
1 bag fresh baby spinach or 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach (kale is good, too)
Fresh Parmesan for shaving on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix turkey with Italian Sausage Seasoning. Make tiny meatballs and place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat chicken broth to boiling. Add pasta and cook until just slightly done. Add spinach and stir to wilt. Continue cooking broth, pasta and spinach until pasta is al dente. Add meatballs and heat through.
Serve with crusty bread and shave fresh parmesan on top. Delicious!
**The recipe depends on having a good, flavorful chicken broth base. Spend a little extra and buy Organic Chicken Broth or make your own using the technique I wrote about in the Chicken and Dumplings post.

Be blessed~

Crumby Chicken - Five Ways!

2008-08-01T14:49:00.006-05:00

Crumby Chicken

Many years back, I tried a recipe from a community cookbook from The Daddy's hometown of Friona, Texas. It was a low-fat "fried" chicken and it became an immediate family favorite. Over the years I've played with the recipe and here are the versions I use now. It is on our family's table at least once a month in some form. The Daddy's favorite is the lemon pepper, but the kids like the Ranch Dressing one. I have served it to those big teen-age kids when I cooked for mission trips and they called it "magic chicken" because it always disappeared.

Crumby Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 egg whites

3 Tbsp. water
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (I have used both freshly grated from my own block and the green can stuff with great results, but the kind in the chees section in a bag doesn't work here)

Choice of Seasonings:**pick one option

1) 1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix
2) 1 pack dry ranch dressing mix
3) 1tsp lemon pepper and 1 tsp dried parsley
4) 2 tbsp. any flavor dry soup mix (like onion or vegetable)

5) Sub sesame crackers for the breadcrumbs, add 2 tsp. soy sauce and 1 tsp. dried ginger to the egg white mixture.

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish. In a pie plate, beat egg whites and water with a fork until frothy. In another plate mix bread crumbs, cheese and seasoning. Dip each piece of chicken in egg whites, than coat well with crumb mixture. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with melted butter and bake 35 minutes or until just done.

I usually do Homemade RiceARoni as a side dish, unless it is the Asian option, then I do fried rice. The kids like Fried Apples with this dish, too. A green vegtable or salad rounds out the meal. The chicken stays so moist because of the egg white and the flavor is great.

Whatever version, it is comfort food and healthy!

Be blessed~

Gift Wrapped

2008-07-19T04:32:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I don't have a photo of my recipe today, but there are camera issues that I am working to resolve. Anyway, I thought I would post a favorite recipe to serve as an entree to use with those crockpot beans.
The translation of envuelto is gift-wrapped. I grew up eating envueltos at a local Tex-Mex cafe in my little hometown. They are like enchiladas, but lighter and spicier. The sauce drips off into the refried beans and is incredible! When we lived in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, the restuarants there didn't serve envueltos. I learned to make ranchero sauce (or my version of it) and our love of homemade envueltos began. They are like a little gift. The following recipe is my new, low-fat, WW-friendly version. Feel free to sub shredded chicken for the ground beef.

Envueltos
makes 16

1 large onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (I leave this out...we don't "do" cooked bell pepper)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
8 oz. tomato sauce ( I use no-salt-added)
1 can regular or mild Ro-tel chopped tomatoes and green chilies
Water
**optional...if you want this spicier add a diced jalepeno to the sauteed vegetables
16 corn tortillas
2 lb. ground sirloin (or your choice of ground beef)
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
Shredded cheddar cheese (I use veggie cheese for Weight Watchers)

In a large skillet, heat the oil, add the onion and pepper and cook until transluscent. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Stir in the tomato sauce and Ro-tel. Use water to wash out the cans and pour that into the skillet. Bring to a high simmer, then turn down to a very low simmer.
In another skillet, brown the ground beef and season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Drain off any grease if needed.
Wrap 8 corn tortillas in a clean dishtowel and microwave on high about 2 minutes. These will be very hot and soft. Place 2-3 tablespoons of ground beef in each tortilla and roll up enchilada-style. Place seam side down in a well-greased baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour tomato sauce mixture over rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
**Because the tortillas are steamed instead of fried, they do fall apart a little more than usual. They still taste great and the fat/calorie difference is too much to care!
Enjoy~

Musical Fruit

2008-07-14T11:09:00.001-05:00

Beans a la Charra

Growing up in South Texas, beans were a staple. My dad barbecued (before it was called grilling) a bunch of chicken, we had lots of ground beef and a pot of beans as our "stock-up" foods to get us through the week. My mom worked more than full-time in her store and daddy was a farmer/rancher with hours as varied as the seasons. But, with pinto beans in our refrigerator, a good meal was quick to prepare.

I still rely on those pinto powerhouses. I love the smell of cooking beans, it always reminds me of home. I don't make beans like my dad did back then, but we eat them almost as often. I like to cook up a crockpot full and freeze them in family-size portions. They are then simple to thaw and eat as is, or refry to serve alongside our favorite Mexican recipes or as a filling for burritos, bean rolls or on nachos and chalulpas.

I fell in love with the "a la Charra" method while pregnant with my oldest daughter. We lived in McAllen and there was a little taqueria that I frequented for Tacos Reynosa (grilled beef,sliced thin, in steamed tiny corn tortillas with diced onion and cilantro..and the BEST green sauce EVER). The tacos were about $4.00 for six little tacos and came with a free cup of beans. As my pregnancy progressed, the beans were a major craving. Now I make them at home and the added flavorings make for some of the best refried beans.

Crockpot Beans a la Charra

2 lb. dry pinto beans, picked through, rinsed well

Water to cover

1 onion, chopped

Pork of some sort, I use country ham pieces that are easy to find around here but hamhocks, bacon or ham chunks work well

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

More water to cover again

1 can Ro-tel chopped tomatoes and green chilies (use mild if you want)

(if you don't want to use Ro-tel, you can do freshly chopped tomato and a chopped, seeded jalepeno instead)

1 can of beer (omit if you wish)

Chopped cilantro to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Before cooking beans in a crockpot, they must be soaked or they will NEVER get soft. So, the night before I cook beans, I clean them and put them in my crockpot (unplugged), covered with water and let them soak all night. The next morning, pour off the water, rinse the beans in a colander and return them to the crockpot. Add the pork, onion and garlic. Cover again with fresh water. Cook on low for about 8 hours. They should be soft at this point. Add the can of Ro-tel, beer and cilantro. Allow to cook another hour or so. Serve with cornbread or hot tortillas. Allow beans to cool completely before freezing.

Cobb Salad

2008-06-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Cobb Salad

I guess this is a recipe, but really it is just me ya-yaing about summer and the foods I adore in warm weather. I have to admit that Tennessee feels cool compared to the temps we endured while in Texas. I must have turned to butter in the 9 years we have lived here because I kept feeling like I was going to melt when it was over 100 degrees in Pearsall.

I worked a couple of hours this morning and then we came home to rest a bit before I work the night shift at the hospital. I put some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the oven to roast to use on salads and such. Big Sister and I had Cobb Salads for a late lunch. They really hit the spot and made me revise my "Menu Ideas" list to add some more salad ideas for family dinners.

The Cobb was easy ...

Just line a plate with torn, clean greens, your choice of lettuces, spinach, etc. Now chop a cooked chicken breast, or use turkey. Make a row of that. Add rows of your favorite salad toppings. I used marinated artichoke hearts, blue cheese, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, bacon and chopped hard-boiled egg. I topped it with some low-fat salad dressing I made. Big Sis used Ranch dressing.

Like I said, I revised the "Menu Ideas" list to include this salad. We already had Chicken Caesar, Chicken with cheese and bacon, and Taco Salad on there. I'm going to try to do more. I know we can use a shrimp salad and the usual tuna-pasta, Italian Pasta Salad, and such. Do you have any great salad recipes for our family meals? Tell me about them in the comments.

Be blessed~

A Berry Happy Return

2008-06-19T22:20:00.005-05:00

Blackberries and Raspberries

As is usual, our trip to Texas ended on a bittersweet note. We love our families so much and it is so nice to be with them. At the same time, our life is in Tennessee now and it is good to be home. I'm a little surprised at how well the travel went, now that we have a little van instead of "the big van". I guess leaving two kids behind (not on accident, they are with grandparents) helped with the travel. We were sick of road food long before we arrived home in the middle of the night. So, I spent the morning cleaning out my refrigerator and the afternoon restocking it with such goodies. I think this will be a grand start to our rededication to healthier eating. These summer berries were inexpensive at my local grocery store, but they were truly delicious. I am always amazed at God's perfect plans and how he made sure juicy fruits were in season during our hotter months.

I was tired from cleaning, shopping and then prepping all the fruits and vegetables I bought. So dinner was simple...

