Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I love Fall. It's my favorite season of the year - the rainy days, the cooler temps, the changing colors, snuggling by the fire, scarves, hot chocolate, and an excuse to roll up my sleeves and get gooey! We didn't pick up quite as many pumpkins as a few years ago, but we were given several & I had fun roasting pumpkins seeds again this year. My recipe is basic & easy. I have a friend that made Ranch, BBQ, and Teriaki flavored seeds - so I'm thinking of giving that a try next year.

First remove the seeds from the pumpkins. (You get about 2 c. of seeds per pumpkin.) Rinse them off & remove as much of the pulp as possible. Boil seeds for 5-10 min. Drain.

Measure & spread on a baking sheet. For every 1 c. of seeds, mix 1 Tbsp. of melted butter & 1 tsp. of Worchestershire sauce. Drizzle over seeds & sprinkle generously with seasoning salt. (I like to use Lawry's.) Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until they are nice & crispy.

Allow seeds to cool on baking sheet before storing them in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag. I've also stored seeds in the freezer for up to 6 months. Enjoy!

Anniversary Dinner

After being married for 13 years, I'm beginning to take on my husband's practical mindset. :) Okay. Not all the time, but I have my moments. And today was one of them.

I decided that instead of spending the money on a babysitter & dinner out - it would be more practical & cost-effective to enjoy dinner in, especially on a school night. So I splurged some on the ingredients & tried out two new recipes. They both turned out delicious.



The first one I found in Taste of Home, and altered it just a bit. It made lots - enough for leftovers or lunches later on this week, which means another meal I won't have to make! ;) We lit candles, added a salad & sparkling cider to make our anniversary meal complete.

Greek Chicken Pasta

4 c. uncooked penne pasta (approx. 1 box)
1/4 c. butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. rotisserie chicken, cubed (I just used leftover grilled chicken)
1 jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 c. sliced pitted Greek olives (or can use black olives instead)
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Chop chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, & olives. Drain pasta & set aside. In the pot used for cooking pasta, melt butter. Take off heat & stir flour until blended. Add the chicken broth & return to heat. Bring to a boil; cook & stir for 2 min. until thickened. Stir in pasta, chicken, artichoke, tomatoes, olives, cheese, & parsley. Serve warm.

I also made this Lemon-Blueberry Swirl Cake for dessert. One word: Yum.

(I think I ate too much.)

Sinfully delicious

With this being Sunday & all, I decided I shouldn't have to go to too much work for something yummy to eat. I found this recipe in a Kraft foods magazine & wanted to try it out. Bad idea. They are way too easy to make & sinfully delicious. And now that I have stumbled, I'm leading you down the wayward path of sugar & calories right along with me!

Crunch Bars

35 Saltine crackers (1 plastic pkg. - 1/4 box)
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker's Semi-sweet Chocolate, chopped OR 1 1/2 c. semi-sweet choc. chips
1 c. chopped Walnuts

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place crackers in a single layer in a foil-lined 15x10" pan. Cook butter & sugar on medium-high heat until butter is melted & mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil; cook 3 min. without stirring. Spread onto crackers. Bake 5-7 min. until topping is golden brown. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate. Let stand 5 min. or until chocolate is softened; spread over crackers. (OR I melted the chocolate chips in the microwave & spread them right away.) Sprinkle with nuts. Cool. Break into pieces. OR - Be impatient & just pick up a hot piece, burn your tongue, but decide it was totally worth the pain to taste the goodness!

Lemon Crumb Cake

2 c. buttermilk **

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 (15 3/4 oz.) can lemon pie filling

TOPPING:

1 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. cold butter

1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted

In a large bowl, beat buttermilk, sugar, eggs, butter & vanilla until well blended. Combine flour, baking powder, salt & baking soda; slowly beat in until blended. Pour into greased 9x13" pan. Drop pie filling by teaspoonfuls over batter. In a small bowl, combine flour & sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in almonds; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min. Cool for 10 min. on wire rack. Serve warm.

** If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own. Pour 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice (or vinegar) into a 1 c. measuring cup & fill the rest of the way with milk. Let it set for a minute, then add to the recipe. **

I found this recipe in Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine. Though I'm not sure that it technically qualifies under the "healthy" category. But it sure was yummy! I am & will always be addicted to chocolate, but I am gradually falling more in love with other flavors.

