Black and White Brownies

Haven't made these yet, but had them at a friends. Just wow. Tasted more like fudge than brownies.

Black and White Brownies

Fish Tacos

Check out this blog post: Fish Tacos

I really, really want to try them!

The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti

I found this recipe a few weeks ago and Michael made it last week. OMG. It is amazing. Really, really amazing.

Chicken Spaghetti

We ate every last noodle over the next few days. It reheats great in the microwave, and includes directions for making it ahead and for freezing.

I am already looking forward to making it again.

Cooking, or lack thereof

So I have not updated or done a menu in a while. Why? Well, because Michael and I are trying (with limited success) to lose some weight. That means much simpler meals. And a surprising amount of my free time is spent working on my photography class. Sorry to disappoint my adoring fans with a lack of recipes and menus! LOL

I do have an apple pie recipe to post at some point, and a link to another dessert that I hope to get made this week for bunko.

Menu Plan, Week 4

Well, I am still at it and we are still doing great on not eating out as much. I am guessing we have already saved around 150 - 200 dollars.

Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, my obsession with "cream of" soup continues. I never realized how many of my easy, tried and true favorites contain this. Well, no apologies from me - it is easy and tasty and I am not that much of a food snob anymore now that there is a two year old underfoot.

This week the list is:

Meatloaf - I made this Saturday night and it really hit the spot. Olivia really liked it too. We had some garlic mashed potatoes, cooked cabbage and asparagus to go with it.

Red Beans and Rice - I have never made this before, but had a good recipe to start from. WOW - almost as good as New Orleans.

Chop Suey Casserole - An old favorite that I have actually only made once before. Looking forward to it again.

Chicken Pot Pie - will come back with the link, need to remember how to make it.

Lastly, I was craving bran muffins and tried a new recipe. As usual, I made some changes, so I posted what I did. They rock!

Raisin Bran Muffins (6 Week Muffins)

Whew - got it all up - guess I need to start thinking about next week already. This menu planning thing is a lot of work.

Raisin Bran Muffins (6 Week Muffins)

Raisin Bran Muffins (6 Week Muffins)

1 (15 ounce) box raisin bran cereal
5 cups 50/50 wheat white flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. salt
5 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 quart plus 2 cups buttermilk

Combine all ingredients. Mix very lightly. Batter keeps up to 6 weeks covered in the refrigerator.

When ready to bake, spoon into greased or paper cup lined muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Best warm.

Notes:

This recipe is adapted from the Victorian Sampler Tea Room Cookbook.

The original recipe calls for all white flour, but I wanted to substitute some of it for wheat. I found the 50/50 at the store so just used that. It should work in any proportion.

After I mixed it and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, it was very dry. I added the additional two cups of buttermilk (the original recipe only calls for 1 quart) the next morning.

These are wonderful bran muffins.

The box of cereal I used was 17 ounces, so I just didn't use quite all of it.

Chop Suey Casserole

Chop Suey Casserole

1 pound ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 soup can of water
1/2 c. uncooked rice
1 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
3 T. soy sauce
1 can chow mein noodles

Brown and drain beef. Combine all ingredients except noodles in a casserole. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cover with noodles for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Notes:

This recipe was a favorite of my dear friend Flossie and was taken from the cookbook in the parish I grew up in, submitted by Pat Vaughn.

I am going to substitute chopped water chestnuts for part or all of the onion when I make it because I really do not like onions.

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

1 onion, chopped
1 pound small red beans
1 cup chopped celery
3 quarts stock
1 pound smoked sausage
1 small ham hock
2 T. minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2 T. Joe's Stuff seasoning

6 cups cooked rice

Soak beans in water overnight to soften. Drain beans and place in crock pot with all other ingredients except smoked sausage. Cook for 8 hours or until thickened. Grill or saute smoked sausage and add to beans in small chunks. Remove bay leaves before serving over rice.

Notes:

This recipe is adapted from Class Act, Simple, Authentic Recipes from the New Orleans School of Cooking. It is cooked on the stove in the original recipe, but the crockpot works better for me. But, it did not thicken as much as it should have, so I put it on the stove for an hour or so.

You could probably substitute any Cajun type seasoning for the Joe's Stuff.

