Mocha Latte Syrup

One day of warm weather, and I'm already thinking of cold drinks!  Iced Mochas, Cherry Berry Chillers, Frozen Lemonade...mmmmm.... I have a goal to not blow all my free money on fast food icy drinks this summer, so I dug out an old recipe we whipped up years ago when we wanted to have a treat without all the nasties in it. Back in those days, getting ahold of food dye or artificial flavors would mean days of chaos in our home, so I wasn't taking any chances! These days, I'm glad I can make it decaf as caffeine makes my heart go pitter pat in a most unnerving way. ;o)

Since I had the handy dandy squeeze bottle left over from the wedding coffee bar, I whipped up a double batch and filled it up. You can see how much is missing since I made it a week ago. I did NOT use all that myself! I still have teens in the house, you know.

 Here is our Mocha Latte all dressed up with whipped cream. 

Leni's Notes:

~Super easy. Just don't let it boil over.

~Might be interesting with some different extracts. Coconut? Hazelnut for a Nutella flavor?

Ingredients:

3/4 C Raw Sugar

1/3 C cocoa powder

1/4 C instant decaf coffee crystals

1/2 C water

1 T vanilla

Whipped Cream, optional

Instructions:

~Combine sugar, cocoa and coffee in a pan.

~Whisk together until completely mixed.

~Add water, whisk until combined.

~Bring to a boil, lower temp and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

Be careful not to let it boil over, it can happen very quickly.

~Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir.

~When cool, pour into a container.

~Does not require refrigeration unless it's not going to get used up in a month or so.

~To serve, mix 2 Tablespoons of syrup into a glass of milk, adjust to suit your tastes.

~If you want to dress it up, pipe some whipped cream on top. (But it's kind of overkill. ;o)

Blessings from my eager-for-summer kitchen to yours,

Leni

Parmesan Cream Casserole

Lately, my life seems to be nothing but racing from one obligation to the next. The dinner table is a good measure of how busy I am, as cooking tends to take a back seat when I get over-scheduled. Recently I was looking for something quick I could make after work when I was determined NOT to put another frozen pizza or tray of chicken strips in the oven.

I decided to pull out an old favorite. We used to use this sauce back in the day when my kids just could not tolerate tomatoes. We used it on everything. Pizza, pasta, veggies, you name it! It is really quick and easy to make, and chances are you have all the ingredients in your kitchen on any given day.

The picture doesn't do it justice. You'd need smell-o-vision for that. It's so intoxicating! All that creamy, cheesy goodness...yum.

Leni's Notes:
~Use whatever type of milk and cream cheese you like. You can go low fat or full fat without changing the consistency.
~I used peas this time, but usually use spinach. Use your favorite veggie, but make sure to time it's addition to the boiling water so that it has enough time to cook thoroughly.
~The sauce is really good for a white pizza. My adults kids still talk about how much they loved that pizza.
~Spirals and bow ties are great for this.
~This is a throw-in dish. Whatever sounds good, go for it.

Ingredients:
1 lb favorite whole wheat pasta
1/2 lb frozen peas
1 1/2 C milk
1 C shredded Parmesan cheese
2 - 4 cloves of minced garlic
2 Tablespoon dry oregano
8 oz. cream cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
2 C chunked up leftover chicken or turkey

Instructions:
~Boil pasta in a dutch oven.
~When pasta is almost done, throw in the peas.
~When pasta and peas are done, drain them in a colander and set aside while you make the sauce.
~Place milk, cheese, garlic, oregano, cream cheese and butter in the dutch oven.
~Turn to medium heat and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and the mixture starts to thicken.
~Remove from heat and stir in pasta/peas and chunked meat.

Blessings from my hectic kitchen to yours,
Leni

Freezer Cooking - Lasagna

My youngest daughter is on Spring Break, so I don't have to drive her to the college this week! I decided to take this opportunity to restock my freezer meals as we are completely out.