Moist Caramel-Apple Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding

1 c. water

4 eggs

1/3 c. oil

3 apples (Granny Smith)

caramel ice cream topping

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples; chop coarsely. Beat cake mix, pudding, water, eggs & oil on low speed until blended. Beat on high speed 2 min. Stir in apples. Pour into greased fluted tube pan. Bake 50 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake for 15 min. & invert onto cake plate. Drizzle ice cream topping over cake.

Abbie made this cake over the weekend. It was moist & delicious, despite the fact that I forgot to set the timer & it was plenty "crispy" around the edges! :) We substituted regular apples for the Granny Smith & it was just as yummy. Definitely a new Fall favorite!

Spinach Manicotti

1 (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
1 (10 oz.) pkg. chopped spinach
½ c. minced onion , chopped
1 egg
2 tsp. parsley 1 ½ c. water
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
½ c. parmesan cheese
2 (26 oz.) jars spaghetti sauce
1 (8 oz.) pkg. manicotti shells

Saute onion until tender. Combine ricotta, spinach (thawed & squeezed dry), onion & egg. Season with parsley, pepper & garlic. Mix in 1 c. mozzarella & ¼ c. parmesan. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture. In a separate bowl, mix spaghetti sauce & water. Spread 1 c. of sauce in a 9x13” pan. Arrange manicotti in a single layer. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella & parmesan. Bake @ 350°for 45-55 min. or until noodles are soft. (Serves 6-8)

I love this recipe, because it really is not that hard to make, and the uncooked shells are pretty easy to stuff. I usually have a little extra filling, so you can buy an extra box of shells & keep the empty ones until you make this again. This freezes well, so I often double the recipe & freeze the shells...adding the sauce & water later.

Menu Plan Monday!

With the kids back in school, it's time...time to get organized & back to weekly menu plans!

Here's what's cooking at our house this week. For more great ideas, check out these great menu plans.

Monday - Tuna cakes , fried okra & grilled potatoes wedges

Tuesday - Mexican Casserole

Wednesday - Ham & Bean soup & cornbread

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Homemade pizza

Saturday - Chicken & Rice casserole

Sunday - Tender Pork Chops, pasta, & mixed vegetables

Tender Pork Chops

8 pork chops
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 small can of mushrooms

Add 1 c. flour, mustard, garlic, salt & pepper in a Ziploc bag. Add chops & shake to coat. Brown chops in oil. Transfer to a greased crock-pot. Mix soup with 1 c. water; add 1/2 c. flour & mix well. Pour over pork chops. Cook on low for 3-3 1/2 hours.

These are fall-off-the-bone tender and there's plenty of gravy for some pasta or rice on the side!

Iced Tea Lemonade

I never had a sister. With two pesky younger brothers, I fulfilled my role of as the bossy older sister...much to their irritation! When I married my husband, I "inherited" 3 new sister-in-laws - as his two older brothers were married within 6 months of us, and his younger sister was thrilled to have some female companionship after growing up with four older brothers! Three more were added to our families over the years & I am blessed with 6 sister-in-laws. (Interestingly, 5 of us do not have sisters, which is probably why we get along so well!)

Natalie is married to my brother. The brother who aggravated me, told me my breath stunk, hit me (and subsequently lied to my mother that I was the one who hit him first), and made me cry on occasion. I've decided to forgive him for his many "transgressions" since he gave me a great "sister" in the end. ;) Natalie's a great cook. I'm always a little envious how she can throw a meal together without much effort & no recipe in sight!

She recently stopped in for a visit with her boys & left this recipe behind. I'm addicted. It's becoming a regular drink @ our house. Sweet & delicious, and perfect on a hot summer day.

Iced Tea Lemonade

4 c. water
4 tea bags
3/4 c. sugar
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
7 c. cold water

Heat the 4 c. water to boiling. Remove from heat & place tea bags in; allow to steep for 5 min. Remove the tea bags & add the sugar while still hot; stir until dissolved. In a 3 qt. pitcher, add tea, lemon concentrate, & water. Pour over ice. (If strong, can add more water.)

** If you don't have the lemonade concentrate, you can substitute 1 c. lemon juice + 1/2 c. sugar **

Not weird enough...

I'm a little weird. Okay. Maybe a lot.

I know this isn't news to many of you, but I'm still getting used to the idea myself.

I could blame it on my parents for raising me up in the jungles of Brazil. Or I could blame it on my husband for influencing me with a do-it-yourself mentality. But the truth is, I kind of like doing things differently (most of the time). Thankfully, I'm surrounded by friends that are weird like me & talk me into trying crazy things...like home-made laundry soap.