It is not overly spicy at all, and was fantastic with the Smoked Tobassco sauce added at the table.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf

3 stalks celery chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound sausage
3 eggs
3/4 cup catsup
4 T. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup oats
2/3 Italian bread crumbs
black pepper
salt (if desired)

Combine the eggs, catsup and Worcestershire sauce. Place all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture and using your hands gently but thoroughly combine. Do not overmix.

Bake at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160. Drain grease and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Menu Plan, Week 3

I didn't get to the Poppy Seed Chicken or the Italian Noodle Bake last week, so they moved to this week and are pretty much going to sustain us through today. Not sure about tomorrow or Saturday at this point, but have some ideas, just using up stuff around the house, running through my mind.

Pork Chops and Stuffing

Pork Chops and Stuffing

4 small to medium pork chops or pork loin chops
butter
1 package pork stuffing mix (ex. Stove Top)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 soup can of milk

Lightly brown pork chops in a small amount of butter. They do not have to cook through, just brown them.

Prepare the stuffing mix according to package directions, but do not cook, just mix the ingredients together.

Combine the soup and the milk.

Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Pour enough of the soup mix in the pan to coat it thoroughly. Add the pork chops, then cover them with the stuffing mix. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the stuffing.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Notes:

This works great with chicken too.

Olivia really like it.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded
1 16 ounce container sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3 T. butter
1 sleeve Ritz style crackers, crushed
2 T. poppy seeds

Heat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish (see notes) with Pam. Place cooked chicken in the dish.

Combine sour cream and cream of mushroom soup and place over chicken, spreading evenly.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Remove from heat, add the cracker crumbs and poppy seeds and stir to combine. Pour over sour cream mixture in casserole and spread evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Serve over cooked rice.

Notes:
I used an 8 1/2 by 10 inch casserole dish. You could easily use something larger, but not smaller.

This is one of our favorite super easy dishes.

Easy Mock Lasagna (aka Italian Noodle Bake)

Easy Mock Lasagna

1 pound Italian sausage (hot or sweet to preference), browned and drained
15 ounce container ricotta
1 egg
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/8 tea. nutmeg
black pepper
8 ounces small egg noodles (or pasta of your choice - see notes), cooked to package instructions
1 25.6 ounce jar pasta sauce

Combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, nutmeg and black pepper to taste in a bowl.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with Pam (see notes). Place cooked noodles covering the bottom of dish. Top with ricotta mixture.

Combine sausage and pasta sauce and put it on the ricotta in casserole dish. Top with remaining 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 45 - 55 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and is hot all the way through.

Notes:

The little egg noodles worked great in the dish because they were nice and soft and did not add a distinct flavor, like a wheat penne or the like would. But, the instruction said to cook them 10 minutes. They were PLENTY done at 6, so if you use them, watch them closely. I would recommend cooking any noodle you use no longer than the short end of the cooking time because they will cook more in the oven.

I used my 8 1/2 by 10 inch dish for this recipe. It would work in something slightly bigger, but I would not go smaller. If you go a lot bigger, you may want more cheese on top.

We really like this - it had all the flavor of lasagna with MUCH less work and mess. I would make this again in place of lasagna any time.

I might add some Parmesan cheese next time for a little stronger cheese flavor.

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

From Mary Harke, from LCJ cookbook

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 4 large baking potatoes (baked, cooled, peeled and cubed – can use left over baked potatoes)
• 7 cups milk
• 4 green onions chopped
• 12 bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large pot. Stir in flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly over medium heat until thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted.

Baked Potato Soup Kevin & Joanie Style

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup all purpose flour

12 cups raw potatoes diced (10-12 Russets)

10 ½ cups milk

6 green onions chopped

1 ½ - 2 cups cooked bacon

1 8oz package of Hoffman’s Super Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded

½ 8 oz package of Hoffman’s Vermont Cheddar Cheese Shredded

1 ½ cups sour cream

1 – 2 teaspoons garlic depending on your taste

Salt

Pepper

Peal and dice potatoes – rinse under running water for 3-5 minutes, then let soak in cold water for at least ½ hour.