There is just nothing like being able to pull a healthy, home-cooked meal from your freezer, pop it in the oven and walk away. I'd like to think this would let me relax for a couple of minutes, but really, it frees me up to go work on something else. I'll take what I can get, though. My schedule is maxed out right now, so any break I can get is worth it.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I have become a huge fan of disposable steamer trays. These half trays are just the right size for when the whole family is visiting, or when it's our smaller group (with a couple of lunch servings left over.) The foil lids let them stack beautifully in the freezer. When dinner's over, throw them out. ;o) I get mine in bulk at Sam's Club.

Leni's Notes:
~Adjust the recipe to include your family's favorite ingredients.
~Cooking has to be flexible with this one, as there are a lot of determining factors. Was it completely thawed before baking? Partially frozen? Did you have other things in the oven? When did you uncover it? Always check with a thermometer or by poking a metal butter knife in the middle and feeling the temp on the end of the knife. (Very scientific, don't you know!)
~Always put a cookie sheet under these pans. Not only will this save your oven should there be any boil-over, but these pans can be very flexible, and you do not want hot cheese and sauce spilling down your legs. Safety first!
~I know you can buy no-boil lasagna noodles. I personally don't like the result. It leaves all that starch in the finished product and everything tastes gummy. Not a fan.
~When I cook the lasagna noodles, I only partially cook them. (about 3/4 of the amount of time instructed.) When they come out of the water, I rinse them and then layer them between sheets of aluminum foil until I'm ready to use them. This works really well!
~I'm using some convenience items here, but I have found that if you do small things like buy block cheese and shred it yourself, you can make lasagna pretty economically. Everything costs time or money, so it depends on what you have available to spend!
~I am not a fan of chunks in my sauce, so I tend to buy smooth marinara. Feel free to buy your favorite sauce, or to throw in some crushed tomatoes with your marinara.

Ingredients:
2 packages whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked, layered on foil
3 lbs browned ground beef (give or take) cooked with onions, salt and pepper
6 Italian sausages, cooked, cooled and chopped (optional)
1 (3 lb) container ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon each: oregano, basil, parsley
2 ( 24 oz) jars of your favorite marinara
1 (24 oz) jar of water
1 (20 oz) can of tomato puree
2 cloves of garlic
Extra mozzarella for topping


Instructions:
~Combine beef and sausage in one bowl.
~Combine ricotta, mozzarella, eggs, parmesan, oregano, basil and parsley in another bowl.
~Combine marinara, water, tomato puree and garlic in a third bowl.
~Prepare three 13x9 pans with cooking spray or a little olive oil and a pastry brush.
~Start with a thin layer of sauce.
~Follow with layers of: noodles (3 will fit perfectly,) cheese, sauce, noodles, meat, sauce.
~Repeat until all ingredients have been used up.
~Top with extra mozzarella.
~Top each pan with it's lid, seal tightly.
~Label with item name and cooking instructions (including thawing times.)
~Stack neatly in the freezer. (Don't let them tip at all until they are solid frozen or you will have a MESS!)

~When ready to cook, my suggestion is to thaw completely first, then bake at 375 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
~I usually bake for one hour with the lid on, then take it off, check for doneness and decide if it needs more actual cooking time, or just a little time to brown the top a smidge.
~Remove from oven when done, and let it cool for 15-20 min. This gives the fluids time to settle a bit before serving.

Blessings from my busy kitchen to yours,
Leni

Crock Pot Best Beef Stew

Be honest. Nothing beats a good beef stew. Especially when it's cooking all day while you're at work, and you come home to that wonderful aroma. It just speaks comfort. Add in some fresh-baked rolls or dumplings and you've got a combo that can't be beat.

The first time I made the stew for a crowd, it was for a VBS closing dinner. Everyone thought I was nuts, making hot beef stew for 150 people in the heat of August. But when you're doing a old-style cowboy themed program, how can you not serve up chuck wagon stew? There were skeptics who said kids wouldn't eat something so grown up. I'm here to tell you, those who came late for dinner were left out, because adults and kids alike chowed down that stew like they hadn't eaten in a week. You just can't beat good home cooking!

Here's the great thing about stew. You make it early, and then you leave it alone. You have to let it cook long and low to get the meat tender and the flavors blended. So when you have a big group to feed, or you just don't want to be fussing in the kitchen while you have company, this is a terrific choice. Start it in the morning and leave it alone until you're ready to serve.

