I keep the ingredients to this salad on hand in the summer. It's a nice salad to eat on a hot summery day. I love the cucumbers and cashews in it. As you can see, it's not your Grandma's chicken salad!!! It's BETTER! Why it's practically slap your momma good!!! :)
Amy's Chicken Salad
3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 onion powder
1/2 cup chopped red apple
1/2 cup cashew halves
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
Rinse chicken and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and sprinkle generously with lemon pepper. Cover and slowly simmer until tender. Remove from pan, cool, cube or shred and set aside.
Place mayonnaise in bowl. Place unpeeled, chopped apple in bowl and toss gently to coat all pieces with mayonnaise. Stir in sugar, onion powder, salt and pepper. Gently toss chicken into bowl. Cover and chill several hours.
JUST BEFORE SERVING: Stir in cucumbers and cashews. If you add them before this, the cucumbers will become mushy and the cashews will not stay crunchy.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Creamy Cool Cucumber Soup
Here is another yummy summer chilled soup for the books. I love this soup.....cool as a CUCUMBER. Get it....he he....never mind. Anyway....it's cool and creamy (thus the name....geesh Amy....shut up already!). Ok, fine......on with the recipe:
Creamy Cool Cucumber Soup
3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3 T white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups sour cream
Combine the cucumbers, onion, and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth. Adding a small amount of the chicken broth will help the vegetables blend more thoroughly. Pour pureed vegetables in a large bowl and add broth, sour cream, and viegar. Stir all ingredients together, mixing well. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or overnight. Season with salt and pepper, just prior to seerving.
Creamy Cool Cucumber Soup
3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3 T white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups sour cream
Combine the cucumbers, onion, and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth. Adding a small amount of the chicken broth will help the vegetables blend more thoroughly. Pour pureed vegetables in a large bowl and add broth, sour cream, and viegar. Stir all ingredients together, mixing well. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or overnight. Season with salt and pepper, just prior to seerving.
Chilled Strawberry Soup
Yes, you read that right.....STRAWBERRY SOUP! Oh, this soup is devine. I look forward to Summer every year to make this soup. Of course you can make it anytime, but using fresh strawberries makes it that much better.
I have to admit....this is not my original recipe. *sigh* But WHO CARES??? LOL I received the recipe from the gal who ran a sweet little Tea Room in a local Amish community before she closed the doors and retired. If the house was burning I would run back inside for my recipe boxes and make sure this recipe was included. :) Delicious....sweet.....creamy........*sigh*
Oh yes, on to the recipe!!!! Here it is:
Strawberry Soup
(this recipe makes about 1 gallon of soup......feel free to cut it down if needed. Or eat it all. LOL)
2 1.2 lbs sour cream
2 1/2 pounds frozen strawberries
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup vanilla (yes seriously........1/2 cup! LOL)
1/2 cup grenadine syrup
1 1/2 quarts half and half
Pour the first five ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour above mixture in a large container, add the half and half and stir. That's it! SIMPLE!!! Serve nice and cold.
I have to admit....this is not my original recipe. *sigh* But WHO CARES??? LOL I received the recipe from the gal who ran a sweet little Tea Room in a local Amish community before she closed the doors and retired. If the house was burning I would run back inside for my recipe boxes and make sure this recipe was included. :) Delicious....sweet.....creamy........*sigh*
Oh yes, on to the recipe!!!! Here it is:
Strawberry Soup
(this recipe makes about 1 gallon of soup......feel free to cut it down if needed. Or eat it all. LOL)
2 1.2 lbs sour cream
2 1/2 pounds frozen strawberries
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup vanilla (yes seriously........1/2 cup! LOL)
1/2 cup grenadine syrup
1 1/2 quarts half and half
Pour the first five ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour above mixture in a large container, add the half and half and stir. That's it! SIMPLE!!! Serve nice and cold.
Alfredo Sauce
My friend Lisa loves Fettucini Alfredo, but listen to this............she gets her sauce FROM A JAR!!!! *SHOCK..............HORROR.............DISMAY* I know right???? How positively sinful. So, this is for you Lisa. LOL A homemade SIMPLE recipe for the best alfredo sauce (albeit NOT healthy) you have ever had. YUM!
This is a great multi-purpose sauce. Use it over pasta (YUM!), steamed vegetables, grilled chicken or shrmip, etc. I could eat this sauce all by itself with a spoon. LOL This sauce is so yummy, it will stick to your ribs (and possibly your thighs too).
Alfredo Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flour
2T parsley
1/2 to 1 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup half and half
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour, and cook slowly for 4 minutes;whisk constantly. Add milk, parsley, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring often. When sauce begins to thicken, add half and half, Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper. Stir together adn cook 5 to 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
This is a great multi-purpose sauce. Use it over pasta (YUM!), steamed vegetables, grilled chicken or shrmip, etc. I could eat this sauce all by itself with a spoon. LOL This sauce is so yummy, it will stick to your ribs (and possibly your thighs too).
