Quality Ingredients

Then there are the days that Leni does not cook. It's going to be in the 90's the next couple of days, and I'm recovering from heat exhaustion, so cooking is not a huge priority for me today! Thankfully, I have some meals stored up in the freezer and my family shall not starve. ;o)

I've been pondering for a couple of weeks the topic of Quality Ingredients. The conclusion that I've come to is that this means different things to different people. Certainly it has meant different things to me during various stages of my life. There are a lot of factors to take in. The amount of money available to spend, what is accessible in your area, culture (both where you live now and how you were raised,) and what you are trying to accomplish.

At this stage of life, my philosophy is to buy the best I can afford, because I want the best quality taste and the healthiest finished product I can manage. That doesn't always mean I can buy the best of the best, I still have a house full of teenagers to feed, and I could go broke just on food! But I can make simple changes like coconut oil instead of shortening, butter in place of margarine, fresh lemonade rather than soda. 

There have been times where due to my health, my major challenge was just to put a meal on the table. Any meal. Anything at all. During those times, I kind of wished I held stock in the Tyson Chicken company, because we were certainly doing our part to support their business! Not what I would picture as health food, but I felt like I made the best choice I could given the circumstances.

In the early years of our marriage, money was the driving factor. Let's face it, there are times when it really doesn't matter what we eat as long as our bodies register it as food!

When we were in Bible College, we had a teacher who had been a lumberjack in Maine in his early years. Mr. Lanpher never stopped being a lumberjack! He was the sweetest man. He used to work for local farmers, and one of the things they let him do was glean the fields. (Are you familiar with that term? They let him go through and gather what the machines had missed, and he could just take the food.) He supplied the students on campus with fruits and vegetables as long as he had them to give. He would stop by my house daily and pound on the wall next to the door so I'd hear him. By the time I got to the door, he was always gone, but there would be a bag full of produce. Money was tight in those days, but we ate like kings. We couldn't really afford meat, but we had a huge pot full of steamed potatoes, carrots and onions every night, with a side of cucumbers and tomatoes. He always kept us supplied with apples, also. Another teacher brought me bags and bags of rhubarb. I'd say we ate pretty well for starving college students!

So when a young cook asks me for tips, I always tell them to buy the best they can afford, and to shop around. You never know where you're going to find that treasure! Living in Western New York, we are blessed with weekly farmer's markets in local towns and the Public Market in Rochester. The last time we were at the public market, we found a company selling spices. I was thrilled to discover that he grinds all of his own spices! No fillers or MSG added. I found Lemon Pepper without food dye in it! "If you want something custom, just call my shop, I'll whip it up for you." The prices were great, the product was top quality. I sure wasn't going to find that at Walmart!

Same thing goes for meat. Honestly, I'd rather have one ounce of good quality meat than a pound of injected meat or additive filled goo. 

My children were raised on a diet free of preservatives, dyes, additives, etc. We did this to handle their ADHD symptoms. Hard? Yes. Beyond hard. But worth it. When they got older and were able to start trying some of the stuff they'd been missing out on for years, they all had the same reaction. "You can taste the chemicals in this. That's all you can taste!"  True enough. ;o)

"Real food tastes real good!"  

Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

I have got to share a recipe with you that I found on Pinterest. The recipe is for Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce. We make pork tenderloin all the time, it's somewhat of a convenience food for us. I'm always looking for ways to (literally) spice it up so it's not just humdrum pork again. Nothing humdrum about this! Amazingly, I already had all the ingredients in my house, which I always love in a recipe.

We buy our tenderloin in a vacuum packaged two-pound size. Perfect, because it leaves leftovers for the sandwiches mentioned below. ;o)

Leni's Notes:

~Double the pan sauce, everyone wanted extra of that.
~Do not fall to the temptation to replace the red wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar. (The second time I made it, I didn't have quiet enough red wine vinegar. You could really taste the difference.)
~Suggested side dishes: baked potatoes, egg noodles.
~Veggie: cooked carrots with butter and parsley.
~For a lovely leftover sandwich:
  Butter a roll, and grill the bread.
  Remove the bread and add 3-4 slices of leftover tenderloin. Turn now and then, til warm and browned.
  Place meat on bread, and in same pan, place about a tablespoon of leftover pan gravy. Stir til warm.
  Pour gravy over meat, enjoy.

Recipe:

I linked it above, please do go an peruse the site and see what else Chef Mommy has to offer. I made no changes to the recipe, but the text is here just in case you can't get to that site at some point in the future.

1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed)

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours.
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

Cayenne Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Running late, but here I am! I was inspired and cooking today after a week out of the kitchen. I have a bunch of new recipes to share, but I guess I'd better follow through on my promise of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's Cayenne Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

This is the dressing they use on the Fried Green Tomatoes, and the House Greens. Turns out they also use it on a couple of sandwiches that I desperately need to go back and try. For research, of course. I'm doing it all for you! (I thought my husband supported my culinary efforts, but he just shook his head 'no' when I mentioned that the Dinosaur would still be open if we left right now...)

So I headed off to the public market last week, got a bunch of spices and came home to create this treat. I started off by making the basic Creole Seasoning, which has since been used on a bunch of different items!

Leni's Notes:
~ Excellent for dipping. I used it in many places that I might have used bleu cheese dressing in the past.
~ If you have a lot of 'dippers' in your family, double up the recipe.
~ If you want it to have a little more zest, you can add in more creole seasoning til it suits your taste.

Recipe, straight out of the Dinosaur Bar-BQue Cookbook:

1 1/4 C mayonnaise
1 C buttermilk
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 C finely chopped chives
1 Tbsp. lemon pepper
1/4 C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Creole Seasoning

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Pour into a container with a tight lid, and store in fridge til needed.

(Makes 2 1/2 Cups)

Where's the Beef?!

I am sure that is the cry of my husband and children in recent days. They are coming home to a lot of what we call "at home fast food." Basically, I bought it in a grocery store, but that doesn't mean there's anything particularly healthy or inviting about it.

We've hit one of those seasons, which should be over rather quickly, but in the mean time must be endured. It's the end of the year, and for a homeschool family, that means a lot of things. For this homeschool family, we had a whole lot of time-sensitive things fall into this week.