Blackberries, Raspberries and Sliced Peaches

with honeyed Greek Yogurt

Be blessed and if we saw you on our trip, thank you, we enjoyed our time with each of you~

An Old Haunt

2008-06-16T11:44:00.003-05:00

Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and cream gravy

Cheese Enchiladas with Rice and Beans

I lived in Corpus Christi, Texas for a year during college. I worked at a real estate office, answering phones, writing ads and doing general office stuff. It was a good experience.

Just down the street from the office was Andy's Kitchen. It is a typical little diner with great prices and delicous plate lunches. We stopped at Andy's for lunch on Father's Day. It was still good and still inexpensive! I had a chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and cream gravy. My mom and I like to add ketchup to our cream gravy. It makes it a sick pink color, but it tastes so good! This was a good chicken fried steak, nothing fancy but tender and hand-breaded, just a Texas thing. The Daddy had the Mexican plate. You would think we would tire of Mexican food while on this trip, but we don't. The enchilada, taco, rice and beans were very typical of small town diners with a definite Tex-Mex flavor. It was all good and cheap. I love that! Now we are back in Pearsall, but I won't bore you with more photos of giant burritos or gorditas, but that is what we will eat! Yum~

Be blessed~

Port Aransas, Texas

2008-06-15T11:39:00.000-05:00

Boiled Shrimp

We have loved our time at the beach. There are a variety of burns on each of us and then we ate enough to bring home some weighty souvenirs. We ate out a couple of nights but I tend to eat boiled shrimp every chance I have. I realize there were other things on the menu, but I just really like fresh Gulf shrimp. I really feel like I've been to the beach when I add a couple of pounds to my figure eating shrimp. Yum! It was delicious!

Be blessed~

My Hometown

2008-06-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

Street Food in Pearsall, Texas

My hometown is not the same as it was in my memories of 20+ years ago. It is too far from San Antonio to be a part of the urban growth that has happened there. Instead, there are few businesses remaining other than the chains that showed up while I was in high school. There is a Walmart, Sonic, Pizza Hut, one grocery store and some gas stations. There are more, but they come and go like the seasons. Even so, there are some things that don't change. I like it that when we make the trek to this remote place, there are some of the best things on Earth. There is my parent's home, not fancy (well, a little) but truly home with my dad's booming voice and the comfy bed in my room. There is the pool and the endless hours of sunlight.....and the heat! My mom cooks delicious food and I always feel a little bad that what I really want when I in my hometown is street food! The photo above shows a gordita and a chalupa. They aren't the same as in other places. In Pearsall, a gordita is a very thick pattie of corn masa that is deep fried to make it puff. Then you split it and fill it with the tastiest fajita meat ever. The meat has those tiny bits of charred fat, yum! Then they add mashed avocado and fresh pico de gallo with plenty of chile (jalepeno). It is hard to say how you eat it, but a little like a taco. We ate many gorditas over the years as the places they make them open late and close later. The chalupa is like what is known as a tostada in Tennessee. It is a fried flat corn tortilla, topped with refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and more of the fajita meat. It is seriously good, but less of a car food than a gordita. It must be eaten over a plate to catch the falling ingredients. Everything is made when you order it and just so much flavor. Oh, it is good!

The Big Burrito

My kids love to eat from these stands, too. The oldest adores their burritos. As you can see, they are quite large. I put the stick of butter in the photo to give you an idea of how large it is! I had to lift it with both hands. The burrito is filled with Mexican Rice, beans, fajita meat, sour cream and lettuce. It is not for the faint of heart. The 15yo devoured it, as he is going through one of the bottomless pit times. We all paid for it in the car later. Nice.
The burrito was $4.35 and the gordita was $3.25. I think the chalupa was about $3.00, too. Great late night grub!
We are at the beach in Port Aransas, Texas now. I've got no food photos but I'll find something.
Be blessed~

National Road Stop of Texas

2008-06-10T21:15:00.004-05:00

Steak Fingers at Dairy Queen

I realize that every Texan has their own interpretation of what Texas means to them. I grew up in a tiny South Texas town and the Dairy Queen was it in town. We have DQs in Tennessee (though not in our area) but there is just something about eating at Dairy Queen in Texas. For one, the gravy is the bomb. When you get a Steak Finger Basket at the DQ, everything in the basket can be dunked into the delicious peppery cream gravy. Yep, the steak fingers (deep fried portions of something like cube steak), the french fries and the Texas Toast are all good tasty vehicles for the gravy.

I, personally, love the tacos. Honestly, I think it is the taco sauce. DQs in Tennessee don't have tacos. They aren't anything like Taco Bell, but then again, they are nothing like what we make at home using corn tortillas. They are a taste all their own and we only get them in Texas.

(I ate the tacos before taking the photos, hence no pictures)

So, we stopped for more Whataburgers for breakfast in Shreveport before driving into my home state. We dropped off the interstate quickly, since The Daddy prefers the backroads. It does make the drive more interesting. It is fun to pass through the different terrain and see why they say Texas is like a whole other country. In each small town, there is a Dairy Queen.

We stopped for a late lunch in Brenham, the home of this delicous stuff. After our tacos or steak fingers, we had some ice cream and headed down the road. After 4 more hours, we arrived at my home.

I would tell you we had some delicious dinner, and my mom is a wonderful cook, but we were just too busy swimming and visiting to eat. It was good to be home.

Be blessed~

Hello From Louisiana!

2008-06-08T21:26:00.003-05:00

Crawfish from the street in Shreveport, LA

We left Spring Hill this morning, after stopping for a hamburger (the breakfast of choice) at the Sonic. The kids did great and we didn't stop until we got on the west side of Birmingham, AL. We stopped at a McDonald's to use the facilities and it was seriously the dirtiest Mickey D's I've ever been in . Ugh. Back in the car for a couple of hours and then a stop for lunch in Meridian, Mississippi. We went with tradition and stopped at Popeye's Fried Chicken. We don't have one near us in TN, though there are a couple in the Nashville area. My kids love the spicy chicken. I had a large serving of their delicious red beans and rice and some onion rings. Yum!

We stretched our legs a bit and then climbed back in the van for the remainder of today's journey. Now we are comfortably settled into our usual digs here in Shreveport. We are at a hotel with an indoor/outdoor pool and plenty of space to unwind after a 600+ mile drive. The photo above was of our dinner! I bought 5# of freshly steamed crawfish plus potatoes and corn for $15.00. It was at a screened in outdoor stand in a convenience store parking lot. If I die, it will be happy! The kids went for Whataburgers while the daddy and I had the crawfish and some beers (the daddy, not me, they make me too tired with my recent illness). It was joyous and now we are tired and off to bed.
Be blessed~

Going On A Trip!

2008-06-05T16:22:00.002-05:00

We are off to Texas in a couple of days. Now that I am wireless and all laptop-y, I can maybe blog from the road, well, not literally, from a still place. Anyway, I hope to document all our Texas traditions as we go along. If nothing else, it will be fun for us to come home and read and have our stomachs growl. Maybe I can talk The Daddy into a new camera, too. Be blessed~

My Camera is Missing

2008-06-03T09:42:00.005-05:00

I'm certain the fact that I have a 15-year-old son has nothing at all to do with the fact that my camera is missing. Nope, I'm sure he would never have taken it to church (?!) and left it out beside some horse pasture, surely not. In the midst of all that has been going on around here (sewage flood), it's a small thing. However, it does keep me from taking photos of our dinners. But, I'm going to post a couple of recipes anyway because I'm just crazy like that. Oh, yeah, the sewage flood didn't get in the kitchen, so everything is on the up and up.

Cheesy Pasta Bake

This great recipe is similar to Baked Ziti, but it's simpler and use some of that homemade Marinara sauce I've posted and wow, it is the bomb! My Weight Watcher subs are in red and honestly, I make it with the subs every single time now and the whole family devours it....don't tell!

16 oz. dry pasta (we like ziti, penne and such)
1 jar pasta sauce or about 4 cups of the homemade stuff
1/2 pint half and half (I prefer 1/2 can of fat-free evaporated milk)
3 cups shredded cheese, I like a combo of mozzarella, parmesan and provolone (I use shredded soy cheese but fat-free works, too)

Okay, this is simple. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, and pour it back into the pot. Add pasta or marinara sauce, half & half (or evap. milk) and about half of the cheese. Stir well to combine. Pour into a well-greased casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with salad and garlic toast.
**Be prepared and double up and freeze one!

Thai Salad

2008-05-04T21:54:00.004-05:00

Spicy and cool all at once!

I know, I've posted before that we love Thai food. I love the flavors of spicy and sweet and sour all at once. This salad is my take on a recipe sent to me by my friend, Melissa. This Thai thing is all her fault!