Alfredo Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flour
2T parsley
1/2 to 1 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup half and half
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour, and cook slowly for 4 minutes;whisk constantly. Add milk, parsley, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring often. When sauce begins to thicken, add half and half, Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper. Stir together adn cook 5 to 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Prescription Strength Brownies
I received this recipe from a friend, who got it from a friend, who got it....well who knows! Who cares. Don't they sound yummo??? LOL
I think I am going to make some of these with my kitchen helper, Noah, real soon!!! Noah will turn 5 next month. Where, oh, where has the time gone???? I am thankful he loves to cook in the kitchen like I do. Sure, sure, he loves to play with dad, and tinker in the garage, and such. But one of the ways Noah and Mommy bond is by cooking. Cookies, brownies, cobblers, or putting dinner in the old crockpot, he is there beside me helping me measure, stir and of course, the most important job of all..............TASTE TESTER!!! I think he is going to love these brownies!!
Prescription Strength Brownies
12 T butter
3/4 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in all of the cocoa. Add sugar and salt, and whisk some more. Add in the vanilla and then blend in the flour. Sprinkle in some chocolate chips (yum), or nuts (oh yeah) if you want. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Test with a toothpick. They should be kinda gooey. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!!
Wouldn't these be even better warm with some vanilla icecream on top. Oh yeah, that's how I want mine. I may have to walk 3 miles tomorrow to burn off the extra calories, but sooooo worth it. LOL
I think I am going to make some of these with my kitchen helper, Noah, real soon!!! Noah will turn 5 next month. Where, oh, where has the time gone???? I am thankful he loves to cook in the kitchen like I do. Sure, sure, he loves to play with dad, and tinker in the garage, and such. But one of the ways Noah and Mommy bond is by cooking. Cookies, brownies, cobblers, or putting dinner in the old crockpot, he is there beside me helping me measure, stir and of course, the most important job of all..............TASTE TESTER!!! I think he is going to love these brownies!!
Prescription Strength Brownies
12 T butter
3/4 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in all of the cocoa. Add sugar and salt, and whisk some more. Add in the vanilla and then blend in the flour. Sprinkle in some chocolate chips (yum), or nuts (oh yeah) if you want. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Test with a toothpick. They should be kinda gooey. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!!
Wouldn't these be even better warm with some vanilla icecream on top. Oh yeah, that's how I want mine. I may have to walk 3 miles tomorrow to burn off the extra calories, but sooooo worth it. LOL
Monday, March 14, 2011
My Weekend......and my Monday
It's Monday!!! UGH! LOL I want my weekend back. :) We had a good weekend here. saturday showed signs of warmer weather, in the 50's. So Matthew took Noah to Grandma's to play!!! Noah has been cooped up for far too long and enjoyed just running. It was so hilarious to see him run and talk like he was on a outdoor high. We laughed and laughed at him. Silly boy.
Joshua and I stayed home, and while he slept, I tackled Noah's room. I feel pretty good about decluttering it and storing the stuff he doesn't need anymore. Now there is room to move Joshua's crib and dresser in later this Spring (soon) and room for Noah's birthday presents he will surely receive in April. And he didn't even notice a thing was missing or moved when he got home. LOL I left the box in his room to see what I was taking to storage for Joshua to grow into one day and he was like...ok.
Last night we met up with my brother David and his wife, Tammy for dinner.....along with their daughter/my neice Megan and her two cuties Paisley, 1 year old, and Lane, just 1 month old. We all chatted and were well entertained by Paisley. She is a pistol and such great entertainment. LOL Lane slept through dinner but we peeked at him in his carseat, and Joshua decided there was no way he was sitting in his, so I or Matthew held him the whole time. LOL It was nice to see everyone and get together with them though, and I hope we can do it again real soon.
Today Grandma is coming over to pick up Noah for a while. She is a Speech teacher and has her own office. She has no clients for most of the day, so she is going to take Noah to her office to play and work on his letters and numbers some. He loves going up there because she has toys that he doesn't get to play with very often and lots of educational toys and puzzles, etc. He is so excited. LOL I think while she is here for a few, I will let her keep Joshua as well and go run across town to run a few errands instead of dragging him out in this cold weather.
Speaking of weather (we were weren't we?? LOL) It's supposed to snow 2-4 inches today. Wednesday it is supposed to be 60 and by Wendesday 70 degrees. UGH! I am ready for all the 70 days I can get. But snow??? I have had enough. I am ready for flowers and trees to bud!!! We want to go outside and play and run and have fun. Here in Missouri if you don't like the weather, just wait a day or two and it will likely change. I just wish it would make up it's mind and stick to SPRING! LOL
Joshua and I stayed home, and while he slept, I tackled Noah's room. I feel pretty good about decluttering it and storing the stuff he doesn't need anymore. Now there is room to move Joshua's crib and dresser in later this Spring (soon) and room for Noah's birthday presents he will surely receive in April. And he didn't even notice a thing was missing or moved when he got home. LOL I left the box in his room to see what I was taking to storage for Joshua to grow into one day and he was like...ok.
Last night we met up with my brother David and his wife, Tammy for dinner.....along with their daughter/my neice Megan and her two cuties Paisley, 1 year old, and Lane, just 1 month old. We all chatted and were well entertained by Paisley. She is a pistol and such great entertainment. LOL Lane slept through dinner but we peeked at him in his carseat, and Joshua decided there was no way he was sitting in his, so I or Matthew held him the whole time. LOL It was nice to see everyone and get together with them though, and I hope we can do it again real soon.
