Redman Family Favorites

2012-02-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

BUTTERMILK SALAD DRESSING

2 cups buttermilk
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

2012-02-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

THOUSAND ISLAND SALAD DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped celery
4-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve over salad greens.

2012-02-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

PUMPKIN DIP

8 ounce cream cheese, softened
18 ounces pumpkin pie mix
2 cups powder sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ginger

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin pie mix; beat well. Add sugar, cinnamon, and ginger; beat until smooth. Store in refrigerator.
Serve with spice cookies.

2012-02-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

FRENCH DRESSING

1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 medium grated onion
3/4 cup vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil
1-1/4 cup catsup

Put through blender and refrigerate.

2012-02-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

SUE'S SALAD DRESSING

1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients.

salad: lettuce, cooked bacon, onion

2012-02-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

BANANA BLAST RECIPE

2 bananas
1 cup banana yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
20 large ice cubes

1. Place all ingredients, except ice, into blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Add the ice, a little at a time, and blend until smooth.

2012-02-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

ORANGE SHERBET BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup orange sherbet or non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1 cup banana
1-1/2 cups peaches
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Puree the orange juice, sherbet, banana, peaches and vanilla extract in a blender. Pour into glasses.

2012-02-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

FRUITY RED SMOOTHIES

1 carton (8 ou) strawberry yogurt
1/2-3/4 cup cranberry juice
1 1/2 cups frozen, unsweetened strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1-2 teaspoons sugar

In a blender, combine yogurt and juice. Add strawberries, raspberries and sugar. Cover and blend.

2012-02-12T11:46:00.001-08:00

Berry Smoothies

1 cup milk
1 cup frozen, unsweetened strawberries
1/2 cup frozen, unsweetened raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup ice cubes

By: Karissa Redman

2012-02-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

DOG BISCUITS

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powder milk
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
beef or chicken flavoring (boullion cubes work great)

1. Heat beef cube, water, salt, and butter until all is melted together. Stir
2. Add powder milk and egg. Stir.
3. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, knead and mix.
4. Mold with dog biscuit cookie cutter and set on greased pan.
5. Bake 325 degrees for 50 minutes.

2012-02-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

DOG BISCUITS

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup store-bought chicken broth, plus more for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk flour, wheat germ, yeast, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Stir oil and garlic in a bowl. Add broth in 3 batches, alternating with two batches of flour mixture; mix until well combined.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out dog-bone shapes with a cookie cutter or the tip of a paring knife. Transfer to lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling scraps.

4. Bake 10 minutes. Brush with stock; rotate baking sheets, and bake 10 minutes more. Turn off oven; leave door closed. Let biscuits stand in oven to dry completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap as a gift, or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Fruit and Yogurt

2011-08-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

Taking advantage of fresh fruit while we can get it! This is delicious any time of day but we enjoy it with breakfast in the morning.

Just put some vanilla yogurt in a bowl and top with your fresh fruits. Add some granola. Easy. Delicious. Healthy!

Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-07-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

DOUBLE THIS RECIPE FOR LARGER FAMILIES

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it's ready!
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it's just blended together. Do not over stir! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Produce is Coming

2011-07-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

Karissa's Smoothie

2011-07-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

My 12 year old daughter is addicted to smoothies, so much so that we tease her about a smoothie blender being her first thing we buy for her dorm room when she goes to college in a few more years. She loves fruit and since we have been working on freezing and canning of fruits, she has been enjoying her smoothies. When I woke to a sticky note with her new recipe she made up and pictures on her camera, I knew she wanted this one in the "save" pile. So this is what she has been enjoying as of late....

Mix 1 3/4 cup ice in smoothie blender with...

1 1/2 bananas, (she inserts here ~ can use less) As you can see we freeze mashed bananas for quick use.

3/4 cup blueberries, these are fresh (YUM) but you can use frozen too.

1 1/2 cup strawberries, again these were fresh but can use frozen.

1/2 cup of raspberries....using up last years, more are on the way now.

as much milk as needed. may add a sweetener too, such as sugar or honey.

Blend and if too thick, add more milk.

Apparently, you are supposed to enjoy it in a super big glass!

All her leftover smoothie drinks end up in my freezer in the popsicle molds. Another yummy way to get your fruits!

Canning Rainier Cherries

2011-07-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

This is my first year canning cherries. I've always wondered what I would do with sweet cherries or if we would even like them canned. I had a 1/2 box that I picked up from a local mennonite store that I thought we would eat fresh, but my canning curiosity got the best of me so in the jars they went....well, that is after I took all the pits out. No cherry pitter here, so if we do like them canned a cherry-pitter will be necessary....It took forever to get those pits out!

Here's my pot of cherries after getting the pits out. I hear you can raw pack these but they are in a light syrup here and cooking just long enough to get somewhat soft.

Ladeling them into the jars....

Looking pretty good still......

And here is the final product. In TWO of my jars I added one small drop of almond extract with a medicine dropper. Always experimenting! See the jar on the left? I had 2 pints of cherry syrup left over. Yep, canned that too. I'll find something to use it for!

Of course I had to search online for ways to use these cherries since eating them straight out of the jar almost seems like a waste. I need something fancy or delicious. So here are the two things our family came up with to try this year with our cherries.

1. Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream Soda
2. Homemade Cherry Ice Cream

And now for the "how-to":

6 cups sweet cherries (Rainier, Bing, or other sweet variety)
4 cups water
1 1/2 cup – 2 cups sugar
vanilla beans, almond extract (optional)

1. Wash and pit your cherries. You can use a cherry pitter or simply cut the cherries in half to remove the pit. Do this over a large bowl to capture any juices.

2. Combine the water and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Keep hot (but not boiling) while you prep your jars.

3. Ensure your jars are clean, sterilized, and hot. (Adding hot syrup to a cold jar may cause the jar to shatter!) Ladle cherries with syrup into jars.

4. If you want to add vanilla to your cherries, cut 1 inch pieces of whole vanilla bean. Add to the desired jars. Alternatively, you could add a drop or two of almond extract to the cherries. (I added the almond extract to 2 of my jars.)

5. Fill each jar with the hot syrup, stopping 1/4 inch from the rim of the jar. With a clean, hot, wet cloth, wipe the rims of the jars and place the sealers and lids on top. Tighten with your hands.

6. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the water bath, let cool, and listen for the pops. Let set for a few weeks to let the flavor seep into them before eating. If you have any that did not seal properly, put in refrigerator for eating immediately.

6 Week Muffins

2011-07-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Want a recipe for muffins that taste good and makes enough to feed a large family? We use this recipe often and just recently I made these for a walkathon. These muffins are super easy to make and the batter lasts for 6 weeks in your refrigerator. You can make as little or as much as needed in 15 minutes.

So here's the recipe:

1 box Raisin Bran or Bran Flakes (10 ounces)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour

Mix all ingredients. Store in covered container (I use an ice cream pail) in refrigerator. Keeps six weeks. Do not stir when putting mix into muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

That's it! Easy.

This is what the batter will look like when you take it out of the refrigerator to bake. Don't stir!

Just scoop the batter right into the muffin tins. I use a large cookie scoop, that way they are all the same size.

Garden Beginnings

2011-06-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

Just over a week ago we were finally able to get the garden planted. The weather has been super crazy this year. Even today started about 40ish and high of 60 and yesterday we made it into the upper 90's. We need some rain and heat and things should take off. These are some of the newly planted pepper plants. We lost one plant already, probably due to the weather. Last year we got big, juicy peppers. Hoping for the same this year. I think I should have planted about 10 more plants because our kids will eat them like apples, but in order to accomplish that I think we need a country garden!

Tomatoes are all growing nicely. I planted 10 "Big Momma" variety plum tomatoes. If you have never tried them and you make sauces or juice, etc., these are for you! I'll post a pic of the huge tomatoes you can harvest off these plants when they are ripe. We planted a grape tomato too, for enjoying fresh off the vine.

Tomatoes up close. This year because of the wind the plants have needed some extra sheltering....that's why the ice cream pails are around them. So far so good....

Our first rows of green beans have begun to sprout out of the ground. We planted two rows early and tomorrow or Saturday we'll plant a couple more. Hopefully, that will keep the canning at a steady pace and not green bean overload all in a week. My husband and I had a bet at how many days it would take before they sprouted. I said 8 and he said 12-14. I won. (I also read the back of the seed package, shhhh!) We are planting 3 different varieties to see which ones we like for canning and freezing.

Here they are all popped and crooked. You can't see the whole row but they ALL look like this.

My rhubarb that is growing by the pine trees pretty much died off this year. So much so that we could not harvest any stalks from it. The other large, gorgeous rhubarb just got lost in our raspberries. So, at the nursery I found these last remaining two and brought them home. The very next morning the plant on the left had totally disappeared, leaves and all. Not sure what happened but now we are down to the plant on the right. Hopefully it will grow. I am going to plant him in the flower garden. (If it survives).