So, to make the salad, shred romaine lettuce or cabbage or both and put that on your platter. Now, slice up some cucumber. I prefer those lovely English cucumbers. Add some very thinly sliced red onion and some chopped cilantro and mint if you've got it. (I don't always have mint and/or cilantro and though it's better with, I still like it without) Okay, that's all arranged nicely on the platter.

Now make your dressing. It couldn't be easier, though it does require a few specialty ingredients. I got everything at either Publix or Kroger, nothing too wild. Just put 1 tablespoon of sugar in a mixing cup. Now add 5 tbsp. of fish sauce and 5 tbsp. of lime juice. Sure, fresh lime juice is better, but bottled works great for me! Now, I like mine a little spicy, so I add about 1 tbsp. of Thai chili and garlic sauce. If you want less heat, add much less....like 1/2 tsp. Whisk that all together until the sugar dissolves. Pour it over the salad, toss and serve.

I love to grill or broil a sirloin steak (especially if I got a whole bunch on sale from buying a whole 12 pound sirloin tip and having the butcher cut off 6 gorgeous sirloin steaks before cubing the rest for kabobs...all at $1.87 per pound!) But I digress, this a a great lunch salad with sirloin sliced on top or serve it alongside any grilled meat or vegetables. Enjoy!

Caramel Chocolate Pecan Bars

2008-04-05T10:01:00.003-05:00

Happiness

I try to bake something sweet now and then. It keeps the natives from getting restless. I haven't baked much lately though because there was plenty of Easter candy around. This past week, though, we needed something sweet and I was looking over an old notebook of recipes. I used to cater and this particular notebook was my Bible for the catering biz. Now that I'm just a mommy-cook, I don't tend to use these recipes as much. I'm glad I ran back across this one. It is so good. Don't let the cooking of the caramel scare you off! It is just a couple of minutes on the stove and the results had us all clamoring for seconds...and then for the crumbs!

Caramel Chocolate Pecan Bars

3 dozen bars

Crust:

2 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup pecan pieces, toasted

Filling:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish (or line it with foil and grease that). In a small bowl, combine the crust ingredients, except the pecans. Using a fork, cut the butter and sugar into the flour. Press into bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle pecan pieces over the top. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and butter for the filling. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil. Boil constantly until a candy thermometer reaches 242 degrees or a small amount of mixture dropped into ice water forms a firm ball. Seriously, it is like 1 minute! Pour over pecans in crust. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until entire caramel layer is bubbly. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate and butterscotch chips. Use a knife or spatula to gently swirl the chips on the top. LET COOL~ Take my advice and don't try to eat this while it is still hot and will literally obliterate the roof of your mouth. Just trust me, don't ask.

On another note, you should see a general change in the recipes on this blog over the next oh, forever! Really, I'm going back to Weight Watchers, but I do Core, so there will be plenty to cook, just different, but still family friendly and delicous...just lighter and back to basics. If you don't see the change, feel free to email me and harass me about being off my diet!

A Tale of Two Soups

2008-04-01T12:40:00.003-05:00

We had a busy weekend with lots of mud, muddy clothing to be washed and wet, cold kids and daddies to get warmed up. Lunch on Sunday was a choice of soups. Why did I make two? Easy! They were both recipes I'd been wanting to make. But really, it's because I found I had a motherlode of chicken broth in my freezer during my latest freezer inventory. I seem to be channeling my thrifty grandmothers, mother and mother-in-law when it comes to chicken. The Daddy doesn't enjoy chicken with bones, but he loves most anything made with cooked, cubed or shredded chicken. To obtain said chicken, I usually boil a whole chicken. If I don't need the broth for that meal, I cook it down and freeze it. When I last inventoried the big freezer, there were 12 quarts of chicken broth. It's an illness, I'm certain. Oh yeah, and yellow squash was on sale! So, a tale of two soups was born. Two soups, one smooth, creamy and sublime, the other spicy, hearty and fun! Pick one...or both!

First up was Creamy Summer Squash Soup. This is an old recipe of mine that I made often when I catered ladies lunches. As you can imagine, it is creamy and sublime. It is a cinch to make and reheats well, but it separates when frozen, so make a half batch if you aren't feeding a small army....or five kids and a daddy.

Now a new one to us, Buffalo Chicken Soup. My friend, Jenny, tried this recipe and I knew it had to have been a hit when her husband raved about it even when she wasn't around! It was incredibly simple and one of the girls asked me to put some away for her lunchbox this week. It must be good!

Creamy Summer Squash Soup

makes 2 quarts

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 lb. yellow squash, thinly sliced (don't kill yourself, it will be pureed)

4 cups good chicken broth

1 cup half and half

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan

Croutons for garnish

Combine butter and oil in a large pot. Add onions and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until onions are soft. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add squash and chicken broth. Stir, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes, until squash is very tender. Blend until smooth with a stick blender or in batches in a regular blender (be careful not to burn yourself!). Add half and half and reheat over low heat. Season with salt and pepper; stir in parmesan and stir to melt. Serve hot or cold with croutons to garnish.

A "Chili" Night

2008-03-19T21:17:00.004-05:00

The weather turned from warm and sunny to cold and wet overnight. Lucky for us, I had a large bag of Good Chili in the freezer. Our busy day ended with a delicous and simple dinner of Chili Pie or Frito Pie, depending on what you call it. In fact, some of the kids called it Cheeto Pie. Basically, you put chips in the bottom of a bowl, typically Fritos. Pour hot chili over that and top with some grated sharp cheddar cheese. The better the chili, the better it tastes! My nephews in Texas gave my kids the heads-up to using Cheetos in it instead of Fritos. Apparently they sell them that way at ballgames in South Texas. Mmmmm, that and a Big Red and it sounds like home to me. I went with the traditional Fritos and it was a great, warming dinner.

Here's our favorite chili recipe....and big favorite with the cubes of beef along with ground beef.

Good Chili
1/25/04

1 tbsp. Oil
1-1 ½ lb. Beef roast, trimmed well and cubed
2 lb. Ground beef
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
4 tbsp. Low-salt beef bouillon
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tbsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Cumin
½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
16 oz. Tomato sauce (low-salt)
6 oz. Tomato paste
1 can Ro-tel Chili Fixin’s
3 tbsp. Masa Harina
½ cup water
Heat oil in dutch oven. Add beef roast cubes. Cook until browned. Add ground beef and brown while crumbling with fork. Add onion, cook until opaque, then add garlic and cook another minute. Drain off grease. Add all remaining ingredients except Masa Harina and ½ cup water, stirring well. Bring to a low boil, then simmer 30-45 minutes. Mix Masa Harina and water with a fork until combined. Add to chili and stir. Let cook until it thickens a bit.

Humor Me!

2008-03-18T10:14:00.003-05:00

So, yesterday was Saint Patrick's Day. That would be the day to serve traditional Irish or Irish-American fare for dinner. And since I think I am so very funny, I had a little pun with dinner....a pun indeed.

Corn, Beef and Cabbage!

Yes, I should seek professional help and I have! I got advice on the pot roast from one of my favorite bloggers. This gal is quite a funny lady and I think she would approve of my using her delicious pot roast recipe for my punny St. Patrick's Day dinner. I did it almost exactly as she says, except I used baby carrots, since that is what I had...oh, and I made pan gravy from the drippings...and I might have added a squirt of soy sauce and a tiny bit of Dijon mustard to the broth because I like how that makes the carrots taste...and the carrots are my favorite part! I used a nice big 4 pound chuck roast and had enough leftover for some lunch today. It was a great meal and the kids thought I was funny for like 4 seconds. Well, they at least rolled their eyes at me.

I also took some advice from another very witty (and creative) blogger on cooking the cabbage in my crockpot. It turned out great! Her version had the potatoes added and I did mine just a little different, but seriously, it was delicous and EASY! We did enjoy the meal and got some cabbage and potatoes in so we feel St. Patrickified. What a testament to our heritage.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-03-17T13:23:00.008-05:00

Roasted Asparagus

There's nothing like those first new crops of Spring showing up in my local market. I love it when strawberries are cheaper than Hershey bars! After eating apples, pears, grapes and such all winter, the taste of Spring is a welcome change. Asparagus is one of those that just delights me! It is delicious and nutritious and, well, pretty and green on a St. Patrick's Day! Pop off the tough ends, rinse and dry then toss with the smallest amount of olive oil. I used 1 tsp. for all this. Add salt and pepper then roast at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. I like mine just a little firm but with some nice crusty bits. I roast lots then have leftovers for lunch....or breakfast....or a snack. Okay, it's good, you got that...