Today Grandma is coming over to pick up Noah for a while. She is a Speech teacher and has her own office. She has no clients for most of the day, so she is going to take Noah to her office to play and work on his letters and numbers some. He loves going up there because she has toys that he doesn't get to play with very often and lots of educational toys and puzzles, etc. He is so excited. LOL I think while she is here for a few, I will let her keep Joshua as well and go run across town to run a few errands instead of dragging him out in this cold weather.
Speaking of weather (we were weren't we?? LOL) It's supposed to snow 2-4 inches today. Wednesday it is supposed to be 60 and by Wendesday 70 degrees. UGH! I am ready for all the 70 days I can get. But snow??? I have had enough. I am ready for flowers and trees to bud!!! We want to go outside and play and run and have fun. Here in Missouri if you don't like the weather, just wait a day or two and it will likely change. I just wish it would make up it's mind and stick to SPRING! LOL
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Decluttering.............
Matthew and I have been trying to take control of the house this year. LOL As in decluttering what we don't want, need, and don't love and make room for the things that we do love and add to the peace of the house. This started with the biggest project in the house.....the sunroom. Before starting on the sunroom, me and my big mouth, decided we should clean out a HUGE closet upstairs and just pile it all in that one room and clean it all out at once. That was January..........it is now March.........and the sunroom, is still no cleaned out completely. We have made progress, and it is looking better. We took 25 boxes of stuff to the Thrift Shop by the time we had cleaned out just part of that room. We probably have 5 more to donate and several to store.
This weekend, I am hoping to get some more progress done on the decluttering of the home. Matthew has already told me there is no way he is working on that room this weekend. He just can't make himself do it. LOL And I have to agree with him. I have a few other projects I want done first. One being the living room. We are cleaning off the shelves (book shelves built into the wall) of Noah's toys and moving them to the closet of the toy/tv room where he likes to play. We will keep some puzzles and his library of books in the living room. But I am taking back the living room for adults. LOL So far I have a box of books to be donated to the Thrift store and the bookshelves look SO MUCH better.
The other project for this weekend was to clean out the toys in Noah's room. His birthday is coming up in April, and it is time for cleaning out the old and making room for the new. Some toys are being saved back for Joshua to grow into. Some toys that Noah never plays with are going to be donated to the Thrift Shop. I thought it would take FOREVER to get this done. Nope.....I was ruthless, and it took me a total of 20 minutes! I have a large black lawn and leaf bag of toys for the Thrift Shop (all are in good shape and none with missing pieces or broken), and a box of toys that are soon to be Joshua's when he grows into them. The room looks bigger somehow. LOL And it looks like a "big boys" room more now than a toddler/little boys room. Makes me a little sad. My boy will be 5 in April......so I better get used to it!!!
Well, as always.....I sit down to blog and Little Bit, AKA Baby Joshua, who is now 5 months old, stops giggling at the TV from the comfort of his Bumbo seat and starts crying for my attention. Oh it's ok.....I don't mind. I love being a mom. But don't get to sit still very often while doing it. LOL
This weekend, I am hoping to get some more progress done on the decluttering of the home. Matthew has already told me there is no way he is working on that room this weekend. He just can't make himself do it. LOL And I have to agree with him. I have a few other projects I want done first. One being the living room. We are cleaning off the shelves (book shelves built into the wall) of Noah's toys and moving them to the closet of the toy/tv room where he likes to play. We will keep some puzzles and his library of books in the living room. But I am taking back the living room for adults. LOL So far I have a box of books to be donated to the Thrift store and the bookshelves look SO MUCH better.
The other project for this weekend was to clean out the toys in Noah's room. His birthday is coming up in April, and it is time for cleaning out the old and making room for the new. Some toys are being saved back for Joshua to grow into. Some toys that Noah never plays with are going to be donated to the Thrift Shop. I thought it would take FOREVER to get this done. Nope.....I was ruthless, and it took me a total of 20 minutes! I have a large black lawn and leaf bag of toys for the Thrift Shop (all are in good shape and none with missing pieces or broken), and a box of toys that are soon to be Joshua's when he grows into them. The room looks bigger somehow. LOL And it looks like a "big boys" room more now than a toddler/little boys room. Makes me a little sad. My boy will be 5 in April......so I better get used to it!!!
Well, as always.....I sit down to blog and Little Bit, AKA Baby Joshua, who is now 5 months old, stops giggling at the TV from the comfort of his Bumbo seat and starts crying for my attention. Oh it's ok.....I don't mind. I love being a mom. But don't get to sit still very often while doing it. LOL
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Disinfection......Dissing.....Infections....
I have been sick. Hubs has been sick. The boys??? Thank God they are doing GREAT! But, oh my has it been a long weekend. I got sick about 4am on Thursday and finally felt better Sunday morning and woke up hungry after not eating and barely drinking anything prior to that. Then hubs got sick Sunday evening and called in Monday to rest and make sure he was ok to get back to work this morning. Oh and he called in Friday to take care of me. Isn't he the best???