This "recipe" actually came from the Duggar family. Yep. That's the one. I guess someone with that many dirty clothes would know a thing or two about laundry soap! :) It's really simple to make (once you collect all of the ingredients) & has saved us about $2o/month on soap. Every little bit helps, right?




You only need these 4 supplies:

• Fels Naptha soap
• 1 c. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
• 1/2 c. Borax
• 5 gal. bucket w/ lid

(The Fels Naptha I found @ Ace Hardware. Wal-Mart carries the Borax in their laundry aisle. Our local grocery store carried the Washing soda. And you can find the 5 gal. bucket @ Lowe's.)

Grate the bar of soap in about 4 c. water. Stir on medium-low heat until soap is melted. Fill 5 gal. bucket 1/2 way with warm water. Add melted soap, washing soda, & borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved & fill the rest of the way with warm water. Cover & let sit overnight. Soap will thicken. Fill a clean laundry soap container with equal parts of soap & water. Shake before each use. Pour about 1/2 c. diluted soap into each load of laundry. (I tend to use a little extra on stinky, sweaty summer stuff!)

I usually buy several bars of the Fels Naptha @ a time, as the Borax & washing soda go very far (I bought them last summer). It costs about $2 to make 10 gallons of soap.

Pantry Fare

Well, it's too hot around here to turn the oven on, I'm not too motivated to make meals, and I'm trying to save a little money...

...so the result is "pantry fare". My kids asked what that was & I told them - you look through your pantry & fridge & throw something together. Surprisingly, it hasn't been too awful.

The other night we had "birds in a nest" - a box of instant garlic mashed potatoes, topped with long-stem green beans, sausage with mushroom "gravy" (soup), and shredded cheddar cheese.

For lunch I made "pizzas" by toasting slices of bread, with leftover spaghetti sauce & topped with mozzarella cheese.

Tonight we had zucchini burritos. I have more venison in my deep freeze than I know what to do with, and the only way I can handle it is to disguise the flavor with spaghetti sauce, taco seasoning, or chili. I opted for taco seasoning, added some salsa, sauteed a zucchini & peppers from the garden, wrapped all that in tortillas & topped it with cheddar cheese.

Do you see a common theme here?

Everything tastes better with cheese on top!

We have one more week of summer & then it's time to get back to menu planning & balanced meals. Until then...we'll see what other weird "recipes" I can think up.

Vanilla Ice Cream

My husband has been craving home-made ice cream all summer. When I heard that our good friends we've known since college were planning to stop in on their way to AZ, I thought it was the perfect occasion to break out the ice cream maker & enjoy a lil' homemade goodness.

Just before our wedding, we found our ice cream maker @ a garage sale, and paid the grand sum of $1.00 for an old-fashioned hand-cranck one. No puny, wimpy people around here! If we're gonna enjoy the calories, we might as well burn a few in the process. I've tried several different recipes since then, but this one is my favorite. The leftovers usually turn rock-hard in the freezer & you're left scraping frozen milk instead of creamy ice cream. But I was pleased to see this was just as delicious & creamy the day after.

Vanilla Ice Cream (Lisa Miller)

4 eggs, beaten

3 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. heavy whipping cream

6 c. milk

Beat all ingredients together & pour into a 6-quart ice cream freezer. Fill with milk until freezer can is 2/3 full. Freeze.

Easy Chocolate Sauce

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 bag milk chocolate chips

Pour sweetened condensed milk & about 1/2 the bag of chocolate chips (or more) into a glass bowl & heat in the microwave for a minute at a time until chips are melted & it is easy to stir. Do not over heat. The more chips you add, the stiffer the sauce. It will firm up (kind of like hard-shell) when you pour it over the ice cream.

Waffles & White Sauce

I have enjoyed waffles for many years, but it wasn't until I married my husband that I found out what I had been missing. Though this recipe comes from his family, it has become the only way to enjoy waffles at our home.

We were excited to find blueberries on sale @ ALDI's for $0.99 a pint, which made it even better. My m-i-l would have added a carrot to make for a healthier meal, but I opted for sausage patties instead. :) Another "tradition" passed down from his family is to make the waffles at the table. It means some patience & breaks in between, but enjoying a crisp quarter straight from the waffle maker makes it worth the wait!

Waffles

1 3/4 c. flour (I made them with 1/2 wheat flour)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 egg yolks

1 3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. cooking oil

2 egg whites

Combine flour, baking powder, & salt. In a separate bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Beat in milk & oil. Add to dry ingredients; stir until just combined, but still slightly lumpy. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter, leaving a few fluffs of egg white. Do not overmix. Pour batter onto wafer maker. Makes about 6 waffles.

