Soup Month -- Day 8

Found my camera -- can you tell?
Dinner was so awesome, I decided to post an actual recipe!




Meatball Stew
1 bell pepper, chopped big
1 onion, chopped big
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
4 carrots, chopped big
4 potatoes, same size as your carrots
1 can beef broth
1 lb. frozen meatballs

I boiled the carrots and potatoes in the broth until they were almost done, and sauteed the first three veggies in another pan, though I don't think it's necessary, I just love the smell of hot onions in oil. Put the mushroom mix in the potato pot and turn to low. If it's covered it will steam them more so they won't be crunchy, it's up to you. I microwaved the meatballs and then sauteed them, too! The browned effect is more appetizing... I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the broth, and threw in some worcestershire sauce and montreal steak seasoning per Sheridy's suggestion. It was awesome!! Serve on rice if you wanna, but it's good without, too.

Soup Month -- Days 7 & 8

Last night we had Christmas Eve Clam chowder (found here), only better. Yep, Better! We used this stuff:

Clamless clam chowder, and it was good. No chewy chewy chewy chewy. Clam juice is found at the same place as clams and costs the same as two cans of chewy chewy, so what are you waiting for? Finally, we can completely enjoy one of my favorite soups without my least favorite component!

Tonight is going to be a good memory. When my second daughter was born, the best neighbors on Earth brought us dinner. They are angels in the flesh and not just because of the good stew! Sherrie told me to put a bunch of veggies in a pot (which I remember to be bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and maybe green beans), then cook them with a can of beef broth. Heat up some frozen meatballs and toss them in. Then we ate it on rice. Not an actual soup, but a lot like beef stew, and SOOOO good!

Soup Week -- Days 5 & 6

Saturday we had chili, our favorite version with lots of brown sugar, 'cause hubby likes it sweet. Sunday was leftovers! We had a pint or so of four different soups, so it was a buffet. Okay, it wasn't a buffet, Mom and Dad claimed the ones they wanted and the kids settled for leftover chicken and dumpling soup. We have the power of parenthood on our side. It may be that every Sunday becomes "buffet" day.

Soup week -- Day 4

Six C's and Peas Soup
or Cauliflower Carrot Coconut Curry Cilantro Chowder (with peas!)

16 oz. bag frozen Cauliflower
4 Carrots, sliced
4 cups Chicken broth
1 can Coconut milk
1-2 Tbs. Curry powder
2 c. frozen peas
handful Cilantro, chopped
Cooked rice, opt.

Place carrots and cauliflower in pot and add broth. Add more water if needed to just cover vegetables and bring to a boil, then simmer until almost tender. Add milk, peas and curry and heat through, then sprinkle with cilantro.

This one is meatless, but so good. We serve it with a scoop of basmati rice in the bowl. I wanted to call it "Seven Seas" Soup, but try as I might, I could not come up with a name for peas that started with C. Can you?

Soup Month -- Day 3

This one's quick and easy!

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Half a pot of water
Chicken bouillon to taste
16 oz. bag frozen mixed veggies
2 c. chopped, cooked chicken (I use a bottle of home-canned)
pepper or Mrs. Dash if you want it

Combine and bring to a boil. Top with dumpling dough and boil uncovered 10 min, then covered 10 more.

This is my comfort food. Usually my husband makes it. It's not so comforting when I have to make it myself...just kidding! The dumplings puff up nicely and thicken the broth until it's creamy and Mmmm. Mmmm.


Dumpling Dough

2 c. bisquick (I use homemade)
2/3 c. milk

Mix ingredients and drop walnut-sized balls on boiling soup.

Soup Month -- Day 2

This is one of our family's favorites:

Italian Wedding Soup

1 lb. sausage (I use a roll, like Jimmy Dean)
4-6 carrots, sliced
6 c. chicken broth
2 T. dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley, or 1 1/2 T. dried
1/4 c. acini de pepe
6 oz. spinach leaves
parmesan cheese

Using a teaspoon, roll the sausage into tiny balls (there are easier ways to do this, but it is not so pretty--you could brown it, too) and bake on a cookie sheet for 10 min. at 350*. Meanwhile, combine carrots, broth, onions and spices in a pot and bring to a boil for about 5 min. Add pasta and cook until done (according to package). Drop in the spinach and stir until wilted. This can get pretty salty and you may need to water it down. I use boullion granules and make my broth weak. YUM! Now, do not forget this part: 2 T. parmesan cheese PER bowl. Shredded is best, but grated is still pretty awesome.

Soup Month -- Day 1

We like soup at our house, so just for fun and because I like a good challenge, and for the sake of getting those pickles off the front page (see below), I shall attempt one month of soup for dinner. We'll be skipping Thanksgiving Day because it is my favorite of all holidays (don't tell Christmas) and I couldn't bear to miss all the goodies I get once a year!