School Stuff:
~Final Report and Evaluations needed to be written and sent in with test results.
~Letter of Intent and Lesson Plans written and turned in for next year.
(I do it all at once so I'm done for the summer.)
~Noelle's transcripts updated
~Finish planning Seth's graduation party
~Finish prep/host Seth's graduation party

Non-School Stuff
~Moriah's wedding invitations finished, weighed, stamped and mailed
~Shower invitations and registry lists made, addressed, mailed
~Extra work hours since boss is out of town
~Summer Reading program kick off
~Kids are out of school so the library has been inundated with people
(Yes, this is a good thing, but it puts me on overload!)
~Friends visiting from CA (highlight of the week!)
~Orthodontist and Chiropractic appointments
~Baby shower at church

All that to say that sometimes, no matter how badly you might want to feed your family a gourmet organic dinner, they're getting corn dogs!

More importantly, it's ok. No one is going to die from one week of less-than-stellar meals. But you might die from stress if you try to keep up a schedule like I have this week and try to put a four-course meal on the table. Sometimes you just have to let it go and move on. Make the best choices you can, and call it good.

God willing, I'll be back next week with something wholesome and yummy!

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Creole Seasoning

This weekend, I spent time with some of my favorite people having a meal at one of my favorite places. If you are not so blessed as to live in Western New York, I have possible good news for you. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is expanding in leaps and bounds, and now has locations all over NY, as well as in NJ and CT. 

For the rest of you, there's always the cookbook, which is what I'm going to be sharing a little bit of. After having some Fried Green Tomatoes and Ribs, I had to come home and make some of the house dressing they use for a bunch of their items. It's a Cayenne Buttermilk Ranch, and it's simply wonderful. But more on that later, because before you can make the ranch, you're going to need some Creole Seasoning, so that's our focus today. 

I highly recommend that you buy the cookbook, and to convince you, I'll share a couple of recipes.

Leni's Notes:
~This seasoning is great for a meat rub also.
~Make a big batch and store it in a sealed container.
~Nice for adding a little kick to any recipe that you just want to liven up a bit!
~I am fairly certain this is the secret ingredient to the broccoli casserole we had at the restaurant a couple of times lately. ;o)

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Creole Seasoning

1/2 C paprika
1/2 C granulated garlic
1/4 C granulated onion

1/4 C dried oregano
1/4 C dried thyme
3 Tbsp black pepper
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin


Mix it all up, store in sealed container. Makes 2 1/2 Cups.

Father's Day Ribs

I hope you all had a wonderful time yesterday, celebrating the fathers in your life. My own dad passed away seven years ago, and while still miss him like crazy, we had some great moments recounting happy memories of him.

Yesterday was all about my wonderful husband, and so we made a favorite meal for Steve. Orange Chipotle Ribs with corn on the cob and baked potatoes, ice cream for dessert. Really, it's the ideal dinner for Father's Day as I'm fairly certain that my hubby's blood is made of equal parts bbq sauce and ice cream. Technically, I can't call these chipotle ribs, because I don't use chipotle chili powder. I can't find the stuff!

Due to circumstances beyond my control, pie week had to be postponed for a bit. Scandalous, really. We first made the decision to put it off due to some medical restrictions on my part. But then I looked at the upcoming weather for the week and reflected on God's goodness in leading us to that choice. Who wants to bake pies when it's in the 90's? I don't want to do anything when it's that hot, much less cook. (Which reminds me that they are going to want to eat tonight...ugh.)

This is a great recipe that also happens to be gluten free. If you're looking for more great gluten free crock pot meals, check out A Year of Slow Cooking, where this recipe is adapted from.

Leni's Notes:

 ~I used my 18 qt Nesco roaster for this dish--2 full slabs of ribs fit perfectly on the bottom, although I have cooked more and let them overlap.
~I put a rack on top of the ribs, to hold the foil-wrapped baked potatoes.
~Great side dishes include baked potatoes or salt potatoes, corn on the cob, macaroni salad...let your imagination run wild!

The original Orange Chipotle Rib recipe can be found here. Here's the Leni-ized version of this recipe:

Ingredients:

6 pounds ribs (we like pork)
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup orange marmalade (preferably without corn syrup)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 tsp Indian hot chili powder (if you use regular chili powder, you'll want 4 tsp.)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp crushed garlic in olive oil or water

Directions:

Place thawed meat in greased cooker. (Frozen can be used, but you will need to adjust cook time.)

Combine all sauce ingredients, and pour evenly over the ribs. I like to flip the ribs around in there a bit to make sure they are covered well.

Cover and cook 250 for 7-8 hours, to have them falling-off-the-bone done. Sometimes we cook them for 5-6 hours, and then throw them on the grill to caramelize the sugar a bit.

Confession Time

I had a nice visit with a group of ladies from our church last night. We were at a cooking demonstration,  and my daughter asked a question about how much the demonstrator cooked from scratch. She mentioned that she makes all of her own spaghetti sauce. I casually commented that spaghetti sauce was something I had never managed to master. My friend sitting next to me gasped and looked at me in wide-eyed disbelief. "What? You don't make your own sauce? You?!"  Who knew that I would be the cause of such disillusionment? ;o) 


Yes, it's true. While I'm sure there are many, many things I do not know about cooking, there are two things I know for certain that I am not good at. Spaghetti sauce and beef broth.  


I have never made a beef broth that was in any way palatable. I have followed every recipe, researched the modern wisdom of every Food Network Chef that's out there...I just can't pull it off. Lucky for me, Rachael Ray has done it for me, and after she's gone to all that trouble, it would just be rude to leave it sitting on the shelf!


To be fair, I have managed to make a spaghetti sauce that the family assured me was great, but I didn't think it was spectacular. And for as much work as I had to put into it, it needed to be spectacular for me to want to do it again! I see spaghetti sauce as my back up plan on any given day. When my day suddenly goes out of control and there is no time to cook, I can always open a jar of sauce, boil a pot of water for pasta and take some browned meat or meatballs out of the freezer to make a hearty meal that requires virtually no work. It's my cheater meal. 


So now that my cat's out of the bag, what's your deep dark secret? What stumps you in the kitchen? Is it something you wish you could master, or like me, are you totally fine with never learning how to make it? Leave a comment, let me know I'm not the only one!