Looks like a good year for the Paula Red apple tree. It was full of blossoms and now turning into these cute little apples. Last fall, the deer ate 1/2 the tree and I am surprised at how it is coming back, more than ever before! Maybe the deer gave it just the right pruning it needed.

My favorite of all is the grapes that come every year. The vines are so pretty and the grapes are just "cute" when they start their little bunches. Ever so tiny...and my vines are full! Yum!

Meanwhile, out in the front yard, here is one tree...

and it's blossoms. I love this time of year more than any other season. It's only a matter of time now until the real work begins! Happy Spring!

Shredded Steak Sandwiches

2011-05-22T16:04:00.001-07:00

I had some extra beef rib steaks in the freezer that needed to be used up. I cooked up about 8 steaks in boiling water for about 2 hours and shredded the meat from the fat and bones.

Then, I threw the meat in the crock-pot and added the sauce from the recipe below.

I turned it on the low setting and kept it warm just for an hour or so.

This is a really bad picture of the sandwiches but they were really very good. I think we will keep this one.

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds boneless beef round steak, cut into large pieces
2 large onions, chopped
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
12 sandwich rolls, split
Directions

Place meat in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add onions and celery. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, water, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard, paprika, chili powder, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours.
Remove meat; cool slightly. Shred with a fork. Return to the sauce and heat through. Serve on rolls.

Tuna and Chips Casserole

2011-04-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tuna and Chips

So easy. So fast. My kids grew up with this casserole, maybe because I did too. I used to watch my mom make this and so I just tried to repeat it when I left home. Not sure if this is a true recipe but this is how we make it:

Into a large mixing bowl, (x-tra large, really) mix 3 cans of cream of celery soup, 1 can milk, 1 large and 1 small cans drained tuna fish and about 2 cups crushed potato chips. Oh yeah, not to forget, 1 can drained peas. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix it all together so it looks like this...so yummy, right? Not!

Then, add a large strainer full of elbow macaroni, cooked. I used about 1/2 of a 48 ounce box of noodles. I then decided it was about 2 cooked cups too many and took them out.

When mixed all together, put in a large 9x13. The kind you use for lasagna.

Crush another cup or two of potato chips and sprinkle on top of casserole.

Cook uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Chips will be ever-so-lightly browned. Even if you don't enjoy.....your kids will!

The recipe without pics.

3 cans cream of celery
1 soup can milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 lge, 1 sm can drained tuna
1 can drained peas
11 ounce bag potato chips, crushed
about 24 ounces of elbow macaroni, cooked

Mix soup and milk, salt and pepper. Add tuna, peas, 2 cups chips and macaroni. Pour into 9x13. Spread with 1 cup more of the crushed chips. Cook, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Teddy's Cabbage Contest

2011-04-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Teddy brought home a Bonnie cabbage plant from school last week along with instructions on what to do with it. The reason Teddy found this cabbage and instruction sheet so much fun is because if you grow the biggest cabbage this season someone from each state will win a $1,000 scholarship. If there is competition involved, you have his attention. "Mom, we have to try to win!" he says. Anyone know how to grow a 40 pound cabbage, cause I surely don't!? Feel free to leave a comment on how we might get started on our garden wonder!

The first step says to have a parent help you. I think having grandma's help will work here too. We are actually supposed to plant this baby outside in the cool weather now. What Wisconsin weather doesn't understand is that in April it ISN'T supposed to snow anymore!! The saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers." Hmmm, still waiting. So, in the meantime we will re-pot him (or her?) in a bigger pot and see if we can still do some growing inside for now.

Know a teacher who might want to share this project with their children? You can find out how, here.

Here's an interesting post/tutorial on how to make homemade sauerkraut using the canning method from Keeper of the Home. We will probably have plenty of kraut if our cabbage does well! And, this method seems so much faster than Grandma's did!

Wish us luck!!

2011-04-27T14:31:00.001-07:00

recipe coming...

Pumpkin Bread

2011-03-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Bread
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups pumpkin
3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1teaspoon nutmeg
1teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 cup raisins, optional

Directions:
Combine oil, eggs, water and pumpkin. Mix all dry ingredients and make a well in center. Add pumpkin mixture and blend until moistened. Stir in raisins. (optional) Pour into 2 greased and floured bread loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees or until toothpick poked into center comes out dry. Let set for 10 minutes in bread pans and turn out onto cooling rack to cool.

Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

If you have this.....

Then you can make these....

with this recipe.

Start by mixing the brown sugar, sugar and butter together.

Once combined, mix in eggs and vanilla.

In seperate mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

Mix in with sugar mixture. Add one bag of chocolate chips.

With cookie scoop (or spoon), put on baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 or 2 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack. When cool, put on this plate and hide before the kids get home.

Pear Lime Jello

2011-02-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

Not the best picture of this jello but it will have to do
for now.

Pear Lime Jello

1 can (29 ounces) pear halves in juice
1 package (3 ounces) lime jello
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1 cup whipped topping

Drain pears, reserving juice; set pears aside. Measure the juice; add water if needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Pour into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add gelatin; stir until dissolved. Gradually add cream cheese, whisking until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cool. Mash reserved pears; fold into gelatin mixture. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into a 6-cup serving bowl. Refrigerate until set.

* I double this recipe for our family*

Mint Brownies

2011-01-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

Like brownies? Then give these a try. Very tasty and will make a sheet cake size.....enough for a large family or potluck. We took these to my sister's for Christmas and everyone liked them.
To make the first layer mix sugar, butter, and eggs.

And add this whole can, yep the whole thing, to the above mixture.

Then, add the flour and baking powder together and mix all until smooth. Bake in a cookie sheet pan with sides. When done it will be browned and when you lightly press on the top it will spring back. Let this cool to room temperature.

Making the minty frosting part, or layer two. Mix butter, powder sugar, milk, peppermint extract and green food coloring.

Beat this mixture until fluffy, with no lumps and mixture is smooth.

Spread something like this over your brownie layer.

The next step or layer is the chocolate layer. We are going to use yet ANOTHER stick of butter. I never said these were good for you! :) Melt that stick of butter with 1/2 bag or 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour over the frosting layer...

Gently spread the chocolate around. Pressing in too hard will cause the frosting to come through.

Make sure to get those corners....

And last but not least, put in refrigerator until chocolate layer is hard enough to cut through. Slice in 1 inch pieces and enjoy!

MINT BROWNIE DIRECTIONS:

Layer 1:

1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine (I use butter)
4 eggs
1 regular can Hershey's Syrup
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix sugar, butter, eggs and chocolate syrup. In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture. Pour into greased cookie (jelly roll pan) sheet with sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Brownies are done when pressed with finger they spring back. Cool to room temperature.

Layer 2:

1 stick butter or margarine (I use butter)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring, approx. 3-4 drops

Beat all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Spread over cooled brownies and refrigerate.

Layer 3:

1 stick butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt both ingredients in a small saucepan on stovetop. Pour over peppermint layer and refrigerate. Cut into serving size pieces when chocolate is firm enough to cut.

Freezing Zucchini

2011-01-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

I found these pictures of last years zucchini harvest and realized they never were posted. Freezing zucchini is so simple and it is nice to have for breads and cakes in the winter. I like to choose the small zucchini before the seeds get too big, but if they do get bigger I just cut them in 1/2 and scoop out those seeds and then shred them.

This year I can't take credit for doing all the garden preserving myself. The kids have been a great help with everything from picking, cleaning, shredding, slicing, and processing. To start, wash your zucchini and cut off the ends. You can either shred the zucchini by hand using a grater or (the much easier way) cut pieces to fit in a food processor.

Since we have a large amount to freeze every year we just keep shredding and fill up some canners or large containers until they are all shredded. *Don't forget that you can also chop zucchini into chunks and freeze them for soups and stews, etc.* At this point some people will blanch the zucchini for a couple minutes and cool before they freeze it. I have never blanched zucchini and it still freezes very well.

Spoon zucchini into freezer bags. I do a quantity of two cups per bag as many recipes that I have call for this amount. Lay the bag on the table or counter and press your hand from bottom to top to remove as much air from the bag as possible. Seal, label and freeze!

Foolproof Gravy

2011-01-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

This is the gravy that I make with turkey for Thanksgiving or with chicken. It really is super easy and delicious!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

Drippings from 1 roasted turkey or chicken
1/2 to 1 cup turkey or chicken broth
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspooon white pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Pour drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. Skim and discard fat. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 2 cups; transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth. Gradually stir into the drippings mixture. Stir in the bouillon granules, poultry seasoning and white pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes

2011-01-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

This is one of Joseph's favorite meals. It only takes these few ingredients. Try it. I think you will like it too.

While I am getting ready to make the rest of the dish I start by browning the pork chops in small amount of vegetable oil just until slightly brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle both sides with Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Keep warm while the last ones are frying.

In the meantime, layer potatoes (I use about 9 medium) and sliced onion in greased 9x13. Should look something like this..