First off Cream of Broccoli! It is a tradition in our home to have this soup the first time it snows in fall and although I didn't see it, two of my family members swear it was snowing this morning. Lucky for me, I've already blogged this one--click here. It is my mother-in-law's recipe and I am deeply in love with it.

So, a month of soup. Anybody with me?

Homemade Claussens

Claussen (a brand name) pickles are my favorite. They're super crunchy and garlicky and dillish. MMMMMmmmmm. I have never bought a jar, because they are expensive. I steal them. From my mom, people. Now I've got a recipe.

Also known as "Half-Sours" or "Kosher", these pickles are awesome! They aren't canned, because there isn't enough vinegar to prevent bacteria from growing if they sit on the shelf, however, they last for a year in your fridge! So do Claussens, which are bought in the refrigerated section of your grocery (they aren't shelf-stable, either). So try some, they won't last long. My cukes came from my mother in law, and the garlic, onion and dill from my garden!

Half-Sour Pickles

5 lbs. pickling cucumbers

1 c. onion, chopped fine

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. mustard seeds

2 Tbs. dill seed (fresh weed & seeds if you've got them)

1 1/2 qts. water

2 c. cider vinegar

1/2 c. canning salt

Dissolve the salt in the water, warming it up if you must, and combine the last seven ingredients. After scrubbing cukes, slice lengthwise, or leave whole if small. Place in jars or an ice cream bucket and pour liquid over them. I get four quart jars. Let sit on your counter three days and then refrigerate before consuming. You're gonna love 'em!

Ham Steak in Five

This is what I've learned to do during the last eighteen months: Get dinner on the table as quickly as possible, get dinner off the table as quickly as possible, get the baby off the table as quickly as possible as often as possible. Did you miss me? I did.


Ham Steak in Five Minutes

One Ham Steak, boneless or not
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
2 t. dry mustard powder

Mix last three ingredients in a bowl. Place ham steak on a baking sheet and baste with half of mixture. Broil until sugar bubbles. Flip the steak and repeat the basting, broiling again until bubbly. This may in reality take longer than five minutes.

We like it with green beans and mashed potatoes, which for the past year and a half have come from cans. I know, shame on me. Seriously, people, you don't know this baby.

Blessing Dress

Being a woman, I claim the privilege to change my mind at any point in time, for any reason I deem worthy. Therefore, I am blogging again. This didn't fit into the category for either my garden blog or my recipes, but for the sake of those who missed out on my baby's blessing day, here is her dress:
The bunny detail on the skirt:

And the bodice:

Now for the story:

When my oldest child, now five and three quarters of a year old, was just having her first birthday, I decided to learn a little hand embroidery. So, of course, I sought out something extremely difficult-looking to start with. (Wasn't that a grand idea?)

After reading up on all the different stitches, and purchasing needed items and materials, I began. Seven months later, and an estimated total of twenty hours of tedious needlework, I had two embroidered pieces of cloth. I placed them in a ziploc bag where they would be clean until I could finish them into a dress. Then I was pregnant again. Now, I am the last person to use pregnancy as any kind of an excuse, so I'll just say I was waiting...

When my second daughter was just having her first birthday, I was unpacking from a move and found my hard work in a ziploc bag. I decided it was time. I bought a pattern and cut around the embroidery, size two, in case it took me a while. (Then I was pregnant again.)

We'll skip the part where I had a little boy and move on to a week before we blessed our third daughter.

I want to be lazy and let her wear one of her sister's dresses, and then am convinced that this will cause fighting at some point in someone's life and decide I'd better get a move on and make her a dress, and the only white material in the house is...embroidered!

Now we'll skip the part where my mom's old serger was broken and she had to buy me a new one because there were only four days left.

So, I readjust the fabric pieces, cutting them out in 0-3 months and sew like mad to get it done. Wasn't that a lovely story? I knew you'd like it. The big girls got new dresses, too, but they were done months ago after Aunt Sara donated patterns and leftover wedding materials from one of her sisters...Thanks Aunt Sara!

The End (I felt like it needed that.)

Signing off

Sorry friends...this is it. It was fun while it lasted and now I think I have more exciting things to take my time on than blogging. Don't worry, I'll be stopping by regularly to visit your sites and if I do come across an incredible recipe, I'll be sure and save it for the time when I start my cooking adventures again!

Country Style Pork Ribs

I hadn't ever made ribs before. I know, cry for my husband. But there was this terrific sale and I thought I should pick some up just to have in my freezer in case the need to make ribs arose. Then, I got so excited, I googled some recipes and decided to try the one for which I had all three ingredients on hand. Oh, and it didn't call for a grill, which was helpful as I don't like to stand in the cold.