This stew has morphed over the years as I've changed my methods trying to find the easiest way to get the best taste. I *think* have found my final version. Gone are the days of browning the meat and deglazing the pan, which defeated the purpose of the crock pot, which was to make everything easy! Also, no taking time to thicken the gravy at the end, everything is done up front.

Leni's Notes
~This recipe translates well when multiplied for a large roaster pan. However, potatoes do not freeze well, so only make enough to eat up in a couple of days.
~This recipe can be adjusted for budget. If you have less money to work with, cut way back on the meat and load it up with more veggies. Just be careful with carrots (too many makes it sweet) and celery (too many, and all you'll taste is celery.)
~Feel free to buy a roast and cut it up, or even to use browned ground beef if that's what you've got. Because of my work schedule, I don't have time to mess with cutting up meat, so I spring for well-trimmed stew beef.
~A loaf of Italian bread or fresh rolls is a terrific accompaniment for this. Dumplings are even better, but not for a crowd. Save those for the intimate family dinners.
~If you're really in a hurry, and don't have time to make a roux in the morning, just put the ingredients in with the broth, and make the roux later. I like to do it ahead of time, because when I get home, I'm too tired to care. ;o)
~This recipe fits well in an 8 quart crock pot, with enough room to not boil over. Beef stew is the only thing I make that consistently boils over! What a mess. Leave an inch of space in the top of the crock to avoid this.


Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks of salted butter
1 1/2 cups white flour
2 quarts beef broth (Pacific Organic)
1/4 cup dry chopped onions
1 T dry basil
1 T dry oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
2-4 tsp sea salt, according to preference
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1-2 lbs well trimmed stew beef
4-6 white potatoes, cleaned and cubed
4 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped

Instructions
~In dutch oven, melt butter, then whisk in flour, allowing it to cook a little as you mix.
~Slowly add in broth, whisking until all is smooth. (Immersion blender is great for this step.)
~Allow to cook and thicken a bit, stirring to keep from scorching.
~When roux has reached desired thickness, pour into the crock pot.
~Place all remaining ingredients in crock pot and stir.
~Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
~Stir well before serving.
~Enjoy with fresh bread and butter.

Blessings from my cozy home to yours,
Leni

The Gang's All Here Sweet & Savory Pork Tenderloin

As you may have deduced, I enjoy cooking for friends and family. ;o) I'm always playing with recipes, tweaking and experimenting. While I love doing that, I also like to keep a nice supply of go-to meals. The type the everyone loves, and for the most part never go wrong when I make them. Today's recipe might look familiar, as it was inspired by ChanceLee Chicken.

I was looking for something I could make for a large group without losing quality in the cooking. I decided to make it with pork tenderloin. That turned out to be a terrific choice! I love the way my house smells when I make this stuff. 

I made some changes to the recipe, nothing too major. I like making this dish for company because the sweetness makes it a huge hit with the kids, and the spicy makes it have a nice taste for the grown ups, also. The kiddos at dinner (aged 7 and under) were pleased and asking for seconds, so that makes me a happy camper. Pretty sure my 16 year old faked illness to come home early from an overnight so she could have some too. ;o)

Leni's Notes

~This recipe is intended to feed a large group (we got 14 servings,) so scale down accordingly. 

~Also pictured above, stir fried french green beans and egg noodles with butter and parsley. Also good with cous cous and carrots.

~Every time you warm it up, the sauce gets a little thicker and the sweet gets a little more intense, so you might want to add some water to thin it and maybe some more salt or soy sauce if you have leftovers.

~Generally when I list soy sauce, I mean Bragg's Liquid Aminos. This time we used Coconut Aminos. The taste was good, but it had half the sodium, so the finished product needed salt. (Coconut Aminos are crazy expensive, but if you have an allergy to soy, a nice alternative.)

~Replace the pepper with cayenne for an extra spice kick.