Melt butter in a large pot, slowly add flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly over medium heat until thickened (will have to boil). Remove from heat and add onions, pepper, garlic & bacon

Drain potatoes and put in bottom of crock pot

Pour hot milk mixture over potatoes, stir and cover.

Cook on high for 2 ½ - 3 ½ hours, depending on crockpot.

Once potatoes are done, stir in sour cream and cheese, add cheese slowing stirring constantly to make sure it melts. Let simmer for 10 minutes after cheese is melted.

Serve and enjoy.

You can garnish with bacon, green onions, and/or shredded cheese (garnish items are extra for above ingredients)

North Woods Wild Rice Soup

North Woods Wild Rice Soup

Recipe By : posted by Lisa W at cl bb
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Low-Fat Soup


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion -- chopped (1/2 cup)
2 medium stalks celery -- diced (1 cup)
2 medium carrots -- diced (1 cup)
1 cup diced smoked turkey
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans chicken broth -- (14 1/2 oz ea.)
1 can evaporated fat-free milk -- (12 oz)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen green peas -- thawed
2 tbsp dry sherry -- if desired

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook onion in oil about 4 minutes, stirring occassionally, until tender.

Place onion, celery, carrots, turkey, wild rice, tarragon and pepper in 3 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker. Pour broth over top.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours or until wild rice and vegetables are tender.

Mix milk and flour; stir into soup. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in peas and sherry during last 15 minutes of cooking.

Calories 225 (Calories from Fat 2.5); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 750mg; Carbohydrate 32g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 21g10

Chipped Beef on Toast

Chipped Beef on Toast

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/2 c. warm milk
2 2.25 ounce jars dried beef, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch cayenne pepper

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour to form a roux. Whisk in milk gradually and increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil and add beef, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne, stirring until thickened and heated through.

Serve over toast.

Note: the directions for the beef say to rinse and drain it before using, which I did.

Menu Planning, Weeks 1 & 2

As Michael and I have been making a huge effort not to eat out as much, I have also been making an effort at menu planning. Last Saturday I picked out some dinners for that week and we did quite well. The problem was, I only picked out 4 dinners, so we ran out around Wednesday and it kinda went downhill from there. Here is what we had:

Sausage, Cabbage and Apples

Chicken with Finger Licking Peanut Sauce

Chipped Beef on Toast

Tomato and White Bean Soup

Everything turned out good, and Olivia ate it all. My least favorite was the soup, it was too oniony for me, but it had good flavor.

This week, we have in the lineup:

North Woods Wild Rice Soup

Pasta with Asiago Cheese and Spinach

Italian Noodle Casserole Turned out great, but I changed the name to Easy Mock Lasagna - see the link!

Poppy-seed Chicken - this is a tried and true. If I have given you this recipe previously, you may want to compare it to this one - I may have made some changes.

Pork Chops with Stuffing - this is super easy and Olivia REALLY like it. She seems to love pork in almost any fashion.

Sausage, Cabbage and Apples

As part of this weeks menu plan, I looked around and found a half a head of cabbage that needed to be used up. We also have some "church" sausage still from last year and the sausage dinner is less than a month away, so our old supply must be gone by March 1. So, this was the result

Sausage, Cabbage and Apples in the Crockpot

1 pound home style sausage links (or bratwurst)
1/2 a medium head of cabbage, wedged
3 apples, quartered and cored
1/2 onion
1 tea. Penzey's bratwurst seasoning

Put everything in a Crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Notes: I thought this turned out very good for something simple and with few ingredients. Of course, I love cabbage, so you could hardly go wrong. The sausage was pretty well done, but it still tasted really good.

You could substitute salt, pepper and your favorite seasoning for the bratwurst seasoning.

Chicken with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce

If I had to pick my one, absolutely favorite recipe this would be it. I have made it numerous times for lots of different people and nearly everyone raves about it - adults and children alike.

It originated as Fettuccine and Tofu with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce in Cooking Light magazine in April, 2001. My version uses most of the same ingredients, but in different amounts.

