Feeding the Fire(men)

Simple Shredded Pork

2009-04-06T21:18:00.003-04:00

After seeing these sandwich rolls I knew I had to make them, so I was on a mission to find a way to serve them. I decided they would be perfect for a shredded or pulled pork sandwich, but I didn't want to do a typical bbq pork that my son wouldn't be able to eat. I surfed for some recipes to get ideas of times and amounts, and ended up coming up with the following recipe. It is a very simple but flavorful pork that falls apart when done and can be dressed up any way you like. We made sandwiches and added a little bbq sauce to the top, but it could easily be used for Mexican dishes or any other recipe calling for shredded pork.

Simple Shredded Pork

1 pork loin, approximately 4 pounds
1/4 cup onion
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
broth to make 1/2 cup

Place the pork loin, fat side up, in a crock pot or slow cooker. Sprinkle thyme, salt and pepper over top. Spread onions out around the pork. Measure Worcestershire sauce and vinegar into a liquid measuring cup and add broth until it measures 1/2 cup. Pour this and the water around the pork. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls

2009-04-06T20:46:00.003-04:00

When I saw these rolls on Lovestoeat's Weblog, I knew I had to give them a try. So far my baking with yeast has been limited to pretzels and pizza dough. So I was a little nervous attempting something more bread-like, but they turned out great. We used them for pork sandwiches the first night, had a couple of weekend breakfasts with egg sandwiches, and will be finishing them off tomorrow with some hamburgers. These are a delicious and versatile roll, and I'll definitely be making them again.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (1 1/2 packages) - I used the equivalent in instant yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup warm milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds - I left these out
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour - I used about half of each

Pour the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of brown sugar over the surface of the water. Stir to combine and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 min. In a large bowl using a whisk, combine the milk, butter, brown sugar, salt, seeds, and whole-wheat flour. Beat hard until smooth, about 3 min. Add yeast mixture and the unbleached flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, dusting with flour only as needed, to make a smooth, soft, slightly sticky dough. Place the dough in a greased deep bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 min. to 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Grease or parchment-line 2 baking sheets. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions and shape each into an oblong oval. Place the rolls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, cover, and let rest until puffy and almost double, about 30 minutes. Brush with the egg glaze. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Egg glaze: 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

2009-04-06T20:21:00.002-04:00

My boss gave me a couple of lemons recently from a large bag she had picked up at the store. I have never really done anything with whole lemons before, but these smelled so good I knew I had to find something to bake. Annie from Annie's Eats suggested the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins on her blog, originally found on the Joy of Baking website. The first time I made these I followed the recipe exactly (except I used non-fat yogurt because that's all I could find and they still turned out great). The second time my lemon wouldn't zest well, so instead of making the glaze I used the juice of the lemon in the muffin itself. Both versions turned out equally well.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
zest of one lemon
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together flour, poppy seeds, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon zest, yogurt and vanilla and beat until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture until just moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and glazing.

Glaze: If glazing, while muffins are baking stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. The mixture should be runny. Once the muffins are removed from the oven, wait five minutes and then drizzle the glaze over the muffins with a spoon.

A Tale of Two Fannies

2009-03-26T12:23:00.003-04:00

My hubby gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card for Valentine's Day this year. I knew that I wanted to get a cookbook with it, but was tossed up on which one. I wasn't sure if I wanted one for a specific type of food, like the ice cream book I had been eyeing, or if I wanted a go-to book that would cover a wide range of foods. I finally decided on the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, because it has been my dad's kitchen bible for years and years. The photo above shows my shiny new book alongside his with a copyright from the sixties that he got shortly after he and my mom married in 1970. It has tape holding the spine together and is in danger of falling apart at any moment. I think this is the sign of a good cookbook. The books have changed over the years, the newer ones containing recipes for microwave cooking and eliminating recipes for dressing game, but many of the recipes are still the same. I recently made corn bread and the only difference in the recipes from the two books is that the older one called for 1/4 teaspoon more salt than the newer one. So if you're in the market for a new all-around cookbook that has stood the test of time for more than 100 years, consider Fannie Farmer.

Corn Bread

2009-03-26T12:11:00.008-04:00

I've never made homemade cornbread before, I have always started with the box from Jiffy. After making it from scratch once, I doubt I'll go back to the box. There is not much extra work involved, and it tastes so good. This recipe from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook had the perfect sweetness to accompany a meal. If I were going to make muffins I would probably up the sugar just a bit.