Shortcut: Do not separate eggs, but mix the dry ingredients, add wet & do not overmix. This doesn't make as light of a batter, but the waffles still turn out great & take less work to prepare. But if you ask my mother, she will tell you that beating the eggs whites is a must in making waffles. We've agreed to disagree & love each other despite our difference of opinions.

White Sauce

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 - 1 1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter. Add flour & stir until smooth. Add milk (less for a thicker sauce) & whisk continually while heating on medium heat until thickened. Take off heat & add sugar & vanilla. Stir well & serve warm with waffles.

Tip: If you find a great deal on blueberries (or other berries)...buy up! You can lay them out on baking pans & freeze them, then store them in freezer bags or containers for up to 6 months in your freezer. They will not be as firm as fresh, but are great for recipes & often cheaper than you can find in your freezer section.

"Fantastic" Lemon Butter Fillet

I tried a new recipe tonight that I found on Allrecipes, since I still have fish in the freezer from a successful fishing trip. I pan fried the last batch for Phil's birthday & decided to bake it this time. I love looking for recipes there because the reviews are often helpful, I can see which ones have been tried & tested, and I have yet to make a recipe I didn't like. This one was no exception. Though I chuckled at the name. Anything that claims to be "Fantastic" is usually just setting me up for disappointment. But thankfully, that wasn't the case this time around.

I "tweeked" this one a bit, but you can always link back to the original recipe.

Fantastic Lemon Butter Fillet

1/3 c. butter
1 small lemon, juiced (or about 2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
3 cloves of garlic, minced (or about 1 Tbsp.)
1 1/2 lbs. fish fillets

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, & garlic. Bring to a boil. Cook & stir about 8-10 minutes, until thickened. Arrange fish fillets in baking pan. Pour butter over the top & cover with foil. Bake for 15-20 min.

Hawaiian Sandwiches

I made these for lunch today. I even made slushies to go along with them. I was about to take a picture, but then I had a deja vu moment, "I think I've done this before!" And sure enough...I found my old post! :)

Enjoy!

Make-Ahead Burritos

3 c. shredded cooked chicken or beef
1 (16 oz.) jar of salsa
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, drained
1 envelope burrito or taco seasoning
1/2 c. water
16 (8") flour tortillas
1 lb. monterey Jack or cheddar cheese cut into 5 x 1/2 in. strips

In a large skillet or saucepan combine meat, salsa, beans, chilies, seasoning & water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5 min. until heated through. Spoon about 1/3 c. of filling off center on each tortilla; top with cheese strip. Fold edges of tortilla nearest filling over to cover. Fold ends of tortilla over filling & roll up. Wrap individually in aluminum. Place foil packets on a baking sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 min. or until heated through. If thawed, bake for 25-30 min.

Thanks, Em, for this recipe! It was quick & easy to throw together & will be nice to have on hand when I'm in a time crunch.

Some more...if you peas...

My children are not big fans of peas. I resort to sneaking them into casseroles. So far, it's working. I'm not sure my boys would have ever touched this "casserole" with a ten foot pole, if it wasn't for its name - Cowboy casserole. They can be talked into eating just about anything cowboys eat! ;)


2 boxes of mac 'n' cheese
1 bag of frozen peas (or corn)
1 lb. of taco meat

Prepare the mac 'n' cheese according to the box. Heat the peas or corn in the microwave. Heat the meat & mix with 1-2 Tbsp. of taco seasoning. Mix all together & voila! (This is a great way to use up leftovers.)

Cucumber Salad

I don't think it's officially summer, until we've eaten Cucumber salad. It's light, cool, and delicious. And it goes with just about any meal. A family favorite...

2-3 large cucumbers, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. dill weed

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 c. mayo

Slice cucumbers & set aside. Mix remaining ingredients together. Pour over cucumbers & stir. Cool in fridge; serve. The dressing seems to multiply, so you can add more cucumbers. Some people add onions, but as neither my son nor I enjoy raw onions, I leave them out.

Pickles

I learned everything I know about canning, thanks to an unlikely friendship with an Amish woman. Phil met her husband while working for a local farmer. I met them when we were dating, and never imagined we would become friends or spend afternoons together once we moved to Oklahoma. But we did & despite being from two different "worlds", we shared recipes, stories, and advice. She taught me how to can pickles, beets, and applesauce. I chauffeured her to doctor's appointments and Wal-Mart. She moved to Kentucky & we moved here, but I think of her often & look forward to the occasional letter. Our family loves her recipe for Banana Pickles, which has nothing to do with bananas, except for the color.