Chicken with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce

2/3 C. chicken broth
1/2 peanut butter (I use natural, smooth but chunky works good as well)
1/2 low sodium soy sauce
5 T. brown sugar (4 if you use regular peanut butter)
3 T. rice vinegar
3 tea. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 - 2 tea. of chili paste (sambal oelek) (see notes)
5 garlic cloves minced
8 ounces soba noodles (can use any long, thin pasta)
1 1/3 c. shredded carrots
3/4 pound chicken breast, cooked and shredded

Combine first 8 ingredients (chicken broth through garlic) in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat 7-10 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. Add chicken to warm it. Remove from heat.

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, adding the carrots during the last minute of cooking.

Drain the noodles and carrots and place in a large bowl. Add peanut/chicken sauce and stir gently to combine.

Notes:
The chicken works best if it is shredded, otherwise it won't incorporate well into the noodles.

If you use 1/2 tea. of the sambal oelek, it will give it a very mildly spicy taste. Use the full amount and it will be HOT. I use the 1/2 tea. then put it on the table to add more as desired.

Grandma's Potato Salad

I am taking a main dish break and putting this up. This is my grandmother's wonderful potato salad and really the only potato salad that I like. It is rich and creamy and amazing. Come by some time, I will make it for you, and you will see just how good it is.

6 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 bacon slices
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
3 large eggs
1 tea. dry mustard
1/2 tea. salt
2 tea. celery seed
1/2 tea. black pepper
2 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled and sliced

Place potatoes and celery in a large serving bowl.

Fry bacon in a medium frying pan until crisp. Remove, drain and crumble bacon then add to bowl with potatoes. Leave 1 - 1 1/2 T. bacon drippings in pan.

Combine well sugar, vinegar, 3 eggs, dry mustard, salt, celery seed and black pepper in a medium bowl. Pour into pan with bacon grease and heat over low medium heat. Stir and scrape frequently until sauce thickens and just barely begins to boil. Sauce will be very thick.

Pour sauce over potatoes and stir gently to combine.

Garish with sliced eggs.

Edamame Succotash with Shrimp

Another Cooking Light recipe that is perfect just the way it is!

Edamame Succotash with Shrimp

Edamame stand in for lima beans in this one-dish meal. If you like your food spicy, use 2 jalapeño peppers.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups frozen blanched shelled edamame (green soybeans)
• 3 bacon slices
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, split lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin strips
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 3 tablespoons white wine
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Prepare edamame according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; crumble bacon.

Reduce heat to medium; add celery, onion, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in edamame, corn, and wine; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in salt and pepper; sprinkle with crumbled bacon and parsley. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

292 (28% from fat)

Fat:

11.2g (sat 2.9g,mono 4g,poly 3.7g)

Protein:

365g

Carbohydrate:

31.7g

Fiber:

6.2g

Cholesterol:

180mg

Iron:

5.4mg

Sodium:

599mg

Calcium:

118mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2003

Beef Strogonoff

This is mine, but one I am constantly tweaking, it seems a little different every time I make it.

1 pound of beef rib eye or other good cut of beef, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 8 ounce package sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 tea. beef bouillon granules
1 T. of onion powder
1 tea. minced garlic
1/2 tea. garlic salt
1/4 tea. black pepper
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2/3 c. sour cream
2 c. egg noodles, prepared. Add parsley and butter to noodles if desired.

Brown beef in a small amount of olive oil for 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes, then add mushroom soup through Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 15 - 20 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in sour cream. Serve over noodles.

Cinnamon-Beef Noodles

This is not mine at all - it is from Cooking Light Magazine, Jan/Feb 2001 and is just so delicious!

Cinnamon-Beef Noodles

In this classic version of red-cooking, the meat is simmered in a soy sauce-based mixture for a long time until tender. Seasonings such as ginger, garlic, and cinnamon provide extra flavor. This method can be used to cook a variety of meats, including pork, lamb, chicken, and duck.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1 cup beef mixture and 1/2 cup noodles)

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups rice wine or sake
• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 cups hot cooked wide lo mein noodles or vermicelli (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add half of the beef, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and beef. Return beef to pan; add water mixture, onions, garlic, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard ginger slices and cinnamon. Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until wilted. Serve over noodles.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

403 (14% from fat)

Fat:

6.2g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.3g)

Protein:

30.5g

Carbohydrate:

50.4g

Fiber:

2.9g

Cholesterol:

44mg

Iron:

5.2mg

Sodium:

1080mg

Calcium:

80mg

Nina Simonds, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2001

Chicken and Dumplings

This one started out as something that I coworker brought in to work and I asked for her recipe. Mine is significantly different, so I can't even say it is a version of the original recipe!