Corn Bread

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
2 tablespoons melted shortening or bacon fat

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan. Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, egg and shortening or bacon fat and blend well. Spoon into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool and cut in squares.

Whole Wheat Baking Powder Biscuits

2009-03-26T11:54:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite weekend breakfasts is sausage gravy over biscuits. My husband makes a mean sausage gravy and I make the biscuits. I got this recipe from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook, and the only alteration I made was to do a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour instead of only all-purpose. If you are someone afraid of doing breads, give this recipe a try. It's very easy and makes some tasty biscuits.

Whole Wheat Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups flour (I used about 1 1/2 cups all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease two 8-inch cake pans (I used my pizza stone, un-greased). Put the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour with two knives or a pasty blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the milk all at once and stir just until the dough forms a ball around the fork. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead 14 times. Pat until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 2-inch cookie cutter (I used our biscuit cutter, not sure how big it is). Place touching each other in the cake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes (again, I placed spaced apart on the pizza stone and baked for approximately 12-15 minutes).

Whole Wheat Waffles

2009-03-10T22:52:00.004-04:00

One of my son's favorite breakfast foods is waffles. I've been buying the frozen kind, which taste alright, but really wanted to make my own. My mother-in-law gave us their old waffle iron this weekend, and I tried my hand at waffles. I used the recipe from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook, and they turned out great. Joey and I tested one when it first came out, and can't wait to have them for breakfast tomorrow morning. I froze the waffle quarters and will heat them in the toaster just like the store-bought kind. The only change I made was to sub 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for the all-purpose, as reflected below.

Whole Wheat Waffles

2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the eggs, milk and oil in a large bowl or pitcher. Stir in the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and mix until blended. Heat the waffle iron and pour in enough batter to just fill. Close and bake until the steaming stops and the waffles are crisp, tender and brown.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

2009-03-10T22:39:00.004-04:00

After my first success with yeast, I thought I should try something else. I decided a homemade pizza dough would be a good second attempt. I found this recipe and had all the ingredients, so it was the winner. I loved the additions of the seasonings, this dough smelled so good as it was baking. I would make this again, but will be trying other recipes as well to see if I find something I like better. I made this into about a medium pizza, but think that it was a bit thick after cooking and would probably either spread it thinner into a large, or make two smaller pizzas out of it.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 package fast rising yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Combine the yeast and water, stir until dissolved. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine all remaining ingredients. Add in the yeast mixture and mix using the dough hook. Knead until the dough forms a nice ball, using extra flour if necessary. Let rest for at least a half hour. Spread out on a pizza stone or pan lined with parchment paper, bake at 450 degrees for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with your desired pizza toppings, then bake for an additional 7 to 9 minutes or until the crust is crispy and the toppings are browned.

Homemade Rice-A-Roni

2009-03-10T22:24:00.003-04:00

I set out to find a recipe for a homemade version of Rice-A-Roni for my sister. Her boys love the stuff and she wanted a healthier version she could prepare for them. Stephanie Cooks had a recipe on her blog from Recipezaar that seemed pretty simple so I thought I'd give it a try. I haven't had Rice-A-Roni in years, so I can't say how close it comes, but it is a tasty side dish and my ten month old son polished his plate. I followed the recipe pretty closely, using angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti, adding in some parsley, and adding instructions to cover the dish during cooking.

Rice-A-Roni

1/2 cup raw angel hair pasta broken into 1/2 inch long pieces
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
14 1/2 ounces broth
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
dried parsley

In medium skillet saute broken pasta pieces in butter, stirring constantly, until the pasta begins to brown. Add rice, stirring until the rice is well coated with the butter and the pasta browns a little more. Carefully pour in broth. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Stir in some parsley to give it a more authentic look.

Soft Pretzels

2009-03-10T21:05:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to both try to bake with yeast and use the dough hook on my new stand mixer, so when I saw the recipe for Alton Brown's Soft Pretzels on Le Petit Pierogi I knew I had to give them a shot. I only made a couple of minor changes from the original recipe (the changes are what are in the recipe below). First, I used instant yeast instead of active dry. Second, I subbed about 7 ounces of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. Lastly, I made a few of the pretzels with cinnamon sugar instead of the salt (inspired by Le Petit Pierogi).