Endive Salad

I could sing the praises of this salad over and over. It has been my saving grace on Weight Watchers many times. It is healthy, but the bit of blue cheese makes it feel so indulgent! I got the method or recipe or what-have-you from Melinda. We used to go to church with Melinda and her husband a few years ago. I still see her now and then. She is one of those people who always smiles. It is magnetic. Maybe it's from eating this salad! It definitely makes me smile!
Start with a couple of heads of Belgian Endive. I buy it at Publix and without fail, every time I buy it (like weekly), the cashier politely asks what it is and then cannot find it in the system. I am now a pro at knowing it is listed as Belgian Endive there, under B not under E. And now you know, too. Wow, an educational post. So, you peel away a couple of outer leaves and discard them, then trim off a bit of the bottom, peel away as many leaves as you can, then trim again and peel away again. Arrange the leaves on your plate, platter or whatever you like. I chop up the smallest ones and toss on top. Now chop up a couple of tomatoes, 1/2 of a red onion and a whole avocado. Sprinkle that among the leaves. Add some blue cheese, a lot or a little, you choose. I tend to measure out 1 oz. so I can count points for it on WW. Now drizzle the whole thing with good olive oil, again I use 1 tsp. since that is 1 point. I also throw on a couple of teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and good bit of freshly ground black pepper and some salt. If I am serving this as an appetizer, I try to separate the leaves and ingredients a bit more so it's easy to pick up. If I'm having it for lunch, I just pile it together and eat it like nachos. Either way, it's one of my favorite things! Spring is just around the corner...I can smell it....or maybe it's just my asparagus roasting away.

Thai One On

2008-03-16T09:26:00.004-05:00

We love Thai food! During last weekend's cooking, we tried a new recipe. Spicy Thai Shrimp and Noodles was not difficult to make. It went together very quickly once the vegetables were prepped and the shrimp was peeled and deveined. At that point, it was only a few minutes of cooking. I started with a recipe from cdKitchen, but I was unable to find a couple of the ingredients. Basically, I used the recipe as a guide and kind of did my own thing...yes, I know, it's a problem. But honestly, it turned out delicious! Here's my recipe....

Spicy Thai Shrimp and Noodles

serves 6 (reheats well, too!)

36 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (this was the most laborious part because I won't buy those ez peel shrimp since they are from Thailand, irony, I know, but I will only buy Texas Gulf Shrimp or Wild Caught Shrimp)

16 oz. fettucini, cooked according to package directions and rinsed well with hot water, set aside

1/4 cup peanut oil (this was important, so do buy this, it lets the food cook but doesn't smoke as quickly as other oils)

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp. chili-garlic paste (I buy this kind at Kroger) Use less if you want less heat, but it wasn't really spicy.

8 oz. sliced mushrooms (you can use fancier kinds, but I used regular mushrooms)

1 lb. asparagus, washed, trimmed and cut in 2-3-inch pieces

3-4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in matchstick-size pieces

1 bunch green onions, sliced and divided

1 can low-fat unsweetened coconut milk (in the ethnic aisle)

1/2 cup lime juice (fresh is best, but bottled works)

3 tbsp. fish sauce ( I got this kind, again, at Kroger)

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 chopped roasted peanuts

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

1 lime, cut in 6 wedges

Directions:
Heat half of the oil in heavy large wok or deep skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add half of shrimp and garlic; saute until shrimp turns pink, about 1 minute per side. Stir in 1/3 of the hot chili paste. Transfer to large bowl. Repeat with remaining oil, shrimp, garlic, and 1/3 of the hot chili paste. Add mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, and half of the green onions to wok. Stir fry 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shrimp. Add noodles to wok; stir to heat through. Return shrimp and vegetables to wok with noodles. Add coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and remaining hot chili paste; stir until heated through, about 3 minutes. Divide mixture among individual bowls. Sprinkle with peanuts, cilantro, and remaining onions. Garnish with lime wedges.

Wings 'n' Taters

2008-03-10T14:15:00.004-05:00

Mahogany Chicken Wings and Roasted Potatoes

Wow, it's been a long time since I last posted and honestly, it has been awhile since I really cooked anything exciting. I guess we've had tacos and spaghetti and other things off the "tried and true" list. We've especially had a lot from the freezer! This past weekend, I got a hankering for chicken wings but I didn't want regular buffalo wings. I had gotten a recipe called Mahogany Wings somewhere on line and just didn't note the original poster. It sounded like just the thing for my craving. Since I have issues with authority, I had to redo the recipe....you know I'm just rebellious that way! They were good! They are really good left over the next day, too! The potatoes were sublime. They would be an excellent side dish for ham, beef, chicken, salmon or most anything. I like that they were a one pot deal, too! Here's a link to the potato recipe. The Mahogany Wings recipe follows.

Mahogany Wings

24 whole chicken wings, split and tips discarded (I used a bag of Kroger brand chicken wings)

1 cup soy sauce (I don't use soy sauce, I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead)

1 cup honey

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. chili-garlic paste (or sub 2 cloves crushed garlic and 2 tsp. Tabasco for this)

Place chicken in ziptop freezer bag. Mix liquid ingredients. Reserve 1/2 cup of marinade to brush chicken while baking. Pour the rest over the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator, turning often, for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet (I used a jellyroll pan) with foil. Place a rack (like a cookie cooling rack) on the pan. Spray rack with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange marinated wings on the rack. Bake 60-75 minutes, turning once and brushing with reserved soy mixture often. These should be a lovely deep brown with crispy edges.

**If you really want wings but don't want the fat, you could remove the chicken skin.

**We really liked this flavor and I'm going to try the same marinade on boneless, skinless chicken breasts but I'll grill them and cook them only a few minutes. I'll post if that works!

Carne Guisada

2008-02-29T11:12:00.012-06:00

Thursday was one of those days that was scheduled from daylight until dark and even beyond. I put our main dish in the crockpot, then came home and made Authentic Mexican Rice and a salad. That and some canned fruit and it was dinner. It was very flavorful, low in fat and just really good. I also used some of that sirlion tip roast I bought way back when. (I am fully aware that the photo may not be entirely appetizing. I just know how much our entire family loves the flavor of this meal. )

Crockpot Carne Guisada

serves 6 (leftovers freeze well)

3-4 lb. beef roast, frozen (I used sirloin tip as it works for Weight Watchers, but chuck is fine, just fattier)

1 can Ro-tel brand Chili Fixins (I can only find this at Kroger, but mild Ro-tel works fine, too)

8 oz. tomato sauce (I use El Pato brand, I buy it at Dollar General or in the ethic aisle at Kroger or Food Lion, yellow can with a duck on it..spicy!)

**If you cannot find the chili fixins type of Ro-tel, add 2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. paprika.

Place the beef in the crockpot, still frozen, but unwrapped, obviously. Pour everything else over the top. Put the lid on the crockpot and cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove beef from crockpot and slice or shred. Return to crock to soak up remaining sauce. Serve over Authentic Mexican Rice.

**If you don't like the texture of shredded meat, you can use cubes of beef and serve that over the rice.

Authentic Mexican Rice

seriously, this is the real stuff as shown to me by a friend in McAllen, Texas, our previous home

1 tomato, quartered

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

2 cups chicken broth, divided (I use a product called Knorr Suisa Chicken boullion)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup rice (I always use Uncle Ben's brand)

Salt to taste

Place tomato, garlic cloves, cumin, ground pepper and just a bit of chicken broth in your blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Heat oil in a medium saucepan; add onion and cook until soft. Add rice and stir to coat and brown just a bit in the oil. Now pour in the blended tomato mixture. Let that cook, while stirring for a minute. Add the remaining chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil, cover pan with lid and reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and season with salt to taste. You'll never want to use a boxed Mexican rice again!

Gumbo Ya-Ya

2008-02-28T19:38:00.014-06:00

I totally didn't have any idea what the term gumbo ya-ya really meant. So, I looked it up. Gumbo ya-ya appears to mean "everybody talking at once, or a big party". That everybody- talking-at-once thing sounds a bit familiar to me...and makes me think someone's been listening to my van on the way home from school everyday!

Anyway, it's been downright chilly here in beautiful middle Tennessee. I love the cold weather and being able to cook those long-simmering dishes that warm the house and the heart.

That said, The Daddy loves Cajun food. So one morning when I asked for dinner ideas, gumbo was his request. I'd never even made roux! But now that I've done it, I can see why it's the start of so many good things.

Bayou Gumbo

Here's my roux, all lovely and brown. It took right at 10 minutes over medium heat to achieve that color. It smelled a little burned to me as it got to the end, but the taste was exactly right.

Next, I put my onions and garlic in a large pot.
(I did mine on the stove instead of the crockpot but you know I'm just a rebel).
Then I added the roux and cooked the onions until they were soft. I didn't add the bell pepper because we don't use cooked bell pepper in our house.