Here's hoping that my buddy can get past the shock and still love me. Maybe I'll cook her something to restore her faith in me. 

I would like to thank Classico spaghetti sauce for helping me through my toughest mom days. ;o)

Marinated Pasta Salad

Today in Western New York, it's decided to be summer again. 90 degrees and humid, which means no one will have much of an appetite, and when they do get hungry, they won't want anything hot. This calls for a pasta salad. 

There are so many different recipes for pasta salad, most of which contain mayonnaise. I'm not a big fan of mayo, so I prefer a salad that is marinated in a nice vinaigrette. My current favorite is Brianna's French Vinaigrette. Good stuff, no nasties! (Local friends, you can find it at Wegmans.)

Over the years I have changed up my salad recipe to make it a bit more wholesome, so I can say from experience that this salad tastes good with the cheaper ingredients and the more expensive healthy ingredients. Do whatever works for your pocketbook! When I'm cooking for a large crowd, I tone down the price without sacrificing good taste.

Leni's Notes:

~Nice side dish for grilled meats.
~Holds up well for parties and picnics.
~When you are done mixing, let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge and then test it again to see if it needs more dressing.
~This makes a nice light lunch, also.

Ingredients:
2 lbs whole wheat pasta of choice (Rotini for us this time)
1 large head of fresh broccoli, cut into small  spears
1 lb block cheese, cut into cubes (Colby-Jack is our favorite)
1 quart grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 (6 oz) package turkey pepperoni, sliced into quarters
1 bottle vinaigrette dressing
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
Optional: Sliced black olives, chopped raw bell pepper, shredded raw onion

Directions:
~Boil pasta according to directions. During the last minute of cooking, throw the broccoli in. Drain and rinse, and set aside to dry out a bit.
~When pasta is well drained, add in everything except dressing and parmesan.
~Mix well, and add about half the bottle of dressing, making sure to coat all of the pasta well. The dressing amount will vary according to taste, but it's better to go light at first.
~Add parmesan, cover and refrigerate.
~Before serving, taste to gauge the need for more dressing.

Be blessed!
Leni

Birthday Pie

Today's creation was Moriah's birthday pie for her fiancé.  Strawberry Rhubarb looks good, doesn't it?

It is worth noting that she only made one, and we didn't get any of it. :o(  That is not what her momma taught her. I always make enough for an army!

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!

Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee

Ahhh, it's that time of year again. That's what I keep telling myself. Despite the high of 65 degrees today, and the black storm clouds that look suspiciously like snow clouds. But the calendar says it's June 4th, and so I am moving forward with my favorite summer treat. Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee concentrate. 

This stuff is soooo good. Moriah and I are big fans of coffee in general, but especially iced coffee in the summer. With this recipe, all of the guess work is taken out of the coffee/ice ratio, and finally, I can have what I can't seem to get in any restaurant. Decaf iced coffee! Is that too much to ask? I love the coffee, but my heart does not love the caffeine. So I can have my decaf, Mo can have her flavored coffee, our wallets can keep their cash, everyone is happy.

You'll notice over there on the right that I have Pioneer Woman's site linked. I first came across Ree when someone told me about her blogging her story of meeting her husband and making the transition from city girl to ranch girl. I'm a sucker for a good love story, so I checked back every week to get the next installment, and while I was waiting, started exploring other parts of her blog. 

I have to say, as much as I love food and cooking, what really draws me is the personality of the writer. I can get a recipe anywhere, but I love to come across a writer that is just real, you know? I try to be myself in my writing, and hope that it's enough for whoever is reading. I've had my fill of trying to be all things to all people. It doesn't work and stresses you out. When I read Ree's writing, she just seemed genuine. All that to say, I came to her food as a secondary thing. 

Boy, am I glad I found her food! I have been incredibly pleased with all of her recipes that I've tried. One of them even made the cut for my daughter's wedding. ;o)  

Also, for someone who is trying to learn how to cook, Ree's format of photography is terrific! I love that after each step, she shows what it should look like at that point. Great idea for Kids in the Kitchen.

You'll be seeing more here from her in the future, but I'm trying to pace myself, lest I look like a stalker. 

I'm going to link Ree's recipe for Iced Coffee, because it's perfect. The only thing I changed a bit was the gear I used, which is pictured below.

Leni's Notes:
~ I went and bought a brand new dish pan that we only use for coffee.
~ When I first made this, there wasn't a single piece of cheesecloth to be found in four counties. So I bought some new kitchen wash cloths, and we use those for straining the grounds. They get packed up with the dish pan, so they are never used on anything else.
~ We found a nice container that fits in our fridge, Walmart had a ton to choose from.
~ Something you don't hear me say often...don't change anything! Follow her directions exactly!

Click here for Pioneer Woman's Perfect Iced Coffee ingredients and instructions. I'm listing the ingredients here just in case disaster strikes and the recipe disappears!  But if you don't go to her site, you'll miss out on her beautiful presentation.

Ingredients
1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
8 quarts Cold Water

For Serving:
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)

In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.

Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

The Kids are Cooking Again

Tonight is the night I work late, and it seems my family is really catching on to the idea that if they want to eat, they'd better cook something! ;o)

Oldest daughter and her fiancé are making pizza tonight. I hear rumor that there may be a Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pizza in the works.

So, when your kids cook, what are their go-to recipes? Leave a comment, and tell us what you've been surprised with.

Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes

If you follow my Facebook at all, you'll know that I spent last night sitting up until the wee hours talking with my best girlfriend. We were so engrossed in our conversation, we had no idea that it was 3 am! All that to say, I've been off kilter all day, which is why I'm posting my regular Monday recipe at 11 pm!

I had decided on a crock pot meal today so we would be free to spend Memorial Day doing whatever we felt like doing, (which ended up including a nap!) This is one of my meals that I never measure, so I am attempting to write it down for you. On very little sleep. Check back for edits in the coming days... ;o)

I urge you to remove from your thought process everything you might know about Salisbury Steak. No cream of mushroom soup. No cream of chicken (what?!) or canned mushrooms. And for heaven's sake, don't cook it in a microwave! This meal is simple and easy without taking nasty shortcuts.