So...........I am totally off schedule today. After a "relaxing" (NOT) 4 day weekend, I am disinfecting the house (yet again.....just to be sure), and cleaning (my we can make a mess....especially when no one feels like cleaning up), and trying to figure out what to make for dinner since I didn't make up a menu for this week just yet. *pondering*
The laundry is well underway though (last loads are in the washer and dryer and then hubs said he would help me put it all away when he gets home from work), and dishes.....OH DEAR THERE WERE ALOT, are almost all done too. *whew* Living Room??? Well....that's another story....that's my normal Monday job......but since hubs was home on the couch, it didn't get done yesterday. And since we didn't tidy up as we went this weekend, etc.....it looks like a toy store and a hospital set up in there...blankets and medicine bottles, used kleenexes in the trash can, and oh yeah, did I say TOYS! It needs a deep cleaning for sure.
So.....now back to the dinner question.....what shall we have???? Supper.......the evening meal.....usually after lunch, and before breakfast........almost always falls into the 5:30-6:00 pm time frame after Matthew gets home from work, and consisting of nourishing foods for the boys and myself so that we may have energy to do our night time routines and keep us full until breakfast. Yes....dinner........it's yummy and good for you. I should write an "Ode to Dinner"!!! Ugh.....I am off subject again. Back to....................there is no menu yet, what shall we have for dinner.......WAIT!!!
SQUIRREL!
Just kidding. LOL
I think for tonight......since I am so busy with cleaning and trying to get the house caught up......it will fall to an emergency meal (QUICK FAST AND EASY) of hamburger helper. I don't like using boxed mixes, but we have a few in the pantry on those occassions when I am out of commission so to speak, and Matthew cooks. LOL I have hamburger already cooked and bagged up in the freezer (What??? You don't do this??? Maybe that should be my next post. My freezer kits!!! It makes cooking so much simplier.....especially when I have two boys who needs LOTS of mom's attention). So I will lay it out to thaw now and make hamburger helper and a few veggies, most likely one of them being broccoli since I have some fresh in the fridge that needs to be used, and the other being.......CORN....when all else fails...Matthew will eat corn......and peas. He is picky.
Have a great day friends!!!
So...........I am totally off schedule today. After a "relaxing" (NOT) 4 day weekend, I am disinfecting the house (yet again.....just to be sure), and cleaning (my we can make a mess....especially when no one feels like cleaning up), and trying to figure out what to make for dinner since I didn't make up a menu for this week just yet. *pondering*
The laundry is well underway though (last loads are in the washer and dryer and then hubs said he would help me put it all away when he gets home from work), and dishes.....OH DEAR THERE WERE ALOT, are almost all done too. *whew* Living Room??? Well....that's another story....that's my normal Monday job......but since hubs was home on the couch, it didn't get done yesterday. And since we didn't tidy up as we went this weekend, etc.....it looks like a toy store and a hospital set up in there...blankets and medicine bottles, used kleenexes in the trash can, and oh yeah, did I say TOYS! It needs a deep cleaning for sure.
So.....now back to the dinner question.....what shall we have???? Supper.......the evening meal.....usually after lunch, and before breakfast........almost always falls into the 5:30-6:00 pm time frame after Matthew gets home from work, and consisting of nourishing foods for the boys and myself so that we may have energy to do our night time routines and keep us full until breakfast. Yes....dinner........it's yummy and good for you. I should write an "Ode to Dinner"!!! Ugh.....I am off subject again. Back to....................there is no menu yet, what shall we have for dinner.......WAIT!!!
SQUIRREL!
Just kidding. LOL
I think for tonight......since I am so busy with cleaning and trying to get the house caught up......it will fall to an emergency meal (QUICK FAST AND EASY) of hamburger helper. I don't like using boxed mixes, but we have a few in the pantry on those occassions when I am out of commission so to speak, and Matthew cooks. LOL I have hamburger already cooked and bagged up in the freezer (What??? You don't do this??? Maybe that should be my next post. My freezer kits!!! It makes cooking so much simplier.....especially when I have two boys who needs LOTS of mom's attention). So I will lay it out to thaw now and make hamburger helper and a few veggies, most likely one of them being broccoli since I have some fresh in the fridge that needs to be used, and the other being.......CORN....when all else fails...Matthew will eat corn......and peas. He is picky.
Have a great day friends!!!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sticky Situation......I mean Sticky Chicken
Sticky Chicken.......my mouth waters just thinking about it (I am drooling now). I got this recipe from a dear friend Bev, whom I call my sister. You would think we were cut from the same piece of cloth....she is the sister I never had and always dreamed of. And although I have never had the pleasure of having her food in person (because I live in Missouri and she lives in South Carolina), I know she is a good cook, because I have some of her recipes............and they are AMAZING!!!!
This recipe is wonderful baked in the oven, but can be adapted for the crockpot easily as well. I love it with roasted veggies, or fried rice, or steamed veggies, or....well.....I just like it with just about anything. You will, too. YOU MUST TRY THIS CHICKEN! Seriously. Get the stuff now and get to work. What are you still doing here???
Sticky Chicken
(serves 6)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup peach or apricot jam
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
Mis all ingerdients together and place in a 9x13 baking pan (or your trusty crock pot) and bake at 350 degrees, for 30-40 minutes. Baste often! YUMMY
This recipe is wonderful baked in the oven, but can be adapted for the crockpot easily as well. I love it with roasted veggies, or fried rice, or steamed veggies, or....well.....I just like it with just about anything. You will, too. YOU MUST TRY THIS CHICKEN! Seriously. Get the stuff now and get to work. What are you still doing here???