(you can substitute 4 cups of cooked chicken and 8 2/3 cups of broth if you do not want to make your own broth - but be warned that it may be a bit salty)


1 whole chicken
4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chunked
6 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or equivalent of the granular)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (or one chicken and 1 celery)
1 can cream of potato soup
1 egg
1 tea. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour

Cook chicken in water with celery and onion until done. Cool chicken and removed bones and skin and tear into bite sized pieces. Chop and reserve celery and onion if desired. Reserve 8 2/3 cups of broth.

In a dutch oven, combine the 8 cups of chicken broth and carrots and heat to boiling. Add soups and bouillon cubes.

While this is heating, make the dumplings by combining the remaining 2/3 cup of chicken broth and the egg. Add the flour and baking powder and stir to a stiff dough. Add more flour or broth if needed.

Roll dough thin on a flour coated surface and cut into dumplings. The get quite a bit bigger when they are cooked, so I keep mine someone where in the 1 - 1 1/2 inch by 1/2 - 3/4 inch range. Drop dumplings into boiling broth. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until dumpling are done. Add chicken, celery and onions and cook for 5 minutes more.

Notes:
This is one of my favorite fall/winter dishes. It is hardy and very warming. Great with some cinnamon applesauce on the side.

It keeps very well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.

I've Had a Request....

actually several weeks ago, for main dish items. So, over the next few weeks, I plan to tweak some of my tried and true recipes and get them up here. For a few, that work is done, so they will be coming up in the next posts.

Chex Mix in the Crockpot

I haven't tried this yet - once I do, I will go back and add my notes. Click on the title link for notes from the Year of Crockpotting.

Crockpot Chex Party Mix - from the Year of Crockpotting blog

--5 Cups General Mills Rice Chex Cereal
--1-2 cups of dry roasted peanuts (salted or not, your choice)
--2 cups pretzel sticks
--1/2 t onion powder
--1/2 t seasoned salt
--3 T butter
--1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce


The Directions.

--put the butter into the bottom of your crockpot
--turn it on low
--add the onion powder and seasoned salt
--add the Worcestershire sauce
--add dry ingredients
--stir. if the butter is still clumpy, it's okay
--cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring every 45 min or so

Dump out onto a cookie sheet to cool.

Serve and enjoy.

Lo Mein

Olivia loves lo mein. This recipe is adapted from the Yan Can Cook by Martin Yan cookbook. It does not seem to have a lot of flavor to me, despite some additions that I made.

Lo Mein

1 1/4 pounds of pork loin, sliced in 2 by 1/4 inch pieces

5 T. Oyster sauce

2 tea. sesame oil

2 T. rice wine

black pepper

Combine all of the above and marinade 30-60 minutes (while preparing the other ingredients).

3 - 6 T. oil

1 large carrot, cut into match sticks

2 cans bamboo shoots, roughly chopped

5 cups chopped cabbage

1/2 ounce package dried woodear mushrooms, reconstituted according to package and chopped

4 cups fresh bean sprouts

2 cups snow peas, halved

1 and 1/2 packages of rice noodles (14 ounce packages) prepared according to package directions, rinsed then tossed with:

3 tea. sesame oil

2/3 cup light soy sauce (or more to taste)

1/3 cup oyster sauce

3 T. sugar

2 tea. sesame oil

fresh or ground ginger (optional)

2 tea. garlic

2/3 cup chicken broth

black pepper

After marinating the pork, and preparing all of the other ingredients, heat a wok on high and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pork and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove from wok and add carrots and snow peas. Stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the pork, bamboo shoots, cabbage and mushrooms. Heat all of it through - 5 - 7 minutes.

Combine the last eight ingredients (light soy sauce through black pepper) and add to the wok along with the bean sprouts. Heat to boiling and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and add the noodles. Cook until the noodles have absorbed most of the remaining moisture.

