Leftover Casserole

Mornin' ya'll!
I made a delightful shoulder roast last weekend and needed to use up the last of it, so I made a layered casserole in my freshly scrubbed and oiled cast iron pan (thanks to Candy).
I used full size tortilla shels, pulled pork, leftover sweet potatoes, corn, shredded cheddar and a bit of salsa.  I was able to get three layers in the pan, which was perfect.  Baked for 40 minutes at 350.
Charlie and Brett both liked it very much.  Brett ask for less sweet potatoes next time :')  He's not a huge fan!  lol...

Sausage Rolls

 

I think  I might try this recipe for a Christmas party this year.  Looks easy to make and super yummy....

in this pic, they show it as a breakfast item, but I'm thinking it will make a good appetizer.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com  http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sausage-crescent-rolls/Detail.aspx

Great Party Food | Ham and Cheese Rolls

One of my favorite appetizers are these cute little ham and cheese sandwiches w/ a super yummy glaze. They are baked and eaten while still warm... YUMMY.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages small party/dinner rolls
• 1 stick butter
  
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion (optional)
  
• 2 tablespoons poppy seed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces ham slices (deli meat works great!)
  
• 6 ounces shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese

Melt butter; add mustard, poppy seed, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat until onions are transparent.

Without separating rolls, slice party rolls horizontally. Spread both sides evenly with butter mixture. Fill evenly with ham and cheese. Wrap each package in tightly in foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 375 ° for about 15 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

Ok... I never have poppy seeds on hand, so I just skip...
I also skip the onion. I do add some granulated garlic and some brown sugar:')

Side note

Tzatziki Sauce
(I love this as a mayo alternative!)

1 large (I like to use 2 of the small ones) cucumer peeled, seeded, and grated.
1 32oz container of plain, non-fat yogurt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic (or more if you love it like I do)
small squeeze of lemon juice

The trick to this whole thing is controlling the amount of moisture. Drain the yogurt...I've used cheesecloth, a handheld metal mesh colander, and even a pair of Crissy's pantyhose! Don't skip draining the yogurt, you'd be surprised how juicy it is. You are supposed to drain it for 4 hours but I'm not that patient. Instead I let it sit for an hour and mush it around with a spoon occasionally. I even dry the grated cucumber with paper towels. That's it! It tastes fresh and crisp...just what I'm looking for in the summer.

More on breadmaking

It must be an epidemic of breadmaking right now. Kathy told me she found a recipe for Whole Wheat bread in Motherearth News. This is a magazine I used to subscibe to way back in the 70's when I was a young hippy. http://www.motherearthnews.com/ Anyway, if you havent been to the site it is well worth looking at and who can resist warm bread out of the oven, yummm.

Galette

I saw a blog post yesterday on how to make galletes.

Today we went to Westminster and we stopped into Bed Bath & Beyond, so I picked myself up a new toy. A dough blender.
I'm wondering if there is a trick on how to use this thing....

let me know if there is...

I had some frozen raspberries that Brett and I picked last year, so I whipped up some dough, rolled it out, baked it and there you have it..

This was a really simple recipe to make.

I couldn't help myself, I went ahead an had a little nibble.

I think that I have some whipped cream in the freezer to put on top.

I love vanilla coffee creamer

UPDATE: I finally tried out a recipe:

French Vanilla

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

It turned out ok. I have kept several glass jars over the years, so I picked out a large jelly jar for the job. I had to spoon the condensed milk into the jar. There is a lot of sweetness in the condensed milk, I'm not used to that.
I used the vanilla that I made from vanilla breans and vodka. I used 2 Tbsp, because its flavor seemed a bit weak.
Then I wiped the jar down, put the lid on securely and gave it a good shake.
All in all it was good.

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jan 2009
I struggle with the pros and cons of buying and using commercial products all the time. I usually go against my conscience and just buy the damn packaged good. Yet I still wonder...

I love a good creamer in my coffee. I love the flavor, the scent and how it makes my coffee seem so rich and creamy. I'd rather have a good cup of yummy coffee over just about any sweet there is.

The problem lies in the large plastic container that I'm tossing out ever week. Yes, I put it in the recycle bin, but it still pains me. (that along with all the other recyclables...)

So, I'm wondering if there is a cheaper more eco-friendly way to get the same creamy goodness?
I found a few recipes online, some call for powdered non-dairy creamer, and quite honestly, I'm not looking to ingest cotton oil. Another calls for a can of sweetened condensed milk, is that a good way to go?