Banana Pickles

3 c. sugar
1 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. tumeric

Peel cucumbers & scoop out seeds. Cut into spears & pack tightly in pint jars. Mix ingredients in a saucepan & heat up on med-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers until covered. Clean rims of jars & screw on lids. Cold pack in a canner; bring water to a boil & boil for 5 min. Set jars to the side & allow to cool & seal.

Fancy Green Beans

These are a favorite at our home & simple to prepare.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 bag green beans
2 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
1/4 c. almonds

Saute garlic in olive oil. Add beans & season with Lawry's. Saute until crisp-tender. Add almonds & saute until almonds are browned (just a few min.). Serve.

Company's coming!

Well, next week has filled up quickly as we'll have 2 "sets" of company coming. My brother & his family will be here the beginning of the week & the day they leave, my in-laws arrive for the rest of the week. And to make even a little bit crazier :) we're having a garage sale to finish the week out!

I'm a planner. I like to have meals planned so I don't have to think through "What's for supper?" when I'd rather spend that time visiting. Yesterday, I made my meal plan & bought groceries. Today I'll be busy in the kitchen, preparing casseroles & baking bread. Here are a few things I'll be making:

Baked Spaghetti
French Bread

Ham w/ Potato Casserole
Fancy Green Beans

Mexican Casserole
w/ salad

Rice & Gravy
w/ broccoli & cauliflower

Tacos

Maple Nut Mold

I have to admit that the first time I heard about this recipe, I was tentative. I didn't find the name too appealing. Anything with the word "mold" in it, doesn't exactly sound appetizing. But this sweet, light dessert is far from my preconceived notions of refrigerator experiments!

It also happens to be my husband's favorite dessert. The first time I made it for him, we were dating & his mom had mailed the ingredients to me, along with the recipe. I had to look up the word "congeal". And I prayed fervently over my efforts, hoping it would taste "as good as Mom's". We've eaten it at birthdays, holidays, and ordinary days in between. It's easy to make (once you know what "congeal" means!) and disappears quickly...before any mold has a chance to appear!

Maple Nut Mold

1 Tbsp. (or 2 envelopes) Knox gelatin

1/4 c. cold water

1 c. boiling milk

1 c. maple syrup

2 c. Cool Whip (or whipped cream)

3/4 c. pecans, finely chopped

2 c. vanilla wafer crumbs

Soak gelatin in cold water. Dissolve it in boiling milk & add syrup. Cool until it begins to congeal in fridge or freezer, stirring every 15 min. (Congeal: to change from a soft or fluid state to a rigid or solid state, as by cooling or freezing) Add whipped cream & pecans; mix well. Place 1 c. vanilla wafer crumbs in a 9x13 pan. (My pan is a bit smaller.) Pour maple mixture over the top & sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until firm & serve. (Makes about 12 servings.)

Overstocked

For some strange reason, I keep stocking up on odd ingredients. First it was butterscotch chips, now it's whole wheat flour. Every time I go to Wal-Mart I think I'm running low & should grab a bag, since they don't sell it at ALDI's. Today I discovered I have 2 1/2 bags of whole wheat flour in my pantry! So I decided it was time to use some of it & I made my favorite bread recipe.

As our freezer is overstocked with pork sausage & venison, I also decided to make a modified recipe of "Beirrocks". The Mennonite recipe calls for cabbage, which my son despises. The kids' mouths were watering when I pulled these "sausage sandwiches" from the oven, but the first words out of my son's mouth were, "What's in those?" He smiled when I told him they were "just meat" & promptly devoured one!

Last week, the boys took a walk through our neighborhood & found a mulberry tree. They picked about 8 cups of fruit, so Abbie & I turned it into a pie. She made a mini-pie (which I forgot to photograph), and we got to try a "sample", which was surprisingly delicious. It would have been perfect, if it wasn't for the pie popping & spilling sweet, sugary filling all over my oven...which soon filled my kitchen & home with thick, gray smoke. Mom, I can hear you giggling from here. Some things never change...