Leni's Notes:

~I made these with sirloin patties this time, which were very lacking in flavor despite my best efforts. They just didn't take on the great flavor of the gravy. Next time I will make a meat-loaf type mixture for the patties.
~Planning to use the leftover gravy with homemade meatballs.
~Serve with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. But if you really love your family, you'll make the mashed potatoes. Real ones. With lumps.

Ingredients:

Roux:
1/2 C butter
1 C flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 quart beef broth (Rachael Ray was the choice today)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Everything else:
Burger patties (straight burger, meat loaf mixture or meatballs, whatever floats your boat)
flour for dredging patties
olive oil for browning patties
8-16 oz  sliced fresh mushrooms, depending on how many you like
1/4 C dry onion

Instructions:
To make your roux, melt the butter, and slowly add in the flour, whisking as you go.
Let this cook, while sirring, for about a minute, and then start to drizzle in the broth, continuing to whisk so it remains smooth.
Add in spices and Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick. When mixture is bubbly and thick, remove from heat and set aside.

In my trusty cast iron pan, I heated some olive oil and then browned the patties that I had dredged in flour. As the patties finish, stack them in your greased crock pot. Kind of criss-cross them, leaving some space for the sauce to flow between.

When they are all done, pour just a bit of water in the pan to deglaze it, and pour all of that into the crock also. Top with the mushrooms and onions, and cover all with the roux.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 4.

Since you've come this far, go ahead and make the mashed potatoes! Your family will cheer. Or at least mine did. ;o)


~

Apple Drop Doughnuts

Reposting this because in my clumsiness, I deleted it this morning while attempting to delete something else. Oy!

Our family has an exciting time coming up, as my oldest daughter is getting married in September. In preparation for that event, we have a need to empty as much as possible from our chest freezer. Problem is, that freezer is full of the applesauce we made last season! So, in order to do my part, I am going to make an old favorite that we haven't had in ages.

Apple Drop Doughnuts are ridiculously easy to make, and so very good. I don't often fry things, but these are worth it. They will make your family smile. They will make you smile. I'm smiling just thinking about it.

Leni's Notes:
~In theory, these should work with any pureed fruit. I used to use jars of baby food pears, and they turned out great.
~As with most fried foods, these are best eaten the day they are made, but I never heard any complaints from my kids when they were eating leftovers.
~Save a step and skip rolling them in sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup or glaze for dipping.

3 T. softened butter
3/4 cup raw sugar (adjust if you use a sweeter fruit)
3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 cup milk
Oil for frying
sugar to roll in after frying

Combine wet ingredients except milk. Sift dry ingredients, mix into wet alternately with milk. Batter should be thick.

Heat oil to 375. Drop by teaspoonfuls carefully into oil. Fry about 1 minute on each side. Drain and roll in sugar while warm. Makes about 5 dozen.

What to do When the Cook Doesn't Want to Cook?

And then there are days when you wake up in a bad mood, and the day continues to do go downhill from there. You ever have those days? I woke up in a bad mood today. There was no reason for it, but there it was. Fibro has sapped my energy for the last three days, and I just am not in a mood to be around people. Please don't touch me, or try to have conversation with me, I might bite! 

On these days, I tend to be very clumsy, and working in the kitchen is just a bad idea that might result in a trip to the ER for cuts or burns...

On days like these, I am so thankful for back up plans! 

I try to keep the makings for 'fast food at home' in the freezer and pantry. Tonight ended up being Chicken Parmesan. 

I pulled out some Tyson Chicken Breast Fillets. Popped those in the oven while I cooked up some whole wheat spaghetti (and promptly burned myself!) When the chicken was done, I topped it with some Classico Marinara and shredded mozzerella, and popped it back in the oven for a couple minutes.

I then was a gracious host to my family and yelled, "FOOD!" Everyone served themselves and I reveled in the fact that they were fed and I was guilt free. Now I am collapsing and hoping there's something good to watch on TV because I am beat. 

3 Packet Pot Roast

Today's recipe is one for the days when you need a good meal and have zero time to cook.

I originally found this recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking. I was told afterward that it's been around forever, but I had never seen it! 

This produces a pot roast that is tender and flavorful with little work on your part. I served this to guests and they were astonished that their 3 year old was eating it, because she never eats meat. She was even stealing bites off of mom and dad's plates. ;o) Not that's an endorsement!

Leni's Notes:
~As you'll notice in the picture, I used Simply Organic Ranch mix. I like to get things as clean and chemical-free as possible. I've made it many times with the Hidden Valley Ranch, also.

~Instead of spending money on individual packets of McCormick Grill Mates, I bought the seasoning by the bottle, and used a capful on the roast (probably about a Tablespoon, give or take.)

~We like to thicken the juices with corn starch and serve this with whole wheat cous cous or crock pot baked potatoes. Makes a nice meal for inviting company over after church.

~My husband suggested using this mixture on a pork shoulder roast and it was a big hit!

~PLEASE do not skip the last step of adding extra water, or your roast will be seriously over-seasoned. If you add it ahead of time, it won't hurt the taste, but it will stew the meat, rather than roast it. Totally different texture.

Ingredients:
1 packet of Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
1 packet of Italian salad dressing mix
1 packet McCormick Grill Montreal Steak Seasoning (or whichever flavor you prefer)
3 C water

Directions:
Place roast (about 3 lbs, but we have used much larger) in crock pot.
Mix seasonings in a small bowl, then sprinkle entire amount over the roast, turning to get it evenly covered.
Pour in 1 cup of water
Cook : Low for 8 hours, or High for 4-5. (Low is better.)
Half and hour before serving, pour in 2 more cups of water and set on high.

Serve with noodles, rice or potatoes, and veggie of choice.

Who Taught These Kids Kitchen Skills?

Sometimes, teaching your kids to work in the kitchen really works against you.

Hubby was out of town, and I was working late. So I gave the kids two easy options for dinner, told them the ingredients were in the freezer, and I'd eat when I got home.

When I got home, they had decided to make tuna sandwiches with chunks of raw celery. That was not on my list. Mostly because I hate tuna. And raw celery.

I feel so loved. ;o)

Not Your Momma's Stew

This stew has morphed so many times over the years! This is the version we made last week, and it got a big thumbs-up and "I need another bowl of stew" reactions. Sometimes the best indicator of success is how much is leftover! 