Sticky Chicken
(serves 6)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup peach or apricot jam
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
Mis all ingerdients together and place in a 9x13 baking pan (or your trusty crock pot) and bake at 350 degrees, for 30-40 minutes. Baste often! YUMMY
Porcupine Meatballs......interesting name eh???
This is another recipe handed down through the generations on my mom's side of the family. I remember the name and thinking.....I AM SO NOT EATING THAT. Until one day, when I became brave (and my mom probably made me, threatening me within an inch of my life I am sure) to try it. And ya know what???? I was like Mikey.....and I LIKED IT!!! Believe it or not......*SHOCK*. And then if I remember correctly, my dearest mom said something like......I TOLD YOU SO!!! Cause that's just the way my mom was. LOL
So, why the name porcupine???? Because for the filler, this meatballs uses rice instead of crackers, bread or breadcrumbs or oatmeal. It sticks out in some places and looks like porcupine quills. How fun!!! Hopefully your kids will love the name and not over analyze it like I did and think, why would my mom make me eat PORCUPINE!
Now, before you ask......................no you don't cook the rice before making the meatballs. And no you don't have to brown the meatballs either. They cook very nicely in the tomatoy (tomatoey??? SP??? Is that even a word??? ) sauce. Believe me, I have done this before. Trust me. OK, JUST MAKE THE STINKING MEATBALLS ALREADY, ok??? :)
Porcupine Meatballs
(serves 4)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup UNCOOKED rice
1 T dried onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) tomato soup
1 cup water
1 egg, lightly beaten
Combine all ingredients except water and soup. Form into small meatballs. Place in a Dutch oven. Mix water and tomato soup together and pour over the meatballs. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink.
What's a Dutch oven??? Ok, I am sorry.....I almost got fancy on ya didn't I??? LOL You do *not* have to use one. Put it in a normal baking dish or pan......heck use a ovenproof skillet, or a cna pan....I don't care. LOL Don't get caught up in the details........ok??? (But for those of you wondering.....a Dutch oven is like a covered pot you can cook on the stove with, and then in the oven with. Fancy huh??? LOL NOT!)
So, why the name porcupine???? Because for the filler, this meatballs uses rice instead of crackers, bread or breadcrumbs or oatmeal. It sticks out in some places and looks like porcupine quills. How fun!!! Hopefully your kids will love the name and not over analyze it like I did and think, why would my mom make me eat PORCUPINE!
Now, before you ask......................no you don't cook the rice before making the meatballs. And no you don't have to brown the meatballs either. They cook very nicely in the tomatoy (tomatoey??? SP??? Is that even a word??? ) sauce. Believe me, I have done this before. Trust me. OK, JUST MAKE THE STINKING MEATBALLS ALREADY, ok??? :)
Porcupine Meatballs
(serves 4)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup UNCOOKED rice
1 T dried onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) tomato soup
1 cup water
1 egg, lightly beaten
Combine all ingredients except water and soup. Form into small meatballs. Place in a Dutch oven. Mix water and tomato soup together and pour over the meatballs. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink.
What's a Dutch oven??? Ok, I am sorry.....I almost got fancy on ya didn't I??? LOL You do *not* have to use one. Put it in a normal baking dish or pan......heck use a ovenproof skillet, or a cna pan....I don't care. LOL Don't get caught up in the details........ok??? (But for those of you wondering.....a Dutch oven is like a covered pot you can cook on the stove with, and then in the oven with. Fancy huh??? LOL NOT!)
Yummy Beef Stew
I love this stew!!! My mom used to make the best stew in the winter, with no recipe (cause that's just the way my momma rolled!) and I distinctly remember walking into the house, on a cold winters day from school.....and smelling the aroma......of the beef and veggies hanging out in that pot........calling me closer.....closer.........yes closer.......OH MAN!!! I remember asking her every 5 mintues.....do you think it's done yet???? How about now???? NOW???? I CAN'T WAIT MOM!!! *I was a patient young thing wasn't I???*
Mom didn't use a recipe.......and some things I didn't learn from her....not because I didn't want to, but because I thought I had a lifetime to learn them (and I was boy crazy in highschool. LOL That's my story and I'm sticking to it.). I miss mom......she died in 2007 and I never did learn her recipe for beef stew. BUT.............................this recipe that I snatched from a Taste of Home magazine, is the closest I have found to her homemade beef stew. But I couldn't call it, Almost Like My Mom's Stew..........or Close to My Momma's Stew........so I just call it:
Yummy Beef Stew
(serves 8)
2 lbs beef stew meet, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 T vegetable oil, divided
1 cup water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed, 1 inch
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T beef bouillon ( or 3 beef bouillon cubes)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
Brown stew meat in a Dutch oven. Add water, potatoes, carrot, onions, and garlic. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes and heat through before serving.