These turned out really well, I was pleasantly surprised. Next time I would make sure I had a whole lot more room to work, as these take up a lot of room when trying to get them into the long ropes. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing and will definitely be making these again.

Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespooon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
15 ounces all-purpose flour
7 ounces whole wheat flour
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
vegetable oil, for bowl
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
coarse sea salt for topping
cinnamon sugar for topping

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the dough into a bowl coated inside with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt or cinnamon sugar. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

2009-02-19T21:06:00.003-05:00

I was bringing a dessert to a party and really wanted to make some peanut butter swirl brownies. The only recipes I could find for them only made an 8x8 pan, which wouldn't have been enough for us to take to the party. So I used this recipe I had for brownies that made a 13x9 inch pan, and this recipe for the peanut butter swirl. It made a dense, rich brownie with plenty of peanut butter flavor.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Brownies

2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Swirl

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg

Brownie

Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan. In a heavy saucepan, bring butter, sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Cool slightly and mix in vanilla. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Slowly add in the chocolate mixture until completely mixed. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and mix well to combine.

Peanut Butter Swirl

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed until well combined.

To prepare: Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan. Using a spoon, dollop the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownie batter. Top with remaining brownie batter. Using a knife, cut through the batter to create swirls of the brownie and peanut butter. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

2009-02-19T20:47:00.003-05:00

I had a whole pork tenderloin thawing in the fridge today and wanted to do something different with it. We usually do our tenderloins with a Cajun rub and serve it with beans and rice. Tonight I was in the mood for something Asian-inspired, but couldn't find quite what I was looking for. I decided to find a teriyaki sauce recipe and go from there. The only change I made to the original was to omit the ginger, as we're not big fans and don't keep any on hand. This was one of our "throw together" meals, served with leftover rice and some frozen broccoli, but we'll definitely be making it again. The pork was unbelievably tender, even for a tenderloin, and the teriyaki sauce was delicious.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound, cut into 1 inch thick medallions

Combine the 1 cup of water, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Dissolve the cornstarch into the 1/4 cup cold water and add to saucepan. Stir constantly and allow the sauce to thicken. Pour half of the mixture over pork medallions in a container and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Over medium heat, cook the pork for approximately 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to an oven safe dish and cook in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until it reads done on a meat thermometer. Serve topped with remaining sauce.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

2009-02-19T20:22:00.003-05:00

Yet another recipe from Kmay's blog, Food alla Putanesca. This is easy to make, hearty, and we almost always have all the ingredients on hand. The only changes I made to the source recipe was to use our home canned tomatoes and a can of chile peppers in place of the canned tomatoes with chiles. The recipe below reflects the changes.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

1 onion, chopped
1 16 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 16 ounce can red beans (drained and rinsed)
1 16 ounce can corn (drained)
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 quarts canned stewed tomatoes (roughly 30 ounces)
1 8 ounce can chiles
1 packet taco seasoning
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix everything together in a slow cooker except chicken. Lay chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.

Spinach Risotto

2009-02-19T19:58:00.008-05:00

I recently bought some medium grain rice by mistake. While it tasted alright and my son loved it, I figured I would try something different with it. I found out that a lot of people use medium grain rice to make risotto. I'd never eaten risotto before, let alone cooked it, but I thought I'd give it a try. I used a recipe I found on Joelen's Culinary Adventures because it was simple and I had all the necessary ingredients already. The only variations I made from the original recipe was using the medium grain rice instead of the arborio rice, and I used more broth (probably because of the different rice). The recipe that follows is the recipe as I prepared it.

Spinach Risotto

6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups medium grain rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped frozen spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil over medium heat. Add rice to pan and allow to toast up for a few minutes. When rice has turned slightly golden, add 1/2 - 1 cup of broth. Allow rice to absorb the broth and stir. Continue to add small amounts of broth slowly to the rice when its been absorbed. When all the liquid has been used, fold in spinach. Check for doneness and serve.

Best Ever Homemade Pancakes

2009-01-26T21:39:00.003-05:00

So, there is no photo of the pancakes. First, we all know what pancakes are supposed to look like. Second, I can't make a pretty pancake to save my life. They taste good, they just don't have that uniform golden brown-ness that makes a pancake look good. So you'll just have to trust me and make these for yourself. I found this recipe a few years ago. It was probably the third or fourth pancake recipe I tried, and it's the only one I've made since. It's easy and delicious, what more can you ask for?