Then I melt the butter in a small pan,

quickly whisk in the flour, salt and pepper. (I mix this before I begin the dish)

It should look like this.

Pour the chicken broth (I used 2 cups water with 2 teaspoons bouillon) and stir for 1 minute.

It will look like this at first and once it is coming to a boil it will get thick...

and look like this.

Pour over potatoes and onion.

Cover with the bouillon mixture evenly.

Lay the pork chops on top.

Cover with tin foil and cook at 350 degrees for one hour.
Uncover and bake for 30 more minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Done!

Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
3 Tablespoons flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14.5 ounce) chicken broth
6 rib or loin pork chops about 3/4 inch thick
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Lawry's Season Salt
6 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1 small onion, sliced

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth; cook and stir constantly until mixture boils. Cook for 1 minute; remove from the heat and set aside. In a skillet, brown pork chops in oil; season to taste with Lawry's Season Salt. In a greased 9x13 dish, layer potatoes and onion. Pour the broth mixture over. Place pork chops on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour; uncover and bake 30 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

6 servings

Orange Cottage Cheese Salad

2011-01-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Orange Cottage Cheese Salad

1 large container small curd cottage cheese
1 small orange jello
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1-12 ounce coolwhip, thawed

Directions:
Mix cottage cheese and jello until jello is dissolved. Add fruits and fold in cool whip.

Yummy Frosting

2011-01-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

This is a very good frosting for cakes, cream puffs, etc.

YUMMY FROSTING

2 cups milk
2 small vanilla pudding
1-8ounce cream cheese, softened
1-8ounce coolwhip

Beat milk and pudding. Add cream cheese and beat until smoooth. Fold in coolwhip.

*We also use chocolate pudding in place of the vanilla.*

Snickers Apple Salad

2011-01-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

1- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple
4-5 medium-sized granny smith apples, chopped
10 miniature snickers candy bars
8 ounces coolwhip

Drain pineapple and float apples in pineapple juice. Mix pineapple and candy bars. Drain apples and fold into salad with coolwhip.

Sirloin Tip Beef Roast

2011-01-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

We tried this new roast recipe and liked it.

SIRLOIN TIP BEEF ROAST

3 pound sirloin tip roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon worcestershire
1/2 cup beef broth

Put roast in crockpot. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Buttermilk Cocoa Cake

2011-01-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

BUTTERMILK COCOA CAKE

1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk

BUTTERMILK FROSTING:

1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup buttermilk
3-3/4 cups powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cups chopped pecans, optional

In a large saucepan, combine the cocoa and water until smooth; add butter. Bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking soda; add cocoa mixture. Combine eggs, oil and buttermilk; add to cocoa mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

In a large saucepan, bring the cocoa, butter and buttermilk to a boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the powder sugar and vanilla. Spread over the warm cake. Sprinkle with pecans if desired. Cool on a wire rack.

12-15 servings

Raspberry Fluff Salad

2011-01-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

1 small box raspberry jello
2 small boxes tapioca pudding
12 ounce frozen raspberries
8 ounce coolwhip
3 cups water

Boil 3 cups water. Add jello and pudding; cook for 3-5 minutes. Let stand a few minutes. Add raspberries. Put in refrigerator until set or overnight. Fold in coolwhip before serving.

Cream Puff Bars

2010-06-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

These are great if you like cream puffs. The kids volunteer their help just so they can have some to eat.

To make the cream puff: Bring 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup of water to a boil. Add 1 cup flour. Stir and remove from heat. Mixture should form a ball. Add 4 eggs, ONE AT A TIME, stirring between each with a wooden spoon. Spread on a greased 11x16 pan and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

To make pudding mixture: Mix 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 2-1/2 cups milk and a 6 ounce vanilla pudding. Beat until smooth.

Spread over cooled crust. If you like bananas, slice them on top.

Spread 8 ounces of coolwhip on top of pudding layer.

Drizzle with hersheys chocolate syrup. As you can see, my kids like more chocolate than is necessary.

And don't forget to use those manners!

MMMMM, MMMMMM, GOOD!

Rhubarb Juice

2010-06-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

After you are done making rhubarb jam and your favorite rhubarb dessert, do you wonder what to do with the rest or wish someone would just come take it off your hands? I usually freeze some but mostly I make it into this juice. The kids especially like it made into popsicles. Now I can it and have it ready for use.

To make the juice, you first have to make juice from the rhubarb. The way it is usually done is by adding enough water and cooking until soft and then straining the juice out. The way I make my juice is by using a steam juicer. I just place cut-up rhubarb into the top (water is in pan under it) and cook it for a few minutes until it is soft. The steamer has a hose on it which drains into jars or bowls, etc. I love this juicer for alot of different juices. If you think you might use one alot the investment is not too bad. Anyway....on to making the juice to can...

Recipe for Rhubarb Juice to Can:

6 quarts rhubarb juice
1 quart pineapple juice
1 can Hawaiian Punch (I actually used 2/3 of a one gallon size)
3 1/2 cups sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large kettle. Boil for 5-10 minutes. Skim light foam off if necessary. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal.

(To sterilize my jars I wash them and put them in the oven at 225 degrees for 10 minutes. After this point just keep them hot.) Remove one jar at a time and fill and seal.

2010-04-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a great post about slow-cookers. I use them all the time when we are busy (which is almost always). I love the information he gives here. He also has a great blog called How To Cook Like Your Grandmother. Check it out, it's full of great recipes and tips!
______________________________________________________
I’m a fan of slow cookers, but lots of people have trouble with them. There’s a good reason, which most people don’t know: Slow cookers today aren’t nearly as slow as they used to be. Rather than risk lawsuits from people undercooking their chicken, the manufacturers have been raising the temperatures of their cookers for years.

The Low setting on many new cookers will cook faster than the High setting on some older ones. So if you’ve got a recipe your grandmother wrote based on her slow cooker, you’re going to overcook whatever you put in yours.

That’s not the only thing you need to understand to adjust recipes. Manufacturers don’t publish the details of how hot the “Lo” and “Hi” settings are. (They also don’t know how to spell “Low” and “High”, but that’s a different issue.) Actually, they can’t publish how hot those settings are, because they’re not controlled by a thermostat.

Designed for time, not temperature
Here’s the deal. Some slow cookers have a thermostat dial on them, like an electric skillet. These can be set to a temperature, and that’s how hot they’ll get. But most of them — and if yours just has High and Low, or maybe Hi-Med-Lo, yours is one of them — are based on how much power is sent to the heating coil. They are designed based on how long it takes to raise a certain amount of food to a certain temperature.

So for instance, the High setting on a 5-quart pot might be designed to bring 3-quarts of liquid from 60° to 185° in 2 hours — all temperatures Fahrenheit — while the Low setting will do it in 4 hours. (All these numbers are just for example. Your pot is sure to be different.) What that means is if you were to put 2 quarts of liquid in the pot, and it’s already at 85°, you’re going to overshoot “done” in about an hour. On the other hand if you load it to the brim with leftover soup right out of the fridge, it won’t be ready to serve for at least 4 hours.

In any case, Both High and Low stabilize at the same temperature, it is just a matter of how long it takes to reach the simmer point.

Get to know your slow cooker
The point of all this is that you have to adjust all your recipes to your slow cooker. No one else, unless they have the exact same model, can tell you how it’s going to work.

And even then it depends on how much you fill it up, and how cold or warm the ingredients are when you add them. None of this is really hard, but you have to pay attention, not follow a recipe exactly and expect it to come out right the first time.

But are they safe?
Mention slow cookers and someone is going to jump in with the figures on bacteria growth: Bacteria can grow if food spends 2 hours between 40° and 140°. True. But there are a few things you can do to make it safe.

First is to realize that any contamination on whole cuts of beef, like a roast, is likely to be on the surface. Bacteria generally do not penetrate into the meat. So brown the meat before putting it in the slow cooker. You should be doing this anyway for the best flavor. Browning will destroy any bacteria on the surface, as well as raising the starting temperature so that it doesn’t spend as long in the danger zone.

This doesn’t work for whole chickens or turkey pieces. According to Cooks Illustrated:

Bacteria can live inside a chicken, not just on the skin. Chicken parts can be browned to boost their temperature quickly, but this is not really an option for whole birds.

So for poultry you want to get it through the danger zone as quickly as possible. Start on High until the cooking liquid is over 140° before turning it down to Low.

For me, that defeats half the point of slow cookers. I like to set it and walk away. If I have to babysit the pot and check the temperature, I’d just as soon roast the chicken in the oven with a meat thermometer in it to tell me when it’s done.

Perfect use for them
For a really great recipe to start getting used to it, you could try slow cooker BBQ ribs. Because ribs are tough, it takes a long time to break down the connective tissue. It’s almost impossible to overdo them in a slow cooker. I know that’s like giving someone driving directions and saying, “You can’t miss it.” Someone will find a way.

But slow cookers are forgiving, and so are ribs. Give it a try and tell me how they came out.