Despite my clumsy cooking habits, it's all still edible (I hope!) and here are the recipes:

Sausage Sandwiches

2 Tbsp. yeast

3 c. warm water

1/3 c. honey

2 eggs

1/3 c. canola oil

8 c. flour (1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white)

1 Tbsp. salt

3/4 c. powdered milk

1 medium onion, chopped

minced garlic (optional)

3 lbs. meat - sausage, beef, venison

shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine yeast, warm water, and honey in a large bowl & set aside until foam rises to the top. Add eggs & oil. Add 4 c. flour, salt, & powdered milk; mix. Add remaining flour & stir until dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl. Place on a floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic. Place dough in greased bowl & cover w/ a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (30-45 min). Meanwhile, brown meat & onion. Season with salt & pepper or seasoning salt (I like Lawry's). Drain grease. Stir in shredded cheese. Divide dough into fourths & roll out in a large square (about a foot square). Cut into 9 squares & place about 3 Tbsp. meat in the center. Gather dough around meat, pinch together & place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degree for 10-15 min. until nicely browned on top. Cool on a wire rack. These can be frozen.

Mulberry Pie

6 c. mulberries

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. flour

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. shortening

6-7 Tbsp. cold water

Combine mulberries (or blackberries) with sugar & flour. Mix well & set aside. For pie crust: mix flour & salt. Add shortening & cut in. Slowly add water, stirring just until crust holds together. Divide dough in half & form into balls. Roll out & place in pie pan. Fill with mulberry filling. Roll remaining dough & place on top of pie; fold top crust under bottom crust & flute edges. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Bake @ 375 for 40-50 min. until crust is golden brown. For safety, place a baking sheet below to catch any filling that may explode out because you tried to put extra filling in!

BBQ chicken "pizza"

8 (8") tortillas
3/4 c. BBQ sauce
3 chicken breast
1 can diced pineapple, drained
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the tortillas on baking sheets (2-3 at a time). Bake for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until crisp. Remove from oven & top evenly with about 2 Tbsp. or sauce. Top with pineapple, chicken, & cheese. Bake 2-4 minutes longer, until cheese is melted. Serves 6.

My s-i-l, Rachel, made these for lunch today & they were delicious! This will definitely be on our summer menu, since they are so quick & easy.

Learned something new...

We had a great time camping & ate a lot of yummy food. Saturday night we brought our own meat to grill. We had potatoes with onions & baked beans to go along with it. Yum. Brenda brought chicken breasts & marinaded them in mayo & Lawry's seasoned salt. I have to say, I was doubtful that it would taste good. But I was surprised to find out that the oil in the mayo provides a "protective layer", so that as the chicken cooks, the mayo cooks off & leaves the meat moist & delicious. Best chicken on the grill...ever. No need to marinade for long. Just dump mayo & seasoned salt in a Ziploc bag; add chicken, mix & Voila!

Lost, but not forgotten...Glazed PB Bars

Tomorrow is Grace's birthday. The "tradition" in our family is to let the kids choose their birthday cake/dessert & the meal menu. This year Grace requested hobo dinners (a camping favorite) and dirt cake. I couldn't remember if my "dirt cake" recipe card was filed under "desserts" or "cakes"...so I decided to go through all my dessert "categories" & was surprised to find a recipe I had lost & assumed gone for good. I'll be making them later tonight to take camping with us this weekend.

Glazed Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. water
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
3/4 c. tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. milk chocolate chips
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, sugars & water. Beat in eggs & vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, & salt; add gradually to creamed mixture. Spread into a greased 10x15 baking sheet. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned. For glaze, melt chips & peanut butter in the microwave; pour over warm bars & spread evenly. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Camping recipes

We've been camping with the same group of friends for 5 years. Many things have changed, but in many ways we are creatures of habit. We have our favorite meals & recipes that are camping staples...just as our "tradition" of not assigning one person to bring the ingredients for s'mores, so that we end up with three times the amount we need. Our children hope this never changes! Here are a few of our favorites:

Brenda Bars

2 c. flour

2 c. quick oats

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. butter

2 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped pecans

1 small jar caramel ice cream topping

1/4 c. flour

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda & salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set half aside for topping. Press remaining mixture into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 min. Sprinkle with chocolate chips & pecans. Whisk caramel topping & flour until smooth; drizzle over top. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake 18-20 min. until golden. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before cutting (if possible!).

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Baked Beans

1 qt. Great Northern beans
½ c. chopped onion
3 tsp. dry mustard
½ c. ketchup
¾ c. brown sugar
½ lb. raw bacon, cut up

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Bake at 350 for 2 hours. Cool; drain some of the liquid & store in quart jars. Reheat & serve.