Pancakes

2 cups flour
1 3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix the butter, milk and eggs. Slowly stir into the dry ingredients. Let sit at least ten minutes before cooking.

As for cooking directions, trial and error is best. I use an electric griddle that works best when set around 350 degrees. Do not try to flip the pancakes until the bubbles pop and the holes remain (if that makes any sense to you, I don't know how to describe it better).

Chicken Fried Rice

2009-01-26T21:16:00.002-05:00

I have made this recipe a few times now. I originally got it from Joelen's Culinary Adventures. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you should, she is quite the busy foodie. I never thought that I could make a decent fried rice until I followed her instructions. The other night we were stuck on what to prepare for dinner, and we realized we had leftover chicken, rice from the Pork Chops in Tomatoes we'd just made, and veggies in the freezer. So we made up a quick Chicken Fried Rice that hubby says is better than at the restaraunts. I skipped a few ingredients from the original (because of an upset stomach from too much movie popcorn and laziness), which is listed above, and have the recipe we used below. Even with the limited seasonings in my version it is an incredibly flavorful dish. You could easily make this with any variety of meats and veggies.

Chicken Fried Rice

1 cup cooked chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups day old rice

Heat oil in a wok or large fry pan. Stir fry chicken until crispy, push to side of pan. Crack the eggs into the pan and scramble until cooked through. Add rice to the pan, crumbling it up as you do so to seperate the grains. Add soy sauce. Add frozen vegetables and heat through.

Pork Chops in Tomatoes

2009-01-26T21:07:00.002-05:00

This is a simple and tasty meal that's also extremely healthy. It tastes even better when made with home-canned tomatoes, but would work well with store-bought as well. This is a dish that my parents made all the time while I was growing up that I would never eat, but I love it now.

Pork Chops in Tomatoes

6 pork chops from loin
1 quart canned tomatoes (mine included celery, garlic, peppers and onion)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pork chops into small chunks, approximately 2 inches by 2 inches. In a Dutch oven, brown the pork in some olive oil. Remove from heat and pour tomatoes over top. Cover, and bake for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Pork pieces should be fork tender at this point. Serve over rice.

Frito Soup

2009-01-26T20:58:00.003-05:00

This is a quick and easy meal to prepare, and is one that we usually will make on our camping trips (we're RV campers). My husband got the recipe from one of his coworkers, and after a couple of slight modifications this is the way we prepare it. For me, it's essentially an excuse to dump all sorts of Fritos on top of my dinner, and don't let the photo fool you - I added more Fritos after I took the picture.

Frito Soup

1 pound ground beef, browned
1 can corn
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 bag Fritos

Combine all ingredients except Fritos in a saucepan and heat through. Depending on the consistency of the salsa you use and desired thickness, you may want to drain the corn or add water to the soup. Serve topped with Fritos.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

2009-01-04T20:33:00.002-05:00

My husband is allowing me to blog one of his meals tonight. This is a recipe that my husband got from a co-worker years ago. The original recipe was different and over the years it has morphed into what we make today. It's not your traditional jambalaya, but it is a very tasty one-pot meal. Here at home we usually serve it with tortilla chips, when my husband makes it at work he usually serves cornbread.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken (can be a whole chicken or boneless, skinless breasts)
2 cups water
1 pound ground sausage
1 cup uncooked rice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 16 ounce cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 green pepper, chopped
1 hot pepper, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the chicken in the water along with salt and pepper. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove chicken, strain broth. If using a whole chicken, remove meat from bones and skin. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. If using chicken breasts you may want to add some bouillon to the water to make a more flavorful broth.

In the same pot, brown the sausage. Drain fat. Add in the chicken, broth and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

For the best flavor, use the same pot for all steps of the recipe.

Whiskey Slush

2009-01-03T19:43:00.005-05:00

This is a drink recipe that comes from my husband's family. I'm not sure where it originated, as they have been making it for years. It's something he likes to make every year around New Year's.

Whiskey Slush

1 12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 12 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 cups water
7 tea bags
2 cups sugar
7 cups water
2 cups Kessler's whiskey
Faygo Rock N Rye

Brew the 7 tea bags using the first 2 cups of water. Mix all remaining ingredients except the Faygo together in an empty, plastic one gallon ice cream pail (or other large freezer safe container). Freeze. Serve by scooping some of the slush mixture into a glass and topping with Faygo Rock N Rye.