Apple-Oatmeal Cookies

2010-03-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Apple-Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned or quick cooking oats
1 medium apple, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons apple juice (or milk if no apple juice is available) I used apple juice that I canned from our tree.)

Heat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping sides occasionally, until blended.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in oats and apple. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar and apple juice (or milk) until smooth, using wire whisk or fork. Drizzle over cooled cooking on cooling rack. Let stand about 1 hour or until glaze is set.

Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies.

2010-02-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

So here's what our table looked like on Valentine's Day. The kids love to 'set' the table for us for any special occasion. I love how they add their own special cards for us. We save these cards in their baby boxes and years down the road we open the boxes up and go through the things we have saved. It's alot of fun for the kids.

Another surpprise for Valentine's Day was these delicious peanut butter balls from a friend. She included the recipe so I could make them myself. (The bowl was full before the picture but you can't eat just one.) Here's the recipe for the peanut butter lovers out there.

Peanut Butter Balls

2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups peanut butter
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix together all ingredients. Shape into small balls. Cool in freezer for at least 1/2 hour or longer. Dip into a mixture of 1/2 chocolate bark and 1/2 chocolate chips, melted. Cool on wax paper.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

2010-01-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Teddy LOVES oatmeal. So when I remembered I had this recipe in a book that I had not opened for 20 years, I thought I would make them for him. He loved them too. He ate all 5 that he took and put on his plate. So.....this recipe is for Teddy.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix oatmeal and buttermilk and let set for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, sugar and oil. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into oat mixture just until moistenend.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake @ 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

2010-01-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

4 cups sugar
12 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1 stick butter
1 cup milk

Mix and boil in a dutch oven until sugar is dissolved. Add:

6 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
2 cups coconut

Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper.

Peanut Butter-Fudge Swirls

2010-01-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

Had a craving for a peanut butter cookie today so I thought I would dig out one of my old recipes and start baking. These are easy and fun to make but don't last long at our house. One of my kids (who claims he does not like peanut butter) ate a handful and then just looked at me like "what?!" Good thing I snuck some dough before baking because after dinner when I went to get one they had all disappeared! Oh well, maybe next time!

This is the trickiest part of the cookie. Just slowly place the white dough on top of the chocolate dough.

Refrigerate cookie dough so it will slice evenly. Slice into 1/4-inch cookies...

Bake 2-inches apart. Maybe not even 2 inches...

Bake for 10 minutes and enjoy!

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

In a large mixing bowl beat butter, peanut butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until combined. Add about half of the flour. Add sugar, egg, milk, vanilla, soda and salt. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat or stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Set one portion aside. To the remaining portion, knead or stir in melted chocolate until thoroughly combined.

To shape dough, place each half of dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a 12x11-inch rectangle. Remove top sheets of waxed paper. Carefully invert peanut butter dough on top of chocolate-peanut butter dough. Remove waxed paper from top. If necessary, pat the 2 layers together to form the 12x11-inch rectangle. If desired, trim dough around edges. From the long side, roll up jelly-roll style, removing bottom sheet of waxed paper as you roll. Cut the roll in half. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap, then chill for 4 to 48 hours.

Cut chilled dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until done. Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Cheeseburger Soup

2010-01-24T17:07:00.000-08:00

1 pound ground beef
1-1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1-1/2 cup celery, diced
1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons parsley
8 tablespoons butter, divided
6 cups chicken broth
8 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
3 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Brown beef and set aside. In same dutch oven, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 2 tablespoons butter until vegetables are tender. (About 10 minutes.)
Add broth, potatoes and beef. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer (covered) for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Blend in sour cream.

Pork Steak Delight in the Crock-Pot

2010-01-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
•3-4 pounds pork steak cut into strips
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 large white onion sliced
•1 green bell pepper cut into strips
•10 fresh mushrooms chopped (I left those out)
•1 pint (2 cups) tomato sauce
•6 tablespoons light brown sugar
•3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
•3 teaspoons salt
•6 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1.Brown pork in oil in skillet then drain on double paper towel.
2.Place pork and all remaining ingredients into crock pot then cover and cook on low 6 hours.
3.Serve over hot buttered noodles or rice.

Fast Fruity Delight

2010-01-22T06:15:00.000-08:00

This is a Jell-O recipe that kids can make. My kids love how fast this can be done because they can eat it right away. We double the recipe because it only makes 4 servings. Karissa is practicing with her camera so she took the above picture for me.

Fast Fruity Delight:

3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) raspberry gelatin
2 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup thawed Cool Whip

Add boiling water to gelatin and mix in large bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add berries; stir until gelatin starts to thicken.

Stir 1/2 cup gelatin mixture into Cool Whip with whisk until well blended; spoon into 4 dessert dishes. Cover with remaining gelatin mixture.

Can eat right away or refrigerate.

Lasagna

2010-01-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

2 pounds hamburger
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box lasagna noodles
1 small cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon basil
4 cups motzerella, divided
parmesan

Brown meat and drain. Add spaghetti sauce. Boil noodles and drain well. Mix cottage cheese, eggs and basil. In a greased 9x13 pan, layer noodles, 1/2 meat sauce, all of cottage cheese and 2 cups motzerella. Repeat with noodles, meat and cheese. Top with parmesan if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.

Asian Chicken

2010-01-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

1 broiler/fryer chicken (3-1/2 to 4 pounds), cut up
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablesspoons water
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1/8 garlic powder)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken in oil on both sides. Transfer to a 5 quart slow-cooker. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic and ginger; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken to a serving platter; sprinkle with almonds.

Lasagna Casserole

2010-01-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 pound shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 pound (4 cups) motzellera, divided
1-24 ounce cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup parmesan
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1-26 ounce jar spaghetti sauce

Cook hamburger and onion until browned and onion is transparent. Drain. Sprinkle with salt and half of the pepper. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine pasta, motzerella, cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan, parsley and remaining pepper. Stir. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with beef and spaghetti sauce. Cover. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the rest of motzerella. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Stand 10 minutes before serving.

Spiced Pear Bread

2010-01-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

3 cans (15-1/4 ounces each) sliced pears, drained and mashed
(I used 1 pint pear sauce) should equal two cups
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Combine the remaining ingredients; gradually add to pear mixture and mix well. Pour into four 5-3/4 in. x 3-in.x 2-in. loaf pans coated with nonstick cooking spray. I use two 8 in. bread pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Western Meal-in-One

2010-01-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

I just tried this recipe for the first time tonight. The family liked it and all said that I should make it again. It was not my favorite but I thought I would share it here because it seems that it got a thumbs-up at our house. Maybe my kids just eat anything and everything! Well, at least they are eating and not complaining! To make this casserole you need to brown 2 pounds ground beef with 1 chopped onion and 1/2 to one chopped green pepper. Cook until meat is browned and onions are transparent. Drain.

In casserole pan, combine meat, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 can kidney beans (drained), 5 cups chopped tomatoes with juice (I used 2 pints of canned tomatoes) and 1-1/2 cups uncooked rice. Sprinkle with garlic salt. It will be juicy but the rice will soak up the liquid. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Check to see that rice is soft.

Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and sliced black olives. I left one part plain at the request of some littles..:) Put back into oven (uncovered) and bake about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Raisin-Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

2010-01-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

These cupcakes were a hit with the family the first time I made them. Requests for making them again are brought up as soon as we run out of them. The cinnamon frosting on top is what I think makes them even better.....SEE, you really DO want to plant that zucchini plant in the garden this year!

Raisin-Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) spice cake mix
1-1/3 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups shredded zuchhini
1/2 cup raisins

Cinnamon Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, water, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini and raisins. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18- 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add enough milk to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.

About 2 dozen

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-01-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

2 quarts water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
6 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2-3 cups cooked chicken
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (I usually use only 1/2 cup)
parsley

Bring water and bouillon to a boil in a dutch oven. Add noodles; cook until tender. Do not drain. Add soup and chicken; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with parsley.

Just another day at the grocery store...

2010-01-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

Actually, this is all we need for the entire month (besides our refrigerated stuff like milk and produce.)

Italian Vegetable Soup

2010-01-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

This is a soup recipe I have had for years. I think it came from a magazine. We all like it and even the little kids scrape their bowls clean. We eat it with crackers or bread and butter. It's a great way to get your veggies!

ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP

1 pound ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic salt)
1-16 ounce chopped tomatoes
1-15 ounce tomato sauce
1-15 ounce red kidney beans, undrained
2 cups water
5 teaspoons beef bouillon
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup fresh or frozen beans (I use our canned grean beans)
1/2 cup elbow macaroni

Brown beef and onion in a dutch oven. Drain. Add all ingredients except cabbage, beans and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cabbage, beans and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Simmer until tender. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

* I added some extra water and a cup of noodles just because the kids like a few more noodles.

