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!