Tortilla Black Bean Soup

2009-01-02T20:12:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's webpage. We're currently trying to cut down on the meat we eat, so this seemed like a good soup to try. I made very few adjustments, but it would be good with some ground sausage or shredded chicken added in if you wanted a heartier meal.

I made tortilla strips instead of crushing tortilla chips to make it more like a restaurant soup.

Tortilla Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
1 10 ounce package frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
tortilla strips

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans, tomatoes (with juice), broth, corn, and water; season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Let simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until flavors are well blended. Serve topped with tortilla strips.

Semi-homemade Tortilla Strips

corn tortillas
olive oil in a mister or cooking spray
seasonings of your choice (I use a combination of things like chili powder, cayenne, pepper, garlic powder, salt)

Cut tortillas into strips. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray tops of tortillas with olive oil or cooking spray and shake on seasoning. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 8 minutes, chips will crisp some as they cool (if using a dark baking sheet you may need to cook less).

Potato-Leek Soup

2008-12-29T20:30:00.003-05:00

I made this soup over two weeks ago, so I'm going to try to remember as best I can exactly what I did. The original recipe came from The Big Book of Soups & Stews by Maryana Vollstedt and I just made a few minor adjustments. This soup could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon (which is not in the original recipe) and using a veggie stock instead of the chicken stock.

Potato-Leek Soup

1 pound of bacon, cut into small pieces
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 to 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

In a large soup pot, fry bacon pieces until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon to paper towel, leaving grease in pot. Add in leeks and potatoes and saute for a few minutes, until leeks are tender. Add 1 cup of the stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add more stock if necessary. Using a potato masher, mash up some of the potatoes until you get your desired consistency. Add remaining stock, half-and-half, salt and pepper and simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve topped with bacon pieces.

Spicy Crockpot Beans

2008-12-29T20:11:00.004-05:00

Another hit from KMay's blog. Beans, rice, and spicy? How can that go wrong? This was easy to prepare and tasted great. I had never used peppers in adobo sauce before and I have to say the smell worried me a bit. I'm not sure what it was, maybe the vinegar (which I don't like). The cooking did lessen the strength of the smell quite a bit, but I was still leery of my first bite. I was worried for nothing, it was delicious. So if you've never used this ingredient before either, give it a shot even if the smell concerns you!

Spicy Crock Pot Beans

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 15 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 4 ounce cans diced green chiles
2 chipotle chiles from adobo sauce, minced
1 envelope chicken gravy mix
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tomatoes, chopped

Place chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients except tomatoes and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Thirty minutes before serving remove chicken, shred, and return to slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes. Serve over white rice.

Sausage Bean Casserole

2008-12-29T19:52:00.004-05:00

I found this recipe in KMay's blog and since we are big fans of beans and sausage we had to give it a try. I've made quite a few recipes from this blog and haven't been disappointed yet. I made a few adjustments to the recipe to suit our tastes. It's an extremely easy dish to make, only dirties one pot, and tastes great as leftovers.

Sausage Bean Casserole

1 cup chopped onion (about one medium onion)
1 lb ground sausage
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 16 ounce cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups frozen chopped spinach

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown sausage, add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, saute 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen brown bits. Stir in brown sugar, tomato paste, thyme, pepper, beans and bay leaf. Add red pepper and spinach. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove lid and bake for 15 minutes.

Grandma's Pumpkin Cookies

2008-12-02T21:17:00.005-05:00

My grandma always had a wide variety of cookies set out for special occasions, all of which were good. But her pumpkin cookies always stood out to me as the best. They were so flavorful and cakey and delicious.

Unlike my molasses cookies, which are best the next day, these pumpkin cookies are almost irresistible when they come out of the oven. I ate three before they made it into the containers this time around, and that was showing a lot of self-control on my part. But don't worry, they're just as tasty when they're cooled.

Grandma's Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, egg and sugar. Add in pumpkin and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold into pumpkin mixture, stir on chocolate chips. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

Super Simple Cranberry Sauce

2008-11-26T20:56:00.004-05:00

I had never eaten cranberry sauce in my life when I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine a few years ago. My family had always served the jellied canned cranberries and they just never appealed to me. But the photo of this sauce looked really good, so I thought I'd give it a try. I've made just a couple of adjustments from the original over the past couple of years, and this recipe is always a hit. We have quite a few people in our families with sugar restrictions and it's easy to make this a diet friendly dish. This is a great dish to make ahead, and actually tastes better if the flavors can combine overnight.