This is a hearty, spicy meal, and sometimes more spicy than you intended. The recipe calls for Chili Powder. Well, my sweet husband, always on the lookout for interesting new ingredients to have me play with, brought me chili powder from an Indian market. Let me tell you, it was NOT the same thing! It was pure ground chili peppers, and I didn't notice til later that they were marked "extra hot." Of course, I would use this powder when we were having guests. Thankfully, Uncle Dave loves a good spicy dish. But his poor daughter in law was nursing a baby, and I could not feed her that! And this is why we keep chicken strips in the freezer... Good thing hospitality is not all about food, huh? 

Leni's Tips: 

~If you use plain old store-bought chili powder, this will have a mild warmth to it. If you use extra hot Indian chili powder, use about 1/4 teaspoon! 

~If you don't like chunks of meat, cook this without the veggies, then put your blender right in the soup, and the meat will shred. Then add your veggies and let those cook.

~This is wonderful with a nice crusty bread or over rice.

~Also great with some beans thrown in. Great Northerns or Garbanzos would be my choice.

~This recipe filled an 8 Quart crock.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 pounds stew beef
6 large potatoes, washed and cubed
3 large carrots, coined
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1/4 C dry onion
48 ounces beef broth (I prefer Rachael Ray Beef Stock) 
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnish:
Sour Cream
Lime wedges or lime juice

Dump everything but the garnish into the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Serve with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sour cream.

Cous Cous Davis Style

 

Cous Cous is a ridiculously easy dish to make, and so versatile. If you have any type of broth or gravy with your main dish, you can just make cous cous plain, and serve it along side. However, if you want a wonderful dish that stands on it's own, might I suggest you make it Davis style?

We are blessed to have a great Mennonite shop in a nearby town where we can get bulk ingredients, and some healthier options like whole wheat cous cous. Admittedly, the whoopie pies we stock up on while there no doubt cancel out the whole wheat benefit, but what are you going to do?

Here's a shot at what you need to gather up.

Leni's Notes:

The proportions for this recipe feed my family of 6, with leftovers for 2 or 3 lunches.

In pan, place:
2 1/2  C water
2 T butter
2 T dry chopped onion
1 T dry parsley
2 tsp. better than bouillon
1 tsp. minced garlic

In bowl, place:
2 C plain cous cous
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

Put it all together:
Bring the ingredients in the pan to a boil.
Add the dry mixture, stir, cover and remove from heat.
Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Add salt as needed.

Crock Pot Pork Stroganoff

You're in for a treat today. A family favorite that is simple yet hearty. Great for a Tuesday night family dinner or a Saturday night dinner party. But either way, you throw it in the crock pot in the morning and forget about it. Half an hour before dinner, add in the last ingredients and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. So satisfying to hear the oohs and ahhs when I make it. ;o)

Spreading the love one plate at a time,
Leni

Leni's Notes:
~Goes well with egg noodles, mashed potatoes or cous cous.
~A nice green salad adds some nice color to the table.
~This full recipe will feed our family of six for two solid dinners and a couple of lunches.
~We use pork tenderloin because it is convenient for us. Use whatever cut you have available, and trim it well.
~To use ground beef or stew meat, swap out the chicken broth for beef broth.

For a 6 qt crockpot

4 lbs pork loin, cubed
1 lb. mushrooms, diced or sliced
1/2 C diced onions
4 C water
4 tsp Better than Bouillon
1/2 C corn starch
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 T prepared mustard
2 C sour cream
2 T parsley

Place meat, mushrooms and onions in greased crockpot.
Mix all other ingredients except sour cream and parsely, pour over meat.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8 hours.
If mixture is thin, add more cornstarch, or thicken with instant potatoes.

Just before serving, add in sour cream and parsley.

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.

Meatball Evolution Meatloaf

It's been a hectic week. My youngest daughter has been keeping the kitchen moving and making sure we don't all starve to death while we get through the end-of-semester crazies. This week she tackled a favorite of ours that she'd never made before. It was such a hit, we had her make it again two days later.

Before I found this recipe, meatloaf was one of those things that everyone loved, but the leftovers ended up getting thrown out. Nothing gets thrown out now, and my kids are very put out if they happen to miss out on dinner that night. There are no pictures today...they ate it all! I found one pan of leftovers! As you can see, our wee Irish hearts love potatoes, too.

I picked up this cookbook because the title promised so many good things. Dollars to Donuts: Comfort Food & Kitchen Wisdom from Froute 66's Landmark Rock Cafe. How do you pass that up? Then I started reading it, and it spoke to my heart. Cook once, make two or three different meals. Good meals. Cheap and irresistible. A working mom's dream. IF the recipes were good.

I tried a couple, and they turned out well. But the meatballs...they went beyond good. I had to chase my family out of the kitchen when I cooked them! I had a link for the meatballs, but the link seems to be dead. It also doesn't give the instructions for the meatloaf, so I'm going to post that here. Best meatloaf. Best ever. Trust me.

Leni's Notes:
~Something I don't think I've ever posted before. Don't change anything. I tweak everything to our liking. This recipe is perfect exactly the way it is.
~These meatballs freeze really well, and are great for stocking up the freezer.
~Double the glaze recipe for dipping.

Meatball Evolution
from Dollars to Donuts, pg 24

1 C dry bread crumbs
1 C milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 C parmesan
1 lg onion, chopped
1/4 C parsley
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 T olive oil for frying

Meatballs

Make the meat mixture. Place the bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, stir together, and set aside. Whisk the eggs and 1 cup of the Parmesan together in a large bowl. Stir in the onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and then add the beef and the breadcrumb mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until the mixture is well combined. Use your hands to roll golf ball–size pieces into smooth balls.

Cook the meatballs. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough meatballs to fill the pan without overcrowding and cook, covered, until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel–lined plate, sprinkle with some of the remaining Parmesan, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Stir the meatballs into sauce or serve as is, sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan.

(These also bake well...wing it, bake until they are done. ;o)

Meatloaf
1/2 of meat recipe from meatball evolution
(Recipe calls for 6 fresh sage leaves which I didn't have so I left out.)
3 Bacon slices

Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
1T honey
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place the meatloaf mixture in a bread pan or on a broiler pan, poke down through with a wooden spoon handle to help it cook evenly. If you're using bacon, place it on top.