Ingredients:
Boneless country style pork ribs
Pineapple juice
Barbeque sauce

Mmmm. Okay, so you boil the ribs in the juice for 45 minutes. Enough to cover should be good, but I added about twice the amount of water because all I had was the (frozen) juice from a can of pineapple chunks. Pineapple juice is a natural tenderizer and therefore works well in marinades and basting sauces and for boiling ribs... Drain ribs, baste on barbeque sauce and broil 2-3 minutes. Then turn them over, baste and broil again and you're done! Very good, and pretty, too. Wish I would've snapped a picture.

This will now be a staple and probably a freezer meal. And if you make them better, I'd love to hear about it...

Christmas Eve Clam Chowder

For my mama...
If you'd like a picture of the cookie trees we made, I have plenty. I didn't get one of the chowder.
This recipe originally came from my old backyard neighbor, Norma Nichols, who designed the CTR shield (yes, the very one) and whose house my sister now resides in.

Christmas Eve Clam Chowder
2 Stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 cans chopped clams
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
1 qt. half and half
1 1/2 t. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash pepper
1 T. lemon juice (opt.)

Place onion, celery and potatoes in a large pot. Add the juice from the clams and enough water to barely cover. Cook until potatoes are just tender. In a mixing bowl, melt butter and stir in flour to make a roux. Add spices and enough half and half to make it smooth. Slowly stir into veggies and cook on medium until thick. Add clams and lemon juice, heat through.

Suggestions are as follows: I can't stand how clams chew and chew and never go away, so I use one can of minced and one can of chopped. Lemon juice is optional, but makes all the difference, so not really.

Shame on Me!

I know it! Thanksgiving came and went without so much as a recipe posted on my blog. So here it is, for all future generations, the must-haves, the tradition of traditions, our Thanksgiving Menu:

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes (some chunks and some skin)
Gravy (from the drippings)
Mary's Cranberry Relish (I love this so much, I make myself enough to last six months and freeze it. Husband tells the kids not to eat it alone, only on turkey, or ham, or chicken, or whatever is on your plate. Are you kidding? I spoon it up like applesauce.)
Cauliflower Piquant (Mmm, mouth is watering...)
Sweet Potatoes (WITH marshmallows)
Stuffing (Stovetop--hey, it's tradition!)
Rolls (usually purchased, these don't matter much until the next day when it's time for sandwiches)
Pumpkin Pie (not my favorite, but necessary)
Apple Pie (in the brown paper bag--MY favorite--makes me want to sing)
Lemon Meringue Pie (one of my assignments this year and I should have taken a picture, it was right purty!)
Barb's Raspberry Jello with Pretzel Crust dessert (actually a must have at every family get together, she struck gold on that one)

I know this probably sounds exactly like everyone else's, but certain parts of it are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for furthering the happiness of mankind (here at our house).

Hmmm, did I miss anything? Okay, now I'm wondering why we've never done a pecan pie, that is one of Husband's favorites...leave it to me. I will fix everything.

Your turn. Let's hear what it is you can't do without on Thanksgiving or Christmas or for that matter your birthday ( I love how traditions revolve around food in my head--they do in yours also, right?)

On a roll...

I've been missing for a few weeks. My children have come to think of Grandma's as their second home and wonder why we come to our own some days after kindergarten. We have been on a canning kick. No, I wasn't much of a canner before, but she wanted to try some things and so did I and we ended up doing much more than planned, but the good thing is, it all goes faster with more than one person.
Our first endeavors all had to do with the abundance of tomatoes in our garden. Here we have two different salsas, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, and spaghetti sauce (my pressure canner is AWESOME!). Our latest was enchilada sauce, which is better than anything storebought, makes 60 pints with one recipe and requires a pot taller than my son, which Mother-in-Law happened to come upon just days before we planned our excursion. Oh, and don't forget a two-and-a-half foot wooden spoon...


We did peaches and pears for the fun of it and pear sauce because the way Sara described it, I just had to have some...

Joni's family gave us a box of apples which I didn't can because I found myself alone and not able to embark on an all-day project without help, so I made dehydrated cinnamon apple chips (nice and crunchy like potato chips, the thinner the better) and cinnamon applesauce for the freezer in my crockpot, thank you, Joni...

Two different recipes for dill relish. I like the sweet stuff, I just prefer it sour...

And last, but not least, chicken. It ain't pretty, but it tastes just fine and I bought a forty pound box of boneless skinless for $1.19 a pound. Can you get it cheaper?

Next week: beef chunks.

Purely for the Punch Line

I know, I know, you all don't really read my blog because, let's face it, what can you say about a recipe? Well, this one's for you and I promise, there is no recipe to be had. Yes, I did it purely for the punch line.