Ingredients

4 pork tenderloins

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup ginger ale

2 Tbls. lemon juice
6 Tbls. minced garlic
4 Tbls. soy sauce
2 tsp. white pepper 

1/4-1/2 cup corn starch

Instructions

~Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

~Sear tenderloins in a cast iron pan with olive oil.

~Place tenderloins in a greased 13 x 9 pan.

~ Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour over tenderloin.

~Place in oven, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, until a meat thermometer says they are done.

~Remove from pan, slice into tenderloin coins, and place in a dish or on a platter, and pour sauce over the top.

~Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,

Leni

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Ice Cream cake? In February? In Upstate NY? No, I haven't lost my mind, it was a special request from my daughter.

Yes indeed, this weekend we celebrated my baby girl's sixteenth birthday! 

Isn't she beautiful? More importantly, she's got a beautiful spirit.  My baby is growing up. *sniff, sniff*  To mark the special occasion, I made her a cake I first made over 20 years ago for her big sister's first birthday. Come to think of it, that might have been the last time I made it!

We had planned a day of shopping with the Thrift Store Teen Queen, but the snowy weather kept us from leaving town.  So instead, we stayed home and ate ice cream cake, of course. ;o)

Leni's Notes:
~While my family loved the way I made the peppermint layer, I think if I make it again, I will cut down on the amount of peppermint patties. Only because it makes it kind of chewy when it's frozen. I seemed to be the only one who noticed.
~This will fit into 2 13x9 pans or one larger pan.

Ingredients:
2 containers chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo type)
1 half gallon chocolate or vanilla ice cream
1 regular sized bag of York Peppermint Patties
1/2 - 1 Cup cream
2 T coconut oil (You could use shortening if you need to)
4 C whipped cream

Instructions:
~Crush cookies in a plastic bag, and place into the bottom of the pan, reserving a cup of crumbs.
~Slice or scoop ice cream and put on top of the cookies.
~Let the ice cream melt over the cookies while you make the chocolate sauce. (Not completely to liquid, just til it's soft enough to push down over the crust.)
~In a double boiler, place the candies and oil, and turn on the burner to medium. (I break the candies up a bit.)
~As they start to melt, add in the cream, and stir occasionally.
~When the sauce is smooth, dump the hot water out of the double boiler and set the sauce aside to cool a bit.
~While the ice cream is melting, press it down over the cookies.
~Drizzle peppermint sauce over the ice cream, reserving about half a cup.
~Cover with whipped cream.
~Lightly drizzle with remaining sauce, then sprinkle cookie crumbs over the top.
~Cover with plastic wrap, and place on an even surface in the freezer.

~When ready to serve, remove from the freezer half an hour before cutting.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Leni

Crockpot Enchilada Casserole

First, an apology for the delay with this week's post. I fear as the wedding gets closer there may be more instances of this happening. 24 days to go!

Now I know that the picture below might cause confusion. I admit, I am recycling my photos! Today I'm sharing the recipe for the casserole that uses the sauce I posted last week. 

Who doesn't love an enchilada? Who loves taking the time to roll each enchilada? Always looking for a way to speed the process, we developed this crock pot casserole. It's cheap, it's filling, and if you've got a household full of teenagers, they will leave the table satisfied and not be back in 10 minutes claiming hunger again.

When we go camping (in a cabin, I do not do tents any more!) I make these either in the crock or in individual servings in foil cake pans. They can be popped in an oven or over coals to cook. I make them ahead and freeze, just thaw before cooking. 

Leni's Notes:
~Very versatile, feel free to change up the ingredients. Pick and choose from the lists below. Go wild and throw in whatever floats your boat!
~This can be done in the oven also, it's very much a "cook until done" recipe. When the cheese is melty and starting to brown, it's done.
~This is a terrific meal to keep in the freezer for those occasions when you want to send a meal to a friend who is laid up or for those nights when you just didn't have time to pull dinner together.