Bake at 350 for about 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven, and slather with glaze. Bake 10-15 more minutes.

Baken Chicken Parm Casserole

My friend Kim pinned a recipe on Pinterest that has made my family so happy! Chicken Parm Casserole was originated with Chef John from Food Wishes. I haven't read much of his blog yet. Just browsing the pictures, my mouth is watering.

Chef John does video recipes. They are great for seeing how he puts them together, but I'm going to sum up here. Please do go over and watch his videos!

Back to the Chicken Parm. I was skeptical for a couple of reasons. First of all, I'm supposed to believe you can get good chicken parmesan without frying? Second of all, because I am not a fan of meat cooked in tomatoes or tomato sauce, especially not chicken. I don't mind sauce being added afterward, but shy away from cooking in sauce. This recipe got such rave reviews, I decided to give it a try. My husband loves chicken parmesan, so it was worth the risk if it might give me an easy way to make this dish for him. Suffice it to say, I make double the amount now, because the first time everyone came back for seconds and were disappointed when it was gone. No leftovers for lunch!

Leni's Notes:
~The original recipe said this was done in 35 minutes. Probably because I do a large pan of it, it needed closer to an hour. Adjust accordingly.
~I pound my chicken just enough to even it out. Just pop it in a plastic storage bag, and use the flat side of a tenderizer to flatten it out a bit.
~If the topping starts to get too browned, slip a piece of foil loosely over the top for the last 15 minutes or so


Ingredients: 
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded and cut in half to make easier to serve pieces 
3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 Tablespoon of Italian herbs (oregano for us) 
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
about 10oz croutons, more as needed to cover the caserole

Preheat oven to 350.
Place olive oil and garlic in the bottom of the pan.
Place chicken on top of oil, evenly spread to fill the pan.
Top with marinara, basil, half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Evenly coat with croutons, then finish with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 35-60 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken. This is one of those times when I highly recommend a meat thermometer.

We like to serve this with a side of whole wheat spaghetti and marinara.

Enjoy! Love to hear your reviews!

Brine is My Friend - And Yours Too!

Let's talk a little bit about brining meat, shall we?

Back in 2006, I posted quite a bit about brining turkeys, but have since found a much easier way to do so. Dry brining has to be the the most brilliant thing to ever happen to a piece of meat or poultry. Makes for a moist, tender final product.

So on my meat recipes, I will always note if I have brined the meat, because it impacts how much salt you'll want to add to the rest of the recipe.

Wet Brine 
There are two ways to do a wet brine.
Slow Brine: Dissolve a lesser amount of salt in water, good if you have a longer time to let it sit.
Quick Brine: Higher amount of salt in the water, especially good for if you need the meat quickly.


Either way, when you're ready to cook, you need to rinse the brine off before cooking the meat.

Dry Brine
Place meat in bag, add salt, leave it alone until you're ready to cook.

Much easier, and much less messy.


You do NOT need to rinse the salt off of this meat before cooking.


Essentially, you are putting the salt on the meat and allowing it to draw the moisture out, then allowing the meat to reabsorb the moisture. Ideally, this is a three day process. Remember, salt helps preserve the meat, so you don't need to be concerned about raw meat in the fridge for three days.

For a turkey, roaster bags work wonderfully for the brining process (though you don't need the bag for roasting!) You can start the process when the turkey is still frozen, but it tends to take longer than three days, so plan accordingly.

When we bring a package of meat home, we divide it up into large tip-top plastic bags, and sprinkle it with kosher sea salt. When you're doing a turkey, it's a tablespoon of salt per five pounds of meat. When I'm working with smaller amounts, I kind of eye-ball it. A teaspoon or two of salt per bag. If we're eating it in the next 24 hours, I leave it in the fridge. If not, I throw it in the freezer as is, and it will brine as it thaws.

Brined meat tends to cook faster, so you'll want to check it a little sooner, and possibly lower your cooking temp.

Leni's Most Awesome Yogurt Pancakes Ever

These produce a soft, eggy pancake, they were just wonderful. Last night, my oldest and her fiancé doubled this amount for 6 of us, and we had enough left over for some lunch today. They go quickly!

Mix everything up, cook on hot griddle. They stay soft, so it will look like they aren't ready to flip, but trust the bubbles!

Leni's Notes:

~If you have cast iron, use it! Nice, even heat.

~Did I say trust the bubbles? Trust the bubbles!

~These stay nice and pliable, so they would be great to use for rolling up with a cream cheese or fruit filling.

Leni's Most Awesome Yogurt Pancakes Ever

1/2 Cup flour

1/2 Cup whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons raw sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Cups yogurt (we used peach)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 Tablespoons milk

Serve with chopped fresh strawberries, or your favorite fruit.

Photography

These aren't food pics, but since my daughter does all of my photography for me, I thought I'd share some of the shots she got today. Our Crab Apple tree is in full bloom, and we might possibly get a couple feet of snow, so she captured the blooms before they were blown away.

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.

Accidental Chicken Soup

Some of the best recipes are a product of total accidents. This recipe is one of those. I started out the day throwing a bunch of ingredients in the crock pot so we'd have something to eat for dinner. That evening when I got home from work, I was trying to decide if I should make chicken soup or chicken pot pie. I decided on soup, and added the noodles, and then without thinking about it, went right over to the stove and started making the roux for pot pie!

When my brain caught up and I realized what I had done, I decided to throw it all together and make a creamy chicken noodle soup. I hate wasted effort almost as much as I hate wasted ingredients. The results were wonderful, and per my future son-in-law's request, I wrote everything down so I could make it exactly the same way the next time. ;o)

Leni's Notes:

~I like to use real ingredients that are as unprocessed as possible. That said, I don't like to reinvent the wheel, so wherever I can take short cuts without sacrificing quality, I do. These might be dried veggies or herbs, frozen chopped produce or pre-made (without nasties added) base ingredients. Wherever I use a specific brand, it's noted.

~If you leave the noodles out and lessen the broth, this would make wonderful pot pie filling.