Notes: This makes a huge amount - at least 10-12 servings.

Spicy Chicken Soup

Michael found the basis for this soup in the current Penzey's catalog. The original recipe is here: Spicy Hot Chicken Soup

I made a few changes, so here is my version.

2 large chicken breasts, bone and skin removed, cut into chucks
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 large carrots, chopped into small pieces
5 tea. minced garlic
1/3 tea. cayenne pepper
3 tea. powdered ginger
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound egg noodles

Heat oil in dutch oven, add chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Add minced onion and garlic and saute until the juices evaporate and the mixture begins to brown slightly. Then add the pepper and ginger and saute for 1 minute more. Add the carrots and chicken broth and simmer, covered for 45 minutes.

Uncover, bring the mixture to a hard boil, add the noodles and cook until done.

Notes: This soup has a nice kick to it, and the garlic and ginger give it Asian undertones. Very good with a side salad and some bread.

Zion Church Slaw Dressing

submitted by Harriet Zuroweste

2 c. sugar
1 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. oil
1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1/2 tea. celery seed
1/4 tea. salt
1/4 tea. black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl (I use a quart jar). Whisk or shake to combine well.
Let stand one hours for flavors to blend. Pour over fresh cabbage slaw, shredded carrots, bell peppers diced and onion. Mix and serve.

I keep this in the quart jar in the fridge for a month or more and just use it as I need it, pouring over the bagged slaw mix.

English Toffee Day

How is this for another yummy treat!?!

Tip Junkie: Happy National English Toffee Day

Oven-Roasted Broccoli

I made this for a couple parties this Christmas season and it was a big hit. Very good and very easy:

Rachel Ray's Oven Roasted Broccoli

Almond Toffee

Yes, this is really the recipe, along with all of my tips and tricks. I originally found this recipe on the Cooking Light Community bulletin board, but have tweaked it some since then. The author, Anna, has her own blog - Cookie Madness and she has scaled down the recipe in this post. Michael and I make several batches of this at Christmas to give as gifts. It will make between 2 1/2 and 3 pounds.


Almond Roca

2 Cups Sugar

1 Pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 Cup Water

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 Cups Almonds -- the "shaved" kind, not slivers or whole

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 pound of milk chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 bags

Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the almonds and set aside.

Mix sugar, butter, water, and salt in large, heavy saucepan and heat to boiling over medium to medium high heat. Make sure there's room in the saucepan for the mixture to foam up and boil. Heat mixture over medium to medium high until it foams and reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally.

When temp reaches 240, stir in 2 cups of almonds. Stir mixture constantly and watch temp carefully until temp reaches 290 - 292.

Remove from heat, stir in soda and QUICKLY pour onto a cookie sheet covered with buttered or greased wax paper. Mixture should start to harden immediately.

As mixture hardens, sprinkle chocolate over hardening mixture and spread the chocolate around until they melt.

Sprinkle melted chocolate with reserved almonds. Crushing them as you sprinkle them on.

Let sit until toffee hardens and chocolate sets.

NOTES:

For this recipe to turn out perfect, you have to watch temperatures CAREFULLY. Don't let the almonds burn (so use medium to medium high heat) and don't remove the mixture from the stove before temp reaches 290. If you do, you'll get chewy almond roca.

I use a Silpat instead of the waxed paper and it works wonderfully. I had problems with the waxed paper sticking.

A digital thermometer works very well with this because getting the temperature right is so important.

It will start getting dark and smoke as it is approaching 290.

You can use milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate to your preference.

Joanie's Pork Roast

This rocks!!! It is amazing!!!

3-4 pounds pork roast
1 onion, roughly chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional)
3/4 can or bottle of beer
1 T. garlic salt or more to taste
black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a Crockpot and cook 8-10 hours. Shred with a fork before serving.

Notes: I made this a few weeks ago for Bunko and nearly every person asked for the recipe. It is great served with bread or buns and your favorite sauce. You could also use the drippings to make gravy.

Marilu's Hash Brown Casserole

This is one of those easy, yummy recipes that is always a hit. It is also one of Marilu's (Michael's sister) "signature" dishes. And by signature dishes, I mean, well, let's just say that she freely admits that she is not famous for the wide and varied things that she fixes. They may not be numerous, but man are they good!