Liberian Family Receives Rice

2009-12-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

Not a day goes by (since my trips to Africa) that I don't think about how to better help and serve the people in Liberia. I am thinking about ways to improve what we are doing @ Global Orphan Outreach
and ways I can contribute to other organizations who are working on other areas. The need is so great and I wish that I could contribute more. So, when other families jump in and say they want to help...well, it is encouraging! It is so awesome to be able to bring food (or other help) to another family. We also do a school sponsorship program and working with the people in Liberia with this program I realized how important it is to see that kids are fed FIRST! It becomes very hard for a student to learn when their bellies are constantly thinking of hunger. It is hard for them to stay in school when hungry because they know if they could just sell something during the day, they might be able to eat. This is such a basic need that goes unmet everyday for many people. Many people are helping to feed people and we are happy to be able to contribute along with them!

This is a picture of a family that recently received a bag of rice by a sponsor. Her name is Minnie. Minnie has 3 children to provide for but no education, no other family (it is believed all her other relatives died in the war), can't really speak much English and has not had a source of income for more than 10 years! Recently she began selling charcoal which has provided some income. One of her daughters has been to school and is done, the other is currently walking FOUR HOURS each day for her education. I believe this daughter's journey will be better on a full stomach!

This is where Minnie and her children are living. The above picture shows their room. It is dark, humid and the roof leaks. So many needs...but this month she will not have to worry about food.

I want to direct you to the family's blog that has blessed our Liberian family. Please visit Mama B and get to know this awesome family! Thank you B family for your support!

Hot Beef Sandwiches

2009-12-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

3-5 pounds mock tenderloin (or cubed beef)
1 package onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 beef bouillion cubes
small amount of water (until creamy)

Cut up meat into cubes. Bake in dutch oven for 5 or 6 hours at 300 degrees. Mash up cubes with potato masher. Serve on buns.

Can also put meat into crockpot and mix soups, bouillion and water and pour over meat. Cook on high until meat can be shredded, about 5 hours.

Rice Pudding

2009-12-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

In Teddy's second grade class they are studying the way Christmas is celebrated in other countries around the world. Each child is asked to bring a certain food that comes from the country your child picked. Today was Teddy's turn to bring something. His country was Sweden and he was asked to bring rice pudding. Luckily, we make rice pudding pretty regularily and in bulk so it was not something we had to work real hard at. With just a few ingredients and about 30 minutes we made an ice cream pail full.

I dropped it off at school this morning.....BUT I forgot to bring along cinnamon for sprinkling on the top. Oh well......

Here is the recipe for the whole pail: (divide by 4 to make one batch)

RICE PUDDING

1 gallon of milk (would be about 4 cups for single recipe)
3 cups long-grain rice
2 cups raisins
2-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon nutmeg
cinnamon for sprinkling on top.

Bring milk, rice and sugar to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer about 20 minutes or until thickens and rice is soft. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving. Serve warm or cold.

Purple Mango

2009-12-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

The kids are always asking for smoothies so we experiment with different flavors. This was a new one we tried. We ended up adding a couple of teaspoons sugar to it in the end but all-in-all it was a good, quick drink. we buy a case of peeled and sliced frozen mangoes to keep in the freezer to have on hand for smoothies. They pack alot of vitamin C which helps the immune system during cold and flu season!

Purple Mango Smoothie

1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup cubed,(or sliced) frozen mango
sugar to taste, optional

Savory Spaghetti Sauce

2009-12-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

I like to teach the older kids how to make a meal so when I am sick or gone away from home they can still have a decent meal. I like this recipe because it is soo easy and kids love spaghetti. I believe it is from a Taste of Home magazine.
For some reason, all my kids have liked to brown hamburger so this step is usually always their job whether I cook dinner or they do.

Add a few seasonings (see recipe). Another great way for kids to learn their measurements.

And serve over noodles. The kids use a pizza cutter to slice through the noodles before adding sauce. Even though slurping all your noodles is fun, this mom likes the clean chins at dinner. :0)

Spaghetti Sauce:

2 pounds hamburger, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped (can substitute 4 tablespoons minced onion if kids are making)
2-30 ounce cans tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons basil
1-1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

cooked spaghetti noodles

In a dutch oven, cook beef and onion. Drain and add next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for one hour; stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Serve with spaghetti.

Rice for Liberia

2009-12-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

What is so awesome about this 50 lb bag of rice? Well, I suppose to us not much, but to the families in Liberia that are receiving this bag it means a whole lot! A bag like this for a Liberian is extremely difficult to afford. You see, most Liberians live on a dollar or less/day. 30 dollars per month is their earnings! This bag of rice will cost ALL of that money! And, if they want the better rice that does not contain small stones in it, it would be DOUBLE! It's crazy and sometimes overwhelming to think we can change what will always be with us. We can't change the world, but we CAN change the world for just one person!

We had 2 families that will be helped with a month worth of food from my last post!! That is totally awesome! I share this with Teddy every time another family is fed because he knows what hunger pains are and he gets excited when he hears that a child is fed.

Here is a picture of a page out of Teddy's school journal when he first came home. He asked for rice everyday...

Another one from his journal: He was overwhelmed to have 3 meals a day. :)

And here is his Thanksgiving turkey he made this year:

I just want to say thanks to you who have given of your resources to help these families! We appreciate your heart for the people who truly need your assistance. Your information about your families will be on its way soon.

Anyone interested in helping a family....it's NEVER to late to give food to someone. And no amount is too small!

Let Me Take a Minute....

2009-11-11T07:05:00.000-08:00

to share what's on my heart today. With Thanksgiving right around the corner and food abundance for most Americans, I have been thinking about my friends in Liberia, West Africa.

For those who know us personally, you know we have adopted Teddy from Liberia. For those who just stumbled upon this blog, our journey with Liberia began a couple years ago. Our adoption took longer than expected but during that time many unexpected things took place that we had no idea were coming. One being the extent we would become involved.

I had always wanted to go to Africa. Since my earliest memory, I believe I was 9 years old, I had told my mom that I wanted to be a missionary there. I think for me it started with the National Geographic magazines that talked about this place very far away and television shows that grew my curiosity. 29 years later that dream became a reality for me. I was flying to Africa for my little boy.

Back up a year....While waiting for adoption paperwork to be finalized, I made my first trip to Liberia to visit our son. Then there was another trip. A month long trip to be exact. This was the trip I needed to become a "sold-out" advocate for Africa. For orphans, widows, child soldiers, special needs and the hungry. And before the adoption went through, there was yet another trip to this war-torn country.

So, what does 3 trips to Africa have to do with a cooking blog? Nothing really. But cooking is about serving food to those we love because it is a gesture to let them know how much we care about their well-being. One of the best parts of my day(in Africa) was when we ate. I saw Teddy devour his food like there was no tomorrow. It felt good to provide that for him. I love it when my kids are fed dinner and bathed and tucked into a comfy bed. These are 3 things that children in Liberia, and most of Africa, live without every day.

I have made so many friends with people from Liberia. They are no longer a face in a magazine or someone on a public education channel. They are my friends. I care about what happens to them. I want to see hungry children eat. This Thanksgiving will you help me feed them? We have started a project called the Rice Bowl. This project will feed hungry families in Liberia. It will enable people to eat at least one meal of rice a day. In fact, if you donate just one dollar, 2 people will eat for one day! And the best part is 100% of ALL MONEY goes directly to feeding people! Please help us feed them!

If you wish to donate (any amount) please click here

This is a picture of one of our meals at a cookshop in Liberia. Eating in the picture is Mark (on left) he is our sponsored grown-up son. Teddy, our adopted son and Alfred (on right) my taxi driver/friend.

A family we gave rice to. If you would like to sponsor a family like this with a full bag of rice and receive their picture please email me.

a typical cookshop meal, rice and fish

Spiced Pineapple Zucchini Bread

2009-11-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup salad oil
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coarsely shredded, unpeeled zucchini (about 2 medium)
1 can (8 1/4 ounce) well-drained, crushed pineapple
3 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted (half of which can be whole wheat)
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (finely)

Instructions:
In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add oil, sugar and vanilla. Continue beating until mixture is thick and foamy.
Stir in zucchini and pineapple (gently).
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts.
Stir gently into zucchini mixture until just blended.
Spoon batter into 2 greased and flour-dusted loaf pans.
Bake in a 350º oven for 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean.
Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Zucchini Bars

2009-11-06T06:39:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup margarine
1 cup coconut
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup walnuts
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Stir in coconut, zucchini and walnuts. Spread batter evenly in well-greased 9x13 pan. Bake 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Frost while still warm.

Cinnamon Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 tablespoons milk

Mix all ingredients together and spread on bars.

Carrot Cupcakes

2009-11-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

I finally had some free time to make a recipe with my pureed carrots that I was experimenting with. A few posts ago I experimented with pureeing my carrot peelings from canning carrots. I came up with a dozen or so bags in the freezer and set out to find out if I could use this in exchange for shredded carrots. I found this recipe at Week of Menus. This recipe called for one cup carrot puree, exactly what I had frozen. I made them today and I am glad I did. The cupcakes are tasty! I think I found a good way to use up my puree. The kids will be glad to see that I tried a new recipe today!