Really, I didn't cook the onions too long so as not to actually burn the roux. I did cover the pot for a bit to steam them. Then I uncovered it and added the chopped sausage. I used this brand that I got at Publix. We really like it and it's not greasy at all. Anyway, I cooked that for a little while for no real reason other than it seemed like the thing to do.

I added the okra, tomatoes, cayenne and black pepper. Now, here's where I totally messed up the recipe, but it turned out great. I added the water that was supposed to be used for cooking the rice. Yup, I did that. Since I was cooking it on the stovetop instead of in the crockpot like the recipe was intended, I just simmered it without a lid and it was fine. Really.....it was.

See?! It simmered about 2-3 hours and it smelled so wonderful.

Now here's where you decide how much you want to eat now and how much you want to freeze. I froze some without shrimp and then added shrimp to the rest and we ate that right away. The remainder is tucked away in my freezer and only needs to be heated up the shrimp added for a quick and delicous hot meal.

It is important that you only cook the shrimp for a few minutes or they will get tough and chewy. Ugh. But shrimp that are just cooked through...well, yum!

I made rice and served it over the rice. It was warm and tasty on a cold evening.
I added quite a bit of this to my bowl and The Daddy, being an overachiever, added a lot of this to his.

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

An Unnatural Love

2008-02-24T21:10:00.012-06:00

Garlic Roasted Green Beans

I've always loved vegetables, at least as far back as I can remember. I have vivid memories of eating tomatoes still warm from the garden with my grandfather. He even kept a tiny Morton's salt shaker in his shirt pocket for such occasions. I remember shucking fresh corn (and hitting my nose on the patio table and getting a nosebleed) and I remember hulling black-eyed peas on the porch with my grandmother. There were many meals served at my mother's table that consisted of so many vegetables that her lazy Susan would sag under the weight of them. I guess those must have been summer meals. To me, vegetables are just as important in my meal decisions as the main dish.

Lately my passion has been roasted vegetables. I buy sacks of haricots verts at Costco, toss them with a bit of olive oil and some seasoning then roast until a soft and even a little crusty on some ends. I do the same with fresh cauliflower, often eating just a head of roasted cauliflower for lunch. But my all time favorite roasted vegetable is brussels sprouts. Oh the deliciousness!

When we were visiting my aunt and uncle in New Jersey over Thanksgiving, my aunt, a most accomplished cook, made brussels sprouts that made me swoon. They were buttery and delicate and utterly divine. My aunt is a busy lady and I'm a busy lady and I keep forgetting to ask her what recipe she used for that meal. So, I looked for one on the internet. I found this one.

First, you slice up a bunch of shallots and cook them, low and slow, until they are totally carmelized. Can you imagine how good that smelled? I am going to use less butter next time, it was just too much for me.

Then you add a whole lot of fresh brussels sprouts that have been sliced as well. They, too, cook until they are brown on the edges. Oh it smelled so good!

And then the finishing touch of a little more butter. The recipe says it serves 8 to 10. That might be right as a side dish. I had it for dinner three nights in a row with some leftover fresh cranberry-orange relish. It was quite pleasing. Aren't I just so controversial? Mmmmmm, brussels sprout love. (you can hum that to the tune of Muskrat Love...and now you KNOW I'm a nut)

Soup For A Friend

2008-02-23T19:21:00.006-06:00

When my family comes to visit, there is always a request for this soup. It is a recipe from the festival our church in McAllen used to hold each spring. I believe the original recipe is called Spring Vegetable Soup and is published in the church's cookbook as such. I have messed with it a bit and this is our rendition. It is so simple and just delicious! I especially like to take it to people who have been sick or are recovering from surgery. And now that I'm putting it on my blog, maybe my mom won't have to call me for the recipe. :0) (Really, you can still call me for it mom....love you!)

Creamy Vegetable Soup

4 tbsp. butter (I use much less when making it at home, like 2 tbsp.)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup rice
5 cups water
5 tsp. chicken bouillon
2 cups non-dairy creamer (I make it with non-fat dry milk at home and it's great!)
16 oz. frozen chopped broccoli

In a large pot, melt butter. Add green onions and cook over medium heat until softened but not browned. Add carrots, potatoes and rice and stir for a few minutes to coat with butter. Add water, bouillon and creamer. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes. Add broccoli and cook 15 minutes longer. Serve hot. I like to serve it with sandwiches or a hearty bread to make a complete meal. Leftovers are great but it doesn't freeze well.

A Handful of Heaven

2008-02-20T11:18:00.003-06:00

These little buggers are the stuff that dreams (and heart attacks) are made of for me! I adore pecans, especially when they are toasted and crispy and well, they are covered in chocolate...what else is there? I know it's a little late for Valentine's Day, but this is what I made my younger kids' teachers. We tasted a few .... ahem...hundred.... They are good and incredibly simple. When you want to blow someone away, make these!

Butter Roasted Chocolate Covered Pecans

adapted from Southern Living

2 pounds pecan halves

1 stick butter

1/2 tsp. salt

24 oz. chocolate bark or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place butter in a large roasting pan and add pecans. Bake 10 minutes, then remove and stir well to coat pecans with butter. Bake 20-30 more minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until pecans are a deep mahogany color. Meanwhile melt chocolate in the microwave in a large microwavable bowl. Be careful not to scorch chocolate. It usually just takes 1 or 2 minutes, stirring often. When pecans are done, sprinkle salt over them. Add pecan mixture to the melted chocolate and stir gently to coat the pecans with chocolate, but not breaking the nuts up. Pour onto a large piece of wax paper and spread them out. Allow pecans to cool and harden completely before packaging for gifts....or just be careful not to burn your tongue if you eat them warm! They keep well in a tightly covered container or in the fridge.

YUM!

A Fun Dinner

2008-02-18T14:21:00.005-06:00

We aren't fans of White Castle or Krystal. Well, most of us aren't and especially the ones who pay for food. We are tried and true Texans and our loyalty is and will be to Whataburger. I'm pretty sure The Second Son is about 3/4 Whataburger Junior with extra mustard and no cheese. I ate them almost every morning of my pregnancy with him. Mostly it's the magical Fancy Ketchup that is highly addictive. I hate ketchup. Have I said that before? I won't use it in most recipes, subbing tomato sauce, but I adore Whataburger Ketchup. It's one of the first things we have when we go to Texas to visit. Other people love it, too!
We do like some burger joints here in good ol' Tennessee, but the ones we like aren't national chains. We like Fat Mo's to be specific. So, The Second Son and I were watching a show on Food Network called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Usually the host just creeps me out with his over-the-top idiocy, but I really like seeing where he visits, so I watch. He was visiting diners in New Jersey. Little did I know that New Jersey was the diner mecca. One of the places he visited makes 800 to 1000 little slider cheeseburgers every day. They showed how they are made and it seemed like just the thing to do for our Sunday evening meal.
I didn't take photos of the process and I'm sure it would have helped you all to understand, but we just got so involved, we forgot! It was actually a very easy process.

Homemade Sliders

1 lb. ground beef (use chuck or so, but not too lean)
1/2 medium onion, sliced very thin
Seasoning of choice (I used Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning)
6 slices of cheese (we used American and Swiss)
12 small burger buns or 1 package Hawaiian Rolls (we used the latter), split in half
Condiments of choice (we didn't use anything, we just ate them HOT)

Separate the ground beef into 12 egg-sized balls, but don't roll them. Preheat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Place 4 balls of meat in hot skillet and press down lightly. Season the top of each meat patty. After a few minutes, lift each patty, one at a time, place a small heap of onion under it and turn the patty uncooked-side down on the onions. Press again to flatten into the onions. Now, working quickly, top each patty with one-half a slice of cheese, then top with the top of the bun and put the bottom of the bun on top of it all. Cover your skillet for a few minutes to steam the buns. Remove the bottom of the bun, pick up the oniony-patty with a spatula. Then place the bottom of the bun on the bottom of the spatula and slide the patty off the spatula onto the bottom bun. Press lightly to make it stick.
Add condiments if desired and eat hot!

Investment Cooking Part 2

2008-02-18T14:10:00.004-06:00

I hope the concept of Investment Cooking isn't overwhelming to some of you. It has really been a life-saver, well, at least a dollar and sanity saver for our family many times. As I was doing some cooking over the last few weeks, I remembered that one of my favorite things about Investment Cooking is that I use all my big pots and dishes over the weekend, when I have plenty of time to wash them. It actually helps me keep my kitchen cleaner! All we run through the dishwasher on the days we eat the prepared food are plates, cups and utensils. Sometimes we have a pot or pan, but mostly, it is just less stuff to clean. Now that is a great investment of my time!
We have taken care of The Daddy's car situation, so I have been given back a couple of hours every day. However, spring sports, birthday parties and my job have taken off. Oh, and there's that little job of getting our house ready to put on the market. We are still busy. And these people who live in my house still want meals. Go figure. To prepare for a busy work week, I spent a few hours in the kitchen and once again, we have plenty of food for the week....and some in the freezer for later, too!