So, to prevent myself from having to ask her for this recipe yet again, I am posting it here!

2 bags of frozen hash brown potatoes (the little square chucks, not the shredded ones)
1 stick butter
4 cups shredded cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup.
Salt (or garlic salt) and pepper to taste

Combine all of the above ingredients and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Note: you can also top with corn flakes, but I have never bothered with this, but it is certainly good with them.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

Since we last spoke, I have done some more cooking! Yipee!

Yesterday, I put the Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken in. The link is from the A Year of CrockPotting blog. Kiy first pointed me to this blog - I hope to find lots of inspiration from it and use the Crockpot more.

Maybe I was expecting too much. Michael and I both though it was okay, but not fabulous. I will try it again someday, with no soda, less sugar, more garlic and more soy sauce. And maybe a pinch of red or black pepper. It is certainly not bad, and the leftovers today at lunch were better than last night's dinner, but it was just not quite there.

On Friday, I stopped for groceries after work and found the deal of the day - the small clamshells (maybe 6 ounces) of blackberries for a dollar!!! I bought every one that they had - they were super fresh and Olivia was eating them like crazy. Last night I made a blackberry cobbler - I used Bisquick and it was was just okay. I seriously need a good cobbler recipe - anyone???? Then today, Michael and I used the rest of them and made 8 1/2 pints of blackberry jam!

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

1 pound bacon
2 cans whole water chestnuts
1/2 brown sugar
1 cup catsup
2 T. Worcestershire sauce

Cut bacon slices into thirds. Wrap each water chestnut with bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Place on a cookie sheet with a rim (jellyroll pan) and back at 375 for 30 minutes. Combine catsup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Check for browning and crispness at 30 minutes, if crisp, cover with catsup mixture, stirring to cover completely and bake for an additional 30 minutes. If they are not quite crisp yet, bake until crisp then continue with catsup mixture.

Serve warm.

Notes:

• The original recipe had double the amount of catsup and brown sugar. They seemed way to saucy, so I cut it back.
• It may take longer than 30 minutes to get the bacon crisp. It depends upon the thickness of the bacon. If they are not crispying up good, don't be afraid to turn the heat up a little, just watch them carefully.

Pasta, Bean and Sausage Soup

Pasta Bean and Sausage Soup

6 cups chicken broth
2 T. minced garlic
1 tea. ground rosemary
1/4 tea. Penzey's Black and Red (could substitute 1/8 tea red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste)
1 15 ounce can white beans (navy, cannellini, etc) rinsed and divided
16 ounces canned diced tomatoes and juice
1 cup small dried pasta
2-3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 pound hot Italian sausage crumbled, cooked and drained
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine the chicken broth, garlic, rosemary and Black and Red in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mash 1/2 the beans and add to the pot with the tomatoes and pasta. Cook until the pasta is just done, then add the remaining beans, spinach and sausage. Cooked 5 minutes longer.

Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Notes:

• Adapted from EatingWell's Pasta and Bean soup
• I used our fresh canned tomatoes, yum.
• Don't skimp on the spinach, I only had about two cups, so that is what I used but it could have used more
• For the pasta, I used what I had: elbow macaroni, which worked fine. The original recipe says to use medium pasta shells or orecchiette
• I made this New Year's Day 2009 as a way to try our new Italian sausage that Micheal had made and was inspired by the Today show talking about beans! I had all of the ingredients to make it on hand.
  
• I served this with a salad, garlic cheese bread and pinot grigio.
• It was delicious, the only change I would make is to add more spinach.
  

Introduction

I am starting this blog as a way to keep track of recipes and food sites and encourage myself to cook more often. I have always loved to cook but have really gotten away from it in the past few years.

I am copying the idea and format from my friend Kiy who has been my inspiration for this. She is an organized, meal planning mommy who is always making new, fabulous dishes. I hope to be half as organized and motivated as she is!

I also need to mention my dear friend D who is an absolutely amazing cook. I have learned so much about food from my time spent with her: cooking, shopping, touring a cooking institute and going out to eat. Her blog is beautiful and delicious!