~To make ahead for the freezer, I recommend leaving the potato out and adding it when you are warming it to serve. Potatoes tend to get mushy and grainy when frozen if they don't have special preparation.

Accidental Chicken Soup

3 chicken breasts, can be added still frozen (I prefer brining mine first)
1 lb frozen peas
2 cups sliced carrots
1 large potato, diced into small cubes
1/4 C dry onions
1 clove minced garlic (from a jar)
salt and pepper to taste (if you brine your chicken, reduce salt)
2 quarts chicken broth (Better than Bouillon or Rachael Ray stock)
1 package of whole wheat egg noodles
Roux (recipe below)

Place everything but egg noodles and roux into crock.

Cook on low for 6 hours, high for 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken, set aside. Chop when cool enough to handle.
Remove 2 cups of the broth and set aside for roux.
Add 1 package of whole wheat egg noodles to the crock, stir to cover with broth and replace cover.

Roux
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Flour
1/4 - 1/2 C half and half
1 Tbsp bouillon concentrate (Better than Bouillon is my favorite)
2 C reserved broth from crock

Melt butter and bouillon, slowly incorporate flour until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly for about one minute.
While whisking, drizzle in half and half. Continue whisking while slowly adding broth. Continue to whisk til smooth, then remove from heat.
Add roux and chopped chicken back into the crock. Noodles should be tender by this point. Mix thoroughly.

Serve with biscuits.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

This recipe created quite an overwhelming response when I posted it on Pinterest. I'm talking 1,387 re-pins as of this posting. That's crazy! Creamy Garlic Pasta is a simple recipe, and my family loved it. Please take time to visit The Cheese Pusher for the original recipe, and let her know you love it.

Leni's Notes:

~ I've made it a number of times, and advise you to spend just a smidge more and buy shredded parmesan, not dry grated parmesan. We experimented with the dry, and it produced a very salty, heavy taste.

~We used whole wheat pasta, turned out wonderfully.

~I didn't have any cream, used Half & Half.

Creamy Garlic Pasta
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil.

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

Back to Basics

In thinking about what I enjoy putting out there in the blogosphere, I realized that food is it. I like gathering and testing recipes, talking about food, planning events, sharing my own recipes. So that's where I have decided to concentrate my efforts.

So much of the internet is full of people who finally got a platform, but really don't have much to say, and I don't really want to add to the din, you know? I've recently found a ton of terrific recipes via Pinterest, so as they are tested, I'll post here about them and link back to their original authors.

Here's a place to pull up a cozy chair, see what looks good (or maybe what went horribly wrong...) and decide what's going to get served up.

Better than Manwich Sloppy Joes

A new family favorite, given to me by Kim in TX

I threw it all in a crock pot, and it was ready when we were!

1# lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 C. water
3/4 C. BBQ sauce (your favorite)
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 chopped green pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients in saucepan and simmer until think, about 1 hour. Spoon onto buns.

Note: Our family doesn't care for the green pepper flavor, so I omit it, however, many do like it, so include it if you want!

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Really have to get back over here to post! I've been putting all the recipes I want to save in a gmail account, so I don't post here much.

Scalloped Pineapple

Scalloped Pineapple

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs beaten
1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
5 slices of cubed white bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs, mix well.
Fold in pineapple and bread cubes.
Bake in a greased baking pan until golden brown, about one hour.
Serve warm or chilled.

Double for a 13 x 9 pan.

Mediterranean Meatballs (LC, FG1+2)

These are really good, and freeze well.

1 1/4 lbs. gr. beef
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
10 oz. pkg chopped Spinach, thawed and dry
1 C. cooked brown rice
3/4 C. chopped onion

2 Cups Marinara (Leave out if you are Stage 1 Feingold)

Mix all ingredients + 2 T. of the Marinara in bowl.

Shape into 60 1-inch balls, place in greased pan. Bake 25 min.

Top with sauce in crock pot for appetizers.

Each meatball is 2.2 protein and 1.2 carbs.

Zucchini Pie

This recipe uses those zucchinis that get missed in the garden until they're too big to use for much else. Makes filling for a 9" 2 crust pie.

8 cups of peeled and sliced zucchini (slice as you would apples, removing all seeds)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cube butter
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (I use Minute Maid frozen juice)

Mix all together and cook on stovetop for 30 minutes. Bake using your favorite 2 crust pie crust recipe at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes until crust is nice and brown.

I make the filling ahead of time as the zucchinis become available and freeze it. Just thaw when you get a hankering for "apple" pie.

Oatmeal Cream Pies (Like Little Debbie's Cookies)

COOKIES
1 cup margarine
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups oats

CREAM FILLING

2 tsp very hot water
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups marshmallow cream (one 7oz jar) (We use Ricemellow)
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

The secret to cloning these mouth-watering sandwich cookies is recreating the soft, chewy consistency of the oatmeal cookies. To duplicate the texture, the cookies are slightly underbaked. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix in the oats. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookes are just starting to darken around the edges. They will still appear moist in the center. Be careful not to overcook - when cooled, the cookies should be soft and chewy.

While the cookies bake, prepare the filling. Use a small bowl to dissolve the salt in very hot water. Set this solution aside to cool.

Combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix well with electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add the cooled salt solution to the filling mixture and combine with the mixer.

Assemble each cream pie by spreading the filling over one side of a cookie (the flat side) and press another cookie on top, making a sandwich.

Makes 2 dozen.

Onion Cheese Frittata (LC, FG1)

Onion Cheese Frittata

2 Tbsp. oil
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
6 eggs
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Set oven to 350. In cast iron pan, saute onion in oil, mix all other ingredients together, and pour over onion, bake for 30 min.

Simply the Best Turkey Ever

This really is the best I've ever made, and honestly, the best I've ever HAD.

Start with a natural turkey, no nastiness injected into it.

Soak it in a brine of 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar per gallon of water. Soak for at least 12 hours, I did mine for about three days.

Drain off, let sit, uncovered, in fridge for at least one day so the skin dries out.

Place on rack in pan, sprinkle with pepper and sage. Tent with foil.

Roast at 325 for as many hours as recommended in any cooking guide. (Our ten pounder took about 3 1/2 hours.) Should register between 180-185 degrees.