Shredded Pork Barbecue

4-6 pound pork roast (I used a bone-in Boston Butt, the bone adds flavor!)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. paprika (I used Penzey's Smoked Paprika)
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
Barbecue Sauce of Choice

Preheat oven to 325°. Mix brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper and cayenne in a small dish. Rub spices on roast, covering completely. Heat dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and pork roast. Brown roast on each side, being careful not to burn. Place lid on dutch oven and place in preheated oven. Roast covered 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Pork is done when meat is easily pulled away from the center bone. Remove from oven, place pork on a plate and allow to cool. Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve. Allow juices to completely cool, then place in the freezer to allow fat to separate and harden on the top.
Remove bone from pork and either shred with two forks, or chop.
Serve pork on buns with your favorite barbecue sauce or add some of the pan juices to it and serve on baked potatoes or use as a taco or tamale pie filling.
**This method allows the pork to have incredible flavor because it isn't diluted by adding any liquids. That's why I do it in the oven and not the crockpot.

Homemade Croutons

Okay, this isn't really a recipe, but I like to save all my leftover bread and buns for garlic toast on spaghetti night. Since I was cooking up some chicken for Chicken Caesar Salads, I used some of my stash to make some homemade croutons to put on the salads. I just cut the buns into crouton-sized pieces, brush them lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle them with Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle. What? You don't order from the best spice place ever??? Seriously, it is good stuff...and The Daddy knows it! He gave me a nice gift card from there for Christmas. Getting the package of goodies was like Christmas all over again!
Okay, back to the croutons. So, you've brushed them and seasoned them. If you don't have Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle, just use a little garlic powder or whatever you usually use to season your garlic bread. Then bake them at 350° until they are golden brown and crispy. I keep them in a Ziploc bag until I need them for a salad.

Pizza Crust Dough and Cooked Chicken for Chicken Caesar Salads

Before I get to the Pizza Crusts, I'll finish up the comments on the Chicken Caesar Salads. I simply seasoned some boneless, skinless chicken breasts with Cavendar's Greek Seasoning and baked them at 350° until they were JUST done. I was careful not to overcook them. These were very thin cutlets that I buy from Gordon Foodservice Marketplace. I like them because they are well-priced and they are already trimmed and cut into the thin cutlets. Anyway, I let those cool, and put them in the fridge in a bag.
Then I made the following dressing. I will warn you, if you like Caesar Salad at all, you will love this dressing. It keeps well for about two weeks I'm told, it never lasts that long here. Once that is done, I have all the components for a quick and tasty lunch or light dinner of Chicken Caesar Salads.

Caesar Salad Dressing
(adapted from AllRecipes.com)
from Diane SSSoapworks

Single Recipe: Doubled:
3 cloves garlic, peeled 5 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use low-fat) 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
5 anchovy fillets 1 generous tblsp. anchovy paste
6 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce 2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice 4 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Salt to taste Omit Salt (add directly to salad if desired)
Ground Black Pepper to taste Healthy amount of freshly ground black pepper

Place the garlic in your blender. (**I add the lemon juice at this point) Blend to make a paste. Add all the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Now I usually add a lot more lemon juice because I like a thinner dressing. You do as you please. Pour into a jar and store in fridge until needed.

Pork or Turkey Italian Sausage

I prefer to buy lean ground pork or lean ground turkey (um...on sale, of course!) and make my own Italian Sausage for our pizzas. I add 1 tablespoon of Penzey's Italian Sausage Seasoning per pound and a light shake of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes. Then brown it up while smushing it with a fork to break it up. I often to quite a few pounds at once, freezing them in bags for later use.

Homemade Pizzas...Love in a pan!

I've been making homemade pizzas on a regular basis for a long time. They are so much less expensive than the local take-out places and they really taste better. I really like to make them on Sunday night so there are leftovers for lunches on Monday. I am still working on how to parbake the crusts so that they are a quick weeknight option. For now, I'll give you the recipe and when you have a little time, give it a try. It is truly worth it!

Pizza Crust Recipe
from AMOM Pam on AOL, 1999

12 oz. beer
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. dry yeast (or 2 of the little packages)
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt or 2 tsp. Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle for a flavored crust
5 cups all-purpose flour
Extra flour for rolling

Pour beer into 4-cup glass measuring cup or a microwavable bowl. Add water. Heat beer and water in microwave until it is just warm to the touch. It shouldn't be HOT, but slightly higher than your body temp. Okay, like 110°. If you heat it too much, it will kill the little yeasties. Now, add the yeast to your water-beer mixture. Let that sit while you mix the rest. It should bubble up well. That is proofing the yeast.
Now, in either a large mixing bowl or your KitchenAid bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients except the extra flour for rolling. Add the bubbly yeast mixture and mix well. The dough should come together and be smooth pretty quickly. Cover the bowl will a towel and set in a warm place (the top of the running dryer here) to rise. It will take about an hour to rise well.
Once it is doubled in bulk, remove from the bowl, place on floured countertop and knead lightly, just to punch down. This recipe will make two very large pizzas or four regular-sized ones. If you don't want to make that much at once, place the dough in wax paper and freeze until firm. Then place in freezer bags. Just thaw and use.
Roll the crusts out to desired size. Place in pan that has been greased and dusted with cornmeal. Preheat oven to 400°. Top crusts with marinara sauce (see previous post), pizza cheese and desired toppings. Bake 25 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and browned to your liking.
**This is also great calzone dough!...or make bread sticks....or Ham and Cheese Rolls. Well, you get the idea. It's good stuff!

Mini Meatloaves

I never make a single recipe of Meatloaves. I always double it and freeze half for a quick meal or to take to a friend if needed. This is the doubled recipe. Halve it if you want.

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, finely minced
1 cup rolled oats
2 eggs
16 oz. no-salt-added tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Ketchup for topping (yes, I hate the stuff, but it works here)

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients lightly. Pat into standard-size muffin pans and smooth the tops. Top with ketchup. Bake 25-30 minutes. Serve hot or remove from pans and let cool completely. Place meatloaves on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid, then repackage in freezer bags, being sure to remove as much air as possible.
To reheat, place in frozen meatloaves in foil and bake 35 minutes at 350°.

Cheesey-Jalepeno Corn Muffins

I just made a batch of corn muffins to go with our Calico Beans. I mixed according to package directions and added 6 chopped, pickled jalepenos (use 1 if using fresh!) and a handful of sharp cheddar cheese. Bake as directed.

Calico Beans and Jalepeno Corn Muffins

Yes, I now know that using a flash for food photos is a no-no, but indulge me for a moment. This was a great dinner.

Calico Beans
adapted from Carol's recipe as posted on LDD
serves 9

4-6 slices bacon, cooked, but not crisp, then chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1-28 oz. can regular baked beans
1-15 oz. can kidney beans
1-15 oz. can baby lima beans
1-15 oz. can navy or white beans
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard powder

Preheat oven to 350°. Place bacon, ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking up meat with a fork, until evenly browned. Drain off fat. Mix all ingredients and place in a 4-quart casserole. Cover and bake one hour.
**I only baked half of the mixture. I froze the other half for later use. I did use a smaller casserole dish.
If you want this to be lower in salt and cost, use cooked, dried beans. I like to use those 15-bean mixtures, but I cook them without the seasoning packet....and I pick out the black beans. They color the whole mixture and it doesn't look right.

That's it! I know it's a lot and a long post, but you don't have to do it all. Try one recipe and go from there. Whatever you make, I hope it gets you back to your table tonight!