Now..............because I *love* my crockpot, and I don't like to cook something, check on it, add something, cook it again, etc. Too much to remember. LOL I am a simple cook, remember??? I brown the meat in a skillet, add it and the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot, stir it exactly once, and cook it several hours on LOW (or 4-5 hours on HIGH). LOL
Mom didn't use a recipe.......and some things I didn't learn from her....not because I didn't want to, but because I thought I had a lifetime to learn them (and I was boy crazy in highschool. LOL That's my story and I'm sticking to it.). I miss mom......she died in 2007 and I never did learn her recipe for beef stew. BUT.............................this recipe that I snatched from a Taste of Home magazine, is the closest I have found to her homemade beef stew. But I couldn't call it, Almost Like My Mom's Stew..........or Close to My Momma's Stew........so I just call it:
Yummy Beef Stew
(serves 8)
2 lbs beef stew meet, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 T vegetable oil, divided
1 cup water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed, 1 inch
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T beef bouillon ( or 3 beef bouillon cubes)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
Brown stew meat in a Dutch oven. Add water, potatoes, carrot, onions, and garlic. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes and heat through before serving.
Now..............because I *love* my crockpot, and I don't like to cook something, check on it, add something, cook it again, etc. Too much to remember. LOL I am a simple cook, remember??? I brown the meat in a skillet, add it and the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot, stir it exactly once, and cook it several hours on LOW (or 4-5 hours on HIGH). LOL
BBQ Beef Sandwiches (and a time saver tip, too)
Here is a time saver I have been doing for years now. When you buy hamburger, you can get the larger 5 lb packages cheaper than buying 5 one pound packages. (Plus I look for it when it's on sale) I will brown 5-10 lbs at a time, with chopped onion in it. I drain it well, and then divide it into 1 lbs portions in ziploc bags and freeze! Next time I want to make a dish that calls for browned hamburger, I am one step ahead of the game!!! I barely thaw in the microwave and then toss it in the skillet and warm it up and continue with my recipe. (Or for tacos......I simply heat it the already cooked hamburger in the microwave with a tablespoon or two of water and a packet of taco seasoning mix and BOOM............instant tacos. Add water and stir. LOL
Now, the recipe.....................super easy................super yummy!!!
I got this recipe..............somewhere. LOL I can't remember honestly. But it has become one of those quick toss together meals for the hubs and I for a few years now. And if you have the hamburger cooked already???? It only takes a few minutes. I NEVER let it simmer the whole 45 minutes it says in the recipe. I am too impatient, and who has 45 minutes to stand there and stir a pan of BBQ beef while it simmers??? Not me!
BBQ Beef Sandwiches
(serves 4)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 can (10 3/4 oz) tomato soup
3/4 cup honey BBQ sauce
1 T brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
hoagie or hamburger buns
Brown the ground beef with onions, drain and return to the pan. Add remaining ingredients except the buns and stir, simmering for 45 minutes (yeah right....more like 10). Serve on buns.
Now, the recipe.....................super easy................super yummy!!!
I got this recipe..............somewhere. LOL I can't remember honestly. But it has become one of those quick toss together meals for the hubs and I for a few years now. And if you have the hamburger cooked already???? It only takes a few minutes. I NEVER let it simmer the whole 45 minutes it says in the recipe. I am too impatient, and who has 45 minutes to stand there and stir a pan of BBQ beef while it simmers??? Not me!
BBQ Beef Sandwiches
(serves 4)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 can (10 3/4 oz) tomato soup
3/4 cup honey BBQ sauce
1 T brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
hoagie or hamburger buns
Brown the ground beef with onions, drain and return to the pan. Add remaining ingredients except the buns and stir, simmering for 45 minutes (yeah right....more like 10). Serve on buns.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
One of our family's all time favorite recipes!!! As I said before, this recipe makes me tihnk of my old sorority days and my friend Jerri. We had a potluck one evening and she brought.....THESE! And we all mumbled over bites of meatballs from the crockpot how amazing they were. I cornered her later with a pen and paper and told her to spill it. LOL She rambled off the ingredients and I scribbled it down, and I have been making them ever sense!
My mother in law has a similar recipe that uses oats in it. Hubs has tried both, and I am pleased to say, HE LIKES MINE BEST! I would like that engraved on my tombstone when I die please. LOL But seriously, these are sooooooooooooooo yummo!!! Everyone I have made these for (Thanks again Jerri) has adored them.............ok....there was one....ONE who thought they were an aquired taste, adn perhaps he didn't have "that" tastebud. And that was my older brother Chris. But what does he know?? This is the same guy who used to put ketchup on his mashed potatoes, ok??? What does he know!!! (But in his defense, they were the prettiest color of pink when he mixed them up and ate them. Pink mashed potatoes. UGH!)
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
(serves 4)
I will tell you this now....if you like sticky meatballs, make the amoutn of sauce in the recipe. If you want them swimming in sauce, then double the sauce recipe, ok??? OK!!!
1 pound hamburger
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup milk
sauce:
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
2T Worchestershire sauce
(Mix and taste test. I like mine a little sweeter than sour myself)
Form meatballs and place in a Dutch oven. Combine the ingredients for the sauce and pour over the meatballs. (No, you don't have to cook the meatballs first......they cook great in the sauce and what a time saver!!!) Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until meatballs are no longer pink. I make these in the crockpot all the time. Cook on Low most of the day and for 4 hours if on LOW.
WARNING: Either stand back when removing the lid to baste or check on the meatballs or wear goggles. Believe me on this.....you do not want the vinegar steam from this dish to get in your eyes and blind you!!