Ingredients
(for an 8 qt crock pot)

1/2 recipe of enchilada sauce (link above)
1 package whole wheat tortillas
1 large can fat free refried beans
2# browned ground beef
Shredded cheddar
Sour Cream and Salsa for serving

Instructions

~Grease your cooking container of choice
~Spoon some sauce into the bottom of the container
~Combine the refried beans with some enchilada sauce to make it easier to spread
~Combine the meat with some enchilada sauce to make it easier to spread
~Layers:
Tortilla
Meat mixture
Cheese
Tortilla
Bean Mixture
Cheese
~Repeat until your cooking container is full, ending with tortillas
~Top with a good healthy dose of sauce, so it runs down in and saturates the casserole.
~Sprinkle some cheese on top, cook until done. (It can handle high for 4-5 hours, if it's going to be on longer than that, cook on low.)

Serve with sour cream and salsa.

It's not pretty to look at on the plate. My kids say that just scares off the people who don't know any better, leaving more for them. ;o)

Alternate Ingredients
Whole canned beans (black, pinto, navy...)
Rice (makes a great filler for stretching a budget!)
Grilled chicken (or leave the meat out altogether)

From my home to yours, enjoy!

Pie Week Cometh!

You read that right, Pie Week. It's a beautiful thing.

A number of years ago, Father's Day was approaching, and I had no money to speak of for a gift. My hubby wasn't demanding a gift or anything, but he's a great dad and I really wanted to do something to mark the occasion. Well, my man loves pie. An idea was born! And so we had our first annual Pie Week. Every day for one week, he got a different pie. He loved it, the kids loved it. Their friends loved it!

When we started Pie Week, I was a stay-at-home mom. It was not a tremendously big deal to make a pie every day (even though I HATE making pie crust!) One year, I even made two every day. One sweet, one savory. But then the job came along, and my kids started branching out and doing silly things like getting jobs and going to college. Having social lives. Suddenly, it got complicated to make a pie every day! I switched over to pre-made pie crusts, and that helped. Then hubby asked if we could pretty please space out the pies so he didn't go into a sugar-induced coma. Yep, I can make that happen too! So Pie Week has morphed a little bit over the years, but essentially it's still the same: 7 Pies in honor of Father's Day.

I'd love to tell you what is on the agenda for this year, but the Father In Question stalks my blog. I've got some surprises up my sleeve that I don't want him to know about yet! Suffice it to say, you're going to see a lot of pies in the coming weeks. I'm even going to attempt my own crusts again.

There will even be some bonus items, because my soon-to-be son-in-law has a birthday today! Of course, it might be another week before we can all get together to celebrate his birthday, but we shall do it in style when the time comes.

Welcome to the celebration zone!

Let Your Kids Make a Mess in the Kitchen

A word to families with younger kids. If you're anything like me, you'd really rather they NOT make a mess in your kitchen. I will admit that cooking with the my kids stressed me out in ways I didn't know were possible. I knew it was a good thing to do, and I knew it was the homeschool mom thing to do. But I still hated it. So I compromised a little bit.

When my children were wee, I focused on kitchen safety. I taught them how to properly mix, measure, cut and handle the stove and oven. I taught them how to follow a recipe (and subsequently ignore it completely!) And then I left the kitchen. Turns out, what was stressing me was watching the process and fighting the urge to take over.

When it was time for them to play in the kitchen I would step out and let them go to it. I was always nearby for questions and to step in if there was any kind of emergency. Pretty much, I was a security blanket. As you would expect, they regularly destroyed my kitchen. And then they learned how to clean it up. They made some fantastic disasters along the way. They made amazing discoveries. They learned how to cook!

When my oldest got old enough to babysit, they would always make something adventurous while we were gone. The girls still do this with the kids they now babysit. Sometime I must get and share the recipe for Sugar Delight. Helpful menu item if you were hoping to go into a diabetic coma.

Fast forward to the current day. My kids are now 19, 17 and 15. My oldest is going to college and preparing to get married, my middle is graduated and trying to find work so he can afford to go to college. My youngest is working, working, working and seeing what amazing thing she'll tackle next. (Have to throw my daughter's fiancé in the mix, because while I didn't raise him, he's family and cooks just as much as everyone else around here does.;o)

In addition to continuing to homeschool our youngest, I work part time at the library and battle daily health issues. Sometimes life is great, and I can do it all. Sometimes not, but still everyone needs to eat! As I was hobbling through the grocery store this weekend, I knew that I probably had another difficult week ahead of me, pain wise. So I shopped with that in mind, and basically just stocked the kitchen with enough meat, veggies and fruits and work with and hoped for the best.