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Brazilian Potato Salad

2 lbs. potatoes, diced

1 bag frozen peas, defrosted

6 eggs, hardboiled

Mayo, mustard, salt & pepper

Dice potatoes & boil about 8-10 min. until done, but not too soft. Cool in fridge. Boil eggs & peel. Cool completely & dice. Mix potatoes, peas, & eggs with mayo (about 1/2 - 1 c.) & mustard. Season with salt & pepper. Can add garlic powder & celery seed. Serve cold. The Brazilians garnish this salad with sliced tomatoes, eggs, and green peppers.

Not kitchen tested!! :)

For Mother's Day, I got a collection of "recipes" by Grace's class. These were the recipes she submitted...

Grilled Cheese Sandwich - by Grace

Time to cook: 15 minutes

Temperature to cook: 250 degrees

Ingredients: 2 pieces of bread

One slice of American Cheese.

You will need a pan and a stove.

Instructions: Take the two pieces of bread and put the slice of American cheese inside the two pieces of bread. Then place it in the pan on the stove that is set for 250 degrees. Let it cook for 15 minutes. Then it is ready to eat.

Scrambled Eggs - by Grace

Time to cook: 20 minutes

Temperature: 200 degrees

Ingredients: 5 eggs, Shredded cheese, 1 tsp. of sugar

You will need: a medium size pan, a stove, a bowl and a whisk.

Instructions: Crack the eggs into the bowl and then mix it with the whisk. Then put it in the pan and let it set with the oven set at 200 degrees. Then put the sugar in and it is ready to eat.

Mexican Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 pkg. (3 Tbsp.) taco seasoning
3/4 c. water
1 (16oz.) can refried beans
1/2 c. salsa
2 c. frozen corn
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
6 tortillas

Brown beef & drain. Stir in taco seasoning & water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 5 min. Combine beans & salsa; microwave 1-2 minutes & stir. Place tortillas in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Layer with 1/2 beef, bean mixture, corn, & cheese. Repeat layers. Bake @ 350 degrees for 40-45 min. until heated through & cheese is melted.

This week...

This week I'm making freezer meals - some to sell and some to give away. I don't have a meal plan this week. We'll be eating leftovers & simple meals, as it will be a busy week. Enjoy!

Wild Rice Chicken

1 (6.25 oz.) pkg. Uncle Ben's long grain & wild rice
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. cooked chicken, diced
1 (8 0z.) sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1 c. mayo
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Cook rice according to direction on box. Saute chopped celery & onion. Set aside. Cook chicken; cut up. Combine mayo & soup. Add rice, chicken, celery, onion & water chestnuts. Mix together & pour into 9x13 greased baking dish. Bake 350 degrees for 30 min.

To freeze: Prepare as directed. Place in greased 9x13" aluminum pan (or two 8x8" pans). Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Seal well. Label & store in freezer for up to 3 months.

I like to write the meal name & baking directions with a Sharpe marker on the aluminum foil. If you ever forget to pull a freezer meal out in the morning...just pop it out of the pan frozen, place it in a glass baking dish & defrost it in the microwave before baking. Voila!

Pizza Pasta Toss

2 c. uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped green peppers
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can. (15oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 c. diced pepperoni
4 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta; drain. Cook beef, mushrooms, green pepper, & onion over medium heat; drain. Add tomato sauce, pepperoni, sugar & seasonings; cook & stir 5 min. Stir pasta into meat mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat; cover & let stand until cheese is melted. (4 servings)

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Last week, I had enough food to feed an army & way too many leftovers. I'm also working on some freezer meals for a lady from our church. So this is all she wrote...for this week. :)

Chicken Marsala

1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 chicken breast halves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes)
1/2 c. dry Marsala wine or chicken broth

Mix flour, salt & pepper. Coat chicken w/ flour mixture. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a 10" skillet. Cook garlic, mushrooms & parsley for 5 min., stirring frequently. Add chicken. Cook uncovered about 8 min., turning once until chicken is brown. Add wine. Cook uncovered 8-10 min., turning once until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder

Brown beef (or turkey) & onion; drain. Add sauce, mustard & spices. Serve warm. (6 servings)

Potato Sloppy Joe Bake

1 lb. ground beef
1 (15.5 oz.) can of sloppy joe sauce
1 can cream of potato soup
1 (32 oz.) pkg. hash browns
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef; drain grease. Add sloppy joe mix & soup. Place hashbrowns in a greased 9x13" pan. Top with beef mixture. Cover & bake @ 450 degrees for 20 min. Sprinkle the cheese on top & bake for 10 more min.

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Thanks, Emily for this new recipe. One word. Yum. I didn't have potato soup, so substituted cream of mushroom instead. And I made my own sloppy joe sauce (recipe to follow).