Carrot Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cups corn oil (or canola or some other vegetable oil)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup shelled walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 cup pureed cooked carrots
3/4 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pan with liners.
2. Sift dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger) into a bowl. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
3. Fold in walnuts (optional), coconut, carrots, pineapple, and raisins.
4. Scoop batter into prepared liners. Set on middle rack of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool on a cake rack. When fully cooled, ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting (enough for 18 cupcakes) (this frosted over 2 dozen for me)
6 ounces of cream cheese frosting, room temperature (3/4 of your standard 8 oz block)
6 tablespoons of sweet butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if you have vanilla bean, you can substitute a whole scraped vanilla bean in lieu of the vanilla extract - then also add a teaspoon of whole milk.)

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter with a mixer. Slowly mix in confectioners sugar. Continue to beat on low speed, slowly until all the ingredients have come together. Do not be tempted to beat on high speed -this adds too much air; rather beat on low speed for a longer time for a truly creamy frosting.

*On the Week of Menus blog she has great pics of how she made her cupcakes. I just scooped the frosting into a ziploc bag and squeezed it out on top, after all, five hungry kids and one starving husband will be home in about 2 hours and they will disappear! :) No fancy frosting needed here! Be sure to check out her site though!

Making Applesauce

2009-11-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Making applesauce has been a long time favorite for our kids. Not because it tastes so good,(which it does) but because they have an all-day free pass to hang out with our good friends until the job is done. The kids usually help with picking apples and taking turns at cranking out the fresh sauce. Here's the kids gathering apples for us.

And Darla, smiling at the basket of apples they brought in. I think she was still smiling at the end of the day! :) Make sure to wash your apples before cooking. They are actually more dirty than they appear. Just toss them into a sink of cold water and rinse.

After washing, cut apples into quarters. Put into boiling water until skins and pulp are soft and start to look like they are seperating, Remove from water. We use a big spoon with many small holes in it. Darla is using it in this picture.

We put the apples through a Sauce Master. (Not too sure if it is REALLY called this but it sounds good so we'll go with it.) This little piece seperates the pulp from the seeds and peelings. Great tool and makes less work. I also have this tool that I can add onto my KitchenAid Mixer and that really goes fast because their is no handle to crank. Here's one of the kids starting our first batch of sauce.

We added sugar to taste. It is alittle messy and sticky but well worth it at the end of the day! We make a few 5 gallon pails and can them later at home. I guess the "how-to can applesauce" can be another post.

Healthy Eating for Kids

2009-10-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Check this out! PBS Go, November 16

Slow 'n' Easy Barbecued Chicken

2009-10-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

I have been going through an old box of recipes that have been just sitting in my cupboard. I found this one from an old Taste of Home magazine. I love using my crock pot and my MIL gave me 10 broiler chickens this year so I thought I would give this recipe a try. I changed it up a little bit and made adjustments to feed our larger family. It was a hit with the kids and so we will make it again.

This is a picture of when it was placed in the cooker, not when it was actually done. I'll have to post a finished picture to this recipe when my card is not full. :0)

1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons white vinegar
6 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 stick butter
4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (would be good with more)
6 pound broiler chicken, cut up and skin removed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Rice for serving alongside

In a small saucepan, combine the first 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Fry chicken in pan with small amount (maybe 2 tablespoons) of vegetable oil until lightly browned. (You can skip this frying step and just put chicken in crockpot if you wish) Place chicken in crockpot and pour sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until juices run clear.

Remove chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Transfer juices to small saucepan. (you can strain juice and skim fat if you wish) Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Spoon some of the sauce over chicken and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

*Note* For the smaller kids I shredded a piece of meat over their rice and poured sauce over all.

Making Pear Sauce

2009-10-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

It seems as though all my recent posts have to do with canning. That is because most of our food from the garden this year all came ready at the same time. I thought I was almost done with canning and then our neighbor said we are welcome to his pear tree because he does not use the fruit. We went and picked one box and let them ripen. We then made this pear sauce, which is so good, we went and shook the rest of the tree and now we have one more full box and one 5 gallon pail. They take a couple weeks to ripen so I will have a small canning break now. :0) This is our first box of pears. You can see they are still very green.

Once they turned yellow I cut them up into quarters...

and boiled them until soft.

I have this handy attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer that peels, cores and seeds the fruit. One bucket collects the pear sauce and one catches the "garbage".

I added about 1 1/2 cups sugar per pail of sauce. You could make it without sugar and that is good too. It is delicious! Here are our first few jars of sauce..

Pressure can the sauce for 10 minutes at 5 pounds of pressure.

*Note: You can substitute pear sauce for pumpkin, applesauce or zucchini in your recipes. You can also add it to jello or put it on muffins/breads. Or just enjoy it as sauce right from the jar!

Pumpkin Bars

2009-10-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

4 eggs beaten
1 cup salad oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 chopped nuts (optional)
Mix together, pour into greased cookie sheet with sides, bake 30 minutes.

Frosting:

3 ounce cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 lb. powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon milk (or more if needed)
Mix well, spread on bars.

trying something new..freezing carrot puree

2009-10-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

I had this sink full of carrots to can and started wondering what to do with all the peelings that were left over. I thought about juicing them with my steam juicer and then pureeing the peelings and saving the juice for smoothies or to put into Gracies baby rice cereal. I tried doing some research about canning carrot juice or making carrot puree..not too much about either one came up so I tried to wing it to see what happens. One thing I did find was a couple recipes that use a baby food puree in the ingredients instead of the usual shredded carrots. I will be trying those tomorrow.

The carrot peelings were just about a full 5 gallon bucket full. I put half into my water bath and covered with water.

Then I boiled the peelings for about 5 or so minutes.

I drained them and put them into the food processor. They needed about a half a cup of water to get them fully pureed.

When done, the puree quantity was about 1/3 of what the peelings were. You can see here how much more empty the processor looks.

After processing in batches, I drained the carrots. I let them sit for about 10-15 minutes.

This is the amount of juice that drained out.

I packed the carrot puree into freezer bags. Tip: I folded the bags over a cup so that the zipper part did not get food into it. I put one cup in each bag.

I ended up with 13 bags of puree and some left over. Now to find some recipes that use the puree. Any ideas?

Pepper Soup

2009-10-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

2 pounds hamburger
2-3 green peppers, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
29 ounce (or 2 pints home canned) diced tomatoes
1 quart tomato soup
2 teaspoons sugar
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
2-3 cups hot water
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked rice

Cook beef, onion and pepper in fry pan until meat is browned. Drain grease. Put into crockpot. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cook on low for a couple hours until hot and then set on 'keep warm' until dinner.

*hint* I freeze my peppers and onions to have on hand for recipes. When recipe calls for them, take a few out and break into pieces. Great time saver!

*hint* I have a small (and large) rice cooker. When recipes like this call for cooked rice I add 4 scoops water (scoop comes with cooker)and 2 scoops rice. It is done quickly and the rice is perfect.

Crock-Pot Maple Country Ribs

2009-10-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

6 pounds boneless pork ribs
2 cups pure maple syrup
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup ketchup
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon each:
salt
pepper
paprika
garlic powder
cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and pour over ribs. Cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender. Serve over rice.

Making Pumpkin Puree

2009-10-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

Making pumpkin puree for pie, desserts, bread and soups is so easy. There is really only a few steps and freezing it is alot easier than canning it. Actually, they now recommend that people do not can the puree for safety reasons. We love pumpkin treats around here so we freeze alot of pumpkins. We also freeze the small ones grown specifically for canning. They are sweeter and have less juice so the puree is thicker.
You will want to start by rinsing your pumpkin and drying it. Cut it in half. Make sure you get all these stringy things out along with all the seeds. (We saved some seeds for the garden next year.)A regular old spoon should work great for this.

It should look like this when ready for cooking.

There are a couple different ways people cook their pumpkin at this point. Some cut into chunks and cook. Others cut and put in pan with small amount of water and cook until soft. Either of these methods seem to be to labor intensive and takes an extra long time to cook. What we have done is to take your clean, cut in 1/2 pumpkin and put them in the canner. It looks like this...

Pressure cook your pumpkins for about 7 minutes at 15 pounds of pressure. This year our pumpkins were small and dense and 7 minutes seemed to be perfect. After cooking, immediately reduce pressure in canner under running water in sink. This is what they will look like when done.

At this point, I let the pumpkin cool for just about 3 minutes. It is very hot after pressure cooking so be careful not to get burned by your pumpkins. Again, your empty shell will look something like this.

Set your pumpkin on a plate and scoop out the pulp into your food processor. Blend until smooth. This is what 10 small pumpkins and one medium pumpkin looks like all done. You really can't tell how big this bowl is by the picture but it is a really big stainless steel bowl.