Let set for at least 1/2 an hour before carving.

The moistest, most wonderful tasting bird you'll ever have. I promise.

Baked French Toast

For Debbie B...

1 large loaf of bread (the drier, the better)
12 eggs
2 cups of milk, give or take
Sugar (to taste, 1/2 cup is a good place to start) or pancake syrup
1/2 brick of cream cheese
vanilla or maple flavoring
blueberries or other fruit, optional


Chunk the bread and place half in 13x9 pan. Chunk the cream cheese into small squares, layer over bread, put your layer of fruit, if using, and top with the rest of the bread chunks.

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, sweetener, flavoring. Mix well, pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Pull out 1/2 and hour before baking, uncover and bake for about one hour at 350, test for doneness. (If you forget to pull it out early, extend the baking time a bit.)

You can top with fruit, syrup, powdered sugar, whatever you like.

I also add coconut sometimes. It's very versatile.

Rugelach

Continuing in my Jewish theme....My dear pal PamLa shared this recipe with me, since my search was failing. The ones I have had are Cinnamon, and they were wonderful!! They hold a special place in my heart, as I bought these and took them to my dad when he was dying. We had removed all treatment, except pain control, and my diabetic dad had the BEST time, having all those treats with no one yelling at him! ;o) He thought these were wonderful, and they will forever more remind me of dad.

So here you go....

http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/classrug.htmSource

The Jewish Holiday Baker, by Joan Nathan, Random House, 1997
Yield: 64 servings

THE DOUGH:
8 ounces cream cheese - at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter - at room temperature
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar

APRICOT FILLING:
1 cup thick apricot preserves3/4 cup walnuts - roughly chopped

CHOCOLATE FILLING:
1 cup shaved bittersweet chocolate - preferable imported1/4 cup sugar

CINNAMON-SUGAR FILLING:
1/4 cup unsalted butter - melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

The dough:
1. Place the cream cheese and the butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Cream at a low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 2 more minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Filling and baking the rugelach:
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment.
3. Mix the ingredients for the apricot or chocolate filling and divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll the balls out into 4 circles about 1/8 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. Spread the apricot or chocolate filling over the dough. If using the cinnamon-sugar filling, brush the melted butter on first, then the combined cinnamon and sugar.
4. Using a dull knife, cut each circle of dough into 16 pie-shaped pieces about 2 inches wide at the circumference. Roll up from the wide side to the center. Place the rugelach on the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake in the oven on the middle and lower racks, switching after 12 minutes, also switching back to front. Continue baking about 13 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rugelach to racks to cool. Sprinkle the apricot and chocolate rugelach with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Note: Probably the most popular of American Jewish cookies, this horn-shaped treat was made in Europe with butter; cream cheese was added in this country. I love Ann's version: it has no sugar in the dough but a sprinkling on top of the finished cookie. She also uses this dough to make hamantashen.

Jewish Apple Cake

My pastor's wife made this for a dinner we had with missionaries from Hananeel House, and it was WONDERFUL! Now, I love all things apple, so I'm not surprised *I* liked it, but EVERYONE loved it!!!

I'm making it for Easter dinner this year.

Cake Layer

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (1/2 oil, 1/2 applesauce for lower fat)
4 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice (going to use lemonade - dd is allergic to oranges)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apple Layer

4 large or 5 medium apples - peeled, cored and sliced (Or pears, for Feingold stage one)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 teaspoons brown sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan.
Combine the apples, ground cinnamon and the 6 teaspoons of brown sugar together and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the sugar. Stir in the vegetable oil, beaten eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan.
Top with apple/cinnamon sugar mixture.
Pour the remaining batter over the top.
Bake for 70 to 90 minutes, checking after 50 minutes or so.

Let cool completely in pan.

Thin Pizza Crust

Thanks to Tiata!!! This is REALLY good!!

This makes enough dough for one 12 inch pizza.

.25 oz. active dry yeast (1.5 tsp)
1/4 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup 110 degree water (luke warm)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I had to add more!!)
1/2 tsp salt

Disolve yeast and sugar in water and allow to stand for 8 munites
In a seperate bowl combine flour and salt
Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with heavy spoon
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes
Working from the edges to the center press dough into 12 inch circle (I use a rolling pin)
Place on lightly greased pizza pan and strech edges to edge of pan
Spread dough with sauce, cheese and toppings.
Bake at 500 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Dessert Pizza

If you don't have time for pizza crust, this can be modified quite well for tortillas!

One recipe for pizza crust (look up to the Thin Crust Pizza post.)

Top with:
Cream Cheese
Brown Sugar
Unsweetened Coconut
Fresh Ground Nutmeg

Bake according to pizza directions.

Enjoy!

ChanceLee Chicken

Better known as Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken, we affectionately renamed it for a small guest in our home. While everyone else was begging for dessert, little ChanceLee, baby cheeks glowing, begged her mama to get the chicken back out of the fridge so she could have more. Who could resist a request like that?

Making this tonight for a family that's been sick.

Chicken pieces-enough to feed your family-legs, thighs etc.
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
2-3 Tbls. minced garlic
2 Tbls. soy sauce
1 tsp. pepper (regular black or cayenne)

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles. You can thicken the juices after cooking with a little cornstarch. If using cayenne pepper, it gives dish a szchewan flavor.

ONE NOTE: This is great done in the oven, but if you use the crock pot, you MUST give it the full amount of time, because it takes a LONG time, and no one wants undercooked chicken!

Enjoy!

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins from Feb/Mar 2006 Taste of Home

These are EXCELLENT, 5 thumbs up from my family.

Muffins:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1- 3/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 C sour cream

Glaze:
2 C. powdered sugar
3 Tbls. lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and extracts; beat well. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 min before removing from pan to a wire rack. combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Carmelized Rhubarb Sauce

3 cups chopped rhubarb
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

boil for about 5 min.

About 2 minutes through, walk away and forget about it. When the smoke detector goes off, run to the stove, and remove from heat. It will be a nice brown/black color, and there will be just the faintest hint of rhubarb smell left.

Cool, realize the fruit is scorched and throw it away. Then realize the pan is ruined with carmelized sugar. Throw it away also.

Serve the ice cream w/o fruit sauce.

It happens to the best of us.