Super Simple Cranberry Sauce

1 12 oz bag cranberries
2 tablespoons water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup orange marmalade (I use Smucker's sugar free made with Splenda)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
sugar or Splenda to taste

Combine cranberries, water and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop (I prefer more whole cranberries, you can cook it longer if you prefer more to pop). Remove from heat, stir in marmalade and nutmeg, cool. Add sweetener if desired. Cover and refrigerate.

Cabbage Sausage Soup

2008-11-20T20:41:00.003-05:00

A coworker gave me this recipe years ago when we had the world's largest cabbage to use up that we had bought at the farmer's market. It looked like the recipe came from a local fundraiser type cookbook, so I can't site a source here.

This recipe could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the sausage and it would still be a delicious soup. But I prefer to make it with my favorite sausage, Bob Evans Zesty Hot.

Cabbage Sausage Soup

2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound ground sausage
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup apple juice
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1 bay leaf

Combine carrots, onions and sausage in a frying pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and vegetables are crisply tender. Pour off fat. In a soup pot, combine remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Stir in sausage and veggies. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until stew is thickened.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2008-11-20T19:35:00.004-05:00

This is a meal that I put together last minute. I wasn't going to blog it originally, but it turned out really well so I figured I'd go ahead and throw it up here. There's nothing fancy about it, but it was easy to make and tasted really good. Definitely a cold-weather comfort food.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

3 medium russet potatoes, mashed
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies, brought to room temperature
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 package Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations
salt, pepper and thyme to taste

Spread mashed potatoes on the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Spread mixed veggies and shredded chicken over top. In a small saucepan, combine soup and milk and mix over medium-high heat until smooth and warmed through. Pour over top of chicken. Season with salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Unroll Recipe Creations and lay it over top of pot pie ingredients. Bake according to package directions (I think it was 350, but I don't recall exactly. I'll update this next time I make it) until golden brown, approximately 17-20 minutes.

Molasses Cookies

2008-11-15T22:03:00.010-05:00

About a year ago I set out to find a molasses cookie recipe that was similar to what my Grandma used to make. I read all sorts of reviews of cookies on Recipezaar and found this one that described the kind of cookie I was looking for. Chewy, soft, spicy, everything a good molasses cookie should be. I have to say, I was lucky in finding the perfect recipe my first try. If this is not the recipe my Grandma used, I know it has to be close.

When you make these cookies, make sure not to over-bake them. They might seem a little under-cooked when you first pull them out, but they firm up quite a bit as they cool. If you let them bake too long they will be rock hard the next day. They taste even better once they've cooled, so I try to resist eating any as they first come out.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon all-spice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
white sugar for rolling

Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Stir in egg and molasses and mix well. In a small bowl mix remaining ingredients. Fold into shortening mixture and stir. Cover and chill until firm (about 1 to 2 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 9 to 10 minutes. Leave on sheet for 1 minute until set, then remove to cooling rack. Do not overcook, they will firm up as they cool.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

2008-11-15T06:55:00.005-05:00

First off, I'm going to apologize again for the picture. I promise it looks more appetizing than this in person, but when it gets dark in Michigan at 5:30 at night, it's tough to get a decent shot.

On to your regularly scheduled blog post . . .

I had cabbbage rolls for the first time a few years ago and decided I needed to try to make them at home. Then I got to thinking about all the work involved and changed my mind. So I hit up Recipezaar and found this. With just a few tiny adjustments I got to my current recipe.

I usually use my favorite Bob Evan's Spicy Hot Sausage, but this time we had some sausage we bought from a fundraiser so we used that instead. I also usually use regular green cabbage, but switched in Nappa cabbage instead. I think that if I were to use Nappa again I would eliminate the water and reduce the oven time, as it was a bit soupier than normal.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

1 pound ground sausage or beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 quart stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
6 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in a sauce pan. Add onion and garlic, saute until tender. Add tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, add rice. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Place half of cabbage in a greased casserole dish, cover with half of rice mixture. Repeat layers. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour.

Could've had a V8

2008-11-08T19:51:00.003-05:00

This is another recipe I found online years ago and have no idea where it came from. So again, if it's familiar, let me know so I can credit the source.