Investment Cooking

2008-01-25T20:19:00.001-06:00

I am fully aware that it has been exactly two weeks since my last blog post. Is there any excuse? Nah. Have we been busy? Always. One thing that has kept us busier than usual has been only having one working vehicle. I have been getting up early, taking The Daddy to his work. That is 23 miles one way, or 46 miles round trip. He works north of where we live. Then I come home, pick up the children who are (supposedly) dressed and ready to go. I then drive them all to their school. The school is 21 miles south of where we live. Then I come home and collapse...HA! Seriously though, the morning commute isn't the one that does me in. It's the after school/evening/rush hour one that really puts a dent in our family dinner schedule.
I decided the only way to combat the hungries that we fight on that evening trip was to do a little cooking marathon. That way there would be delicious food waiting for us in the fridge. I would only have to reheat it and make a salad or vegetable to go along.
I picked some absolute family favorites for that first go-round.
1) Meatballs
2) Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs
3) Crockpot Shredded Beef (for sandwiches or tacos)
4) Chicken Noodle Soup

I've already gone on about my children and their unnatural love of my chicken and dumplings. The chicken noodle soup is actually the same recipe but instead of adding dumplings at the end, I add a bag of egg noodles. I also usually add a sliced carrot just to totally mess with the kids. The love Chicken Noodle Soup and I love having it for dinner with biscuits (Cheddar-Garlic ones) and some fresh fruit. I especially love having it for lunch the next day!
It freezes but I really prefer to freeze it without the noodles. I just thaw it, bring it to a boil and add the noodles. I admit, there is never any leftover to freeze if I don't plan ahead and portion it out before serving.

Meatballs are a biggie around here. I make them for spaghetti, but I always make extra. They are a handy dinner starter. I am especially fond of the following recipe because I believe the oatmeal actually makes them have a better texture than meatballs using breadcrumbs. They don't feel mushy.

Meatballs
adapted from Weight Watchers

2 lb. extra lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey or combo of any
1 cup rolled oats
2 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp. Penzey’s Italian Sausage Seasoning (only use for Italian meatballs, omit if using meatballs for other recipes)

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. (I cover mine with foil first, for ease of cleanup.) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix lightly, just to combine. Shape mixture into 1” balls. (I use my smallest Pampered Chef scoop, then roll.) Place on foil-covered sheet. Bake meatballs for 25 minutes.

Use these meatballs for all kinds of things. I use them in my spaghetti sauce, make a WW sweet and sour sauce and serve them with mashed potatoes or rice, make a creamy sauce and serve on noodles or just let the kids have them with some ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce.

Make extras when you make them, place them in the freezer on a baking sheet until firm, then store in ziptop bags.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

8 oz. no-salt-added tomato sauce
6 tsp. Splenda (or use sugar if you like)
3 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. hot sauce, like Tabasco or Louisiana brand

Combine ingredients, pour over cooked meatballs and heat 10 minutes.
Good on rice or mashed potatoes.

Country Style Sauce:

1 can cream of mushroom soup (use a healthy option)
1 cup buttermilk or 1 tbsp. vinegar with milk added to equal one cup

Mix these, pour over cooked meatballs and bake at 350° until bubbly. Serve with egg noodles and a nice amount of black pepper.

The meatballs are made to go in spaghetti sauce. I've tried numerous recipes for spaghetti sauce over the years and this recipe is the big favorite among the spaghetti-lovers in this house. The depth of flavor from cooking all day makes it taste like something from an Italian family restaurant. I readily admit, it is not MY recipe. I gleaned it and changed it slightly from a poster on a board I read.

Spaghetti Sauce
adapted from roseyrose on TVWOP 1/10/07

Olive oil
1 finely chopped medium onion
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch dried basil
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes (I only use Hunts, Red Gold or Walmart brand)
1 (8 oz) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1-2 shakes crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Cooked Meatballs

In a small skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion and herbs; cook 2-3 minutes then add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add this and all remaining ingredients to a large (5-6 quart) slow cooker (or use a stockpot and cook it on low on the stove). Stir well to break up tomato paste. Cook on high 1 hour, then low for the entire day. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve over pasta or in meatball subs. Allow to cool completely before freezing.

**Omit meatballs for a great marinara or pizza sauce!

Freeze in 4-cup increments.

The final recipe of the day is one of the easiest. Remember all those photos of beef I posted a few weeks ago? Well, this is one of the many uses. Shredded beef makes great French Dip Sandwiches, good Italian Beef Sandwiches (just top with gardineria or pepperocini slices). I also like it as a filling for soft tacos and most recently we used it on chalupas. Chalupas are fried corn tortillas. Usually they are spread with beans, topped with cheese and broiled. We topped them with the shredded beef, added cheese, melted that, then topped with pico de gallo, avocado and sour cream. YUM!

Shredded Beef

2-4 lb. hunk of beef, sirloin tip, chuck roast or other
1 package dry onion soup mix
12 oz. beer (if you don't want to use beer, just use water)
Couple splashes Worchestershire Sauce

Place the hunk of beef in a slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over beef. Cover and cook on low all day. I usually start with a frozen piece of beef and we have not had a problem with it at all. If that makes you nervous, then start with thawed beef. When beef is done, after 8-10 hours, remove from slow cooker, allow to cool and shred or chop. I like to strain the juice, place it in the freezer until the fat forms a layer on top. I toss the fat layer and put the juices back over the meat. (When I use the sirloin tip, there is so little fat, I don't bother, but the chuck has plenty of fat, so I defat the broth.) Then use the meat to your liking. I freeze it in ziptop bags.

I guess the time frame for doing this investment cooking might be helpful. I did the bulk of this cooking one morning after I took the kids to school. I do have two crockpots, so that might make a difference. I put the chicken for the soup on the stove first. Then I put the beef for the Shredded Beef in one crockpot. Then I made a double batch of meatballs. Half of them had the Italian Sausage Seasoning and half were plain. Then I started the spaghetti sauce and put it in the other slow cooker. When the meatballs were done, I added those that had Italian Sausage Seasoning to the sauce in the slow cooker. I let the others cool, then froze them until solid. Meanwhile, my chicken was done so I put it out to cool. I added those bones back to the broth to continue cooking while I shredded the chicken. I put the chicken in the fridge and let the broth simmer on low while both slow cookers did their thing. That evening, I finished off the soup by straining it, adding the noodles and chicken. Then I shredded the beef and portioned out the spaghetti sauce with meatballs for the freezer. I did not spend but about 3 hours total touching the food and we ended up with 8 meals. We used four during that week and have four in the freezer for later use. Now that is an investment that WILL pay off!

Chicken and Dumplings

2008-01-11T20:51:00.001-06:00

Since the reason for this blog is to share some recipes, it is time to add another.

I like to make soup as our supper on Saturdays during the colder months of the year. Somehow knowing that we will have soup keeps me from worrying about what's to eat on Saturday night and I should get to try some new recipes...at least in theory. The "try new recipes" theory doesn't work all that well around here. I can plan whatever soup I want but come Saturday and the questions of "What's for dinner, Mom?" start up. My answer of things like Potato Chowder or Beef Vegetable Soup are met with moans and groans. "Please," they say, "please just make more Chicken and Dumplings." The little varmits. They love this stuff and since I started making the dumplings instead of buying them, they are even more into it. I KNOW I'm not making it tomorrow...nope, not gonna do it. Well, at least I'm going to make a pot of another kind....just for me!
Here's the infamous method I use for the kids' favorite soup.

Place a nice, fat chicken in a large pot. I like to buy chickens which have no antibiotics or hormones. I rinse the chicken and remove any innards that might be in the chicken before putting it in the pot. I cover the chicken with water. Then I add the contents of my "scrap" baggie. Whenever I cook, I save the peels, ends and trimmings from onions, celery, carrots, parsley and zucchini in a freezer bag. Then I have lots of tasty additions for our broths and stocks. I also add a few whole peppercorns and a palmful of salt. Bring that to a boil. Allow the chicken to cook at a slow boil for about an hour to an hour and a half. When the chicken almost falls apart, I remove it from the pot, place it on a rimmed baking sheet and let it cool. I take a few of the larger bones from the chicken and add them back to the pot. I let the broth and vegetables continue to cook for another 30 minutes to an hour. I usually cover the chicken with a paper towel and let it sit during that time.

Once the chicken is completely cooled, remove all the fat and bones and discard them. Chop the meat into chunks. This is the 9 (soon-to-be-10)year old, cutting up the chicken. Set that aside.
Then, using a wire-mesh strainer, pour the chicken broth into whatever will hold it while you get rid of the vegetable trimmings and bones. I like to line the strainer with a piece of cheesecloth to really get a clear broth, but it isn't a must. Return the broth to the cleaned out pot and bring it to a full rolling boil. In a large glass mixing bowl, mix 2/3 cup of the chicken broth with 2 cups of Bisquick brand baking mix. Stir with a wooden spoon just until mixed, then remove to a clean, lightly floured countertop. Knead the dumpling mixture just a bit until it is smooth. Now, roll it out.

See what a pro the 6-year-old is? It is really so simple to make these rolled dumplings and they taste wonderful! Now that they are rolled to about 1/8th-inch thick, cut them into about 1-inch squares. Really, the shape doesn't matter much, you could cut them into stars or circles or rectangles or teddy bears, or whatever, but we do squares because it doesn't waste any dough! Now, stack those squares on a plate and take them over to the boiling broth.
Drop each dumpling in quickly and be careful not to get splashed by the boiling broth...it burns!
When the dumplings first hit the boiling broth, they puff up. Stir them often, scraping the bottom of the pot and keep it at a rapid boil for a good while.
When the dumplings appear flat and almost opaque (like an egg noodle when cooked), they are done. Lower the heat so as not to scald your family's tongues.