My mother in law has a similar recipe that uses oats in it. Hubs has tried both, and I am pleased to say, HE LIKES MINE BEST! I would like that engraved on my tombstone when I die please. LOL But seriously, these are sooooooooooooooo yummo!!! Everyone I have made these for (Thanks again Jerri) has adored them.............ok....there was one....ONE who thought they were an aquired taste, adn perhaps he didn't have "that" tastebud. And that was my older brother Chris. But what does he know?? This is the same guy who used to put ketchup on his mashed potatoes, ok??? What does he know!!! (But in his defense, they were the prettiest color of pink when he mixed them up and ate them. Pink mashed potatoes. UGH!)
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
(serves 4)
I will tell you this now....if you like sticky meatballs, make the amoutn of sauce in the recipe. If you want them swimming in sauce, then double the sauce recipe, ok??? OK!!!
1 pound hamburger
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup milk
sauce:
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
2T Worchestershire sauce
(Mix and taste test. I like mine a little sweeter than sour myself)
Form meatballs and place in a Dutch oven. Combine the ingredients for the sauce and pour over the meatballs. (No, you don't have to cook the meatballs first......they cook great in the sauce and what a time saver!!!) Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until meatballs are no longer pink. I make these in the crockpot all the time. Cook on Low most of the day and for 4 hours if on LOW.
WARNING: Either stand back when removing the lid to baste or check on the meatballs or wear goggles. Believe me on this.....you do not want the vinegar steam from this dish to get in your eyes and blind you!!
Enchiladas??? Yes, I think so!!!!!!
My favorite food?? Chinese. But that is besides the point. LOL My other favorite?? MEXICAN. Now tacos are easy, and fajitas a cinch. But enchiladas.....oh my.....they make me happy and I used to only eat them in a resturant because *I thought* they were hard to make. NONSENSE!! These are so easy......and cheesy......I rhyme all the time......see there......oops I did it again. LOL
So, without further ado'.....here is my recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas *heaven*
This dish serves 4, or 1 big huge yummy portion. LOL Just kidding.....no I'm not. Step away from the enchiladas Amy!!! Woah girl. Step away.
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
(serves 4)
1 T butter
1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8- medium sized flour tortillas
Saute' the onion in butter until tender. Add chicken, 1/4 cup picante sauce, cream cheese and cumin. Heat through and remove from the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Soften tortillas in the microwave. Spoon chicken mixture down the center of the tortillas. Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
So, without further ado'.....here is my recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas *heaven*
This dish serves 4, or 1 big huge yummy portion. LOL Just kidding.....no I'm not. Step away from the enchiladas Amy!!! Woah girl. Step away.
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
(serves 4)
1 T butter
1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8- medium sized flour tortillas
Saute' the onion in butter until tender. Add chicken, 1/4 cup picante sauce, cream cheese and cumin. Heat through and remove from the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Soften tortillas in the microwave. Spoon chicken mixture down the center of the tortillas. Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Best In The West BBQ Bean Bake
This is one of those recipes.....that has been in our family FOR YEARS! I am not even sure where it originally came from.......my Granny, my mom's sister, Aunt Mary, and my mom all made it in my childhood. It brings back memories of all three of them, as well as hunting days. Hunting days were days when the guys would go out on my other Grandma's land.......and well....HUNT. LOL The ladies would gather and make chili, and other hot soups including this one, sandwiches and desserts, and lots of coffee to warm those who were chilled to the born while waiting for that white tailed deer to cross their path. The ladies made all kinds of things for lunch, then cleaned up and visited, crocheted, let the kids play, etc. until supper time, when we did it all over again, cleaned up and went home. I loved hunting days when the family and those close friends to the family gathered for those meals. Grandma is gone now....the house was in bad shape and was torn down since then, too, so this doesn't happen anymore. But I still have the memories.
If you asked me to describe this dish, I would have to say it is a cross between chili and BBQ baked beans. It's more sweet than it is spicy, but if you like crank up the spice level with some smoky cumin and spicy chili powder. I like it just as is....with a nice thick slice of hot cornbread. Mmmmmm.....doesn't get any better than this on a cold winter's day!!!
Best In The West BBQ Bean Bake
(serves 4)
1 pound hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 lb bacon, chopped
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
4T prepared mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
4T brown sugar
16 oz can red kidney beans
16 oz can pork and beans
16 oz can butter beans
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Brown hamburger, bacon and onion in a Dutch oven. Drain and return to Dutch oven. Add all the remaining ingredients, cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Serve with hot cornbread!!! YUM!
If you asked me to describe this dish, I would have to say it is a cross between chili and BBQ baked beans. It's more sweet than it is spicy, but if you like crank up the spice level with some smoky cumin and spicy chili powder. I like it just as is....with a nice thick slice of hot cornbread. Mmmmmm.....doesn't get any better than this on a cold winter's day!!!
Best In The West BBQ Bean Bake
(serves 4)
1 pound hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 lb bacon, chopped
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
4T prepared mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
4T brown sugar
16 oz can red kidney beans
16 oz can pork and beans
16 oz can butter beans
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Brown hamburger, bacon and onion in a Dutch oven. Drain and return to Dutch oven. Add all the remaining ingredients, cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Serve with hot cornbread!!! YUM!