Mmmm, see these? Don't they look yummy? This is the way to start your day, one big boost of sugar (not for children).

Rhodes' Sticky Buns, and they are easy as can be. Simply pull off the wrapping and place the whole pan in your oven, then turn it on. No preheating necessary! When your timer is up, enjoy them warm and smothered in yummy caramelly goo. If prefered, you may turn them onto a plate for a beautiful presentation. Isn't your mouth watering? Good. Here it comes...

Speaking of buns in my oven, I have one. (I think Dad got the joke this time.) :)

Cream of Broccoli Soup!

We officially had our first snow and as tradition has it in Husband's family, Cream of Broccoli soup was served. It's hard to get the full effect when your house isn't filled with the wonderful aroma of this creamy bowlful. Believe me, it's just what you need when the snow starts falling...

32 oz. frozen chopped broccoli (florets are prettier, but expensiver too)

1/4 c. dried minced onion (1/2 cup fresh will work as well)

1/4 c. chicken bouillon

1 qt. half and half

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. flour

red wine vinegar (opt.)

Place broccoli in a pot and barely cover with water, add onion flakes and bouillon and bring to a boil. Turn down and cook 5-8 minutes until broccoli is almost tender. Stir in half and half. Mix melted butter and flour together into a roux and slowly stir into soup. Keep on low and do not boil. Stir until thickened and add more milk if you prefer it thinner. Salt and pepper to taste. MIL Mary adds a tablespoon of the vinegar for a final touch (I do two, I love it, but it can be overdone!) She has also been known to throw in a small bottle of Cheez Whiz, so if you like it Cheesy, there you go. Enjoy it hot.

Two Easy Recipes

...that look like nothing at all...

This one is curry popcorn. I know you can't see the curry, but believe me, it is there and it is awesome. I don't even eat plain buttered popcorn anymore. I was always the one who made popcorn in a pot with the oil and the shaking, until the lady who sold us our last house and left most of her unwanteds in it kindly "donated" a hot-air popper. Mmmm, this is yummy.
Okay, so for all you curry fans, here is the recipe: Popcorn, butter and a mix of curry powder and salt. Make sure you have at least two parts curry to one part salt or you will be sorry. Then do it nice and slow, sprinkle here, sprinkle there, tasting as you go. I like lots of curry.
If you'd like a recipe for real actual curry, you'll have to see my brother-in-law. He's a good Scottish boy who prefers not to "go for an Indian", but to make his own. (They talk funny over there.)

Next we have broiled grapefruit. Yes, broiled, and I must say, it is also tasteworthy. There is a bit of conflict within the families, some eat grapefruit with salt and some with sugar. I don't think I ever put anything on it, but once in a while you get those sourish ones that need some help, so this is what you do: Cut grapefruit in half and along all those little lines so it's ready to go. Sprinkle nicely with brown sugar and broil it close until the sugar is bubbly. This will improve even those old dried grapefruits you haven't eaten yet. Oh, but if they are my Grammie's grapefruit, don't you dare, they are perfect the way they are. (Why don't they sell those yellow ones in Utah?)

In the words of my Husband...

"French fries are just a means of getting the ketchup to your mouth."

In the words of my five year old (3 years ago): "More kappitch please."

In the words of my two year old: "Dip, dip, diiiiiippp!"

That's right folks, my family loves ketchup--except for me. Oh, it's not bad, it just isn't what I prefer. They eat it on chicken nuggets and in beef stew, on eggs and potatoes. It leaves red rashes on my little one's faces and still they dip on. I must say in high school, ranch dressing was my condiment of choice for fries and nuggets, but it is shunned in our current household (who doesn't like ranch??), also except for me, although I can't stand the stuff out of a bottle, but I could drink my homemade version. So I now go for plain fries--or even fry sauce is better than ketchup--and equal parts dijon mustard and apricot jam for my nuggets, honey mustard at McDonald's. I take a good amount of hot pepper sauce on my eggs and sour cream on my potatoes.

Now I want to know what you like. I don't mind if you are closed-minded ketchup freaks. Crazy or not, tell me your favorite dips, sauces and condiments and what you eat them on. Come on, people. I need a laugh.

Warning

You know those cute little light sticks you give your kids on Halloween? You bend them and they light up and they say NON-TOXIC on their packages. I would show you a picture of one only I immediately rid my house of the pests after this incident (which unfortunately has nothing to do with cooking only that it went in my kid's mouth and then ruined the kitchen table).


So, apparently the outer plastic coating is the non-toxic part they refer to, because if you bite one open and leave it on your table, it will melt your varnish. Yes, completely dissolved away and stained forever. If you do not want this to happen to your child's esophagus, I suggest you disregard the NON-TOXIC part and get yourself a flashlight.