When I got home from a late doctor's appointment last night, I was hurting, but what a sight to come home to. Everyone had gotten home from work/school and gotten started on dinner. They were on the porch grilling, and it smelled wonderful. They had raided the kitchen and come up with fresh grilled burgers served with whole wheat bread, fresh grilled pineapple, sautéed mushrooms and onions, some romaine and for the brave, guacamole. Wonderful meal!!

It really pays to have kids that aren't afraid of the kitchen, and who don't see food as magically appearing on the table.

Whatever your 'Kid in the Kitchen' time looks like, make it happen. It will benefit everyone, and with any luck they won't move out and eat nothing but microwaved frozen dinners.

Moriah Cooks Too!

I had a monster fibro flare this weekend (still on-going, thank-you-very-much) so I did no cooking whatsoever. Thankfully, my oldest daughter was feeling just fine, and was in the mood to bake. The beauty of this is that her specialty is cheesecakes. It's a rough life, isn't it? ;o)

I call myself her consultant, just so I can take credit for some of this wonderfulness. But really, the ideas are all hers, and certainly the work is all hers. I'm more like the 'swap out' queen. "If I wanted more of this texture instead of that, should I use ingredient A or B?" Usually she already knows, and is just looking to confirm.

Much to the delight of her fiancé, this time around she decided to create a banana cheesecake. It turned out wonderfully! I don't know why recipes always call for banana extract or artificial banana flavor. This was real food all the way and the flavor of the bananas came through beautifully.

She hasn't shared the recipe with me yet. Maybe if we plead?

Here is a cell-phone shot of the finished product. The strawberry eyes were a nice touch.

Anti-Philosophy

I plan to get more into my philosophy of cooking a little later this Spring, but if you've known me for 5 minutes, you know that I believe in real food. Wholesome, natural food that sacrifices none of the yum factor. Some day I'll get into Food as Medicine, because that is a favorite topic. But not today. Today is sunny and warm and I have much too much to do to get started on those topics today.

Today, my topic is anti-philosophy. Sometimes you just have to throw philosophy out the window and enjoy a greasy pizza from your favorite joint, you know? I truly believe that as long as you don't live on junk food, a little isn't going to kill you.

And so today, I bring you Pistachio Salad. I think every family has some version of this dish, but I've never seen our family's exact recipe listed, so I thought I'd share. Even though it is loaded with not-so-good-for-you ingredients. But there are a couple of good ones in there!

The real controversy with this dish is categorizing it. Is it a salad? A dessert? More importantly, why is Jello EVER considered a salad? This is a question that rages every time we have a fellowship dinner at church. I always vote dessert. I always lose. ;o) But I submit to the wishes of my cohorts on the Social Committee. There's a lot of combined wisdom there, and these ladies know how to cook! If they say it's a salad, it's a salad.

This is a go-to for summer picnics and buffet tables. It's also very helpful when Grandma is in the nursing home and refuses to eat anything, but thinks she's getting away with something by demanding to only eat Pistachio Salad. Fooled her, it's loaded with protein! ;o)

Today I will go buy the ingredients, and enjoy some this weekend in fond memory of my Grandma. Many thanks to my mom for actually having measurements for this one. And here's a nod to what I affectionately refer to as the Jello Generation. They sure knew how to combine box mixes to come up with something yummy.

Leni's Notes:

~For some not-so-yummy treats from the Jello Generation, you have got to pick up The Gallery of Regrettable Food. You will laugh until your stomach hurts. But then you can eat some jello to make it feel better.

~I don't think I have ever in my life made a single batch of this stuff. Great for a large group, everyone loves it, and it's pretty!

Pistachio Salad

1 (24 oz.) cottage cheese
1 (9 oz.) whipped topping
1 (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (2 1/2 oz.) pkg. pistachio instant pudding

Dump it in a bowl. Mix it up. Cover and refrigerate.

Best eaten by snatching a spoonful as you pass the refrigerator.