This Recipe Reminds Me Of............
For some people it is images, songs, etc. And those all bring memories to me as well.......but so do recipes. If you aren't a recipe freak like me you won't understand.....just skip to the next post. LOL But for the rest of you......recipes bring happy memories for me. Sometimes crazy memories (like the time I lost a fake nail in the dessert....LOL My mom found it, unintentionally because I "forgot" to tell her I had lost it. ) and sometimes sad memories.
Mostly the recipes in my book remind me of people. Some remind me of my Granny (my mom's mom), or my mother, who were both wonderful cooks and passed down many recipes to me over the years. Now that they have both passed on to heaven, I think of them even more when making a dish from their recipe books or handwritten recipe cards. And other family and friends have given me recipes over the years as well. I still to this day can not eat Sweet and Sour Meatballs without thinking of my sorority days and my friend Jerri who gave me the recipe. They are yummy and one of hubs favorites!!! And I can't make Best in The West Bean Bake without thinking of my Granny, my Aunt Mary (my mom's sister), and my mom. Yummy with cornbread it warms the body as well as the soul. Soul food is the best!!!
Ok, carry on with the recipes now!!! LOL
Mostly the recipes in my book remind me of people. Some remind me of my Granny (my mom's mom), or my mother, who were both wonderful cooks and passed down many recipes to me over the years. Now that they have both passed on to heaven, I think of them even more when making a dish from their recipe books or handwritten recipe cards. And other family and friends have given me recipes over the years as well. I still to this day can not eat Sweet and Sour Meatballs without thinking of my sorority days and my friend Jerri who gave me the recipe. They are yummy and one of hubs favorites!!! And I can't make Best in The West Bean Bake without thinking of my Granny, my Aunt Mary (my mom's sister), and my mom. Yummy with cornbread it warms the body as well as the soul. Soul food is the best!!!
Ok, carry on with the recipes now!!! LOL
An Adventure In Cooking......and so it begins!!!
I am starting this blog to share with my friends and family, and anyone else who trips along it. LOL I love to cook. I love to eat what I cook. I learned most of my cooking and baking skills from my mom. She was an EXCELLENT cook and taught me everything I know. Now if you are looking for gourmet, special ingerdient, low fat, low carb, no gluten recipes.....THIS IS NOT THE PLACE!!! LOL I have nothing against any of those kinds of dishes, but that is simply not what I do. *shakes head* I am talking about down home cookign from the fridge and the pantry, most likely with items you have on hand or are readily available at your local hometown grocery store. The kind of cooking my Granny did, my mom did, and now me.....the Little Sister. (I have two older brother.....so I am the Little Sister...make sense now???? LOL)
I have several friends and family who are constantly asking me for a new tried and true recipe from my collection. I tell them what is for dinner at our house and they want the recipe. I post what we are having for dinner on Facebook and they want me to post the recipe. They wrote me later, much later, and say, remember that one recipe.....I need it!! Please send it again. LOL I love sharing recipes with them, too!! Why??? Because for me, cooking is love! I show my family my love for them in many ways, a clean house (some days it slows love more than others), clean underwear (LOL), and yes, cooking for their hungry tummies!!!
That is what this blog will mostly be about. Sure, I might slip in posts on something else now and again.....you can skip through those if you wish. :) Feel free to print them, use them, share them with your friends and family, but most of all.....enjoy sitting around the dining room table and eating with your family. If these recipes help you in that, then I will be smiling till the cows come home.
Now I don't like to stand in the kitchen for hours.....nope.....you don't either!! Let's face it. We don't have time to fix perfect dishes with all the fixings like Martha. Most of the meals I make are quick and easy and don't take alot of time in the kitchen. And I love short cuts, so I will teach you some of those along the way as well, ok?? I know you are excited about that, because the more time you save from slaving over the stove, the more time you have to spend with that wonderful family of yours! :)
So, here we go.................................an adventure in cooking!!! *exciting*
I have several friends and family who are constantly asking me for a new tried and true recipe from my collection. I tell them what is for dinner at our house and they want the recipe. I post what we are having for dinner on Facebook and they want me to post the recipe. They wrote me later, much later, and say, remember that one recipe.....I need it!! Please send it again. LOL I love sharing recipes with them, too!! Why??? Because for me, cooking is love! I show my family my love for them in many ways, a clean house (some days it slows love more than others), clean underwear (LOL), and yes, cooking for their hungry tummies!!!
That is what this blog will mostly be about. Sure, I might slip in posts on something else now and again.....you can skip through those if you wish. :) Feel free to print them, use them, share them with your friends and family, but most of all.....enjoy sitting around the dining room table and eating with your family. If these recipes help you in that, then I will be smiling till the cows come home.
Now I don't like to stand in the kitchen for hours.....nope.....you don't either!! Let's face it. We don't have time to fix perfect dishes with all the fixings like Martha. Most of the meals I make are quick and easy and don't take alot of time in the kitchen. And I love short cuts, so I will teach you some of those along the way as well, ok?? I know you are excited about that, because the more time you save from slaving over the stove, the more time you have to spend with that wonderful family of yours! :)
So, here we go.................................an adventure in cooking!!! *exciting*
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