This is one of those recipes that's great because we generally have all the ingredients on hand to make a last minute supper. It's quick, easy, tasty, and full of your daily vegetable servings. It can be thrown in the crock pot in the morning or made quickly on the stove after work.

V8 Soup

1 46 ounce bottle Spicy Hot V8
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef, lightly cooked and drained
3 to 4 cups vegetables (can be fresh, frozen or canned)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for one hour. Reduce heat to low and simmer 6 to 8 hours. -OR- Combine all ingredients in soup pot and simmer on stove top for 30 minutes.

Split Pea Sausage Soup

2008-11-05T18:40:00.006-05:00

Bob Evans Hot sausage. Almost without fail, if I have a recipe that calls for any type of sausage, I will switch it to Bob Evans Hot sausage. It's the kind that comes in a one pound roll of ground sausage, and the hot variety is in the red package. It adds such good flavor to everything I use it in.

So many years ago when I was looking for a pea soup recipe and found one that called for cut up link sausage of some sort, I used my beloved Bob Evans Hot instead. And for 8+ years now I have never made pea soup any other way. I'm not sure exactly where I got this recipe, only that it was online, so if it looks familiar to anyone please let me know so I can give credit to the original.

Also, a little product rave. I am in love with mini saltine crackers. They are so good and so cute, and they get a cheapy like me to spring for name brand instead of generic (I'll even buy the store brand sausage if I don't have a Bob Evans coupon).

Split Pea and Spicy Sausage Soup

1 16 ounce package dry split peas
10 cups water
1 pound ground sausage
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 onion, chopped

Brown sausage. Combine all ingredients. Cook in a slow cooker on high for 4 to 5 hours, or simmer in a stock pot over low heat for 2 to 3 hours, stirring often.

Costa Rican Rice

2008-11-04T20:38:00.006-05:00

On our honeymoon in Costa Rica my husband and I ate a ton of great food. Many people will tell you that Costa Rica is not a good vacation destination for a foodie, but I think that if you enjoy good food you'll enjoy Costa Rica. The food we had there was all very simple, but so flavorful.

One of the activities we did on our trip was to go Canyoning with Pure Trek. This was an amazing experience doing waterfall rappels in gorgeous rain forest surroundings (that's me dangling from a rope up above). After our morning trip we were taken back to their headquarters for lunch. We were served a delicious and simple meal of a rice dish, some red beans, some fruit, and a fruit drink (I think I'm remembering this all correctly three years later).

Recently we were talking and both thought it would be great if we could try to recreate that rice dish we were served, so I contacted Pure Trek through their web page and asked for the recipe. I soon heard back from them, and the following recipe is what they sent back with just a few minor adjustments of my own. I'm not a really big fish fan, but this is a good way to eat it without it seeming like I am.

Costa Rican Rice

2 tilapia fillets
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cups day old cold white rice
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 cup peas
1 cup corn
3 teaspoons powdered chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a deep sided pan, fry tilapia fillets in a little bit of olive oil until done (this took me just a few minutes on each side). Remove to a plate and flake. In the same pan saute garlic and onion. Add rice and stir together. Add carrots, peas and corn and heat through. Add back the tilapia flakes. Stir in chicken stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

PB Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-11-04T20:18:00.004-05:00

I wasn't going to blog these anytime soon. I first made them before I started my blog, and even though I loved these muffins I was going to put off blogging them because they'd been done quite a bit and I figured I would try some new things first.

But we were taking Joey over to my Grandpa's for a quick visit on Halloween, and my Grandpa loves the chocolate/peanut butter combination. I knew he would love these muffins, so I made a batch that morning. And I figured, as long as they're here, I might as well blog them. :)

I originally got the recipe from Annie's Eats, and they are some of the best muffins I have ever tasted, let alone made myself. The only thing I might alter in the future is to try and incorporate some oats into them (I just couldn't try it this time in case it didn't turn out -- didn't want to leave Grandpa with no muffins; I'll blog it if it works when I try it).

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
½ cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
¾ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs and milk until smooth. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins, filling each to the top.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (the two batches I've done have taken over 20 minutes). Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hamburger Potato Casserole

2008-10-29T20:46:00.005-04:00

Many of you know this dish as Shepherd's Pie. When I was growing up, we always called it Hamburger Potato Casserole. For me, this is a go-to winter warming dish, and I always look forward to it as the weather turns cool. The version I grew up eating is a bit different than most, as it doesn't have a tomato based sauce or gravy in it like most recipes I've seen. I've tweaked it a little bit since I've started cooking it myself, adding in some extra seasonings. This is another recipe that can be adjusted to your personal tastes, making it with less meat and more veggies if desired.