As your processing all the pumpkins the puree cools down enough to freeze in ziploc bags or freezer containers. When storing in the freezer I only stack 2 high until frozen and then stack them all together when they are all frozen. I freeze 2 cups per bag as alot of recipes call for 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Don't forget to save out a little for some fresh pumpkin bars!

Sour Cream Raisin Bars

2009-10-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe out of an Amish style cookbook. It looked interesting and I had a whole bunch of raisins that needed somewhere to go so I gave it a whirl. Everyone liked it and we have been making it ever since. My daughter made this pan of them and they were yummy as usual.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

4 egg yolks
1-1/2 cups raisins
2 cups (16 ounces)sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.(Mixture should be crumbly).

Set aside 2 cups; pat remaining crumbs into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool. Meanwhile combine filling ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir constantly for 5-8 minutes.

Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Return to oven for 15 minutes.

Finished!

Canning Diced Tomatoes

2009-10-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Fall is upon us and that means lots and lots of tomatoes! We definitely cannot eat all the tomatoes that a garden will produce so we can them. One way of using our tomatoes is by making them into diced tomatoes. One pint is almost equivalent to a can in the grocery store. Since I use these alot for recipes I try to make quite a few jars. I made 23 pints from the quantity of tomatoes you see in this picture.

I like to use the Roma type of tomato for canning. They are thicker and make better sauces and paste. The first thing you will want to do is wash all your tomatoes. Then toss a couple tomatoes at a time into boiling water for a minute. The skins of the tomato usually start to split when you do this. Immediately put into cold water. (Some people use ice water, I have never had to.) Peel the tomatoes.

This picture shows what the tomato will look like when you peel it. It should slide right off the tomato.

A container full of peeled tomatoes ready to be diced.

Next, dice up the tomatoes to any size you want.........

With Gracie's help I was done in no time. :0)

Heat the diced tomatoes in a kettle until a gentle simmer. Fill clean and sterilized pint jars to within a 1/2 inch of the top. (Tomatoes will make their own juice so no need to add any.) Add one tablespoon bottled lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint. Wash rims with clean cloth and seal. Process in boiling water bath canner or pressure canner.

*note: if you think you would like to can, purchase a Ball Blue Book. It explains different methods of canning and has lots of great recipes.

Freezing Green Peppers

2009-09-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Freezing peppers is very easy. These are one of the foods that you don't have to blanch before freezing so it is very quick to do. I like to freeze a bunch of bags to have on hand because it is a great way to save extra time in the kitchen later. Just grab what you need out of the bag and add to your meal. Here is the way we do it: Wash peppers thoroughly and dry.

Cut around the tops and twist and the top and seeds should pop right off. Cut peppers in 1/2. Remove any remaining seeds. Cut peppers into whatever size strips or chunks you like. Freeze peppers in a single layer on a cookie sheet until frozen. Sometimes I just toss into the bag and break off however many I want to use. They seem to break apart easily, however individually freezing them first will allow you to just pour some out easily.

Put peppers into freezer bags and press out any air. Seal and freeze.

Freezing Green Beans

2009-08-17T23:02:00.001-07:00

For 20 years we have been canning our green beans. The kids always seemed to like them the best that way. This year we are freezing them. Freezing green beans is easier and retains more of the nutrients in them. Two really good reasons to see if switching from canning to freezing them will be the best for our family. As with canning, beans should be frozen at the peak of freshness. They should be crisp and beans inside should still be small.

The first step is to wash your beans. You could put them in a strainer or the way we do it here. We wash the beans seperately.

Snap or cut both ends of the beans off. Remove strings if any. (We planted a variety that is stringless.) Break or cut the beans into pieces. I try to make them bite size but any size is fine.

Fill a large stockpot with water and bring the water to a full rolling boil. Place the green beans in the boiling water. They should be completely immersed. (If you have a large amount of beans to freeze, place the beans in a colander or large strainer that will fit inside your stockpot.... or use a large pasta-type pot with a fitted basket. Then you can use the same pot of boiling water for multiple batches. You may need to add hot tap water between batches to keep the right level of boiling water. )I used a big canning spoon with holes and that worked great. Cover the pot and begin timing as soon as the beans are immersed in the boiling water. Keep the water at a continuous boil for 3 minutes. (Blanching like this will stop the ripening process. Notice the change in color.)

Remove the beans from the boiling water and immediately place the beans in a large bowl of ice water. Cooling time should also be about 3 minutes.

Drain the beans in a large strainer.

Spoon beans into freezer bags. Press out extra air to avoid freezer burn. Seal, mark and date. Use within 12 months.

Liberian Pepper Soup

2009-08-06T20:50:00.001-07:00

We have a Liberian friend here for a couple weeks so we are enjoying the tastes of Liberia. We all give a thumbs up to pepper soup so here is the way to make it in America. Sorry, but you'll have to travel to Liberia to get the real version but this is pretty close and very tasty. (*Liberian food is very hot and spicy!) We also had ground pea (peanut butter) soup and plantain chips (simple and one of my favorites to snack on.) Hamilton made this version less "hot" to make it easier on us. Our kids will only eat so much "heat". You can always add more pepper to make it hotter.

HAMILTON PREPARING THE FISH

ADDING CHICKEN AND PORK

ONION

WATER

TOMATOES

READY TO COOK

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 perch or tilapia filets
4 pieces boneless pork chops
1/2 onion
Lawrey's Season Salt
2 chicken boullion cubes
1 can tomatoes with chilis
2 habernero peppers, halved and seeds removed
3 plaintain bananas, cut into 1/4 in slices
2 large sprinkles salt
water to cover

Cut the fish, chicken and pork and season with season salt. Shake a large portion of season salt on all pieces. Put chicken and pork in dutch oven. Add water until about 2/3 full. Add sliced onion, plaintains and chicken boullion cubes. Add tomatoes. Add peppers. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes (add fish filets now) to 1 hour. Cook until fish is done. Fish should fall apart easily and take about 5 min or so.

Serve over rice.

2009-08-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2009-07-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups grated zucchini

Mix milk and lemon juice together. Add eggs, butter, oil, vanilla and sugar; mix well.

Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; mix well with mixer.

Stir in zucchini by hand.

Pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan.

TOPPING:

1/2 cup ( mini or regular) chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped nuts

Sprinkle cake with chips then sugar and finally nuts. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake tests done.

Slow-cooked beef brisket

2009-07-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

1 large onion, sliced
1 fresh beef brisket (3 to 4 pounds), cut in half
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
3/4 cup beef broth
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold water

Place onion in a 5-qt slow cooker. Rub brisket with pepper; place over onion. Top with mushrooms. In a bowl, combine the broth, chili sauce, brown sugar and garlic; pour over brisket. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove brisket and keep warm. In a small bowl, combine flour and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until thickened. Slice brisket; serve with gravy.

* This is a fresh beef brisket, not corned beef.
* I used chopped onion that I have in freezer.
* In place of flour mixture to thicken, you can use cornstarch and small amount of water.

Cheese spread

2009-07-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

2 packages cream cheese, softened
large container (16 ou) merts sharp cheddar cheese spread,
3 tablespoons finely chopped vidalia onions, use paper towel to squeeze juice out
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients with hand mixer. Refrigerate.

Hard-boiled eggs

2009-07-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Do you have trouble peeling your eggs after they are hard- boiled? This is how I was told to do mine and they have always worked great.

Start with eggs that have been in the refrigerator for about a week or so. Put as many as you need into your pan and fill with enough COLD water until eggs are covered by an inch or two. Bring eggs to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover pan and set timer for 25 minutes. Drain eggs and plunge into ice cold water. I start to peel them almost immediately by cracking both ends and rolling on the counter to crack shell. Peel. I hope it works for you!

Chicken Tetrazinni

2009-07-18T17:27:00.001-07:00

Do you want a casserole that any child is bound to eat? So far, I have never had a child refuse to eat this one. (and I have had alot of kids eat here!) When Teddy first came home he would literally eat this until I took the pan away. Sometimes I cook two, put 1/2 in a 9x13 lined with foil and freeze it. Take the frozen food out and you can still use your pan and it fits perfectly back in when you need to cook it again.

Sorry, no great pics here...I don't think any casseroles would be very photogenic...

Chicken Tetrazinni

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked chicken
4 ounces long spaghetti, broke in half and cooked
2 cups shredded cheddar
parmesan cheese

Mix butter and soups. Stir in chicken, noodles and cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan. Put in greased 9x13 pan. Cover with tin foil. Cook @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Teddy after scraping his 3rd plate clean!

Making Strawberry Jam

2009-07-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to bring out the canning supplies tucked away from non use during the winter. Strawberries are the one thing that we all wait for. The one thing the kids will pick without complaining. I think it is because they never really put the berries in the pail. We have picked our berries for years from a pick-your-own place and then decided to try our own little patch. We are very pleased with the results. And pleased to be saving some money. Alot of money, actually. We found that we can grow enough strawberries for jam, sliced freezer berries and and pureed berries for syrup for pancakes, waffles and crepes, from just a few small rows. (We live on about one acre of land so you can imagine that we do not have a huge garden.) This is what our plants look like around middle June, before berries come. Oh, and it is only the 3 closest rows in the picture. The 2 rows behind them are raspberries.