What do you all think? any good recipes out there for me?

Chinese Napa Salad

This recipe is a family favorite. My cousin LuAnn makes it for almost all of our family gatherings, I think I'm going to make this on Sunday. Although, I have no idea what napa cabbage is, so I got some Romaine Lettuce instead.

Chinese Napa Salad

This is the recipe for the Weidner reunion LuAnn Strobel
1 large or 2 small Napa cabbage, washed and shredded
1 small chopped red onion
2 pkg. Ramen noodles; use crushed and dried. (No flavoring)
1 bag Crispy Chinese Noodles
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds ( heated in 1 tbsp. margarine).
Mix well together
Dressing:
1 cup oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Soy sauce
Mix well together. Pour over salad when ready to serve.

Make Your Own Household Cleaners

Have you ever wanted to make your own household cleaners?
I've done it before, but haven't tried all of the products that Jolly Mom makes.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Garlic Dip

In case I did not mention this before, my Mom, Ginger, is collecting recipes for a family recipe book. Isn't that a neat idea? This recipe was submitted to her from my cousin Cheryl, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale Florida.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Garlic Dip
1 tub 8oz Cream Cheese Spread
½ cup Miracle Whip dressing
½ cup Sun-Dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, chopped
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Mix all ingredients until well blended.
Chill, the longer, the better, up to 24 hrs advance.
Serve with crackers and/or cut up vegetables.
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Cheryl says that this is one of her Mom's (my Aunt Karen) favorite dips.
I made this today for a football game party that we went to.
In Jo Knox tradition, I did not have all the ingredients.... I substituted the tomatoes with roasted red peppers, also drained and chopped. I buy these by the jar at the dollar store!!!
We like to keep jars of roasted red peppers on hand, they are so nice for sandwiches and dips!!!

CROCK POT BEEF STROGANOFF

I just put this together in the crock pot... I can't wait for dinner time!!

CROCK POT BEEF STROGANOFF
3 lb. beef round steak, 1/2 inch thick
1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 med. onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 (4 oz. each) cans sliced mushrooms, drained or 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed beef broth
1/4 c. dry white wine (optional)
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. flour

Directions

Trim all excess fat from steak and cut meat into 3 inch strips about 1/2 inch wide. Combine 1/2 cup flour, the salt, pepper and dry mustard; toss with steak strips to coat thoroughly. Place coated steak strips in crock pot; stir in onion rings and mushrooms. Add beef broth and wine; stir well. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours. Before serving, combine sour cream with 1/4 cup flour; stir into crock pot. Serve stroganoff over rice or noodles.

Leftover Turkey Chili - Southwest Style

I made this chili this past weekend with my leftover Christmas turkey. It came out super yummy.

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 Heaping tablespoon minced garlic from a jar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 4 cups water
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Hunts tomato sauce ( think Hunts is the best for making chili!!)
  
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 6 cups shredded cooked turkey
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained ( I used kidney beans, cuz that is all I had)
  
• 1 Can southwestern style corn ( regular corn will do)
• 1 cup salsa (if you have some, I left this out)
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I did not have any cilantro, so I left it out.)

• Toppings:
• 6 cups corn tortilla chips
• 3/4 cup chopped green onion (I did not have this either)
  
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend ( I used regular cheddar, just as good)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (again, none used)
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Stir in water, tomato sauce, salsa, diced tomatoes, shredded turkey, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until bouillon cubes dissolve. Add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Serve soup with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onion, shredded cheese and additional cilantro and sour cream.

Pumpkin Crunch

This is my favorite pumpkin recipe, and Everyone else at my house too!!

1 can pumpkin pie filling (I like to make my own)
1 box white or yellow cake mix
2 cups butter, melted
chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Pour the pie filling in a casserole dish.
2. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top.
3. Pour melted butter over the top of the dry cake mix.
4. sprinkle with chopped nuts, gently pat them down into the cake mix.
5. Bake at 350* until done.

German Mashed Potatoes

This is pretty much the same recipe that I followed, for Knoxtoberfest on Saturday. Although I forgot to get apples.  I'd like to do this again, w/the apples.

I cooked up enough bacon and onions in advance for both the potatoes and the green beans, so that made it easier on Saturday.

I bet a bit of horseradish would kick it up a notch!!!
I did not "top" w/ the onions and bacon, I mixed 'em in, but topped sounds good too.

German Mashed Potatoes

Tangy potatoes, we served with Bratwurst.