That's it. It seems so involved but really it is just moments of work and a couple of hours of stirring now and then. The smell is incredible! Salt and pepper the whole pot to taste and serve it up. My little carbo-loaders like Garlic-Cheddar Biscuits to go alongside. It is hot, tasty and filling. Enjoy....just in time for your Soup Saturday! Now if we just had some snow~

Happy Birthday to The Daddy!

2008-01-10T11:11:00.000-06:00

Sixteen years ago, the daddy and I decided that being engaged for 4 more months just wasn't going to cut it. We wanted to be married, so we got married. Texas has a 72 hour waiting period after getting a marriage license and that happened to end on The Daddy's 25th birthday. I sure hope he still likes his present from way back then! I think I got the better end of that stick! The daddy is a gem and the kids wanted to get him something special for his birthday. Here's what he is getting (he is working late from yesterday....still and hasn't gotten to see....you get the scoop!).

This is Willow. That is the name the shelter gave her. The Daddy has the right to change her name. The 3yo calls her Sunshine. Isn't that cute?! She was found as a nursling puppy, eaten up with worms and starving. They believe she is part golden retriever and part something. We feel lucky that she seems to want to be a part of our family.

I think she is comfortable. :0)

So, happy birthday and happy anniversary to The Daddy. We love you very much!

Dinosaurs in the Kitchen!

2008-01-04T10:59:00.001-06:00

No, I'm not talking about my applicances.....It's the real deal, according to the 3-year-old. As I hauled another load of laundry through my kitchen to the washer, I stepped on these beauties...big, mean dinosaurs, says he. I think the main part of a three-year-old boys' day is to move things. Sure, he imagines, talks (constantly), hops, climbs, jumps and sings (a lot), but mostly his job is to take things from where they have been put away and put them where they don't belong...like on my kitchen rug. I love this boy. He's my last and another boy after having the two big boys and the two girls. He reminds me daily of how young I can feel and how old I am. I adore his reasoning. Today he was certain that he could have hot lunch at his school anytime he wanted because "Jesus likes hot lunch". It didn't matter that you have to order hot lunches a month in advance and I didn't order them for him. Nope. I am truly blessed by these crazy kids.

Comfort Food

2008-01-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

I am fully aware that the above photograph does NOT do justice to just how good last night's dinner tasted. Maybe we were all just really hungry but Fry Pan Barbecued Chicken has been one of our family favorites for as long as I can remember. The kids call it Chinese Chicken, I guess because the sauce has a spicy-sweet-sour combo that is somewhat like Sweet and Sour Chicken. That and because of the daddy's hatred for all Chinese food, my kids really don't know much about it. (He apparently parked behind a Mongolian BBQ joint every day during college and now cannot stand the sight or smell of Chinese food) So we call it the original name and the daddy eats it and we are all happy :-) I serve it over plain rice, though sometimes I put a spoonful of chicken boullion powder in with the rice water. The other sides last night were lima beans (just frozen ones, brought to a boil then simmered until tender, add butter, salt and pepper) and cooked apples. I assume the softness of all the food is what puts it in our comfort food category. Whatever the case, it was hot and tasty on a very cold night. I hope it warms your family when you try it.

Fry Pan Barbecued Chicken
original recipe from Michelle on WFD on AOL...this is my modification

4-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, well trimmed
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup oil
1/2 onion, choppped
8 oz. no-salt added tomato sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp. plain mustard
1/4 cup water

Combine flour, salt, chili powder and pepper in a pie plate. Pour oil into a large lidded-skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture, then place in hot oil. Cover with another plate to keep them warm. Add chopped onion to the oil. Cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients, being careful of splatters. Whisk together and allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add chicken back to sauce, cover with lid and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve chicken and sauce over hot cooked rice.

Stop Throwing Cookies At the Ceiling!

2008-01-02T11:42:00.001-06:00

Oh yeah, it was said...in our house. See we are the proud parents of 5 children, if you didn't already know that. What we didn't know was that having children would make us say the weirdest things...like, "Stop throwing cookies at the ceiling". You can imagine what happened. I had baked a batch of chocolate-chip-pecan cookies and our youngest, the imp, thought that throwing them at the ceiling was the thing to do. He's obviously spoiled to hot, fresh cookies and has no respect for them at all. So, that's what the daddy said. "Stop throwing cookies at the ceiling." We have lost it. :0)

Breakfast!

2008-01-01T11:19:00.000-06:00

On the days we have more time, breakfast is one of our favorite meals. One of my most requested new recipes is this little beauty. It's not difficult or terribly time consuming, but it's delicious!

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
serves 4-6

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
1/2 to 3/4 loaf bakery style loaf bread
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Butter
Powdered sugar

In a small bowl, mash cream cheese with a fork. Add sugar and vanilla; blend well. Slice bread into 2-inch slices. Cut slices in half, but not all the way through. Smear a nice amount of cream cheese mixture in the center of each slice. Place quite a few strawberry slices in on top of the cream cheese. Press together. Mix eggs and milk until well blended. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter and allow to melt. Dip each side of 4 pieces of toast in egg mixture. Place in hot skillet. Allow to cook a few minutes; until the toast lifts easily and the underside is nicely browned. Flip toast to cook on the other side. When done, remove to an oven-safe plate and keep warm in slow oven. Cook remaining pieces of toast.
Spoon remaining strawberries over toast then dust with powdered sugar.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T10:15:00.000-06:00

As you can imagine, having started a blog about having dinner as a family more...one of my resolutions would obviously be to eat at the table as a family more often. To start things off, and because for me, planning is half the fun, I'll share a little about how I plan to get those dinners on the table in the first place. No, I'm not going to write a post about cleaning. Though that would usually be the first step in this house...clean off the dining room table. But, let's just imagine for a moment the the table is clean (and the floor and the placemats or whatever it takes). No, the fun part is figuring out what I'm going to cook.
To start with, I have a rather large list of things we like to eat. Yep, I wrote it down because it helps spark ideas and keeps me from forgetting new or old dishes. I also keep a pretty definite list of what's in the freezer. I specifically like to have an idea about what kind of meats I have as well as some notations of foods I have frozen to quick meal prep on those especially busy days. The other components are having a look (online) at grocery fliers to know what's on sale and keeping a going grocery list.
So, I knew I needed some beef. Local store has these...

...on sale. That is a 9.36 pound whole boneless sirloin tip roast. It was on sale for $1.99/lb. Around here, that is a great price per pound for beef. I bought two, because I need to be in a 12-step group for people who cannot stop buying meat on sale. That's another post. I trimmed it well and put the trimmings along with some roasted beef bones in here...

I also added the contents of my vegetable trimmings bag. You don't have a vegetable trimmings bag? Okay, okay, one thing at a time. But I will get back to that! That made 8 quarts of gorgeous beef stock. Then I cubed some and cut some into large roasts.
My 2 9-pound sirloin tips are now 4-2quart bags of beef stock, 4-2.5 pound roasts, and 2-2 pound bags of sirloin cubes. What? You don't want that much in your freezer? Okay, buy smaller. That will make around 8 meals for us. That ends up being about $5 per meal for the meat part of our meals for 7 people. That doesn't even take into consideration the possibility of leftovers as lunches.
What will I make? Oh you'll see.....you'll see.
I wish you and yours the happiest, healthiest and most prosperous 2008.
Blessings,
Amanda

Hello!

2007-12-23T05:33:00.001-06:00

I've thought about doing a blog for quite some time, not because I think we are that interesting, really, we aren't. Instead, it would allow me a place to start posting some photos of the kids. I figure it would give me a good place to talk about my favorite subject after the daddy and the kids....food. As a former homeschooling family, we now live at the mercy of coaches and school administrators. They decide when we will be home for dinner and sometimes even how long we have to eat. We now have the excitement that is homework for four children. I guess we are lucky that pre-K doesn't have homework. The end all be all is that I truly want to get better at staying in touch with our family in our home state and this will give me a chance to do so. They can read it or ignore it and I'm not all up in their time either.
So, that's why I started this.
Now, a little about who we are. We are a regular family, if there is such a thing as regular. There's the daddy, the mama (that's me), oldest son, second son, oldest girl, second girl and the youngest, a boy. We live have lived in Tennessee for over half our 16 years of married life.
So,that's the starter post. Now the interesting stuff happens...the recipes...the photos...the news. Hope it works!