And alittle closer view...

So, onto making jam:

Making jam is really very easy! Your ingredients are strawberries, sugar and pectin.
I made regular jam this year but low-sugar jam is good too.
You will need: (for each batch of jam)

5 cups crushed stawberries
7 cups sugar
1 box sure jell (pectin)

Your list of equipment is this:
.jar funnel
.at least one large pot (I use my dutch ovens)
.ladel
.boiling water bath canner
.canning jars
.lids
.rings
.jar grabber (optional, but great to have)

Step 1: Pick your berries

Step 2: Sterilize jars. I like to do this after picking and right before washing and hulling berries. Jars are nice and hot and ready to use.

Step 3: Wash (in strainer with cold water) and hull fruit. In this pic they are sliced which you don't need to do that. We did because we froze the sliced ones for desserts.

Step 4: Crush fruit. I use the food processor and hit the pulse button until desired texture is reached.

Step 5: Measure sugar in seperate bowl.

Step 6: Mix berries with sure-jell and 1/2 teaspoon butter. (to prevent alot of extra foaming) Bring to a full boil. You know you have a full boil when you cannot stir away the bubbles. I am making 2 batches at a time, starting one about 5 minutes after the first one.

Step 7: Put lids in small pan of water and bring to barely a simmer. Turn off.

Step 8: Add sugar and stir while adding. Bring to a full boil once more and boil for 1 minute.

Step 9: I skim the extra foam off the top but this step is not required. It just looks nicer.

Step 10: Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch from top. Wipe threads to remove any dripped jelly. Put on the lids and bands and tighten.

Step 11: Process jars in boiling water canner. Jars should be fully immersed and have about 1 to 2 inches of water over them. Bring jars back to a gentle boil and boil for 10 minutes.

Step 12: Remove jars and set on a towel for 24 hours to cool. During cooling you may hear some pinging/popping of the jar lids. This is good as it means the jar has sealed. After 24 hours check to see that all jars are sealed by pressing down in the middle of the lid. Lid should not spring back. If one does, refrigerate it.

Store unopened jam in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year.

Haystacks

2009-07-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

It is always nice to have another person who likes to cook in the house. Karissa is now starting to enjoy cooking various dishes and trying new things. This was her contribution to our 4th of July party this year. It was a cute treat because we always do a hayride. Yum!

1/2 cups butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups chow mein noodles

Melt chips and peanut butter in microwave for 1 minute. (chips may not look melted but when you stir them they will blend with peanut butter.) Add the noodles and stir. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.

Patriotic Dessert

2009-07-05T11:47:00.001-07:00

Every 4th of July our son Joseph makes this dessert to take along to our friend's annual 4th party. We always have an overflowing strawberry patch this time of year and this is his favorite fruit recipe. He always has an empty pan at the end of the day.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
3 cups fresh strawberries, halved

In a bowl, combine the flour, nuts and butter. Press into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover with remaining whipped topping. Arrange blueberries and strawberries to look like a flag. Regrigerate.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2009-06-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

4 lb. pork roast
1 can french onion soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

I added:
KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce to thicken it

Brown roast in pan. Mix the sauce ingredients in bowl. Put roast in slow-cooker and pour sauce over. Cook on high for about 5 hours. I checked meat after 4 hours. If it falls apart then it is done.
Remove roast and shred with forks. Add back into juices and serve on buns.

Banana Crumb Snack Cake

2009-06-20T14:51:00.002-07:00

2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup vanilla or white chips

In a small bowl, combine almonds and brown sugar; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract.

Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture alternately with bananas and sour cream. Fold in chips. Spread into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle with reserved almond mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Country-Style Pork Loin

2009-05-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

1 boneless whole pork loin roast
(3 pounds)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
hot mashed potatoes, optional

Cut pork roast in half. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, onion powder and mustard. Add pork, one portion at a time and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, brown pork in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a 5-quart slow cooker. Pour broth over pork. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender. Remove pork and keep warm.

For gravy, strain cooking juices and skim fat; pour 2 1/2 cups cooking juices into a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice pork; serve with gravy and mashed potatoes if desired.

Oatmeal cake

2009-05-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

1-1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup oatmeal
1 stick butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix first 3 ingredients and let stand. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Add oatmeal mixture. Put in 9x13 pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Put topping on while cake is still hot.

TOPPING:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Bring to a boil. Add to cake while cake is still warm.

Slow-Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

2009-04-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 tablespoons butter
1 large family size can cream of chicken soup (you can use lowfat)
2 (10.75 ounce ) can of cream of celery soup
1 med onion, finely diced (I use dry minced onion)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I use garlic salt as a substitute)
4 teaspoons dried parsley or basil
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (or cumin)
pepper to taste
2 cans mixed peas and carrots
1-2 cans chicken broth (I added water to cover chicken, then added 3 chicken bouillon cubes)
2-3 (10 ounce) package of refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

DIRECTIONS
Place the chicken, butter, soup, onion, garlic, poultry seasoning, pepper and parsley in a slow cooker, and fill with enough chicken broth (or water) to cover.
Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. ( I cooked for 8 and made bisquits in the oven). About fours hours into it place peas/carrots and the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cover and cook another two hours...

* I cook the bisquits in the oven when the chicken is done and serve it over the bisquits warm.

* Because I cook bisquits seperately, I shred chicken and add it back into the crockpot.

Crab Spread

2009-04-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

1-8ounce cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped small
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
4 ounces flake or leg-style imitation crab meat, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
Pillsbury french bread or crackers of your choice

Combine cream cheese, milk, lemon juice and salt. Finely chop onion. Add to cream cheese mixture along with garlic. Mix well. Mix in tomato, pepper and crab. Sprinkle parsley over top. Serve with bread made in bread tubes. (the tubes I use are from Pampered Chef. If by chance you have these tubes, cook the tubes staight up and not on their sides. The bread should bake perfectly then.) Can also toast the bread in the oven and that tastes good too.

Italian Salad

2009-03-30T07:18:00.002-07:00

1 box spiral noodles, boiled and drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cans pitted black olives, drained
1 head cauliflower
broccoli...enough to match head of cauliflower
1/4 cup chopped onion, optional
2 packages Italian Salad Dressing mix. Make according to pkg. directions

Mix all in large bowl. Pour dressing over all. Mix well. Store in refrigerator. Stir before serving.

* I like this best right after making it.
* The kids also like this dressing just poured onto the noodles.

Deluxe Mashed Potatoes

2009-03-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

4 to 5 large potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds)
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped chives
3/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
paprika, optional

Peel and cube the potatoes; place in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium heat until tender; drain. Mash until smooth (do not add milk or butter). Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream, chives, onion salt and pepper. Spoon into a greased 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Dot with butter; sprinkle with paprika if desired. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. 4-6 servings.

Seasoned Mashed Potatoes

2009-03-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 9 medium)
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion salt

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes. Add the remaining ingredients; beat until fluffy. 6 servings

Slow-Cooked Swiss Steak

2009-03-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 2-1/2 pounds boneless round steak
1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1-1/3 cups water
1 cup sliced celery, optional
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 to 3 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, pepper and salt. Cut steak into six serving-size pieces; dredge in flour mixture. In a skillet, brown steak in butter. Transfer to a slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over steak. cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat is tender.
about 6 servings

* I double this recipe and cook on high for about 8 hours. Instead of doubling the water I just add 3 cups. I also use dried onion and garlic salt or powder when I am out of the other.

*With any leftovers you can make stroganoff. Just crumble the meat, add worcestershire and sour cream to the gravy and serve it over noodles.

Pumpkin Waffles

2009-03-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 beaten eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
3/4 cup mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup cooking oil

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder,cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
In another bowl, mix the eggs, milk, pumpkin and cooking oil.
Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture.
Mix well.
Cook the batter in a hot waffle iron.
Serve with butter, and maple syrup or honey.

You will want to double this for a large family!

Pepper Steak

2009-03-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

1 1/2-2 pounds round steak
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cups hot water
pan drippings
1 cup chopped onion (i sprinkle minced onion in when in a hurry)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1-16 ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 green peppers cut into thin strips
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
cooked noodles or rice

Brown steak in oil. Transfer to crock pot. Add water to pan and stir up pan drippings. Combine next seven ingredients with water; pour over beef. Cook on low 6 hours. Add tomatoes and peppers. Cook 2 hours longer or until peppers are soft. Combine water and cornstarch. Stir into liquid in crock pot. Serve over noodles or rice.

NOTE: I double this for a larger family. I also make about 8 cups (dry) rice to go along with it.

If you have a liberian kiddo in the house, put some hot pepper on the table and they will probably love this!