SERVINGS: 7
Prep: 20 min. Cook: 20 min.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 large tart apples, peeled and chopped
• 4 bacon strips, diced
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add apples; cook 10 minutes longer or until potatoes and apples are tender.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. In the drippings, saute onions until lightly browned.
Drain potatoes and apples. Add sugar, vinegar and salt; mash slightly. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with onions and bacon.

Paella

Mario Bateli was on Oprah and made Paella, it looks super simple and yummy!!!
He said this is great for guests. I want to try this one for certain!
Check out the recipe on oprah.com

New blogsite

This morning while checking out my blog favs I clicked on one of their blog favorites and found a new blog I want to keep track of from now on.
http://smittenkitchen.com/
The first thing I saw was fresh baked bread and I have to admit I stole from her shamelessly. Kathy and Crissy are coming for a visit in six days and their oven doesnt work so I thought some freshly baked bread would be a good treat and they could have a doggy bag for the road. She has other recipes I want to check out, but sadly I must get off the computer.

Herbed Whipped Butter

There I was, standing in my kitchen staring at the lastest squash that I brought in the from the garden. Wondering, what he heck and I gonna do with this batch, I think we are sick of sauteed zukes and squash, not that we don't love that.... just tired of it.
So, the idea hit me... let's grill 'em. How ingenious of me :')
I could not grill the squash steaks without herbed whipped butter.
I grabbed a pound out of the freezer, nuked it to soften, put about two tablespoons of some garlic herb seasoning, whipped, and voila!!!!

Herbed Whipped Butter for my squash!
We stuck the salmon on the grill also. While were at it, we decided to roast a red pepper. We just sliced it up and ate it right off the grill... YUMMY.

Dilly Beans

I think I got 'em all. this time!!

I really wanted to make good use of my day off today, so I picked the last of the beans this morning.
I decided to use 'em up in a batch of Dilly Beans.

So, I got out my trusty Ball Blue Book of preserving food. I bought this book from WalMart about 4 years ago, when we first moved out here.




On page 54 is the recipe for making Dilly Beans. I've had these before, store bought though, and just LOVED them. So, this is my first shot at making my own batch.



I went down to the basement and found a box of jars that I had picked up at a yard sale a few years ago. To my surprise, they were not all Ball jars. Some were Marie's dressing jars, one looked like a regular may jar, a couple other types were in there as well. So, I picked out the ones I wanted and got them right into the dishwasher.

While I was downstairs I grabbed my canning cauldron. My Dad gave me this after we moved also, he thought I'd get far more use out of it than he did. He gave it to me an a trash bag, so that is how I store it. Right there in a black trash bag. It actually is very nice, as it keeps off all the dirt and all that dry wall dust that collected when Charlie was doing the bathroom down here. So, I pulled it out and it was sparkling clean!

So, I filled her up and got her right onto the stove, cuz that is the longest task, heating up that pot. Then I got to cleaning and snipping my beans. Boiled my water, vinegar and salts and added a some pickling spices I had in the spice basket. I packed four jars, sprinkled in some cayenne pepper. I did not have cloves as called for, so I dropped in a teaspoon of minced garlic. No dill heads at my house, so I just used the dry dill I had. I know that this will make them a bit messy when we finally pull them out, but I'm pretty messy anyway.

After 10 minutes of processing, here they are on the counter to cool.

Crispy Cook

Ok.. another blog lead

The Crispy Cook is showing off her pickle relish!!!
I came across this site because I was googling alternative recipes for dilly beans.
I have the blue book, but thought I'd check to see what else is out there.
What I found is most people are using the Ball recipes, so I think I'm go to go!!!

I've got my beans prepped, my vinegar, water and salt are on the stove.
So, I'm waiting for my cauldron to heat as well as for the dish washer to quit, so I can get my jars out.

Lollipops

This week when Kaylie came to play, we made homemade lollipops. Thought you might be interested in the recipe.

Lollipops


Butter 2 baking sheets and evenly lay out sticks, I used bamboo skewers and cut off sharp end

In medium sized pan, melt ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup corn syrup, and ¼ cup of butter on low heat until sugar dissolves.

Bring the mixture slowly to boil stirring frequently. Continue to boil for seven minutes.

Take pan off the stove and add 6 ounces of your favorite Jello, that will be two small packages of Jello, stir until smooth.
Spoon candy over stick using a metal spoon and allow to cool. The candy sets up pretty quick so you need to hurry at this point.