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
Monday, February 21, 2011
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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