Hamburger Potato Casserole

1 pound hamburger
10 medium potatoes, mashed
3 to 3 1/2 cups vegetables (fresh, canned or frozen)
Seasonings to taste (I used salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger in a pan, drain if needed. Mix in your desired seasonings at this time. Place the hamburger in a casserole dish, add in vegetables and stir. Top with the prepared mashed potatoes. Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees (I like just a little bit of crispness on the top of my potatoes).

Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

2008-10-26T12:45:00.005-04:00

Last fall I bought The Big Book of Soups & Stews by Maryana Vollstedt. DH and I love soups, and this is a great book with a good variety of soup recipes. This time out, I decided to make Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup, with just a few minor changes. I made these changes because: 1) I almost never make a recipe exactly as it is written (unless it's baking). 2) I like the taste of veggies that have been sauteed before going into the soup. 3) Everything tastes better with bacon. This is a good soup, but not a stand-alone meal. We ate it with grilled cheese sandwiches. The recipe follows, with my changes in italics.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets (I used the entire head, not just the florets)

1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower florets

2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cubed

1 cup chopped yellow onion (I used the half a sweet onion I had sitting in the fridge)

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth (I used a full can, about 2 cups)

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter or margarine (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping (I didn't use this)

1 pound center cut bacon, cut into bite-size pieces

In a soup pot, fry bacon pieces until crisp. Remove to paper towel lined plate, leaving fat in the pot. Add vegetables to soup pot, saute for approximately 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of the stock to the pot and bring to a boil (1 cup didn't seem enough to simmer the veggies in, I added the full two cups at this time). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Add milk, remaining 1/2 cup stock, thyme, salt, pepper, and butter, if using, and simmer, uncovered, until ingredients are blended, about 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese (I topped with the bacon pieces instead).

I labeled this recipe as vegetarian, because if you omit the bacon and use a vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock, you can easily make this into a vegetarian dish.

Please excuse my photos, I have resigned myself to the fact that I probably won't get a decent photo of dinner until spring. It's dark before dinner here, and we live in the woods making it even darker. So fluorescent lighting and a flash it is.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

2008-10-22T19:06:00.007-04:00

Stuffed peppers were always a big hit in our house, but the leftovers were a lot of work since whole peppers take forever to reheat in the microwave. After chopping up my pepper to reheat one day I got to thinking that I could just make it that way to start with. And Stuffed Pepper Casserole was born. This is a very simple and very forgiving recipe. This time around we went heavy on the veggies and light on the meat. You can just as easily double the meat for a heartier meal. You'll notice that there are no seasonings in this dish. That's because we use home-canned tomatoes, which are so delicious they're all the flavor you need. If you use commercially canned tomatoes you may want to play around with some herbs and spices.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

1/2 pound ground beef
1 quart stewed tomatoes, divided
3-4 medium green peppers, chopped into large bite-size pieces
1 1/2 cups instant white rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix beef, half of the tomatoes, green peppers and rice in a large bowl with hands. Put into a casserole dish. Dump the remaining tomatoes on top. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until you get a thermometer reading of 160 degrees.

My First Blog Post Ever

2008-10-21T13:18:00.002-04:00

I feel all hip and current now. lol

First, an explanation. My husband is a professional firefighter. Whenever I make a new recipe and we end up with way to many (insert tasty treat here) for the two of us to eat, all the extras go to work with him. It's a great way to try new things without the worry of something going to waste.

I wasn't sure how I wanted to start this blog. Did I want to just start typing in all our favorite recipes and add pictures as I made them? Or did I want to add recipes as I cook them?

I decided that I will be adding the recipes as they're made. I figure this gives me a good reason to go back and re-make some favorites that we may not have had for a while.

There will be a little bit of everything in this blog. I love to cook and try new recipes. Just recently I've started baking more and have realized it's a lot easier than I ever thought it was. I will also occasionally try to include baby food recipes, as I will start cooking for my son in just a couple of weeks (I can't believe he's almost six months old already!).

I'm looking forward to sharing some of our favorite recipes on here!