Completely Random Sidenote: We listed to Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath on one of our trips last summer. Most chapters ended with the phrase "recipe to follow". It made me want to check the book out of the library & try some of the recipes. But, obviously, I haven't. Anyway, I still think of that book...which, by the way, is a great book to read (or listen to) together as a family!

Salmon Patties

1 (16 oz.) can salmon
1 - 1 1/2 c. crushed butter crackers
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. parsley
pepper, to taste
1/4 c. grated onion

Remove bones from salmon (or mix & crush, bones are edible). Crush crackers to crumbs & add to salmon, along with eggs, parsley, pepper & onion. Mix well. Form into small patties & fry in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until browned on both sides.

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This is one of Phil's favorites. I often hear, "You could make this every week!" If you don't have butter crackers, you can substitute Saltines or bread crumbs, whatever you have on hand. I have also added 1/2 c. shredded carrots, as this adds extra color & flavor. We make home-made tartar sauce by mixing mayo & sweet relish. Add some sweet potato fries, and this is a meal everyone will get excited about!

Potato Keilbasa Skillet

1 lb. red potatoes, cooked & cubed
3/4 lb. smoked kielbasa, or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
5 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled
4 c. fresh baby spinach

Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Cook bacon; drain fat. In a large skillet, saute kielbasa & onion in olive oil until onion is tender. Add potatoes; saute 3-5 min. longer, or until kielbasa & potatoes are browned. Combine brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, spices, & bacon; add to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered for 2-3 min. until heated through. Add spinach & cook until wilted.

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If you're short on time, you can place the potatoes & 3 Tbsp. water in a bowl. Cover & microwave on high for 4 min. until potatoes are tender. And if you want to spare yourself a greasy mess, you can cook the bacon in the microwave too. Just cover a plate with paper towel & lay down bacon strips. Cover with paper towel & microwave for 3-4 min. until crispy. I omit the spinach from this recipe & use it for a salad instead! We'd rather eat it fresh, than wilty. :)

Foil-Pack Chicken & Mushrooms

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 3/4 c. water, divided
1 (6 oz.) pkg. stuffing
6 chicken breast halves
4 slices smoked ham, chopped
1 1/2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 c. frozen peas
6 sheets of heavy-duty foil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Mix soup & 1/4 c. water. Combine stuffing & 1 1/2 c. water; spoon evenly onto center of each square of foil. Top each with one chicken breast. Cover evenly with ham, mushrooms, peas & soup mixture. Bring up foil sides. Double-fold top & both ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in a single layer on a 10x15" baking pan. Bake 30-35 min. until chicken is cooked through.

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Instead of baking these individually, I layered it all in a greased 9x13" pan. I also used chicken tenderloins instead, as they are thinner & cook through faster. But you could just as easily use chicken breasts that have been cut into smaller chunks. Cover with foil & bake as directed.

** The fresh mushrooms looked a little "funky" once it all cooked. I think canned mushrooms would look nicer. Or, if Noah had his way, we'd just leave them out & call it good! **

On another note...I'm all for "making do" & my dollar store colander works great, but sometimes there are certain things that are worth spending a little extra on. One of them was my Pampered Chef spritzer. It has replaced my can of cooking spray, works great, and has actually saved me money in the long run!

Baked Spaghetti

16 oz. spaghetti, cooked
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. butter
8 oz. cream cheese
2/3 c. Parmesan cheese
28 oz. spaghetti sauce
2 c. shredded mozzarella
1 lb. ground beef (or 2 c.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti; drain. Add butter, stir until melted. Mix eggs & Parmesan cheese together in a separate bowl; stir into spaghetti. Place in greased 9x13" pan. Beat cream cheese with a mixer, adding some milk gradually until it reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over spaghetti. Mix sauce & beef; spread over cream cheese. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 min.

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I use less butter when I make this...about 1/4 c. And often, I sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top when I don't have mozzarella. I also like to buy ground beef in bulk. I cook it all at once, adding chopped onion, garlic, salt & pepper, to season it. Then just bag 2 c. in sandwich bags & store it in the freezer.

Chicken Divan

1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 c. cooked chicken, cubed
2 c. cooked rice
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. light mayo
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 c. soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix soups, mayo, lemon, & curry. Add broccoli, rice & chicken; mix well. Place in a greased 9x13" pan. Melt butter & mix in bread crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake for 30-40 min. until heated through.

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This is a great way to use leftover rice & chicken. I often get bags of chicken breasts or tenderloins, thaw & cook them, then cube & store them in freezer bags. This helps cut down on my prep time when I'm making meals!